Northwest_Nance

I had surgery on Thursday, the 15th and I'm taking all this week off. If I really had to I could have been back at work today but since I have the time off coming to me, I took it. I have a habit of rushing things, and I just decided I was going to take my time with this. I'm glad I did.... I went outside this morning to clean up my deck and pull some weeds, and it wore me out.

Congratulations! Once you make up your mind to do it, you're on your way. Best of luck!

Hey guys, so happy to see you all..... I had my surgery done at NWWLS a few days ago (May 15th) by Dr. Michaelson. So far it's been a great experience. Looking forward to sharing this exciting journey with you all. :biggrin2:

I was banded with the Realize band on May 15th. My doctor gave me a choice - he said in his opinion there isn't any difference between the two, and he had a stack of reports and research to back him up. He suggested I check out the websites for both Lap Band and Realize, and decide. I liked the Realize Band's website, I also liked the fact that it has been used in Sweden for many years before being approved by the FDA for use in the US a few months ago. I have a lot of respect for Swedish medicine and if it's been their band of choice for so long, that sounded good to me.

I was self-pay because my insurance company specifically excludes weight loss surgery from coverage. I paid $16,300 for the surgery (which included the facility and the surgeon's fee) and $1,000 to the anesthesiologist. My pre-op testing was ordered through my primary care physician and wasn't noted as being related to weight loss surgery, so my insurance covered it. My insurance should cover the pre-op psychologist visit (she is used to working with my insurance company and says she knows how to code it so the insurance will pay) but I haven't gotten the insurance company's verdict on that yet, so if they don't pay it I'll have to put out another $250.

Yes my big day finally arrived. I didn't sleep well lastnight at all, so I was up pretty early even though I didn't have to leave for the surgery center until 10:30 a.m. This was good because it gave me time to do some housework like the kitchen floor, clean the bathroom, change the sheets, get all the laundry done.... so that I can really kick back and recuperate for the next few days (yeah what can I say, I like a clean house!). The down side was that I couldn't have anything to eat or drink after midnight lastnight so I was pretty thirsty all morning. So finally got to the surgery center at 11:00 for my 12:00 surgery, but found out they were running behind, because when they started the surgery on two of the earlier patients they discovered that each of them had a hernia, which the surgeon repaired, so that made their surgeries take a little longer. The nurse told me they usually get about one patient a day with a hernia but it's unusual to get two back to back. They repair them because eventually the hernia could cause problems with the lap band. It was about a 45 minute delay and that wasn't too bad except of course, I was really thirsty by this time. Eventually they brought me back to the pre-op area. First I got weighed and I was so relieved to see that not only had I lost the 10 pounds in seven days the surgeon had ordered (and he is known to cancel surgery if you don't achieve that goal) but I'd actually lost 12. Go me! I knew on my scale that I'd succeeded but you just never know what the doctor's scale will show. They then had me put on a huge gown and a huge comfy robe that I was drowning in, then I kicked back in a big comfy recliner, they took my blood pressure -- which was absolutely normal, which was a very happy surprise. At both of my sleep studies last month it had been really high. I've lost 22 pounds since the sleep study and it's amazing what a difference just that amount of weight makes, I guess. Then I read my book for awhile. The nurse gave me a shot of Heparin in the leg to help prevent clotting. Then finally the doctor came out from his previous patient and said hi to me, and congratulated me on the good job on losing the weight. The anesthesiologist also came to talk to me, he was great, very nice. Then they hooked up the IV and I walked to the operating room and got up on the table. I was surrounded by nurses and the anesthesiologist and before I knew it, that was it. Next thing I was aware of was being in the recovery room. At first it hurt more than I expected. That doesn't mean it hurt really bad, but I guess I thought the drugs they gave me in the OR would keep me from feeling any pain at all for awhile. I had a little trouble taking deep breaths, it would feel like I kind of hit a wall with a deep breath. The nurse said that's because of the numbing medication they inject during surgery and that would wear off. They brought me a nice yummy cup of ice Water which I sipped continuously, with no problems. After about an hour the nurse asked if I was ready to walk, and I was. So we walked down the hall to the "step down" area. All the nurses commented on how fast I was walking -- "You're doing GREAT!". So then it was back to a recliner, and sipping more water. I had been slowly coming more wide awake as I tried to fight off the effects of the anesthesia. I was only in the step-down area about 20 minutes and I was ready to go home! I had no trouble walking to the car or dealing with the 20 minute ride home. No problems getting up stairs or moving around the house. I did start to feel more pain from my waist up to right under the breasts. I had expected it to be incision pain but it was more like I'd gotten punched in the stomach. It was certainly bearable. For a little while I had kind of a sharp pain on the left side right behind the lower ribs, so I decided it was time to take some pain medicine and that did the trick. I've been sipping water ever since I got home and my mouth is still dry. I feel very full and there is no room for food in my tummy, or at least that's how it feels. I did have a cup of chicken broth just to get something in my system besides water for the day, but I really have no desire for anything else right now. The doctor also told me he wanted me to take four 10-minute walks today, again to help prevent blood clots. Oh, and I have had some minor intermittent pain in my shoulder as other people have complained about, but it goes away for quite awhile and then comes back briefly. It's mildly uncomfortable but no big deal. So now it's 8:30, about 7 hours since my surgery was completed, and I'm feeling great. Very mild pain, very mild feeling of hitting that wall when I take a deep breath. I notice that when I touch my stomach (below the waist) it is numb so I guess the numbing medicine is still in effect. I've been talking on the phone, sending e-mails, playing my computer game, watching TV. I haven't had any trouble laying on the couch and getting up from a laying position. We'll see how the night goes, everyone (including the doctor) told me my most painful day will probably be tomorrow so I'll be ready for that. Everybody is different and we'll each have different surgery experiences but hopefully for those of you heading into surgery soon, this is another story to help give you some idea what to expect! :thumbup:

