sarcar

Hello! I am visiting this site, looking around. My partner is planning on having a lap band soon (no date yet but it's in the insurance pipeline) and I thought I would ask you all about how I may be more supportive once it is done. I do almost all of the cooking, and I am on an anti-inflammatory eating plan myself. Any suggestions so that I can help her succeed??? Thanks, Sara

I'm scheduled with Dr. Todd McCarty on Nov. 10 but my boss who is 50 pounds over weight wants to have the surgery and pay cash. She definitely wants to stay in Dallas area. Does anybody know of any surgeons that are good and will take somebody who is only fifty pounds overweight?

The lapband surgery was my third dealing with Dr. McCarty. He did my gall bladder surgery in 1998 and then in 2000 I was bitten by a brown recluse and hospitalized for a week. I have always found Dr. McCarty to be very knowledgeable and great bedside manners. My partner is an operating room nurse who has said that he knows his business and would recommend him to anybody. My issue was getting approval from the insurance company with took about nine months. Dr. McCarty's office worked dilegently with me and them to get this approval. I had to take three months and go through the diet I would be on after surgery and they worked with me on that and getting the paperwork to them. I had to have the standard pre-op testing -- heart, lungs, blood work, etc. but no problems there. After surgery, my port flipped which is not uncommon and he had me back in same day we found out and took care of it. I found his entire staff to be extremely helpful and always there for me. Let me know at sarcar@swbell.net if you would like to talk more on Dr. McCarty. I do think you would like him.

Can anybody recommend a Lap Band doctor in OKC? I had mine done in Dallas but a former high school classmate lives close to OKC and wants to have one done. He is a cash pay so insurance is not an issue and money is not an issue -- he just wants the best.

I had surgery on Thursday and returned to work on Monday. I felt great all weekend and my commute is about one hour. I did not spend a full day at work the first day and was going strong on the second day. I think it all depends on you and how you feel. Don't push it.

I was banded on Nov. 10 and I feel great. I'm on the soft food stage and the doc said I can now start trying different foods and see how they work. So far, no problems. I can't wait to get my first fill on Dec. 22. I've been one of the lucky ones with little discomfort during the whole process. Thirty minute surgery, home by 1:00 p.m. and eating soup that night with no problems. I've stayed on the program with nothing more than liquids for two weeks and now soft foods. Got through Thanksgiving with no problems.

When I first started thinking about the lap band, I thought I knew how hard the surgery would be since I had had a gall bladder surgery a few years before. Wow, I had the surgery on Thursday and was back at work on Monday. I was in surgery only 30 minutes and at home four hours latter. I was able to eat a little bit of Soup, drink Water with no problem. Friday, I was up and about most all day (at home). Saturday same thing. Sunday went out for a drive. Monday at work. I'm just now getting off liquids and it hasn't been hard. I've lost 14 pounds in the two weeks. I know this will slow down. I also know there will be some very hard times. But I am going to enjoy this while I can. I had a follow-up visit today and they are just amazed about how I'm doing. Even joked they were going to make me their poster girl for lap bands. Thanks for all the support. Carolyn

Hi yall, I was banded on the 10th and today is Thanksgiving and this is such a wonderful Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for. I'm down almost 20 pounds. I'm back on soft/solid foods. I'm not feeling hungry. When I do, a little bit is all I eat. The surgery was easy, easy, easy for me. I was back at work on Monday following my Thursday surgery and I've never stopped. I'm taking it slow and chewing, chewing, chewing so I've not yet had the dreaded PB that everybody talks about. I'm eating very slow and listening to my body. I'm taking in plenty of liquids all day. So much to be thankful this year and years to come. This band has already changed my life. Congrats to all the November bandsters and those still to come. Carolyn

ladysplenda, What I told Jini last night and what I will continue to say is that you make the best choice possible for you. People with Gastric Bypass have issues, people with lapband have issues. Likewise people with Gastric Bypass wouldn't trade what they did for anything in the world and the same goes for those with lapband. Both surgeries have their risk. You and only can look at all the info and make the best choice for you. After that, quite worrying. Don't worry about whether it was the right choice, but instead follow the program given and thank God for all the positives that come out of it and ask for help for the hard times. If you worry, you're wasting your life waiting for something that may never happen. And then what do you have to show for it. Enjoy life and if something happens, then deal with it. I'm lucky. I was banded on the 10th of November and have had nothing but great success. I've already lost almost 20 pounds to date. My surgery lasted 30 minutes. I was home in four hours. I've not been hungry during the liquid stage. I'm just now starting on the soft food stage and I'm finding that I'm not hungry after a few bites. Will it always be this great. I doubt it. I'll have issues and when I do I will take the steps I need to, to get through those issues. But I'm not going to worry about what the issues are going to be, how I'm going to handle them or anything else until it happens and then I will deal with it. For now, I'm going to enjoy the changes and thank God that I am having an easy time with it. My prayers to you to find the best solution for you and then to let go.

