allwright

Welcome and congrats on your decision to get banded. Great site for support!

You are on a wonderful journey. The support here will give you WOO-HOO's when you move forward and a listening hear when you struggle. We will go through this together. You have made the choice and now are ready to get on the "band wagon"! Congrats!! Let us know how we can help you. There are no stupid questions....just stupid not to ask! Shopping for clothes is overrated!! It's only fun when you can shop due to your desire to do so and not because you have to find something to wear.

So when is your date? Advise, hmmmm where to start, lol. Just be comfortable with your decision. Have your groceries ready. Take comfortable, loose clothes with you to wear home. Be patient!

We usually lose in the beginning as we are taking in fluids only. When you start on mushies and solids, it is not unusual to see some gain. As others have posted, it is important to eat small amounts, give your body time to heal, and get good support from somewhere. This site is excellent to stay in touch with fellow "banders" and get good tips. As far as the back pain, I too suffered alot. Soon as I started losing weight, I noticed I was able to do more exercise. Every little bit helps toward your goal.

I believe that the "fill" is a food substitute and a tool for us to use in our quest for weight loss.

Hello there and welcome! I had the surgery April 29, 2007. I did not have to do the pre-op diet other than my own choice to start leaving off a few things(sodas). I did not have the "foaming" or any problems following surgery. I was on fluids for 2 weeks, mushies for 2 and then regular food. I eat no beef or bread. Some people do with no problems. You can experiment with food items to see what you can tolerate. The key is chew, chew, chew and take small bites. I have found that I really do not miss what I can't have. I think I am blinded by the great feeling I have about what I have done for me! Good luck with your adventure!

Cope out? Do you walk everywhere or cope out and drive....do you sew all your outfits or cope out and wear store bought clothes? Do you bake and can and hunt for your food or cope out and go to the local deli? My point is that having the surgery is not "an easy way out", it is a lifestyle change. It is taking charge of your health! It is finally choosing to do something that will allow you a healthier life. Good luck with your search for answers.

Congrats Stef.....sometimes it's just meant to be. I had a similar experience as I got approved and had surgery the following week. The pre-op band is not a pre-requisite for having the surgery. It is good if you can start cutting back and incorporating some good habits. My was no sodas and no straws to get started. Best of luck and welcome...

Have you talked to your personal doc? Usually they can refer to someone. Also attending seminars can introduce physicans doing the various procedures. That is how I met my wonderful Dr. Tanner. Good luck with your search!

hmmmm 4th fill this quick? I was banded April 29th and have had 2 fills. I do not feel that I need anymore right now. I'm wondering what size band they used on you. Have they run any kind of test to make sure everything is placed correctly? Are you super hungry?

Loose clothing to wear home....and I took a lap blanket to have in car. I had an 85 mile ride and the blanket allowed me to curl up and relax.

I am 54 years old. I am very happy with getting the "band". I do not think age has anything to do with it except for having more years to suffer needlessly. The family being scared of any weightloss surgery, should on the other hand, be scared for you not having something done about the weight. The diabetes, heart problems etc. should be red flags to take control of the situation. Good luck with your decision.

I am soooooo....glad I listened to my gut instinct and kept my mouth shut about what I was going to do! This is a personal decision and one not to be taken lightly. I decided to tell only the people I would trust with a checkbook. This is a short list! Actually, I told my husband, mother, sister-in law(all 3 because if I needed help they would be the ones I called on) before I had the surgery. If they had not been supportive of my decision, I would not have told them when I actually had the band. Of course, my husband would know as we discussed it and researched it together. He was 150% on board. Like any other major decision, you are the one that needs to do what's right for you and your particular situation. Ask yourself the question....would I let these same people chose the home I live in, the car I drive, the places I shop, etc. Probably not, so why let them decide who you are and what you should do with your personal weight situation. If they had all the answers, why did they allow you to get to this point in the first place before trying to interfer? Sometimes we get caught up in the excitment of what we are going to do for ourselves that we allow others to try and burst our balloon. Is this jealousy on their part.......

I'm excited for you. The waiting was the hardest part. But, I did have good documentation in my medical chart. It showed where I had consistently tried to lose on various diets ie: Jenny Craig, Slim-fast, Mayo Clinic diet, Atkins, tried various diet prescription weight loss and couldn't take them, all all this counted toward my attempts to lose. Hope you stay the course and do what's right for you. It was definitely a good choice for me.

