Jacksonville, Florida

[JustCallMeKelly 0]

Hey there fellow Jax Bandsters...sorry I've been MIA for a while...been having to deal with some sicknesses in the family and haven't had alot of computer time. But I just came out to see how everyone is doing and say hi! I had to have an UNfill today. I had my 4th fill last Tues. w/Dr.C and it didn't go well...he was in a huge hurry and didn't really give me time to keep sipping to make sure all the Water was going down and so he left the room after saying all done...so I took another sip of water picked up my things and walked to the desk to make next appt. well by that point my mouth had filled with major slime that I couldn't barely talk to tell the RN that I think I was too full...so she took me in the room and started to prep the stuff but I couldn't lay down cos' the water was running back up into my mouth so I had to sit up and spit it out in the sink and she ran to get the Dr. he came in and found the port (I have a hard one to find apparently cos' everytime I have to remind him where it is) and said "oh sorry I thought you were an old pro at this...didn't realize you were still a rookie" so I said, well it is only my 4th fill! Then he told the RN to take some out and only do a .05 cc fill...so she did and we tested it and it seemed to be okay...she was surprised that such a small difference was making the water stay. Anyway, we also discovered when she took me in the room to reinstall the needle that I was soaked in blood from Dr. C's injection...which I guess is common but it sure freaked me out to see all that blood. She was very glad that I hadn't left like that. Anyway, after doing the usual 2 days of liquids I tried to eat something for lunch on Thurs. and it got stuck really bad...for like 40 minutes I was sliming, then all of the sudden I gagged like I was gonna vomit but instead of vomit up came FOAM! A ton of it...it was so weird...I had to catch it in my hands (cupped together) while I ran for the closest sink...and it just kept coming. I don't know if this has happened to any of you but it was really freaky and a little scary. But then I just thought it might have been cos' I drank diet soda 15 minutes b/4 eating. So I didn't drink anymore soda that day and just had a shake for dinner that night. The next few days I noticed that I was only able to eat a very very very small amount of food and was starting to feel a bit strange...almost like I had an eating disorder...so today I called to talk to the rn and she said come on it and we will unfill you a bit cos' you are obviously too tight. I didn't call them sooner cos' I just figured it was due to the swelling from the unusual trauma that I experienced the day of the fill and thought it I just wanted a few days it would all be good...but a week later it was still just not right. BUT NOW...I feel like I'm too wide open! I'm hungry hungry hungry and don't know if it's in my head or for real!!! Well I'm just gonna try and hang in there and see how the next week and 1/2 goes cos' I have my next appt. June 3rd and may be able to get a little more fill (she ended up taking about 1 cc out today). So that's my story right now! But the good news is I'm down a total of 83 lbs...and was able to lose 7 lbs. since last Tuesday's appt. (not in a good way...but I'll take it when I can get it). Hope you all are doing well on your journeys' and I hope to get to meet some of you soon. Much love, KKG

[vbirdebirde 0]

I was banded with Dr.Webb/Whelchel on Sept.9,2007.I am in Clay County.Lost 40 lbs what about you?

[JustCallMeKelly 0]

I was banded with Dr.Webb/Whelchel on Sept.9,2007.I am in Clay County.Lost 40 lbs what about you?

Hey VBirdebirde, I was banded 12/26/07 by Dr. Cywes and have lost about 83 lbs. to date. I've had 4 fills and one unfill so far and have my next appt. June 3rd to see what comes next. I live in Orange Park (Oakleaf Plantation). LMK if you ever want to meet for a support group get together. Would love to start one up. TTYS. Well wishes on this continuing journey. Peace. KKG

[JustCallMeKelly 0]

Ok so I have been reading this blog for some time now and feel its time to dive in. I am seeing Dr. Baptista, I will have my surgery 5/27 (My new birthday). I can't believe it is comming so soon. I am nervous and excited. I got all my liquids today for the preop, which will be during the Memorial Day weekend and I have to work. If anything worked for you to get through this period please let me know. Oh God I feel like I'm getting married again!!!

