VIRGO_GIRL824

I am in VA and my surgery will be performed through Norfolk Surgical Group. I am required to get a "White Light Scan". The way it was explained to me is that it scans your body mass and then you back every so often and get re-scanned and it compares kinda like a "shrinking woman" picture. Has anyone else participated in this? Could you give me more info or tell me what to expect???

I had my EKG, Chest X-ray, Upper GI, Barium Swallow and Ultrasound. I have a fatty liver, no surprise there. I was surprised that my x-ray showed mild degeneration in my thoracic spine... WTF?? I'm only 28! I guess that is what carrying an extra 100 lbs will do for you. I always found out that I have a duodoneal diverticulum (sp?). Form what I found on the web, this is a sort of herniation of the intestines... rare in people under 40... causes reflux... rarely needs surgery... antacids to be used for treatment... blah, blah, blah! Has anyone else had this or any medical professionals out there to shed some light??? Is this something I should be concerned with? i don't have an signs of diverticulitis, but do have a family history of it...

Sweetie, you have to give it time. If "less dramatic ways" worked long term, wouldn't you have tried it sooner? You may have been happier before surgery, but were you healthier? Will you be healthier and happier 5 or 10 years down the road if the "less dramatic ways" don't work? I'm not trying to talk you into keeping the band, or make you feel bad, but you could just be going through side effects of being put under and having surgery. Anyway, the band is not a miracle cure for obesity, it is a tool. You have to be willing to change your lifestyle. If you can't do that then you probably should have it removed. Also please keep in mind that the less dramatic WL solutions also require a lifestyle change... Are you willing to do your part?

This something I am worried about... I know it may sound stupid, but I have sort of a phobia... I don't like to put my lips on a can of drink or on a glass at a resturant... I have not been banded yet, but I fear the "no straw" rule almost as much as the "no caffiene" rule!

I have mixed feeling about this. I tend to feel like others, just don't tell anyone... but then again, this is a MAJOR deal, and I think sometimes it helps to get the opinions of others, plus it's exciting and it's hard to keep exciting news to yourself. Just remember this is NOT the easy way out, and if this is right for you don't let people get to you. In a year when you've lost the weight, we'll see what all those negative people have to say then. My best friend has a tendenancy (sp?) to be a little critical... So when I told her, before I let her get a word in, I said "this is a huge step for me, and I need support not a buch of negativity, so please don't tell anyone else." That way I made it seem like I was talking about other people, but she got the hint, and has not said anything negative to date!

I would not worry about the green stool too much, you can alway google and see if it is a symptom of something serious.

As soon as I had my consultation with the surgeon, I decided to do little things to get ready for the HUGE lifestyle change to come. So I decided to quit smoking (which I am successful--- so far!) quit caffiene and to go on slimfast, so that when I have to go on strict liquids, I would already be used to having a liquid meal twice a day. And I stopped with all the Snacks and sweets and fast food, and started on a very good quality organic whole foods vitamin! Did mention I did all of this at one time??? I just decided one day to do it so when I got up the next morning I started. No cigs, no soda, no tea, no reese cups, no Mickey D's, no Taco Bell, etc... Well if you want to know what agony is like, then just try what I did. I did really well the first several days, then gradually last Thursday my head started to ache, so i took some tylenol... then my head started to pound! I figured it was from the caffiene withdrawl. By the time i got home, I barely made it to bed. I was in bed from 5:30 pm to 6 am every time i would turn in my sleep my head ache would wake me up because it just hurt soooo bad. I got up at 2am and drank a small juice cup of pepsi, thinking by the morning i'd feel much better. I didn't much feel better, only a tiny bit better. I took a hot shower thinking that would help, no luck. I went through another miserable day at work. Finally a co-worker gave a couple of excedrin migraine. It helped some, but I still was not doing well. My best friend talked me into taking some midrin (prescription meds for migrain) I am not big of taking meds, espically other peoples meds... espically pain killers, but I was desperate. The midrin worked well. Saturday I felt better but still a bit of throbbing, so I took the midrin again. Felt MUCH better! Yesterday I felt pretty good all day, Didn't need a midrin until yesterday evening. Today all i have taken is a tylenol this a.m. and I will not take any more because I do NOT want to get a rebound headache, I told a nurse friend what happened, she said that i tried to do too many at once. She said espically with caffiene it is important to reduce by 1 drink/day for a week the 2/per for aq week and so on until u are off of it. Plus I shocked my body when i suddenly dramatically changed my diet and quit smoking. So i got back on the pepsi, and sweet tea! Still trying to follow the slim fast thing but with the caffiene. I am going to wait 2 weeks and then try WEANING off of caffiene... the last four days have been the most miserable days of my life... seriously no exaderateration (sp?) this non stop "fading" headache hurt worse than when i had a c-section and was off all pain meds 2 days later! I never want to go through this again!!!! Now if I cough or sneeze My head throbs, but other than that and an "ouchie" now and then I am feeling sooooo much better. Has anyone else had anything like this??

