U_go_gurl68

Does anyone know anything about the tlcedge multimedia community. I noticed that was part of the services and I didn't know if that was the same thing as the yahoo group or something different? The only thing I received info about, after surgery, was DFW bandsters on yahoo.

I hope everyone is doing well.

Stephanie

Hello,my name is Karen and I am scheduled for surgery on the 14th of August, I am doing my liguid diet and really hoping I can make it through this portion. My friend told me about this web site and I am so excited to know that their are so many people going through this that can help support, and I hope I may be a support also. Im just kinda mixed on feelings at the moment the mood swings are pretty intense when your not eating like your use too. Im alittle nervous, that for the most part Ive not been a sickly person and I dont want to be a henderance to my family. I really feel this is going to be an awsome experiance just like many of you I have been over weight my entire life. :smile: this really does discribe my feelings right now...

Glad you joined the group. There are many stories to read and many people to share with. Even though we are all at different stages in our journey, we can all continue to inspire each other. I am sure you will have many times to encourage and help someone else.

Logging in to this website has become a daily thing for me. It is the only place I know I can come and feel comfortable with my thoughts or experiences related to being banded.

My fiance is very slender, my kids are a little chunky but busy teens, my friends are for the most part cute and skinny and well the family members that know about my surgery are somewhat supportive even though they didn't think I needed to have surgery. So no one close to me quite understands how I feel, except one of my co-workers that had gastric bypass surgery.

So this place is MY safe place and some of the people I have met here have become like my second family even though they are scattered all over the place. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. And much thanks to your friend for leading you here.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Hello,

I'm Debbie from Houston and I had lap band surgery last Wednesday, July 30.

I'm a registered nurse and I am hoping to describe from a more clinical viewpoint what is happening.

My husband created a website for me to post my experiences with the surgery, hospitalization, and hopefully a large weight loss. My website is here.

HI Debbie,

I am a Registered Nurse from Waco. Thanks for sharing your website information. I read through your entries and I can't believe you were allowed to eat all those wonderful foods so quickly after surgery, WOW!!

I can't wait to read about your progress with your Gortex nonadjustable band.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Sandibly,

I loved your story. Thanks for sharing. I have had similar comments from friends and family, but they are seeing that it isn't all that easy for me. Sometimes, I don't know if it is from them really thinking it is an easy way out or if it is just the thought of what they feel they would be depriving themselves if the shoe were on the other foot. Maybe it is a social thing for some as well.

Many celebrations, fun times with the girls/guys, work meetings, etc...most often center around food. Now that we are more conscious with the band way of life, we aren't apt to indulge as others would and it makes them feel self conscious about themselves or we no longer seem as fun to them.

I use to go on lunch dates with my girlfriends or we would get together and have dinner and drinks, but now I don't get invited as much, because they figure I can't eat anything anyway. It try not to let it bother me because I suppose it helps both sides. They can't hurt me by tempting me to eat foods I don't need to be eating and they can in turn enjoy their meals without feeling self conscious about their own bad eating habits.

I do have one co-worker who had gastric bypass and she initially did very well. She was starting to get off track, but now since I have been banded, we keep each other on track, so she has been a blessing to me.

Nothing about this lifestyle is easy and I believe we are all brave people for enduring and persevering through all the negativity. God Bless you and best wishes to you and everyone else.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Much congrats to you. I know you must be ecstatic. Can't wait to hear about your other victories once you are banded.

I had to use money from my 401k, since my insurance wouldn't cover my surgery. My bmi was too low and I didn't have too many problems, mainly just a bad family history. They would only for the surgeons around where I live and to top that off, the surgeons wouldn't do the surgery if I didn't meet the same guidelines as they use for insurance purposes.

I am happy it all worked out for you. I will be paying this money back for the next 5 yrs, but it was an investment well worth it.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Just wanted to say hello and introduce myself...i am from San Antonio Texas and have started my weight loss journery. Wish I could wake up and my 65 lbs be gone!!! Well hello to everyone! Does anyone ever feel scared that they will be the one exception that wont loose weight?:cursing:

Hi there,

Congrats on your banding. I was banded on June 30th. I need to schedule my first fill pretty soon. I have had good restriction for the most part, but now I am starting to get hungry more often. Still can't eat much at one sitting, but the hunger strikes sooner.

I know how you feel. My scale barely moved 1/2 pound in the last two weeks. I guess it is because I am eating more regular foods now and well, because I had a lower bmi and it sounds like you did too, if all you have left to lose is 65 pounds. When you are heavier the weight comes off a little more rapid at first, but for people with a lower bmi the process could be much slower. That's what my surgeon said anyway. I am trying to be patient, it is just that people keep asking me all the time how much weight I have lost, not to mention wondering how I could spend so much money on something that takes forever to work and hard to do as well. I hear all the time, how dieting would have been just as effective. If that were true I would have been at my goal weight and stayed there years ago. I guess I shouldn't have told anyone. I should have known when I told one or two people at work, everyone would end up knowing.

