citygirlnks

Just stopping by the join and say hello to fellow July banders. I was banded July 31st...doing and feeling great so far. My port incision is still healing, can't wait til the scab falls off already! I am scheduled to have my first fill Sept. 10th. I'm so excited...and a little nervous but I'm ready to tighten 'er down!

By the way, you can also go to the "Main Lap-Band Forums" and go to the "Doctors and Hospitals" section and ask around about specific doctors. Chances are you'll meet people who have been to or know a little about a certain doctor you are questioning about.

Himmeus- Welcome to the forum! I assure you will learn a lot and get tons of support here. Congrats on deciding to go with the band! Just curious, where are you from? At first I was assuming you're from the US somewhere and was wondering why Belgium but then I realized you didn't mention where you're from. My opinion is...there's lots of lap-band doctors out there. Many of them are just as qualified as the next but you have to do your research and check them out. Check to see if their liscense is up to date, see how many procedures they have done, ect. A lot of people here have travelled to Mexico for their procedure and some have had it done in their hometown. It's up to you to do your homework and see which dr. is most qualified, how much their charging and whether it's in your budget and who you feel comfortable with most. I say if there's a local dr. that is qualified, meets your budget and you feel comfortable with him/her then you should go with that dr. there's no need to travel far, that just is just added stress that you don't need.

Welcome to the forum Don! There are lots of very kind, helpful and supportive poeple here ready to answer questions and tell you about their journey. I was recently banded (7/31/07) and I couldn't imagine not joining the site prior to being banded. I went into surgery knowing what to expect and it helped a lot emotionally and mentally. As for your question about grocery budget.... The amount spent on dinners out were cut in half since I always share a meal with someone. As far as groceries, I think I am spending a little more than usual just because I am buying good quality food (fresh fish, fresh meats, ect.) as opposed to cheapo frozen foods and junk food. Of course it takes me longer to eat all the food I buy since I eat less now. So perhaps I'm just breaking even? I'm not really sure. But I don't even waste my money on stopping by drive-thrus or fast food places for Snacks anymore which is a money saver! Hope this helps!

A couple of mine fell off after a week and a half. The others just stayed on. I peeled them off after two weeks if they looked like they were healed enough underneath. Though, my port incision didn't heal well with the seristrips still on for so long so the dr. told me to pull them off and the incision is healing much better with air getting to it.

Guilty here too! I weigh myself everyday at least. Sometimes before and after I eat a meal just to see the damage. I know I shouldn't do this but I can't help it. I notice when the scale changes so does my mood. It's like watching the stock market......geesh!

I'm only about 4 weeks out. I haven't had my first fill yet but things are already getting better... -I actually now know what feeling "full" is like, before the band I only knew and felt hungry and gorged. -The scale is actually moving and I'm actually losing, even if a little, I'm losing something! -I have hope that the band will help me towards successful weight loss.

Hello Bente! Welcome to the forum! I am a self pay patient. I put the cost of the surgery all on my credit card (and earned a heck of a lot of airline miles in the process). It's the best charge I have put on my card. I was sick of the fat, sick of all the things that came with being obese (asthma, high blood pressure, joint problems...ect.). I knew if I didn't do something now, I was not getting any better. It's going to take some time to pay it off but it's just something I had to do! Good luck with your journey and hope it pans out for you!

Hey! Good job on holding up with the no soda diet! It's hard when the poeple around you want a certain type of food that you shouldn't be having. I know when my friends want to go out, they want to go out and have junk food. Now that I am banded I often have to chime in and see if we can go to other places where I know I can pick something out of the menu that is healthier for me. Again, it's hard but looks like you're on the right mind set. Keep it up! :clap2:

twizlerbabe- Welcome! Yes, insurance can be a total mess. Though, if you can go through the hoops, give them what they want and have patience it's worth it to have them pay for it. I am a self-pay patient so I was in the doctor's office and into surgery and out pretty quick. If the insurance thing doesn't pan out, perhaps look into a loan and having it financed through the bank or pay by credit card and earn some airplane mileage! Good luck!!!

scanj05- Welcome to the forum! I had my surgery almost a month ago. Before then, I had never been through surgery...not even dental surgery! I was scared, nervous, apprehensive about the blot clot issue and with having high blood pressure I didn't know what to expect during surgery and after. But, I had the surgery, it was easy. One minute I'm awake, the next I'm in my room with minimal pain, just some soreness. Like Peaches said, with walking, the soreness and the pains will subside. To avoid blot clots they gave m an injection in my stomach (didn't even hurt, just stung a little) and they put socks on you during surgery and have you wear these sock-like things that pump air into it to keep blood in your feet moving after surgery.

Welcome to the forum! I'm umm not really a kid, but I feel like one though (26 years old)! If you have any questions or need support, come here, everyone here is very helpful and super supportive! See you around!

