niche

i remember that someone on the board said that she got her aftercare at Fill Centers USA. the link i found for that is http://www.fillcentersusa.com

got ya. well, if you live in/near a large city, there should be several aftercare options. if not, i would tread very carefully with the band b/c as you said, aftercare is the issue. if you will have to travel to get aftercare, just make sure to budget that into the cost of the procedure.

lots of folks here have been banded in Mexico and have various experiences securing aftercare. just make sure that you do find a doc willing to treat you after before you get the surgery. but on the insured surgery option, i'm not sure why you're so against that route. although the surgery in india will prob be cheaper than self pay in the states, insurance co-pays must be far lower than india. and i'm sure that although your insurance co will restrict the number of surgeons they will cover, you will get some choice in the matter. so i would say try to explore that before you go overseas. best of luck to you!

happy birthday!!

i guess i should clarify. i don't want to push the band beyond the limits of good sense but i am again far from the goal of 1 to 1/2 c of food. i'm still not satisfied until after 2c of food. i had a couple of days last week when i was satisfied from 1c of food but it passed. so i'm still looking for that elusive sweet spot. i don't want to endanger myself but as i see it i paid thousands of dollars for some physical sensation of fullness and i would rather be tighter and give up some foods than stay here in limbo.

i have 2.4 in a 4cc band. and i do have restriction, but i think i'm one of those who would like to be banded up tight! i think i'm going to ask for another fill in feb. i want to only be able to eat a few things and have trouble. i guess i learn the hard way... but i've been dieting for so long that i feel like i want the band to do some heavy lifting.

this is probably gas pain from when the pump CO2 into you during laproscopic surgery. my pain went away within 3 weeks of surgery. i didn't have it around the collar bone but sort of behind there in the shoulder. gas-x sort of helped, so try some of that and perhaps a pain med. best of luck to you!

i feel for you! trying to convince your dh of your own experience and the experience of millions of others even when we all know he's prob wrong! i'm not saying that you COULDN'T possibly keep the weight off, but there's a 95% chance against it. i think he's probably scared of the surgery part and perhaps you can take him with you to the docs office and have a discussion about repeated significant weightloss and the effect that has on your body. we're not meant to thrive when we repeatedly gain and loose say 30+% of your body mass. yes, you'll probably survive. but with a messed up metabolism and possibly heart, diabetic and other issues. but try to let him know that you want to address this for the long term and not as a trial measure like the countless diets (and even gastric balloon). i'm sure you've tried, but good luck!

you may be too tight, but all of the things you listed are the things i have problems with: bread, pasta, breaded protein, and ESPECIALLY chicken breast. strangely, chix breast was the first thing i had to give up. i pbd on that before even my first fill. i have found the advice to only eat very moist meat and using sauces to be very helpful.

my first fill was 1.5ccs then second fill took me up to 2.4ccs. my doc must be less conservative. but boy do i have restriction now. though i don't think it's too much. i'm really enjoying it. actually feeling full on the legendary half cup of food! yay

doc - a pill crusher might be a good idea for you. just check with your doctor to see if you can crush your pills. but i did and although it was certainly bitter, the meds went down with just tablespoons of water - and no chest pressure. then after you take your 'pill shot' suck on a lemon wedge to kill the bitter taste. just like tequila! )

i was just about to post about finally having some restriction. i just got a second fill on tuesday and i am finally feeling that full feeling. at least before 9pm. after that, all bets are off!

what is ETOH?

1. oprah had a whole show about her hair weave and how it made her feel great, like whoopi goldberg with the white shirt on her head. 2. yes, her face looks great. as we say, black don't crack. my mom's 66 and regularly get's mistaken for early 40's.

i guess i'm in the vanity surgery bin as well. i was also 225 and people were saying, 'you're not that fat, all you have to do is eat less.' i said, 'exactly!' but the only thing is that i had the surgery in november and i have only lost 10lbs. i have no restriction and it's getting me down a little. at least my doc's not skimpy w the fills, so i'm back for fill #2 tomorrow. wish me luck, wish me restriction!

apparently she just started blogging a few days ago at http://journals.aol.com/starjrblogger/Shinetheofficialblog/ today's entry says "Next time, let's talk about the two questions I've been asked the most: "Why didn't she tell how she lost the weight?" "What makes her an expert on relationships?...she's only been married a minute!"" so maybe tomorrow she'll be in more of a mood of truth telling. maybe not. i guess i'm kind of conflicted about her persona. i cheer her on for taking this thing on (life, weight, finding a partner, keeping some parts of her life private) but i agree with so many of you here: don't write a book about how to swim to england when you flew!

cashed my check today! that'll pay for some drinks in jamaica

i also got 1.5 ccs and feel nothing. i feel like the newest member of the turtle club. hopefully fill #2 will kickstart this weightloss. at least my doc is not making me wait a long time for it. i go in on jan 10.

strange i know, but i'm so mad that i could eat anything i wanted! no pb in sight. no restriction either. can't wait till that 2nd fill.

did they keep the incisions between your legs or do you have an incision from the groin to the knee too?

that's weird, i just did it. maybe i was the last one

has anyone used the silicone sheeting for their scars?

i used capital one healthcare finance.

i ended up using crushed vicoden (using a pharmacy pill crusher $4.99) but the taste of that stuff will sure keep you from getting addicted to painkillers! yuk! but i never experienced actual pain. they had me getting morphine in the hosp every four hours for about 24 hrs. then vicoden every 4-6 hours at home. i didn't wake up in the middle of the night and take more pain meds or anything. so i think they say that interval so that you won't be afraid to take what you need. so i would describe it as more discomfort than pain. i have a large tattoo, though no kids, so i can say it was less painful than a tattoo. as far as going back to work before 2 weeks, it's probably doable. what you're probably going to experience is fatigue as opposed to pain. and on the gas pains, it's real! that was the most painful part. crazy as it sounds. it felt like someone had stabbed me in the shoulder. the gasx helps but doesn't cure it. mine took 2.5 weeks to go away completely. so i wouldn't worry about the pain too much. i think you'll be more than tough enough to handle it.

i'm so happy too hear that you're going for it! good luck and here's to a quick recovery in the sun!