Just hang in there. I still believe it was all worth it. Even if I don't lose all the weight, I am learning better eating habits and getting healthier. Of course I would like to be thinner, but it is more about just being healthy or healthier than I am now.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

PS By the way, I love San Antonio. I will have to hit you up sometime for referrals on places to go eat or hang out. We like to go every few months. I am from Waco.

Maybe you should try taking in half the amount of Soup you were trying to get down. I couldn't do Tomato Soup. I tried it once and it was just too acidic for me. Kept feeling like I was going to reflux.

I was banded on June 30th and my stomach growls almost all the time, but I am not hungry. From what I have read recently, alot of people seem to be experiencing a great deal of gas, even after several weeks post-op. This is more than likely due to the high Protein diet or maybe new food intolerances. Don't know, but it doesn't correlate with being hungry and it isn't left over surgical gas either.

Best wishes everyone,

Stephanie

I am a nightshift nurse and I will be so mortified if I have to sneak in room during the night to check on one of my pediatric patients and let one out. As it is, I get so embarrassed when my stomach makes all these strange noises when I am trying to talk to the families or during and IV start.

I love this thread too. All you guys are awesome.

My surgeon was Dr. Victor Gonzalez in Dallas. I loved him. Very sweet man and answered all my questions to my satisfaction. The office staff and nurses are also a very nice group of people.

I went through TLCEdge and he is the surgeon they scheduled me with. They work with many great surgeons in the DFW area.

Best wishes on your journey,

Stephanie

I read somewhere that a high Protein diet also causes a lot of gas and I guess that is true because I tend to be more gassy on days when I am actually having more Protein in my diet. If I cut back, it isn't that bad. I have never been so gassy in all my life.

I hope it does eventually go away. I read the average person farts 14 times a day and I think right now,mine is that x's 3, LOL!!!!

I didn't think I would ever pass gas more than my youngest son.

nikole,

Congrats on being banded. Sounds like you have alot of questions that should have been answered by your surgeon before surgery. All the things you are asking are appropriate pre-op questions. Also I would be mad if my surgeon hadn't come to see me or give me any information on what to do next after being banded.

My surgeon gave my fiance several pages of things to do from immediately post op until my first 6 weeks checkup, all of which he had to sign saying he received them.

I would wait at least two days before showering and when you do, just use plain soap. I wouldn't use any of those fragrant soaps or shower gels, because they could be irritating if you have any open areas. As far as the replacing the gauze, I would leave the incisions open to air unless you start having some drainage, then cover them up so that you can get a better idea of how much drainage you are having. I was told a little is normal, although, I had skin glue. I am just going by what we do at work with fresh incisions.

Also I would say you need to get up and walk around the house more. Don't try to do any heavy lifting or anything like that, but you do need to move around more and don't crouch so much. If you stay in that position and don't move around you will take longer to heal and be in pain longer. Not only that, but you need activity to keep your lungs clear. Did your surgeon or nurse give you breathing exercises to do for the first several days? If not, you need to practice doing them to avoid getting pneumonia. Take some really deep breaths in and out and after 10 try coughing. Use a little pillow on your stomach to help lessen the discomfort. You can also use a party horn, a straw or blowing bubbles. These are all things we use on kids on the pediatric unit where I work.

If you are hurting a great deal, and heck even if you aren't, take your pain medication. It is easier to prevent pain, than it is to get it under control once you are hurting extremely bad. From my own experience, I would recommend taking your pain medication as directed for the first two days, just so you are able to get up and around.

My surgeon put me on clear liquids for the first two days, then full liquids, which included cream Soups for 2 weeks. You have to be careful not to push yourself during the healing process to prevent any complications.

These are only a few guidelines, but I think the best advice is to call your physicians office and tell them you need to know what to do now. Nothing you get here is a substitute for your surgeons guidelines, just our personal opinions or experiences.

I wish you a speedy recovery. I noticed you are in Austin, I am in Waco, not too far from you. Nice to find someone not too far. I have met people from the DFW area, but none from Central Texas area.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Don't give up. What do you mean, What's the use? You are important and your health is what's the use.

Contrary to what people outside of the banded circle think, this is hard and takes a lot of dedication and discipline. We don't have the band as another "magic" solution to lose weight. It can be a long and difficult journey when you have to change your lifestyle, eating habits, old way of thinking, whatever the case may be.

Your health and happiness is what's important here. Maybe start a food journal if you haven't already, and write down every morsal you put in your mouth. When I started doing so, I found I put more in my mouth than I thought. Look for those hidden calories. Walk a little more. Drink plenty of fluids. And make sure you are eating enough. I know that may sound silly but sometimes in an attempt to lose weight we try to starve ourselves which causes the body to retain Fluid because it doesn't want to let go of the weight. We have taught our bodies how to be bigger for so long, now we have to work harder to un-teach them and teach them a healthier lifestyle.

