momlambert

What a GREAT analogy--I love it! I haven't been banded yet but can totally get the picture from your analogy. Thanks for sharing! Karen

I'm wondering how much you self-payers have had to pay in addition to the initial surgery because of complications and possible additional surgery? I'm scheduled for surgery on March 19 but DH is getting really worried about paying for complications during or after surgery or in the future (he's okay paying for the original surgery). SO I told him I would ask my friends on LBT in order to get an idea of future costs. My initial payment covers a year of fills and the surgeon's fee for additional surgery (we would have to pay for the facility and the anethesiologist if I needed surgery for slippage, erosion, etc.). Help, please!:help:

FOR SURE! Isn't that ALL of our hope--we have to hold on to that. There are bound to be ups and down--I'm sorry you are in a "down" period right now but keep your eye on the goal. It's good to know what we can expect from those who have gone before--you are a pioneer to many of us. Keep on truckin!! Have a safe trip home. Good luck!

You're on your way! Congrats! I'm glad your dr. put your hubby's mind at ease--I'm hoping for that at my pre-op on Tuesday. Hubby still has very cold feet because we are self-pay and he's worried about $$ for future possible complications (among other things). Have a great weekend!

The literature my doctor gave me says "a goal of at least 60 grams of protein/day is typically recommended for the post-bariatric surgery diet." But I also remember him saying that during the first few weeks you should try to get at least 25 grams because it's almost impossible to get 60 on the liquid diet. Good luck!

My daughter has had a systemic yeast infection for 8 years now--since she had to have emergency surgery in a small town in Russia. She survives the pain and itching by taking acidophilus from the health food store (it's in the refrigerator because it's alive) and not eating sugar in any form. If you bake breads at all, you know that to "proof" your yeast for the bread (activate it) you add a little sugar and the yeast goes crazy. It becomes active and grows and grows. So it makes sense to not eat sugar when you are experiencing an active yeast infection. Also, as tammyj recommended, eating lots of unsweetened yogurt helps, too. Acidophilus is the active ingredient in yogurt, btw. Here's a little more about acidophilus: ACIDOPHILUS This is a form of the normal, friendly bacteria that live in our intestines (called flora). Our intestinal flora helps regulate our digestion and stool patterns. Yeast also lives in our intestines. The yeast and the bacterial flora are constantly competing for space, and generally they keep each other in check. Sometimes, however, our bacterial flora can get depleted, such as when taking antibiotics. This allows the yeast to overgrow, which can then lead to a variety of problems. Taking acidophilus restores the balance. Hope this helps. I feel for you! Thanks for the words of warning to us who are still waiting for our dates. Good luck! Karen

Looks like you are doing great with your weight loss, minimee! That's amazing that you have lost more than your daughter and she is younger and has a lower BMI--good work! BTW, I have a daughter named Kendra, too. She's 22 and one of those incredibly lucky people who eats like a horse constantly and is so skinny. She's expecting a baby in July so it will be interesting to see what pregnancy and childbirth do to her metabolism. She's so proud of her very little "tum" right now. Ahhh, I remember those days!:rolleyes

Congrats, Sugarbear. Here's to a speedy recovery. Sweet dreams tonight!

Keep us posted--NO pain would be a record of some kind. Let's celebrate! Congrats!

Nice to hear from you! I'm actually being banded on March 19--guess I had a typo in my post. Yes, it's a huge worry about $$ for complications (I had a post on that in another thread if you want to look it up--people were very helpful). I was born in Provo but moved when I was 3 months old but when my husband retired he wanted to go to BYU to get at PhD in Math so here we are. We spent about 20 years of our married life outside of Utah (Colorado, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tokyo) but now our children are gone and our parents need us we are back. I actually graduated from BYU last August at age 57--very exciting! It only took me 39 years to get my degree :straight It looks like you have five daughters??? Well, I actually have nine--plus one son. The oldest is 38 and the youngest is 20. Our son is in the middle. The funny thing is, we have five grandsons and no granddaughters. Three are due this year and we don't know yet what the gender of the October baby is--maybe our first girl? Grandkids are the best! Are you anxious to be banded? I'm going ahead but still have a bit of reservation--especially about the money for complications aspect. Scary. My DH is especially worried about it and I don't blame him but I'm more scared about staying like this the rest of my life (which will probably be a shorter life without the band!). Tough decisions! Where do you live now? Thanks for the note--tell me more about yourself! Karen

Hi all. I'm so upset because my surgery is scheduled for March 18 and DH just called the insurance (which isn't covering the sugery) and found out that any complications won't be covered in the future, since the surgery isn't covered. I understand that and was willing to pay for surgery for a slip, etc. if absolutely necessary BUT DH is worried about even greater expense--like what if I end up in a coma or something???? What to do? How have you reconciled this? DH seems to feel that it is a risk we shouldn't take but should wait 3-4 years until we have insurance that will cover it. I'm almost 58 and don't want to wait. We're using retirement money so I understand this is a big problem but I'm just so sad about possibly having to wait. We'll discuss it tonight but I wondered if anyone could provide some insights, stats, experiences, etc. that might help with my decision to go forward and take the risk or withdraw and be fat for another few years. Help!:help:

