GreenChrysalis

I got my letter in the mail today from Dr. K's office announcing his retirement, so I had to come on and say "hi" to you ladies! It is sad news for his patients, especially local ones of course, but great news for him. I wish I were local and could come to a party! I am pretty much status quo...trying very hard to get into a regular exercise routine and not having much success. Working part-time from home in the evenings, then taking care of my toddler all day, leaves me scrambling to find time for myself. My weight is about the same, still 25-30 pounds more than I'd like it to be. I'm about five pounds heavier than I was when I got pregnant so I guess that's not too bad, but like many of you I am a food addict and terrified at the possibility of going back to where I was. I'm committed to a 5k next month but at this point it'll probably be more walking than running. It's something, I suppose. I was recently diagnosed with eczema and it's making my life difficult in a lot of ways. I'm finishing up a three-week course of prednisone which as you no doubt know is not exactly helpful in weight loss. For that and other reasons I'm going to start eliminating foods from my diet in an effort to figure out what triggers my eczema...starting with gluten (I was already tested for celiac but I could be sensitive). So it'll be interesting to see how that impacts my weight loss as well... Guess that's enough for now. Hope all are well!

I do remember you, Dee! I used to read your blog but I lost all my bookmarks...did you have your plastics? You were truly an inspiration! And thanks, I feel flattered that someone remembered me.

It has been a LONG time since I posted here and I don't know if anybody would even remember me...although I am recognizing some of the names here still and used to be very active! Long story short, I got pregnant and had my beautiful baby girl in March 2010. Part of my incentive for getting banded was to become a healthy mom! I had a great pregnancy for the most part, gained 25 pounds. I did have high blood pressure that required me to be induced, but it was only three days before my due date. I lost the baby weight pretty quickly due to breastfeeding and stress. But here I am still about 30 pounds from my ultimate goal weight, pretty much where I was before I got pregnant. I have not had a fill since March 2009. I don't think I need one, I think I need to exercise regularly and make better food choices! I am running my first 5K in September in honor of my cousin who is battling leukemia. I'm not even a runner so this should be interesting. When my husband's work schedule lets up a little I will be able to start training a few times a week. That's really the jist of what's been up in my world in the past, well, almost two years! I will try to catch up a bit on the thread to see where some of you are these days. I work part-time from home now so I'm online most evenings.

quote name='jonjon1981' timestamp='1302284290' post='1597966'] Hi. I'm considering Dr. Kirshenbaum for my lap band surgery and was wondering if anyone on here had gone to him and lived in Atlanta. I'd love to know how your experience was both with having the Surgery done and with finding a local doctor when you came back for fills and follow-ups. Any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated. Hi there! I was banded by Dr. K on 2-14-08 and live in metro Atlanta. I had a good surgery experience, stayed in Parker at the Holiday Inn right across the street from the hospital for two days. I flew back for my first fill with Dr. K and then I found a local doctor for fills and follow-ups; it's Dr. Johnson at Atlanta Bariatrics. All I had to do was fax a copy of my surgery report to his office to find out if he would accept me as a patient. I would suggest going on the official Lap-Band website by Allergan and looking up doctors in your area, then start calling/emailing to find out if they will take on your aftercare. Some of them refuse to treat other surgeons' patients, some charge an outrageous amount of money for fills, so you'll have to just do your research. I haven't needed a fill in over a year but Dr. Johnson was very reasonable, and he was also very kind and easy to work with. Let me know if I can answer any more of your questions, feel free to message me as well if you like.

