chicks3

OK so right now you are feeling like you made a huge mistake and you just want your old lifestyle back. I look at your age and at 29 you are probably not dealing with comorbidity issues like diabetes, arthritis, High Blood Pressure, high cholesterol......If you get the weight off now, these will not haunt you when you are older. You ARE doing the right thing....You say you are not withdrawing from food.....maybe your "freakouts" as you call them are your way of withdrawing from food....everyone does it differently. As time passes, as your incisions heal, as you get stronger and start eating real food, and the weight starts coming off you will realize that you made the right choice for yourself, it will change everything about you....you will eat to live, not live to eat....You will be glad you made life changing decision. There are other choices in protein than the shakes....check out the internet. Good luck to you, I hope your mindset changes soon and you come to terms with you decision..........I will be rooting for you:thumbup:

Anslee, Walk as much as you can, even try bending over several times in a row, I know that sounds strange, but it really helped move things around. I also took some GasX strips when I had that pain. It will pass as the swelling goes down, but sometimes it can get pretty severe. I was just praying I could burp and get relief, but that was so hard to do. You didn't say where you were feeling yours the most, but I had such severe shoulder pain I couldn't even lift or hold my granddaughter at times. I did notice that the last couple of days the pain is gone and I am able to burp now. I was banded on July 29th, so it does take a while to dissipate. Hang in there, it is all worth it! :thumbup:

Hi Anne, Well here's what I did....of course I told my husband and kids, then I told my mom, and my best friend and 2 of my sisters that I am close to. I have another sister and 3 brothers and coworkers that I haven't told. I havent decided what to say to those I haven't told once the weight loss starts to show. I was banded 3 weeks ago. Too many people are too judgemental. I just don't want to hear it. Regardless of what they say, I am doing this for my health. Good luck to you.....

Hi Susie, At your weight and height your BMI alone will qualify you. You seem to have other "comorbidity" issues as well, that should qualify you also. I had to document (with my PCP) all the times I attempted to loose weight and failed. The ins. co. wanted to make sure I had tried other avenues of weight loss before they approved this. I would write down (before you go to your primary dr.) all your attempts (with his help or on your own) all the attempts you tried to loose weight...thats a good place to start.....Good luck, its gonna be a long road from PCP to approval, but trust me, well worth the wait! :thumbup:

Thanks so much, I will do that. I appreciate your help.

Do you know if anyone can go to that support group at RGH or does your surgery have to be done by Dr. D. Mine was done at Highland but I live much closer to RGH and I am not even sure if Highland has a support group. Thanks!

Well congratulations on tomorrow, it will truly be "the first day of the rest of your new, healthy life." Nerves are so normal, but once you get in that hospital, the nurses are so awesome and put those nerves to rest, and then they give you the "good drugs" and you wake up and it's done. One good thing about post surgery and liquids is that your tummy is swollen, you will feel no hunger, you won't care about eating at all for at least the first week. My doctor let us have puddings, jello's and protein drinks (which really curb hunger) and before you know it, its time for mushies and you are chewing again. There are 2 awesome things about this surgery....one is the lack of hunger, the other is seeing the scale move down instead of up or staying the same, that makes all the liquids in the world worth it! I am (as you will be) on my way to a healthier weight and so glad I took this personal journey. Good luck to you tomorrow you will be absolutely fine. FYI---I was banded on July 27th and have lost over 15 lbs since surgery day. What a wonderful tool I now have! :thumbup:Again, good luck tomorrow....

I am having the same problem and it is driving me crazy...trying to figure out what triggers it and for the life of me I can't! I was banded July 29th and it seems to be getting worse, not better. Sometimes I think its from eating or drinking too fast, but then other times its real bad when there is nothing in my stomach and I wonder if its from being hungry.....(are these my new hunger pains?) If I walk it off I eventually burp and it seems to help, but it is never 100% gone. My dr. said to use a heating pad. It seems to help, but like I said, its never gone.....Any other tricks anyone has will be extremely helpful~ Thanks....Carol

