Pittsburgh Banders

[pgh3rivers 0]

I just attended my third weight loss class at McGee and am scheduling a consultation with a Dr? Does anyone have any suggestions?

[reif78 0]

im not sure who all the docs are down there i had my surgery in butler pa by dr evanchowich-edwards and i feel great.!! hope things go well for you

[pgh3rivers 0]

I decided on a dr at mcgee. the only obsticle now is my family. many of them want me to have gastric bypass. the think the band is much worse for my health.

[reif78 0]

omg they are way wrong! try explaining to them that with the band you have less surgical risks. Its reversible if there is problems unlike the bypass that isnt. you also have more of a death risk with bypass then banding. of course you probably read all that. I just am way against bypass . hope things go well for you keep posted

[pgh3rivers 0]

Thanks I will. I really don't understand why several family members are so negative about the band. They seem to think it's horrible to do and a waste of time because I will fail with it. I don't agree and schedueld an appointment with my pcp on the 7th of feb and an appt with the dr. at mcgee on the 14th. i am interested in what they will have to say.

i have two uncles and a cousin in her early 20's who had GB. One of my uncles had a lot of complications, which makes me NOT want to have gastric.

[reif78 0]

are people in your family heavy? May be thats why the negativity. Its jealousy against you because you made the decision to better yourself health and eating wise . the weightloss is just a side effect! lol and a bonus. you can do it i have faith in you. good luck

[Barbie54 0]

I also attended 2 clasees at Mcgee and I think the lap band is a way safer procedure. I am having it if I get approved. You do know that in the future if the lap band doesn't work you can always have a RNY procedure. BUT, if you have the RNY (gastric bypass) the lap band is out of the question for you.

[reif78 0]

thats not always true i found out that some people on here had the by pass and there pouch stretched andwere approved to get the lapband on there pouch they stretched the hard part is finding a doc who will do it though.

[Barbie54 0]

I'll check and try to let you know.

[pgh3rivers 0]

I am excited that you are attending the McGee classes as well. I think that I am going to get the band. I figure that if I fail with the band I can always try something else in the future. The band seems to be the safest choice. Do you like the classes so far? I had a bad weight in during the last class. The nutritionist weighed me. She told me i had gained 5 pounds since the classes started and that i had better loose them or she was going to hold me back. I know that being sick isn't an excuse, but I had a NASTY cold last month and didn't exercise much. I wasn't please that i was threatened to be hed back by a woman wearing a shirt that didn't cover her belly button.

[Barbie54 0]

Sorry I didn't answer right away but my electricity was off from 1:15-8:00PM. I got on the computer to look at email and saw you emailed me. I am so new to the lap band talk that I really don't know where to look on the site.. I attended my second class last week on Monday nites at Mcgee. It really does take a lot to listen to the classes that they have. I am excited but yet skeptical about the lap band. I think it is a good idea and it really does work. Talk to you again.

[pgh3rivers 0]

Barbie,

Glad to hear your power is back on. I saw on the news that areas in Hampton, Shaler, and Penn Hills all still without power. I have a great uncle in Shaler. Luckily he isn't at home right now.

Stay Warm!

[brez1015 0]

hello pgh3rivers and barbie54,

i had my banding done at magee in january. my doctor was dr. mccloskey. she is fantastic. i stayed overnight and the hospital staff were great. i think you have to do what is right for you. i do not regret having the band done. if you have any questions about magee let me know. good luck ladies

[dgnlp3022 0]

Hi all,

just joined this forum today. My banding is on Wed. Feb 20 with Dr. Courcoulas at Magee. :biggrin: She's a really wonderful woman. I was signed up at Shadyside Weight Management classes for 6 months working towards a bypass. I got to my last appointment with Dr. C and just started shaking about it. She and I talked for a long time about the pros and cons of banding vs. bypass. I decided and she agreed on banding because it's NOT permanent. I feel good about that decision and hope to succeed in my goals. I'll let you Pittsburghers know how it goes next week!

I can't figure out how to add the tracking info at the bottom of my message.

[Barbie54 0]

dgnlp3022,

Well thanks for writing to me. I just joined a couple of weeks ago and I still am not good at the site. It is pretty good though. I went to the informational session with Dr. Courcoulas and I thought she was an excellent speaker and I hope her surgical skills are just as good. I have thought about the lap band for 6-8 months before going for the first session. I think it is an ideal surgery with few complications. I have seen alot of lap gallbladder surgeries without many serious complications and I think the lap band surgery would be quite similar. The last surgery I had in April, 2005 I had a serious complication after that so I am a little concerened over having any surgery again. I won't be able to have this surgery until after June so I'm anxious to talk to Dr Courcoulas in another month after my 3rd class.

Hope your surgery is picture perfect and you will do just fine. Let us know.

Barb