kaytiebugs

The first time I went to my docs office (to the 3 hour class prior to consult) they weighed me and this little tape thing printed. Find out what exactly they submit to your insurance and when. My doc said the tape that printed on that first visit is what goes to ins and I could start trying to lose.

I'm having surgery on a Thursday and going back to work the following Monday (fri sat sun off). My employer isn't exactly thrilled about me or anyone taking unpaid time off, and I don't have much time saved up. I've been trying to save it but it just seems like one thing after another. I'll have just enough vacation time to take off the day of my surgery and the day after... BARELY. Luckily I have a desk job and I'm 24, so the doc says I might feel pretty crappy but I should be able to hang. Wish me luck!

I'm considering getting an IUD after surgery (since my annual out of pocket max will have been reached post op, I won't have to pay the $500 DME deductible for the IUD). What do bariatric docs think about the IUD? Do they prefer you be on the pill? Or is an IUD just as good?

These three things are going to be the HARDEST habits to break! I'm a soda junkie... even if it's diet soda. And caffiene? Oh-M-G... that's going to be a toughie. No drinks with meals?!? Wow how is that even possible? Post op bandsters.... how did you do it?????

The docs diet plan really pushes no caffiene. I asked why, they said it's an appetite stimulant.

Right now I have a couple of things I need to do before my info can be submitted to insurance (psych, dietician). At what point will they schedule my surgery? After my insurance approves? Also, when is the pre op appointment scheduled? Is it a day or two before surgery? Or a week? For some reason I recall something saying it would be no more than two weeks prior to surgery.

It went well. My doc reqiures his patient's to attend a 3 hour in house education class on the band before consult, so you go in knowing just about everything there is to know. The consult was basically my chance to ask questions in private and for him to evaluate my expectations... what I want out of it compared to what he thinks is achievable, lucky for me he said my goal of 140 was very achievable if not lower due to my BMI being 41.5 and my age (24).

I'm leaving for my consult in 15 minutes. What should I expect?

I don't even have a surgery date yet, but they've taken the weight they are going to submit to ins, so I can start trying to lose now. I probably won't lose much, but I've heard you can drop 10-20lbs in the 2 week pre op diet alone. I think I'm going to set a goal of 20lbs pre op weight loss. My surgery will most likely be in a month, maybe/hopefully a tiny bit less. Sound unrealistic?

A lot of people have this mis-conception that getting a lap band will make weight loss so much easier, as if to be "the easy way out" (not referring to anyone in this group, primarily referring to thin people who have never had weight problems yet still like to think they know everything). How is this, exactly? I've worked my A$$ off in the past to lose weight and NOTHING happens. After getting banded, I'm still going to have to exercise just as much as anyone who wants to lose weight, and I'm going to have to eat not just healthy but SUPER healthy (especially at first). I'm going to have to make a TON of lifestyle changes that even a regular diet-and-exercise weight loss person wouldn't have to make (no caffiene, no beverages with sugar, no drinking with meals, etc.). Getting banded will enable me to lose weight... but "easy" falls nowhere in my idea of post-banding lifestyle. I wish people <without weight problems> would understand this.

With my doc, the pre op diet includes mushys like yogurt and grits... the post op liquid diet is two days (may vary by doctor) of nothing but clear liquids.

Whether you are required to get one or not varies. Some absolutely require it, some require you to take it only if you've scored a 10 or higher on the little questionare. The reason they do this is because when you're in surgery you're essentially asleep.... and after the surgery you're asleep a lot while your lungs and body are recovering from anesthesia.... so it's kinda dangerous to have a lot of apneas (pauses in breathing) when you're recovering from surgery and anesthesia. IMO it's important.

Try not to listen to people saying "I know someone who had that... they're just as big as they have ever been". What those people may not know is that a) that person was banded years and years ago with a bad band; :crying: that person may have let there pouch get bigger; c) they might graze all day..... There are a zillion reasons why bands 'don't work'.... 99% of them have nothing to do with the band and everything to do with the person who has it.

Right now all I can think about is how nervous I am about being "put under". Has anyone ever been given a xanax or some other nerve pill pre op to chill out? I'm all good with surgery and I know life isn't going to be roses and sunshine for the first week (or two... or month..), but I'm just so nervous about that.

In the pre op FAQ section of this site it says this---- Will I need to have blood drawn ? Yes. One of the requirements that most insurance carriers ask for are thyroid function tests (TFTs) to make sure that the reason for your obesity is not a sluggish thyroid gland. A few days prior to surgery you will need to have routine blood work done. If you are on any special medications (such as Coumadin) your MD might require additional blood testing. __________________ Alex ------- Okay, so they test for it. What if my obesity is related to a sluggish thyroid? Does this mean they won't want to do surgery, but fix my thyroid (which I'm on meds for)?

