hope2bhealthy

I don't have to follow a pre-op diet, but I am doing the slim fast thing on my own just so I can try to lose a few lbs before surgery on monday. i started yesterday, and my stomach gnawed my backbone all day long. All the shakes did was to lessen the gnawing to a nibble for 30 minutes or so. but, to make you all feel better about your diets, my post-op diet is liquids for 6 WEEKS (Clear Liquids for the first 2 weeks), mushies for 2 weeks. So I won't touch real food for 2 months. that's a long time.

i checked with my insurance first, and they said that any licensed medical mental health professional would be fine. i just went and saw a counselor at a psychogist's office. He was really cool, and we just chit chatted about me for an hour. That was it. He pronounced me sane, said I had a good head on my shoulders, and wrote a letter to my doc. Another place I had called was going to make me come in for a minimum of 2 visits (with specialty copays for each!) and I was going to have to do one of the tests. Those tests are actually really silly. They have all sorts of random true false questions on them, with little gems like "Sometimes I hear voices in my head" or "I really hate my mother" thrown in. Only someone who's truly nuts would answer true to those, so how can they get a good reading on you? Some places don't even see you for a visit. They just give you the test and make their diagnosis from there (this is how it works in the program that I am getting my band done in, but I found out that the psych wasn't in network AFTER I answer 350 of their questions) The questions aren't that bad, just annoyingly long, but I might check with my insurance first to see who has to do your eval. I found my hour talk with the counselor to be pleasant, and possibly even somewhat cathartic, so you might prefer to go that route.

the only bad thing about the ring is that you can sometimes feel it during sex. it doesn't bother me at all, and i usually don't feel it. my husband feels it, but it doesn't bother him at all either. It definitely bothers us quite a bit less than a kid screaming in the middle of sex would. anyway, just thought i should mention the down side, if you can call it that. I'd still take it over the pill any day of the week.

So, I'm just curious how long it took most people before they were able to do the deed again after surgery. Not that I'm a horn dog, but if I might have to wait a month before I feel up to it, well... ~tracy

hi all! I am getting banded on the 31st, too. It's amazing that it is almost here! I only got approved for surgery last monday, and i'm getting banded next monday. In a way, it's almost anti-climatic. Well, good luck everyone!

I have been using a NuvaRing for a year and a half at least. I really like it. It's great not having to think about it every day, particularly because i'm bad with pills. I considered depo or an IUD, but I don't want t have a period. I continuous cycle my ring, so I only have a period when I feel like it, which is normally every 4 or 5 months because I forgot to reorder. The other good thing about it is that the ring works for 4 weeks so you don't have to spend extra money replacing it every 3.

right on!:biggrin:

darn cat walked on my keyboard... what i was saying was that i just asked my doc this a few days ago, and he said that the different sizes are just so that you get the best fit for your stomach. Once they get in, they might need a larger or smaller band. If they were to put one on that was too small, you might have too much restriction.

so, i'm getting banded in a few days, and this was a question that i 1

Could you please tell me when you got out of the hospital? If it was the day of surgery, what time in the evening were you released? Also, how were you feeling the next day, and when were you ok to drive? My surgery just got scheduled for less than 2 weeks from now, and so my husband and mom probably don't have enough notice to get time off from work. I'm trying to make a plan in my head of how I'm going to work out getting to and from the hospital, particularly because I live an hour away.

Hi! Name's Tracy. I just had my surgery scheduled today for 3/31. Less than 2 wks! So excited.

OK, so I am about to have my surgery, and when I met with my surgeon last week, we discussed both band and bypass, so I just wanted to pass on what he said to me. I had previously been working with another surgeon, who seemed to be pushing me toward bypass, even though I had said I wanted the band. My new surgeon said that often, if a dr isn't as comfortable with one surgery or another, or as familiar with it because they don't do it as often, that they can push people toward the surgery that they are more familiar with. My new doc does both surgeries equally, so he looks at his patients histories and lives to see which surgery might be better. From what you've said about your dr, that he thinks that the kinks are still being worked out of the band, it seems like he might prefer bypass surgery. Second, I am a huge sweet eater too, which was discussed. My doc said that, yes, the bypass can help with that problem because of dumping, but that the longer you have your bypass, the more variety of foods you can eat, and most people get back to being able to eat sweets. He said that he has had a lot of success with the band even with people that are sweet eaters, if they are diligent and get their fills. He said that it really depends on whether you're going to cheat with a candybar or with a hershey's kiss. The other thing to consider is that when you are on liquids, you will have the perfect opportunity to get unhooked from carbs. once you get unaddicted, then you might not have as big of a problem. Third, and this was really the first thing I thought when I saw your post, is that you don't really weigh a whole lot. Don't take that the wrong way, please. What I mean is, you say weigh 225 and want to get down to 135. I don't know what your height is, but you seem to be less than 100 lbs overweight. I personally weigh 285, am 5'8, and so I have about 125 lbs to lose. The doctor said that with the bypass, he thinks that I would lose too much weight, and that he would have to teach me how to cheat so that he could slow it down. And from everything I've read about bypass (and I've read A LOT) it seems that it is not the best surgery for people with less weight to lose. The complications that come with it might be acceptable for someone who is 150 or 200+ lbs overweight and their life is at risk, but they aren't so acceptable when you aren't as big. Last, at 37 (which is the new 27 so don't be offended), you might also want to consider how losing weight super quickly with the bypass will affect your body. Only you know your body, and your skin in particular, but the older we get, the less forgiving our skin is. You can get saggy skin with either surgery, but it seems more prevalent with bypass because you lose your weight much quicker. Perhaps this isn't a concern for you because you have more $$ to spend on getting everything fixed in the end, but I know that it is definitely a concern for me. OK, so I think I've already written a book, but hopefully what I've said has helped your decision a little bit.

