Overjoyed1

Dr. Reilly performed my surgery. He is excellent and very thorough when answering questions and makes sure you understand the entire process. My aftercare has been WONDERFUL! If I could have Nurse Ida as my PCP, I would do so in a heartbeat! I've also seen Nurse Roxanne - she's great as well. They're not concerned with the band alone - but your health as a whole and how the band plays a role in improving your health.

If you had posted these pics without a caption, I would have thought these were pics of two different people! You have done so well! Congratulations!!!

Congratulations!!!!! You look great!

Thanks so much!!!

I can't believe it!!! With all of those "diets", I never lost more than 20lbs & of course I'd always end up gaining those lbs back + more. Well, I weighed myself yesterday.... Since I started this journey in March, I have now lost 32lbs!!!! I cant see it in the mirror, but I'm not about to argue with the scale or my loose fitting clothes! LOL!!! I am soooo excited! In March I could barely walk up a flight of stairs without losing my breath. Now I'm walking 3.5 miles everyday!

That's a big red flag...they "don't like" giving fills for a reason. Maybe they're not properly trained in doing fills and just don't feel confident in what they're doing. And you certainly don't want to take a risk. In that case, if your surgeon can't do the fills, look into an office that has Nurse Practitioners doing the fills. My NP even has the band herself and that helps a lot because she personally understands. BTW...you're doing GREAT with your weight loss!!! 50lbs is awesome!!!

Im a side sleeper and I had that same feeling only when I would try sleeping on my left side. Well I woke up on my left side a couple of days ago - no "hanging" feeling. Yaaaay. Give it a little more time and you should be ok.

Yes my doctor added 2.2cc during surgery. I didn't know until my first fill this week. Honestly, Im glad he did add fluid because it gave me time to learn what my "full" sensation is like before I started solid foods. My transition went very smoothly. Had .5cc added this week. My nurse did explain to me the reasons some patients have fluid added during surgery. Partially due to the original fit of the 10cc band which can differ person to person. Also during the barium swallow immediately after surgery, any leakage can be detected. Other reasons as well. Im feeling great and loving my band!

My first visit was in March and I was banded on July 30th by Dr. Reilly. Very pleased so far. My first fill is scheduled for Aug. 27th.

So happy for you! Take it easy. Wishing you a smooth recovery!

Congratulations again. Praying for your mind to be at ease and that you have a smooth start to your recovery! My biggest suggestions: 1) Follow your health care team's instructions 2) Walk! Walk! Walk!

Wow! I hope you realize what an inspiration you really are! Keeping the weight off for as long as you have is a huge accomplishment that all of us hope to achieve. So glad you've found a supportive provider and hopefully we can all be encourahing as well. We can do this!!!

It depends on the insurance company. I was recently banded through Cigna. If I had lost more than a certain % of weight, I would have been denied because they would conclude that I could lose the weight without surgery. However, some other companies require you to lose a certain amount of weight to prove that you ARE disciplined enough to have the surgery. The insurance specialist in your surgeon's office is probably familiar with the philosophy for each company and can possibly give you more insight on what will get you approved.

Bucket List: Go to Lane Bryant, try on the smallest size & find that its too big! Ride go carts with my son. Wear heels without ankle pain. Get GOOD seats to a comedy show at the Improv without fear of the comedian using me for fat jokes!

Congratulations! Take it easy. My surgery was yesterday. Today I having soreness in my belly. No other pain. Wishing you a smooth recovery!