St. Louis People

Krystal · April 14, 2007

Anyone in St. Louis.

I am in South County. (3min from the mall)

I am looking for some people in my area. I am 24. I was banded in June 05. I had no success due to my own fault.

Anyone around me? How was your success? My Dr was Dr. Wagner.

coleoptera · April 14, 2007

I was banded in July 06 and I have lost 108 pounds. I am from Jefferson County. Let's talk!

Ms Jen · April 18, 2007

Anyone in St. Louis.
I am in South County. (3min from the mall)

I am looking for some people in my area. I am 24. I was banded in June 05. I had no success due to my own fault.

Anyone around me? How was your success? My Dr was Dr. Wagner.

Krystal,

My name is Jennifer and I live in North County/Spanish Lake area. I was banded last Friday 13th at DePaul Hospital. At Depaul there is a support group that meets every 1 and 3 Wednesday at 5:30-7:00. Most of the participants are RNY but there are a few of us there and many are doing quite well. They are talking about splitting the group in 2 because bandies have different needs than RNY but we all have the same goal of being successful. I'll be there this evening, maybe you can come and join us.

The on-line forum is awesome. I find most of my support on "April 2007, Head Start on Spring". This is a thread where everyone has or will be banded this month. Since you are starting out fresh won't you join us there and encourage you. There is lots of support on this forum. We have become like family. Here nobody judges you and you will not be alone in this life changing journey. We are from all walks of life and from all over the world.

Ms Jen · April 18, 2007

Anyone in St. Louis.
I am in South County. (3min from the mall)

I am looking for some people in my area. I am 24. I was banded in June 05. I had no success due to my own fault.

Anyone around me? How was your success? My Dr was Dr. Wagner.

Yes there are many of us here. I live in North County. If you want to talk email me a icu2frazier@sbcglobal.net. There is a support group at Depaul every 1 and 3 wednesday from 5:"30-7:00 why don't you come? I'll be there:D

Tiggeriffic · April 20, 2007

Hey ...I'm near St. Louis also. Just right across the river in IL. I just got my band April 17, at new start. So far so good! :eek:

Ms Jen · April 20, 2007

Hey ...I'm near St. Louis also. Just right across the river in IL. I just got my band April 17, at new start. So far so good! :confused:

Hello Tiggeriffic:

So I see we are neighbors. I hope you're up and moving, keeping the gas from moving around. I didn't expereience gas until yesterday. But it is nothing like what others are complaining about.

Have you read the April 2007, Head Start on Spring thread? If you haven't you should. Lots of support there.

Tell me about New Start what type of program do they have?

Tiggeriffic · April 20, 2007

Hey Jennifer - I'm trying to move around as much as possible...each day I'm doing better. Was able to get out and walk the dog some today. Still quite sore though. New Start has support groups that meet a couple times a month, educational classes (like dietary). So far they have been pretty good. How bout yours?? Nice to hear from someone close to home!! :confused:

Shawnna

AMB · April 20, 2007

Krystal, I am also in South County. Hoping to be banded. Why do you think it didn't work the first time? I recently started looking at the Vertical Sleeve procedure. Anyone have comments about that?

Ann

Krystal · April 20, 2007

Ann...Here is my story that i posted:

It's been two years and i have lost maybe 10lbs total. Why? People ask....I WILL TELL YOU HOW IT HAPPENED FOR ME....

The moral of the story is not to tell you NOT to get the band...but to tell you that this is no FIX and don't expect overnight weight loss....YOU HAVE TO PUT EFFORT into it.

This is important....people like me assumed the BAND would fix everything and the motivation would just fall into place...this is soooo untrue.....

I had always been big...all through school..always size 16+....senior year 2001 i was a good size 22....2003 i was a size 24 and by 2005 i was a size 32......I was always made fun of.....i gained almost 100 pounds in 3 years from being on the depo shot(birth control)so i got off of that...... and then getting pregnant. By 2005 I was at my worst.

I walked into the Dr's office thinking I was only 360 back in April of 2005. When I got on the scale it read 380...I almost died. I cried in his office because I was so ashamed. Ashamed over 20lbs!!!! I had researched the band and felt because I had a daughter it would be the safest surgery for me. I am only 24 and was 22 at the time. I thought this was going to be the FIX.....the thing to change my life. I thought that there was no way anyone or anything could stop me from losing weight after I had surgery.

I went through all the tests....and got all the required medical paperwork and convinced some family members to pitch in for my surgery. I set the date and started my pre-op diet!

From that point on I should have known I was going to be a mess. I was supposed to be on a liquid diet for 2 weeks because my liver needed to shrink for surgery. So i ate everything they told me to for the first 3 days and BAM....the feeling set in.....I WANTED AN ULTIMATE CHEESEBURGER FROM JACK N THE BOX AND I WANTED IT NOW! I couldn't get it off my mind....i was thinking about it allllllll day.....i went to bed thinking about it...and the next morning i went and got one. I figured...what could ONE double cheese burger with double cheese and mayo possibly do......well...it did nothing to the surgery process but it really broke the frame of mind. Before the 2 weeks was up i had eatin 2 not one but TWO ultimate cheeseburgers and a few chicken nuggets. Why? Why couldn't I just do the PRE SURGERY diet?

June 8th 2005------So surgery day came....and went.....all went well no complications.....i was on soft food in the beginning and I started to eat eggs for Breakfast....but my eggs HAD to have cheese and butter in them....HELLO!!! What was I thinking.....I remember getting my first fill and at this point I had almost lost 40lbs. 20pre-op and 20 post-op. It was amazing.......

