pandagirl

I rarely post here because all of my entries are on live journal. I find that forum easier to write in that this one. I don't have many friends over there, but that's not the point of my journal. I wonder if it would do better over here, if I should be connecting to people going through the same thing as I am rather than "go it alone"? I'm not alone really. I have family and friends supporting me in this, but there are times they can't get the full grasp of what I'm going through because they are not experiecing it. Anyway...I'll think on it and see how I feel about opening up over here. It shouldn't be hard, but I'm finding that it is.

I think it's normal for them not to give a surgery date until after you've lost the required wieght. But....I was approved before they sent me to the surgeon. Who do you have?

Okay, so it's not totally out there. I've been asked to lose 25% of mine. h well my body must be different somehow. Cool on the 15 pounds!!!!! The other 15 will be gone in no time!!!!

Mine cares about mine, the funny thing is others I knew who went to my surgeon in 2006 didn't have to do any kind of diet. I wonder what happened to change her mind?

Thanks Shortgal, I'll look into the book. I've done the total liquid diet thing for 4 days now and have lost 4 pounds. I have eaten meat though, but without any sauces or carbs. I've basically intergrated Atkins into the diet, but only do it when I need to eat something. It's not exactly what the doctor ordered, but right now it's the best I can do. (Oh and tons of carrots!!!! I should be a rabbit by Easter!)

Mine actually went 30 pounds heavier than I want to be. I was told by a past doctor I should weigh between 160-170 pounds with 160 being on the scrawny end of things. My surgeon said aim for 200. I dunno. I'm 5'10" with large bones. I'm about the size of a smaller man. You don't sound so far off from me, three inches? So maybe 150 at the lightest?

My Doc has asked me to stop becuase it dehydrates and after band you need all the water you take in. I've gone to drinking decaf, with sugar-free creamer and splenda. It took me a while to get used to functioning "naturally" but it is way easier now. I think it took a good two weeks to get the need out of my system.

I should compile some pics. The most recent ones I have are phone shots though. I did, the night before surgery make a tape mold of my upper body. That will be interesting to put on and walk out of!!!

I was scheduled for my band on March 6th. I went in, was put under and woke up with five incisions and no band. Does this happen often? My surgeon told me that one of the instruments couldn't make it through my fat; it kept bending. I was okay with this at first, but as the days go by and I am on a super strict liquid diet to drop 30 pounds in about 2 weeks I've become kind of depressed. I feel like a failure. I know I have lost 60 pounds since September. I know that I have lost a total of 72 pounds since I started all of this early last year. I have done what I was told to do, albeit perhaps more slowly, but I got there. I got to my required maximum pre-op wieght. 330-340. I was 330 before surgery. I am now tired, frustrated and feeling like this is much harder than it should be. And I'm wondering how many people go under the knife only to come out unbanded? I hope this is my only complication. I can at least say my surgeon chose my saftey over my disappointment. I will survive this. I just wish it was a smoother ride...:thumbup:

I feel so much better and both the Dr. and her assistant talked to me, gave me a pep talk and made sure that I was okay. They are really good people.

Okay, I went to see my surgeon today and cleared up some things. 1) The instrument she was having trouble with was the one used to sew the band itself. There was so much tension that she didn't have a comfortable level of control. The instrument would bend as she tried to use it. She did try other areas, but the fat in the upper,not lower area was too thick. She opted to end the surgery, have me lose a few more pounds so that she could get the band in properly. 2) She never considered open surgery for a band because is it professionally not preferred. And I'm with her on this one. i do not want an open surgery and I told her when we go in again and she finds she is having another issue DO NOT move to an open surgery. I'm just not mentally prepared for it. 2) She wasn't asking me to lose 30 pounds in 2 weeks. I think my drugged out self heard that when she was saying she would want to see me within a week. She does want me to lose 30 more pounds though and then we will reevaluate when the time comes. It looks like I'm not going to be having surgery until May. April is already booked. I've been on the liquid diet in one form or another since September, but I can make it. I started 2007 at 397 lbs and every day, band or no, I'm getting smaller and in the end that is what counts. And so you guys know, I'm sticking with my Dr. I really trust her and like her. I know all of this seems really, really odd, but it is not so far fetched. I believe her and believe that she and her staff have my best intrests at heart. Thank you so much for all of the kind words, the support, the ideas of waht to ask and what to look for. All of you have been so very, very helpful. Thank you, Pandy

