lorid

Welcome and congratulations on your success so far! It is the best thing you will EVER do for yourself and this site is awesome. Lots of support and resources. I pray you continued determination!

walk the dog, play computer games, sew, swim.....anything that requires movement or the use of my hands so that it makes it difficult to eat at the same time and also that puts my focus on something other than food. I find that if I can refocus on an activity most of the time I forget I was "hungry"!

I turned 50 last week 62 lbs lighter thanks to this surgery! It is absolutely the BEST thing I have ever done for myself.:thumbup:

Thank you and congratulations to you on your weight loss my friend! Keep up the good work! Isn't it wonderful being in the "Losers Club"?

I am an RN and wanted to tell you that it is really good that your doctor is being so careful. I am so sorry that you had gotten so far before they discovered the quirky heart beat. I know how mentally ready I was for the surgery and how much that would have crushed me to be told I had to wait, especially with the IV already in my arm! Pull back, take a deep breath and see this for what it is though--a bump in the road on your way to giving yourself the best gift you could possibly ever receive! And because your doctor is being so cautious you can KNOW that you are doing it the safest way possible. When you find yourself lying there the next time getting the IV started you won't have to worry about the surgery itself! Your doc sounds like the kind who truly cares for his patients! Hang in there my friend!

This is the BEST gift you will EVER give yourself! If you work with the band you WILL lose the weight. I look back over photos of myself now and just start tearing up. I can't believe I was really that big. It feels so good to be 62 lbs lighter and counting! Welcome to the "Losers Club" my friend! I am excited for you and the journey you are about to begin!

You will still have the head hunger but it is SOOO much easier to push away from the food when you feel full! And you feel full with very little food. It is still a choice every time you are tempted to eat and you can out eat it by grazing or eating high fat high calorie foods. It is a tool and one that has finally helped me lose 62 lbs! And for the first time in my life I have no doubt that the rest of the weight is coming off as well--very slowly, but that is the BEST way to lose it anyway!

When you exercise regularly you will probably not lose as many lbs but you will reshape your body and lose inches which is what you really want anyway. You are building muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. You just have to be very careful. After my workout I am not hungry at first but several hours later I could eat a horse! I have to really watch out that I don't out eat the band by grazing or eating the wrong foods! Great job! keep up the exercise!

My surgery date is coming up on ONE YEAR next month! I have lost 57 lbs. SO excited! This is the BEST thing I have EVER done for myself. It has changed my life! I can't wait to get on the tennis court again--only a few more "10's" to go before I feel it will be safe on my ankles!:wink2:

Please Help! Need suggestions. I feel like a recovering alcoholic living in a frat house! EVERYWHERE I turn there is food--and it's not sliced chicken and turkey. It's the high fat high sugar high carb variety! At work, at church, and with my college age daughter who likes to cook at home even AT HOME! I have convinced her not to cook anything so tempting that I don't need to eat but the other places have my spinning! I have eaten so much tonight that my stomach is burning and I am really concerned that I have seriously messed up. Plan to do clear liquids tomorrow and full liquids for the next couple of days but I am just so frustrated. Have skipped several parties simply because I didn't feel I could face the spread of food that I knew would be there....and deciding to avoid the buffet table isn't working! It seems like with the first bite of holiday sweets that went into my mouth triggered something in my brain and now I crave them! Suggestions anyone? Has anyone here experienced the burning sensation? __________________

:cryI feel like a recovering alcoholic living in a frat house! EVERYWHERE I turn there is food--and it's not sliced chicken and turkey. It's the high fat high sugar high carb variety! At work, at church, and with my college age daughter who likes to cook at home even AT HOME! I have convinced her not to cook anything so tempting that I don't need to eat but the other places have my spinning! I have eaten so much tonight that my stomach is burning and I am really concerned that I have seriously messed up. Plan to do clear liquids tomorrow and full liquids for the next couple of days but I am just so frustrated. Have skipped several parties simply because I didn't feel I could face the spread of food that I knew would be there....and deciding to avoid the buffet table isn't working! It seems like with the first bite of holiday sweets that went into my mouth triggered something in my brain and now I crave them! Suggestions anyone? Has anyone here experienced the burning sensation?

I was also banded by Dr. King in April and have really been VERY pleased with my care. I live and work in Tupelo and our hospital has just launched a brand new bariatric center with Dr. Terry Pinson as the surgeon. They use a team approach and many of my friends have now been banded by Dr. Pinson and are having wonderful results with great support by the team. Look into both programs! I would highly recommend either one!

:clap2: What do you love about your band surgeon and their practice? He has an attitude of truly wanting to see me succeed in losing the weight. He aggressively treats complications and leaves nothing to assumption. I had trouble w/ burning in the first months after surgery and he unfilled the band and did a scope to make sure there weren't ulcers. He has done over a hundred procedures and is obviously very knowledgeable and skilled at what he does. What do you hate? He does not have a team approach to his bariatric practice. I am an RN at my local hospital. They launched a bariatric program 6 months after I had my surgery in a nearby town. The patients at our hospital routinely see a dietitian, an exercise physiologist and have access to a number of staff members who have had bariatric surgery and are willing to give support whenever needed. I have never seen a dietitian or an exercise physiologist as a part of my treatment. When I have needed emotional support or suggestions about struggling with the challenge of changing my eating habits, his staff has often been curt and very discouraging in the way they have reacted. What more could we do to help you succeed? Have a team approach to your practice. Ensure that your team members are sensitive to the disease called morbid obesity and that they do not label your patients with the common assumptions most ppl make of overweight patients. Whether they voice their opinions or not makes no difference—their attitude toward “fat ppl” comes through LOUD and CLEAR. Use “tough love” when necessary. My surgeon came down on me pretty hard at the second visit when he thought I wasn't being compliant. It upset me because I was trying to do everything correctly. It is very difficult to take in all the information thrown at one in the beginning and because I didn't understand about not drinking water with my meals I had stretched my stomach to the point of considerable irritation. Being an RN I appreciated the severity of his reaction even though it upset me at the time. Patients need to understand just how serious non-compliance can be in causing problems. How could we improve your customer experience with our practices? By doing just what you have done here! ASK the patient!