Don't give up, we are all here for support.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

After several phone calls with Aetna today, I found out they will consider surgery if I get letters from doctors saying it's medically necessary along with quoted prices from surgeons and hospitals. So there is hope.

As for my stats, I am 19. I have a BMI of 54. While I don't have any co-morbidities documented, I have been struggling with high blood pressure and hypoglycemia in the last year or so. I also have a really bad family history for heart problems, diabetes..and the list goes on. So I would think (judging by what I've read from people here) that I definitely qualify.

Sounds like you should qualify to me. They may require you to be on a supervised diet first, if you haven't, but I would think with your history and current BMI, you would definitely qualify. Good luck.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Mommie,

Congrats on your approval for surgery. The time will pass before you know it.

I am guessing your husband will probably come around, especially when you don't back down and do this for you. My fiance pretended to be supportive of my surgery until about a week or two out. He suddenly became standoffish and never wanted to talk about anything related to my surgery or recovery. He was even going to pay for it, or at least he said, until right before the date came. I thought I wasn't going to be able to have my surgery, but God was on my side. I was able to get a loan against my 401k and the surgery was on as planned.

The morning of my surgery, my fiance told me in not so many words that we were over, but he wanted to be the one to take me anyway. I guess he thought I would back down and give it up. I stood my ground and went through with it and ever since, he has a new respect for me and does everything he can to help me. He was very insecure and thought I would make so many changes and find someone else. I don't think those fears have totally gone away, but at least he is supportive now. He is also seeing how much hard work and discipline go into making the band work, something he thought I lacked in my other attempts to lose weight. He didn't fully understand before and somehow thought I would wake up and magically lose the weight (I wish). He is my biggest supporter now and even wants to know more about everything on a daily basis so that he can help me.

I think once your husband gets more information and sees how important this is to you, he will be more supportive. I wish you all the best in your journey.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

brttny88,

If you don't mind me asking, what are your stats? Qualifying for surgery under insurance is different than just qualifying period. There are usually strict guidelines if you are relying on insurance to cover the surgery.

My BMI was lower than 40 and I wasn't a hundred pounds overweight. I also didn't have a personal significant medical history other than achy joints. My family history on the other hand is not all that great. So, although I qualified for the surgery itself, I didn't qualify under my insurance guidelines. I went the self-pay route and even went out of town for my surgery. The surgeons in my area wouldn't even do the surgery under self-pay because I didn't meet insurance criteria.

So keep researching, but don't give up. It could be that you would be covered under your plan, you just need to do all the required things. Some have a requirement of following a physician supervised weight loss plan prior to seeking surgery and several other things.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

I think most of us have had similiar thoughts during those pre-op days, but we are doing well overall from what I have seen the past couple of months on this site.

Like you, I have tried many diets and have yo-yo'd for much of my adult life, only to steadily gain more weight. Sometimes it is better to remain fat than to continue the insanity of yo-yo dieting. That is much harder on the heart than remaining big, in some cases.

If you have made up your mind to have surgery, then go for it. I just think you have to be absolutely ready. It took me several years of researching the band and more failed attempts to finally make up my mind that I was ready to be healthy and happy once and for all. I knew the band was the tool I needed to succeed. Most of my eating was done for emotional reasons or out of boredom. Seldomly did I eat just because I was hungry. I figured if I wasn't able to eat much, then I couldn't just stuff my face all day and would have to come up with other ways to relieve stress and those blahs I had often.

It has only been a short while since I was banded (june 30th), but I feel so much better and food is not a big factor in my life anymore. I am so loving the Banded life and I hope you will too.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Hello. My name is amy. I am 33 years old. I just had lap band surgery on tuesday, july 15, 208 at hamot medical center. I am recovering okay.

Hi Amy, Welcome to LBT. I hope you are enjoying reading all the posts. I can't wait to hear about your progress. Will be looking for you around the site.

Best Wishes,

Stephanie

lol i will be putting on makeup atleast before i go home, i dont know when i had my c-section i didnt put anymakeup on when i left to go home i dont remember, i was so exausted, but i probably will put it on to show off that even after surgery i'm a sexy beast

You go girl!!!!!

I felt so sore and bloated after my surgery, but sure felt much better when I could get my make up on.

No you can't. I wondered about the same thing, but they said NO. During the procedure they have use tape to secure your eyelids shut and the breathing tube, etc, so wearing makeup wouldn't be good. Plus there is the issue of having a sterile environment.

When I woke up from surgery, before we left, I had to at least but my mineral foundation on, some mascara, and some lip gloss. I am one of those that puts on make up before doing anything else, so I know how you feel in that regard.

