SoCalShannon

Hi Jess77! I went to my PCP twice already. She is supportive of me having it done, but says in her experience it is tough to get the referrals approved. She put the request in last week and said to make an appointment with her for a month later. She said then I will find out if the referral is approved. In the meantime, she has me seeing a nutritionist as a backup in case of a denial. That way my medical history will show more weight loss attempts. It is frustrating having to wait so long...actually it's torture! I am the kind of person that when I make up my mind I just do it, so this wait is killing me. I really want to have it done over the summer and begin the new healthier me, but at this point I have to go through the process and pray that it ends up in my favor. I will keep you all updated. Jess77 since you are going strait to the surgeon, does that mean you are self pay? Please let me know how your appointment goes.

Hello All, I just found this site and I am so happy I did. I think this is just the support I need as I begin this journey. I am 30 years old, 5'1" tall, and weight 210 pounds. My BMI is right at 40. Weight has just slowly crept up on me and no matter what I can't lose it, hunger always wins out. I am tired of feeling like I can't control my eating. I have three wonderful children and a husband that I want to be healthy for. They deserve it. I have been seriously considering getting bariatric surgery. I have been looking at both the gastric bypass and the Lap Band. Is it just me, but I think the Lap Band is the obvious choice. Why do most people get the gastric bypass? My appointment with my primary care physician is for April 7. I am hoping to get an easy referral. I know all insurances have different policies, so I'm not sure how having Medi-cal affects this. Since I am just starting this process I am really wondering what is the time line from first pcp appointment to actual surgery? I just want to have this surgery quickly. I know 100% that this is what I want and I want to do it ASAP. Any thoughts...encouragement....advice would be helpful!

lleighton5 At the meeting they said that they would call in about a week. His office contacted me the very next day! You need to call them. Something must have happened. I'll send you a private message with the phone number for Naomi, the person that called me.

I would love to lose 5 pounds a month, just like you christasha. I would be very satisfied with that. Imagine the horror of gaining 5 pounds a month!!! That's what many go through pre-band. What a contrast. Five pounds is nice and slow. For me the weight crept up on me throughout the years and although I don't what it to be that slow, I will be happy with losing it over 3 years. I want to savor every pound lost the slow way and enjoy the process. Just a theory, but I also think that it gives your skin more time to adjust and there'll be less saggynes. I also have only told the people that are closest to me that I am planning on getting the Band, so I am hoping that other people will see the weight coming off slow and I can just tell them that I am eating less and exercising. Which is true; it's a half-truth, but I'd rather do that than tell them about the band, which I feel is a personal decision.

Wow Eric, sounds like your doing really good. I can't wait to not be hungry. That's an interesting point that you made about the fills. They give you a fill at 4 weeks post-op just when you are supposed to start on solids, but then you have to go on liquids again for 2 weeks. Go figure! So I guess no solid foods for you for awhile. That's a sure way to lose weight. That's okay with me as long as I ain't hungry I'm happy!

I am so happy that things are moving so quickly for you Milo. That is so exciting. For me. I went to the seminar 3/26. There I found out that they did not accept my type of insurance, so now I am in the process of switching to another carrier - thank God I have that option! It takes about 30-45 days. I am so excited about getting the band that I am now eating even more and gaining weight, which is causing me to become depressed. My doc does not require us to lose weight prior to surgery. He says that we have all been on diets and lost weight before, so he says it is unnecessary. I think I am going to put myself on a diet, becuase I am at my highest weight. UUUUGGGGGHHHHH. I need the band now more than ever!

Thanks GreenChrysalis. Congrats on your 25+ weight loss! That makes sense to me and confirms my thoughts that even thought it is a protein drink, i.e. heathy, it is still a liquid and will slip through the band. I can't wait to have my surgery. I'm gonna stock up on the protein shakes (which I love) in preparation for the pre-op and post-op diet. I will ask my doc about them for after and see what he thinks.

I agree with you jazma. I gave up soda 4 days ago and don't even miss it (well just a little). For me this is unheard of; pre-lap band bound I drank at least 2, sometimes 3 or 4 diet sodas a day. I was definitely addicted. Now, I am so ready to give it up, because I really want to be successful. I view the lap band as a BIG tool that will help me do what I never could before - lose weight! I am willing to sacrifice soda and other things if needed. Thankfully, I am not a big milkshake drinker or soft food eater to begin with. I have now begun drinking ice tea, which is actually really good. I do have one more question for you in Lap band Land: If we are not supposed to eat the more "liquid" type food post band, then why are protein shakes okay? Since liquids supposedly go through the band they should not be able to sustain the full feeling that keeps us so happy and therefore encourage overeating.

That is so interesting. I'll have to look more into that.

What exactly is the Realize band! I haven't heard about it. Is it the Inamed band?

