nubeginnings

2thebeach- thats awsome that you may finally be at your sweetspot. I'm debating on whether I should go get another fill or not. I'm restricted in the morning till around 10am but then am able to eat a bear through the rest of the day and night. Unfortunately my night eating is my downfall. Would give anything to reverse and feel restricted at night. Please keep posting on your progress so I can live vicariously through you!!! I promise not to be a hater and a good cheerleader. :scales:

I would love the information! If you don't mind me asking, how much does he charge for a fill? Thanks for info

Ok, you're my hero too! You give me hope that I didnt waste thousands of dollars on a gimmick. I drive 5 hours one way for each fill. I don't care if I have to make that trip every other week...I'm going to keep getting fills until I get it right. How excited you must be to be so close to goal weight. I know you are proud, and you earned it. Congrats

Badonkadonkbutt, I love that name!!!! LOL Thank you soo much for the words of encouragement. I admit I wish I were posting in the Fast Losers forum...but thats just not in the cards for me at this time. I will learn to Celebrate each little victory (and not with sweets and chinese food) You and everyone else here are fabulous in my eyes :clap2:

OMG, I am so grateful to stumble on to this thread! I was banded 8/07 and have been feeling like a failure ever since. I kept gaining weight until my first fill 11/07. It is now December and I have only lost 4 lbs. I have been so embarrassed that I purposely do not put a ticker up. I purposely did not tell family and friends I had the surgery because I can't face them if this doesn't work for me. My boyfriend and hair dresser are the only people that know. I've posted only a few times because I did not want to answer the question of how much I've lost since banding. I was leavin that up to the ones who have lost quickly and seem like the "success" stories. I made the mistake of reading the threads of those that were at their goal weights hoping for inspiration. All I found was a lot of bashing of those that haven't been perfect, embraced thier lifestyles, and asked too many questions. It was soo discouraging to read them mock those that have been struggling. I've been trying to come to this board more often to get my mind off of "head hunger" but the more I was reading the more depressed I was becoming. I am grateful to you guys. The words here have been encouraging, humourous, and understanding of all. I guess I found a thread that I can finally relate to and feel like I fit in. I was soo excited to be banded and know that it will change my life. And it will...in due time. :faint: "Don't quit 5 minutes before your miracle"

Hi Jaimee, I live in Jacksonville and was banded in Mexico. The closest bariatric surgeons that I know of are in Wilmington, Greenville, and the Chapel Hill area. Living in Jax I'm used to driving for what I want (good shopping, furniture, etc) so I went for the surgery knowing that I would have to drive for my fills.

Hi Trish, I live in Jacksonville which is 45 min from Wilmington I literally went through the phone book of all bariatric drs in Wilmington, Jax, and Greenville seeking dr's that would fill. There was one in Wilmington who said that they did accept patients that they didnt band but at the time I called (6 months ago) they were not accepting new patients. I was banded in Mexico and could not find another local one that would accept patients that were banded out of the US. I use US FillCenter and drive 5 hours for my fill in Huntersville and Denver. I make it a day trip with some shopping and a good fill. It doesnt bother me to drive that far because I know its worth it. I make my appt early in the morning so I can have fun and get back before it gets dark. Hope this has helped

I confess I am an American Idol Junkie. I vote every season and am passionate about the results. I encourage all of my coworkers and family to vote. I have noticed the decline of interest over each season but I keep staying glued to my TV every week and love every minute of it!!!

<p>I drive 5 hours to have fills with Dr Ahigan. He is awesome!! I had tons of questions and he answered them all and eased my mind. He has successfully hit my port on the first attempt with ease and no pain involved. The staff is warm and welcoming and Dr. Ahigan is such a people person. I love his bedside manner and am willing to continue to drive 5 hours to let him take care of me. I've been to both his Denver office and his Huntersville office. He recommended his Denver office because I am tall and the table located there is more "tall friendly" and easier for me.</p> While making the trip, I ran into inclement weather and the highway was closed for 3 hours. I called the office to find out if I should just turn around and head back home due to being 3 hours late. I was told to be careful and that as long as I made it in before the close of business, they would fit me right in. Once I arrived that is exactly what they did. Dr. Ahigan even joked with me about really wanting a fill! LOL

Lizzie, I can completely relate to everything you stated. I was banded 8/07 and gained all the presurgery weight back plus more. I was so embarrassed that I stayed away from posting on this website until I felt I had something "positive or successful" to say. I had my first fill 10/07 with a Dr that is extrememly conservative towards fills. The rational was to determine how my body reacts to fills before going aggressive. I felt no restriction and continued to eat and gain weight...leading me to feel more stressed and depressed. It's tough reading about people who were banded and never looked back. Relying on my own willpower never worked in the past for me and even though I went under the knife wasn't magiacally working this time either. I returned for my 2nd fill one week ago and basically cried on the Dr.'s shoulder that I was a failure. He reassured me that with more fills that I would finally feel restriction and my life would begin to change. But, yes, I had to make the decision to make some changes. It has only been one week after the 2nd fill but I'm already making some changes (pretty much I'm being forced to) Feeling restirction is no joke!! I can't bulk eat even though my brain is telling me to. I can't shovel food in as fast as I can because the restriction kicks my butt! I attempted to "mindlessly eat" while talking on the phone. Bad idea! I put too much into my mouth at one time and didnt chew a million times. I had to get off the phone and basically hit the floor on my hands and knees waiting for the pain to go away. Needless to say once the feeling passed, I didn't want to eat anymore, wrapped the food up and put back in the fridge. That was after just one bite of my food. It scared me enough to refuse to eat while talking on the phone or while rushing. Unfortunately, I am that hard headed where I need the pain to keep me from stuffing my face. I need consequences to win this fight. And now I am convinced that I have the tool that will help me. This entire week has been miraculous for me. The pain has taken the joy out of eating for me. I'm being forced to find other ways to occupy my time because eating is such a chore now. The pain or the effort to chew a million times to avoid the pain is not worth it, especially if I'm not even hungry. This is what I asked for, this is what I paid for, and I am ecstatic that it's finally happening for me. Getting started is a long process but it's necessary to make sure that everything has healed correctly. And yes, I was eating food right after my surgery when I should have been on liquids. I really did try but eventually gave up. We're all in this for the long haul. And you will have your success on your own time. Hope my experience has helped. Good luck to you and don't give up.