Hey! I guess me and Jen were the only ones who responded, and unfortunately we are not post-op! I wanted to ask you something, so i am going to try to pm u....

Panic Attacks suck!!!! I work for a Hospital system and I deal with hospital insurance billing, so I wanted to share a little information... 1st, If you went to the ER, chances are they got your ER records. If not, the bill will have a Diagnosis code of Panic attack. So I would not be worried about the insurance overturning there approval. 2nd, I would definately talk with someone (your counsoler). Most of the time panic attacks are NOT a 1 time thing. When I had my 1st PA, the ER doc asked all kinds of questions. I told the dr. what was going on in my life, he said I was stressed. i told him i didn't feel like i was, he said my body was trying to tell me something else. I was put on an anti depressant. I was convinced I didn't need it. A week later I was in the er again. I too thought i was having a heart attack, and blood clots and many other maladies. I started on the AD, my PCP ordered a small dose of Xanax to use as needed. I went to a counsoler for about 8 weeks, and finally realized that the meds were helping me. 3rd, I don't know about your doc, but my doc said depression, anxiety, and panic attacks are very common in obese people, and that would never disqualify a person for surgery. He actually refered to depression and generalized anxiety/panic disorder as a comorbidity! He also advised that many people are able to come off their meds with weight loss because they have better self esteem and are healthier. Also I believe the surgey probably did contribute to the PA... only because you are anxious and excitedto start your new life and weather you realize it, you are probably a little afraid of the unknown. Hang in there girl, but please talk to your counsoler, you will be amazed how much better you will feel. Just by reading your post I can tell that not telling this is weighing on you heavily. You don't want to end up with another PA. You will be fine, and you will still get ur surgery! I am sure of it! Good luck and don't worry! Keep us all posted!

Thanks to all... Grace, my friend who is also in the process getting the LapBand said the same thing "your setting yourself up for failure" I realize that now... I'm staying off the cigs though if i can,one day at a time... I will defniately wean withnext time... I just wanted to prepare myself, but i was definately not PREPARED for that almost week long headache!!!!!

I have read a lot of post were you all refer to PB or PBing or PB's... What the heck does PB stand for??? I have tried but can't figure it out!!! I assume it regarding vomiting, but I could be all wrong! I know probably a dumb question and it's probably something really obvious, but what can I say, I was born blonde!!! No offense to other blondes, just poking fun at myself not any one else! Any way can someone please tell me waht the PB is all about?????

Thanks! I got it all now!!! Dosen't sound very pleasent!

Haven't been banded yet, but my understanding is it's is a 24 hour hospital stay. Although I'd probably be ready to go home the next day (because I hate hospitals), I'd probably like to stay an extra day, just because if any complications arose, I'd rather be in the hospital than at home.

I am soooooo afraid of being put to sleep!! I know how you feel! When I had my son, I had an emergency C-section and they were going to put me to sleep, and I cried and begged them not too, so the Dr. finally said 1 shot, if the spinal block dosen't take, then your getting knocked out! Luckily the spinal took! I was also put to sleep when i had wisdom teeth removed in the early 90's. Although it was nothing as traumatic as your experience, I woke up in a dark room all alone, didn't know how i got there and I started throwing up as soon as i stood up! I am afraid too, but my surgeon said it will only be about 30 mins top, and i have read a couple of posts were their surgery only took 12 mins or 15 mins, so that gives me hope. Try to relax, we will be just fine!!

