sorcia1

Hi MassMom, It's not unheard of to not have a pre-op diet but it's pretty unusual. The reason for it (according to my surgeon) is to shrink your liver, as they have to get around it or under it to reach your stomach, and a lot of us have fatty/enlarged livers due to obesity. My doc is only making me do 10 days of the pre-op diet instead of 14 because my BMI is 33. Is your BMI relatively low? Maybe your doc is making an exception for you if so. Shauna

Hi Aly, I'm nervous about the pre-op diet too, but I am SOOOO lucky because my doc allows a few solids...just NO carbs (other than what is in a low carb Protein shake) and I'm a carb person. Cool thing is my co-worker (who had gastric bypass and has kinda stalled out on his weight loss) and my best friend are going to do it with me. They might slightly modify it to add some fruits and veggies but otherwise we will be going through carb withdrawal together! Are you on a strict liquid diet? What does everyone else pre-op diet look like? Shauna

Hi Catbert (cute name; I love Dilbert), Glad to see you here, please visit back with updates on your journey and how your consultation goes. Shauna

Hi all, I was really nervous about telling my family about my decision to get the Lap Band. They are all out of town until shortly before I get my lap band, so I sent the following email. I hope this helps others in ideas of how to break it to loved ones (though you may do it in person, you could use this as a script). It must have worked as they responded that they are all on board! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear (loved ones) I've made a really big decision in the last week: I'm going to get a Lap Band. I'm not sure how much you know about this so I'm including several links below. I've been researching this for a few months now and have met with several surgeons who exclusively do bariatric surgery. I've picked one named Dr. (your surgeon). THIS IS NOT GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY OR ANYTHING DRASTIC LIKE THAT! It is FDA approved for anyone with a BMI over 30, which is considered Obese. I am well into that category. It has been used for 10 years in the US and 20 years in Europe, and my surgeon has done several hundred of them. I have to have blood work, x-rays, a psychiatric evaluation, and a few other tests done before we can move forward with setting a date, but I'm hoping it will be sometime in July. You may wonder why I am doing this. Here's a partial list: (customize this list, of course) 1. My health is deteriorating rather quickly due to my weight. I am now (put your health problems here). I want to be around to see my grandkids! 2. I took (my son) to Legoland and after 1 hour my feet, knees and ankles were killing me. I was in pain most of the day and couldn't enjoy myself. This has been going on for a decade. 3. I spend 90% of my day thinking about my weight and how ugly I feel. This affects me in psychological and social ways that are hard to understand if you have never been obese. 4. After losing 50 lbs. the year before last, I have put 30 lbs back on in the last year, and will probably gain another 30 this year if I don't get this done. This despite working out 4-6 times a week. 5. This surgery is especially effective for over-eaters like me, who have problems with portion control (as opposed to grazing all day, having lots of Snacks, or binging on 1000's of calories at a time.) 6. My weight has been a constant struggle for 25 of my 39 years now. It's time for something to change once and for all. 7. While I could probably lose the weight myself, I'm clearly unable to KEEP it off, which is one of the benefits of the Lap Band. You keep it indefinitely, but is fully reversible if there are any problems. 8. The surgery is done laproscopically so it is very minimally invasive. It leaves 3-4 tiny incisions. However, it is still considered major surgery and I will have to take from 2-5 days off work until I recover. I may need some help from you guys as far as rides to the outpatient surgery center and back, or helping me during the first couple of days of recovery (getting my pain meds at the pharmacy, things like that). After a lot of research, I have learned that this is not a quick fix, but merely a tool. I am expected to attend support groups, meet regularly with my nutritionist and physiologist (exercise expert), and eat very healthy as every calorie will count since I'll be taking in relatively few calories (between 1000-1200 a day). I will be on a high Protein, low carb diet that has been tailored for me by my nutritionist. I will also be expected to exercise 5+ times a week. People do fail with the lap band but it's because they don't do these things. I want you to know I have seriously researched this and it's not something I'm jumping into. I have a plan…I will be eating 500-700 less calories a day than I burn just by sitting around. Add 500 calories burned 5-6 times a week by exercise, and I'll be losing about 2 lbs. per week. This is not to say this is no big deal. There is a small chance of complications (for which I am buying insurance). None are life threatening or anything but could require another surgery. A few people out of 100,000s of surgeries have died doing it but this is very, very rare. A few could not handle the anesthesia. I have been under full anesthesia before so I am not worried about that. My surgeon also reassured me that because of my relatively young age and "lower" weight (compared to the 300 lbs. or bigger that he commonly treats) that I have a much smaller chance of complications, and will heal faster. I will be on a very strict diet for 10 days before my surgery to get my liver shrunk as much as possible. I will be on an even stricter diet for a month after surgery. For example, liquids only the 1st week, pureed foods the second week, "mushy/blended" foods the 3rd week. The lap band affects different people in different ways. I may get lucky and be able to eat any type of food I want, except in limited proportions. However, it is likely that there may be some foods that will be off limit to me indefinitely (lest I get sick). The most common foods that are not tolerated are bread, steak or other chewy meats, some pastas, and fibrous vegetables like celery or asparagus. So, if we are out eating and I'm being particularly picky in what I will eat you will know why. I will be eating 4-5 meals a day. They will only be about ½ cup, or a few bites. So don't be surprised if a lot of my food goes home in a doggie bag! There are a couple of unpleasant side effects which many people experience. If you don't chew your food thoroughly or eat too fast, it can get "stuck" and that can be anywhere from uncomfortable to painful. The same behavior can result in "productive burping", which is just a nice way to say you are vomiting up slimy stuff. I have been told this may happen, especially at first, but they will be very memorable experiences and I will work to rectify the bad behaviors for sure! I'm telling you these yucky details because I may need to get up and excuse myself to the ladies room while we are out having dinner. Note that regular, persistent vomiting and not being able to keep ANY food down is not considered normal and will be fixed by the surgeon by reducing the restriction of the lap band. This is done without surgery, but by taking saline out of the band through my new little "port". I will have a little "port" in my belly somewhere. It's a little round circle and it can be seen sometimes if I was wearing a bikini. It is impossible to imagine myself in a bikini so you will probably never see it! I will also have a few little scars in various places around my tummy. So there's lots more info I could tell you but I'll leave it to these links to teach you the basics: Manufacturer's website: http://www.lapband.com/en/home/ My surgeons site: (Enter your surgeons web site) My surgeon on Channel 3 )enter a video of your surgeon talking about the lap band, if available) Dr. Oz Show, Part 1 http://www.doctoroz....nd-surgery-pt-1 Dr. Oz Show, Part 2 http://www.doctoroz....nd-surgery-pt-2 Biggest Web Forum for "Bandsters" http://www.lapbandtalk.com/

