Any Delaware or Chester County Bandsters?

[jetdeck 0]

I'm in West Chester and am looking for fellow bandsters!

SJ

[IWANTBANDED 0]

I'm in West Chester and am looking for fellow bandsters!

SJ

HELLO JETDECK!! I THINK WE'VE SPOKE ON DR. ORTIZ' FORUM.... YOU WERE JUST BANDED, RIGHT? I'M ALSO FROM PA., BETWEEN ALTOONA AND STAE COLLEGE. I'LL BE BANDED ON 3-25 AND I'M TRYING TO GET A FILL DOC CLOSE TO HOME. I PLAN ON TRAVELING BACK TO SEE DR. O FOR MY FIRST FILL THOUGH. DO YOU HAVE A DOC LINED UP? :confused2: DARLENE

[jetdeck 0]

Hi Darlene,

Dr Ren in NYC, Fill Center in Mt Laurel NJ, and Dr Hinkley in MD. I will be using the MT Laurel fill center as they use fluoro, which is a heck of a lot closer than Mexico! I would not suggest going anywhere that doesn't use fluoro.

Good luck on the 25th!

SJ

Good luck on the 25th

[lili 0]

i live in landenberg pa southern chester county

[IWANTBANDED 0]

Hi Darlene,

Dr Ren in NYC, Fill Center in Mt Laurel NJ, and Dr Hinkley in MD. I will be using the MT Laurel fill center as they use fluoro, which is a heck of a lot closer than Mexico! I would not suggest going anywhere that doesn't use fluoro.

Good luck on the 25th!

SJ

Good luck on the 25th

HI JETDECK,

HOW ARE YOU DOING?? ARE YOU HOME NOW?

DID YOU GET A PRICE FROM MT. LAUREL? WHEN ARE YOU GOING FOR YOUR FIRST FILL? SORRY ABOUT ALL THE QUESTIONS, BUT I LIKE TO HAVE ALL MY DUCKS IN A ROW AND NOT HAVING MY FILL DOC PICKED OUT YET MAKES ME NERVOUS. I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT HAVING THE SURGERY THOUGH!! :tea:

THANKS AND GOOD LUCK! DARLENE

[general_antiope 189]

Hey jetdeck!

You're the first person I've met in my area with the band :huh2: I live in Exton. I got banded by Dr Ren 3 years ago, dropped about 100 lbs and got stuck there. never had any support groups around, and other doctors are completely unfriendly towards me in the Phila area to even do an adjustment.

I just decided it's time to kick the last 50 lbs out and called around creation to get a local doc...my band is great, no complications except I have been eating Cookies and crap and not losing - but they won't take me. I went back to Dr. Ren and you know what? I'm sticking with her. She's just amazing, isn't she? So inspirational. And motivational. I got my fill last week and BOOM lost 8 lbs :cool2: Can't wait to get to the end.

It would be great to know someone locally - I feel completely isolated!

Tell me about your band!

kate

[jetdeck 0]

Hi Kate,

Wow you are in my backyard (West Chester!) I actually had surgery last week with Dr Ortiz in Tijuana. I was self pay so researched for about a year and decided to head to Mexico.

I'm a bit concerned about fills and being followed since it is about a 6 hours flight to San Diego. I had originally planned on going to fill center in NJ, but am wavering towards going to Dr Ren for follow up and fills as she takes Mexico patients. I've heard she is great so it is wonderful to meet someone who is a patient of hers.

Way to go on losing 100lbs that is awesome!!!!! You and I are currently at a similar point. I have had weight nightmares for 20 years and had basically resigned myself to being obese and gaining weight again. Then one day I got an unexpected check in the mail from the IRS (believe it or not I had overpaid on a real estate deal) and I immediately went in and booked the surgery, it was some kind of freaky divine intervention!

I'm so glad to hear about your recent fill, won't it be great to reach your goal weight, mine has been elusive for 19 years...I dream of 148. I'm still recovering, yesterday was the 1st day that I finally felt human, had a heck of a time with gas and bloating, still on full liquids for another 2 weeks.

SJ

[general_antiope 189]

SJ - the most important part of the band is the followup. Seriously. If not for my monthly trips to Dr. Ren in my first year I would not have lost the weight I did!!

You know, it takes a while to detox from the reality of being obese. When I would go for follow ups, I would have that "Weight Watchers Anxiety." You know what I'm talking about - wearing the lightest clothes possible, crash dieting the day before, hoping and praying you're not judged cause maybe you only lost 4 lbs in a month.

