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I'm in Knoxville. Was sleeved on 3/19.

Awesome. Keep up the good work! Sent from my HP 10 G2 Tablet using the BariatricPal App

Well everyone....I am in the land of the living...I was banded on August 7, 2007. It was so funny as I was watching Big Medicine the night before my surgery and saw a lady that was doing the lap band surgery...I love that show. Listen anyone who has not done this surgery...It is probably the best thing that could have every happened to me. For many years I suffered from an eating disorder and it got out of control. For anyone out there that may feel that binging and purging can make you loose weight (trust me there are people out there that feel that way). You will not you were looking at at a previous bulimic that gained 50 lbs! It's better you do what you have to do and get this band. I know this journey won't be easy but now I am in control of ME and that is the most important thing. Here is the low down: 1. I waited until 1:20 p.m. a lady met with me and brough me to OR I was put in a waiting room. 2. The nurse told me to put on a robe that could finally fit me. You know the hopital gown that you have to put two on or you will be ass out..yeah...that can't happen there! lol. I also got a took to put on.The nurse came in asked a few questions. She weighed me and to my suprise I lost 15 lbs. 3. The anestigolist (mind my spelling) met with me to explain what he would be going and asked what meds I am on and if I am allergic to anything. 4. Then I met with Dr. Cobourn for a while. He answered all my questions. He told me he loved my touqe and not to start without him.lol. I told him I would try not too! 5. I was then taken to OR they strapped me up to the machines and sent me to lala land. 6. I woke up. The post op nurse Francine was amazing. She came me all sorts of cool drugs lol. I got some demerol and codine. 7. Dr. Cobourn met with me breifly and told me that I had a bit of a hernia and he fixed it! HA...I went to Peel for the same problem and they turned me away saying nothing was wrong. 8. I had a lot of gas pain in the shoulders which I think was the worst. 9. Got home and put a hot Water bottle on the shoulders took gas X and went beddie bye. 10. One thing that helps with the gas I found was a nice message. My hubbie gave me a message it helped move around the gas. 11. I slept on the couch for the evening as my couch has a lot of pillow which was very comfortable. 12. Woke up this morning to some gas but now soreness in the tummy. I guess the stiching is making me sore. The gas is starting to come out (gross) and is litterly a byatch to come out lol. All in all ... everything went well. I am very happy and that each and everyone of your for your support along the way. If it wasn't for you all I would be in the dark as to what to expect. At least by reading your experiences I now know what to expect. You all are amazing! Thanks again for all your support.

I got filled 3.7cc also in my 10cc band Dec 4th. I felt restriction for @ 10 days and then was back to none! My doctor told me that it rarely takes just one fill to find the "sweet spot". I have to go and be evalutated again before I can get adjusted. It feels like such a teaser to have restriction and then lose it so quickly! It does give me the confidence, though, that I will be able to succeed this time with my weight loss journey once I hit the "sweet spot"!

I went to aseminar last fall. In December I went for checkup with doctor I have seen for 10 years. That was initial visit then I had to go Jan. Feb, March, April, May and June before they could send paper work to Humana. In the April May month I went for cardio clearence and pulimanary test also. I went Feb. 29 for my 1st all day appointment. There was dietician. check up and psy evaluation that day. You do not see the suegeon til you are approved, The 2nd day appointment and then surgery date. I am being banded Dr. Oldham/Weiss at Georgetown, KY Kathy

I was banded May 19, 2011 and I also have about 65 pounds to lose. I have had two fills and I too have no restriction. I dont think the band is a scam. I think it is just that it may take 3-5 fills before proper restriction is reached. It is frustrating. But, try not to beat yourself up and get discouraged. This has happened to a lot of people who have lost all their weight with the band. It just takes time. Try not to let the self righteous get to you either. Some people who have the band act as if they have lost all the weight on their own and the band does not help. If that was the case, they would not have needed the band in the first place. Just try to do what you can on your own and when you reach the "sweet spot" you will be fine. I am hoping for the same thing. I know I am a food addict and compulsive eater and the band has not started working yet. So, I am happy that have not gained. So, I have adjusted my goals accordingly and I am hoping with my 3rd fill I will have some restriction. Best of luck to you!!!

