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

I just got banded on 9/16 at NYU and have united healthcare. The surgeon that you pick to do your consultation with will then have you see their coordinator. She will then tell you what you need for insurance approval. For example my surgeon is Dr. Kurian. I had my consultation and nutitional assessment on the same day in July. Then, I met with Nilsa her surgical co-ordinator who advised me on what I needed to do to get insurance approval. United Healthcare sent me an approval letter in late august. I completed the psych evaluation in June and of course the nutritional assessement you must pay for it is $350.00. This is probably the best thing I ever did for my health. So, good luck to you. It will all fall into place. Let me know if you need further help.

Hi everyone! Congrats to all of us on september 16! Hopefully our new birthdays! I had to wait for my surgeon at the hospital for over 5 hours but it was worth it. She was great and so was the staff at NYU in New York. I had a lot of gas pain for first few days but am a lot better. Full liquids are getting hard I can't wait for mushies but not for another week! I am hungry and missing food. I will probably go back to work on Wednesday have my post op visit scheduled for monday.

I too was banded on 9/16 at NYU. I drink atkins and muscle milk. The latter has 21 grams of protien. The gas in the middle of my chest has been hard? Any suggestions on that. If the protien is too much just dilute it. I have definately felt the beginning of hunger growls over the past few days. I am sooo looking forward to the mushy food stage in a week! Congrats to all of us tho! Keep moving!

AWESOME!!!!! and I am soo inspired....scheduled go be banded at NYU on 9/16/08 Hi Everyone!!! After a three month journey, I am scheduled to be banded atj NYU on 9/16/08. It is trully a wonderful and scary prospect. I believe that my life is starting over and that I will finally be able to shed the obesity nightmare that I and so many of us have been living with. I am so INSPIRED by the stories of weight loss. I too want to lose about 130 pounds and reach my high school weight of 130 or LOWER. When I tell others that they look at me in disbelief, but why not??? After so many years of dealing with the depression, humiliation, and sheer exhaustion that being obese involves why not aim for the highest and best goal? I am scared of letting go of some foods that I love, but I know that at the end of the day, getting slim and healthy will be soooooo well worth it. I appreciate any and all support as I embark on this journey. I am so grateful that you are all out there. pre-op diet weight/current weight/goal weight 261/257/130

Are we talking chocolate and ice cream as the foods that are difficult to avoid? I am to be banded on 9/16/08 and this is one of my biggest fears, that I will eat past the band. I am looking forward to the portion control that comes with the band, but I know that my "drugs of choice" if you will are the above and they can get past the band. In any event, I agree with the others, it is great that you are choosing to put it out their and get help. As far as your doctor goes, it sounds like you are carrying around a whole lot of shame in terms of having problems and slipping up. We feel like such failures when we have a problem and then we keep our heads and hearts stuck in the mud or the ice cream if you will. I did that for a very very long time. No more, obesity is a medical problem and we deserve a medical solution like others with medical problems. This is the only medical problem that carries such an incredible STIGMA and I see it in what you said. the best of luck...I am sure you can find a nearby doctor otherwise come to NYC you are worth the commute! Rosie in NYC

Trully unbelievable. This is the last form of predjudice that is totally openly accepted and almost encouraged by our culture. Other forms of discrimnation, I am aware still occur, but there is not such a blantant acceptance of them. People who have never struggled with weight or food issues have no idea what it is like to have to get up everyday and deal with the world and act as though it is really no big deal that we are treated like second-class citizens because of our struggles. In fact, I know many of us are over-achieving super-responsible individuals who have accomplished a great deal, but have not been able to accomplish this for ourselves...maybe because, in part, we have given soooooo much to others. It is such a relief that we finally have a medical solution to a medical problem. For me, it has helped take some of the stigma away. Most of it will remain forever because of the way we are treated. But at least we are finally taken seriously by the medical community.

My date is sept 16 and I just found out today that my insurance approved the band for me!!!! Wow. I am a little (ok a lot) nervous!