The purpose, at least for me, was to get banded because I could not do it on my own. Lord knows I tried everything I could humanly do to lose weight on my own. Finally accepting the fact that I needed help, I chose to be banded. Part of the banding process is to have fills, to give the feeling of being full. Some people need only one or two fills, while others do need more. The psycological aspect of needing to eat is not "banded", therefore stress, fear, pain, insecurities and many other reasons for overeating is still there. We know there is a "head" hunger and an actual need to eat. Many of us are not discilplined to have the surgery and not need the "fills". We need all the support we can get to have successful weight loss!

You feel full!!! You just know that you should not take even one more bite. Listen to your body...it really will warn you!

As many docs and dieticians say no drinking through straws(ooooh -air in = air pain)...I went to GNC(health food store) and bought 2 20 oz, cups with sippy type closeable lids. This helped me a lot to have a crystal lite drink around me at all times. I could grab them to have in car, on treadmill, bedside and outside. Whatever works!!

Hey Phyl, go to the Home page.....scroll all the way down and you will see "Local Lap-Band Support Group"....follow the states down alphabetically to KY!

Hi there from Campbellsville, KY. Hopefully your insurance co will tell you everything you need. I did not have to do the pre-op diet as my health records showed that I had continously been trying to lose weight via, pills, slim fast, med-fast, Jenny C., weight watcher, Healthy heart diet, Atkins, South Beach, Mayo diet, etc.(I always told my dr. what I was trying so it would be charted). I had documented back pain, arthritis, reflux, high BP, hx of blood clots, and hypo-hyperglycemia. So instead I just had to have the x-rays, bloodwork, stress test, sleep apnea test, ultrasound and H-pylori test done. I had to have a letter of referral from my family physician but, I also submitted one from my neuro dr that I saw for my back problems. Hope all this info helps...

Congrats!!! I had my pre-op on a Tuesday and back for surg on Thurs same week! Every place in diff though. Hope all goes well for you!

I was banned on 3/29/07 and am down 25 lbs. I was told to have 20g Protein daily mandatory for healing and minimum hair loss. Cream of chix soup/strained...tomato Soup...V-8...chicken broth and all could have the Protein powder mixed in. Then I went to yogurt, cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, and puddings to be added to my choices. Then I added mushy veggies and cheesy eggs. Finally chicken, pork and fish all soft and small would be added to my menu planning. It would be nice if the dieticians and docs could all agree. Guess we are part of the testing process.

I had my band done 3/29/07. I am down 25lbs now. I had a good experience with my band surgery. I had small amount of pain(extra strength tylenol) did not fill pain script. I had and still have no vomiting. I stop when I fill full. Not 1 more bite as I too can not stand the thought of vomiting. I figure if I listen to my body it will warn me ahead of time. Now, I do understand that some people are nauseated by the medication from surgery. That is why we do not eat prior to surgery. Can't throw up what is not in there. Being careful and really listening to your body is my advise. Hope this helped....good luck with your adventure.

Wow, it is a lot to take in at first. Surgeons are specialist like any other field ie: auto mechanics...some specialize in small vehicles, some foreign makes and models and some domestic. Surgeons specialize in band, gastric bypass, sleeve, etc. Let's face it...we are part of the investigative process for obesity and the future of weight loss surgery. Polls are being taken, surveys completed and options are growing each day. There are going to be new and experimental additional surgeries popping up as this process is developed more and more. Each surgeon is developing their technique. Just look at the different instructions given for eating after banding. Bread, no bread, beef, no beef, etc. The main thing is to research and then research some more. Ask questions, read, pray, or do whatever gives you peace about your decision. You have to live with whatever you decide. Personally, I chose the lap band. Not the Dr. or a friend, or my spouse. I looked at all the options and the band was for me. I felt at peace with that decision and I went for it. Are there trials, sure. I am my own worse enemy. No one opens your mouth and inserts food. No one makes you not execerise. No one tilts those scales.....I did it to myself. But with the lap band...I have the ability to change. It's working for me! I hope you find what is right for you! Good Luck!

Hello Phyl, welcome to the site. Several of us are over 50 and have had some of the same health problems you mentioned. Many of those health problems have gone away completely or subsided significantly. Drop in and chat with us anytime. Good luck with your appointments.

Hello Gina, thinking about it is a good 1st step. It is not something to take lightly. You have to have will, determination and a REAL desire to follow through after having the surgery. It can be your best friend or worst nightmare. This is a wonderful site to visit and talk with great people. Some of the stories are really sad and you will also get some real laughs. Some of the challenges and trials and testimonies can shed light on the process for you. Remember, there are no dumb questions, it is just dumb not to ask! Good luck in your search for answers...we are here to help!