Thank you all for your insights. We are still talking and figuring (and crying some, too). I'm sure it will work out one way or another--hopefully with me happily going into surger on March 19! Just to be clear and answer your questions: yes, I have done lots and lots and lots of research. And, although we understand that the risks and complications are minimal, they do still exist. And therein lies the rub. If you are the ONE of the 10,000 with the complication, it doesn't matter how many others didn't have complications. Complications, I can live with. Spending our retired years paying the medical bills from those complications is an entirely different story. BUT, they are rare and the question is whether or not to take the risk of potentially catastrophic costs if there is a serious complication. My dr. does pay for any complications related to the band (slippage, erosion, etc.) during the first year as well. I have had all the blood work done (covered by our student insurance--DH is working on a PhD in math now that he retired) and my pcp is very supportive of this procedure. I think that answers your questions. The points I like best that you provided is that the complications of being overweight far outweigh (pun intended) the possible surgical complications. I want to hold on to that. Of course, the complications of obesity are payed for by insurance! Go figure. Something is wrong with this picture. DH just said that he "isn't comfortable doing this without insurance" but when I asked him how likely he thinks it is that I will be having the surgery on March 19 he said, "about 97%." That give me great hope as I thought he would say "less than 1%." He assures me of his love and his admiration that I am willing to do this (he married me at 117 lbs. 39 years ago) but, since he wants us to live a long time together happily, he needs to consider all of the possibilities that might interfere with that dream. Of course, one big interference is death from obsesity. Another is losing our home and retirement because of medical bills. It's a gamble either way. Thanks for your insights--I read DH your comments and I do think it helped. Karen

I totally agree with setting the stage before surgery. I'm not telling ANYONE but my husband. So, since my kids and their families often come for Sunday dinner, I told them that after our anniversary (which happens to be the day before my surgery) I am going on a liquid diet for "several weeks." They just think it's another one of my weight loss attempts (of which they are all very supportive but also very sweet about it). I am worried about Easter, too. I'll still be on mushies then and we always have our traditional ham, au gratin potatoes, etc. at our house. Not sure how to handle that but I'll figure it out by then. I've already solicited DH's help with some dinner parties that are coming up during my liquid phase--he has agreed to go alone because I'm feeling "under the weather." That will work fine, I think. It seems to me the liquid/mushy stages will be the most difficult. I'm not worried about just being able to eat small amounts slowly. After all, I'm always on some kind of "eating plan." Besides, few people really notice what someone else is or isn't eating as long as they have their plates full and are enjoying THEIR food! Good luck to all!

Thanks, Mark, for your quick reply. I feel the same way you do about the risks of waiting but I really need DH's support through this so further discussion is certainly necessary. I called my dr.'s office today and asked them how often someone has to be taken from the surgery center to the hospital because of complications. They said they have never had that happen. That's comforting but doesn't mean, of course, that it can't/won't happen. This is so hard to deal with when I'm in such an emotional state now riding the roller coaster with all the self-doubts, hopes, concerns, etc. that come with this decision. It's not a good night.

Can I join your lower BMI group, please...pretty please! I'm being banded on March 19 if all continues to go well. I'm actually having second thoughts but am feeling better after being on LBT for awhile. I see these big loses and get all excited but I need to be realistic and I think this group helps me keep things in perspective--I'm sure from what I've read from you guys that lower BMI's lose slower than higher BMI's. Right? That's okay if I plan ahead and am surprised by any larger weight loss. Have any of you reached your "ideal" weight? That's also something that worries me a lot--really getting down to the ideal range. It seems lots of people get "stuck" before they reach their goal. Anyway, thanks for the thread and good luck to all!

Hey lessofme and Sharon P--hope you are both doing well with your surgery and your decisions. I'm having Dr. Hansen do my surgery on March 19. Right now I'm feeling a little apprehensive about it all--will it work? can I eat following the rules for the rest of my life? (I'm sure those two questions are related!). What if I have complications? Spending money out of pocket for the surgery is one thing, but thinking of doubling or tripling that amount because of complications is very scary. Lessofme, have you survived the long period of liquids and pureed/strained foods without too much problem? Have you lost weight yet? You'll have your fill the day I have my surgery! I'm so full of emotions: excited, nervous, anxious, hopeful... But, what else is new??? Good luck to you both! Karen (in Provo)

Darn it, Mags! I feel your pain. I had the flu last week--chills, fever, diarrhea, etc. It lasted 2 days and I was still weak on the third. Hopefully, yours will be that short lived and you can reschedule soon. That must be so frustrating to be all "primed" and ready for the surgery and then have to postpone. Take it easy and let us know your new date. With wishes for a warm quilt, soft pillow, and some good chicken soup, Karen

