lapbandliz

Next thursday! September 4th! Good luck to my other september friends! We are going to get skinnified and healthy!! :biggrin:

Congrats on the size 8! :biggrin:

Congrats! :thumbup: I can't wait for my banding!

I thought about Dr. Kirshenbaum too, and I had a consultation with him. My husband and I were NOT impressed. From the very moment I entered his office, i was a little leary. It was dated and not very clean. We had to wait for like an hour and half before he saw us. He then came in, unshaven, didn't introduce himself and just explained things. He didn't require any kind of pre-op testing and he was ready to schedule me. It kind of freaked me out. I went to Dr. Snyder... I loved him! He was so professional and extremely personable!! Go see him if you want to have the lapband surgery in Denver. I am scheduled for surgery next Thurs, Sept 4! But PLEASE don't go to Kirshenbaum he was a total joke!

I have trouble after about 3 bites of anything--even flaky fish. My doctor assures me everything is just fine with the band. I have no problem with my esophagus, and I have NO fill in my band. Yet, I still have trouble eating. It is unpredictable. Lately, I even have trouble throwing it back up...so I stay in pain for several hours. Does this happen to anybody else? What do you do about it?

Help, I've had so much trouble swallowing and have other allergy issues as well. Last night I couldn't even drink water because it got backed up and wouldn't go through. I saw my allergy doc today and he sent me to have a barium swallow. My esophogus looks good, thankfully, but my band looks too tight. It is only opening about 1 cm, maybe even less. The problem is, I have NO FILL. They told me I could wait til Monday to call my weight loss surgeon, but I'm really scared. What is going to happen to me? Are they going to have to remove the band? What could be wrong? Any help and advice would sure be aprpeciated!--I'm scared, hungry, and miserable.

Also, the band is the regular Inamed Lap-Band.

I was banded 1 year ago. Up until about October last year, things were going along just fine and I lost about 50 pounds. Then, I started having trouble getting food down. So, over the course of several months, they kept taking the fill out until now there is no fill whatsoever in the band. The radiologist showed me the x-rays today. He said it looks like the band is in place, but he didn't have the films from last October to compare them to. He showed me on the x-ray that my stomach opening is 1 cm or less (because of magnification). Its no wonder even liquids now sometimes are a problem. If the band hasn't slipped, what could cause the stoma to get smaller with no fill in the band to compress it?

I'm coming up on my year anniversary and I've had no progress since about September. I started having problems swallowing and they are still not resolved. I'm eating all the wrong things and feel miserable when I have to throw up. When I try to eat good food, it takes so long everything is cold by the time I've finally finished it uncomfortably. I've had all the fill taken out of my band so there is no restriction. My willpower is non-existent. I just don't know what to do to get back on track again and have no emotional energy to even try. I just want to hibernate and be miserable. Any words of advice???

Anybody recommed a doctor in Colorado Springs? I think Dr. Snyder in Denver is great, but I would love to have a doctor close by!

I love to make pizzas using large Portabella mushrooms. Just put some olive oil on the pan and then make your pizza using the mushroom cap turned upside down as the "pizza crust". Then just pile on your ingredients: sauce, cheese, veggies, turkey pepperoni, etc. It really is very, very good!

I don't like the idea of him not even handling insurance... and the way he talked so much about money... like how he would divide it up the night before the surgery to everyone who was involved... kind of wierd... I thought he was nice enough, but didn't even introduce himself when he came into the room for my consultation... just started to go over what the surgery was... anyway... I'm sure that he has helped others... I'm just suspicious...

Hi, both me and my husband are banded, too. We were exactly one month apart. I was banded on Feb 19 and he was banded on Mar 19. He has lost 87 pounds now and I've lost 56. It was absolutely the best decision we ever made. I do think it was good we had some time separating our surgeries because we could take care of each other. Good luck! Our daughter is about to get banded soon, too. So, this is turning into quite a family thing!

I'm still losing my hair, too. I sound just like some of the rest of you. I've lost 50 pounds now, since February, and the hair loss started about 3-4 months ago-so, about 5 months after surgery. I hope you all are right about it not being permanent and that it will stop soon. Like some of you, I started out with a lot of thick, curly hair-so much that an elastic band would be hard to put around twice. Now, I can get it around 5 or 6 times. I have to clean the drain and my comb and get a handful after every time I wash my hair. I just hope you all are right about it stopping.

