kacee

I think people using an excuse that they "don't think it will work" for them as a reason to not tell people is a HUGE COP OUT. Dig a little deeper and I think the REAL reason many people don't tell is because it is their typical MO....it gives them license to FAIL without having to listen to repercutions. If no one knows you have "done this thing" you cannot be held "accountable" for your own failure. Spending thousands of dollars, having surgery and altering you future lifestyle is such a radical choice, it goes against everything sensible to not expect that you will have success. For me, telling everyone and their brother was INCENTIVE for me like you can't IMAGINE. Each person I told who "looked at me that way" was one more KICK IN MY BUTT to succeed and prove everyone wrong. It was my insurance policy. NO WAY could I not succeed after I had laid my intentions and expectations out for the world to see. It was my catalyst for success.

You betcha!!! I was very tongue in cheek about the whole thing (privately). I figured I would be the one person where they would say, "Well, it works on most people, but you apparently are the exception to the rule and it doesn't work on you. So sorry." I was just fully expecting failure. Because of that I decided I was going to be absolutely religious about my post-op diet (I wasn't required to have a pre-op) and follow everything to a "T". Well, whooptee dang doo...guess what I found out! That sucker works! Actually, I worked, and it worked with me! I couldn't have been more surprised....or happy!!!!

I second and third the motion for Dr. Spivak. Dr. Spiegel is supposed to be an excellent surgeon, however the aftercare and organization of his office is less than to be desired. That seems to be a concensus. It is imperative that you have outstanding aftercare. Dr. Spivak did my band in May. I had considered Spiegel, but heard so much negative about the aftercare (his bedside manner is non-existant as well, I understand....which is not an issue for some people). Just my two cents. I think you will find a lot of folks agree with me.

What brand beam scales did you guys get?

Are you taking your pain meds on a regular basis? If not, then do. There was a lot of tightness, constriction, discomfort, and what felt like a golf ball mid-chest for the first week. It will lessen. But take your pain meds.

Also you can get down on the floor and put a hard pillow under your tummy and raise your butt up a little. That will really facilitate the air coming out. (that's a great old remedy for bad gas pains). You could also be sensitive to artificial sweeteners...I've heard that they can be a culprit too. Main thing is immense amounts of walking around, and fart fart fart and burp burp burp. Don't hold it in at all!

I'm in my 7th month and still do a lot of belching (and coming out the other end too). I think the way we are constructed now enables more air to get into the gut when eating. It will lessen with time and you will also get used to it.

What in the way of "side effects" are you aprehensive about?

Lish, check out the pre-op/post-op thread. That's a great place for newbies to jump in. I would suggest checking into getting some clear protein drinks like Isopure (see this link...) index because those have been indispensible to me since surgery. Great way to get your protein in with very little of the calories. (Each bottle has 40 mg protein and 160 calories). You can order them on-line, or some health food stores carry them. I found some GNC's carry it. Make sure you ask for the CLEAR drinks (not a powder or a shake).

You'll probably do okay, just keep to the post op plan...mushies and liquids because you will only be about 3 weeks out. Soups, very light fish filet, cottage cheese, be very careful when you eat out on board. Make sure you know where a bathroom is (just in case) in the dining room. Be super attentive when you eat....tiny tiny tiny bites....even though you are on mushies, this is still important and you can get yourself into trouble if you forget. Put your fork down between bites. Good luck! You've already lost a pile of weight there! Doing great!

Welcome Judyblue! You are going to DO it and we are all here to help and be a shoulder for you. We will encourage you and root for you and when you mess up we will be the first to jump in and go "Girlfriend, get back up on that HORSE!!!" We've all been diet failures...that's why we are here. You are so lucky to have a supportive family (so did I). Your life is going to be changing in ways you cannot even imagine in the coming months, and it's going to be one heckuva ride! You've got a great outlook and your life is going to be taking a turn down a path you never thoughy possible. Welcome!

We are all here because we have crappy eating lifestyles and horrid habits. If we were successful dieters, you'd never see our faces here! We're all gastric failures, and that's something we ALL have to overcome...that negativity. I too went into the band without total optimism. I thought....well, it works for some folks, but I am going to be that one person they look at and go "Oh, well, sometimes the magic works and sometimes it doesn't...guess it doesn't for you...so sorry." I went into it with grim determination (no will power, just grim determination) to prove the world and myself WRONG. It's like starting out on a marathon...I was out of the gate like a ball of fire. I figured the best thing was to get my momentum going early on and go great guns at first in case things started to slow down I would have had early success to help me through. What it DID was train me early. Instead of piddling around at the beginning and THEN getting down to business, I followed my post-op diet to a "T"...no questions, NO cheating so if it DIDN'T work, I could HONESTLY go back to my doctor and say I had done everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) right. But ya know what....when you follow the directions, when you make the changes, when you do the plan....it works. I'm now entering my 7th month and am 3 pounds from the goal my DOCTOR set for me (not MY goal though...I have another 10 pounds after that). I consider myself a huge (no pun intended) success story. I am speaking as a FAILURE for 40+ years in maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle, and I am here to tell you it CAN BE DONE!!! And I didn't KILL myself doing it, either. The last 7 months have been some of the best in my life.

