VABandster

Boo...I think that's a great Idea (vegas!) I'd love to do that!! Steph...Sorry you're sick again. I am on the upside of my latest cold and I tell you, I am about sick of being sick too!! Congrats on the 3lb loss!! I can't wait to get my next fill! BK...I'm with you...I need to stop 'grazing'...I have realized that that is my big problem lately, so I'm trying not to snack either! NAT...good to see you! Looks l ike your post got cut off before you finished. Hope you're doing OK! BMAN...glad your gain was temporary! I know what you mean about TOM...I always seem to drop a few pounds that week that I get it! It is dreary and rainy here today...I'm watching the movie Eragon w/my boys and I have a dinner date tonight. Need to get some spring cleaning done too....talk to you all later!

I drink wine...cause its supposed to be good for your heart!

MARK....(and everyone else!)....Good news!! I finally got in touch w/Dr. Brinkley in MD and she still does her fills for $200 and is taking new patients....so I have a fill scheduled w/her for May 2nd!! No joining fee or program fee! YEAH!!!!! I'm also still going to call my new insurance to see if they'd cover the fills or not.....its worth a shot! Hope all you soon to be bandsters are doing well, good luck to you all!!

Hey Gang!!! Good to see everyone posting even though they're busy in their lives!! Boo...hope you're hanging in there!! Congrats on the size 14s!!! I haven't seen that size since HS.....so i can't WAIT To get back there!! I think I could squeeze into an 18 right now, but haven't tried yet. Still want to get under 250 before i attempt looking at clothes again, but my size 22s are feeling pretty loose! Transformer...good to see you!! Steph...I wish I'd taken measurements before I started...I think I might have them from one of the other times i was at my all time high...so i could probably use those and measure now to see what the difference is. I need some motivation b/c my scale hasn't moved in WEEKS!! BUT...some good news!! I found a fill Dr. about an hr from my house that does fills for $200 flat fee, no program or joining fee! I made an appt. for May 2nd, so I think that's who I'm going to use from now on! I'm also going to call my New insurance and see if they'll cover fills....and maybe I can get reimbursed for them! Anywhoo...That feels like a big weight off my shoulders! And hopefully some weight off the rest of me as soon as I get the fill! LOL

Good luck Tater Bug!!! Let us know when you're on 'the other side'!!

Thanks Dana for the info!! I called and left a message yesterday, but didn't get a call back today. I hope I can reach them tomorrow! Does your insurance cover the fluro or are you self paying for that as well?? If so, how much is that? I think I'd like my first fill w/a new person to be under fluro just so I can make sure all is well....

Mark....no, I haven't heard back from Dr. Brinkley....that is the last one I'm waiting to hear back on. I looked at fillcentersusa, but like mark said, the closest one was really far away! Although that is a good idea to call them and see if they know of any drs in the DC area that might be able to help! Thanks for the suggestions guy!!! As always, you're the best!

Ok...so I may be going back out to Dr. K for my next fill. I love him but the travel is kind of a pain in the butt.....I've been trying to find a local fill Doc. but they all want at least $500 Just to see them, not to mention an additional $2-300 on top of that for the fills!! That to me is just INSANE!??? For that price i can fly to CO several times over and get my $15 fills!! This is so frustrating......So for anyone else traveling to CO for their surgery, I'd like to hear what your plans are for Follow up fills!

BMAN...Yeah, you're probably right...its much easier to see changes in others than in ourselves!! I do notice that my clothes are getting looser and all that, but I still see myself as one big "fat chick"....I hope I can get past that as I get closer to goal! Of course it doesn't help that I can't seem to find a decent Fill Dr. who doesn't want to rob me blind!! STEPH, can you ask your Dr. if he'd do fills for other patients and if so how much he'd cost and if he has a "Program fee" like some of these other yahoos I'm talking to do?? If he's reasonable....i wouldn't mind driving the 2 hrs. The one I've got a call into now is an hr away, but someone told me she just raised her rates from $200 a fill to $300, so I'm waiting to confirm that....but I may go w/her b/c I know she doesn't have any 'additional' fees. You guys really are a great group! so glad you're all here!!!

WOW BMAN!! Look at those collarbones stickin out and those Skinny Legs!!! You're lookin HOT!!!! I don't even compare to your progress....you saw my most recent pics on yahoo and there's barely a difference! YOU GO GIRL!!!!

Hey gang! I was banded in CO but am looking for a fill Dr. locally. I live about an hr from Fredricksburg and am looking for more info on Dr. Brinkley. How much does she charge? (I heard she raised her rates from 2 to 300/fill?)....does she ever do it under fluroscopy? Any info would be helpful! thanks!

Mark, I always love your posts! I left Dr. Brinkley a VM this afternoo and hope to get in touch w/them tomorrow to get more details about getting fills from them. But if they've raised their prices to $300...EEK! That's still seems kind of steep to me! I wonder if they take any insurance b/c I have new insurance that I think may cover them....soo much to figure out! I'll keep you posted and let you know what I find out!

DREWSLOU...NO kidding huh!! I could do it 2x at LEAST for the cost they want just for me to "Join" their little club!!! Luckily Mark knows someone else so I called that Dr. today and left a VM. Should hear back from them tomorrow (Fingers crossed!). So glad to see so many new Dr. K patients here!! Hope you're all doing well as you get closer to your date! I remember when there was only like 4 of us on this thread!

