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!

I'm checking out this group for the first time & it doesn't look very active. Anybody reading? As you can see from my ticker I am less than 20 pounds from goal. My goal weight is at the top of the BMI range for my height. The thing is...Yes, I am much smaller that I used to be. But I somehow thought my body would have a nicer shape than it does. I still have back fat. I still have a gut and fat thighs. I could go on. Plus, I have several places with sagging skin. I'm in my early 30s so I'd hoped that my skin was more elastic, but I guess not. It's definitely mixed emotions. I'm pretty proud of what I've accomplished so far. But I definitely don't like the look of my body, for different reasons than before. I know I am healthier. I feel better. I can't see myself affording plastics anytime in the near future. So I have to learn to love this version of me. Anybody else feeling this?

...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!

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:

GoyaChula, we all understand. I just keep telling my husband, "Everybody is pregnant except for me. Everybody!" Of course that's not true, and I know in my head that it will happen when it's supposed to, but emotions are emotions. Your time will come, and I can bet that you'll be glad you waited. :wub:

Since I just replied...just wanted to chime in and say congrats to everyone who just found out they were pregnant. My period was due on Sunday. I took a hpt this morning but it's negative. I feel strange but not like I'm about to start my period. Hard to describe. Guess I'll be testing again in a week if Aunt Flow doesn't show up. I really don't have high hopes because this is the first cycle of trying; on the other hand, my GYN said that I would have a good chance this cycle because it should be my first time ovulating in ages. We shall see...I hope that I'm joining your merry little group soon...

GoyaChula, first of all you need to discuss this with your band surgeon, but the standard is that you need to wait 12-18 months after being banded before you try to get pregnant. You need to let your body heal and get used to your new lifestyle, and that will give you time to lose the majority, if not all, of your excess weight. I am almost positive that your surgeon will tell you that you need to be on hormonal birth control right now. If you have had fertility issues due to weight gain, you will probably become more fertile as you lose weight. Many bandsters have become pregnant without trying, after years of infertility, because they have lost weight. I got married very young (age 18) and have been married for almost 14 years. I have had bouts over the years of really wanting to get pregnant, but we chose to wait, mostly for financial reasons but also to grow together more as a couple. I understand how it feels when it seems like everybody around you is pregnant or has children. Most of my friends have children, including those several years younger than me. I have always been big but also gained weight during the marriage and hit 302 pounds at my highest point. When I turned 30, I felt ready to get pregnant in every way but physically. I knew I wanted to be at a healthier weight when I got pregnant and that is part of why I got banded. A little over a year later I am 14 pounds from my goal weight, feel great and am trying to conceive with the support of my band doc and my OB/GYN. I would suggest that you and your husband focus on getting healthy now and think again about getting pregnant a year from now (or however long your doctor advises to wait). You have plenty of time. That's my opinion.

My apologies, I didn't see anything that just covered reflux without other symptoms. I'm afraid I've stretched my pouch or have a slipped band, but the only symptom that I have is reflux. I've read and read here, and other people mention vomiting, coughing, being unable to swallow their saliva, severe pain, loss of restriction. I have none of that. I'm still eating the right amounts of food, if not always the right types of food. :thumbup: Restriction is still good. But for the past few days I have had mild reflux no matter what I eat. I went on liquids for a day and still had it. I had severe acid reflux prior to being banded, but it went away afterward. I was able to eat things that I had to avoid previously, such as jalapenos. This reflux is nothing in comparison, but it's worrisome. It does go away with antacids, but it always comes back. I can't think of any specific incident where I ate too much. I haven't had a PB in months. My doc is a bit on the far side, so visiting him requires taking a half day from work (which is difficult), but I'm thinking I should go in anyway just to get reassurance. Is it possible for reflux to come back without having a band complication? Could it be caused by something else? Could I have a band problem and just have this very mild symptom as opposed to the severe ones I keep reading about? Thanks.

Reading all of these happy posts has me jealous...I saw my gynecologist yesterday and she saw no reason for me not to start TTC...so I'm officially in babymaking mode. Can't wait!

Sorry to hear that, wantitbad. Being on liquids is awful, no two ways about it. But look at it this way....at least you didn't cause permanent damage. This is a chance for you to get back on track, follow the rules and succeed. You can do this.

Hi armywife4life. I didn't experience any nausea. Just reflux and pain. I hope that the unfill resolves things for you!

Well, I continue to feel just fine since Tuesday. :tongue_smilie: Taking my Prilosec every day, eating with no problems. I'm trying to really watch my portion sizes because I'm worried that the unfill will slow down my weight loss. But I'm still exercising and things are going OK. Wantitbad, I hope that you get relief soon & keep me posted about what happens.

Wantitbad -- almost banded on the same day. Looks like you were a day earlier. :sneaky: Here's my UPDATE after my doctor's office visit yesterday. He thinks I was too tight. I was confused at first as to how this could be. My last fill was in mid-November. I've had great restriction since then. In addition, I've had no problems keeping food down. I haven't been vomiting. I've read/heard that people who are too tight sometimes can't even keep down saliva. I haven't had much of an appetite, but I attributed that to the reflux and pain. Anyway, he felt that somehow my stoma got irritated enough to cause tightness and reflux. So he suggested we take out a little saline (about 0.5 cc, so he basically took out my last fill) and see if that helps. He also switched me to Prilosec since it is a PPI (proton pump inhibitor). I thought he might prescribe Nexium or one of those, but he said that Prilosec is just as good as the prescription ones. It's just OTC because the patent expired. The Prilosec is a two-week course. If I don't get relief from that, then he'll order an upper GI to look at my band. He said that I would need a total unfill if the band looks fine, otherwise we'd cross that bridge when we came to it. He was very reassuring and really did not think I'd had a slip, but he did stress not to hesitate to call him if I wasn't getting relief. If everything clears up, I could come back and we could try a small fill if I'm not losing weight. I am so close to goal weight, he thinks that we might have to play around with it more to keep me losing without being too tight. I took my first Prilosec last night before dinner and I slept through the night for the first time in almost a week. I haven't had any reflux or pain since, so I'm really hoping the combination of that and the slight unfil does the trick!

Hi wantitbad. Glad I am not the only one. The reflux I am having now is actually worse than the reflux I had pre-banding...especially because before, it was usually when I ate high acid or spicy foods. Now it is all of the time. Very uncomfortable! I am pretty sure I'm not eating more than a cup, but I might be on occasion. I think it's typical to get a little lax once you're over a year out. I will be thinking of you and appreciate your good thoughts. I'll update here whenever I find out.

Thanks Bamboobabe. I feel a little alone with this problem -- fewer people want to talk about this kind of stuff, it seems. I can't imagine it's just that I'm too tight, as my last fill was in November. But I'm really hoping that it could be treated as your reflux was -- partial or full unfill, Prilosec, etc. Are you feeling "normal" again now? Of course I have thoughts of erosion, slips, hernias, etc in my head but I have to just wait and see what he says. Thanks again.

I'm going in to see my fill doc this afternoon and not a moment too soon. I spent a miserable night between the reflux that had me choking and coughing, and pain that reminded me of the bloaty gas pains I had in the weeks post-surgery. I'm scared. At this point I'm just hoping it's a slip that can be remedied by an unfill and a few weeks of liquids. Something like that. I'll know after 2:45. I just have to make it through the morning at work. I'm still having some of the pain but no reflux right now. Already put myself on liquids. Wish me luck.