You know I got lectured - and I mean LECTURED - for losing too much weight? The nurse at Dr. Ren's told me if I didn't slow down he was gonna unfill me :huh2: That was a first. I pranced. I liked not being lectured for eating too much.

It's just *such* a different world. It's hard to describe.

Instead, even if I lost a little, I'd be sitting there nervous, feeling like I'm failing everyone, failing myself...and when they weighed me and talked to me, they just wanted to know if I was hungry. Sometimes I'd say yeah, but I don't know if its PMS or not. They'd tighten me and fix it. Can you eat more than a cup of food without Water in 20 minutes? Yes. OK you're getting tightened.

They just cared about me, they cared about the band working properly. My favorite thing about Dr. Ren is that she thinks of obesity as a disease, like alcoholism with as much genetic roots as social and behavioral roots. Not many doctors see it that way.

And god! Wait til you get The Magic Fill.

My first four months on the band I was still fighting hunger, able to eat a whole burger and fries meal from Wendy's, despite monthly fills. I was totally resigned to this taking forever. Other people were dropping like crazy, but my fat stubbornly clung to me like barnacles on a sunken ship. I was actually depressed at this point, thinking I made this huge change and dammit, it didn't WORK. As usual.

Then in April I got this fill. I was on liquids for two days...typical deal. Feeling like it was useless, the third day I popped a small piece of a Cinnabon in my mouth. I mean, small. Maybe pea sized. Well, I didn't chew so well and had my first regurgitation. I thought I was going to die. It's actually funny now. There I was, alone in the house, panicking and pacing around frantically crying because something hurt in my chest - the pastry was stuck, oh THIS is what they've been talking about, that golf ball feeling...THIS SUCKS!...I'm gonna DIE I'm gonna DIEEEE...and I jumped, raised my arms, did everything I could not to barf it up...and I did anyway. it was incredibly unpleasant, mostly because I didn't know HOW to regurgitate properly if something was stuck and it turned into full scale vomiting, with the lower stomach. Painful, forceful.

But then it was over, and I settled down.

I slunk to the kitchen and made some hot tea and next thing I knew, it was seven hours later and I realized with a start I had not eaten all day.

{{{NEWS FLASH: KATE FORGOT ABOUT food FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER}}}

The hunger WAS completely gone. Gone. Not nausea, but very close to it, where you're just turned off by ANYthing. Holy crap! I kept thinking, "Is this what skinny people feel like ALL THE TIME!?!?!?" No wonder they thought I had weak willpower. It was so SIMPLE to forget about food - or if I was forced to eat, choose something like broth or a small 1/2 cup of tuna fish.

Then I cried again, laughing and dancing with the lightest joy because this was the Magic Fill my mentor had told me about that I never believed...and couldn't comprehend. Four months after surgery, I was finally in the zone. Accidentally.

That's when the weight loss really began...I lost 80 lbs over the next 6 months.

Just remember...it is a process. I know you're sick of the weight. I know you want it to be over already...but it's coming. There's nothing like feeling in control for the first time in your life :cool2: NOTHING.

Maybe on one of your fills we'll hike up to Dr. Ren's together, if I need one too. I just got mine done so I'm good for at least a month or so.

[jetdeck 0]

Kate

What a great post, thank you so much for sharing your experience. I would love to take a trip up to see Dr Ren with you.

SJ

[IWANTBANDED 0]

Hey jetdeck!

You're the first person I've met in my area with the band :tongue2: I live in Exton. I got banded by Dr Ren 3 years ago, dropped about 100 lbs and got stuck there. never had any support groups around, and other doctors are completely unfriendly towards me in the Phila area to even do an adjustment.

I just decided it's time to kick the last 50 lbs out and called around creation to get a local doc...my band is great, no complications except I have been eating Cookies and crap and not losing - but they won't take me. I went back to Dr. Ren and you know what? I'm sticking with her. She's just amazing, isn't she? So inspirational. And motivational. I got my fill last week and BOOM lost 8 lbs :tt2: Can't wait to get to the end.

It would be great to know someone locally - I feel completely isolated!

HELLO,

I WAS READING YOUR POSTS AND WAS WONDERING WHO DR. REN IS AND WHERE IS SHE LOCATED? I WILL BE BANDED IN Mexico ON 3-25 AND AM LOOKING FOR A PA. FILL DOC. THANKS FOR ANY HELP, IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED!! :drool:

DARLENE

OH YA,... WHAT DOES SHE CHARGE?

