NEW BEGINNINGS

Nice to know others from this area and Dr. Pender/Chapmans office, I have loved my lap band, I walk alot during the warmer time and ride bikes, but have really not done much exercise since it has been so cold and things are really still going great. It is definetly something that you have to work at. I don't eat much bread or Pasta, sometimes wish that I could have a sandwich, but that sandwich would never taste as good as I feel. So I mainly stay with Protein, veggies Soups milk and yogurt. Really the same diet that they gave me in the beginning. So really works great for me. I go to weight watchers now to keep me on track and honest (not that I have ever told anyone their I had lapband). Greenville is just not convenient for me to go to to make sure that I stay on track, I haven't been to their office for almost a year, but do have an appt this month. I need accountability to someone so for me weight watchers is great. I know as long as I go and weigh every week that I will be ok and I will know if any of my weight begins to slip back on. I have been to my goal weight with weight watchers since September 2010 so no longer have to pay and I have continued to lose weight during the holidays, I am now 10lb below my weight watchers goal weight. Sometimes I could eat anything that I want and other times I feel as though I have alot of restriction, for me not knowing how my body is really keeps me on track and faithful to my lapband. I guess that I am just more swelled up at sometime than other times. But works great for me. I wish you all the best, it is a personal decision for everyone but the best one that I could of made!

Hello! thanks for responding! It feels a little more real to me to think that someone right around here has had great results with the lap band. I am battling with doubts and fears and when I read your post - it really helped me feel better. Do you exercise a lot now? Has it been hard keeping the weight off? I just have so many questions!! lol thanks again! God bless, Jaleena

Welcome, I am from Jacksonville and had my surgery in March 16, 2009 with Dr. Pender in Greenville, I am below my goal weight & have lost 114 pounds, I love my lap band and really have liked dealing with his office. He is at the Brody Clinic at the hospital in Greenville. His office does have support meetings once a month in Greenville. Hope that all works out wells for you!

I haven't been on here in awhile lately either, glad that we are all doing so well, Keep up the good work. I am so excited to be able to be comfortable in how I feel and how I look as it get to the beautiful spring & summer weather here. Just think it will only get better as time goes on!!!!

Congratulations on your weight loss, I was banded on 3/16/09, but have lost all my 3/16 band buddies. Can't believe that it has almost been a year. I am so happy to be where I am today the things now that come so easily like crossing your legs, sitting on my foot in my chair at work. Things that were such a problem a year ago are gone. I love being banded. Keep up the great work!

Where are all my fellow March 16thers at? It is the new year and I sure need you all to give me a kick in the rear!!! Please check in, it is so close to a year since our surgery, I can't believe how different things are from this time last year. I hope that you are all well!

Ok everyone we have made it thru two major food holidays, Halloween and Thanksgiving. Hope that everyone made it thru. Check in!!! Hope that all are well and getting ready for Christmas!!!!

Bernadette: I have been very lucky so far with no having problems after my fills, I think that my Dr. is very conservative, I don't even know how much I have in my band, my Dr. doesn't want you hung up on a number. But I am happy with how things go. When I look back the last 7 months have been easy when it comes to weight loss for me. Wasn't saying it at the time, but, I can say that now, since I have figured out how to get along with my band and it with me. I hope the rest of the weight will come off. If I lose 23 more pounds I will be so very happy. That is a weight that I haven't been at for so long and haven't ever been able to maintain. I was a size 24/26 or 3X and can now wear a size 16. Not to have to shop in the womens department is the best feeling! I would love to be where you are at clothes size wise, but look how much better we are than at the beginning of this journey. I am so glad that we all decided to do this for us! I have a wedding tomorrow, for me I usually do better if I am away for home. I am way too worried to eat something that I shouldn't and feel bad and not be at home. Hopefully I will make good food choices. Good luck to you this week!