I was banded in April. Starting wgt- 326. Went to the doc today and have officially lost 53 lbs. OH YEAH! I feel incredible. BMI has gone from 48 to 41! What a ride!

I am SO glad I had the surgery. Not a regret at all. In fact it has changed my life. But understand it is just a tool to help you lose weight. You will have to change your eating habits in order for it to be successful. The good news is that with the band it is easier to pass up food when you are not hungry since it makes you feel full sooner and with less food. The band does not have the major complications associated with the gastric bypass and if you do experience complications it can be taken out allowing the stomach to heal. You will want to go into the surgery knowing and expecting it to be permanent unless there are complications that your doctor believes warrant its removal. Ask lots of questions and read all you can before making your decision.

I had my surgery April 4 and have now lost 53 lbs. FEEL SO MUCH BETTER! And for the first time in my life I have no doubt that the weight IS coming off! I am happy to be a member of this "Losers' Club" with you all!

My doc requires that I stay on clear liquids only the first day and then full liquids the second day after a fill. There will be some swelling after a fill and this is to give it a chance to go down before introducing solid food again. Since you had a bit of trouble I would stick to clear liquids for another day and then take it VERY slow.

If the pain gets any worse or you develope fever do not wait until tomorrow to see your doctor. Call his office or go to the ER. You are probably experiencing nothing serious but best not to assume.

How many lap band procedures has he done? What kind of complications have HIS patients, not just lap band patients in general, but HIS patients experienced? What is the follow up protocol for his lap band patients--frequency of post op visits, when to expect fills, will they be done in the office or under flouroscopy in the hospital and the cost, what help is available after office hours should you develope problems, what support is available in addition to him and his nurse such as someone who has been through the surgery who is available for support, will you be meeting with a dietitian at any point, if not is there one available who is knows about the lap band process and the cost of consultations with him/her. These are just some of the questions to ask in that initial meeting. You will want to attend a seminar to get all of your questions answered about the lap band procedure and how it works ideally before your appt. If that is not possible the doctor should be able to walk you through all of that information as well. Hope this helps!

It might not be a bad idea to call your surgeon and talk with his nurse. She can reassure you and offer some more suggestions for pain control.

By the way, where do you live and who was the surgeon?

I cried when I read your post. I am an RN and cannot imagine the office staff putting off your friend with symptoms like that. What a tragic loss! Too many patients never question what they are told to do by the "telephone nurse". Sometimes it pays to be a bit pushy. My heart goes out to her husband. Sounds like he did all he could to seek help for her in repeatly calling the office. I pray God will comfort him in his grief and that he will understand that it was NOT his fault. (((((((HUGS)))))))))) to you too my friend.

What a day! I am not sure you will ever look back and laugh but it will become a distant memory- one you will look back on and remind yourself why you spent so much money and went through the pain of having the surgery! My oldest daughter is pregnant and her sister had not seen her yet so I asked her if she wanted to see a photo of her pregnant sis. As I was scrolliing through my computer photo file looking for the picture I passed my "before" shots. My daughter was looking over my shoulder and when that picture came up she said.......ohmygosh is THAT Melissa she is SO big!!!!!! I think it embarrassed her when she realized what the picture was and to tell you the truth I would have been in my bed crying for the rest of the day had I not had the surgery and already lost 53 lbs! I feel your pain my friend!

I was banded in April and have lost 53 lbs! It has changed my life. I feel SO much better. Still have 90 lbs to go and for the first time in my life have no doubt that it will come off. It is a great TOOL! Since it gives the feeling of fullness after only a small amount of food it HELPS me to push away from the table the minute I feel satisfied, but it is still a choice I have to make everytime I eat. You can sabotage the band by overeating or grazing or eating too many high calorie or high fat foods. I do not have diabetes but I am an RN and can tell you that losing the weight will help reduce the amt of insulin needed to control your blood sugar and make it much easier to maintain acceptable blood sugar levels. I would suggest doing a search in your area for Bariatric Centers and make an appt for a consultation where they can explain the surgery and answer all your questions. Hope you will consider becoming a member of "The Losers' Club"! We are a pretty happy group!

Sometimes insurance will cover the cost of the surgery. Mine didn't and it was worth EVERY cent! $14000 for the surgery and about $300 for the fills afterward done under flouroscopy at the hospital. Had to go to the hospital for the first 4 fills then I had lost enough that my surgeon felt comfortable doing it in his office by just feeling for the port. It is just under the skin somewhere in the abdomen depending where your doc likes to put it. Mine is just above my naval. The fills in the office are $100 and if I don't have a fill during a follow up visit to the office it is $75. My surgery was in April of this year and I have just hit 53 lbs lost! FEEL GREAT! I, too, tried dieting for most of my life and just couldn't lose. This is not a magic fix. You must change the way you eat. The big advantage to having the band is that it gives you that feeling of fullness after only a small amt of food and it is easier to push the plate away! I think it is unanimous among us that you would find it most helpful to go to a seminar where you can see photos and the actual lapband device and have a doctor answer your questions. It has changed my life! I hope you will consider going through with it! It is a great tool to have!