WanaBeALoser

I am really gald I came up on this thread. I personally do not have PCOD, but was discussing my weight loss surgery with a young lady on Friday (who really needs to have something done!) and she said that she had been told that due to her PCOD she would have to have some other type of weight loss surgery other than the LapBand. Something about her insulin resistence and fluctuating blood sugars. I really did not know much about PCOD, so I just left her comment where it was. I did tell her that she need not put too much into a comment like that if it came from a surgeon who performs both types of weight loss surgeries, as they tend to make much more from the bypass surgery than the LapBand. She commented that he was a retired surgeon (probably never performed a LapBand procedure in his life). The insulin resistence/blood sugar comment really puzzled me. Then I got to thinking about it later, and thought, why would the LapBand be problematic with fluctuating blood sugars? You can basically take in food at any time, if needed, and can tolerate a much larger variety of food than with RNY, etc. I will have to tell her to get a second opinion now that I know others have done it and are doing fine.

Up until 8 years ago, I thought that the 15-20 pounds I needed to loose were the end of the world (I weighed 160 pounds and wore a size 12), then I quit smoking and gained 70 pounds in one year! At that point, I knew what a real weight problem was!

Congratulations on the new addition to your family! I have 4 dogs-none of which I brought to my house. They are all female and I had to have 3 of them spayed (The one that moved from the neighbor's house to my house on her own was already fixed! Thank God!). I just consider them little gifts from God. Each and every one of them has brought me such great joy. We obviously needed each other, even when I didn't think so!

That sounds a like it is a little soon to me. I was still pretty sore and tired easily on day three. I was still occasionally taking pain meds (not all day long, but when I got to hurting). Thank God, I didn't have much gas pain, but when it hits, you need to be able to get up and walk it off. I actually took off 12 days, which was not really necessary, but I live quite a ways from my work, and it was the drive that bothered me more than the sitting. Good luck.

"My wife said I looked like Darth Vader with the stupid mask on...but I grew to really love it and how I feel after a good night's sleep." LOL! My husband and I jokingly refered to mine as "the sex toy". They do make a person look as sexy as anything I have ever seen!

Apnea is when you stop breathing. There are actually 2 types of sleep apnea: obstructive and central. Most of us fatties have obstructive sleep apnea where our airway becomes occluded when we relax into sleep. The cpap machine blows air continuouly to keep the airway open. Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain does not tell your body to breath. I actually had one or two episodes of central apnea when I had my sleep study. You mentioned RLS. During my sleep study, when they put me on the cpap machine I started having a few episodes of RLS, which I did not have prior to having the machine applied. Kinda crazy, uh?

OMG! A 4 hour beer sounds like a "hot" beer to me!

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in October and was started on cpap. I definitely slept better, but the mask and occasional leaks would wake me up. It did not make me feel as energized as I had hoped it would before I got it, but I was less tired during the day. I was banded on 1/4/06 and had lost 19.7 pounds on the 2 week pre-op diet. I had used the cpap religiously up to this point. I noticed after surgery that the air was irritating my nasal cavity, so I pulled it off one night and I have never put it back on. My sleep quality was no different. I asked my husband about snoring, and he stated that he had not been hearing me snore. WOW! Prior to the weight loss and surgery, if I took the mask off, he would wake me up and tell me to put it on because of the snoring. I am going to keep the machine for a while longer just in case, but I plan to let the DME company have it back before too long due to the monthly rental cost. I had no idea that it was going to be such an ongoing expense!

trichard, I was banded on the day you made this posting. I am 8 days out now, and I have been having the exact same issues that you elluded to in your posting...sore left side & the esophagus pain/spasm. I was just wondering if these things have resolved yet, as I am looking for the light at the end of the tunnel!. Hope everything is going well with you!

FunnyDuddies, I know exactly what you mean. I was banded a week ago, and I have browsed the internet daily looking at regular size clothing! It has helped me through the pain and the most of all the dreaded liquid diet! I told my husband that he will be shelling out $$$ for a pair of those fancy little designer jeans from Neiman Marcus when the time comes. Hang in there!

