bigunc

Curious to hear about how Lap-Band surgery has helped people to cut back on their meds. For my Psych eval I told the Therapist I wanted to cut back on the meds as much as I wanted to lose the weight. I take meds for Diabetes, High BP, Afibb, Cholesteral and Asthma. A total of 16 differant meds in all. I am encouraged by the thought of getting off as much medication as possible. I don't expect to stop all the meds, but would like to cut back on as many as possible. I haven't heard or read much on the topic and would like to hear everyone's comments. Thanks, Jeff "Big Unc" (soon to be "Normal Unc" ?)

I had to have a three month weight record from my Nutrionist and well as the Surgical office as per the Aetna requirements. I gave her a copy of my meal food log every month for her review. I found out later that she submitted the log to Aetna with the other paper work for approval.

I have been fighting fluid since last April during a hospital stay. I take Lasix duretic (sp?) twice a day. I get shots of cortizone a couple times a year that does not help with the fluids either. Started on day 7: Protein drinks, mashed potatos, red Beans, oatmeal, Baked potato, scrambled egg omelet, bananas, canned pears and some cabbage. Day 11 (tomorrow) I get to start eating fresh fruit.

Lise, I gained 8 pounds the day of my surgery. This was probably all due to fluids. 3 days later I had dropped back down the same weight I was on the day of surgery. I lost on average 1.5 lbs a day for the next 4 days until I hit the "mushie stage", now I've gained back 3 lbs in 2 days. I'm not stressing it yet. As long as we keep working it will all work itself out.

Gordon, I planned on two weeks but only took 3 days off. I had surgery on Monday 2/25/08 and retuned to work Thurs. 2/28/08. I have a job that requires a good amount of time at a desk and alot of walking. My biggest problem came when I sat for long periods. When I was up and moving I actually felt better (as long as I did not bend over or rotate at the waist). It will ultimately depend on you and your tolerance to the pain.

Yea, I woke up with the tube down my throat too. Once I came to they removed the tube from my throat. Said I had trouble waking up and with my history of sleep apnea the wanted to be safe. I was hoarse for 4 days. Took about two hrs of begging, pleading and convincing to get them to pull the catheter out. Then 4 hrs later they wanted to threaten me with re-inserting it because I couldn't go to the bathroom. I told the Nurse I was trying to be a compliant patient but she was going to need plenty of help re-inserting the catheter. She laughed and said she didn't need any help. She would just give me a shot to knock me out to put it back in.

As a young boy thru my teen yrs I did a lot of dirt bike riding. As I grew older and started hunting more and more. Around here you need an ATV to get the the site of the hunt. My friends and I all have either a 3-wheeler or 4-wheeler bought under the thought it was a need for hunting. Down here in Bayou country we have a plenty of places to ride in the mud. My friends and I try to make a day of riding and having fun usually during the "wet season". It has become a big yearly event now as all of my original group all have kids involed in it now.

Fenton, I had to stay overnight as a precaution due to the amount of bleeding I experienced during surgery. Day two on the way home from the hospital the Wife and I stopped at the grocery for some last minute shopping. It was sore but only bothered me if I tried to rotate at my waist or bend over. You will know if your up to a good walk. I went back to work on day 4. I personally had more trouble sitting upright in my desk chair at work than anything else. Good luck on your big day. Let us know how you make out with your surgery.

I had the same problem with trying to urinate. My nurse threatened me with re-inserting the catheter. Not a pleasent experience to live thru. My bladder felt like it was going to burst but I could only get a trickle to come out. I must have went to the bathroom 15 times until I actually voided my whole bladder the next morning. My Doctor said the bladder takes longer to "wake up" from the anesthesia than most other parts of your body.

Banded 2/25/08 and was sent home with an OnQpainbuster pump. It supplied local anesthetic to the wound site by a tube implanted under the skin and lasted 2 1/2 days. The pump would have lasted five days but I accidently pulled the tubing out on day 2 1/2. I never had to take my oral pain meds. I was already drinkig a lot of fluids due to diabeties and dry mouth. I drink 60 to 80 oz of Water a day. Yes, I had a problem with hunger only during the Liquid phase. I really had an issue with needing something with texture more than hunger. I only had 5 days of liquid (2 full and 3 clear) pre op and the same post op. Every 2-3 days something new is added to the diet. I am 10 days post op tomorrow and can add: fresh fruits. Steri strips that were removed on day five from my incisions. No staples or stitches visible. My Nurse said I had internal stitches and glue used to close the incisions. I had 4 incisions approx half inch long (3 in the front and 1 on my left side) and 1 two inches long in the front. I was able to shower on day 2. No baths allowed yet, my follow up is next Tuesday 3/11/08. I have always slept on my side and was able to do so the 2nd night only if I carefully laid in the position I wanted to sleep. I did wake myself up trying to turn over thru the night. I only experienced pain moving around not because I laid on my port incision. I talked to a friend of mine who had LBS done and she had alot more problems with pain than I did. I have a high tolerance for pain so this may be why I had less problems than my friend.

Most definately you can have hard candy. My Bariatric Nurse ( a lap bander herself) advised me to have some on hand during the liquid phases of the diet. I told her I had a problem with drymouth and she said hard candy will help.

cowboyfsan if you ever have the oppourtunity you need to visit NO. Great city with a great history. On weekends this time of year my DW and I like to spend the day walking thru the French Quarter. Its nice weather without being humid and hot. If you like music, shopping, good food (I know not something us banders need to hear) and site seeing then you will love the Quarter. We plan to go this Sunday with my Kids and their SOs. A word of caution, NO is like any other tourist attraction, expensive. Be prepared to shell out money for everything you do. I will have to change up our routine a little. After walking around awhile 1st, We usually have a big lunch, kick back listen to good music and enjoy the sites. This time I'll have a "little lunch" than go from there. I am a big sports fans also. Saints and LSU are tops on my list, but I do follow the Hornets and Zephyrs also. I try to go to one away game every year for both the Saints and LSU.