I wish that I was doing better than I am. I am very happy with my wieght loss, just getting much slower now. I had my last fill 3 weeks ago and just this week finally made it to 3 pounds lost since my last fill. I really don't feel my restriction when I 1st get a fill, I really didn't feel restriction until this week, makes it really hard to know when to schedule my fills, just when I think that I can't wait until my next appointment bang... my fills from weeks ago finally seem to start working. But I am not complaining at least it is working. Weather getting cooler here, just got back from a walk with my hubby and my daughter is on her way home from college for the weekend. Hope that you all are doing good and staying motivated. Check in soon our group is getting smaller and smaller.

Hey everyone: Glad to hear from you guys. Greg, you are doing so well! Things here are going great, I love the energy that I have now with the weight I have lost. Bernadette, you can do it before your birthday! You still have a few months. Well I hope that everyone has a great week this week.

Its our 6 month bandaversary. I can't believe that it has been 6 months. Just think where we were and no matter where we are now, it is for the better. I love how much better I feel after losing this weight. Still have ways to go! Hope that all are doing well! Bernadette, will you try and stay out of trouble?

Hey to all fellow March 16thers: Congratulations, Bernadette on the WOW, I am so happy for you. I still have lots of clothes from a long time ago that I am not able to wear. But I have really gone down alot in my clothes size and can wear so much more. It is great to not have to shop in the womens department. I think that I still have one pair of pants from high school, just waiting for the day that I can say that I can fit in again, I am sure that I would never wear, but just want to some day be there. I have been wearing some real baggy pants, and the other day I put on a pair of pants that were almost too big and the last time I tried on they were too tight. It is a great feeling! So hooray for us all! I am at a slow time now for my weight loss since my last fill 3 & 1/2 weeks ago. Seems that I stay the same for much longer and then I will lose a couple of pounds, but I am not complaining, so long as the scale is still going down. My Dr. doesn't believes in giving much fill at each time, he still says don't get hung up on the amount of the fill, but how you feel. I will tell him next time that this fill didn't help me much, but for me I usually can't tell that I have had a fill until 2 or 3 weeks after a fill, but I have only had 3 fills so maybe that will change. I hope that everyone is doing well, keep us all updated!!

I actually got the call from my lap band surgeon's office saying that my insurance had approved my surgery on the day after I had just had surgury. I was so shocked that I didn't even tell the lap band Dr. office that I had just had surgery. I just said that I was home sick and would have to get back with them. That was in January, when I told my lap band surgeon about my other surgery, after approval from both surgeons we set my lap band surgery up for March 16th to give me time to heal. One of the big questions was how long the other surgery lasted and how long the recovery was. But when all was done it was the best thing I have ever done. So just tell them all, you don't want to ever do something that will hurt you. Good luck and I hope that all works out for you!

Welcome Elgrad: Glad to know someone else from Jacksonville NC, just hang in there, it is soooo worth it in the end. I had my surgery in Greenville by Dr. Pender, going for my 3rd fill tomorrow. I hope that all works out for you with your insurance. Let me know if you need anything or keep me updated on your progress. Take care

Thanks, that is good to know. At least I know that it isn't really suppose to be like that and if I ever need one done again I will make sure that I have someone who knows what they are doing. I guess thats is like anything, just hope that you don't get the person that you are their 1st patient ever!

Futuresize10: I am in Jacksonville, NC is that where you are from?

My insurance also required it. It was the worst pain I had ever had with a blood draw and I have had lots of blood drawn/medical test in the past. I didn't experience any bruising or bleeding but I did pass out after the draw. Got lots of attention at the hospital before I was allowed to leave. My test came back incorrect, but thankfully they didn't require me to have it redone. It was probably the worst part of my lap band testing. In the end it is all worth it! A little pain is nothing compared to the benefits you get in the end.

