Crystal927

Hey there!!! I haven't logged in here in a while... Don't worry too much about the lbs gained pre op, I def wasn't trying to but I also gained during my "insurance hoop jumping" I was terrified it would affect their decision but it didn't. I'm so sorry that you don't have support coming from your friends and family. My immediate family was supportive and a few of my friends but outside of that I haven't told anyone about my surgery. I chose to keep it private. I'm really close to you (I live in Satsuma) so if you need anything I'm more than willing to help out! Dr. Ringold in Mobile, did my surgery back in Feb so I am just over 4 months post op and down 70 lbs so far. I really loved him!! I have seen his partner Dr. Hannon for all of my follow up stuff and I really like him alot too so if you haven't seen either of them, might be worth a consultation. As far as my experiences I have NO regrets, best decision of my life and i'm not even halfway to goal yet! Pain was minimal, I only took one dose of pain medicine the day after surgery then I didn't take anything else. i'm not a big medicine taker anyways. The only pain I really had was at the larger of the incision sites for about 5 days when I would get up out of bed. Other than that I had zero pain. Only time i battled nausea was when I came back from the upper GI the first day post op to check for leaks. After drinking that chalky mess i got super nauseated...then i burped and it went away haha The gas pains are there too but they aren't anything unbearable by any means, just uncomfortable really. As far as the hospital staff they were great! I never asked for anything that they weren't right back there with nor did I need anything the didn't get me. let me know if you have any questions, i'm more than happy to share!

I'm 3 weeks post op tomorrow...and I had the same problem...and I thought it would never stop and like you it kept me from getting my fluids in b/c it hurt ever sip I took. But I'm here to tell you the good news is that it does go away...I'd say about day 6-7 for me...and I've been drinking like a normal person again The last 3 days I've actually gotten in over the 64 oz without a problem whereas the first week I was struggling to get in 48! So hang in there! You got this and it will get better!!

Hey!!!! Alabamaians!! I'm in Mobile...surgery Friday (Feb 22 with Dr. Ringold)...like three days away! Whoop whoop! I want to encourage y'all who are still waiting in various phases, hang in there!!! I hit several "speed bumps" along the way and it still seems like it has flown by. My files were never received from other offices had to send in pics instead of medical records b/c my records are VERY limited (thankfully been blessed to be healthy for a big girl!)...then my paperwork was submitted for the "wrong" procedure (sleeve) as I was originally a lapband-er, then I attended the "wrong" class... So I know about a rollercoaster for sure! Did I mention Im also in the middle of buying my first home?? Everything is happening all at once!!! Glad to see some locals on the boards!!

Preop testing is done here as well!! Yay!!! EKG good, Upper GI good, Ultrasounds good, pulmonary clearance received...Now to just wait for Friday to get here!

I'm right there with ya girl! pre op testing tomorrow surgery next friday!!! seems like it was such a long time coming, but now its here!!!! AH!!! so excited, and so glad that this liquid diet hasn't been as bad (so far) as I had feared. Good luck with your tests tomorrow!

I'm gonna chime in with something that brought me comfort as I was "battling" out this decision myself...I, like you, was freaking out because its so new and whats the future look like of those patients, etc. Then I had a conversation with a friend of mine about my fears, she told me that her mother had to have about half of her stomach removed due to an ulcer that ruptured and that she never had any problems, she even lost weight as a result. So that got me thinking...true enough they haven't been doing the VSG for long, but they have been removing portions of peoples stomachs for other reasons for YEARS. I asked my surgeon if it was fair to compare the two, he said "absolutely, thats how we learned about the VSG was by seeing other patients lose weight as a result of having portions of their stomachs removed for other reasons ie ulcers, phase one of bypass for patients who weren't healthy enough to undergo the bypass all at once" this knowledge brought me great peace in it...knowing that the procedure indeed has been done for alot longer than 10-15 years just with different purposes Hope this helps ya think about it differently maybe

Hey everyone!! I'm there with ya! I started my pre op yesterday...so today is day 2 for me...I can say that today has been MUCH better than yesterday. I was off yesterday, and it was rainy out so that might have made it harder, today I've had work as a distraction and haven't felt those hunger pains as much today! If it continues like today, I'll be okay!! If its more like yesterday I might lose friends from being grumpy hang in there girls, we got this!!!!

Hey there everyone! So I'm new here...I've been lurking around these boards for about a week now. Here's my "short" story I had my first consultation with my surgeons office back for LapBand in June 2012. For insurance purposes I had to do a 6 month doctor supervised diet. I completed that December 28. Then, my surgeons office submitted my paperwork for approval. I received approval Jan 9. I have had tunnel vision straight to Lapband ever since. His nurse practitioner tried to talk to me about sleeve the day of my consultation and I declined politely that I wasn't interested in that and didn't want to waste her time or mine. Fast forward to last week, I attended a BEGIN class upon learning I was approved, I get to the class and its a Sleeve class...they agreed to let me stay and just told me the differences in Vitamins and post op diet. I was all excited for a call the next day to set up my pre-op testing and appointment, the call I received was much different than expected...they had submitted my paperwork for the "wrong" procedure. I was approved for Sleeve. I panicked...then I calmed down and really thought about that this might be God trying to nudge me into opening my mind and eyes to what rights in front of me. So, I started researching the Sleeve while waiting to meet for "rediscussion" with my surgeon today. The more I've researched and prayed the more confident I am that I was about to make a mistake with the band, not that the band is bad or wrong, just that it isn't the right decision for me. SOoooo....I'm happy to say that I will be having my SLEEVE done on Friday, Feb 22! Now that the actual decision and stress that came with wrapping my mind around something totally different than what I set out to do...I cannot wait!!!! Crystal

Good luck to all of you with upcoming dates!!!! yay!!!

You're welcome Just wait until you hear those magical words "Its been approved" it becomes SO real then!! I'm still waiting to schedule mine...can't wait to have a date to countdown to! woohoo!

I'm in the TRS but in AL with BCBS...Mine was submitted on Dec 31 and I heard from it Jan 16...Approved I ended up calling them because I hadn't heard anything and they said it had been approved on Jan 9; my letter was in the mailbox the afternoon of the 16 so I would suggest giving them about 10 days and call them Good Luck!

Kara! My friend, you are NOT alone! I have had those same "what ifs" but I'm just trusting that all will be fine, these docs do this all of the time they got this! I think the added anxiety just comes from never having done this before...you hang in their girl, you got this! We got this!

You look great!!!!!! Keep up the hard work!

Welcome Susan!!! I know you are looking forward to getting your date in hand and starting the official countdown! I know I can't wait!! I, like you, two years ago shed about 70 lbs and have since put them back on, looking forward to the help the band gives!! Also, I haven't told many people, admittedly I have shared with a few more than you, but I'm single so my family knows and my most treasured and trusted friends. I was very choosy in who I told because I wanted support not judgement I have also had to rely on my faith through this because this wasn't an easy decision for me to make, I actually was kicking and screaming through it all lol but I feel like this is where the Lord has led me and I have that amazing peace that passeth all understanding about this procedure. Thats not to say that I won't be anxious as the time approaches..cause I know I probably will be freaking out (I've never had ANYthing done, so this is all uncharted territory for me!) I'm not afraid, I have no phobias or anything, I just really expect to be super nervous going under. Best wishes to you on your stress test today!

I have to do a 10 day liquid diet....7 days of "creamy liquids" and the last 3 are all clear liquids...oh boy