so, everyone of childbearing age who has the band is supposed to be on birth control for the first year or so, right? i know that my doctor wants you to be on 2 forms for the first year, so you definitely don't get pregnant. so, this is just a suggestion, but for those of you who are on the pill anyway, you might discuss continuous cycling with your doctor. that's where you just keep taking your pill and so you don't have a period. If you don't have a period, you don't get PMS, which means you don't have to worry about bad moods or crying or bloating or eating everything in sight. I've been doing it this way for about 4 years now, and I have about 2 or 3 periods a year, and i just couldn't imagine having to go through it every month again.

*I posted this on the general discussion board also, so if you read that one, it's the same thing.* I'm on the fence about whether I would like to have a lap band or a bypass, and I wanted to know how others made this decission, and how it has worked out for people in a similar situation to me. I have a BMI of 43, and weigh 287. Technically my ideal weight is probably 150 according to the charts, but I would be more than perfectly happy at 175, even 200. I am healthy otherwise, and I'm only 27, so the risk with either surgery is not high for me, and is about the same for either surgery (according to my doctor). I think I would prefer the lapband over the bypass simply because it is less drastic. But I am not sure if the lapband would work well for me, and I'm afraid I'd be one of the ones that would lose about have my excess weight, but not most of it. I have always been chubby or fat, and I have never been successful dieting. The most I ever lost dieting was 12 lbs. I have a big problem with willpower, and with sticking to things. I also have a major sweet tooth. I know I'll have restriction and won't be able to each much, but I'm afraid I'll fill my stomach up with chocolate instead of chicken, and that I won't have the willpower to stay away from the bad foods. I'm interested in hearing from others who have similar backgrounds, to see if the lapband worked for them, and if they've been able to conquer cravings with the band, or if it just makes them eat less of what they crave. I have about 4 months to go before my 6 months are up, so I have some time to make an informed decision. Also, I would like to know how long it was before you were able to move around well. I am a grad student and I teach 1 class a week. Should I be able to go back in for a few hours a day to go to class or teach after one week, or is it likely to take 2? Thanks for your help, Tracy

insubordiation - thank you very much for your reply. i think this is what i was looking for. it's good to know that your tastes change some, because i never heard that from anyone. and it's good to know that a little chocolate won't kill me. i think i just needed reassurance that the band is working for people that didn't become exercisaholics or obsessed with eating healthy (nobody flame me for writing that). you can look on this website and so many of these people are such inspirations because they've lost so much weight and have made it down to goal. but who knows what kind of lifestyle they lead? whether they became marathon runners or they just walk 45 minutes a day? whether they obsessively count their calories, or if they just make an effort to eat healthfully most of the time, and the band does the rest (by rest I mean keeps them from pigging out. don't flame me.). the truth is, the statistics don't lie, and the average person loses about half of their excess weight and that's it. so the question is, is there a commonality between the people that the band REALLY works for, or between the ones that it just sort of works for? i would think i would be commitment level to diet and exercise, but i don't know what that level is. the other truth is, if you go on the messageboards for weightwatchers or jenny craig, you find just as many inspiring people who lost 100 or 200 or more lbs, and you think, if that 400 lb woman was able to lose 250 lbs on weightwatchers, then i should be able to do this too. but obviously, WW didn't work for me either, since I'm looking at the band. and before i spend my money on the band, i just want to find out from people what their commitment has been, and what their results have been, so that I go into it with my eyes open about what is needed. That's all I was looking for.