My educational whatever thing is next week, but I can't wait that long! The reality of this thing is starting to set in and I've got some questions. 1) How long is the pre op diet? What is it like? Did you take anything to curb your appetite? 2) How long before your consult did you have to wait until your surgery date? 3) Did it take a while to get in with the psych and dietician?

I'm getting banded one of these days... no date yet but I'm thinking some time in september. Will I need to wait two years before I get implants? Anyone out there have implants post op? What about a breast lift?

I'm not a college student... but I work 8 hours a day and have an hour commute... so two hours in the car every day. I'm hoping to get banded on a Thursday and back at work on Monday, or banded on a Friday and back at work the following Tuesday (so I'm only missing one day of work, and I'll have 3 days to recover). I know I'm pushing it... but I have to work. I get paid time off but I can't use it all for post op unless I need to.

Were you self pay? This is why docs make you go to all of those appointments and make the process like two or three or more months long.... so people don't jump in unprepared and not quite ready to do things the way they need to be done.

My sentiments exactly. I have a list of my pros/cons in my blog... check it out. My initial thoughts when I first started considering surgery were all of the risks and the scary parts..... I have been overweight for 5 years and nothing, no matter what, will take the weight off. I have health problems thanks to my weight. So, for me.... the benefits outweigh the risks by far. Not to mention the fact that very few people have problems in comparison to those who are successful.... and a lot of the slips and erosions are caused by the patient's not doing what the doc said and not following the diet properly (most, not all).

My doctor clearly states in the FAQ packet he gave out before the seminar began that he will NOT operate on a smoker and he WILL test for nicotine. I was smoking about a pack every day and a half. After coming to the forums to learn about what can happen and why docs don't want to operate on smokers, I decided to quit. I spent 5 days cutting back... I allowed myself 5 per day, then just two per day. My pack was laying on the railing of my front porch while my hubby was watering the plants, the pack got wet. I threw them away and didn't buy anymore. It took about two weeks before I started feeling normal again. Now I thank God that I quit. It's BAD for you... for a zillion reasons. Being obese is bad enough, why add smoking to it? Regardless of what your surgeon says, you should quit. As for the effects durring surgery.... supposedly your recovery time is longer, and there are serious complications that can happen durring surgery if your lungs aren't healthy enough to handle the anesthesia. Your chances of post operative pneumonia are higher too. I went to several info seminars and most of them clearly stated right off the bat that they do not operate on smokers. There must be a logical reason for this.

I know there are tons of posts just like this, but I can't help but shout it from the roof tops! My docs office called me today and scheduled my consult!! It's NEXT FRIDAY!!!!! I go to an educational thing for 2 1/2-3 HOURS next Thursday, then the consult is the next day!!!!!!!!!!! YIPPEE! Just a couple more steps and I'm banded!!!

I am so excited!! It's like my body is just buzzing or something. I'm so happy. The surgeons office just called me and scheduled my consult for next Friday!! Wow it all seems like it's going so fast. I just mailed my app like a week or two ago! I want it to go fast, but at the same time I feel more comfortable with things going slow. But as I type that I'm thinking "NO! I want my surgery YESTERDAY!!" Super excited about consult!

I quit smoking so I could get banded (as well as other reasons, but I won't lie... it wasn't until my doc said he doesn't do surgery on smokers and he DOES test for nicotine before I decided to quit smoking). Now I'm thinking about all of the other things I will have to quit doing durring the pre op diet and after surgery. Soda and coffee are two of my biggest vices. Letting go of them will be hard. What else can I expect to quit eating/drinking/doing? I feel like I'm forgetting some things! If I can quit smoking, I know I can give up coffee and soda... but gees there's nothing quite like a triple grande caramel macchiato on a monday morning!

I'm taking this approach - it's none of there business. My health problems are none of there business. There are family members who I know will have such opinions about me getting surgery, so I'm not talking to them about it. Pretty much everyone knows. Most of them have the manners enough to keep there opinions to themselves. Just be strong and firm on your stance. Don't let people make you feel bad about yourself, your decision, nothing. Be strong. Stick to your guns. Don't feel obligated to explain your reasoning to your sister or anyone. I just hope you have someone who is going to support you through this because it's not going to be easy. After surgery they'll probably be more supportive... or at least I'd imagine.