Ally! Yay!!!! You have a surgery date! I am so happy for you! You'll have to tell me how it all went...we'll chat later for sure! Anyway, congrats!!! :clap2: p.s. so you're liver's ok? ahhaha

There are quite a few Dr. Malley patients on the forum and I think all of them can agree that he's a wonderful doctor. He's quiet but he listens to what you have to say and he's very sensitive to your feelings and concerns. I knew he was the one after the seminar and after my consult with him it just reassured me that picking him would be my best choice because I felt to comfortable with him. He's done the most lap band procedures of all the doctors in the midwest and started out as a general surgeon. Knowing that, I felt confident in his practice. My surgery went very well. I had no problems during surgery and had minimal pain after surgery. And now that I am almost 3 weeks out, I have had no problems so far and I am healing wonderfully. Dr. Malley visited me after surgery and the morning after surgery and his nurse visited me the morning of my discharge. I went home (California) a week after my surgery and the doctor and th enurse called me a few times to see how I was doing. I can only speak for my own experience but I was very happy with Dr. Malley...I couldn't have asked for a better surgeon!

Dr. Malley at the Heartland Spine & Specialty Center.

Hey nkcaump! Welcome to the forum! I'm in Kansas too and was recently banded. It's been such a positive experience for me so far. I look forward to living with my new band! I too had friends/family who begged me to try to go on a diet and eat less before resorting to the band. Thing is, dieting and trying to eat less if my life story! I researched the lap band for about a year, went to a couple seminars and met with a couple doctors before deciding. All the while, I took my boyfriend with me to all the meeting and all the consults. It helped him ease his worries and see that the lap band is something that CAN actually help me towards weight loss, not just temporary weight loss. I also want to commend you on quitting soda. It's a hard thing to do, especially when the headaches kick in and the tiny voices in your head start begging you for some soda. So, again, welcome to the board, ask questions, ask lots of questions here...you'll get answers and lots of support as well!

Me! Me! Me! I was banded in Kansas! :clap2:

Hey buddy!!! Good luck tomorrow! I'll be thinkin about ya. You'll have to tell me all about it when you get back. *Oh, be sure to ask Dr. Malley about your liver...hahahaha!

Welcome Sochling! I think you'll find the forum very helpful. The people on here are so supportive and always willing to help answer any questions you have. Have you been to any lap band doctors or been to any lap band seminars? I'd highly recommend you look into going to a seminar or two. I know I learned a lot from those. From there, maybe you could go to a consult. I think that will help you decide if the lap band is for you! Good luck on your journey!

Rhapsody- I will be 27 in a few months and I felt the same way you did. I saw my weight, saw my bmi and knew I needed to do something about it. I researched the lapband for about a year. I went to the seminar, the consult and after a month, I had the surgery. It's been a relatively easy recovery. I'd do it again in an instant. I was banded July 31st, so I haven't had my fill yet but I look forward to it. I was nervous about my surgery and had lots of questions but this forum has been a lifesaver. If you have any reservations or any questions, just ask!

Yummie, we all go through what you're going through. It's hard to change your eating habits but everytime you go to eat something just try to stop for a minute and remember why you got the band and remember that you can make the changes! Think positive. I'm a little over 2 weeks out and starting to feel the hunger...I just keep reminding myself why I got banded and that usually helps me to slow down and take a minute to think about what I should eat as opposed to what I want to eat. When you feel down just come to the forum, there are lots of people who offer support and can relate to our feelings...Good Luck!

Welcome to the forum DecemberRose! Good luck on your journey. I hope to see ya around the forum, it's a wonderful place to meet people, learn new things and get lots of support. See you around!

Like KellyGirl, I was banded a couple weeks ago in Overland Park, KS for 16,000 that includes a year worth of follow-ups and fills. I opted for a surgeon close by in case issues came up. Luckily there have been none but it's nice to know he's close by. Also, if I had any concerns the doctor/nurse can be reached after hours as well which is a comforting feeling to know they're just a call away.

I went to a mandatory seminar at the end of June, had my consultation that very next week and then had my surgery at the end of July. So, about a month. I was a self pay patient. I could have had the surgery earlier I imagine except my surgeon was booked up until the end of the month from the time of my consultation. My total cost was 16K. I had a great experience overall. I loved my surgeon, had minimal pain, enjoyed my stay at the hospital, went home with almost no gas pains, some soreness that went away in about a week and a half.

Welcome to the forum Techjunkie! I'm only a little over 2 weeks post op so I've been eating a lot of Soups. But for the past couple days I found it only difficult to restrain from drinking when eating with other people who are drinking while eating. Otherwise, if I'm eating alone or with my boyfriend who knows about my surgery, it's not so hard not having a drink with my meals, just don't have a glass of anything in front of you. Somehow, once I have had the band in me I feel more conscious about my decisions and feel a bit reluctant to break any rules for fear of messing up the band. As for hot or spicy foods, since you'll have to learn to take small bites, you'll know from your first small bite of food if your meal is going to be too spicy or too hot to eat. Hope this helps!