Kalipso2

what an AWESOME idea!! i wish i would have done something like that!

for me, everything happened so fast the day of my surgery that it never even crossed my mind that i would most likely be naked! i was supposed to be the second to last surgery of the day so i was just chilling in the pre-op room... they said i had about 2 hours before it was my turn so the nurse was taking her time getting my IV's set up. she was going to give me something for my nerves but before she could, my surgeon decided to move me up on the surgery schedule and the next thing i knew i was being wheeled into the OR... mask placed over my nose and next think i knew i was waking up in recovery! i do know that i had on the same exact gown that i went in with because it was about 10 times bigger than it was supposed to be but we were kinda rushed lol

i just had to lift my shirt up...and gave the 20 something year old kid access to "the goods" lol

i was banded on 04/21/08. i had my first fill in may and the second fill in june. after my fill in june i thought i had great restriction and maybe my "sweet spot". i did experience a lot of PB'ing but i thought it was from learning what foods i could no longer eat as well as eating too much, too quick. i was stupid and cancelled my july and august appointments but i was worried about my band slipping from so much PB'ing that i did keep my september appointment. we took a look at my band under flouro and the physician's assistant thought i was for sure too tight and wanted to take .5cc out. i tried to get her to only take .2cc's out but she insisted on the .5cc because my pouch was slightly dialated and wanted to give my swollen stoma a chance to relax for awhile. i now have 4.7cc's in my 10cc band. i thought i would test my new restriction by going out to lunch at the cracker barrell. i SO wanted the grilled chicken tenderloin sandwich with cheese, bacon and mayo but decided to order 1 scrambled egg, 2 slices of bacon and a biscuit off the kid's menu. i ate all the bacon, half the egg and the top of the biscuit. afterwards i felt full but not sick to my stomach like i usually do after i eat. anyway, my question is... will having .5cc's removed leave me with restriction or will i start gaining weight back?

i'm sure i'm going to get a lot of flack for saying this but.... i was banded in april and have lost over 40 pounds without any physical activity. you can lose weight without exercise but it IS a part of being healthy. for me, i wanted to wait until i lost a fair amount of weight and reached a plateau before i brough exercise into my routine. that's about where i am now. i went from losing 4 pounds a week down to 1 pound a week. i just signed up for a "beginner's running" course that lasts 8 weeks and should have me able to run a 5k by the end of the course. if your insurance covers the surgery you should have no problems getting approved. you have to remember though... this process isn't just all physical there are a LOT of mental obstacles too. you mentioned a diet of eating less than a rabbit and not being successful. well... after the surgery, you'll probably still be eating less than a rabbit. right now i can eat just under a 1/2 cup of food 3 times a day. i have found it EXTREMELY difficult to listen to my stomach and stop eating when my eyes, tastebuds and brain really, really want to keep eating. when i listen to the brain i end up PB'ing. when i listen to my stomach i end up depressed. i'm slowing learning to savor and appreciate the food i CAN eat instead of being upset about the amount of food i CAN'T eat. good luck on your journey!

i went thru the psych eval being honest.... to a certain point. i was honest about my depression and anxiety because i take medication to treat both of them. they just want to make sure you're not feeling suicidal. they also want to make sure you don't have an eating disorder such as bulimia (yes, even overweight people can have it) or binge and purging. this is where i didn't tell the whole truth. i was BIG on binging and purging using laxatives so i lied about that. i haven't purged in over a year though so i think i have it under control.

my port is right above the largest incision. i can feel my port just by running my hand over my stomach. i'm worried because if i can feel it now without any problems, what is going to happen when i lose the next 40 pounds? i'm worried it will be visible but my surgeon reassured me that it will not protrude. (i'm not sure i believe him). the way i see it, my scars froms surgery and even if the port is visible, i'm going to treat them as my "war wounds". i've had to fight to get this surgery and it's been a struggle losing the weight... i kind of like that there will be reminders of how difficult this journey is remind me that i was strong enough to follow my dream. does that sound cheesy?

my surgeon's office is 4 hours away and i get free fills for 2 years so i'll be making that trip for the 2 years but i think afterwards if i need a fill i'll just find someone closer to home. i don't know about you but my surgeon doesn't give the fills, a nurse does and since you're pretty close to goal i don't see the harm in finding someone closer. you could always go back to the 10 hr drive if you don't find someone you like!

i try to eat on a timeline. i always eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.... hungry or not. sometimes i'll feel the need for a snack so i'll eat a couple of almonds or a piece of cheese... always Protein Snacks though. i'm rarely hungry. last week my stomach just growled for the first time since my surgery 4 months ago. i have been able to eat around the band and i feel horrible afterwards.

congratulations on your journey! everyone is nervous before surgery. i had second thoughts up until they put me under. i had never had surgery either... or an IV... or general anesthesia... or a breathing tube. i even asked for something to help me relax before my surgery because i thought i was going to hyperventilate. turned out i went from the last surgery of the day to the middle so there was no time for anything to relax me. i don't know if you're spending the night in the hospital or going right home but that first night will be the most difficult. trying to find a way to stand up and how to lay back down hurts like a motherf#@!&%, i'm not gonna lie. take your pain meds as often as it is prescribed and remember to stay hydrated... just because you may not be hungry, you still have to drink! good luck tomorrow!!

i'm doing okay but this is certainly much more difficult than i ever expected! i was banded on 04/21/08 and have lost 43 pounds so far... half of my goal. i've had 2 fills and i'm either too tight or i just haven't gotten the hang of the band yet because i PB way too often. my surgeon is 4 hours away so i didn't go see him in july or august but intend to keep my september appointment. hopefully they will be able to tell if i'm too tight or if i need to do something different. how are you doing?!?!

in my case, no time was a good time. after i made my decision i wanted the surgery as soon as possible (which would have been april 2008). my entire family tried to get me to wait. wait for what??? every month is either a holiday or a birthday or an anniversary so no month was good. i choose april because it was the month with the least amount going on. if you're ready now... go for it! don't let the thought of the holidays change your mind!