I'm having my surgery on March 29th in an outpatient surgery center. The surgeon says it takes about an hour and that I can go home a few hours later. Hope that goes well! My doctor doesn't require a pre-surgery diet but his after surgery requirements are pretty demanding, it seems to me! I won't be on a regular food diet until May 1! After surgery I have a week of clear liquids, a day of any liquids, a week of strained food, and then three weeks of the "healing diet." Finally, after 5-6 weeks, regular food. Every doctor is SO different (from what I can tell on these posts). One of my big concerns (besides not losing weight) is that I'll have to pay again if there are complications (not the surgeons' fees but the facility, anethesiologist, etc.) and, since I'm self-pay, that would really hurt. SO, I'm super committed to following the diets with absolute exactness. The two surgeons in this practice have done over 900 bands and have only had one erosion and less than 2% slippage problems. So, I'm committed! Thanks to everyone for your candid experiences--it helops so much in my preparations and mindset. You are AWESOME!

Hi Newbies! I'm new myself and having surgery on March 19th. It looks like many of you are having surgery in March so I wanted to tell you about a thread in the General Lap-Band Forum called "March 2007 Bandsters." Several people on that thread have had surgery in the last few days and others are coming up this week. It's been SO helpful to hear from people as they go to surgery and again as they report day to day during recovery. Also, it's fun to see who else is having surgery the same day as you and where their surgery is. FYI! Just thought you might like to join us! :myscared:

Thanks so much, March Bansters, for the blow-by-blow experiences of your surgery--you give me hope and confidence. I can do this! We ALL can! You are all awesome. Sleep tight! You are on your way and we're not far behind you. Woohoo!

Thanks, Angeleyes. It's nice to be checked on! And thanks for noticing my banding date--I have a new grandbaby due on October 19 so that is, apparently, foremost on my mind (which is a good thing--all things in perspective!).

I have a little idea how you feel, Dawn. Good luck to you on this roller coaster ride. I have been on the Internet for hours and hours and hours looking at the goods, the bads, and the uglies. This site is definitely a "good." Yesterday I scheduled my surgery for March 19. My husband taught me early in our marriage (38 years ago) that when it is hard to make a decision, pretend that you made it one way or the other and then go forward and see how it feels. I did that and it feels great (deciding NOT to do the lapband gave me great feelings of hopelessness and doubt). Now, I'm excited, although nervous about the eventual outcome, and looking forward to the future. Good luck quitting smoking. My Dad was a smoker and my Mom has always been overweight. My Dad told my Mom that he would quit smoking if she lost weight. He quit smoking 50 years ago--but she is still overweight. I have to wonder which is harder? Both must be among the hardest things we have to do in this life. Good luck with both and especially with your decisions. I'm a newbie here but I'm sure you'll hear from some really experienced, helpful new friends. Again, good luck! Karen

I'm headed to lapband world on March 19 if all continues to go well. Pre-op meeting tomorrow night. Appt. with surgeon March 6. No pre-surgery diet required. No insurance since I'm a self-pay person. So what stands in the way? Lab tests, possibly. My own fears and questions, most likely. But I'm to the point where I feel that I have two decisions: one is to be fat the rest of my life and the other is to have the band. Nothing else seems plausible for me. And since I'm not willing to stay fat, bandland here I come. :clap2: We're in this together! Good luck to all. Karen

I've decided that, for now anyway, only my husband will know. I may decide later to let others in but my "feelers" and my own past beliefs tell me that I don't want to have people's opinions or feelings about this. My doctor told me a funny story: when I asked him when I could go back to work he said that he advises 5-7 days but that he had one guy who came in for his 2 week checkup and the dr. asked him when he went back to work. The guy said, "I went back the afternoon of the surgery!" The dr. asked him why he did that and he said, "because I didn't tell my wife I was having the surgery!" The dr. asked how he explained the cuts and bruising, etc. The guy said he told his wife he "fell on some bricks." LOL.:biggrin1:

Hi everyone. This forum has been so awesome in providing me with information and helping me to make an informed decision. I started the process just a few weeks ago and, because I'm a self-payer, was able to move quickly and have a tentative surgery date of March 19. I still have a few questions that I can't seem to find answers to. Any insights from anyone would be great: How often is more surgery required (due to erosion or other complications)? What percent of people are totally dissatisfied with the band and wish they hadn't done it? What percent of people are able to get down to their "ideal" weight and maintain it? Do you feel "normal" after the procedure--I don't mean right after but in the long run or are you always kind of quesy or yucky feeling because of lack of nutrition, fluids, etc.? What is the hardest adjustment? Small quantities? Forbidden foods? No Water with meals? Eating at friend's homes? Restaurants? etc. Well, if you are still reading, I should introduce myself. I am 57 years old, married 38 years, have 10 children (all boys but 9!), have 3 grandsons with three more due this year, and currently live in Utah. We have lived in Colorado, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Tokyo. I didn't have weight problems until after my 4th child and it's just gone downhill (or, I guess I should say, uphill!) since then. Have been somewhat successful in losing weight but always gain it back--plus another 5-10 lbs. That's me in a nutshell. Thanks for your knowledge and support. You guys are awesome!