So... I'm just beginning my "journey" to bandland! I live in CO springs and I have a consultation with Dr. Kirshenbaum (Denver) in Sept. I also have another consultation with Dr. Snyder next month. Did anyone have any pros or cons for either doctor? Also does anyone know of any great doctors in the Springs? I'd appreciate any advice as I start investigating. I can't wait to start this! Both my parents were banded last Spring and I am amazed at the results! It's my turn!

Hi everyone! I am just starting to look into the Lapband system and I was wondering if anyone had any doctor recommendations or other doctors to stay away from! Thanks for your help!

I just got off a plane, too. And, not only did I not need an extender, but I fit in the seat with the armrest down and the tray table came all the way down!!!!! I was so excited!!!! I still have a long, long way to go, but hey, its a start!

I'm having the same problem, but my blood work doesn't show any deficiencies. Could diet still be the problem, though? Fortunately, I had a lot of hair to start with, but I've lost close to half of it---i'm really scared. I'm losing a handful everytime I wash my hair and quite a few strands every time I run my hand through my hair. Are the rest of you losing this much?????

What sorts of things do you want to do, have, wear, etc. after you lose the weight? I'm thinking about starting a list for myself that I can look at when I get discouraged or begin to question what I'm about to do by getting banded. I know the obvious things like wear nice clothes, sit in seats more comfortably, but I want to know what other things you hope to do in the future. Some of my goals are to travel abroad and have the energy and strength to do a lot of walking, climbing, riding horses, camels, and elephants. I want to go to Europe, Egypt, and Africa. I want to go to Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon and be able to ride down to the bottom of the canyon. I want to wear ball gowns and learn how to do ballroom dancing. I'll have 8 months after I'm banded before I turn 50. I hope I can do something spectacular to celebrate. I know I can't lose all my weight in 8 months, but it seems like I could lose enough that I could begin to be doing some of the things I've listed above. Please share your hopes and goals and give me more ideas to add to my list.

I've had 2 fills so far. Since I was filled in April and May, I have only lost maybe 5 pounds. My surgery was Feb 19 and I've been pretty much stuck since I started eating regular food. My husband, in the meantime, got banded 1 month after me and has lost 57 pounds! My total is only about 30. I'M SO DISCOURAGED!!!!! I know I'm eating more than I should-but usually no more than 1200 calories. How can you NOT lose weight on that little bit?

Oh my goodness!!!! It's almost here! I feel like I'm falling apart. I want this, but I feel like I'm a nervous wreck! My emotions are crazy--I cry over things that I usually can handle? I keep having dreams about the surgery. What is going on? Is this going to pass after I actually have the surgery on Monday or is it going to get worse? Is this just me, or does this happen to a lot of people before they get the band? It is just such a big deal! It is such a life-changing thing! What if I can't be disciplined enough to eat the way I'm supposed to? What if the after surgery pain is unbearable because I have fibromyalgia--my pain sensitivity has gone over the top since I've had fibro. Help....:help:

I'm eating about 1100-1300 calories a day and I'm still hungry. My stomach just churns and growls. Sometimes this happens even after I eat...I still feel hungry. It really gets me late at night. Needless to say, my weight loss is slow. I've had 2 fills, do I need another one? I can get really stuck while I'm eating if I eat to fast or too big a bite, so I'm not sure that making the band tighter is really what I need. Please advise.... thanks!

Does anyone know what I can do to help my arms get smaller. I'm losing weight in other places, but not at all in my arms. Because, I'm getting smaller in my body, my arms look worse than ever! What can I do? Has anybody tried bodywraps or cellulite cream? I'm doing exercises, but nothing is helping. My dress size is down by at least 1 or 2 sizes, except for my arms. This is a real problem! Advice, please??

Hey, I like the name taradactyl wings.....very descriptive. I also have the same problem with clothing. Now that I'm losing weight, I can almost get into a 20 on the top - except for the sleeves. Also, since I've lost 34 pounds, my thighs are starting to have this "lovely" rippled, sagging effect, too. I think I'd be willing to have a scar, if necessary. A scar is better than the hanging bat wings and ripples above my elbows! Has anyone tried the body wrap thing????? Please tell me it works!

I guess I haven't checked in lately. My weight loss really slowed down from before my 1st fill until last week. I think I've finally started losing again, but it is very slow. I am trying so hard to lose another 30 pounds by mid-August when we are going to Yellowstone. Then, I hope to lose another 10 or so by November when we go to Europe. I want to be able to walk, climb stairs, ride horses, etc. Any advice on how I can speed up my weight loss?