LMarie_MD2b

I'm currently a second-year medical student here in STL MO; almost halfway done!! :party: I'm hoping to take a year between classroom science classes and my clinical years to do a fellowship with the Pathology department. I'm hoping to do an Anatomical/Clinical Pathology residency once I (finally) finish my MD in 2011 or 2012.

I was given the all clear for sexual activity at my 2 week follow up appointment (I believe my surgeon said, "Just wait til you leave my office"), so 9 weeks should definitely be fine. My fiance was a little freaked out by the scars' appearance, but he got over it when I told him it was ok. We had to stick to me-on-top, non-missionary positions until he was convinced he wouldn't squish my guts out. :biggrin: He's a silly guy like that. As far as gag reflex during oral, I'd be careful--vomiting, particularly right after surgery, is really dangerous for your band's position. You might take it extra easy in that respect, but I don't think you can really hurt yourself unless you actually do upchuck. Have fun! Burn some calories with your military man! :biggrin:

1) Sophomore year in college jeans!!! 4 years ago... wow. So stoked! :thumbup: Then, three days later... 2) I don't have any jeans that fit! These are too stretchy and loose... I guess it's time to go to the consignment shop. Wait, I'll try Old Navy first, since I'm here. 3) SIZE 12?!?!?!!? AMAZING! :cool2:

I had my consult at 229--I'm just under 5' 7"--and surgery morning I was 225. I have also always been a strongly built girl, so I was able to carry a lot more extra weight than most of my peers.... but not *that* much extra. It was definitely time to do something. My muscles (the ones I had in high school!) are coming back! I haven't lost enough to know about loose skin, but I didn't have a ton of fat in my belly area. It was pretty much equal opportunity in distribution. :-P Anyway, those are my two cents; best of luck to you as you start your journey. Come back with any questions! Let us know how it goes...

For those of you who are looking for a long-term (~5 years) option for birth control that is more cost effective, convenient, and more awesome than the pill overall, I'd suggest that you look into the newest version of the IUD--Mirena. Mirena It's more costly initially, even with insurance, but it can save you tons of money over the course of 5 years. It's a lower dose of progestin (with NO estrogen, so fewer terrifying side effects, like bloot clot/stroke, certain cancers, etc) so that's better than most of the versions of the Pill, too. The manufacturer suggests that you have 1 or more children before insertion, but I don't have kids, and mine works just peachy! If you don't like that idea, the Nuva Ring is another great option for lower dose convenient birth control. The patch is the same timeline, but it has higher hormone levels, and thus higher risks for blood clot and stroke, particularly in smokers (like all hormonal birth control). It has also been shown to be less effective in women with BMIs over 30, simply because of the diffuse delivery through the cutaneous circulation. Anyway--that's what you get when a future OB/GYN frequents the boards! Best of luck to all of you researching methods. :thumbup:

These are so inspiring! It's so very important to keep in mind that the number on the scale isn't the only reason we're doing this... I'm sharing a couple of my first 'significant' NSVs. --The shorts I wore in my "before" photo (which were tight everywhere, and looked like 1980s coaching shorts) are now loose all the way around my thighs, and the waistband actually slips down to my hips! I've never had to tie the drawstring before... --On my way to a conference this past weekend, I flew for the first time since my surgery. On BOTH trips, I had to TIGHTEN the seatbelt after buckling it! :hurray: I've always had to let the stupid thing out a few inches... --On the flights mentioned above, my stomach was 4-5 inches away from the tray table when I let it down! :wink2: I didn't have to "suck it in" just to write down my notes. --My thighs/hips stayed between the armrests in my seat; no more overhang for me!

I had my 6-week follow up appointment today, and we were supposed to be scheduling my first fill, but my surgeon decided to go ahead and do the first fill right there in the office! So... today was my first fill. :confused_smile: Best of luck to you, lady77, and to all the other Jazzy Junes!

:party:Jazzy Junes First Fill Lineup:party: :confused_smile: 7-14 Huggie Bear, Long2bThin, greyhoundmom, eagerbandi, LMarie_MD2b :smile2: 7-15 ginas, Insky67, Irish Ladybug, Da Gramma :crying: 7-16 kristiebandy, Doobee 7-17 Navywife Jenn,nannypants, mamamarie :huh2: 7-18 LIZZARD 7-21 Sassy V :drool: 7-22 livn4jesus, mimieg, livn4jesus :drool: 7-23 kkarryall, vzghj3, Cadets71 :drool: 7-24 rjtrimmer :drool: 7-25 brownbear, lessme :drool: 7-28 kiki220, CarrieD :drool: 7-29 Phoenix, Greythope :drool: 7-31 Jules K, iteachurkid :drool: 8-4 snuffy65 :drool: 8-5 Kathystrick :drool: 8-7 Nuali :drool: 8-26 Phoenix :drool: 8-29 kerryconner :drool: 9-17 TX Diva Jazzy Junes SECOND Fill Lineup :drool: 7-18 cathychatts :drool: 8-8 Whiskypie Jazzy Junes THIRD Fill Lineup :w00t: 7-31 Strikeuptheband :party:FILLED Jazzy Junes :party: :w00t: 7-1 Strikeuptheband :w00t: 7-2 Cathychatts :w00t: 7-7 TxJuneBug08 :w00t: 7-9 Amisha, Kizzie, whiskypie, rames767 :w00t: 7-10 gardengrl :w00t: 7-11 ajpink, MUSIC MOM :party:Filled AGAIN Jazzy Junes :party: :w00t: 7-10 Strikeuptheband

