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Oh yeah, your other question about being familiar with larger patients...definitely, all the people on your surgical team will be used to larger patients, and you will NOT be the biggest patient they've had, by FAR. Nowadays, most surgical teams are getting more and more used to obese patients, not just because of WLS but because more people in our general population are obese and have medical problems. But bariatric surgeons are generally well established at the hospital where they do their surgeries, and usually work with the same group of people all the time in the OR, the same anesthesia providers, nurses, surgical techs, etc. So EVERYONE there will be used to larger patients, and it sounds like you won't be anywhere near their largest. Also, the surgeons usually make sure that their patients will not be made to feel embarassed or badly by any negative treatment at the hospitals they work at, because we are their bread and butter and we talk to each other. So everyone you work with during your hospital stay should be compassionate and make you feel comfortable--I know a lot of us have had negative experiences with people because of our weight, even in health care, so I think this is very important when we make this big step to take back our health, that we are made to feel comfortable and not like anyone doesn't want to care for us because we are obese. I guess that wasn't really your question but I got on that soapbox anyway!:focus: I hope this answers some of your questions and eases your fears. This is a big step for all of us, but especially when you have a past experience that was traumatic for you. I wish you the best. You will do great!

I'm sorry you had such a frightening and traumatizing experience with your C section, RainyDay. I would agree that you should talk to your anesthesia provider prior to your surgery. You WILL meet them (either anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist, makes no difference which one) as they have to meet with you to do a pre op assessment before you go in the operating room. It might be a day before your surgery or it might be just 20 minutes before. But make sure to let them know that you had this traumatic experience and that you have a lot of anxiety about the anesthesia...they are usually very compassionate about this sort of thing and will make sure you are comfortable with everything before you go under. This surgery is almost ALWAYS performed under general anesthesia, meaning you are unconscious before anything happens, and you wake up after everything is done. This will be a very different experience than your section, which sounds like it might have been sort of an emergency after your epidural failed? At any rate, be sure you are comfortable with your anesthesia provider and their plan for your anesthesia so you can rest easy. Hopefully this experience will ease some of your fears if you should ever need surgery in the future. I'm sure everything will go perfectly for you. Best of luck!

You might not ever slime or PB, I never have and I've been banded for 10 months. Be very careful when you eat, take small bites and chew chew chew. Follow all the rules your doc gives you. I don't think any of us here will ever be "done" with our weight issues...it's something we will always have to be vigilant about. It's easy to defeat the band if we want to, by taking in liquid calories, eating soft foods, grazing all day instead of eating meals and waiting 4-5 hours between, or not keeping an adequate fill level. You have to really want to be healthy and change your life for good. You sound motivated, I'm sure you will do great. Good luck to you!

That is great! You had surgery in October? Your weight loss is great. It's easy to lose sight of your progress, but I found that tracking my weight frequently (I use FitDay) and then going back and looking at the weight loss trends helps me keep perspective when I think my weight loss is too slow. Remember, that's one of the benefits of the band is the slow, healthy weight loss. And 28 lbs in 3 months is awesome! Good job and keep up the good work.

My experience is the band does AT MOST 50% of the work. It's a reminder when you are eating to stop, to slow down, to chew completely. For the first 2 or 3 months, until I had good restriction after a few fills, it was all me, and I lost very slowly after the initial liquid diet phase (post op). Now I eat healthfully, exercise regularly, and the band does about 1/2 the work. HTH.

oops, now I see that you haven't had surgery yet. So let me revise that to say if you find a new PCP, let them know you are in the process of getting approved for surgery. If you have other medical issues, or are on meds, it's a good idea to have your PCP involved, I think, but if you don't you may as well go to a new one the next time you need an annual and let them know then.

I never talked to my PCP about it because before I had surgery she told me she didn't "believe" in weight loss surgery. I really like her otherwise and she is a great doc, but she's sort of a natural athlete and I got the impression she felt people didn't need to have WLS. So we never discussed it after I had surgery. I have been meaning to ask my surgeon to send a dictation to her so it's in my records, but I keep forgetting. I wouldn't worry about your current PCP if she's out of network now, just find a new one in your plan and let them know you've already had surgery.

I go to the gym 5 days a week. I do 45-60 min cardio and do weights 3 days a week. I used to dislike gyms but I've found that I love it now, as long as it's a gym I like. I do yoga a couple times a week as well. I have so much more energy since I started exercising regularly, and I feel run down when I don't go.