I have lived 20 miles southeast of New Orleans for 43 of my 46 yrs. Enjoyed the local Cajun cuisine way too much and paying the price.

I had my LBS on 2-25-08 and was sent home with an OnQpainbuster Medicine pump. It is a collapsable ball filled with a local anesthetic by a tube implanted under the skin at the incision wound site. It was filled with approx. 5 days worth of meds. I am curious if anyone else had the same thing or something similar to use post LBS.

For me it was at the LBS/GBS seminar that decided for me. After listening to the pros and cons of the Gastric Bypass for 45 minutes and not really comfortable with what I hearing I decided to go with the Lap Band. Pros: Less documented complications, no actual cutting of the stomach, no problems with stomach leaking due to dissection and reattachment of intestines, reversable, less evasive surgery and less than 1% mortality rate. Cons: slower weight loss than the GBS, periodic fills required and No dumping after ingesting sugar. It was a no brainer after hearing all the complications associated with the GBS. I found out later my Cardiologist would not let me have the GBS because of a pre-exsisting heart condition. My only option was the LBS.

My Cardiologist/Arrhythmia Specialists is actually the one who recomended the LBS. I was being treated for Afibb and needed to loose weight to have a shot of correcting the heart rhythm. Week before my LBS he did a standard EKG as part of the pre-op requirements. He found I had a heart flutter that had to be corrected before I could go forward with the LBS. I had lost 50+ lbs to date so he tried an Ablation. It worked, my heart is back to a normal rhythm and I had the LBS done on 2-25-08.

I had my surgery on 2/25/08 and the best advice I can give you is: Don't get stressed out! You will see that everyone has differant isues before, during and after surgery. You just need to focus on today, tomorrow will come soon enough. I read all the stories on the types of issues everyone went thru and found out hardly any of them applied to me. Remember everyone is differant. Just cause you read someone else has experienced something does not mean it will happen to you. I had less trouble adhering to the pre-op diet than I expected, less pain post op than expected and none of the gas issues post op to speak of than most suffer thru.

Good luck this morning CTman. Take it one day at a time. Let us know how you make out today.

I am not sure if you are close enough to the Westbank to attend, but here is some info for support groups. This is info supplied by my Surgeons office at the West Jefferson Fitness Center in Marrero. Bariatric Support Groups Gastric Bypass Support Group – Free support group hosted by the West Jeff Fitness Center – Marrero location. Second (2nd) Monday of the month at 6:30 pm. Call (504) 348-0055 for more information. Lap-Band Support Group – Free support group hosted by the West Jeff Fitness Center – Marrero location. Fourth(4th) Monday of the month at 6:30 pm. Call (504) 348-0055 for more information.

I live about 20 miles Southeast of New Orleans in Plaquemines Parish. I was banded on 2/25/08 by Dr. David Treen at West Jeff Hospital. Loser 28 it sound like you and I are from the same general area. I have lost around 50+ lbs since my 1st consultation with 8 lbs lost since surgery.

I was banded on 2-25-08 and am a resident of the Westbank. I was recommended to Dr.Treen of the Surgical Clinic of LA. My Arrhythmia Specialist told me to attend one of their seminars. Best hour spent in a long time. The staff is first rate and the Bariatric Nurse Coordinator is wonderful. If interested check them out at their website www.sclaweightloss/ . I had my surgery done at West Jefferson Hospital, but they do operate out of a couple differant hospitals so your choices are not limited to the Westbank.

I was told by my Surgeon that he used a 10cc band on me. He said this is a little bigger than the norm, but had to use it because he had trouble closing the smaller size and getting it positioned properly. According to him, some peoples physical make up requires a bigger band and not due to ones size. He made it sound as it sound as though the locking mechanism would not work at the smaller size.

When I left the Hospital I told my DW that it would be a pain the ass to lug around all day. I know now that I would have been in alot more pain without it.

My oldest Son can remember when I was a gym rat but knows it was oh so long ago. He is 23 and my youngest son is 17. I had Afibb and have just recently been released by my Cardiologist to resume exercising (my heart is back to a normal rhythm). We plan to start working out together at a new gym close to the house. It will be good for us to do this together because these guys will push "the old man" to get healthier. My nickname is "Widetrack". I got this from a guy at work and it stuck. I was 310 lbs most of my adult life at 6'1" tall. The last 11 years I added another 100 lbs. I also was a competative arm wrestler in my early twenties. I feel so much better just by losing 50+ lbs in the last 5 months. Can't wait to lose another 150 lbs to see how I feel then.

Bigrick alot of guys on this forum seem to have had similar problems like you me included. I hurt my back about 11 years ago and have gained weight ever since. You need not worry too much about the surgery, it is no where near as bad as led to believe in some of these posts. Everyone experiences differant levels anxiety in the very beginning. I am only 6 days post op with minimal pain and no regrets. I have lost a total of 61 lbs since the first consult in Sept 2007 (47 pre-op and 14 post op). Best thing ever I did for myself outside of having 3 kids. Jack, I too hope to cut back on the monthly med bill. I am presently spending in the neighborhood of $430.00 a month out of pocket for meds.