That's awesome! I recently decided to join a "Beginner's Running" class that starts the end of September. I'm hoping to be able to run a 5k by the end of November. I wish you the best of luck!!

i am a binge eater. i was banded in april. i thought it was the answer to all my problems but honestly, it's not. these past few months have been more difficult than i ever thought possible. i had my 2nd fill in june and i'm pretty tight. i'm still in the learning stage... learning what the band doesn't like (such as bagels and ground meat) as well as how much to eat. right now i eat a little more than 1/4 cup for one meal. 1 chicken breast will last me 3 days. i RARELY get hungry. my stomach doesn't really growl anymore and i have to remind myself to eat. what's so hard is WANTING to eat more than my stomach will allow. you're going to face the same demons i'm facing right now.... if you listen to your taste buds you'll PB a lot and risk damaging your band BUT if you listen to your stomach you'll be left depressed because you're not "feeding your brain" as much as it would like. i am VERY happy i'm banded. i hope i never have to have it removed. i would do it again even knowing what i know right now. i love the compliments. i love feeling healthier. i love buying new clothes lol. i've also thought about joining Overeaters Anonymous....

Congratulations on being banded by Dr. Curry!! He banded me back in April. I always thought I had a high tolerance for pain since I have a few tattoos and piercings but this was my first surgery. I spent the night in the hospital and asked for meds around every 3-4 hours because every time I moved I hurt. I asked for another dose for the drive home because I live 4 hours away. I had waited to long to ask the nurse because I wanted to wait to take them right before we left but the pain was so severe I started crying and freaked my mom out. The 4 hour drive home sucked big time. My body felt every bump in the road. I know it's going to sound horrible but I used most of the liquid vidodin to help me sleep. I have never been able to sleep on my back so I used the meds to relax me into slumber. I had even called in for a refill. I spent most of the week off sleeping the pain away. My advice would be to try Tylenol but if that doesn't take the pain away, take the meds that Dr. C. prescribed. Being tense because you're in pain isn't going to help the healing process!

believe it or not... you have to eat to lose weight. you're doing awesome for not having a fill yet. a lot of people GAIN weight right after surgery once their hunger comes back and there is no restriction. enjoy eating more than a cup while you can!!

congratulations! that's what's called a "non-scale victory" or "NSV"!! that must have been an awesome feeling and it's great that you recognize that you DID look great!

i'm not sure how many people have fought insurance companies and won... me... i didn't want to take the time and money to fight. once i decided to have the surgery i wanted it as soon as possible. sometimes being self pay moves the process along VERY quickly. good luck if you decide to fight!

i was worried about actually being able to feel the band around my stomach... but i don't. my band is tight... maybe a little too tight... so yes, i can feel the food sitting in my stoma but usually when that happens it usually means i didn't chew good enough and i'm going to PB. what bothers me the most is that i can feel my port. i swear there are some days that it sticks out and i feel like an over-cooked turkey. the port doesn't hurt but if you were to run your hand over the right side of my stomach area you would most definately feel my port.

my first fill was done under flouro and not enough saline was used which left me even more hungry than i was before the first fill. my second fill was NOT done under flouro and i'm pretty sure i've found that "sweet spot".

i agree with Hollie... everyone evenutally hits a plateau and you either have to wait it out or change your routine a bit. for me, just changing what i eat makes a difference. for me, i get a lot of my Protein by drinking slimfast for Breakfast and lunch and having some sort of chicken or other protein for dinner. when i find myself plateau'ing i will exchange my lunch slimfast for some cheese or a Protein Bar for a week and then the scale starts moving again. i'm 4 months post-surgery and my rapid weight loss is over. i've now been averaging 1 pound a week and it's hard not seeing the scale move like it used to but i have yet to gain one pound of it back! i'm thinking of jumpstarting my metabolism by taking a "beginner's running" class. supposedly after 8 weeks i'll be able to run in a 5k race. 4 months ago i would have NEVER have thought i could do it. now i'm feeling more confident in myself to take on new challenges.

my surgeon's office does do fills but my surgeon himself does not give the fills... he has a nurse or physician's assistant administer the fills. i don't think 45-minutes is a far drive but then again, the surgeon i chose is 4 HOURS away!

i was banded by dr. curry april 2008. i did a lot of research on him as well as other surgeons in ohio and Mexico. i'm in cleveland and drove to cincinnati for my surgery and fills. i have only seen dr. c for my initial consultation and the day of my surgery. at first i wasn't happy that he wasn't the one giving my fills but he DOES have a wonderful staff and dr. c is doing what he does best... the actual surgery. after my surgery i had questions and concerns and emailed him directly. he ALWAYS responded quickly and he replies personally. even with all the patients he has, when i call his office to schedule an appointment, Michele always remembers that i'm from out of town and knows to schedule me for saturday appointments close to the time that the support group meets. i can't say enough good things about dr. curry and his staff!