WLSResources/ClothingExch

Nothing like a visit to the dentist, so calm down. No one is going to perform surgery on you tomorrow. Expect discussion, questions and answers. The first requires the participation of two or more parties. Each of the second and thirs is a two-way street. You'll be asked for your medical history, weighed and others of the usual things. Go in withe a written list of questions. Some will be answered before you even have a change to ask. Other questions will occur to you while you're there. You should expect an ordinary sort of doctor's visit, like real, everyday life. You can do it.

Go to the "Surgeons" tab at the top of the screen and search. Otherwise, go to the website of your manufacturer. If you have Lap-Band brand, it's lapband.com. It's got nothing to do with efficacy of the band and everything to do with food choices. Crunchy things -- chips and the like -- and sugared things -- cake, Cookies and the like -- go down so easily and somehow evade being noticed by the one doing the consuming. Emotions are powerful influences.

Not everyone who does adjustments has the same skill. Alternately, sometimes the port is at an angle and difficult to hit the first time. The lesser skill level will make that all the more problematic. The amount of saline in a band is irrelevant. What matters is having the amount that achieves the desired effect. Beyond that, one person's just-right 10cc will be another person's misery/overfill or not yet enough. Not everyone who does adjustments has the same skill. Alternately, sometimes the port is at an angle and difficult to hit the first time. The lesser skill level will make that all the more problematic. The amount of saline in a band is irrelevant. What matters is having the amount that achieves the desired effect. Beyond that, one person's just-right 10cc will be another person's misery/overfill or not yet enough. Not to mention that may work well today will be too much or two little in another month or so although the amount is unchanged.

@, yes, indeed. The next clothing exchange just happens to be next Monday,, the 11th. Here's a link to the post in BP. If you're free, by all means join in. (Dr. Kurian's office on Madison is among those I send notices to.) http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/362324-greater-new-york-bariatric-surgery-clothing-exchange-april-2016 I dropped by here again by chance. If you have any questions about the exchange, either post them at the above or here in your own topic. If you choose the latter, click the little, blue "mention" under my i.d. info so that I'll know.

If you're unfamiliar with the variety of chair exercise videos that are available, here's what I recall. Many public TV stations show the unfortunately named series, "Sit and Be Fit," produced by the non-profit of the same name that also sells videos. A lot of Y's and similar offer Sit and Be Fit or similar classes., too. "Chair Dancing" is a series of videos. There must be a lot on YouTube as well. Public libraries have or can get for you on interlibrary loan most of the available materials. Do an online search of your library system's holdings to see what you'd like to borrow. It's a good way not to spend or to sample before buying. Sparkpeople.com has lots of online exercise videos, including quite a few of the seated variety. One of its "teams," Chair Exercise Team, has or had a sticky topic of the above and other resources. This link may or may not have replaced the sticky topic I knew about. Ignore the misplaced chitchat of the first several posts:. http://www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/team_messageboard_thread.asp?board=17933x32265x63327270 Livestrong.com may also have things.

I only remember that I wasn't required to do a period of supervised diet. The reason that I'm stopping by here is to say I like that one of your hospital programs requires prospective patients to attend support groups. They are an invaluable opportunity for you to ask and learn from the people who've been through it and are at all stages of the process, pre- and post-op. The discussions in the meetings will also raise questions that may not have occurred to you and should be asked of the surgeon and other professionals you'll be speaking with. Take advantage of it.

@@SamBwaR3, be sure you're not overdoing it at the beginning. You need to be able to breathe in the process. If you haven't already, you may want to consult a qualified trainer. Maybe you're secretly training for the Empire State Building Run-up, 86 floors, 1,576 steps.

@TheRealMeIsHere!, I get the general idea of the pre- and post-op pics, but not sure of everything going on there because of the bruising. Have you since had a belly button fashioned or are you Eve incarnate? Or was it done along with everything else?

Check with the bariatric practices in your local hospitals. Some, if not all, will be open to patients from elsewhere.

She isn't my surgeon, but I know and have known a number of people who had lapband done by her. They all have positive things to say. I was impressed by her when I attended an NYU info seminar at which she was the surgeon-of-the-seminar. The fact that I ended up having surgery at Columbia had nothing to do with her. She still has affiliation with NYU, but I'm don't know its nature.

All the best to you. Some things should not be a surprise and the recovery period is one of them. You'll be so happy and gorgeous once all is said and done.

You want him eating nothing, right? Not only fast food? Then tell him again. It's gone on for a few days, so the ball is back in your court. You can be more emphatic this time. There it is -- not everyone is going to see the first part as you do. As for the rest, do the driving and leave him by the side of the road. If he doesn't comply now, you'll have your opportunity for revenge in a year.

Alas, you've been told one month for soft foods, so that's it. You can ask if there's some wiggle room when you go in for the one-week follow-up, but you may not hear what you'd hope for. People here may have some ideas for varying the liquids (e.g., adding a few drops of complementary extracts), but at least in your early sleeve career, your surgery practice is your prescriber. Alas. Alas, you've been told one month for soft foods, so that's it. You can ask if there's some wiggle room when you go in for the one-week follow-up, but you may not hear what you'd hope for. People here may have some ideas for varying the liquids (e.g., adding a few drops of complementary extracts), but at least in your early sleeve career, your surgery practice is your prescriber. Alas.