Mobo: Welcome to our little group, there certainly is lots of information on this site. I to feel like that I can eat alot, I have had 2 fills. I can't wait to find my sweet spot and really be able to use the band for all it is meant to be. Contact your Dr and see if time for another fill, my Dr. thinks you need a fill once a month (but only a small amount) but each Dr is different. Remember we all have different reasons for our weight gain and loss, so just keep pushing toward the healthier you! With time we will make it in end and it will be so worth it! Good luck to you

Hey Bernadette, Gregg and everyone else: Thing are going great here, glad to hear from you all and that you are all doing well. Bernadette & Gregg, I think that you two should be our official 16th cheerleaders, thanks for keeping us all together. Things are going slower for me also, but at least still losing. I have my 3rd fill this Friday. Haven't had one for about 2 months, but now think that I am ready. I also am still having time with eating too fast or too big bites. Has been bad 3 times, you would think that I would of learned by now. Maybe.... But am also loving the weight loss so far and loving life now. Feeling so much better about EVERYTHING! It is amazing to me how weight affects so many aspects of your life. I have so many different size clothes from the past that I haven't even needed to buy any new clothes, but it is so nice being able to wear things that I haven't worn in forever! I can't believe that it has been 4 months since we had surgery. Look how far that we have all gone. I now really think that I can make it. We can all do this. I still have to make myself exercise, I think that is why that I have less time to be on the computer, but it is so nice to want to do things outside. Take care all and I hope that everyone has a great week. Update so we all know how you are all doing.

I just figured out the other day what onederland was, I knew everyone was sooo happy to be there, but ..... OK I was a little slow on that one. Great for you Bernadette, Greg and I will be there one day with you. That is why everyone's weight loss varies so much. Just depends on the amount you have to lose. I also thought this would be much easier, but wouldn't change anything. I am down 45 pounds today almost 1/2 way there. This is the best decision I could of made. Keep up the good work everyone!

Gregg: Thanks for the great comment!!! We all need a little kick from each other every now and then. All I know is whether everyones loss is slow or not, look where we are now compared to 3 months ago. It is hard...... but I wouldn't change anything! My biggest hope for us all is that this will be the last time that we ever see the number we are at now every again on the scales, Have you all figured out how to eat slower? I have never gotten sick, but have felt horrible a few times, but at least it has only been a few and is always my fault for just eating too fast. I really need to work at it. Just have so many more important things to do now that I feel a little bit better from losing some weight. Take care to all!!!!! Have a great weekend!

Thank you for the information you are wonderful to be so very helpful to us all! I really appreciate it!

Dr. Schulman: Thanks for all the great advise that you give us all. I am just starting my weight lose journey and still have 60 more pounds to go, I had breast cancer and a lumpectomy 6 years ago that removed 1/4 of my right breast. Am actually very happy with the reduction and outcome of my right breast, but would like my left breast to match. My BCBS insurance does not cover any plastic surgery needed from weight loss, but it would cover surgery to make my breast the same size from the cancer. Do you feel this surgery would still be covered by insurance since I waited until after the lap band surgery to have done. Being uneven when I was so over weight previously didn't matter to me and after 8 surgeries that were cancer related an elective surgery didn't fit into my schedule. But I am now ready to do things for myself. Do you think that I would need to wait until I am at my ideal weight before having the surgery? Thanks you!

Well I hope that everyone is doing well, just wanted to check in. Had my 2nd fill last Friday, now I am finally feeling a little restriction. I am so happy that I did this. Really getting use to the new way of life. Not that I don't eat too fast at sometimes, but have been very lucky. How is everyone else doing? Miss the updates from everyone. Bernadette, I hope that you have gotten that kick in the bottom by now and thing are good. Take care everyone!!!

Sorry that you didn't get any answers from your test. My shoulder is actually getting a little better. I realized last week one day that I had actually made it all day thru work without any pain in my shoulder. That was the 1st time to make it thru a day at work without pain. I hope that they find out something soon for you, please make sure that you keep us updated. Good luck to you!