MMDLynn

Congratulations Keri that's fantastic. I'm awaiting insurance approval from BCBS PPO I hope everything goes through. Hey Keri did you have your surgery at MIBC in Chicago? I thought I read on another thread that Dr. Horgan was your band doctor, is that correct?

Thanks Donali, I'm keeping Diane in my prayers too. Great job by the way of keeping everyone in the loop. Kudos to you too!

Megan - you are hot girl, You go girlfriend!!!! I'm so proud of you, you've given me the inspiration I needed today. Thanks. Keep up the great work!

Congrads Christina - I know you'll do well - great job on details. Don't forget to post you're photos once you start getting around.

Hello All, I'm scheduled for banding on July 27th at MIBC in Chicago by Dr. Horgan. I have PCOS and I am wondering if any of you existing banders with PCOS could share the benefits you've experienced since your procedure? I hope there are some, no I'm sure there has to be! I know that the weight loss is a positive benefit of course, but have your symptoms linked to PCOS diminished, i.e. acne, irregular cycle, etc.? Also has your insulin spiking decreased? I'm just curious. Thanks.

Congrads Celeste & Jim!!!! Jim I live in Chicago - where did you have your surgery and whose your Doctor?

Kuddos Jenna - you look fabulous - I see an amazing transformation from your post surgery photo. Keep up the great work! This increasing my confidence - thanks. I have surgery July 27th.

I'm with you Zoe...it's cool that he has that way of thinking, but I'm not going anywear near bikini city. Because I've seen the post-surgery scar photos and I'm no wear near Nana's territory. My tummy is not in the best shape now, so I'm dreading the war wounds from the band. However, the end result is what's most important to me - healthy living and hopefully the end of my bout with PCOS. I'm excited about it - I just wished I could speed up the process and have surgery sooner. But, my new job, insurance approval, and consult/testing with MIBC is what's holding me back.

Way to go!!! Congrads Michelle - It's wonderful to hear such encouraging words post surgery. I will become a "Bandito" on July 27th (awaiting insurance clearance and time off from new job). Take it slow and follow all of the wonderfule advice provided by the other bandsters on the site. You are so right in that this site is loaded with wonderful information and insight by all members. It's truly a God-send. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress - congrads on the 3lbs loss too! Hey did your Dr. prescribe anything for gas release at home?

Yes I enjoyed it quite a lot. I'm scheduled for lab work on June 10th - that's the first appointment I could get (two weeks from this Friday). I think I knew more about the surgery than most of the folks there - it was truly a full house, not one empty seat. Some folks were really more interested in the Bypass as oppose to the lap-band, but Dr. Horgan was very upfront with his opinions for both. He performs both, but prefers the band as the most direct weight loss option. He's very strict in terms of who he will perform the surgery on. He puts all pre-op patients on a 10 day liquid diet and if the weight loss during the 10day period does not fall within a certain range, he will cancel the surgery. Another thing I liked about Dr. Horgan is that he always uses the smaller port for women. He says he is biased that way - he does the surgery on women with the goal in mind of wearing a bikini, so he wants to be sure that the port is not easily visible at goal weight. I really liked that thinking! I'm not sure what lab work is scheduled for my visit. They told us, but I can't remember and there was nothing in writing. I'm calling daily to see if there have been any cancellations, but so far none have come through.

Hello All, I'm scheduled for banding on July 27th at MIBC in Chicago by Dr. Horgan. I have PCOS and I am wondering if any of you existing banders with PCOS could share the benefits you've experienced since your procedure? I hope there are some, no I'm sure there has to be! I know that the weight loss is a positive benefit of course, but have your symptoms linked to PCOS diminished, i.e. acne, irregular cycle, etc.? Also has your insulin spiking decreased? I'm just curious. Thanks. <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Christina, I'm so happy for you and I know you made the right choice. I too have been researching the "band" for a while, although I'm sitting waiting impatiently for my insurance to get back to me with an answer. I'm scheduled for surgery on July 27th - I hate to have to wait that long!!!! But it's more about time off from my new job than anything else. Please keep me posted on your progress....I'm like a sponge now wanting to know every little detail - so fill me in!!! I know you'll do great! I especially want to know about your daily pre-surgery food/liquid choices and how you felt immediately afterwards. Where the port was placed above or below belly button? What you were told to eat post surgery (choices I mean). I really an excited for you and for myself. Thanks for sharing and someone metioned earlier - you ARE WORTH the cost!!!! Congratulations.

Thanks Jane. I bet it did taste awful crushing the pills - it evens says on the prescription bottle not to break/crush them. How are you taking them now, if you're not crushing them - whole or halfs?

Wow, thanks for sharing that info Jane it really helps me plan ahead. I've had those session where I had no cycle for 2-6 months, then all of a sudden it comes and lasts for a full 28-36 days straight. The Metformin has helped somewhat (I've been changing up daily dosage over the past year currently at 500mg 3 x's per day) What dosage were you taking presurgery vs. where you are now?

Well as a resident PCOS professional - I don't think it is the cause of your breast pain. A Gyno visit is best answer. I agree that caffeine might be the culprit - remember that your pouch is much smaller and the jolt from even 4oz. of caffeine can cause all kinds of reactionary impulses from your body. Keep in mind that coffee is a stimulant, and you cannot consume the amount of calories required to offset the effects of large levels of caffeine. Good idea - ease off the coffee and replace with Water for a few days. Make your Gyno appointment for a week later. If you still have pain you'll know its unrelated to the caffeine and you'll have the DR.'s visit to follow up with. If the pain goes away you'll know the caffeine probably had something to do with it and you can cxl the Dr.'s appt. plus take it easy with the coffee.

