azmensan

Your feelings are definitely very normal. I am one week post-op. As they wheeled me into the operating room, it all suddenly hit me: THIS IS A LIFE-CHANGING THING! ONCE I DO THIS TO MY BODY, I CAN NEVER GO BACK! Not that the thought hadn't occurred to me before, it just suddenly became very real. I burst into tears, scared to death. The nurses were great and calmed me down.. "are you sure?" "are you sure?" And I knew that I was sure that I could no longer go on living morbidly obese - not in the suicidal way, but in the hey, I'm miserable and I'm going to die young if I don't do this - I had 15 years to try to lose the weight and I couldn't so here goes - and they put me out. One week out, I am not regretting it. But I WAS regretting it about 3 days out - I was miserable. I had a hiatal hernia repaired at the same time, and I've been told over and over again that a lot of my pain was due to that, not to the band. At any rate, I am past the peak of the misery (I hope), and I am really glad I did this. My particular doctor makes you all-liquids for TWO WEEKS prior to the surgery. I lost 20 pounds in two weeks, now another 10 post-op. Thirty pounds down is a real motivator to keep going!

Walking IS exercise! So do it and stick to it! I am one week post op and have not returned to work. I have been working from home the day after the surgery (Wed was the surgery, Thu I was sitting up in bed typing), but I am a workaholic. I did about 4 hours Thu and about 4 on Fri. Saturday I hit a wall and couldn't function Sat and Sun. Monday I worked about 6 hours. Tuesday I physically went into work but was a little too weak to stay, so I was only there like 3 hours then worked 3 hours more at home. Today, Wed, I worked 8 hours from home. I will be going in full time tomorrow. Since I also had a hiatal hernia repaired, I think my pain was a little more than the average bear, heance why I am not having a lot of luck walking without hunching yet. Good luck! Warning: the anesthesia SUCKS.

The most amazing transformation for me has just been the feeling of not being hungry... ever. On the one hand, that kinda scares me because AI'm fearful I"mj going to swind up with teh malnutrition problems. I struggle just to remember to get the protein in and the water. Ugh!!! It takes everything in me to remember to eat just that. Cravings for food (and I was a food lover) - GONE. I am one week post-op, but I was put on an all-liquid diet for 2 weeks prior to surgery. Three days into that, I lost all desire for food.

I got banded a week ago today - and I told no one except my husband. Not my parents, no one. I don't need anyone's judgment. It's a hard enough point to reach in your life where you'e had to admit you're powerless over food, I don't need other people who don't understand telling me a load of crap. At any rate, I have lost 30 pounds during the whole process - 20 pounds pre-op diet and 10 pounds in the past week. Yes, people notice. I just tell them the same thing others hav e- my doctor wants me to lose weight. Which is true. The surgery, when I had it, also required a hiatal hernia repair - so I just told people that's the surgery I had - also true. Hence, the time off from work, the incisions, the change in eating - all explained away! I do not blame you for not telling others. I simply brought up the topic about 2 years ago with my mother and she went through the roof about how I must just not have any self-control, blah blah blah - even though she knows I gained my weight due to a brain tumor - sorry, but it's a little hard to get past the "it's not fair" in my head to lose the weight! After struggling for 15 years to lose the weight brough on by the tumor, I had to do something. Don't let anyone's judgment of you stop you from doing what's right for you and for your health and happiness!

Yes, PCOS can definitely cause the cessation of periods, and also can cause weight gain, chronic pain, etc. etc. For a while, that's what they thought I had. So yeah get checked out and ask for a hormone level check! If you have too much prolactin, it's your pituitary! L

I got banded 4/18/07. Feel like crap. Can't wait for my first post-op visit tomorrow just to make sure this is normal. Going4Fit - I didn't tell a soul except my husband. That's it. I just tell people I'm on a massive diet!

I am 1 week post-op and feel like crap. Can't wait to see my doc tomorrow for my first post-op visit and make sure all this is normal. Ugh! Think positive! Think Positive!

Mrs AEF - Welcome to researching the Lap Band! I'll try to answer your questions in order: 1) First, please concentrate on the fact that you've not had a cycle in 7 months. When I had that issue, it turned out that I had a tumor on my pituitary gland. You NEED to get that checked out. At a BMI of "only" 38 (which is not clinically morbidly obese, although you surely feel like it), your cycle stoppage is not likely solely due to the weight gain. In fact, a great amount of my weight was gained BECAUSE of the tumor. So PLEASE get that checked out. Many insurance carriers will NOT cover the Lap Band if your weight gain is caused by a medical condition. And it's definitely beter to get the medical condition treated first. THEN, if youstill can't lose the weight, take a look again. 2) All of the testing and whatnot you need, provided you start with a reputable bariatric surgeon, will be clearly laid out for you. Much of that testing will involve an Endoscopy, electrocardiograms, etc. etc. This will all be so that you are proven healthy enough to have the surgery. I met a guy pre-surgery here who found CANCER in the pre-surgery testing. It literally saved his life. ONce he got the cancer treatment wand was clean for 2 years, he again became a candidate for the Lap Band. 3) Your surgeon should be able to guide you - IF he is a covered physician under your health plan. UHC I think is United HealthCare, right? That's an HMO. HMOs are NOT typically likely to approve the Lap Band for those with a BMI below 40. Pleae keep that in mind. That is, unless you have some severa co-moribities, like diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. IF you are not experiencing these types of major weight-related issues, you may not even qualify as this surgery being medically necessary. 4) Losing weight without the fills would be possible, depending upon the amount of restriction the band itself provides you. BUt that is rare. Remember that the SURGERY is the big deal, NOT the fills. The fills are just a needle in a port. No big deal at all. Like giving a blood sample for a test. 5) Weight Watchers MAY have your cards in their files if your membership was recent enough. Some insurances not only require 6 months of documentation with a plan, but also along with visiting a DOCTOR every month during the weight loss effort. Please remember that you are only 21 years old, you have a lot of years ahead of you, even though I know you probably don't feel like that right now. You want it NOW. I know. But you may have a long road ahead of you. I took about 6 years before finally deciding which surgery was right for me, my lifestyle, my psyche, my insurance coverage, etc etc. I hope this info helps!