About 3 months out(2 months after my 1st fill) I started to become familiar with my band and how much I could and could not eat. I realized that when i would eat too much, i drank a little bit, and it would make the food pass and then i would feel sooooo much better. I never exercised...keep in mind...(maybe got into the pool like 10 times the whole summer) and i was preparing for my wedding which was September 17th 2005. I was so stressed because my weightloss had pretty much STOPPED......I was craving foods like never before and started to eat and drink at the same time...BIG MISTAKE......i was eating at least double what I should have. So I went and had ANOTHER fill. This slowed me down...but still I was not losing ANY weight. I remember eating my first fried chicken after my fill and like trying to manipulate my band into letting me eat more by taking one bite and then drinking....it was the worst thing in the world i could have EVER done.

A year after my band was put in I was only 20lbs total lost (which means i gained 20 back) and I was so angry...I promised myself I was going to try and fix things and make it better....So much had happened that year....2006....we bought a house, my husbands dad died of cancer, my husband was leaving for weeks at a time for work...and i was home ALONE with my daughter. I had no energy to keep the house clean(and i still dont) but i would sit and mope.....and EAT.....I would make excuses to people who asked me WHY i hadn't lost any weight. I told them all that it was a slow process and that i had lost 40 pounds(lied to them).

This year, Jan 2007...I was just sitting at dinner with my husband and looked down and noticed i had a 12oz strip steak, baked potato loaded....and mashed potatos loaded on my plate. I ate all of it. my band was NOT going to stop me. I also ate bread before that.......and drank sweat tea....

in Feb07 I was online playing around and saw an ad for a weightloss show. Primetime...suppose to be JUST like the Biggest Loser....I thought...hmmmm I'll just fill out the app for shits and giggles.....well they responded and wanted me to send them a tape....so i did.

Then in march they had me get my band completely UNFILLED and then flew me out to LA and put me through med tests and interviews,THEY BOUGHT ME 2 PLANE SEATS because i was too big to fit in the plane chairs on my own....pretty sad huh,(cant say much more because they made me sign all kinds of disclosures) They told me it was a show that will be on ABC and told me i would be away from my family for 10 weeks. I thought....this is the chance i have been waiting for.

They made me think i was going....for weeks after the interview I was getting called and asked follow up questions and told i was in the top 4....then on March 31 i was called and told the network did not choose me. I was DEVISTATED.............like someone should have just shot me right there. I was so upset...i cried the whole way home(we were out to eat of course) and my husband looked at me and said...why dont you just do it on your own?

Ummmmm DUH right...? So about a week went by and I had done a real examination of what i have done wrong and how i have basically cheated myself out of my life! On Easter i saw my family and noticed how no one said i looked good anymore...that's because i didnt.....i looked worse...heavy as can be....and that night i sent an email to my family and decide that enough is enough.

Im exercising daily...NO EXCUSES...i posted before/after pictures on my walls in my house of other people who have had the band. I put sayings all over the house saying "whats ur excuse now" and i told my husband that enough is enough. So we decided to start our weightloss exercise on the 9th.....on the 10th I went and had my band RE-filled and since the 10th I have lost 10lbs......unbelievable huh!!!

So hopefully all this will inspire SOMEONE before it happens to them. Let my "GAIN" be your "LOSS".

Good luck everyone!

Krystal

Tiggeriffic · April 20, 2007

Krystal...your story is an inspiration and reminder of how we have to keep on track. Thanks for sharing it!! It sounds like you have your mind set now...I can tell you are going to do great this time!! Keep in touch!!

Shawnna

AMB · April 20, 2007

Krystal, your honesty and candor is a blessing to anyone struggling with their weight - with WLS or without. Thank you for sharing your story and I will pray for you to succeed. I can see my own personality traits coming through in your story. I'm not through the insurance process yet, but I'm already worried about failure and the horrible thought of the pre-op liquid diet. I don't know HOW I'll do that.

Krystal · April 20, 2007

Krystal, your honesty and candor is a blessing to anyone struggling with their weight - with WLS or without. Thank you for sharing your story and I will pray for you to succeed. I can see my own personality traits coming through in your story. I'm not through the insurance process yet, but I'm already worried about failure and the horrible thought of the pre-op liquid diet. I don't know HOW I'll do that.

Ann-

The good part is that now that i've decided to change, I can. With the band you can make adjustments and force a change. I dont regret getting the band.....I regret not using it properly.

AMB · April 20, 2007

I believe you will do it this time. Best of luck to you and please keep posting.

Ann

Ms Jen · April 22, 2007

Hey Jennifer - I'm trying to move around as much as possible...each day I'm doing better. Was able to get out and walk the dog some today. Still quite sore though. New Start has support groups that meet a couple times a month, educational classes (like dietary). So far they have been pretty good. How bout yours?? Nice to hear from someone close to home!!
Shawnna

The weightloss center at DePaul is wonderful. Dr. de la Torre was one of the doctors that did the clinical trials for US approval and is well known worldwide for his research and many patents for laposcopic instraments and techniques and is one of the top in the field. Dr. Scott is his partner and both shutltle back between Columbia, MO and STL. de la Torre is also a professor at the university there.

There program provides lots of support! The whole office is at each patients beck & call. In addition to the support groups that meet twice a month, they have 2 nurses and a nurse practition tha just came from Wash U that was on the transplant team that does follow up on all patients. You fell like part of a family.

In group, we are mixed with RNY and band and is growing in numbers each mtg. So, now we are going to meet together for the first hour and split to discuss issues that pertain to each group separate.

We are planning many activities for the year. So far we've had 2 plastic surgeons and explain different ways to improve our new bodies, the exec chef for the hospital came and cooked a meal. We have had Protein taste test and samples of recipes that was just great.

The clinic also has weightloss classes for those who want a plan like Nutra-System. you should go on line and check it out. Group is open to anyone. So if you are in the area and want to visit, just come on by.