rosiered

I am going through the same thing...everyone thinks it's nuts now because I used to drink everything iced and now I drink everything HOT! I was a big sweater and wore t-shirts almost all year round and never owned a heavy coat. This winter in NY I have been f r e e z i n g!!:wink: All my readings are good so it's not low anything lol. But I did ask my Dr and he also said it has to do with the intake of food and the body fat! So I'm sure we all agree ...I'd rather be cold!!!!!!

Wow what a great story ......I can relate so much I could have co- authored this with you!! :rose: Especially where food is now on your list of priorities. Before my surgery I thought it was crazy for someone to be too busy not to eat or not to be constantly thinking what you're going to eat....... It's sooooo different now. Thanks for a great story and it is truly a blessing when you know you made the best choice in your life and have no regrets!!! :tongue2:

I have a hard time with bread and also pasta. I have tried to eat a pork chop and chicken breast and no matter how much I chew and no matter how small the bite is ......it just don't go down. And then there are times where something I've always eaten without a problem becomes a problem that day!! My Dr. has told me that emotions play a big role and I can tell if .....I'm uptight for any reason my band is tight!

I had surgery 9 months ago and was on a steady weight loss road. I always lost at least a pound a week ....until about 1 month ago. I can't lose an ounce. I have not changed my eating habits and have been totally discipined about walking and getting on the treadmill. It seems like no matter what I do I am not losing. How frustrating is this.......awhat do I do now?????????? I'm sure there's been a ton of threads about this but I'm just to frustrated to look....H E L P !!!! :wink2:

Thanks everybody for your input...........this sight and all you wonderful women are the B E S T !!! I will take all this advice into consideration and try something different and let you know what's happening!! Thanks again.:rolleyes2:

I have hypothyroidism for the last 25 years and have been on medication. I had no problem being approved and my weight loss seems to be on average.

My hair is thin normally and became thinner as a result of taking synthroid. So when it started to get even thinner I really panicked and was ready to go wig shopping, but someone told me about Nioxin shampoo and conditioner. I tried some that I bought on e-bay and I see a big difference. I don't know if my hair is growing back or it just seems thicker.................either way it made a difference !!!!!!:biggrin:

I take 2 chewable "Building Blocks" vitamins. My sister had gastric bypass years ago and was advised to take this vitamins that are specially formulated for bariatric patients. Now they have ones that are for Lap band patients. Had all my blood work checked for nutrients and vitamins and my readings so far are good. Their website is www.bbvitamins.com Check it out!

What's going on with you? Hope it passed and you're feeling better. If it did............keep on a liquid and mushy diet for a couple of days till your sure your soreness is gone.

You go Bea...........my sentiments exactly. Caybachman we are here to support one another. I'm sure everyone has been lectured their whole life. We don't come here for that so try to watch what you say and how you say it ! Tina I hope your feeling better by now but if not you need to see your Dr. right away............we never had bands before so we don't know what to expect and it's always better to be safe than sorry.

Congrats girlfriend............I can't wait to hear you holler!!!! This is quite an accomplishment ..I can just imagine the major changes that have taken place in your life. What a great feeling!!!! God bless you.

Congratulations on your surgery being uneventful..lol! Good luck on your journey..........I pray that this will be the best decision you ever made......................I know it was for me !!!:thumbdown:

Wow...think a lot of us have been there in some capacity! I've been banded for 4 months and I know sometimes when to stop and feel good about it..........but there are times when I just don't know when to stop and I pay the price!! I started doing exactly what "Fanny Adams" was talking about........I stop and I wrap up the portion that I can't eat or know I can't eat and go back to it later. Usually at that point I don't want it anymore because I really feel full. I usually just dump it after that. It's such a mind game...none of us got here because we knew what to eat and how much. It took many years of bad eating habits and I don't expect to break all my habits in one shot. Now my biggest fight in life is HEAD HUNGER vs. REAL HUNGER !!! :wub:

My port is under my right breast down about 5 inches. I had a lot of belly fat when I was banded and couldn't feel it at all. Now with my belly getting flatter, I can feel it easily when I lie down. Also I'm used to pressing myself up against things(desk, counter, table) when I sit because I'm used to it when my belly was bigger, so whenever I forget and press up against something I get pain, but that's the only time I ever feel port pain and I really cause it!!!

I am supposed to go down to Florida to see my family in the next couple of months. I have heard some stories about problems with the band when flying. Met someone in the Dr's office who was telling me about her band collapsing when she flew. Please share your experiences .............. they will be greatly appreciated!! :wink2:

My hair was thinning out on top from taking synthroid for the last couple of years and now with the weight loss it seems so much worse to me. Someone tod me to try Nioxin shampoo. They come in different "systems". I bought System#4 for hair that is noticeably thinning. I use the cleanser and scalp therapy and see a huge difference. It's expensive but it's worth it. You can try trial sizes just to see if it works for you. If you can't find it they sell it on e-bay. Good luck to all of us...........we can all be success stories!!