I don't know if anybody reading this would remember me, because I mostly posted in the forum for Dr. Kirshenbaum. But hey, I'll update anyway. I haven't posted here in a few years! I do recognize some of the names in this thread but I mostly read. I got within 10 pounds of my first goal weight and then got pregnant (by choice ). My aftercare doc felt that I did not need any fill removed as long as I was able to eat and drink, and did not have a lot of vomiting. A few months prior to getting pregnant I had a problem with acid reflux, but a slight unfill along with a course of Prilosec seemed to fix that. Happily I did not get extra tight while pregnant (as I have heard some women do) and my morning sickness was more just nausea than vomiting. I gained about 25 pounds while pregnant and lost the majority of it within a few months of my daughter being born in March 2010. I credit the band, but also the fact that I was a nervous wreck due to being unable to breastfeed (another story for another place) and not eating much. I have not gotten a fill since early 2009. At this point I am starting to think I need one. I am maintaining OK but would like to lose another 25-30 pounds, and I do have to diet a little bit. The issue is money. My insurance never covered fills (didn't cover my surgery either, I paid out of pocket), but I'm working only part-time now and can't afford them like I used to. So I am hoping that if I start exercising again and watch my diet closely I can get off the rest of the weight. We shall see!

Not crazy at all. I have heard of people who need a little unfill or even everything taken out. I have also heard of people who suddenly feel looser and can eat more. Apparently our hormones affect our stomach in all different ways, so whatever works for you -- and has you able to taken in enough healthy foods -- is "normal." Congrats to you too! I'm at 10 weeks -- come on, second trimester -- so I'm hoping I'll just keep my current fill (4.5cc in a 10 cc band) throughout the pregnancy. We'll see. :thumbup: Hope all are well! I'm ready to stop being tired even sleeping 9-11 hours a night...

As long as you are eating healthy food, getting in some exercise, feeling good and the baby is growing well...try not to think so much about weight gain. I know it is hard, but that's how we have to think. Yes, some people do lose weight in the first trimester if they have a lot of nausea and/or morning sickness. But others gain weight. It's different for everybody. You are growing a new life right now. After you have the baby (or after you finish breastfeeding depending on what you choose to do and what your doctors say), you can get a fill & lose whatever weight you gain. You will still have that tool. So hang in there!

Lucky, Ejmdiva! Just nowhere for me to nap here. If it weren't summer I'd consider napping in my car! I nap or sleep late every weekend now. I am sure the last phase is difficult. I have already been thinking about some choices and things that I know will be met with resistance by some of my family. But you just have to remember that it's YOUR body, YOUR baby and nobody can really make decisions that work for you but YOU. I hope your baby comes sooner than later!:biggrin:

Thanks! I'm actually not a Colorado girl (although I've been there several times and love it), I just got my band there. :thumbup: You sound like every other 40-weeker I have heard of...time get out, baby! I hope my fatigue doesn't last past 16 weeks. I have stuff to do. I can't really nap during the day since I work full-time but I'm trying to get as much sleep as I can. Obviously sleep will become a precious commodity soon. :crying:

Yes, definitely exciting/scary/overwhelming/OMG can I do this. :skep: I'm having a hard time exercising regularly too. I was doing 5 days a week but now I am lucky to get in 3. And when I do, 30 minutes is the absolute maximum. I'm just too tired. I do manage to cook dinner most days of the week, but that's just about all I do in the evenings other than fall asleep on the couch while my husband watches baseball. I have a desk job and I find myself really wanting a nap around 2 pm. I have cravings for carbs but I don't think I'm eating greater quantities than I was before. I'm trying to stay healthy, but when you're tired and cranky, you just want what you want. I'm told that this gets better after the first trimester. I sure hope so because I don't see how I'm going to last if it doesn't. :thumbup:

...because I'm seven weeks pregnant. As you can see from my ticker I didn't have too much left to go to goal. We started TTC in March. This is our first child and it was our first time TTC. I still didn't expect it to happen so soon! I saw my OB/GYN for the first time yesterday & she said to aim for no more than a 20 pound weight gain. As for fills, my fill doc has said that unless I have a lot of vomiting or am not eating enough for the baby's growth, I should be able to keep my fill. So far I've gained maybe a pound. I'm eating normally (although carb cravings are pretty bad) and exercising as much as possible -- low-impact. Some nausea here and there but no vomiting. Let's hope that lasts! Hope all are well!