Yeah, I get that if she was insinuating that the was the only reason...best of luck to you!

Hi Nurse, Honestly, what's wrong with wanting a loving relationship? I'm also single and frankly, my dating options (I do online dating) are seriously limited because most men don't want an obese woman, and the health and social problems that come along with it. That of course is not the main reason I am doing this (you can see in my letter above my reasons) but I'll be thrilled if a relationship with a happy, healthy guy is a bonus!

That's very cool...I'm sure you will have great results!

Welcome Jenjaw and Aly! Aly, I think it is GREAT you are doing this at a young age....I spent my 20s and 30s either overweight or obese and it was such a waste! My nerves have calmed down now and I'm sure I'm doing the right thing. Giving up my beloved Diet Pepsi today...hopefully it will help me get used to giving up things that I love that are bad for me! Shauna

Thank you all so much for your ideas...hurry up July, I want to be a Bandster!

What is the plicated band, if I may ask?

Wow Queenie, that is great...I can't wait to be a Bandster...hurry July!

Interesting...most of the people in my water aerobics class were in their 30's and 40s....so give it a try, you might be surprised. I did find that unlike some cardio, YOU have all the control on how hard your workout is. You can take it easy with smaller movements or get a good workout in with larger/faster movements. Good luck!

Hi all, I just wanted to suggest to all of those that hate most cardio...I do too but I found a solution...the rowing machine! I believe most gyms have them. They do not require you to put all of your weight on your legs so are great for those of us early in our journeys. Now I love rowing and can go for an hour at a fast speed...although this will not replace walking, which you should do more of as you lose weight. Shauna

Wow that is great...31 lbs so far, how inspiring! Good news...I was being too pessimistic. I sent my family a long email about me getting the lapband (they are all out of town until around the time I hope to get my lapband) and they are all on board! Keep in touch and best of luck on your journey! Shauna

I committed to getting the lap band a few days ago. My BMI is 33, however my highest BMI ever was closer to 40. I was on track to there (or more) after gaining 30 lbs over the last year, after a 50 lb loss on a crash diet. I am getting this to help me keep it off, not get it off (though it will help with that). Shauna

Hi Lisa (that's my sister's name!) Wow, we should stick together. I am also self pay and expecting surgery sometime in July. I have a BMI of 33 and have also lost hundreds and gained them back over the last 25 years. I am 39, so we are close in age too! I am nervous as all heck. I'm not so much afraid of going under as I am of post-surgical pain and the lovely "stucks" and "PBs", possibly vomiting. I've been reading the LBT forums and they go from helping me to making me more nervous. I just hope I am doing the right thing. Please email me at potukmail@gmail.com if you want to chat.

Thanks guys! I am finding sites that sell this stuff and getting lots of samples.

Thank you so much! I am pre-op and had no idea where to start for products. Shauna

Hi Crash, I'm also getting banded in July and have all the same worries and feeling as you! If you want, email me at potukmail@gmail.com and maybe we can help each other. For others more experienced, I am wondering where I buy these products that were mentioned...I have no idea where to get this stuff. Shauna

Hi All, I'm Shauna, just signed up this morning with a surgeon to be banded sometime in July. I need some reassurance I'm doing the right thing. My BMI is "only" 33 (about 60 lbs. overweight) but I have been unable to get even close to my goal weight with diet and exercise, and frankly end up gaining it all back anyway. I know this is going to require some serious lifestyle and eating changes, and that is making me nervous, especially the eating changes. The diets post-op seem crazy...how am I going to follow them? Shauna

Thank you Elcee! I was in fact a 40 BMI at one point and was on my way there, probably by the end of the year at the rate I was gaining. The nutritionist I met with has a pretty strict diet "forever" but I think I may be able to eat some foods not on his approved list (which is like 20 things). I hate the idea I may never have another couple of bites (but only 2) of cheesecake ever again! Or eating normal wheat bread (not 100% whole grain) on a sub at Subway! Am I going to be starving on the liquid diets? Man I hate being hungry. Has anyone else had a C-section? That is my only point of reference for recovering from a surgery and I'm wondering if it's worse or better than recovering from a C-section. Shauna