Nanahanna So far I have very pleased with my doctors and their entire staff. It is day 2 right now, and an still doing very well. I got up made the bed, started the laundry, and emptied the diswasher. Activity seems to help the soreness alot. I am not lifting anything, and I also make sure I don't bend to the ground.

I was banded this morning in Texarkana. It has been pretty uneventful so far. I pray that it stays that way. I have walked several times today. I have not had to take any pain medication as of yet (and I am a pain woosie). I have chewed a couple Gas-X pills. I felt a little sore after I napped for about 3 hours, but after I got up and started stirring around, that improved. I have had no appetite, and have really focused on the Water intake. I plan to work on a Slim Fast for some Protein before I retire for the evening. Dr. Heiker assured me that my soreness will probably peak on Friday, so I realize I may have opportunity to take some pain meds. I just had that pain med feeling, so will try Tylenol by itself first. Good Luck to All!

Thanks, Sugerbear. I don't know if there has been a history of self-pays getting a break on the bill, but now that it is covered by Medicare, they have to charge the same as they charge Medicare (or run the risk of loosing all their Medicare payments). Medicare only started paying for bariatric procedures during the past year. Even though Medicare does not pay the full amount billed, providers are not allowed to discount the charges to self-pays (or other insurance companies). This really stinks, but it is the way of the world for all uninsured folks, who happen to be fortunate enough to not qualify as indigents. Good luck!

Sugarbear, I will be banded in Texarkana on 1/4. I have been on the 2 week Slim Fast since the Wed. before Christmas in preparation for the procedure. I figured if I could make it through that during Christmas and New Year, I could do anything! I went by the physician's office on Thursday to pay them and sign consents, and discovered that I had already lost 14 pounds in 8 days with the fast! That was what I needed to get me through the next week. I am really excited about my new life and look forward to the day when I can shop in the "regular" size section. Good luck getting everything in order for your band, and please keep me in your prayers!

I haven't been to Vegas in over a year, but when I was there I stayed at the Belagio. It is totally 1st class, but they do not tend to cater to kids. We browsed around many of the hotels and they were all really nice. As for shopping...the Forum at Caesar's Palace is great. They have an FAO Schwartz (?) toy store that is great entertainment for kids and adults alike. A must see! Then there is the Fashion Show Mall which has all kinds of stores. I live in a rural area and we are very limited to what we have have in our local malls, so this was a real treat for me. There is also several really neat malls inside some of the casino/hotels. Venetian has a really cute mall and so does the one right across the street from the Belagio (I can't remember the name). I never got the opportunity to go to any of the outlet malls. I've never been there during this time of year, but when I went in December 2004, it was coat weather! It was pretty cold at night, so you may want to carry a variety of clothes. I hope this helps & I hope you and your family have a GREAT Vegas Vacation!

Sugerbear: I am going to be sure and ask this question when I go to the seminar. I can get a discount for services that I receive at a CHRISTUS facility, so I may have to go to another CHRISTUS facility (other than Texarkana) to have the procedure if I decide to go through with it. My insurance does not cover this procedure, so I will be a self-pay. So every opportunity to save a little will help. I will let you know what I find out. I can also check tomorrow to see if these 2 docs are on staff at St. Michaels.

I know 2 people who have used them. One goes to my church--she was banded last year (Looks great!), and the other I work with--she was banded a couple weeks ago. All 3 of us work in the healthcare business, and no I have not heard any negative things about these docs. All 3 of us however, work at the "other" hospital, and not the one they operate in. I have just recently decided to check into this. I am sick of being obese and feeling much older than I am. I know several folks who have had the RNY procedure, and some of them are no longer with us. There seems to be some serious potential problems that go with that procedure, so I would never consider it, but the band seems to be a great (and much safer) alternative. I will certainly do my research before I commit to this, so I'll let you know if I uncover any skeletons.

Sugarbear, I also live in the Texarkana area, and I am planning to go to the December 13th seminar. Just curious....do you think you will go through with the banding after attending and getting more information? I have read some horror stories on this website, and it has slowed my excitement about getting banded. Just wondering...