Thunder...WELCOME my man! You have a great attitude and you are gonna see changes coming in the next months that you never though possible! That's absoutely right...take it a day at a time. Don't look at the long run....set MANY MANY mini-goals for yourself (and if you are a weenie about following through, make sure the first ones are easily attainable to give you a big boost!). Because you are only 40, you have a long life ahead of you (without the weight of course....because with that weight your active lifestyle would be coming to a screeching halt very soon now). I am thrilled for you. Jump on into the pre-op/post-op and general discussion area and get those big feet wet! You've got a lot of companions in the wings waiting to support you on your travels!!!

Costs can vary significantly depending on where you are in the States (assuming you are in the USA). Prices if done in Mexico (and yes, there are very well qualified GOOD doctors in Mexico if the logistics allows you to go there) can be anywhere from about $6000-$10000. In the states it goes up from there. I was a self-pay and mine was $12,900, which I consider a good price. Prices can go up to the low 20's, though I have no idea why anyone would knowingly pay that much. As far as how to pay for it...I took a 401K loan, many people borrow against retirement,borrow from family members, take loans on their houses, or there are institutions that make loans for medical procedures. Yes, it is an investment. But you probably sink anywhere from $8,000-$25,000 in a new car every decade or so and that's something that wears out and has to be replaced! This is not a "temporary fix" so as far as I am cocerned you definitely get your money's worth in the life change.

If this is a pre-band program, just do the best you can. That's all that can be asked of you.

Have you been banded yet or is this the pre-band supervised program many insurance companies require?

Unless you are one of the lucky FEW who get good restriction just with their band in place, it isn't going to start working for you until you get GOOD RESTRICTION. I was VERY good post op, and did lose about 23 pounds initially, but the minute I could start getting fills I was on my doctor's doorstep. I got no restriction at all until my third fill, and then things started to really take off. By then I had been retraining myself how to eat, and then when the band kicked in, my portions went waaaaaayyyyy down. All I had to be concerned with was making right choices, because regardless of what I ate...I would definitely NOT be eating very much of it. It will come, but it may take a little time.

Sorry about the IV thing. That does happen sometimes (happened to me to, but not during the banding procedure). It is excruciatingly painful and takes a while to go down. Most of the rest of it just seems to be the body adjusting. Constipation and diarrhea. Yep....the body is going WHAAAAATTTT????? You just gotta roll with the punches. It will stabilize. You cannot expect to invade the body like this and come popping out on the other side in tip top shape. It takes adjustment, and it takes some weeks to get back. The shakes may have had to do with low blood sugar....keep a steady flow of protein coming in to help avoid the shakes, weakness, nausea, etc. Except for the IV thing it actually sounds like you are doing well!

I hope she decides to give it a go. So many folks who are gun-shy of surgery, discomfort, etc. have a knee-jerk reaction when everything doesn't go perfectly. Everyone is different, everyone heals differently. She made the commitment...you guys should cowboy up and see it through and she will be glad she did.

You said: Yesterday she felt prematurely full after 1 med cup of Protein drink in the hospital I don't understand the concern. That is NORMAL. You can't drink very much after the surgery because of the swelling. A medium cup of Protein Drink is quite an undertaking. Don't give up now. They are probably keeping her because they want to keep her electrolytes up and easiest wasy is through IV. You don't want to release someone who still feels queasy and have them get dehydrated.

Yep, normal. I felt like I had a GOLF BALL in the center of my chest for about two weeks or so. Everything is tender and swolen and this is totally normal.

Nana, almost 30 pounds in 3 months! You are ROCKIN!!!

Thanks for posting! Good to have a timeline for information for the newbies. We often get questions like "How is the lapband 10-20 years out?)....well, this just shows that because the procedure is still fairly "new", there probably aren't a LOT of studies available, and you will most likely not find anyone who has had the band for that extended period. The "oldest" band I have met is the girl who works with my surgeon. She has had hers for 7 years and was one of the first to get it when it was released in the U.S.

I am 6 months out and I still occasionally amd "not sure" what's going on down there ("a" or "b"). 90% of the time (or more) it will probably be gas. Get used to gas. It's rampant for the first month or so, and then lessens, but you also get used to it as time goes on. It won't always be like it is in the beginning.

You better get used to the growling because it's gonna be a regular thing for a while. Just because you growl does not mean you have to feed the monster. It is also not unusual NOT to want anything for the first day or two after surgery. You do tend to have to make yourself comply about that. Get yourself some protein shakes, or try something like Isopure clear protein drinks (index). That will help appease the hunger. Just keep up with the semi-liquids and fluids. Things ae going to get a lot more active in that gut before they settle down! It's just part of the process.