Just wait until after surgery, then fix yourself up. It will do wonders for your spirit in making you feel better; it did for me anyway.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Hey Stephanie- How are you doing? :thumbup:

I'm going to *try* to go to the next Saturday meeting too. It would be really fun to meet some of the folks on here that we've talked to! Maybe I'll see you there!! I don't think I have the info on when/where- does anyone know?

Pat

The lunches are on the first Saturday of the month (every month) at 2pm at Aparicios in Plano, Tx. You can google it, but it is on 18th Street off of I75.

Hope to see you there.

Stephanie

I borrowed from my 401k for my band and I am so happy I did. Since you are relying on credit for your surgery, I would definitely find someone less expensive and go for it now. With all that you have going on, the approval process for another loan later on down the line may be even harder to get. Do it now since you already have been approved but get a cheaper price if you can, so that your payments aren't as high.

Like someone else said, I had to look at this as an investment in myself and my future. I am a single parent with two teenage kids at home and I need to be around to get them out of school. Plus I want to be around to enjoy the rest of my life, outside being a mom, in good health. I figure the bills will always be there and besides, the better health I am in, the longer I can work. And in the long run save money on groceries and who knows what healthcare needs I would have if I didn't do anything.

My prayers are with you. Best wishes.

Stephanie

illion,

I am planning on going to the Saturday meeting. This will be my first one. Saturday meetings work for me because I am about 2 hours away and I can plan a shopping trip while in the area.

I can't wait to meet other bandsters in person. I don't have anyone around here to talk to personally. All my friends here are little skinny women that have never had a problem with weight in their lives.

dkearby,

Hang in there. Don't let a few comments upset you or frustrate you. There is no reason why you need to wait until you are pushing 400 to get the band. I am 5'2" and weighed 206 before getting my surgery. Like another person said, I didn't look all that big either. When I told a few people I was thinking about getting it done, they said, I wouldn't qualify to get it done even self-pay, but I did and just hadn't told them. I saw where my life was headed because of my constant weight gain and family health history. I was not on any meds nor did I really have any problems, but I didn't want to wait until I had problems either. My surgeon said I was smart to take control early on because of my family's health history. I just wish I would have done it sooner.

If WW, Atkins, South Beach diet, NutriSystem, and so on were the answers to our problems, I don't think hardly any of us would be here. I know, personally, I have tried all the ones I mentioned and then some. I have also tried many exercise programs and accupuncture. All were temporary because I didn't mentally change my relationship with food. Now that I don't need food to satisfy me all the time, I am a happier person.

Just make sure this is something you are ready to commit to. Yes it will be hard and at times you may feel very hungry til you reach your sweet spot with fills, but in the end will be well worth it. I don't necessarily speak from a lot of experience with the band, since I haven't been banded long and haven't had a fill yet, but I know how I have felt and what others have told me. I am in my 5th week and still don't get hungry. I pretty much have to make myself eat something and when I do, I am so full on very little. I tell you, if I didn't keep a food journal, I would think I was eating like a pig, LOL!!!!

Best wishes to you,

Stephanie

I had my surgery on June 30th and earlier this week, I finally picked the glue off because I was tired of looking at it. Now I am not having as much itching as before, but occassionally will have a clear drainage from my port site incision. Was concerned with an infection, but doing great.

I do have to watch out with my incisions though because I am a healthcare worker and my surgeon said I am at greater risk for infection and if I were to get one, it could cause early erosion of my band. So I am always scrubbing my skin when I get home from work and occassionally will clean around the site when I am at work. He said even after they healed sometimes infections could still get in. WOW!!!!

I have to commend you on your attitude towards the whole thing. My fiance wasn't for me having Lap-Band surgery. He pretended to be supportive, until a couple of weeks before my surgery. He also wanted to pay for it, at least up until he decided he wasn't for it. So at the last minute, I had to come up with the money on my own. I was not going to let his attitude about the surgery stop me, so I borrowed money from my 401k and had it in the bank in two days, which was 4 days before my procedure. (talk about luck)

The morning of my surgery, he even told me he didn't think he could handle all the changes I was going to be going through. He thought I was going to immediately lose weight and move on with my life without him. He did drive me to the surgery center, since it was two hours away, after I told him I would drive myself. I guess he thought threatening to leave me would make me change my mind at the last minute.

After the surgery, he hovered over me and told me he was sorry for being such a jerk. Now we are happy and he is seeing what having surgery has done for me. I am a happier person because I finally have control of my life again. Something I haven't had for some time now. I have lost 18 lbs and I feel great.

Your wife is so lucky to have a supportive husband on her side. And you will see first hand how life is like with the band and may decide it is something you may like to have as well. I wish I would have done it sooner, but in any case, I wouldn't take it back for anything. I love it!!!

Best wishes to both of you,

Stephanie