To Dr. Arthur Chasen's patients: Dr. Chasen has relocated to Maui, Hawaii and will be providing bariatric surgery there. Dr. Darren Glass is providing follow-up care for Dr. Chasen's patients, here in Augusta. Trinity Bariatric and Weightloss Center, an ASMBS Center of Excellence, will continue providing the following procedures in the Augusta community: Lap Band, Realize Band, Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG), Gastric Bypass (RNY), Duodenal Switch (DS), and revisional bariatric procedures. Procedures are preformed laparoscopically, unless medical cir****tances dictate an "open" procedure.

So glad that we had a good turn out at our meeting this past Saturday. Please give me your feedback! We need to know what is working and how we can improve.

We didn't get much time in to just sit back and talk this time. I thought it would be good to periodically have a speaker if possible. I thought Mollie @ http://ptcfitnessspa.com/ was very informative! YAY!

Anyway, hope you came away with something from our meeting. Here is what I wrote down:

• Just 2 weeks without weight-bearing exercises can cause muscles to begin to atrophy.
• We should be eating simply, as few ingredients as possible.
• Stay on the perimeter of the grocery store. Stay away from the aisles as much as possible
• A McDonald's hamburger has so many preservatives in it, if you were to leave one lying around it will last for months.
• Olive oil and coconut oil are the best fats.
• Protein sources: almond milk, beans, hummus, mushrooms, nuts, soy, tofu, quorn, wheat tofu, smart brand products.
• Good sweeteners: Nu-Stevia, Xylitol
• Calcium: dark, leafy greens, Kale chips
• Eat rite pizzas: http://www.lindasdietdelites.com/healthy-frozen-foods-66/?ze nid=9b4d03862b81bd99138cfb27a35fbeb2

We had a great time exercising with Mollie with exercise bands and Zumba. I personally want to try Pilates.

I do need your help. The samples that you got in your goody bags, if you could be so kind as to send me an email about what you liked or disliked about them, that would be terrific. If you could tell me what product and flavor it was, what you thought about flavor, texture, etc. The people who send them to me only ask for input to improve their products. I supplied the protein drink, hope you liked them. Let me know, I really didn't care for the taste but I can get down 2.5 oz. of protein, probably with my supplements in the morning and that is a shot of 24 g. of protein, done!! And it is the good protein according to my dietician and Mollie, the trainer. I purchased 2 cases for myself.

Also, I would love to meet those of you who could at Broadway Diner one day this week. Send me the best day for you and we will try to get together. I work late so it would have to be after 6.

Next month will be our clothing swap for the colder months. So bring clothes appropriate. We are all at different places in weightloss, don't worry if you don't have anything to bring to swap, please get what you need!!

If you have a great food find, exercise, idea, anything. Please share it with us. Also, feel free to share this information with others and invite them to our next meeting Saturday, October 8th at 11:30.

Thanks for coming, have a wonderful week and I look forward to seeing LESS of you next month!!

Hey Everyone! 
                 I wanted to share this all with you because  this is is really rare. I fall way so into the 1% and then some! Ok My Doctor is Dr. Srinivasan at Emory. She has been GREAT! The whole team here has taken care of me. I had my band placed June 20th, 2011. Within 3 days I was admitted back into the hospital with full blown pneumonia and they had to drain 50cc's of fluid of my lung. I was so weak I was kept for 3 weeks and sent home with a home health nurse and physical therapist. I was discharged from them in August. Still complained of killer port pain and pain in the area of the surgery. When I went to the doc they did a barrium swallow and it was fine so she said it was just the port attaching to the muscle and cook hurt for 2 - 3 more months as it heals. All this time during that visit and the last 2 weeks nothing was staying down, no liquids, no solids no nothing. I felt so bad. I went to Gwinnett Medical Center and was kept over night for severe pain in chest/throat. They ruled out it was my heart because I have a cardiac history. THey sent me home in the morning. I went to my PCP and said look this is miserable this cant be right. She saw blood in the cup I was vomitting in and said my stomach was distended. She said she was sending me by ambulance to hospital. I had to go get my daughter from school, so I did and drove me to the hospital. After a week here we have answers. FIrst they did a CT and barium swallow and it showed the lap band was fine so we were thing the tumors in my thyroid gland. But Dr. Sharma wouldnt touch those till lap band was out. I just kept vomittineg like crazy. I said please look at my throat please. She agreed and did a EGD Thursday. It showed my esophagus has erosion, as well as clear as day you see my lap band sitting inside my stomach. It is more than 50% eroded into my stomach. Crazy huh so fast. This is really rare. But I wanted to share my story to let you know it can happen. I am now on lots of antibiotics and IVs going through a picc line. I am praying for healing. They will keep me several days after surgery too to make sure everything is working right. I worked two years to get this band for it to all go to **** in 2 months... Im totally bummed. I did loose about 40 pounds, but wow do I have so much more to go. She has mentioned getting me on optifast. This is going to be so hard. I pray firstmost I live through surgery cause of my heart issues. I put it in Gods hands and that he will work through Dr S to heal me. She is a great doctor. Hope you all enjoyed and realize erosion can happen at anytime... Dr S said it usually happens years later... arent I the lucky one.. 2 months after placement...    :(

Hello LaShelle2,

Check out our post below:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/GA/4448465/Use-YOUR-Voice- OH-needs-YOU/

Thanks,
Member Services Department

I don't know about one in Atlanta, but Augusta isn't too far away.  Check out Dr. Mike Blaney or Dr. Darren Glass.