LorraineS

LorraineS, just writing to see how your surgery went? How are you feeling so far? Wishing you great success. Let us know how it's going. Be well. KKG

[JustCallMeKelly 0]

hi,

i went to the store and bought fruit 2 o, sf Jello and popcicles, i make tea with splenda, and rachel ray chicken broth. the first day of the clear liqs, i had a horrible headache, but that went away, i wasn't really hungry, but have to say they did seem like longgg days. the day of the surgery, and today is day 2 of clear liqs. i had to wear ted hose from before surg, they put them on you in the hosp, until tonight, also you will get a shot of heparin in the abd. i have real bad veins, and they use an 18 gauge IV needle, I'm a nurse and that's a pretty good sized bore, a 23 gauge is small, but luckily, they gave me a sm shot of lidocaine in the area, and I never felt it go in, they also put intermittent compression devices on your legs before going into surgery. Dr Baptista is very kind. he said i was the most informed pt he'd ever had. I asked specifically for the realize band, it has a smaller buckle, you exp less vomiting, and the port is attached in such a way to reduce it flipping over, also, it has had less erosion, go to realizeband.com and see what you think. i lost 14 lbs pre op. they gave me lortab elixir, and phenergan for nausea, but i haven't had any problems with that. also, I had a hernia, that he had to repair, he brought pix to show my husband, also pix of my liver, nice, flat purplish shiny, he gave me the pix of the hernia before and after repair, and the lapband stitched into place. I had my surg at 9 30, don't remember when I was in recovery, but i went home at 4pm, another thing, my throat was quite sore when i woke up, but they gave me cold Water, and then hot tea sweetened with splenda. i wasn't in much pain when i came home, and found a pillow under my left side where the port is, was helpful. i did however exp more pain this am, as all of the anesthesia had worn off, i had/have a pulling burning sensation in the middle of my abdomen when i cough, or try to get up or down. also, with the hernia repair, i am exp gas pain in my left upper chest below my collar bone, and in the back by my shoulder blade, i bought gas x strips, but they really don't help, as for regular gas pain, i have had none, but i've been walking quite abit. I hope all goes well for you. when i woke up, if you'd have asked me then was it worth it, i'd have said no, but today, i say i'd do it again. i weighed 186.5 before surgery yesterday. I am 4'10 1/2" tall, so i have about 71 lbs to lose to get to where i want to be.

GOOD LUCK! and congrats, you won't regret it!

Anavrin, just checking in with you to see how you are healing? Feeling better now? I sure hope so. Let us know how you are doing. Thinking of you and wishing you well. Peace. KKG

[Raineygirl 0]

Thanks for asking. Iam doing well I think. Not a lot of pain any more, had to stay in the hospital overnight sugars were out of wack. I go see Dr. Baptista on Tuesday.

[JustCallMeKelly 0]

Thanks for asking. Iam doing well I think. Not a lot of pain any more, had to stay in the hospital overnight sugars were out of wack. I go see Dr. Baptista on Tuesday.

Glad to hear you are not experiencing too much pain. I will be at Dr. Baptista's office on Tues. also, to see Dr. Cywes at 11:45...what time is your appt. Maybe I'll see ya there. ttys. KKG

[petergriffin 0]

I'd also like to check in to state that it's been almost 4 months now (banded 2/5) and I have lost 64 pounds since the first day of my 2-week pre-op diet and 53 since the surgery date. It should be more but I cheated with ice cream a few times.

I've had 2 fills and a refill that came about a week or so after a fill as I wanted a little more restriction. My peak weight was 350, I was about 345 in December, now sitting at 272 as of this morning. I'm feeling 10000% better and aim to play singles tennis when I get down to 250, which will hopefully be by the end of July. Ultimate goal is to be down to 200 by the end of the year.

Banded by Dr. Webb.

[JustCallMeKelly 0]

I'd also like to check in to state that it's been almost 4 months now (banded 2/5) and I have lost 64 pounds since the first day of my 2-week pre-op diet and 53 since the surgery date. It should be more but I cheated with ice cream a few times.

I've had 2 fills and a refill that came about a week or so after a fill as I wanted a little more restriction. My peak weight was 350, I was about 345 in December, now sitting at 272 as of this morning. I'm feeling 10000% better and aim to play singles tennis when I get down to 250, which will hopefully be by the end of July. Ultimate goal is to be down to 200 by the end of the year.

Banded by Dr. Webb.