There is a thread somewhere here on LBT (I think in Support) for Lower BMI bandsters...check with them, they might have some good suggestions for you. Good luck!

I totally agree, Juli! This is life, sometimes it's more intense than others, but to keep obesity in "remission" (as I've heard it called) we will have to stay on top of it. Some days I just wanna quit, but I've taken a day off here & there and when I'm ready to start again the next day, no crisis has occurred; I haven't suddenly regained 45 lbs! The band totally makes the difference. What feels like a "binge" now is NOTHING like how I ate ordinarily before...not to mention what the old "binges" were! It's a little reminder when I'm feeling a little out of control. There is just no way to eat like I used to anymore, thank god. :clap2: I should probably take a day off a little more often than I do...I've been going after this goal with everything I've got for a year, and sometimes you just have to cool your jets for a day. I'm the worst that way about exercise...I do take 1 or 2 days a week to rest, but I'm terrified to do it, to be honest. It's so crazy, but I'm afraid if I take a day off I'll never go back, even though I actually enjoy exercising (for the first time in my life, maybe). I did have a nice NSV today, though. Despite the fact that I've only lost 2 lbs since the beginning of December, I found that my jeans were getting a little baggy, so I tried on a smaller size....a 10, and it fit! It's a little snug, but of course I got them anyway. :biggrin1: I started out in 16/18s. I haven't worn a 10 since Bill Clinton was elected.

Oh man, sugar! Totally my weakness. I usually do pretty well avoiding it these days...the less sugar and HFCS you eat, the less you crave it...but I can go several days doing really well and then totally fall off the wagon. It's never as bad as before I was banded, but it is a constant battle, since it is everywhere. Sugar is very much like a drug addiction, except heroin addicts don't have to see commercials for their drug on TV and magazines and billboards, have it handed to them on a paper plate at work, have their family push it on them when they go home to visit, etc etc....!! Like some other posters here, I've been feeling badly about my weight loss over the couple of months. It felt like an unending plateau, but when I looked back on my stats (I record my weight regularly in FitDay and look at the graphs to see weight loss trends) it wasn't as bad as I thought. I lost 4 lbs in November and only 1 lb in December, but at least the numbers kept going down. In the past I've gained at least 5 lbs during the holidays, so I have to look at losing ANY weight in December as a minor miracle. I had another fill yesterday and my doc was very happy with my weight loss, even though I'd been feeling so badly about it. And today I've dropped another pound. So, I'm trying to feel better about it all. Since we all had surgery the same month, I doubt I'm the only one here who feels tired of this process sometimes. For the past year, ever since I first went to the initial surgery seminar in Dec 2006, I have lived and breathed weight loss. Even with all the other major things that have gone on in my life during that time, like applying for and getting into a very tough graduate program, quitting my job and moving far away to start school, the overriding obsession has been weight loss. At this stage of the game I get sort of exhausted by it, especially when I feel like I'm in this long plateau. It has helped to look back at my weights and statistics and be more realistic about how far I've come, and just continue on my path because I feel better living this way (eating better and exercising regularly), not just to lose weight. Anyone relate to this?

I don't envy your predicament, Metawnny. From what you describe it sounds like your doc isn't "getting it". I hope your next appointment gives you a better experience, and I hope you don't end up having to change docs, just because it can be a pain. But you have to do what is best for you. Good luck and keep us posted! Gwen

The original poster mentioned 2 times that multiple pokes were needed to access the band. That doesn't signal incompetence to me. Of course there is a risk of puncturing the tubing, agreed. I'm just saying that there is NO practitioner who can hit every port every time on 1 or 2 pokes. And there are lots of people whose ports are difficult to access every time it's attempted. We don't know if she is one of these people or not. If her doc has fluoro available, and she's willing to accept the radiation every time she has a fill, terrific. But I wouldn't assume that this doc is inexperienced or incompetent or whatever based on 2 attempts to access the band. Some people might not see this the same way as me, but as a health care provider (as well as a patient, of course) I can appreciate both sides of this issue, from either end of the needle. As far as transferring care from one doc to another, just check the complications board here on LBT, or the fills board, or just about anywhere. Bariatric surgeons throughout the US are reluctant to take patients that they didn't perform surgery on themselves for a number of reasons. There are some who will, but lots won't. (One of the surgeons who apparently posts here frequently had an interesting discussion with another LBTer recently about this very topic...it was Dr Brad Watkins, and the thread was orignially about erosion but ended up answering a lot of other questions, if you want to search for it.) Add to that the fact that she prepaid for her follow up care...she would probably have to forfeit that money she paid for her prepaid care, unless she can talk them into refunding it. She might be able to, if she feels the care is incompetent. But what if she does, only to find out that the next person has difficulty accessing her band too? My only point here is that it's always best to try to solve the problem at hand directly before firing your doc and trying all over again with someone new. These are just my thoughts on the issue, of course, and others may feel differently. To metawnny, I hope you find some satisfactory resolution to this issue. Gwen