It's probably not going to happen until next year anyways, so I wouldn't sweat it too much as far as telling your employers what you are doing. My time line started last October with the informational meeting, then you have to do some stuff as far as documenting weight loss etc, and write all that down with the help of your PCP, once that was done, they schedule appts with the nutritionist (my first on was in Dec.) If your ins. is like many others, you have to loose weight first before they approve you, some even make you wait 6 months....there was 3 appts with the nutritionist (one a month) then I waited for approval, a bunch of other tests (some even have to go through sleep studiesto check for sleep apnea) and finally I got an appt. with the Dr. in May with surgery being scheduled in July! He was booking 6 weeks out! Some don't take this long, but some take longer. If I were you I wouldn't say anything until you see them first and get their timeline on things. Good luck in your journey, and with you new job:regular_smile:

I believe it is menopause that brought me to the lap band procedure in the first place. (I should say I have always been heavy to begin with)In Jan of '06 I quit smoking, started weightwatchers and started menopause. I could not loose a pound to save my soul! I was exercising, counting my points, not smoking and watched the scale go up and up and up! My dr. said I was eating too much, I cried, he tested me for thryoid (its fine) I cried---but I didn't over eat, and I didn't smoke!! So crying was a good option! Then I finally said what the hell, I can't loose weight, I might as well stop waisting money at WW so, 30 lbs later, I was at such an unhealthy weight I looked into the lap band. my periods are still erratic although not as frequent as in 06, with the lapband my hunger is gone, I am finally loosing weight, and just to see that scale moving down instead of up is wonderful! I have always eaten a healthy diet, but I have always struggled to loose a pound, so when menopause kicked in, and the giving up of cigarettes, I think my body went into shock and didn't know what to do.....I finally don't feel that unsatiable feeling in my stomach since the lap band, and since my surgery on July 27th I am down 15 lbs.... So the starving feeling will go away.........trust me! You will be happy you did it........I am! Good luck to you. Carol

Hey Lynn, It is a small world isn't it? I actually went to BK, was not a graduate from Webster, I actually grew up in East Irondequoit and then moved to Webster when I was a junior at BK. My daughter and her hub and my new grandbaby live in W. Irondequoit off Cooper Road. Nice area to raise a family. Were you a Kearney girl or did you go to the high school in W. Irond? Carol

Hi Angela, First I want to wish you good luck tomorrow, we were all nervous the night before, not sure I even slept a wink that night just worrying about everything I thought there was to worry about. I don't care what hospital you go to, the nurses do their best to calm you down before surgery and the drugs take care of the rest. Before you know it you will be in recovery with another team of awesome nurses. The first few weeks I got to tell you as far as eating goes, you pretty much don't! You are on liquids and jello's and puddings and anything that slides down easy. I was banded on July 29th and I am in the mushy phase of the diet. It was heaven eating a scrambled egg. They just want to make sure you heal correctly before you start eating "normal" foods. I can tell you one thing, when I saw the scale going down instead of up for a change, I was excited and as long as I am not hungry I don't care that I was just drinking Protein shakes and broth and eating Jello and puddings. The gas wasn't too bad for me, some people are worse than others. Get some gas x strips to use, they really help. Keep walking and moving, the gas will go away. I have lost about a pound a day since I was banded, but I am sure once I start eating normal foods that loss will slow down....it is just amazing that a 1/2 cup of food now makes me full! This is the best thing I have ever done. Good luck tomorrow, don't worry, you are going to be fine.....and when you get home, just take one day at a time.......you will succeed.:tongue_smilie: Carol

JB----at our age, if someone thinks we are hot be thrilled, not insulted!!! The only hot I am getting these days are from flashes! Enjoy......

Hey Suzanne, So glad you decided to post.....people here are so friendly...and so helpful. It is amazing how loosing just a little weight will take pressure off of those knees and feet and you will be able to start to move more. Just watch what you eat in the beginning, watch your portions, and the weight will come off and the movement will be easier. It was for me. I am 3 weeks post op and can't tell you what an amazing tool this lap band is. I don't even have a fill yet, and 1/2 cup of food is keeping me satisfied and FULL! Its gonna be the best thing I have ever done for myself and my family. So hang in there, I started this journey last October, and am so glad I stuck to it...Good luck to you.

Absolutely! Anything over 35 I believe qualifies for the surgery.

