Cowboy

GO THROUGH HIS OFFICE You will need the year of fills and aftercare more than the cost of the testing. My wife got banded by Dr. Jay, through TLCEdge, she loves him. You WILL want fills from Dr's office, not from fill tech. I am NOT knocking TLCEdge.They were a Godsend. Wife and I were both self pay. Best cash price we could find was about 16K and TLC was 10K. I had trouble with 10K, 16K was out of possibility. The fills and aftercare from the same Doctor that did your surgery is priceless. TLC does not work nights or week-ends. Problems rarely occur from 9 to 5. Whatever you decide will be better than doing nothing. GOOD LUCK db

mr b; welcome to the band wagon. The reason they don't fill your band to restriction at surgery is the same reason they told you to do liquids at first then mushies. Your stomach has been aggrevated by the procedure, let it heal up and then restrict it. You have fat around your stomach, the band cinches down around fat and all, when you lose some of the fat your pouch expands to fit the band and you don't feel as much restriction. You get another fill and the process starts all over. My first 2 fills didn't last very long but my third fill has lasted nearly 6 months. I guess I got to the sweet spot and the weight melted off. Good luck db

I paid $120 for psych exam and about $300 for shakes. That was enough shakes for 2 weeks prior to surgery and about 3 weeks after. I liked the optifast shakes better than anything I could find at the stores. GOOD LUCK with your lapband journey. Your only regret will be not doing this sooner. My wife is so impressed with my success and the TLCEdge people that she has started process to get a band herself. db

I never thought I would be PROUD to be overweight. I weighed a mere 245 lbs this morning. The BMI charts show that puts me into "overweight" and that sure looks better than "morbidly obese" category that 338 lbs put me in around the first of this year. Thanks for letting me brag and I hope everyone else is reaching their goals. db

I appreciate vegetarians.....leaves more meat for me.....

I am OVERWEIGHT and PROUD of it !!!!!Hidy, Hidy Everybody especially my TLC Edge family that helped me sooo much before and after surgery. I am happy to announce that this morning I weighed 245 lbs. According to the BMI charts I am now "overweight" and not "morbidly obese" like I was when I weighed 338 lbs, around Christmas '07, when I started this journey. Thanks for letting me brag. I hope everyone else is shrinking and out livin' life. Doug db

I second the nomination for Dr. Kim. He is my hero. TLC Edge had a cash special for 10k at the first of this year. Great people and brand new surgery center. I would use him again in a heart beat. I guess I will be using him again because my wife wants a band and she wants Dr. Kim to do it. Best of luck with whomever you choose. db.

my guess is that in the morning is "nothing" and in the evening is the "tons" that is normal. Gravity makes everything (including your pouch below your band) sag or loosen up. After lying down all night fluids find their normal place and your pouch is taking up more space in your band. Drink warm liquids in morning to help relax pouch faster. db

Welcome to the Bandwagon Time to start shrinkin' db

Dianne; good to hear from you. I hope everything is going well at home. I went to the Arlington dinner last week and I plan on going back in August. It is the 3rd Thursday so that will be the 21st. It was good to see and talk to others that were banded. There was one guy that had only been banded about 3 weeks and another guy that was on his second band in 5 years, ...and everything in between. Everybody stay cool db

Git-R-DoneI was self pay and had second, third and fourth thoughts about the procedure and the money. I was already in the pre-op area with an I V started and the thought crossed my mind to get up and leave. Glad I didn't. After the surgery I realized I wasted a lot of time worrying about nothing. Since starting pre-op diet on 2-1-08, I am down 65 lbs. Best decision I ever made, I would do it again in a heart beat. Good luck with your decision. db

Cynthia, when and where are the dinners in Dallas and Arlington?

Cynthia, When and where are the dinners in Dallas and Arlington? I would like to check into the support mtgs but the one at the TLC center in Plano conflicts with work. Thanks Doug Burkham

Jennifer, I felt the same way last week. It was also after my 3rd fill. Post op and first 2 fills were fairly uneventful. This 3rd fill is more like what I envisioned life to be like on the band wagon. I made myself sick and I am always worried about messing up my band. Thank God the band is pretty tough and I am learning to follow the rules better than I had been. Hope all goes well for you. db

Steph; Welcome to the band wagon. I am amazed everyday how the band has changed my life and it just gets better every day. Remember to walk, walk, walk. The walking really helps with the gas and the pain. I hope all goes well for you. db

Hidy, Hidy, Everybody Just checking in, this site really helped me and I hope to return the favor anytime I can. I need to call today to schedule my 3rd fill. I got my 2nd fill the 1st of May and did real well for a month, but now I can, and do, eat more and more. This is still the best money I ever spent. I had been romancing the idea of getting a 100 hp motorcycle but I spent the money on a 10 cc lapband instead. I hope everyone has a great 4th of July. I will be riding in the Granbury 4th of July Parade (on Saturday, July 5th). db

They make more money with the bypass. It is their job, just like a car dealer makes more money selling a luxury car than they do by selling an economy model. I guess it is a good thing for some people, but after all the research I did, I viewed Lapband as the only option for me. I really like the fact that the band is adjustable. Good luck with whatever YOU choose. db

I'll second that. My story is the same as Stacey's except Cold Beer was my biggest vice and the last one I had was on New Year's Eve. Honestly it is not that big of a deal anymore. No beer ever tasted as good as 60 lbs lighter feels. Good luck with your decision db

Stephanie; C'mon, hop on the "Band Wagon" there is plenty of room and lots of good company. There are several people on here that are about a month ahead of me, and reading their posts was way more help than hand outs from doctor's office. I had my second fill 3 weeks ago and I can REALLY tell the difference. My eyes are still bigger than my stomach (pouch). I keep putting too much food on my plate and then feel "obligated" to eat it all. Old habits are hard to change. But, they are changing, slowly but surely. I hope everyone else is doing well. I have had to quit wearing most of my wranglers because they have outgrown me (now that's a switch). O.K. I checked in, where is everyone else? db

Baggio Welcome aboard the Band Wagon, it is quite the ride db

Denise; Who makes those "sugar free fudgesicles"? That sounds pretty good and I agree night time is the worst for me. db

I am only 2 months and 1 fill post-op, and the only regret I have is that I did not do this several years ago when I first heard about it. I researched both by pass and lap band and for me lap band was the best choice. My wife has gone to every meeting and appointment with me. She was against it (but supportive of my decision) at first, but after going through it with me and seeing what it has done for me, we are now saving for her to get the band also. Good luck with whatever you decide is best for you. db

I used TLC Edge and Dr. David Kim. My wife and I liked them so much we are now making plans to get her banded there also. db

I have been doing great, thanks for asking. My place is in Tira, TX USA population 248. It is in East Texas between Sulphur Springs and Paris. Illion, did you win enough money to buy us all lunch? Road King, did you get to go for a putt? It sure was a pretty week-end. db

I am going to build fence at the ranch. whoo-hoo db