Not being able to hit your port on the first or second poke wouldn't be a big concern to me, actually. People who access these ports every day, all the time, have trouble accessing some patients' ports. It might be partially flipped or in a little bit of a funky position. Some ports are harder to access than others. And fluoro won't help them access the port any better, it only shows what's going on in the band itself (i.e. restriction). I would be more concerned with him not listening to you. Before you give up on him, have a direct conversation about your expectations and make sure you both agree on a plan before he carries it out. You've paid for your fills already, and it's unlikely that you'll be able to transfer that to another doc unless he has another person in his practice. He might have a nurse practitioner or a PA, though, perhaps they could do your fills? Doctors spend a lot of time in medical school and residency and fellowships before they take care of patients on their own, but they don't necessarily learn how to interact effectively with patients. Plus, all that time spent in school leaves a lot of them a little bit socially impaired, you could say. If his medical expertise seems good (and I wouldn't judge that by whether he can hit your port on the first poke) then I'd try working with him with these things in mind. Most of all, be your own advocate and speak up when you know something's wrong--like when you knew you needed an immediate unfill. It's unfortunate that you aren't in a better position to switch docs, but even if you were, it's often difficult to find a doc to provide aftercare if he/she didn't do the original surgery. Good luck.

I believe the "window of opportunity" applies to RNY patients, who tend to grow back absorptive villi in their bypassed intestines and stretch their small stomachs after about 18 months. My understanding is there is no window of opportunity for weight loss with the band, although weight loss does slow down the closer you get to goal. Don't panic! At 5 years post op, lap band patients and gastric bypass patients have the same weight loss. Ours takes longer, but the band is always there to help even if your efforts slack off for a while. Happy New Year!

Good luck, Justin. I'm sure you will do great!

"the jeans rules" I love that!! Those are good rules. I wish more people followed them. Don't people have mirrors at home? Why do some people seem to think it's ok to show muffin tops and plumber butt in public? And "whale tails" (thongs sticking out of low rise jeans in back)? IT'S NOT! I, for one, am thankful this trend is coming to an end.:clap2:

Hi Justin, Here's the truth as I see it: The band alone will not do it. Some people are able to just eat less and eat the same foods they were eating before and lose weight, but they seem to be the exception, and more importantly, since they are eating so much less, eating the same junk food as before will result in malnutrition. You are going to be eating a very small amount of food compared to pre-banded life, and that food needs to have enough nutrition to keep you going. It sounds like your current diet isn't that nutrient dense, so if you cut to about 25-50% of the amount you eat now, you'll get even less nutrition. It seems the people who think the band alone will do everything, without making changes on their part as well, are the unhappy ones who frequently get stuck, PB, throw up a lot, or else they don't lose weight. Of course there are exceptions, but that's been my observation. If you aren't prepared to make changes to WHAT you eat as well as HOW MUCH you eat (and HOW you eat as well) then this isn't a good time for lap band surgery. It's not a magic bullet. It takes a lot of work to make it work. If you feel you can commit to learning how to feed your body so it gets what it needs, no more and no less, then the lap band is a great tool. If not, I don't think you are going to be happy. To answer your other questions: Yes, you can get full on Chinese food (which is loaded with fat and sodium) and you may or may not lose weight, but a diet like that, long term, will result in malnutrition. If you don't exercise along with the weight loss, you will lose lean muscle mass instead of fat. And no, losing weight won't MAKE you happy. Only you can make you happy. Being thin is not a guarantee of happiness, and being banded is not a guarantee of being thin, either. You can be happy and obese, lots of people are. You can be miserable and thin, lots of people are that too. Your happiness depends on a lot more than your weight, and if you are counting on the band to make you happy, it will probably disappoint you. If, on the other hand, you are ready to start figuring out how be happy with yourself, and how to treat your body with respect by feeding it what it wants and needs to be nourished, and exercise to keep it healthy, you might find yourself very happy after the lap band. This can be the start of a very fulfilling journey, but only if you own your part of the work. Good luck with your decision! I wish you the best.

