Betsyjane

She did an interview on Good Morning America (brave girl) and saikd that when they asked her the question, she was shocked and only heard the first 2 words of the question. The interviewer asked her at what point she realized that her answer wasn't making snese....she looked shocked again. I haven't a clue where everyone has gone. I'm tempted to call Lana....and where's bikergrammy? Oddly, I'm losing weight fairly quickly for the moment. Seems like my pattern is to plateau and then get my act together for awhile and dump a bunch of weight...and then it's back to the ice cream.... Works for me......

Count our blessings! I had to pass this along. I'm still laughing. [ame= ] [/ame]

At least we have something that can be fixed by surgery.... Had to pass this along. I'm still laughing. [ame= ] [/ame]

I can eat anything...after 6 months...but some foods take sooo much chewing that they just aren't worth the effort. I also find that as food loses it's grip on me in general, I don't much care what I "can't" eat....

I think the reason we're adament about this is that we don't want it to be true since we all have a vested interest in the band succeeding...but also because from the people we know and from our own experiences, it just plain isn't true.

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have rosacea and have the little capillaries lasered every 4-5 years. Works great~!

I wonder whether they looked at exercise as a factor. I remember seeing an interview with Sharon Osbourne. She was an early bandster and she said they just tightened her up and gave her no instructions...about eating, exercise, etc., and she actually lost her wieght way too quickly, and was generally anorexic for most of it.

BEst wishes with quitting smoking. It was the hardest thing I ever did. But it can be done. I was a total bitch!

Sunshine...It sounds like it's worth just going ahead and getting a facelift. I called Lifestyle Lift to get a consultation set up, and I asked the price....no matter what, they wouldn't tell me on the phone. They sent me a brochure of before and after shots that were impressive, but even so, the befores had no makeup and tucked their chins and the afters had makeup, raised their chins and smiled. Even so, it looked like the procedure worked, but I did tell the folks on the phone that having those sorts of before and afters and not telling prices made me suspicious. I also asked about the promise of being back to work the next day, when the blogs I'd read said you had black eyes for 2 weeks. The phone person again deferred to the consult. So I canceled the consult. It sure sounds good on the ads, though, and the one person I know who had it done was thrilled. It's basically an outpatient face lift, only lifting the sides at the hairline, and not the top of the forehead.

How about if we set a monthly time to meet for sure, and then we'll get together in between whenever we arrange it last minute. Our group is fading.....maybe we'd do better if we know one specific to shoot for.

I'm looking into the Lifestyle Lift to get rid of my jowls, saggy neck and wrinkles.....

Great! Then you'll be able to go back to La quickly if you want to. Welcome to the journey. Oh, take a pillow to surgery. You'll want it in the car going home. It feels good to hold your belly tight to a pillow over railroad tracks!

I get bored with food too sometimes! I am so surprised....and I'd like to cultivate that habit a bit more! Sometimes it seems like food is hardly worth the effort. But then sometimes that stupid old head gets involved and says....I didn't eat much...I'm sure I must still be hungry...er, ...for ice cream! When I get short term discouraged, I remember that the weight is still coming off, I no longer need diabetic meds, my osteoporosis has reversed, I can see my feet, and I can cross my legs!

Ain't THAT the truth......

Aw, it would be too easy to ream you out. Let's start from today. Think about this fill being your first day of banding. Who knows...they may find a leak and need to fill your band with Omnipak ands that may take care of it. Or they may find apouch dilation and correct it with some days of liquids or even-paradoxically-a slight unfill. Whatever they find....That's your first day. Throw out everything you've experienced before. You really were just in bandster hell for a horribly long period of time waiting for restriction, so you're now starting from scratch. Start now preparing to hit the ground running. Poof! You're a newbie. You have the advantage of being a wise newbie because of your past. Just give yourself a fresh start now. Go study your bandster rules for eating and exercise and start fresh

I saw him first on 10/25 and had the surgery 11/13....My choice of dates. I did outpatient at the Surgicenter and loved it. You have to have someone with you to drive you away. I got there early in the morning and probably left ...I forget...maybe 5 hours later? You WON"T feel like driving yourself anywhere, let alone to Louisiana. You'll be too groggy from anaesthetic. Do you have someone in La to do your fills or will you travel back to Spivak? If not Spivak, then get somebody lined up who says they are willing to do fills after another Dr. did the surgery. If you do it at the hospital, they'll keep you overnight. Are you going to do this alone or is someone coming with you?

Yes, many were experimentals and some were overseas people. 2000 bariatrics divided by 3 groups = approx. 666 early assorted Bandsters...maybe sleeve and adjustable? Even if we were to divide them based on their ages, instructions given, support aftercare, BMI, associated medical problems, motivation or whatever, it's a small number. That would be great if you could find the study so we could look at the statistical procedures too.

Hey Cheri....I was a fast eater too. I found that at first I had to make eating a ritual, kind of honoring the food and my body. I had to eat without the TV on, use small dessert plates, tiny utensils, and then before taking the first bite, take a very deep breathe and let it out to calm myself. Then I could do it, eating mindfully, kind of like a meditation. Shoot...I've eaten in a trance in front of the TV my whole life, so going into a trance in order to actually focus ON food turned out not to be as big a leap as I thought. I don't have to do all of that stuff now, but at the very least, I do take that big breathe and center myself before I eat. Kind of puts everything right.

I'd like to see someone replicate that study. It flies in the face of all the other studies I've seen of long term bandsters. The other interesting thing is that I went ot a support group once of bandsters who were at least 7 years out, and all were at goal weight.....

Oh, and the plateaus with the band teach me patience. The PBs teach me about my mistakes in eating. Waiting for fills also teaches patience. Whew! Who has time for diet pills!

I took diet pills a bunch of times. Always lost weight on the prescription ones and then gained back more. Never lost weight on the OTC ones. I figure getting the band frees me from following every new ad on TV promising weight loss. The band gives me portion control and I give me healthy food.

Oh, I'll tell you what I also liked.... When I met him the first time, I was asking about the pre op diet and saying that I have no confidence in my ability to stick with ANY diet. He said that he figured if we could stick with it we might not need to be banded....and that the only pre op diet he would ask of me is to not act like it's the Last Supper and try to eat everything in the world as if I never will be able to again. He said a weight GAIN before surgery would not be a good sign. That was all. Now I'm sure if he thought I had a fatty enough liver that it would get in the way of surgery, he would have asked me to do things...or if an insurance company had required it....but I liked it that he understood.

Here's how it went for me last November as a self pay. I went to the free seminar and saw a presentation by Spivak, met some banded people, asked a bunch of questions, and then I paid $100 to have a private appointment with Spivak that same night. I brought a current set of blood tests with me...His staff had asked me to since I have Lupus. We scheduled the surgery and he gave me a packet of information to take with me about pre op, op, and post op stuff. I came back to the Surgicenter the morning of surgery, and he had arranged for a banded woman who has Lupus to be there and hold my hand and answer questions...nice touch! They prepped me for outpatient surgery, and then Spivak came in, all calm and supportive,answered any last minute questions and then said "Ready to go?" I said yes and they knocked me out. When I woke up I was banded. I've always had my fills done at the Surgicenter by Joy rather than Dr. Spivak, but I know I could request him at any time. And there are weekly support meetings in his office if you want them. Couldn't have been smoother or sweeter....

I used Spivak. I give him top marks for his staff, his demeanor, his helpfulness and accessibility and his expertise. I am so glad I chose him. As you'll see on this forum, he gets top marks period!