I'm Lacey. :tt1: I'm 23, and I live in St. Louis, MO. I'm a second-year medical student, so I basically have no life. :party: In my "free time," I'm planning a wedding for March 21 of next year--so I'd love to be at/around goal by the first of the year so I can get my wedding dress altered to fit beautifully and show off my new body!

I stepped on the scale today, and saw that I was down 28 pounds from my highest weight. I was pleased. :tt1: I logged on and updated my ticker. I saw that I have 56 pounds left to goal. That is definitely smaller than the 84 at which I started. (Even though the nurse at the surgeon's office said I could lose 98 and still be within my healthy weight range!!) I was pleased. :tt2: I realized that I was exactly one-third of the way to my goal weight (which I haven't seen since I was approximately 10.5 years old)... and I FLIPPED OUT!!!! :drool::party::drool: Happy dance, happy dance, happy dance! :tt1::drool: I'm 5.5 weeks out; I have two stinkin' pounds until I'm back under 200 pounds--and I haven't even had my first fill yet! I go in on Monday to schedule the adjustment. :drool::tt1: I LOVE MY BAND!! :drool::tt1:

I don't know about his policies for patients with existing Nissens, but Dr. Darin Minkin at Des Peres Hospital in St. Louis is another surgeon who will repair hiatal hernias and/or perform fundoplications during Lap Band surgery. I know a lot of the previous posters were from KC, but since it's so difficult to find surgeons who will do combination or revision surgeries, I figured I'd share my $.02.

Hey, guy--I was banded at 23 after my first year in medical school. I knew I would never make it through my clinical years with all the extra weight (let alone your shifts as a paramedic!), and I knew I wanted to be healthy for my husband and children. 23 is definitely not too young, if you're making the decision for yourself and for your health!

Larinshine: those are questions your OB/GYN should be able to answer, but your band surgeon should have an idea of how pregnancies plus the Band work. You want to make sure the incisions from the Band surgery have healed before straining them with the increased pressure of an expanding uterus and growing baby. You said you'd have to have a C-section, but if you were to have a vaginal birth, that would also require a strongly healed set of incisions. Fairy: I have no idea what's going on there. There isn't any way you would have enough endometrium to menstruate for 1 month...let alone 3. Ovulation, I would guess, would occur the standard ~2 weeks before your period started; it gives the rest of your girl-parts the signal to get ready for implantation. What you're describing sounds like a hormone problem--not necessarily PCOS, especially given your amazing weight loss. Ask your primary care doctor, or your OB/GYN, if you can get a hormone panel to figure that out. There's no good reason to have that type of cycle.

I think you could make Thanksgiving break, or any other week-long break, work. I know I was sleeping ~14 hours a day for the first 4 days after surgery (thanks, Vicodin!!), but after I got off the opiates and was able to shower and move around more, I felt okay, but wasn't 100% in terms of energy. A week to 10 days would be the minimum cushion I'd give myself--I couldn't even drive until my first follow-up, 10 days post-op. Lots of stuff to think about, and to ask your doctor--but those are my thoughts based on experience. Cate18, what are you studying?

I agree with both replies above. I'm 13 days post-op now, and I know I'd have had a tough time going to class, studying, going to work... all that stuff I did while I was an undergraduate. I know the feeling of wanting the Band RIGHT NOW, and I know that Christmas/New Year's is a time when most of us do our most impressive binge eating, but I would say wait until at least your Winter Break to have the surgery...if not summer. You don't want to risk a situation where you're forced to take incompletes or withdraw from courses due to complications, being too weak, missing for follow-up appts, etc. I would say talk to your surgeon and ask how long he normally tells people to take off from work--and apply the same rule to yourself for class. College is stressful, and there is a lot more to it than just being in class. Your goal is to get healthy; you should start on the right foot by making sure you're not stressed out immediately post-op!

Has anyone paid an extra ~3500 for their pre-op tests (EKG, chest x-ray, etc.)??? I just got a bill from my hospital for that much--and they want my self-pay $11,000 next Thursday! :thumbup: The original quote for my self-pay surgery is 11000 for the hospital, 5000 for the doctor's fee, and 1000 for anesthesia... for a total of $17,000. But, if these pre-op tests aren't covered, that makes the total $20,500. Please help!!!! Poor student living on loan money...