I can't help with how to wear low rise jeans...I never could. Thank God the higher rise pants are back in style. I have a long waist, so the low rise pants hit me WAY lower than they were supposed to, and right where my tummy is biggest. Not a good look, to say the least. I have stuck to a higher rise the whole time and thankfully, this is now more in style...but for me, even being out of style was better than feeling indecent.

A lot of us wouldn't make it to our 70s or 80s without losing a lot of weight. And the malabsorptive procedures do weird things down the road...I've taken care of people with RNYs from 10 or 20 years previous who had their intestines disintegrate, or whose stomachs pretty much fell apart. No one knows how the band will do when we are in our later years, but I take that risk over knowing the long term effects of malabsorption.

Actually IUDs don't increase risk for infertility, and fertility returns as soon as the IUD is removed.

Here are tips that I use: 1. Continue to exercise 2. Brush your teeth after eating sweets or anything...the feeling of clean brushed teeth keeps me from wanting to eat and gets the taste of goodies out of my mouth 3. Remember that sugar is like a drug...one bite will send you on the insulin rollercoaster and make you crave more and more. Avoid the first bite! 4. Get it out of the house (unless it's not your house, but even then I'd try my hardest to get your mom to see she's not helping you but hurting you) It's a hard thing to deal with us, especially for us sugar junkies! But I found that figuring out a few ways to combat the situation has been a lifesaver.

I agree about not being afraid of a food group. If you are eating mostly whole/fresh foods (most of those are) you should eat as much variety as you can tolerate with the band (of course I am talking about healthy foods. You don't need a lot of variety of chocolate and chips!:hungry:) One of your rules to follow is "protein first"...it helps fill you, & makes sure you get your Protein requirement before you fill up with other stuff. Humans can't absorb more than 25gm protein at a time, so eating more than that at any one meal is a waste of money, plus it is hard on your kidneys to have to excrete it. It's wise to avoid the breads, pastas, rice, etc...these things don't have a lot of benefit for bandsters. On occasion I will eat whole grain versions of these things, but I keep it minimal. Lots of people can't tolerate them anyway post banding so it might be a moot issue. The fruits are fine, IMO...yes they have sugar but they have lots of good for you micronutrients and antioxidents and stuff. Sugar from fruit is much easier for your body to use than processed sugar, so it's different than eating sugar itself. Some people can't tolerate skins or certain fruits at all. If your surgeon has a nutritionist (he/she should) they will go over what their recommended diet is, and you should follow that. You should be talking to them before surgery, so you won't be surprised when you have surgery about what you are not allowed to eat. What you CAN eat, however, will be determined by trial and error. Some people have a tough time with lots of foods. I haven't found any food that I can't eat, yet. I eat a varied diet of mostly healthy, whole foods. I do eat a fair amount of fish, but no meat. Lots of people can't tolerate chicken, pork, beef, just depending on how tight their band is and how well they are able to chew. good luck! Gwen

I have the copper IUD. I got it 3 years ago. LOVE IT, I refused to go on any more hormonal BC for the last 15 years, since I gained a lot of weight with all the different pills and Depo Provera that I tried back then. The copper IUD caused more bleeding and cramping for the first few months but by 6 months everything was back to how it was pre-IUD. I love it. And it only has to be replaced every 10 years, which is nice, not that I think I will have it that long, as we want to have a baby in the next couple years. Good luck. Gwen

Have you had your surgery since posting this question? I had Dr Hong as my surgeon but he returned to Canada about a month after my surgery. So Dr Jan has done most of my post op care. I like him a lot; he's very competent, very nice, answers all questions. He's professional, not warm & fuzzy. I think he's very competent. I REALLY like following up with the new PA in the office, Patrick. He's a little more personable and spends quite a bit of time and discussion before figuring out with you if you need a fill. Both Patrick and Dr Jan have never had trouble accessing my port. The surgical fellow is the only one who has had trouble accessing my port. Overall, all my experiences at OWLS have been positive. If you've already had your band surgery, congrats!