[IWANTBANDED 0]

I See That Jetdeck says She's From Ny.....

[general_antiope 189]

HELLO,

I WAS READING YOUR POSTS AND WAS WONDERING WHO DR. REN IS AND WHERE IS SHE LOCATED? I WILL BE BANDED IN Mexico ON 3-25 AND AM LOOKING FOR A PA. FILL DOC. THANKS FOR ANY HELP, IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED!! :shades_smile:

DARLENE

OH YA,... WHAT DOES SHE CHARGE?

Dr. Ren is one of the leading surgeons for the Lap Band system - she's based at NYU in Manhattan. I decided to commit to the travel part of follow ups for the rest of my life because she IS truly the best, in my opinion. I've read her medical papers on how she improved the surgery to eliminate some side effects completely. When I sat with her, I asked her flat out how many people under her care died from the surgery, or complications of the surgery. At the time, which was three years ago, she said she lost two patients. Out of I think about 2,500 at the time. Those were incredible odds and I loved how frank she was with me. She is supportive, caring, and has even responded to my emails.

The fills are about $100 a pop. Worth it. Even with the driving to get there.

I tried to get fill docs in PA but they would not see me since I wasn't one of their patients...I was very disappointed in 3 Philly area hospitals for turning me away. Oh well - when I went to see Dr. Ren I was a million times glad over and over I was with her, anyway.

Give them a call if you're interested - NYU Thin For Life

kate

[StephC 0]

hello ladies - I'm not from your area but my dd goes to college in Phoenixville, and nannys in Exton. She also has a friend who nannys in the Exton area who's employer was recently banded, its not one of you is it? My dd gave me her email address and told her about LBT and I lost the email address - :shades_smile:

I'll be seeing Erin (the nanny) this weekend, she's coming here for Easter so I'll get her email address and let her know about the site... and you local bandsters.

[IWANTBANDED 0]

Dr. Ren is one of the leading surgeons for the Lap Band system - she's based at NYU in Manhattan. I decided to commit to the travel part of follow ups for the rest of my life because she IS truly the best, in my opinion. I've read her medical papers on how she improved the surgery to eliminate some side effects completely. When I sat with her, I asked her flat out how many people under her care died from the surgery, or complications of the surgery. At the time, which was three years ago, she said she lost two patients. Out of I think about 2,500 at the time. Those were incredible odds and I loved how frank she was with me. She is supportive, caring, and has even responded to my emails.

The fills are about $100 a pop. Worth it. Even with the driving to get there.

I tried to get fill docs in PA but they would not see me since I wasn't one of their patients...I was very disappointed in 3 Philly area hospitals for turning me away. Oh well - when I went to see Dr. Ren I was a million times glad over and over I was with her, anyway.

Give them a call if you're interested - NYU Thin For Life

kate

HELLO KATE,

THANKS FOR THE INFO! I EMAILED NYU AND ASKED ABOUT FILLS. I'M STILL CHECKING OUT OTHER PLACES ALSO. IF I WOULD GO TO NY, I'D PROBABLY TAKE THE BUS. I'M NO GOOD AT CITY DRIVING!! I VISIT MY DAUGHTER IN HARRISBURG AND MY BLOOD PRESSURE GOES THROUGH THE ROOF! I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHAT NYU SAYS, THANKS AGAIN, DARLENE

[odanielle 0]

Hi all!

I was happy to see this thread. I live in Center City and was banded about 6 months ago (has it been that long??) in Mexico by Dr. Ortiz. I've lost over 40 lbs, and feel great, although I'm still struggling with what to eat and not on my band. Every fill is a revelation!

For fills, I contemplated the Mt. Laurel Ctr, but when I checked into it, the doctor had "only" done about 50 fills, and I was too nervous to go there. So I chose Dr. Ren's office as well, although it is a trek. Witha full time job and a 7-year old, it doesn't thrill me to take vacation time to go there, but that office is absolutely worth it! Not sure what I'll do after a year, but already my rate of fills has gone down (I think my last one was my fourth - I"m at 3.8 on a 4CC band!!)

I would love to look into a group of fellow bandsters to discuss! I could probably meet 1/2 way - say Media? Of course, if you want to trek into CC, I'd be thrilled to! My next goals are to 1) start exercising (UGH), 2) lose another 30 lbs, and 3) learn to eat healthy (most important, I think!)

I look forward to possibly getting together!

Best Wishes, Danielle