The best I can figure for you is that if you are 258 and your ideal is 131 you need to loose about 1/2 of what you weigh, is that being 50% overweight?? Not sure, but I would just find out what your BMI is, thats what the experts go by. If your BMI is over a certain # you qualify for Lap Band surgery. Hope that helps answer your question.

After reading everyones posts here I have a question, I am 3 weeks post op, (surgery was 7/29. No fill yet, eating mushies for 2-4 weeks, my list says no fresh veggies, only canned, blend everything (which I don't, I just chew real good) No beef or pork either. He wants me still doing 3 protein shakes a day and not more that 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food at a meal. I am missing greens (tossed salads) a lot. Has anyone been eating them at this stage, and did they go down and stay down ok? I feel no restrictions, although he said he put in 2 cc's at surgery, so I feel I could eat anything as long as I don't over do it, and chew and eat slowly. I am feeling no hunger at all, and I am loosing weight....I just want a salad!:biggrin:

wow, what a letter, packed with questions, and realizations and guilt and everything in between. Welcome!!! I think in AA thats what they call the first step! I am less than 2 weeks post op and already, even after 2 weeks of liquids and major surgery I would not change a thing. Only regret is that this was not available to me in my 30's. I am now 52 and Thank God it's available now. This is a life changing TOOL that will help you get to a healthy weight. If your dr. doesn't agree, change Dr's! The older you get, the faster the co-morbidity issues come up. The one thing my lap band group was adament about was smoking, they will not treat you if you are a smoker, they feel it does nothing but hinder recovery. I quit a year and a half ago, and never regret doing so. I used a "magic Pill" called Chantix, that from day one was a miracle for myself and my husband. We both were 30+ year smokers, we have both quit and never looked back. I did gain weight, but that weight gain was what brought me to the lap band surgery in the first place. If I were still a smoker I wouldn't have felt I needed to loose weight, that 25 lbs I gained put me over the edge and I felt I needed help to loose. (does that make sense??) Where in upstate NY are you? I am in the Rochester area....are you close to me? I wish you luck, I hope you make that first phone call and get the ball rolling, keep up that determination and all else will fall into place. Carol

Hi Everyone, I too am new to this board and new to being banded...6 days post surgery. I am amazed at the different pre and post surgical instructions by different doctors. I guess we just all have to do what our specific dr. tells us to do. I am looking quite forward to the mushies as the liquid diet is getting to me. When I first came home from the hospital I could have cared less about eating, but as each day passes and I feel better and better I want to eat. But I am sticking to my dr.'s rules. I go and see him Friday, maybe mushies for the weekend! :smile: I am so excited about this new "tool" to help me loose weight. The pounds are already coming off, it is so nice to see the scale going down instead of up. Hang in there all of you, and thanks. Carol

it looks like they do a whole bunch more tests down in Cooperstown than they do up here in Rochester. What is Barretts Esophagus? how did they find you had it? Sounds like you have your plate full with your boys, it must be tough being a single mom and all , I give you a lot of credit. Hang in there, I too am looking forward to using my new tool also. Carol

I too am scheduled for the 29th. I am having it done in Rochester NY. Not sure what time yet. Have to call the day before to get surgery time. We all need to keep in touch with one another. My email is clkst5@aol.com Good luck to all of you. Are you all as nervous as I am? Because I got to tell you, I am really nervous! Carol

I have my surgery on Tuesday the 29th, I am excited, scared, nervous but above all looking forward to a new way of living. It has been a long journey, but I am glad I chose it. These boards have been so helpful in helping to ease my nerves about the whole thing. Thanks to you all.

Hi to everyone. I found this website yesterday and have been reading all of your posts non stop. I just wanted Gilta to know that my Lapband surgery is scheduled for the 29th of July with Dr. Johnson at Highland Hospital. I was at Highland the same day you were for my presurgical testing. I am nervous, I am excited, and I am READY. Its been a long haul, I originally went for my first meeting last October, then had to loose the weight for ins. purposes, it took me a while but I finally got through nutrition in April. Its a long process, but worth the wait I HOPE! I would love to keep in touch with you on a more personal basis. It would be nice to have someone going through what I am going through along for the ride. Please email me at clkst5@aol.com if you would like to chat one on one. I just want you all to know that this website has been extremely helpful and has made me relax a little bit about the whole process. Thanks to all. Carol