hopelives124

Hi Chele, I really indentified with so much of what you said. I too feel like the band failed me having lost only about 25 pounds since being bamded a year ago. BUT as my surgeon recently said to me....you did not gain! And if I am honest, I could be doing more to help myself. I do walk but need to go to the gym and the band is ONLY a tool. We control what we out into our mouths. For me, I do okay with regular food but have a big addiction to sweets. Very hard. So, we go on. I love the post wqho said every day we start over it is like we were banded yeterday.

Itotally understand and relate. I was banded on 9/16/08. And lost about 25 pounds. Still morbidly obese. Still feeling like I have failed as we do as fat people all the time. I have kept upb with my fills and have good restriction. The band has not helped my hunger one bit. I have thrown up when eating too fast etc. However I do eat sweets but not all the time. The band has helped with portion control but has not been that effecitve with weightloss. I would ask the surgeon about gastric bypass if u are comfortable with it. The band works if u eat a lot less;eat no sweets and exercise. The best of luck to u.

I totally understand that sense of frustration and failure. It is so familiar to all of us in our lives of the obesity battle. I have only lost 25 pounds myself and my surgery was in sept 08. I too have good restriction have found ways to eat around the band. I have finally in my gut realized this is a tool only and I must take full responsibility for everything I put in my mouth!!! Believe me it is hard. I happen to be vactioning in Italy and the ice cream is the greatest. Do not let yourself succumb to the failure feeling. It has so much to do with the way we have been mistreated for our weight and we in turn mistreated ourselves even more. Good luck on your journey you are not alone!!!!!

I too am struggling with barely a 20 pound loss in seven months. Severe osteoarthritis in both knees makes exercise that I used to love like walking is hard. I believe u must find soemthing that is fun for u and stick to it. Best of luck. Never give up!!!!!!

I agree with the last post. I had knee surgery three years ago the same as yours and it totally screwed up my knee even more. Plus weighing 250 pounds did not help the recovery. I am glad u decided to have the wls first-whichever procedure u decide to do. Pm me if u want. All the very best and please pick ur knee surgeon very carefully. I did not and have paid dearly for it!

I am 5 months out from lap band surgery have lost about 25 pounds, and have noticed that my hair loss is all over my body....for example the hair on my head is thinner yes, but I have alot less hair on my arms and legs too. Maybe it is stress??(I lost my mom in November) or getting older....I am 48. HELP I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this!!!!!!!!!????????????

I was banded on 9/16/08 by Dr. Kurian who is not only an excellent surgeon, but also a compassionate woman. I could not have made a better choice!!!! My loss has been slow about 25 pounds since pre-op diet which stared on 9/1; but that is really on me, since I struggle with the sweets somewhat still. I could not ask for more in terms of a practice!

I just had my third fill last wednesday and have a 7.3 cc restriction level. I am still able to eat alot of what I want. I am afraid of the foods that typically get stuck so I stay away from them. But, then I start to struggle with the foods that got me like this....the sugary sweet ones that go down great. I am not beating up on myself, my mom just died last month and I see the strong need for fooooooood, but I am getting a little impatient, I was banded on 9/16/08 and have only lost about 25 pounds. It is just a tool, but this sugar addiction is the worse. Sorry to get off the topic, but it does seem that different levels of restriction work differently for different people. Of course with 7.3 cc's I do feel fuller faster and really tight and sick if I overeat.

:tongue2::thumbup: I will definately attend the conference. I love the doctor's at NYU and hope that they are all asked to speak. Dr. Kurian did my surgery and is AWWWWWEsome so that she is my first choice to speak. I would love to see as much of the psychological part of this process included in the conference since that is what i do for a living so that I would even be willing to speak/present. I have had the band since 9/16/08 have lost 25 pounds so far and love my band. New York would be my first preference but I would attend in New Jersey as well. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

I was banded on 9/16/08 at NYU by Dr. Kurian and am scheduled for my first fill on Friday 10/10. Any advice? I have had a great recovery so far, eating regular food, but no steak, white meat chicken or pasta etc....I am scared of throwing up. What should I expect? The weight loss has been slow a total of 17 pounds from the time of my first surgical consult. I ate so little during the pre-op then liquid stage, ate a little bit more during mushy stage. It seems like my body went into shock once I ate so little. Anyway, any and all advice is very appreciated!!!!!

Sorry it took a while to get back to you. I went to my informational session at NYU the end of May and orginally had a banding date for the end of August. I postponed it due to vacation to 9/16. So it was fairly quick and painless. I understand about the primary MD issue since i often did not let my MD weigh me because I was usually sooo mortified. It is a good thing that at least within the past five years I let him weigh me. The letter documenting my BMI for the past five years was great to have and I too have Unitedhealthcare. Whatever you have to do to get the documentation I am sure that you will do it...don't beat up on yourself for the vagueness with your doctor. I did that so much because of the shame and embarassment over the obesity. Hopefully between your gyn and orthopeaedic doctor you can document. The very best to you please let me know if I can be of any further help!!!!

I was banded at NYU by Dr. Kurian on 9/16/08 and I will say that I had a great experience. I did not even really consider another place since I knew a co-worker that had been banded their the year before and lost over 150 pounds. However, it is still surgery and still hard work no matter where you go. I think Columbia is a bariatric center of excellence as well as NYU. So it is a toss-up I guess. Aren't we lucky to have these resources?! Best of luck to you on your journey