I didn't like my nutritionist at first because she assumed things about my eating habits. For instance, I wrote down what I ordered at a resturant. I think it was Chevy's, a taco, an enchilada, rice, beans etc. (What even skinny people get when they order it.) And she assumed I ate it all in one sitting. I didn't. It took me three sittings to down it all. She wa right about the calorie choice though, bad decision. If I could start over again, I would explain my eating habits in more detail and not let her think as she wished because by doing so, she went a different route with my eating issues. Anyway, call him or her on what they say. Make sure they understand your eating habits not "fat people's in general" and you might expect them to expect you to be defensive, mine did and it was kind of combative. I heard the same thing from others dealing with thier own nutritionists. All is good now though.

I have sleep apnea and was told that it benefited me to know what my c-pap number was so that they could make sure they had the right equipment for surgery, but it wasn't a requirement to be treated for it prior to surgery.

I had mine out in January, no band yet. I think you having a band and a restricted diet will make it easier on you. I've read about a lot of people havinng issues with consitpation, the runs, sudden need and so forth after they have thier g/b's out, but it seems they have a horrible diet and having the surgery didn't change that. I just had band surgery, but didnt get the band ( odd huh?), but I found the unband surgery to be much, much easier to recover from. The g/b surgery was rough in that movement made the area very sore. The port, and I'm not sure, may make it more difficult. The good news is, they give you excellent meds. I had morphine and fetanyl in the hospital and vicodin when they sent me home. ( The next day.) In contrast my unband surgery has only required Tylenol. Though...I was prescribed Lortab for the actual banding. It's still sitting there waiting for my next surgery. Good luck, stay away from fatty foods, expect a good week to really start moving around easily, but keep moving because you will improve dramatically each day becuase of it.

I'm going in for a follow up tomorrow, Grace. I will see what I can find out then. I don't think I'm getting to the bottom of it though. If something horrible happened I doubt they'd want to tell me. And in the end I am okay. I am out a band for a couple of weeks and out some servings of chicken, but I've already had my "last supper" syndrome and hopefully, crosses fingers, that she was telling it as it was and I lose the 30 pounds and we go in and all is fine. (insert curse word) If not and I go in and out without a band a second time, I'm gonna raise some hell.

I've been telling myself the more I lose prior to the band was going to benefit me. I've been trying so hard to be positive and I am going with the flow at this point. And you mention the strength it takes. Well, I said this to someone else on here too, but my surgeon is female and average sized and her assistant is even smaller than that. I wonder if they just weren't strong enough? And I feel the same way about my lower tummy. The fat is thick and strong there. I can imagine it being hard to handle, male or female.

Nope. All this has cost me is maybe is a total of $150 dollars in co-pays from the supervised diets, the wiegh-ins, and the EKG's ( I had two). Since I actually went in and out of surgery, technically I don't have co-pays anymore either and I pay nothing for hospitalizations or surgery. Heck, I just had my gall bladder taken out and it cost me nothing. I think I spent $10 dollars over for my vicodin because I didn't have my medical card with me.

You know, I'm not really sure how I feel about the whole thing. I have an appointment tomorrow to see the Doc,to check the incisions and my progress on the wieght loss. My Doctor is female,btw. I wonder and I don't mean to sound sexist, but if she were male maybe she'd be strong enough to get through what she says she couldn't? I am grasping for explanations. I will ask some questions tomorrow.

That's a really good idea. Thanks!

Cool. I used goo gone. Felt wierd, but it worked. Your idea seems more sane. :huh2:

True, but I wonder if I went to a new surgeon if I would have to start the process all over again?