I've never been sure what people mean by "slider foods." If they are crunchy things (chips and the like) and sugar things (cake, Cookies, ice cream and less obvious things), they sure to go down easily and somehow are not followed by a full feeling, especially the sugary items. A good resource for working on the head is http://shrinkyourself.com/public/welcome.asp There are free and pay options and, of course, a book by the originator of the site, Roger Gould, PhD. Another good one is "The Beck Diet Solution," Judith Beck, PhD, but be sure it's the original book, not a later one with a similar title and a food plan which is not surgery-related. In both cases, do the exercises and, with Beck, start from page one rather than hop about. Have you considered seeing a CBT therapist? You can make it as long- or short-term as suits you.

You're terrific, reminding me of the woman whose spouse came to a couple of lapband support group meetings because he wanted to better understand the emotional aspects. You are "sleevespouse" and he introduced himself as the 'hus-bander." I think you're already on target. Your husband knows that you're on his side, which implies that you're up on the way he needs to drink and eat in the weeks after surgery. It's likely that he'll hit a stall after a few weeks (we've read a lot about it from other sleeve people). If it gets him down, all you can do is remind him that it's expected and his weight loss will kick in again as long as he follows directions. Other sleeve people will probably stop by with information not in my province. Best wishes to you and your husband. You're terrific, reminding me of the woman whose spouse came to a couple of lapband support group meetings because he wanted to better understand the emotional aspects. You are "sleevespouse" and he introduced himself as the 'hus-bander." I think you're already on target. Your husband knows that you're on his side, which implies that you're up on the way he needs to drink and eat in the weeks after surgery. It's likely that he'll hit a stall after a few weeks (we've read a lot about it from other sleeve people). If it gets him down, all you can do is remind him that it's expected and his weight loss will kick in again as long as he follows directions. Other sleeve people will probably stop by with information not in my province. Best wishes to you and your husband.

I've seen mention in the forums of hormones going cuckoo with the early, rapid weight loss for bypass or sleeve. Someone will come by to talk about it, I'm sure. It may well be what you're experiencing. Poor mom, poor son! An apology with some explanation seems in order. What really caught my attention is that you and his girlfriend's parents are all dentists. What are the odds unless her parents are friends from dental school? Otherwise you all live in a Twilight Zone town. You'll be fine.

@@Miss Mac, and then what? You can't possibly mean that you have no faith in the latest au courant process which will revolutionize the road to beauty and perfection? Maybe bariatric surgery for chubby toddlers is the solution. At such a tender age, a kid still has the ideal body -- that of an 18ish-year old -- to look forward to.

I've seen the commercial a few times. At first, of course, it makes the procedure seem great. Then the questions come flooding in. As I'm typing this, more questions are coming to mind. I'll limit myself to two for now. Where does that fat go/how does it exit the body? Is the banishment of the fat permanent? That's the thing I don't trust. If you're talking about a muffin top, are you doing exercises to tighten the underlying muscles? Exercise is a chore for some while it becomes a love of others. In either case, it's a non-cockamamie, non-creepy process, it's free and there are no nasty surprises down the road.

@@Monie717, if you don't believe the good people who've already responded, stick around for the endless parade of those who are approaching their surgery dates as though they're being led to the guillotine. Dreaming about fried chicken is okay as long as you don't bite the stuffing from your pillow. @@agalindo17, nope, we didn't all feel the same. I'd been so preoccupied with preparing in advance (buying supplies, making charts of what I'd need to do and when I'd need to do it in the few weeks following surgery, et al.) that nervousness was not on the menu. I walked into the OR ready for anything.

@@garciagiss, much of what you'll read about psych evals and three- or six-month supervised diets prior to being approved is the rigmarole of the medical plans. I've gleaned from only a few posts in BP that an odd surgeon here and there wants a psych eval for self-pay patients, probably to cover his/her tush. Surgeons generally want a patient to lose some weight prior to surgery because it make the procedure easier (reducing fat on the liver makes the organ more flexible for maneuvering around while mucking about your insides). Don't be timid about asking questions of surgeons you consult. It's your body, your health and your cash. You're the employer. @@OKCPirate, you've written up a brilliant approach and list of important things to consider. I hope you'll copy your message into a Word document so that it lives forever within reach.

There she is, back in the saddle.

Surgery is certainly giving you an excellent opportunity to lose wait and keep it off. Because, however, far too many people think that it's the magical answer and I don't know if you are one of that group, I will say that maintaining weight loss isn't guaranteed. It takes diligence forever. People lose and regain because they all sorts of reasons. You need to know this if you want success happily ever after. Surgery is certainly giving you an excellent opportunity to lose wait and keep it off. Because, however, far too many people think that it's the magical answer and I don't know if you are one of that group, I will say that maintaining weight loss isn't guaranteed. It takes diligence forever. People lose and regain because they all sorts of reasons. You need to know this if you want success happily ever after.

Why are follow-up appointments your biggest concern? I'd be more concerned if there weren't a series of visits recommended to be sure that all is well after my surgery. There's no reason for you not to ask about drain tubes or other possible aspects of surgery and what to expect, but don't sit and wait for your doctor to mention things. As questions occur to you, ask the surgeon or whomever in the practice. As capable adults each of us has a share of responsibility for our treatment and info-gathering.

Great. You're on your way.