I cheated too on my 10 day pre op diet. (3 peices of thin crust pizza one night a some thai food another). In hindsight, I would not do it again because I fretted so much that it would cause problems, or the doc would open me up and say "cheater"! and close me back up with no lap band!! The food was not worth the worry, and it just added to the stress of the surgery itself. I don't know anything about the liver reverting back, but I bet one meal won't do it. Get back on track and stick to it, if only for your own peace of mind. I had my successful surgery on April 30th. My doctor said my liver looked fine. Good luck to you:biggrin2:

I'm a guy, and proud of it. That said, the most attractive attire a woman can wear is a happy, confident smile. Nothing else matters, guys that are looking for quality will recognize a woman like that. What you wear of look like will not be a factor. Despite the media we are bombarded with there are fewer than 1/10 of 1 percent of the population that qualifies as 'supermodel'. Shallow is a good description of how they are for the most part, and of course there are exceptions to every rule. Concentrate on learning to adjust to your new self and being happy. You'll be surprised at how things change then. Good Luck and CONGRATULATIONS on your accomplishment, :rolleyes2: gk

Mandy, great post. I just got 2 bracelets, one for me & 1 for my daughter (getting banded a week from...TODAY) they say: Gastric Lap Band If tubing Required MUST Use Scope I'm also copying front & back the inimed wallet card & giving my DH a copy. I got them from Laurenshope & they adjust sizes free for the 1st 6 months, then $10 a pop thereafter. They make ALOT of gastric weightloss bracelets! It was also a much-need reminder that my DH needs to be wearing one for a condition he has, so I ordered him a more "manly" (plain silver) one from www.Americanmedical-id.com

Just wanted to say hi to everyone! I'm new & getting banded in 10 days

The Monte Carlo Poker Room Freeroll Tournament is now being held each Saturday at 2 P.M. As always, I will pay for all the ladies dining expenses when I cash 1 of these events. Caught 3rd 7/19, $400, no one to buy dinner for The room is my 2nd favorite support group.Would someone call poker room & tell them not to mess with George's monthly dinner. Dinner Group is my favorite. At 10 A.M. on 8/16, I am going to Dr. Hanna's weight loss seminar. Anything anyone can tell me about this Dr.? Anyone interested in hiking? I go to Red Rocks a lot. Willing to try anywhere outdoors. Pre-op 352 pounds, just weighed in at SWCC. I've lost 121 pounds forever. Jennifer (fill nurse, stabber) told me we will wait + not do 1st fill. Everyone else from Babareeba's 7/13 should have had 1st fills by now. Wish all the best of Luck. Hasta Pronto, George:thumbup:

I know that no one will believe this but .............. My Realize band has to be totally replaced! I went to see Dr. Feiz yesterday for my first real fill after reconnection of my port (6-19-09) and low and behold....it still will not fill. I also had a very large hematoma which had to be drained but I was told these are normal. There is a call into the Realize Representative to find out if this has ever happened before, it kinda looks like I have a faulty Band. There is still a leak somewhere in the line, but not knowing where, Dr. Feiz has pretty much decided to removed this band and put in a brand spanking new one! Yippy! The poor Dr. is so frustrated at this point. Me, I am not sure what I am! Here I go again 3 surgeries in less then 4 months. This one I am not really looking forward to because it will be a little bit bigger then the original surgery (3-26-09) by that I mean the old band has to be taken out and the new one put in, it will take a little more time I am sure. I am still loosing weight but not much. I guess we could say then that I have never really had a good adjustment or fill. They last only a couple of days then not much restriction after that. I am amazed though that thru all of this 43 pounds are gone. This proves that without any restriction the band still helps to lose weight! This is very good! Surgery could be tomorrow, Friday, or it will have to wait until next Friday. I will keep my Blog posted. If anyone has had this same thing happen please get in touch with me. I am not real sure as to what to do about the cost of all of this! I do not know if the manufacturer of the Realize Band should have to pay for all my extra surgeries. Please give me your thoughts. Thanks, Cheryl

I am 10 days post op. I ate some cream of wheat this morning and had a little protein mix with it. Some coffee. Now my back hurts. I'm getting random shots of pain in my back. it might just be normal body pains but i'm on high alert from the surgery. Had anyone experienced this. I have no fever but i'm still worried it may be a leak. Or a slow leak.any info is helpful. Has anyone experienced a leak our a slow leak that got worse over time. That can explain how it feels. I was cash pay in mexico and I don't have insurance. I found a sleeve surgeon out here to do my follow ups but my 1st appt is the 2nd. And he doesn't do leak tests. Just blood tests.