Congratulations on your surgery and thanks for sharing your story. You waited so long, it must have been frustrating. I have been trolling this site for 2 weeks now and it is really helping me answer my questions. I am hoping to get my band by this summer. I just started the process and am hoping it happens quickly, because now that I know I am probably going to be doing this I have started eating like crazy and have even gained a few pounds. uuggghhh! Keep us updated on your progress.

I am also going to go with Dr. Mueller for the band. I read the post that says that he is stingy with fills and at first I did not like that, but I thought about it and now think that as long as you are losing why add more and risk an overfill, which to me sounds terrible. I am just wondering why you chose Dr. Mueller? I went to the informational meeting and he seemed great. We live in such a big city and have so many choices. I'm sure there are other great docs here to, so I am really curious how you settled on him.

I totally relate to you when you said that "I always think of them as a backhanded way of saying "you were so fat, now your not." I think that is one of the reasons I am choosing to have the Lap Band instead of the Bypass, because the weight loss is slower. I just don't want the attention. I don't even want to tell anybody except those closest to me that I am even considering having the Lap Band Surgery.

I like how you prepared before you were banded. I myself am about to take the plunge and give up diet sodas. I know I need to do it now before the band, because I will have enough to deal with then. I did not think about practicing chewing food more and taking smaller bites...although I have noticed how I shovel food into my mouth :cursing:. Is the PBing really bad? Do you just learn to avoid it by chewing well and not overeating, or is it something that is just a minor annoyance. Also what about the Slimeing, is that an everyday event? Or is it something that is very unpleasant and to be avoided? To me I imagine slimeing as how your mouth starts watering right before throwing up.

I went to the informational seminar with Dr. Mueller last wednesday. He seems great and I think I will go with him. Do you have any imput for me about his or his program?

I am 90% certain that I will be going with the Lap Band. I recently went to the informational meeting and the Dr. said that with RNY the hormone Ghrelin (hunger hormone) is virtually eliminated. This is not the case with the band. I am just wondering if any of you with the band already ever get hungry, but just can't eat very much? That would be torture. This is really one of my final concerns...unless anymore happen to pop up! I also just want to say thank you to everybody out there on this site. This has been my best source for Lap Band info. It is really helping make this big decision easier.

I also think that with RNY it just seems so permanent. Who knows if later than now something even better will come up than the band. I know the band is considered a permanent fixture, but it is comforting knowing that it can be reversed so easily. RNY just seems to have such a permanence to it. I also am not thrilled with the RNY because of the dumping and the stinky farting!!! I am not thrilled with the idea of having to go to the doctor so often to maintain the band, but I recently have aquired a new perspective. A lot of people go to weekly meetings (ie Weight Watchers) to support their weight loss. Any kind of medical need requires maintenance and supervision. Ten years ago I remember a friend of mine was so happy to go the doctor to get her Phen-Phen. I will just have to remember that the fills/appointments are my weight loss friend.

Last night I went to an informational session at Sharp Grossmont hopital in La Mesa. It was awesome. I was so embarrassed to go, because I have a lot of guilt and shame for being overweight. I was in denial for so long about my wieght and have finally woken up and realized that I have a problem and need to do something about it. Dieting just isn't even an option for me anymore; 've tried it and it doesn't work. They made me feel so comfortable and welcome. They explained that obesity is a disease and an epidemic and that surgery can help inprove your health and quality of life. That is exactly what I want! Here is where my confusion lies. I went in dead-set for the band, but now I am not so sure. The doctor desribed the benefits and downfalls of both the lap band and the Roux-en-y bypass. I knew the major points of each going in, but he gave me more to think about. He said that with the bypass the Ghrelin hormone (the one that makes you hungry) is dramatically reduced and that this is another weight loss control. This is not the case with the band. He also said that it is more successful: 85% effectiveness compared to 70% for lap band. I am now concerned about the long term care of the band and don't want to have problems with the band down the road. I really hope I get some good responses, because now I am really weighing both. I still really want to go for the band, but I see some downsides to it now.

Wow, Congratulations on your weight loss. That is such an inspiration to me. WLS is such a big decision and I will keep researching until I am 100% comfortable with my decision.

That is helpful info GreenChrysalis. Really makes me feel better.

Thanks for your answer. Sounds like your doctor wanted to steer you to the bypass. I am still trying to sort through all this. I am definitely leaning towards the Lap Band, but I still need to learn so much more. I am most concerned about lifetime band maintenance. I don't mind going in to the doctors a lot in the first couple of years post-op, but I don't want to be going to the doctor all the time for the rest of my life just to check up on my band. Do you know exactly what is the lifetime maintenance plan on these bands?

Post-surgery I guess it won't matter. At this point I just want to lose the weight. Now (pre-surgery) if I don't eat meat, I really begin to crave it. I guess it's the protein my body wants. I understand the no allowed junk food, and ice-cream; I just can't imagine them telling actually telling you no meat allowed. How else would you get your protein?

No meat! Is that true? That can't be true!!!