Life as a Bander

[fificlark56]

Hello

I was banded on 11/5/05 by Drs Ortiz & Martinez. Before I went to TJ I lost 10 pounds. I have this mindset that this is a crucial situation for me & I want it so badly. I'll be 50 in July and I want to be healthy & wearing more attractive clothing.

My weight loss started as soon as I was banded & came home. Don't think that I have been a perfect, I ate a bunch of chocolate @ Christmas but not 2 boxes like I normally would have. I had my first fill on 1/7/06 after having lost 35 pounds. I was nervous about the fill, wondering if I should even have one, because I was losing without it. Dr Martinez thought it was okay.He also said I was a model patient.

Since the fill of 1.8 cc, I can eat very little at a time. I'm doing everything I can to avoid the pain in my chest & neck. My nose runs as well. I absolutely can't eat hamburgers, my first (hopefully last) experience with PB. I thought I would die right there alone. Bad headlines "Woman dies from eating one bite of burger!"

I is exhirating to "shop in the garage" for clothes with which I couldn't part. THE BIGGEST prize is to walk right on past the FLD (Fat Lady Department) into the other sections. My Gawd, so many more clothes! Exercise has becoming crucial. I'm going to Curves & walking my furry kids, but I'm terrified of these swinging things hanging off my arms. Also the elephant ears inner thighs. Do we all have to have surgery or will it go away?

Best wishes to all Banders & pre Banders

Fifi

207/169/120 5'2"

[JennaR]

You can try skin tightening creams, vit E pure oil, or pure cocoa butter. However, unfortunately the skin elasticity further along with age doesn't always agree. Surgery is definitely an option if it bothers you.

[LBdancer]

Hi Fifi.... I was so glad to read your post. We have so much in common. I too will turn 50 this year (in August). Also, I am 5.2 with the scales tipping at 207. Wow. I'm thrilled with your results so far. I can only hope that I will get to experience the same. Right now I'm waiting on word from my insurance as to whether they will approve the LB procedure. It's making me crazy having to wait. My husband is afraid that I'm not 'fat' enough and they will reject me. Going to MX is not an option, but I'm not sure that self-pay in town will be something we can swing. Anyway. good luck going forward. I hope we can become WL buddies. I need all the help I can get.

On pins and needles in Louisville,

LBdancer

[fifclark56]

Hi LBDancer

Thanks for your response. Three years ago I went through the hoops for a Gastric Bypass. My insurance company said that I hadn't tried "hard" enough & that I wasn't heavy enough either. I gave up until 10/05.

I had LB done in TJ because they had much more experience (2,000) compared to here (50). Without insurance here was $19,000. TJ with Dr Ortiz was 9,500. We took out a loan to pay for it & we have never regreted it thus far.

Good luck with insurance, maybe yours will be more lenient.

Fifi