Good luck and congrats on getting banded. How are u feeling? I too hope us will be able to see Avery. I have a 4 year old (and 5 and 17). Could not imagine not seeing them. Am 260 only 5' 4" and feel like an outcast and a symbol of ridicule at times. Only those of us who have trully struggled understand. Am scheduled to be banded at NYU on 9/16 if all goes well. I so much want myself my children and my husband and friends to enjoy a thinner me. Since I have decided on the band it seems like I am taking better care of myself. Of course I am scared that I will slime and not be able to eat. But I am so looking forward to a new life that will last. The latter about keeping the weight off is the part that those who have not struggled do not understand All the best steve let us know how your journey goes and I will do the same. Best of the bestest wishes Hope is alive Rosie in NYC

Reading the thread on the person that had to unfill and is now beating up on themselves brings back so many difficult memories. We need to remember that our problem/drug/ or whateve you want to call it is food. it is our comfort nurturer and excitement. To be angry at yourself for wanting food because now you can eat it is like getting mad at an alcoholic for being in a bar with a pint of beer in front of him. I really really think that so many of us have internalized all the negative cultural and other stereotypes towards fat and obesity that when we have ANY kind of slip we are crueler to ourselves than anyone else would be. Finally, we have a medical intervention to a medical problem (included in that are all the psychological elements) and we still beat up on ourselves if that medical solution is removed. Would a diabetic be yelling at themselves if insulin became unavailable? I am looking forward to my surgery in Sept on the 16th would love to hear from fellow bandsters scheduled in Sept and on that day toooooo at NYU ALL THE BEST TO US. Maybe we can be treated like everyone else with a medical problem...just hoping. Rosie in NYC:thumbup:

YOU are most certainly not alone. All of us can identify with the feelings of hopelessness and shame that obesity carries with it. So many of us have blamed ourselves for so long and loathed everything about ourselves. While I believe that indivdiual responsibility is crucial in life I also believe THAT WE ARE FACED WITH A MEDICAL PROBLEM THAT HAS NEVER BEEN TAKEN SERIOUSLY. Diabetes have insulin, there are medications to prevent or limit alcohol consumption, but with weight it has ALWAYS been you can just do it if you had a little more willpower. For so many of us willpower ie wanting to do it our own is what has gotten us into this pickle to begin with. We tend to be strong sometimes over-achieving people who take care of everything and everyone except for ourselves. Since I made the decision, deep in my heart and soul to finally take care of myself, and have the lapband, I have taken better care of myself over-all, my appearanc, my relationships and my ability to say no. I have heard so many times it is not really about food. And to some extent, that is true, but having great and grave difficultly controlling our intake of food IS about food. Those who do not struggle with that do not understand. WE DO. I support and encourage you 100% do not ever ever give up. after all HOPELIVES!!

I am scheduled for surgery on 9/16 with Dr. Kurian and had the same impression of the place. The nutritionist, I felt, could have been alot more personable. I did not find the session with her helpful or informative. It seemed very pro-forma. There was also an air of mass-production their, and the administrative staff seemed rushed. When I arrived in the morning the receptionist's first words to the other receptionist were: I would like to be anywhere but here this morning. When I saw Nilsa and was having work conflicts about scheduling the surgery she told me that she is only able to spend a few minutes with each patient, and that I was holding things up. Alot of people in the waiting room seemed to be in pain and this was very scary. I admitt this is all a very scary and new thing. Dr. Kurian was very very re-assuring and Monica the nurse who co-ordinates pre-op testing was a doll even though I only spoke with her for about 15 seconds. Why is everyone so rushed their? Has anyone had real emergencies to which the doctors and staff responded to? I guess this is the important issue. I would love feekback. thanks!!!

congratulations and thankyou for sharing your story. It is good to know what is ahead, i am scheduled for 9/16. I know you did the right thing by saving your life, keep up the good work and keep us all posted!!!!