I'm on the fence about whether I would like to have a lap band or a bypass, and I wanted to know how others made this decission, and how it has worked out for people in a similar situation to me. I have a BMI of 43, and weigh 287. Technically my ideal weight is probably 150 according to the charts, but I would be more than perfectly happy at 175, even 200. I am healthy otherwise, and I'm only 27, so the risk with either surgery is not high for me, and is about the same for either surgery (according to my doctor). I think I would prefer the lapband over the bypass simply because it is less drastic. But I am not sure if the lapband would work well for me, and I'm afraid I'd be one of the ones that would lose about have my excess weight, but not most of it. I have always been chubby or fat, and I have never been successful dieting. The most I ever lost dieting was 12 lbs. I have a big problem with willpower, and with sticking to things. I also have a major sweet tooth. I know I'll have restriction and won't be able to each much, but I'm afraid I'll fill my stomach up with chocolate instead of chicken, and that I won't have the willpower to stay away from the bad foods. I'm interested in hearing from others who have similar backgrounds, to see if the lapband worked for them, and if they've been able to conquer cravings with the band, or if it just makes them eat less of what they crave. I have about 4 months to go before my 6 months are up, so I have some time to make an informed decision. Also, I would like to know how long it was before you were able to move around well. I am a grad student and I teach 1 class a week. Should I be able to go back in for a few hours a day to go to class or teach after one week, or is it likely to take 2? Thanks for your help, Tracy

nina - thanks alot for the link. i went through and read it and it was very helpful. at first, 6 months ago, I was thinking about RNY. But here in the last month or so, particularly after finding this messageboard, I've been liking the band more and more. But after going to see the surgeon the other day, I starting doubting, and thinking maybe I should go with the bypass. Now, after reading all these posts, I'm leaning towards the band again. I've got 4 months to go before I can get the surgery, so I'll probably change several times again.

I meant that I have a hunch it won't work well for me. Which is why I'm trying to find out about how it has worked for other people that are similar to me. It seems to me that the lap band works best for those people that put their whole selves into losing weight and who are able to and do stick to the eating plan. The sort of people that can stick to something, but just needed that extra push to keep them going and to make the diet work better. Unfortunately, I am not that way. (I'm not making excuses and doubting myself before I even start. I am being honest with myself and with my failings.) I am not a sticker. I stick to a diet for about 2 weeks, then fall off, whether or not I've lost weight. I can lose 10 pounds in those 2 weeks, and I still can't stick. I have no willpower when it comes to food. I'm not really an emotional eater, or a binge eater, or anything else like that. I just like the taste of good food, and I get bored with chicken and salad and veggies. And I have a major sweet tooth. I crave chocolate, and I have a hard time ignoring my sweet tooth. So, I guess I want to know if the lap band is going to be right for me, considering I don't have a lot of will to resist temptation. My little stomach would be able to eat a lindt chocolate as easily as a piece of chicken. So will I still lose significant weight if I'm a cheater, or would I be better off going with the bypass that will keep me from cheating? I just want to make the best choice for me, because I don't want to have one surgery with the option to revise it to another. I just want to get it done.

yes, i've read a ton already, and i'm well informed. but the more i've learned, the less decided i am. i've been to 2 seminars already, and i've picked my surgeon. he says that with my stats, i could go either way, and i just have to decided which surgery is best for me because i know myself. The problem is that I do know myself, and i'm afraid that the i won't have the results i want with the lap band. but the bypass has side effects that i don't really want either. so the dilemma is whether or not to take a chance on the band, or to live with the consequences of the bypass. i just want to talk to as many people as possible about their actual experiences to determine whether my hunch about the lap band not working very well is a good one.

you might want to check out Dr Nilesh Patel. I haven't met him yet, but I spoke with his office today, and he might be less expensive for self-pays, because it doesn't cost you anything if you have insurance. No idea yet if he's good but his credentials seem to be great.

Did anyone have their surgery done by Dr. Nilesh Patel? He works out of Austin, San Antonio, and south Texas. I spoke with his office today, and they said that he is an insurance pay only doctor, meaning, if my insurance pays 80 and i pay 20%, then he just takes the 80 and i don't have to pay the 20. sounds great! i asked his receptionist if he was new and just trying to round up business, but she said no, he has been doing this for a while and is a really good doctor, and that he does it that way because he believes in the procedure. So I just wanted to make sure that he wasn't too good to be true.

When I was 10, I had a very mild seizure that my doc said was due to puberty. 17 years later and I've never had another one. i generally don't even put it on my medical forms. i think that since this is sort of a major surgery that i am considering, that i should disclose everything, but i don't know if it will in anyway affect me being able to get the surgery. has anyone who has had or has epilepsy had the surgery, and were there any hoops to jump through?

that was pretty much what i was thinking, that it shouldn't matter at all. but i have no idea what problems might throw me out as a candidate, so i just wanted to see if anyone had ever been rejected for a similar problem. (and i don't think i have epilepsy, but i just wanted to know if anyone with epilepsy had had the surgery, and if there were any complications or hoops to jump through because of it.)

donnajade - I have Cigna also and I am worried that I am not doing enough as far as the diet and exercise goes. I've talked to the cust. serv. rep at cigna, and she seemed to think that simply going to the doctor every month and having my vitals recorded was enough. did you write down everything you ate, or keep an exercise log? I don't want to make 6 months (4 to go) and then have them be hard asses on me.