Sita

Hi everyone, My name is Sita. I'll be 32 in May, and I was banded almost two years ago. (April 25, 2007) My surgeon was Dr. Katkhouda at USC here in Southern California. I was 380lbs, and as of last weekend I'm 230lbs, so I've lost 150lbs so far. My surgeon says that going by statistics and averages, I will only lose another 10lbs, but I'm determined to screw up the bell curve for everyone else, and get to 180lbs. :ohmy: I haven't participated in any WLS-specific support in the last two years. I have gone to a lot of 12-step meetings, and I have an incredibly supportive network of friends and family, so I haven't been alone. But lately I've been wanting to connect with people who are on the same journey that I am, so here I am! I'm not sure what else to write about myself in this initial getting to know you post. I work in the legal recruiting field by day, and I'm a photographer by night. I actually just took my first self-portrait in December, and when I can find a "before" shot for contrast, I'll post it. I look forward to meeting all of you.

Ahahaha, I like that, I totally will! You're very right about focusing on the way I eat. I find that I go in spurts. For a couple of months I rock it super hard and I'm making fresh food and exercising all the time, and then for a couple of months I get lazy and think a quesadilla will cut it. :ohmy: Good thing it's about progress, not perfection, right?

Thank you so much for the encouragement! I don't know anyone with the band other than myself, so I don't have any reference other than the research I did before I started the process. It's so encouraging to hear about your friend! I hope that you have the same kind of total success that she is having. :ohmy:

Thank you so much, Gabi! :ohmy:

Thank you, Heather! I very much appreciate the encouragement and the warm welcome. :ohmy:

Hello Jonathan. :ohmy: I just signed up here, too. I hope it's going well for you so far.

I went to Dr. Namir Katkhouda at USC. He's one of the leading laparoscopic bariatric surgeons in the world, and teaches and lectures all over the world. I was also a cash patient, and I didn't feel like he was any more excited about helping me than he was anyone else, which was nice. I was afraid of that "sell" mentality, but didn't run into it with him. The hospital itself was pretty incredible. Their nurses and doctors are super personal and kind, and made the experience about as positive as I can imagine it being. With that said, the women who work in his office on scheduling and billing are, in my experience, unbelievably unpleasant and impersonal. If you decide to call, don't judge him by their behavior. Namir Katkhouda, MD | Doctors of USC

Hi Tammy! I was in the same boat you're in when I went into the hospital. I've never broken anything, or even been to the hospital before, so it was a big scary world. My experience, while not super easy (we are getting cut, after all!), was so much better than I was afraid it would be. I spent one night in the hospital and was out by noon the next day. The nurses and doctors were all incredibly supportive and positive and did everything but bring their pom poms to cheer me on. It was pretty sweet. And if your doctor is anything like mine was, s/he'll give you really good drugs to take home with you. :ohmy: Wishing you the best of luck!

Well, it's not incorrect to say that the band isn't a solution, in that it's not enough to get the band and then go merrily along your way. It's just one tool in what should be a comprehensive arsenal. It will help you make changes, but you have to be the one making the changes. It is not a quick fix, and it requires commitment and hard work.

Yep, I for sure would have been a backslider! I have my band filled pretty tightly so that I can't ever, ever eat thoughtlessly. I can't even drink a smoothie in big chugging gulps, and that's good for me. I'll think good thoughts for you. Wishing you all the best, and nothing but success!

This question made me laugh out loud, because BOY can I relate! I started working with a trainer at the gym about eight months ago and we weight train together about two times a week. The difference in my arms is unbelievable. I still feel somewhat self-conscious about my upper arms, but not so much that I don't wear tank tops now! I noticed a huge difference in how I used to have all this flab that hung down by my elbow. (Yuck.) It's almost entirely gone now. Improving the muscle tone so much in my arms has made a huge difference in my skin tone. I recommend working with a trainer if you can, at least long enough to learn the exercises that will most benefit you.

Hi there, and thank you for the welcome! My surgeon definitely wanted me to have bypass, but I used my good old Taurus stubbornness to convince him that I should be banded. From the lessons having the band is teaching me, I know that was the right decision. Having the behavior modification of having to eat less, and eat more slowly, has made me conscious of just how very unconscious my eating was before. This is a lesson I still am working on - I'm a slow learner! :ohmy: I can definitely testify to the band working for people as big as we were. You can totally do it!