I had an appt Tues with Dr Fielding.........my last 2 appts have been with Anne. I had a 3:40 appt and got there at 3.......the office was packed and I had no choice but to wait in the hall with a couple of other patients. We finally got seats inside abt 3:45. Waiting.waiting......waiting....finally at 4:30 they make an announcement that if u r waiting for Dr Fielding he is running late. Ok....no problem....I'll wait !!! the waiting room is like a therapy session and when you get the right talkative group time flies and the wait is almost enjoyable. Finally at about 5:05 when everyone around me has gotten called even those that came in after me, I asked the receptionist when was the Dr going to see me. She checks and tells me I never signed in. Now I know I have been banded but it has not effected my memory lol. I signed in at 3 put down I had a 3:40 appt to see Dr Fielding and she keeps telling me I never signed in. They cross out the sheets with thick black marker so was I really going to pursue this?????? Just get the Dr to see me and get me out of here !!!!! I love my band and I loved the Dr Fielding that gave you some of his time and seemed interested in your progress. Now after my wait Gaspar comes in and decides to give me a small fill. Dr Fielding pokes his head in and says I look great and leaves. I ask Gaspar if I have to wait to see Fielding...........he says "you just did". After a 2 1/2 hour wait that was it. Over and done. I know I picked the best surgeon to do this and I have no regrets but the popularity of NYU has caused some former patients .......like me.....to miss the slight intimacy and attention that we once felt. I apologize for venting but I too had Joanna as an insurance coordinator and had no problems. There are new people and things have just changed !!! Good luck on all your journeys...........we can all be success stories!!

Thanks for all the input............it helped with the anxiety of flying. I asked my Dr and he told me to have a drink and relax and it will be fine ! Bon Voyage!!!!

I never used straws either because I was told it was a no-no. But one day recently I got an iced coffee from Dunkin' Donuts and without thinking put a straw into it and started drinking. I had no adverse reactions, no gas or feeling bloated. when I went today for a fill I was talking to some of the ladies in the office (bandsters) and alot of them still drink soda. That I wouldn't do..............too gassy. But a straw I haven't had a problem with. Good Luck on your journey!!

Great idea ...looking forward to meeting everyone. Should we all be holding large rubber bands so we know who we are ??? LMAO

I was banded by Dr Fielding and I live in Williamsburg. It would be nice to get together with a bunch of other bandsters from Brooklyn to compare stories and experiences. Hope we can all get together soon. Sheila: today is your banding day.......hope all went well. NYU is great and so is Dr.Fielding. Good luck on the beginning if your journey.....................

NYU split up their surgeons by insurance coverage and Dr. Fielding was the GHI Dr., unfortunately as of June 18th he dropped it, so you need to find out what your alternatives are. My approval came very quickly becoz with BC/BS you don't need the 6 months supervised diet. First step is a physchological eval with one of their Dr.'s and it was $250.00 out of pocket. Then I had to go for a nutritional assessment and evaluation another $325.00 out of pocket. Then thru my coverage I had to go for clearance for surgery thru my cardiologist. Was all done by end of January and was scheduled for March 6th surgery. Process can be as quick or as long as you make it!! Once again good luck as your journey begins!

Being banded at NYU was a great experience from beginning to end. I agree with going to a seminar there.........they answer all your questions and it's great that Dr. Fielding and his whole team are banded!! I have GHI and BC/BS and work for a city union (DC37), Dr. Fielding no longer takes GHI so I will have to pay out of pocket for follow-up visits. BC/BS approved my surgery (quickly)and paid for everything (with a $300.00 deductible). The overnight stay at the hospital was great and all the nurses and staff are very kind and considerate. The only downside is that in the last 6 months Dr. Fielding's office has become like a new NY restaurant where you have to wait to get a reservation, and I just hope it doesn't get any worse. Like I said previously it was and still is a great positive experience. My only regret is that I waited till 55 to do it!!! Leslee: Did you decide Lap band or Gastric? To all of you ...........good luck ........it's the best thing I ever did!!!! :biggrin:

I'm an NYU alumni also. I had my first fill April 17th ....3cc with Dr. Fielding and my 2nd fill May 9th .... 2cc with Ann Finger. So now I have 5 cc's in a 14 cc band. My first fill was a little uneventful and my 2nd I felt much more restriction and I did initially feel a slight gurgle whenever I drank. The morning's are hard for me to eat or swallow anything, so I usually just have a cup of coffee when I get to work and I don't eat breakfast till after 10 or 11am. That's when I usually take my thyroid pill (it has to be taken in the morning on an empty stomach) and then I take 2 pills at night after dinner. I don't feel the gurgle but I do take smaller sips, so I guess it does calm down a lot. To Leslee: I too wanted to lose weight quick because I am 55, but after weighing both options I felt so much more comfortable with the band. I don't know how much you want to lose but this seems to really be working for me. My sister had the gastric almost 6 years ago and she still has so many problems. And there is no adjustment for her it just stays the way it is. Everyone has their own reasons for choosing which they want....discuss it with Dr. Fielding he is a very kind understanding man and I'm sure together you will make the right choice!!! GOOD LUCK !

I have been banded three months today !!! I had bruising and one of my incisions was black and blue for awhile. When I asked my Dr. he told me that the port is atached to a muscle and that's where the bruising comes from and that incision was the one that hurt the longest. Good luck on the beginning of your journey..........it's been positive for me since the very beginning!!!