Peter, those are incredible results, congrats to you! Keep up the terrific progress. What do you feel is most important in your success so far? Thanks for sharing. Be well. KKG

[Raineygirl 0]

My appointment is at 2:30 w/Dr Baptista. Maybe some other time. Iam interested in getting together with other bandsters.

[petergriffin 0]

Peter, those are incredible results, congrats to you! Keep up the terrific progress. What do you feel is most important in your success so far? Thanks for sharing. Be well. KKG

Really for me its been developing a routine when it comes to meals. I pretty much stick to liquid diet stuff (popsicles, Jello, pudding). Every other day I have an actual meal which is usually just mashed potatoes or a small can of Chef Boyardee spaghetti or popcorn. Now that I've been basically on the same diet for a couple of months solid, it's coming along pretty easily.

[JaxBandster 11]

Just got another fill today. I think this is my 4th one? Don't know how much I have in my band as Dr. C doesn't tell me.

I lost nine lbs last month! This is really amazing as the last two weeks have been spent riding all over the southeast on my Harley, eating out at restaurants and staying at bed and breakfasts and generally misbehaving.

Dr. C told me that I am now approaching the most difficult part of my journey. He said that after having success after four months, you can have a tendency to become satisfied and complacent and begin to slip back into old habits. I have been really aware of this as this has been my major downfall in the past when dieting. I have always been a good dieter, but when I got close to my goal and started liking what I saw in the mirror, I began to get lax. I know that I can't do that this time. I still have more work to do if I want to reach goal and have the plastic surgery that I want.

And speaking of plastic surgery.....I asked Dr. C about getting it done and as it turns out he does tummy tucks, arms and thighs. He doesn't do boobs and would refer me to someone else for that. He gave me his price list and getting my tummy and thighs done would be about $13,000. From what I have seen that isn't too bad. I would completely trust him to do this surgery as I know he is an extremely competent surgeon and he is also a perfectionist. Not only that, he could make any changes to my port if needed during the surgery. I am very excited about this. He recommends losing at least another 20 lbs before I get it done as he says my stomach needs to be as flat as possible. At my current rate of weight loss that should only be a couple of more months.

I woke up this morning with a sore throat. It's the first time I've been sick since getting my band. I have found Riccola sugar free throat lozenges which seem to be helping and I'm taking disolvable Zicam tablets to help with my symptoms. I'm feeling pretty miserable right now though as I hate sore throats. I'm hoping I don't get too sick and it makes my band tighter as I can tell I have some pretty decent restriction right now.

So that's it for me right now. Just wanted to check in and see how everyone is doing and give an update.

[Raineygirl 0]

I think I saw you today at Dr Cywes office. I had an appointment at 2:15. First post-op visit since being banded 5/27. I lost 12 lbs of pure fat according to his PA. Next month 1st fill. I am experiencing post-op blues, not about the band, but about the fact that I treated my body so bad all these years. Im sure it will go away once I find something to fill my time other than eating (my friend) & thinking. Wow, most open I've been about this experience. I wonder if Dr Baptista does the Tummy Tuck & arms also. Some insurances will cover the surgeries of done by a general surgeon rather than a plastic surgeon. Oh well there is my two cents. TTYL!!

[JaxBandster 11]

You should have introduced yourself! Which one were you?

Dr. C didn't mention Dr. Babtista doing the surgeries so I don't know if he does them or not.

Don't beat yourself up too badly. We all make mistakes in life. Just be thankful that there was a means available to help you lose the weight and to help keep you on track.

[crazy4jags 0]

I have been mentally beating myself up for the last week or so and feeling really pretty sh*Tty about me. I had been doing so well (80 lbs in less than 7 mths) but at my last follow up, Dr. C insisted I have a slight unfill. I'm not sure how much of this has been physical and how much has been mental but I notice myself slipping right back into bad habits and now the scale is telling me. I've been staying up and down within a couple of pounds since then.

I am finding myself snacking quite a bit (I have become a 'nut-aholic') and will munch on either handfuls of nuts or a nice big spoonful of Peanut Butter. I can't wait until my next appointment on June 16 so I can get a fill again but I am concerned that I seem to have lost my momentum to lose.

As Karen said, as much as people tell me how good I look and that I don't need to lose any more weight, that can almost be a curse too because it makes me feel a bit lax about what my goal really is.

Any words of advice?

Sue