Dora

Sorry I've bee so quiet, but I did get my band on Tuesday. I'm healing pretty fast and I think this will be pretty good. I took pain meds last night but not at all today. (I think they make me feel worse.) But I've been walking and drinking a lot and doing breathing exercises, so I'm doing well for only two days out. Dora

I'm going to be banded at St. Agnes by Dr. Singh. My endocrinologist recommended St. Agnes. I go Monday for my pre-op and pre surgery class. I know things will work out OK in the beginning. But I work with a woman who was banded, lost a fair amount of weight then started gaining it back. I'm hoping that I can look at what she does wrong and see what I need to do to make it work.

Hi Do I -- Looking at your ticker it looks like you're doing well. I finally have a date -- Aug. 26. I'm not nervous about the surgery, but I'm realizing I've made a big commitment to myself and that's making me nervous. Will it work in the long run for me. When I hit my 50s I started to settle into accepting myself with the weight. Making this decision has turned that all around. It's time to stop letting myself drift into being old. I hope things keep going well for you. I'm tired of waiting. I'm ready to start doing. Dora

I use a website iHerb.com - Vitamins, Supplements & Natural Health Products. They have a lot of different protein shakes and you can compare what they provide. They also have customer reviews so you can see how people like them. They also have liquid vitamins. Dora.:thumbup:

I'm going to Dr. Singh at St. Agnes. My endocrinologist said of his patients that have had either by-pass or banding, he's seen the best results at St. Agnes. Their results are really good. They've been doing this surgery longer than most in Baltimore except at Bayview.

I'm in Baltimore. I just met with the surgeon and Nutritionist. Meet with the shrink on Monday. It sounds like I should be able to have surgery on 4 to 6 weeks.

I read elsewhere that mouthwash can dry out your mouth and ultimately lead to more bad breath. The doctor in this article suggested drinking tea.

As I read your message, I can see that you are going through the process of learning to love yourself and be yourself, and that takes time. You may want to look for some guided meditation CDs to help you relax and to learn to be quiet inside yourself. There are a number available through Amazon. One I like is Kelly Howell's The Secret -- Universal Mind Meditation. As some of the other messages have said, if your parents are willing to pay for this, it might be worthwhile taking advantage of this, but be kind to yourself. Spend time thinking about what you want for your life.

The first thing I want to say to you is only do this if YOU want to do it. We all have our issues with weight and if you do this for your parents, that can lead to other issues later. Next, I haven't been banded yet, but I had a long surgery with anesthesia years ago. It was fine. (actually it felt good.) What will get you through any surgery easily is to know that it's right for you. I know now that surgery is right for me. But I've dealt with a lot of issues. (many of them with family) I'm probably older than your parents and I know this is something that really has to b e done four you alone. I'm ready and I know things will go fine.

You might also want to check the various hospitals that are"centers of excellence". Besides St. Agnes, I know Sinai is one and I think GBMC is one. Compare the names of their docs to the bcbs list and I think you'll find several in the Balto area. Dora

I just started the process, but I'm using Dr. Singh at St Agnes. He was rated one of the top docs by Baltimore Magazine. I'm in BC/BS PPO plan, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference. My endocronologist said that of his patients who have had surgury, those who had it at St. Agnes have done the best. Dora