wishiwas
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Everything posted by wishiwas
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Hey there fellow New Hampshire banners! I had my surgery on August 5th at 7:30am. I did it at the CMC in Manchester, NH. The surgeon was Dr. Connie Campbell. Today is day 8 and I feel great. I think the highest pain level I ever hit was maybe a 5. I must be lucky because I had 0 gas pain! Anyone elce banned at the CMC recently or upcoming?
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Question for those of you 1+ years out
wishiwas posted a topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
How much food are you getting in per a meal? I feel like I am way under the norm. For example, I had maybe 3 table spoons of meatloaf with 2 scoops of mashed potato one night, last night I had pieces of KFC popcorn chicken and a small mashed. For breakfast, I cant even finish a muffin. Plus do you drink with your meals? I cant have a meal without drinking. Its just too dry otherwise. Are you getting a cup or food in per a meal or less? Or more? -
When I was only 3 to 4 months out, I could still eat anything. pizza, bread, anything! Then I started to get more and more restricted. Now I am 1 year and 1/2 out and 75% of the things I could eat then are out. I can sometimes handle a piece of very dry thin bread like rye, but I dont think I could finish one slice. I hate to say it, but you will get stuck again, and your right, it hurts! I am to the point now where instead of extreme pain, its like of a stomach ache.
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bad reflux or a problem brewing?
wishiwas replied to nicci63's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I was banded in August of '08 and I had the same issue this past fall. Your band is too full and you need some fill removed. It got to the point where the smell of food made me sick, then I got pretty sick and my surgeron ordered all of the fill to be removed. Dont wait, get some fill out now. I had to start at ground zero one year out. I am finally restricted again, but now I am relearning what I can handle better. -
I dont mind discussing it. I will be honest. I didnt have the typical gas pains etc. The worst pain level I hit after surgery was maybe a 4. It wasnt even a pain more than a mild distrubance. I took liquid Tylenol on the first and second night just to get to sleep. Dr Campbell did such a great job with me. I would do it all over again if I had to, and I was scared to death of the surgery before. The liquid diet is easy to follow because for the first week or so. There is swelling inside of you have lots of restriction at first. Then the swelling goes down after like 2 weeks and you get hungery. Right now (one night before my first fill) I feel little restriction, but I cant eat as much as I used to. I dont want to eat more. I want this to work! I dont mind answering your questions. Remember, its not the same for everyone. Others may be experiencing something totally diffrent. Your doing the right thing though :sad:
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Dr. Campbell's surgery dates are about 6-7 weeks out from the time you first meet her, though I heard at the last pre-op support group, some people are being quoted Decemeber. I dont know if thats because of their insurance or what. Normally you go home the same day if your surgery is done by Dr. Campbell at the CMC assuming all goes well. She is great. I am so happy to have had her do my surgery. My surgery was at 7:30am, I woke up at 10:30am and was walking out of the hospital at 2:30 in the afternoon.
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Surgery Tomorrow and Really Nervous! Have your pre-surgery wishes been granted?
wishiwas replied to TrishaLight's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I guess today is your big day so I dont know if you will get this in time. There was no one in the world in more fear of this surgery than me. I had mine on August 5th. It was a piece of cake. I look back now at what I fool I was to be scared. While my recovery is not 100% typical, I had little to no gas pain. No pain from the surgery and wanted to get walking as soon as I woke up! You will be so happy you did it. Ask God and Jesus to help lower your fear level. :party: -
psych and diet eval?????
wishiwas replied to annecolorgreen's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
The psychologist is going to ask you questions about your weight and how you got there. They will also ask you why you want this surgery. Your answer has to be for your health. If your looking to loose weight just to look better, they will reject you. Health is the number 1 reason for the lapband. Yes, looks comes with it, but not the primary reason. The psych eval is no big deal. Not sweat it. Its not like you see on tv of someone laying on a couch and them repeating umm, ah LOL Its a normal human to human conversation. -
I see in your profile you got the band. Way to go!
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Jason, I swear you will never find anyone who was more afraid of surgery than me. Honestly.
Please ask God and Jesus to help reduce your fear level. And trust me, you stand a better chance of dieing driving to the hospital for the surgery than actually having the surgery. Its such a simple proceedure. Plus you have to rememeber, no surgeon wants to loose a patient on thier watch either. You said it yourself, they have already done 450 of them without death! Thats because its such a easy proceedure.
If you write that note, dont tell your wife about it. Just leave it somewhere where it could be found later. This way you can tear it up. But believe me, no matter what your going to say, she already knows.
They say something like 1 in 2000 people die of lapband surgery. I can tell you right now, that number is wrong. There are far more than 2000 surgerys for lapband going on everyday. I am willing to bet it more like 1 in 10,000 and I bet that number is low!
Do you fly? Do you think about crashing and death? No, of course not. Thats because its not common. Nor is death with lapband surgery.
My fear level was through the roof. I was waking up EVERY NIGHT about 2am saying I am not doing it. Then the daylight came and I would calm down again. I did a ton of prying asking God and Jesus to send angels and guides my way to releave this fear from me.
When I was on my way to the hospital, I had a strange calm to me. I just felt at ease. I wasnt questioned where it came from, but I was glad it was there. It stayed with me right into being wheeled into the operating room. I didnt even take the calming drug they give you before surgery! I put myself on the operating table and made jokes. Then they asked me to breath into the mask and I remember saying to myself, no big deal, your just taking a little nap. You will be awake soon!
Next thing I remember I was in the recovery room and kicking myself for being so worried!
If you want to ask me any questions, feel free to email me.