I also had a great deal of trouble losing the weight. It took me 8 months to lose the 15 pounds I was told to lose. After reading an article about how Wellbutrin can help with weightloss, I asked my Dr. if I could try it. I think it helped me very much. I am a stress eater too. I finally had surgery on 7-19-07! Good Luck, you can do it!

Protein packed fruit smoothie/shake: I have fruits like strawberries, raspberries, peaches, blueberries, cherries, blackberries, pineapple and mango on hand in the freezer so I use whatever sounds good that day. 1/2 cup frozen fruit 1/2 cup of skim milk 2 - 3 tablespoons of plain fat free yogurt 1 scoop of protein powder (I use Pure Nutrition's pure vanilla bean whey protein...1 scoop has 115 cal, 0 fat, 2 carb, 26 g protein) It only takes 10 - 15 seconds in a magic bullet blender to blend. You can also add honey or a sugar substitute/sweetner if you like it extra sweet. You can also use flavored yogurt if you don't like plain yogurt.

I am right there with you as far as frustration goes! I lost 15 pounds during the 2 week pre-op liquid diet, then gained 13 pounds in 2 days while in the hospital having the surgery. I have lost all of that, and only one pound more! I have seriously eaten less than 500 calories per day, mostly liquids. I was banded on 6/14/10 and I am getting very disgusted. My first post-op appt. is tomorrow so we shall see if this is normal or not. I even sat and watched my entire family celebrate my birthday with food and cake and I didn't eat one bite!

I did an experiment with making a Protein shake and it was a real winner. 1 scoop strawberry Champion Whey (low carb) 120 cal, 1.5g fat, 3.5 carbs, 23g protein, 3.5 fiber 8 oz skim milk 1 individual container Fiber One Strawberry yogurt (optional) 80 cal, 4g protein, 19 carbs, 5g fiber frozen strawberries (4) 1/2 banana (optional) It was very good and tastes like a Strawberry smoothie without the banana yet filled with protein. With the banana taste like a Strawberry/Banana smoothie. :thumbup:

I've been banded for 10 months and have only lost 1 net pound outside of the initial liquid fasting phase. I lost 10 lbs and it came back slowly over time. My surgeon said not to stress about it because it was common and the weight would come off when I got into the green zone. I never got there. I have been battling band issues for months (port pain, many stuck episodes per week, no restriction despite having nearly 9 ccs in Fluid in the band, and constant nausea). My surgeon said that the band needs to come out and did not recommend doing a conversion to another surgery. He said that if my body didn't adjust to the band, it likely wouldn't adjust to the other surgeries either and at least the band is reversible. He said he's had a handful of patients over the years with the same issues as me, and they had it removed as well. I feel like such a fool and a complete failure. I've spent so much energy, effort, time, and pain on this with very little to show. I now have to go back and fight the good fight with my weight, back at square one. I'm so sad and angry. I did so much research before this surgery and never heard of lapband intolerance. My surgeon never once mentioned it.

I just got over a big ordeal with a slow leak. Mine developed over the course of a month "which hasn't been seen before" I started hurting in my ribs and over the course of a week it got worse and spread to my shoulder. It got to the point where I couldn't lay down without pain. I couldn't sit up very long because of the pain. Grant it yes I was also dealing with pneumonia and a collapsed lung. The pain from the leak was very very noticeable. However not all leaks will present the same. I was told if I had a leak the pain would be in my abdomin not true. My pain was in my ribs/chest/shoulder area. If you are still in pain in the morning call your surgeons office and see if they can just check you out to make sure all is ok. I probably wouldn't have said that a month ago, but after going through it I don't want anyone else to suffer the way I did. However with you being only 10 days out you could just be dealing with excess gas pains. I was told they could last for a while after surgery..