Ohhhhh, my goodness--I cannot *WAIT* until my 10 year reunion. I was voted Most Likely to Succeed, so everyone expects the education and good job and blah, blah, blah... but I can't wait to show up, look the former "Popular Pretty Girls" in the eye, and say: "Oh, well, since high school, I graduated with Honors with my Biochemistry degree in four years, then I went to medical school and got my MD in 2011, now I'm a practicing (insert specialty here). And this is my husband, Greg. He's an engineer who graduated top of his class... Oh, right--my name is Lacey W_____, don't you recognize me? .... So what have you been up to?" :wink2:

My fiance is concerned about the surgical part of the Lap Band--anesthesia, complications, and all of that. But, being that I'm a medical student and have read the studies on the Band, I have been able to assuage his fears about that so far. I think, though, he is afraid I will leave him once I look different. Like I'm going to turn into some completely different person, and want to throw away 5 years of friendship and 2.5 years of our relationship (possibly our brand new marriage) and go through the horrors of dating all over again. He's overweight, but 1) unhealthy or 2) insecure about his body. Does anyone else have this problem? I wish I knew a way (better than, you know, staying engaged to him and planning our wedding!!!!) to make him understand and believe that I'm not doing this to escape him... I just want to get out of my "fat suit"! :thumbup:

I'm a self-pay... I'm a medical student, so our insurance is as bare-bones as it gets (we might sew your leg back on...if you ask nicely). They absolutely exclude any and all WLS procedures, but I am not willing to wait any longer to get on my future husband's insurance. I wanted to be a "normal" size bride! My surgery will be ~$17,000, including fills for the first year at my surgeon's office--4 miles from my apartment. If they have to use the fluoroscope in the radiology suite in the hospital for any fills, it'll be $400 a pop. So I'm hoping that my relatively low BMI will allow for my fills to be done in the office, by feel. I'm already taking out ridiculous amounts of student loans, so I'm going to use the left over cash from this past year, and some of my disbursements for next year, to pay for my band. What I can't come up with on surgery day, I'm borrowing from my grandfather (~$10,000) to pay back with MUCH LOWER interest than any financing/credit card would offer. Some people buy houses with their loans, some people buy cars... I'm lengthening my life and raising my self esteem! This is MY major investment. :smile2:

This is pretty much my sex-life story. I don't have a port to hurt yet, with my legs over his shoulders/my head, but I am just too easily exhausted to be on top for any length of time. if I have a heavy-duty headboard to hold onto, I can generally manage for a while, but I prefer to do something less taxing for the time being. I feel like I'm squashing my fiance, and I don't move as smoothly or as fast as I did when I was younger and thinner. "Rear entry" is my favorite as well--because it makes me the least self-conscious. I would support the suggestions the other posters have had; y'all have great ideas!

I've been in a long-distance relationship for 2 years... we've never lived closer to each other than a 90-minute drive. Now, we're a 90 minute flight (10+ hour drive) apart--he's in Dallas, I'm in St. Louis. That, alone, is hell. Two days out of every 14 is not enough! Trying to ramp up the physiological signals "on demand" is hard enough, but gathering the energy for sex is the hardest part for me. However, the last 30-40 pounds or so have really put a damper on the libido overall, so I guess it's better to be fat and far apart now, and skinny and living together (!!!!) later. :smile2: We're getting married next March, and I can't wait to be a skimpy-Victoria's Secret-clad, sexy wife who isn't afraid to leave the lights on... :crying::tongue2: I just discovered the Twenties board, and I am soooo happy we're all here together! Especially when there are discussions like this one going on. Best of luck to all the single ladies out there--God bless battery powered boyfriend substitutes!

Hello! I'm Lacey, and I'm 23. I grew up in rural Missouri, but I currently live in St. Louis. I'm so excited to be Banded!! :smile2:

I can relate to EVERYTHING you guys have been saying! Especially in reference to face vs. body beauty. I have my own tragic story about when I realized that's how people (guys) saw me; I'm sure we all do. I'm also being rather secretive about the procedure, like drew mentioned. I'm a medical student... so I am pretty sure I'd get a lot of flack about "taking the easy way" by my friends who live in the gym and have the energy of a toddler. I also don't want the faculty to really know about it because I don't want to be considered weak, physically or mentally. I already feel like a hypocrite for being a fat future doctor ("Mr. Jones, you *really* need to lose weight to get your cholesterol under control..."); I don't need to feel like an even worse hypocrite for not becoming normal "the old fashioned way." In reference to what Enigma mentioned about her husband--does anyone ever catch themselves saying the same types of things to themselves? As excited as I am about the band, I can't help but slip into the Danger Zone of self-criticism that I think got me here in the first place. I had my pre-op testing today, and during my stress test, I thought "Geez, if you'd just do this a few times a week, you wouldn't be in the position you're in right now! Too bad you've been too lazy to take care of yourself..." How horrible is that!? I suppose it's true--we are our own worst critics!!

After lots of lurking, research, and a pre-op consult, I've booked my self-pay banding date on June 5th. I'm so excited!!! :frown: I'm getting married on March 21, 2009--so I definitely hope to make some significant progress before then. It's something that, as soon as we were engaged, after the immediate euphoria wore off, I thought, "Oh...how will I hide in my own wedding pictures???" :tt2: How sad is that?! Anyway, I look forward to taking this journey with all of you--take care, and let's keep in touch!