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Believe me when I tell you this. No one was more scared of surgery than I was. Every fear and thought all of you have mentioned ran through my head EVERY night for weeks before the surgery. Every night I woke up at like 2 am telling myself I am not doing it. Well, guess what, August 5th at 7:30am I did it! It was a piece of cake. This surgery is down to a science now a days. I dont know your beliefs, but ask God to take your fear level down. I went from a 10+ to like a 2 when it came time for the actual surgery. I was calm, cool and collected, and I went into the operating room without the happy drugs! Dont sweat it. Keep reminding yourself this, your going to take a quick nap and when you wake up, you can begin life!
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Nausea from protein shakes??
wishiwas replied to Sask Patient's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I have tried that brand as well but didnt care for it. Maybe you could check in your area and see if there are support meeting near you. If so, ask if they can have a protein tasting some week. If not, ask a few people if they would be willing to give you a scoop of thier product. You will get a million opinions about what people like or not. Bottom line is, what you will like. I use Body Fortress that I get a Wal-Mart. Its a large jug for $12.99 -
I was approved and banned last Tuesday (August 5th) and I have Cigna insurance. What kind of bill should I expect to see? Did you just have to pay for an emergency room visit or did they hit you with all kinds of non-sence charges like emergency room tech, and 1 injection needle and 1 face mask etc. Like how much did you have to pay when it was all said and done. Did they bill you or did you have to pay up front?
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Hi there! I was banded the same day as you, but in New Hampshire! Happy 1 week to you as well. I started my protein drink on Thursday when my stomach started to feel a little better. I have been drinking it since (althought I wont say I like it LOL). Keep up the progress. This time next year, we will both feel like new people!
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They just mentioned it 2 weeks ago at the pre-op meeting, but I dont recall the day or time. Try calling the CMC ASK-A-NURSE at 603.626.2626. They created that number for things like this
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You have 7 pounds total or 7 pounds left to loose? Last time I met with Dr. Campbell, I had lost all of my pre-op weight, but because I was so large (440 to start) she wanted me to loose even more! Man, I strugled to loose 30 pounds. This time around, I know I can do it. Joining the gym was the best thing I did. In the past I used to go to the Salem Rackett Ball Club, but the monthly fee was like $69. So when I didnt use it, it really hurt the wallet. Now Planet Fitness is only $10! You can loose that last 7 just by eating Special K cereal for breakfast and lunch for one week! Walk alot. Keep fighting. I know what you mean it feels like the weight went on overnight. I scare myself when I look at pics of me 5 or 10 years ago.
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No I am now on my pre-op diet again. I need to loose 32 pounds. I have already lost 14. I need to go to the gym more often.
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Ok, I want to go through with the lapband so bad, but what keeps running around my head is the moments before the surgery. I am told they give you something to calm you down. Does it make you stoned? Does it make you say stupid things? Are you still in control? Can you be put to sleep before you get in the operating room? Sorry for all the questions, I just really need to be put at ease. I have never been operated on before. I feel totally comfortable with Dr. Campbell, its just the moments before getting to me. What was your experience?
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I was in the same situation as you. I had Anthem insurance. I did all the pre-op weight loss, and got to meet with the surgeon. She was a little concerned about my blood clotting levels and asked me to see a specialist. My company changed insurance companies 1 week later! I had to start all over again with Cigna (which you need to track six month progress). I gave up on July 1st last year, gained all of my pre-op weight back (35+ pounds). I finally got back on track 2 months ago but this time, I joined a gym (Planet Fitness, only $10 a month!)
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Hey, another Salem, NH future bander here! I am on my pre-op weight loss program per Cigna. I am shooting for Feburaryish (is that a word - lol) at the CMC with Dr. Campbell.
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Question for banded men who were over 400lbs
wishiwas replied to wishiwas's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
Error in post. Message deleted. -
Are there any men here who were over 400 lbs before your surgery? Before your surgery, were you always hungry? What was your highest weight? Are you still hungry now that your banded? How much weight did you have to loose to have the surgery? My problem is I dont like the taste of most healthy stuff like salads. Lettuce tastes like grass to me. I cant stand that taste. I dont mind healthy cerials or yogurts, but how much how do you make 3 meals a day - 7 days a week out of that! Right now I am trying to cut back. I was on the fast track to getting banded with Anthem Insurance, when my company switched to Cigna (yuck!) I lost all my efforts and now I need to start at ground zero again, including the pre-op weight loss! I would like to chat about what you ate before and what you eat now etc. On or off this forum works for me. wishiwas@juno.com is my e-mail address.
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Question for banded men who were over 400lbs
wishiwas replied to wishiwas's topic in LAP-BAND Surgery Forums
Sure. I guess I only said men because of the types mens habits / hygene, but I would welcome your responce to my questions -
Question for banded men over 400 lbs
wishiwas posted a topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
Are there any men here who were over 400 lbs before your surgery? Before your surgery, were you always hungry? What was your highest weight? Are you still hungry now that your banded? How much weight did you have to loose to have the surgery? My problem is I dont like the taste of most healthy stuff like salads. Lettuce tastes like grass to me. I cant stand that taste. I dont mind healthy cerials or yogurts, but how much how do you make 3 meals a day - 7 days a week out of that! Right now I am trying to cut back. I was on the fast track to getting banded with Anthem Insurance, when my company switched to Cigna (yuck!) I lost all my efforts and now I need to start at ground zero again, including the pre-op weight loss! I would like to chat about what you ate before and what you eat now etc. On or off this forum works for me. wishiwas@juno.com is my e-mail address.