Well it's a combo all of the aforementioned, the skin darking I think depends on the level of melanin in your skin. I'm olive complexioned so it's a problem for me. I've got a bit of the "hump-back" myself...lol, but I think thats more from poor posture than PCOS - in my case anyway. The laser treatments got too expensive for me, so I continue to wax on a regular basis. But the hair thinning on my head, and massive growth everywhere else is killing me. I can't wait to get the band and start dropping lbs. so that I can hopefully be rid of this horrible syndrome. Thanks for the welcome!

Day Three of the steppers-set...Here are my stats: 5/09 - 1 mile 5/10 - 1 mile 5/11 - 3/4 mile it's raining really bad this morning (Chicago)

Thanks Vera! I'm looking forward to becoming a bandito!!

Thanks for the welcome! Yes you are very fortunate to have 2 precios boys.

Thanks Betty - and thank you Kathy once again for starting this thread for me! I checked out the PCOS threads and they are pretty good- it's a shame that PCOS is not more widely known or even talked about. So many young women suffer from the side-effects, but the Gynies - don't recognize it. I truly hope that I have the same experience with the band as some of the other PCOS banders have. I'm going to do what I have to do to get the weight off, so I promise to be a good girl. However, I will need all the support I can get - so hang in there with me...pleassseee!

Congrads Sandra! I hope everything was as smooth as silk for you. I have 2 months to go and I'm about to lose my mind in anticipation. Good catch there Zoe...it is indeed autumn in the land down under!

Okay I've just witnessed this thread, but count me in too. I know it's a week late, but I'm right there with you guys. However, I've not been banded yet and my knees are giving me problems too - so I'm going to start with a 1 mile walk for the next 30 days, working my way up to 2 miles a day the following month. That will at least get me started, as I'm now a full fledge, card-carrying member of the couch potato club. Dr. Horgan band date - 07/27/05- tenative

:banana Happy Birthday Kathy - Here's to you...wishing you all the happiness your heart & hands can hold.

Thanks Kathy! Well hello everyone and thanks in advance for helping to address my "stupid" questions, fears and providing overall insight to the band-life. I'm tenatively scheduled for surgery on July 27th, 2005 with Dr. Horgan in Chicago, IL. As Kathy mentioned I awaiting Insurance approval. I'm also in the process of running all pre-op/tests. I would like to get started sooner, but I've also just started a new job 2 weeks ago so I won't be able to take anytime off until after my 90 day probationary period. Here's a little about me - I'm 40 years old, single with no children. I have PCOS and Kathy thought it might be a good idea to share this illness with everyone so here goes.... Let's see PCOS is Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. It's a hormonal defect in that your female organs aren't in tune from the onset of puberty. Your body produces insulin, but your cells don't absorb it and process it correctly so your pancreas works overtime trying to produce more (hence the spiking effect / highs & lows). If not corrected or reversed, this can eventually overwork your pancreas until it stops producing insulin all together and you have to start replacing it with shots (type I). I know that now, but didn't know it back when I was 12 and my period first started. The first signs are irregular cycles, or very light or extremely heavy periods. Researchers have also determined that there is a genetic link to diabetes & PCOS. I guess the best way to describe it is - if there are family members in your maternal (primarily maternal) or paternal lineage that has diabetes, female offspring's are more susceptible to have PCOS at the on-set of puberty. It's like a weird cousin to diabetes. Most Doctors generally suggest trying to get pregnant early on through invetro or at the very least fertility meds, because - if there are no children born early on say in the early 20's - then the hormonal balance gets further off line and ovulation decreases consistently. Once you hit your early 30's and no pregnancies occur, you start to become insulin resistant and start heading towards type II diabetes the closer you get to your 40's. The body is a miraculous invention, it appears that having children resets your hormones and the problem can correct itself. However the more time that goes by and PCOS is not corrected via pregnancy or diet/exercise the worse off you get. The upsetting part is all of this information is new and no one was aware that irregular periods were more than just a gynecological issue back when I was a young lady. I should've been seeing an endocrinologist back then. PCOS is treated with the same medication they give type II diabetics to help keep the insulin levels from spiking when you eat. The problem is it also causes some dramatic side effects in that your metabolism slows almost to a complete stop. Because the medication only works on part of the problems associated with PCOS. One of the main problems is that your body is in a constant state of "pseudo-pregnancy". All foods, fluids are stored for fuel, so you keep moving up & up in the weight department, you lactate (small milk leakage from your breasts), and you don't have a period or at the very least you have periods 2-3 times a year. You also have skin discoloration (darkening) in your hormonal areas (face, neck, breast, pelvis). It's horrible - I've been on the medication now for 3 years and the medication has some drawbacks too - it dries your skin & scalp and gives you diarrhea or loose stool. I've been on every diet known to mankind it seem - Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Weight watchers, Atkins, Zone, even a PCOS diet - but I've only been able to drop 5- 10 pounds, which was probably only Water retention. So that's a little bit about me. I'm really excited about joining "the band"! Dr. Horgan July 27th, 2005- tenatively 325/SD-???/Current-325/170 goal

Thanks J.S. That helps a lot. What kind of liquids & clear liquids did you select 3 times per day and in what volumes? i.e. did you consume 8oz 3 times per day or maybe 4 oz. of apple juice, or cranberry juice - what liquids did you actually consume during the 2 week pre-op phase. Did your doctor give you a list to follow? I'm just worried about what I should do to get prepared. I'm trying to schedule my surgery the week of June 27th - but I'm not even out of the starting gate (I still have to meet with the surgeon, get all preliminary testing done, and obtain insurance approval). I guess I'm just trying to prepare myself and get a plan in place so there will be no "hiccups" in the process. Thanks again for responding to my question, I really appreciate it.