niche

i'm so sorry to hear that. i wish you strength and persistence so that you can be the healthy person you deserve to be.

i was low bmi at 34. i had surgery 3 weeks ago and was part of a low-bmi study at nyu. if you're interested in participating in a study, check out www.thinforlife.med.nyu.edu. they're investigating whether banding people who are obese or severely obese have a good chance of avoiding the health pitfalls morbid obesity brings. also feel free to pm me for more info. the only thing is that it's self pay. but it's not too much more expensive than Mexico though. in terms of the surgery, you're not being experimented on as far as the surgery itself. the only thing they're testing is whether banding sooner rather than later would help. i had a great experience with the surgeons and they have a lot of experience with placing bands. good luck with your search!

i was definitely not going to survive on protein drinks alone. my doc okayed me to put soup in the blender with chicken/veg stock and puree. she says that a liquid is anything you could get thru a straw. so i pureed everything from chili to chicken curry soup.

my bmi was 35 as well and i did the liquid diet for 1 week then fell off the wagon for the second week. my nurse practioner said that if you're going to cheat, it's best to do it in the first week. i got it backwards! my dr really tore me a new one when she found out that i didn't foollow the diet. but once she saw my liver, it wasn't big at all. so no problem. so i guess it's more important to follow it closer to surgery day.

i couldn't stand the yo-yoing a minute longer. i lost 60 lbs several times over the last 10 yrs and i was half way through regaining it. when i saw the 30 lbs on the scale at the doc's office i went mad, 'sh*t, sh*t, sh*t!!' the nurse said, 'i've never heard that response before.' then i was majorly depressed for 2 weeks. after that, i was determined to deal with this permanently.

as for post-surgery recipes etc. my doctor recommended 'eating well after weightloss surgery' by pat levine and michele bontempo-saray. i am only 6 days out, so i'm still on liquids and have not had a chance to try the recipes, but they look great and they're made to be pureed etc. if you're on mushies or after a fill.

i had the exact same experience. even on the first night i couldn't sleep comfortably on my back and when the surgeon popped in that was one of the few questions i asked. the othher was one about wine and thanksgiving, but we won't get into that. but she just said that if it doesn't hurt, feel free to sleep on your side. here's to a good night's sleep!

congratulations!! you've asked so many questions, so i think you'll be incredibly prepared with what to expect. i'm 4 days out and all of the questions and answers i've gotten from lbt are invaluable. so good luck and i wish you the speediest recovery!

hey there new yorkers! i'm in brooklyn and had my surgery done on monday 11/14 by dr. ren. i agree that she is excellent. i'm less than 48 hours out of the or and i feel fine. i am having such minimal pain that i'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. it's great to hear from other people in the area. i actually went to dr. kurian for recommendations for mexican drs. because my bmi was only 34.7 at the time. so she referred me to dr. ren because she had a low-bmi study going. it all happened so fast and i can't believe i'm already banded! but i am so excited for the future for the first time in a while. i have been a yo-yo dieter for so long and i'm so excited that i won't be gaining back all of the weight plus some.

i'm off to the hospital! today's the day. wish me luck )

november 14th, by dr. christine ren, nyc. soooooo excited!!!

woo hoo! congratulations. esp on the 100% coverage!

congratulations! you're giving me courage for my surgery on 11/14. i hope your recovery continues to be quick.

i got my date yesterday and i am sooooo excited. :Bunny i'll be in the liquid phase for thanksgiving but i couldn't care less. i can't wait. everything went so much faster than i expected. i guess since i'm self pay, the only thing to wait for is the operating room. so here i go. thanks for all of the info everyone. because of this board, my doctor was surprised that i was so well informed and had such a good idea of what to expect... enough rambling, i just had to share with you guys!

good luck to you too melanie! i know what a difficult decision it is. but once i started researching it, i couldn't take the thought of another loose 50 lbs then gain 70 lbs cycle... i am so excited that this might actually work!

i don't know if it's true for anyone else, but i definitely will have club soda withdrawal. it's my standby... with or without whiskey! )

i am participating in a low-bmi study at NYU medical center for people with bmis from 30-39. they don't require co-morbidities and as i am fairly young, and exercise very regularly, i don't yet have them but i do have histories of them on both sides of the family. if anyone is interested, they may still be taking people for the study. the study is not for a new technique or device, it's only to see if the band is a successful way to prevent co-morbidities in obese and severely obese people. the docs there, dr. christine ren and dr. george fielding have a lot of experience w/ the band (1000 and 2000 respectively). fielding is from australia and had a banding practice there. he also has the band himself. so i feel quite comfortable w/ their qualifications. check out their site: http://thinforlife.med.nyu.edu the people in the office are very nice and will let you know if you qualify etc right away. it is self-pay only but it seems you guys don't mind that. i don't have a date set yet, but i should get one next week. i am sooooooo excited. like everyone else, this has been such a struggle for me for my whole life and i am so happy to get some help with it!

a DS is a duodenal switch. from what i understand, it's like having a gastric bypass without the stomach reduction part. do a google search, there's lots of info out there.

does anyone know what the deal is for notifying your insurance company if you're self-pay? or if i should notify them at all? i know already that they will not cover... but is it in my interest to let them know that i will be having surgery or not? any experiences with this would be helpful. thanks!

i am also new here and have been trying to soak up as much information as possible. i definitely find this to be one of the best sources out there. it's really great to hear other people's stories and to know what to expect... not just statistically significant outcomes. so thanx everyone for being so open. i am in the final stages of being approved for the band so everyone keep your fingers crossed. )