I am a worrier by nature... so I had to go get labs drawn... My surgeon wants to test all kinds of stuff so he can give me "clearence" for surgery. If any thing is "abnormal" then that will have to be addressed prior to surgery. So today I get my labs results and to my horror my fasting gluclose and some other test they do for diabetes/insulin resistance PCOS were both HIGH! Not extremely, but still high. My Glucose was 112 (Normal is 65-99)and my HGB A1C is 6.1 (normal is 4.8-5.9). My Cholesterol is high, none too bad except my Triglycerides are really high. The SGPT was 50 (normal is 5-40) which I think is what they use to check your liver. The report said something about alcohol abuse (that is definately not the case with me), viral hepatitis (WHAT???) or a fatty liver. I'm hoping for the fatty liver... but what does it all mean???. I am really worried about the Gluclose stuff and the riglycerides! Just 6 month ago my Gluclose and stuff was all normal... can diabetes or pre-diabetes come on that quick??? 6 months ago my Cholesterol was still a little high but not as bad as it is now. I am starting a pre-op diet anyway just to jump start my weight loss, but what can I do to lower everything else? Any help or advise is greatly appriciated!

I know about the 1 year stipulation... it sux!!! I heard that it had to be 1 year on a dr supervised diet like weight watchers, medifast, etc... jshelley asked at her financial meeting and was told as long as your doctor weighs you everytime you go and there has been flucuations (sp?) then that should be sufficent. I really hope so... I am keeping my fingers crossed... I started seeing a new Dr. in September who is wonderful and i am sure he has been documenting my weight and the things we have discussed about diet. I'm not so sure about my doctor before that... I know they took my weight, but not sure if he documented how we talked about exercise and eating right... he also have me a diet to follow to lower cholesterol... I just hope and pray that that is all they need. I have to get this done and i can't wait another year.

So are u a Sentara employee??? So are jshelley and I! We go to the support and wellness 4/17 also so i guess we will see you there! Which psych are you seeing??? May was the earliest we could get with Kati Lynch, the other psychs on the list did not have openings until July!!!! You are luck to have gotten in so soon.

Hey Bandit Girl... I will speak for myself and jshelly24 (since we know each other) we are both fontana patients. Going for pre op testing (ekg, u/s, barium swallow (yuck) and the such) on 4/8, I go for the white light scan on 4/11 the wellness class on 4/17 and the psych eval on 5/5, then I will be done with all my pre required stuff. jshelly24 and I have appointments all on the same days within about 30 mins to and hour of each other! At the support group I atteneded last Thursday there were 2- 6 months out, 1- 1 year out, a 7 week out, a 7 DAY out and a couple more that I can't remember, but the longest was the one who was a year out... She is really great! Hopefully she will be at yours also! Good luck and keep me and jshelley up to date on your progress... feel free to PM me anytime!

I work for Sentara Healthcare and in their explore health archives thay have a webcast of a Lap Band surgery. I already posted this on somone elses thread but figured it more might see it if I posted it seperately ExploreHealth with Sentara

65-99 was the "normal range" that was on the lab report... and on the report it was flaged as high. I know different labs have different "ranges". What does the AC1 mean? As far as the hepatitis goes, when my results came back high on that one for your liver, i googled "high SGPT blood test results" and it said it could be from alcohol abuse, viral hepatitis or most likely a fatty liver... I'm sure it is the fatty liver and not hep, but like i said I am a worrier!!! Thanks to all for the feedback, and keep it comming! I am starting to feel calmer now!

That is a good question. My guess is no, they will not give you a copy of it. I don't know if you are intrested but I work for Sentara Healthcare, and they have a webcast video of an actually Lap Band being done. Here is the link... ExploreHealth with Sentara just click on the lap band link.

Thanks for the info! I have already started partial liquid diet. I don't know when my surgery will be yet, but i'm getting ready now. Maybe that will have a positive effect on my "fatty liver" The Dr. said something about Insulin resistance and PCOS. I have many symptoms of PCOS but my ovaries and uterus are free of cysts so I have never had a DX of PCOS, and he said something about the Glucose and HGB A1C showing insulin resistance to DX my PCOS. It is all very confusing to me... Is there anyone who has PCOS and can shed some light on this for me? I have heard weight loss can correct/cure PCOS??? Is this true? I really want to have more kids one day, and right now I have what they call 2ndry infertility.

I know it has scared me too... Will a fatty liver prevent me from getting surgery??? Does a fasting glucose of 112 mean I am now diabetic or borderline diabetic??? I am totally freaking about the triglycerides mine were like 300!!!

Thanks Chica!!! I feel much better now! I was getting worried! That is too funny! i hope my experience is as comical as yours was!!!!

Ditto what jshelly24 said. The support group was great! Lots of good people. Are you going to Norfolk General or Depaul?