I didn't have the gas pains that you mentioned. I have been real surprised (and thankful) about how easy it has been for me. I was on liquids for two weeks. I'm now on solid foods. Try and see what works. I have a family history of heart problems and had to do and had to have a stress echo before the surgery. I'm sorry you are not having as easy of time and hope that things get better for you...Carolyn

Jini, I think we have to take each day one day at a time. I always tell people that I can spend my time worrying about what might go wrong and if it doesn't then I've just spent a lot of time worrying about nothing. I would rather just take each day and live to the fullest and do the best I can. If something goes wrong, then I will deal with it. I don't want to waste time with worry. Try not to worry about this. Some people have problems, but more don't have problems than do. This is too small a percentage to waste all that time worrying. Carolyn

That's me too. I was never a big sweet person. Give me a cake and it will go bad before I finish it. I just overeat which is why my doctor agreed to the lap band instead of the bypass. I'm not really hungry even on soups right now. So I'm hoping that it continues this way.

I had my surgery early Thursday (Nov. 10) morning and I'm feeling great. The surgery lasted less than one hour and by 1:00 p.m. I was home in my own bed a little bit and walking a little bit. I spent most of Friday out of bed walking around the house. Saturday I didn't lay down at all. Pain is minimal. Today is Sunday and I plan to go to work tomorrow. I had previously had a gallbladder surgery and was expecting that type of pain, but it was nowhere close. What a great experience this has been so far. Much better than I had anticipated. And I've lost 10 pounds in these last few days - which I am sure is mostly Fluid - but who cares it is weight loss. Hope all the others having surgery in the next few days, weeks, months, years have the same experience as I have had. Carolyn

I'm November 10 with Dr. Todd McCarty @ Baylor Dallas. Exceited and Terrified all at the same time.

Wendiss, It is frustrating and time consuming to the vast amount of those that want to have insurance pay for it. It took me seven months and they made me jump through hoops. But the big thing to keep pushing and keep communicating and just do everything they asked. I researched over a year before I decided that I wanted to do this and exactly which of the gastric surgeries I wanted to do. So insurance took seven months and then twelve months prior for research. But the main thing is don't give up.....I won on my first appeal.

Let's get a list going for the November surgery dates. I'm on November 10 and can't wait. Scared and excited at the same time.

I am using Dr. Todd McCarty at Baylor. I have past experience with him on a gall bladder surgery and also a spider bite that I almost lost my leg. My SO is a nurse with Baylor and said he is definitely one of the best surgeons you can ever go with - not there are not others also - but you won't go wrong with him. My surgery date is scheduled Nov. 10.

Where's it located? I've searched for it and don't see it anywhere. Also did the search tool and it only came back with this thread.

Well, I was verbally told that they approved me for the lap band surgery but the doctor wouldn't set the date until they had the letter in their hand. Well I got the letter today and they approved me for the Gastric Bypass not lap band. Guess I have to wait until Monday to see next steps I have to jump through. I'm so tired of this crap and so emotionally shot.

Well, we are truly on our way. I have a date for the surgery. It is Nov. 10. Can't wait. Scared and Excited at the same time. On our way for a long vacation to San Fran, so I'll talk to everybody when we get back. Carolyn

Oh what an emotional roller coaster this has been. Today the doctor's office called and talked with the insurance company. They use the same procedure for all gastric surgeries. They have about four surgeries that they approve and one or two they don't allow. But I can have any of the ones that they approve, it doesn't matter to them. They said they always use Gastric RNY as the default auto form letters that go out but it really means RNY, AGB or any of the other two. So it looks like November - here we come...... Carolyn

I had to have one year documented unsuccessful weight loss that was doctor's supervised; Stress Echo; Pulminary Test; another diet that would be the diet I would be after the surgery- three months supervised by nutritionist and md; full psych evaluation from psychologist not associated with the surgeon. They will make you jump through hoops, so prepare yourself mentally. They are trying to weed out those that are not willing to keep going. DON'T GIVE UP. Just keep doing what they say and you will get through it. It may be difficult at times - but I've finally gotten approval and I started in April.....Carolyn

I'm back on. They called the insurance company and it is one CPT code for all gastric surgeries. They have about four or five they allow and this CPT allows for any of the surgeries to be done. So I'm trying to get a date, hopefully it will be mid November before the holidays. Thanks for everything...Carolyn

They won't talk me into the gastric bypass....but it is hard to think about leaving this doctor as my partner is a OR nurse and works with him on a lot of other surgeries. I've had two surgeries with him in the past and he is an excellent surgeon and he does lap bands, just prefers the gastric bypass. I'm sure he'll try to talk me into the gastric but it ain't happening.

My surgeon does both the lap band and the gastric bypass and actually prefers the bypass over the lap band. So having him state that I have greater risk on the RNY is probably not going to happen. However, I have stated numerous times that I will not have any surgery if the only one I can have is the gastric bypass. I do not want that surgery and won't have it. I've got a call into the doctor's office waiting for them on Monday. This is such an emotional roller coaster and I'm definitely tired.