Mark...Never Mind...I found your post from a while back that you see Dr. Brinkely...so I looked her up on the Web! Although I'd love to use your name as a referral if you don't mind?? Have you even been to see her yet or are you still on your original band sans fill???

KAYDOT!!!! Nice to see you!!! I'm with you on the stalled weight loss. I'm trying to get a fill ASAP but ran into a SNAG.... I'm SO PISSED!!!!! I thought I found a very convenient fill Dr. who said that they'd do fills after my first consultation for $150....fairly reasonable I think, so I already called my surgeons office and requested a copy of my medical file. Called the hopefully new fill Dr. today and am told it will cost me $500 Just to "Join their program"!!??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!?? What kind of BS Is that!? On top of charging me $150 a fill!?? NO FRIGGIN WAY!!!! So now I'm looking for another fill Dr. I think there is another one a little less convenient, but I know another patient of my surgeons who is using her so I'm just waiting for him to send me her contact info and then I'll call her. But that means it may be a little longer now til I can get a fill....I'm realizing that I really do need one of course and am anxious to get one sooner rather than later!!! STEPH....I've had the opposite happen w/me when it comes to the mirror/pictures of myself. I look in the mirror or at pictures I took over spring break and just go "UGH....No wonder people haven't said anything about my weight loss b/c its barely noticable and I still have so far to go!" It's a bit discouraging, especially since my scale is not moving. I've been tracking my calories for the past few days and I seem to be on the high side of 12-1400 a day :-( UGH.....gotta get out of this funk!!! JILL.....hope your daughter is recovering OK....maybe you should think about talking to someone about what happened (a professional, not us goofballs) to work things out? just a suggestion.....

ARGH!!! I'm so pissed!!!! I tried to call and make an appt. w/a local fill Dr. and they want $500 just to "Join their program"! Are you Friggin kidding me!??? MARK....if you're out there.....I need the info on the fill Dr. you're using in Frederick, MD!! Can you PM me her contact info and price structure?? I'm seriously not paying $500 just to "Join" and then $150 per fill on top of that! UGH....and I need a fill!!!

Woofay...thats interesting that you were told you'd have to alway crush or take liquid pills! I take Birth Control pills every day and swallow them whole w/no problem. I've also taken tylenol and stuff like that w/no problems either. They must be "updating" their practices as they go along! DREWSLOU.....Wow Girl!!! 75 Pounds and closin in on that goal!! Way to go!!! Congrats!!

Steph...I'm with you...slow and small bites is REALLY Hard to master! Especially when you've waited too long to eat and you're HUNGRY!! I contacted my surgeons office today to ask if they could send me a copy of my medical file so I can go for a fill locally. I'm just waiting to hear back from them if they're going to charge me to make the copy or not. I'll probably call the local fill dr. tomorrow to see how soon they can get me in.

Steph....glad you had a good weekend!! Thanks for the compliments and the suggestion about the fill.....you are right! I'm going to call today to see if I can get an appt. and also call my Surgeon to get a copy of my file for the new fill Dr. CONGRATS on the weight loss too!!! That is awesome!! BMAn....I bet your scale will move now that you ate those PB Eggs! LOL

Happy Easter Ladies!!! BMAN...that is a funny pic!! As for the calories/scale...sometime they're like a Man....you just have to mess w/them a little bit to get them going! LOL Hope you all have a great day!

Don't worry about the suppositories! They are only "as needed" and I didn't need them, and know a lot of other people haven't needed them either. They're for anti-nasuea, but I just kept the patch on that they gave me at the surgical center for a few days and I was fine.

BK...hope you feel better soon!!! I have a sore throat (again) :-( and am looking forward to a restful weekend. That is too funny about being told you're getting shorter!!! Never heard that one before!

Thanks Skye.....I've been at a pleateau now for a few weeks, and think I need to schedule a fill locally, just haven't had the time to do it. Of course it may just be I'm being a bad Bandster too, so I'm really trying to get on track w/following all the rules carefully to see if that changes anything!

OMG BMan...you haven't had ANY Candy since Dec!?? You are a MUCH Better woman than I! You can definitely afford to eat 1 Egg!! Who knows? Maybe it'll jump start your weight loss again! BTW...You are doing AWESOME!!! I started at a size 24 and am only down to a 20....you're way past that! You GO GIRL!! You should be so proud of yourself!! I am eating 1/2 chicken breast for lunch today...and taking 1/2 hr to eat it. Being a good Bandster today!

ARGH! I just wrote this long reply and then lost it :-( Anywhoo...thanks Annie for noticing the difference! I haven't told a lot of people about my surgery either, my kids don't even know about it! So far the friends I have told have complimented me, but it's hard to tell if they're doing it to be supportive or b/c they really notice a change. I guess I will keep on plugging along and hope that the "nonknowers" will comment some day! About a fill...listening to you ladies w/your last fills that seem almost too tight....Its making me wonder if I really want to get another fill or do I just need to be a better Bandster!?? I'm really going to try hard to do better foodwise for the next week and follow the bandster rules to a T and see if that changes anything. If not, then I'll definitely go for a fill. I'll probably go ahead and schedule one and then if I have to cancel, I can cancel, right?? Claud....congrats on the compliment from the neighbor! I wouldn't have been totally honest either. Don't need all my nosey neighbors knowing what I'm up to! lol....I haven't even bought my kids' easter candy yet b/c I don't want it in the house. I'll get it on Sat. and give it to them on Sunday!