jenifermarch

Has anyone had any esophogeal problems? I was banded on August 20, 2007; have lost 70+ lbs. Now am experiencing swallowing problems .. will sask my doctor tomorrow, but thought I'd see what others have experienced. Jenifer

Hi..thanks for responding. My throat feels swollen and it hurts to swallow. I went to my Dr. today and he is a little concerned about a possible hiatal hernia. So, I'm trying to get an appointment for an upper GI - have to go throught Kaiser, so I'm waiting for their reply. Jenifer

Dynamo..I know what you mean...I'm 63. I'm starting all over and am confident this will be the last time and for the rest of my life. Good luck to you. You are doing all the right things.

Mal: Dr. K's support group is great...lots of fun because everybody has lots to say. I've enjoyed it. Next meeting is November 13th at 6:30 at Dr. K's office. Hope to see you there.

Oh..forgot to mention that I gained back all but 30 pounds of that last 141 I lost on Slim-4-life. Diets don't work. This does so far!!!

Hi all...although I've posted a few things, I thought I'd post a timeline of my weight loss gain/loss history, since it went on for 40 years and I feel that I'm starting a new life, even though it's close to the waning days of my life. I'm 63 years old and only discovered this procedure a year ago because of a friend who has had great success. Here it is: Late 1960’s and early 1970’s Atkins Weight Watchers “diet” doctor (All of these resulted in various degrees of success, but ultimately, regained weight) Between 1971 and 1978 Weight Watchers (joined 2 or 3 times) Atkins juice fasts apple cider vinegar (Again, all of these resulted in various degrees of success, but ultimately, regained weight) 1978 Weight Watchers @65 lbs. lost1984 Weight Watchers @40 or 50 lbs. lost Hypnotherapy “SunRider” herbal cleansing diet January 1986 Optifast @70 lbs. lost Psychiatrist 1995 follow-up medicine to fen-fen @40 lbs. lost Weight Watchers 1996 to 2004 Attempt at self-acceptance stayed at @ 330 plus or minusJune 2004 Slim4Life 141 lbs. lost in 16 monthsSo to all of you who are considering this procedure, I encourage you to not yo-yo your whole life. You are so lucky to have this available to you. My life would have been a lot less painful had I had access to this procedure in my 20's rather than now in my 60s. However, I feel that the rest of my is going to be qualtiy!!! Hooray!! Good Luck!

Thank you for your welcome..I'm glad to be here even though it seems like you are a pretty tight group - you that meet at RR.

Yes I live in southeast Denver (Southmoor Park area) and am very happy with my choice of Doctors. I did a lot of searching and attending seminars. I liked him the very best, and still do. He's really getting busy now and it's a little hard to get an appointment for a fill. I think I got my surgery appointment just in time because I really was able to get in pretty quickly. I had my surgery August 20 and have lost @ 30 lbs. Anyway, I've been going to the monthly support group meetings and they are so much fun, mainly because everyone gets so excited. It's great to hear other patients experiences with the band. Thanks for answering my post. Sincerely, Jenifer

I found both brands at Whole Foods, but I bet if you have a Trader Joe's nearby, they have it too. It's a little more expensive, but the taste and texture can't be beat and, as I said, it has the consistency of sour cream so is perfect for making dressings for chicken salad and salmon sald and, of course I love it with berries and some kind of sweetner. I'll try to keep the recipes coming - just need to figure out the ingredient measurements. Sincerely, Jenifer

Well, I think he is great! You do need to pay cash up front - they don't like to deal with insurance companies because they are such a pain. You can submit your claims though. The cost is so little compared to the other docs in town. I went to seminars and interviewed docs and Kirshenbaum is only $9,995 total, including support groups, and nutrition help. He is kind and a very good surgeon. I had my surgery on August 20 and have lost 30 lbs. Things are going well. Jenifer

okeedokee....I am working on the recipes now. The only problem is that I do everything instinctually - so I have to figure out the measurements. That should not take too long and I'll add recipes as I perfect that part of it. However, start with this: Salmon Salad 8 oz. fresh cooked salmon without the bones (you can use canned too, but I prefer fresh), cut up into bitesize pieces (or shredded) About a quarter of a large apple, crisp apple 1/4 c. finely chopped fresh celery 2 TB. sweet pickle relish Mix above in small bowl. Add the following dressing and mix together. Now you can help me. How do I do the weight loss chart that so many of you have displayed at the bottom of your messages and how do I get the cute artwork on mine. You all are so clever. Thanks, Jenifer 3 TB greek yogurt (i.e. Fage or Olkos brand, 0% fat, - it has the consistency of sour cream, but is high in protein, no fat and low carbs) 1 TB lowfat mayo splash of apple cider vinegar 1 packet of Splenda salt & pepper to taste You can play with this i.e. if it's too dry for your taste add more yogurt; if you like more of any of the salad ingredients, add more apple, salmon, celery, or pickle relish. Don't be afraid to adjust it to your taste. It's really delicious. Serve with fresh tomatoes dressed with a drop or two of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Hope you like it: it's one of my favorites. I've got a great chicken salad too.

This is great! I love talking to the other over 60 people. I'm 63 and was banded August 20. I've lost about 30 lbs. and am feeling pretty good. I was just at my support group meeting this evening and we discussed the throwing up thing tonight. It seems that no matter how slow we eat and how small our bites are, there are going to be times when the food gets stuck and we are going to throw up. I just take it in stride and keep striving to take more time and be more careful. I seem to be able to eat anything as long as I take the slow and steady course. I have changed the things I eat; i.e. no white bread, white flour, white rice, white potato. I concentrate on protein first, then veggies, then fruit. I try to have a small portion of a good carb (like sweet potato, butternut squash, quinoa, spelt, oatmeal, etc.) once a day and try to get in my high protein supplements (high protein shakes or bars, as long as they are low in carbs and sugar). Food tastes so much better now. I have been fighting the overweight/diet battles for over 40 years now and feel like I have finally found something that will actually work. Hope to hear from people. FYI: my support group has asked me to put together some of my receipes because I'm really good at coming up with tasty, healthy things to eat. So, if you'd like me to share when I get it all put together, just let me know. Best to you all. Jenifer

I'm from Colorado and was banded in August this year. How 'bout you?