Okay well it's $1700.00 for the program and the $250.00 is for the gym portion. Personally I think that it's worth it. I drive in from Burlington Twnshp. I have everything in one building with my appointments coordinated so that I can go upstairs and use the gym. My personal trainer is great. You have 10 visits with the personal trainer and three month gym membership. If decide to continue with the gym after the three months then all you will have to pay is the monthly fee with no additional membership fees. I am not sure of the membership fee right now that's my next question to them since mine is coming up at the beginning of October. The nurses work with you and the surgeons office to make sure you have everything is in place to send into the insurance company, if you are required to lose weight prior to surgery you will be given a plan to follow, there are the nutritional classes and other classes, it includes nutritionists, support before and after surgery with no time limit, and it includes the behavioral therapist visit who does the psych eval. I plan on submitting a claim form for the behavioral therapist and for my nutritionist visits once I have them. My insurance pays for services like this so hopefully these visits can be included too. Aftercare is a big thing for me and they will provide the necessary support and assistance for as long as I want to use them. I just won't go home from the hospital and not know what to do. I will be meeting with the nutritionists and they will go over each phase from first coming home, to mushie, and to eventually eating solid foods. Personally I would go there first and find out if it's for you. Just let them know that you are unsure and would like to go over all of the services that they provide for this cost before making any kind of commitment. Does Dr. Kipnis require you to go to New Beginnings? If not, then I would have his office give you places where you can go and get aftercare support and everything else that is required of you by your insurance company.

Why not go out and start a gym? It is the place you can work with professionals to get back the body you want. Go for a month with a trainer and they can give you more idea than you can ever know. Walking is always free. I also hit the jackpot at a garage sale and found about 10 aerobic tapes for $1 each. Dancing is my favorite workout, so turn up the music and practice your dance steps in fromnt of a mirror. Start small if your new to this, but a gym is the best place to start with a triner so you can learn all of the correct ways to stretch and move when you exercise. We have a local PBS station that has a show called Body Electric and it is on daily for free and low impact and toning. If you are scared of a gym, try a local rec center, they usually have dance classes and kickboxing classes for a fraction of the price of a gym. No matter what it is you do, Just do it every single day and your progress will pass anything you have expected!

Hello from across the pond. Mrs. D I miss read you signature at first and thought you were banded 19-03-07 and wondered how you lost 9 stone 10 lb. ( it is 14 lb. per stone right?) Why did you get the band removed? It is interesting I have to use a calculator to keep track of your stones and the Aussies kgs. In case anyone is interested it cost me $16,000.00 Cdn. That includes consult, surgery and free fills and post op visits for five years. I only live one hour from Toronto, the only city in Canada that has clinics that do lapband surgery, the people that fly in from the east or west coasts and in between have to pay a Dr. or nurse to do their fills around their homes. approx. $100.00. Good Luck to all.

I don't know of anybody who has done that... probably because one could achieve the same thing by having the Fluid removed without the risk of surgery. I've sort of experienced life as a non-Bandster for a long-time... longer than I've been filled and Banded, actually. In my first 18 months of being Banded, I lost 95 pounds. Then I became pregnant.... three times! Each time I've tried to fill after the pregnancy, the Band hasn't worked the same. So I've had to be unfilled again. Up until the start of my third pregnancy, I had maintained a loss of 60-65 pounds of the 95. It's the first time in my life I've ever maintained any weight loss for more than a day. Seriously. I was not one of those people who lost 100 pounds and gained it back. I was the person who never loss more than 7 pounds to begin with... and always gained it back + 10. I just had my third baby... so we'll see how my final attempt at a refill goes in about 6 weeks. I can't imagine not having a tool to use... so I'm looking into a VSG should I need a revision. I really wish the Band worked as promised, however... as I really don't want to go through surgery again. It's such a different decision when one is single vs. when one has three little people to care for.

Hi everyone, sorry I've been "missing in action" for a couple of weeks now. I haven't even been keeping up on posts and the Roll Call. This is a really tough time, that pre-fill time when you're banded and you can't even tell anything was done. Right after surgery it was great, but once the swelling went down, then....... it feels like nothing has even changed. I was really motivated to get this band, and really worked up about it, and doing okay for a week.... but now it's settled into a kind of depression. A "let down". I guess it's bandster hell. I'm discouraged, don't feel like exercising, etc. I think I need my support group's encouragement. My first fill is Nov 19, and I don't expect that fill do offer much restriction. Sorry for the negativity. Please send hugs and encouragment. I need it!

I am only 2 weeks out and still trying to get my Lap Band legs so to speak. I have lost 10 lbs in the last two weeks. And yes I would do it again. I have had a very good recovery though with minimal complications. :whoo: