Kitten

Dr. Susan Brinkley 198 Thomas Johnson Dr. #200 Frederick, MD 21702 301-668-2800 She only does fills on the last Wednesday of each month so it can be tough getting an appt soon. If they are booked up for the current month, try calling a day or two before and see if there are any cancellations. She's quick -- in and out in less than 15 minutes. $200 flat fee. No insurance accepted on fills. (You can submit on your own after paying her, if your insurance covers it.)

My fill doctor says she uses the "push back" to help judge how much is right. That is, she starts injecting saline and then lets up on the plunger to see how much pressure pushes it back up. (If you've every played with a syringe you'll know what I mean.) She injects until the pressure pushes the syringe back up by about .5 cc. You can ask your doctor to try that. ALSO, and far more importantly, insist that you get to sit up and sip several mouthfuls of cold water (cold will cause contraction so you have a better judge of whether stuff will "flow thru"). If the water comes back up, insist he remove some fluid. Normal is to feel the cold water go down, then "hang up" for a few seconds, then feel it flow thru into the rest of the stomach. Basically, if it stays down but you feel like you need to burp just a little, then the restriction is good. If it stays down but you feel like there's a baseball in your esophagus, you probably swallowed too large an amount too quickly. Walk until it resolves, then try a small sip or two and see if it feels OK. DON'T LEAVE THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE UNTIL YOU FEEL OK ABOUT THINGS. It's ok to do your water test in the waiting room if they push you out of the treatment room, but be prepared to make a fuss if water won't stay down properly. It's far less stressful than going home and debating whether or not to call or go back.

Just got back from having my first fill (1.1 cc in a 4cc band). Dr. Susan Brinkley does them in her office (Frederick, MD) for a flat fee ($200) no fluoro. She's got a lap band herself, and does a lot of fills. (Unfortunately, only on the last Wednesday of each month.) She uses lidocaine to numb the area over the port. She says she tries to fill the band until it "bounces back" about .5 cc. when she lets up on the syringe. She then has you drink some cold Water to see how the restriction feels and how many seconds before you feel it pass through the stoma (another gauge of restriction). At any rate, for me, drinking the water created a sensation like it was about 2 weeks post surgery. I was able to drink an Atkins' shake a few hours later and it did just fine. I can't tell yet how much restriction this will be for real (e.g., first thing in the morning).

Oh Silly Sweet Vinesqueen, Of COURSE the scale isn't moving ... look at all that muscle-building EXERCISE you're doing! My goodness, kicking buildings, pounding dashboards, stomping around, chasing 6-foot tall men, and racing for buses! And all without getting huffy-puffy out of breath! You're at the "trade in" stage == trading in a pound of fat for a pound of muscle. Nice deal if you can get it (grin)! Chin up, dear -- you can look forward to a future of being thin AND able to beat up anybody who gets in your way!

Sad to say, Bextra has been withdrawn from production and is no longer available (like many of the COX II anti-inflamatory agents). My poor arthritic knees really miss it.

On a small tangent here. Several people have mentioned that while nice, the Hotel Lucerna wasn't "5 star". The Embassy Suites is probably the best hotel chain I've ever stayed at and I felt the Hotel Lucerna compared favorably. I don't count the view from the window because a lot of times hotels are in large cities that don't have nice views on all sides (e.g., Washington, DC; New York City). Lucerna's room wasn't a suite but the bedroom was as nice as any at the Embassy. The bathroom was on the small side but very clean and with complimentary stuff provided. Lucerna did have a doorman which Embassy Suites doesn't. Lucerna had several restaurants that looked very nice. (How frustrating to be on a liquid diet just then!) When I called down for a wake up call, they connected me with an operator who spoke English and the wake up call came on time. Maybe I just haven't ever stayed in a true 5-star place. Out of curiosity, what hotels would you rate as 5-star and why?

I round up on the calories so I don't fall into denial about how much I'm eating. I've lost 15 lbs in the past 2 weeks (one week prior to surgery and one week after).

Oh, sweetie, I feel your pain! First I want to say, I am so sorry this has happened to you. You don't deserve it. Nobody does. Second, the answer to your question "Why do people thrive on hurting others?" is because they are afraid. They think they will feel bigger if they can make those around them feel smaller. Your mom is one of many who believe "A good offense makes a great defense." If she strikes out first, you are too busy defending to mount any attack. The next time she says something, and sadly we both know she will, try this: "Mom, do you hear yourself? Are you aware of how mean you are? You just pick and pick and pick, don't you?" While she's sputtering you can walk away. You can also try telling her some facts that used to make my mom speechless: "You know, one nice thing about being fat is that it helps keeps my face from getting wrinkles." and "I hope you're talking to your doctor about osteoporosis. Of course, I don't have to worry about that. Bone density is one of the areas where it's better to be heavy." You might want to pick up a copy of Suzette Haden-Elgin's "The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense." Try Abebooks.com or Alibris.com or one of the other used book search engines. It will help you to recognize and avoid falling into the traps of some of those passive-agressive statements your nearest and dearest like to use.

Hi there! I was banded just a week ago (Thursday, July 21st). I'm at the non-clear liquids stage (cream soups, yogurt, Atkins shakes, plus gatorade, jello, broth). I've been back at work since Monday (desk job). I've been logging my intake and am getting between 500 and 1000 cals a day. Starting yesterday, I've been getting lightheaded even though I'm eating til full and drinking enough water. I'm not running a fever, the band seems to be fine. Has anyone else experienced this? I am not diabetic and do not have high blood pressure.

I used to treat myself to $1 worth of scratch-off (lottery) ticket for every time I made it to the gym. So if I went every day after work, I treated myself to a $5 ticket on Saturday. An inexpensive treat that often paid for itself and required no special planning or trips. (Here in Maryland they have scratch-off vending machines in the grocery stores.) My nutritionist also suggested buying myself flowers.

Dr. Lopez Corvalo (Obesity Control Clinic) in Tijuana. Banded just last week (7-21-05). 15 lbs down, counting from my high (before the low-cal/liquid diet the week prior to surgery).

Try this: keep telling yourself "I'll start with one appetizer and if I'm still hungry, I can always order another." Likewise, say "I'm just going to start with this small cup of XYZ and I can always get more if I want." Then you have a chance to pause and ask yourself "Am I really hungry? Am I full yet?" without having a plate of unwanted food making you feel guilty.