It doesn't sound like he really knows what he's doing, and how is he supposed to support you in this if he doesn't have faith in the lap band? I'd find another doctor and I'd let him know exactly why.

Hi everyone, Well I had my surgery on Thursday and thought I'd post an update here. I am doing just great and I feel wonderful! Thursday night was rough, I felt like I'd been dry heaving all day PLUS got punched in the stomach.... didn't take my pain meds before the pain got too bad, which of course is a big mistake (much easier to control pain before it gets bad than after) so I didn't get much sleep that night. Friday - Day One (my surgeon refers to surgery day as Day Zero): Woke up Friday morning feeling a little better but still sore (I took the pain meds all day that day). Took a shower, went outside for a short walk, then took it easy. Suddenly in early afternoon, exactly 24 hours after surgery, I hit a wall of exhaustion. Suddenly felt tired, slightly feverish, and a little bit of nausea (first time I'd felt nausea). I immediately took one of the anti-nausea pills the doctor prescribed, laid down and fell right to sleep. Slept for 2-1/2 hours, woke up for about an hour, fell asleep on the couch for a couple of hours, woke up and watched a movie (27 Dresses - cute), went to bed and slept for 8 hours! Here's what all I ate/drank on Day One: 4 oz. milk 1 cup beef broth very small serving of sugar free Jello with fat-free Cool Whip 8 oz. V-8 juice Saturday - Day Two: Woke up Saturday with much less pain in my abdomen, except for the port site. Of course I've read all the posts here about how the port site stays tender for quite awhile. I'd say "tender" was an understatement on Saturday. I could not bend over to pick anything up on the floor, and I had to hold my stomach to support it whenever I stood up, walked, or moved. Because of that, I again took pain meds. Other than the port site hurting ("stinging and tugging" would be a good description), I felt pretty good and didn't take any naps. I did go to bed around 10:00 though and fell right to sleep. Here's what I ate on Day Two: 6 oz. Yogurt smoothie 8 oz. low-fat Cream of chicken Soup (strained) made with 1/2 non-fat milk and 1/2 Water 6 oz. Instant Breakfast (couldn't finish the whole 8 oz.) 1 cup chicken broth Sunday - Day Three: Woke up this morning feeling wonderful. I feel more refreshed and energized than I can remember feeling in a very long time. I think part of that is from being rid of all the stress and anxiety of making the decision for WL surgery, researching it, preparing for it, making decisions, arranging financing (I am self pay). That's all a huge load of anxiety off my back. And now for 3 weeks or so I've been eating lighter and healthier than I have in a long time. I'm recovering from the surgery and I've had some very good sleep. The port site is sore this morning but not as bad as yesterday. I feel so good that I got up, showered, washed and dried my hair, put in my contacts for the first time since surgery and also put on make-up for the first time since surgery -- and I'm not even going to be seeing anyone today! It just felt good to do that, for me. I pulled out some nice summer pants I haven't worn since last summer (and which I'm sure I couldn't have gotten into a month ago), pulled them on with a nice shirt, sprayed a little perfume and sat down with my Sunday paper and a glass of Carnation Instant Breakfast. I haven't weighed myself since surgery and I don't intend to until my follow-up doctor's appointment on Friday. I'm taking in so few calories right now that it's hard to think of any weight lost right now as "real" weight, and I'm determined not to get addicted to the scale or to focus on numbers, but just to focus on taking good care of myself and eating healthy and listening to my brain telling me when I'm full. The scale will take care of itself. (that's what I say now but don't hold me to that down the road, haha!). Anyway.... that's my update so far. I hope my fellow May 15th bandsters are doing as well and I hope this encourages those of you who are heading into surgery soon! :biggrin2:

Good luck with your surgery, Yaherd! And that barbecue -- good luck there too, I don't know if I'm ready to go to a barbecue and smell all that good food! :leaving:

I think I'd call my doctor. I was banded on Thursday also and I've been swallowing just fine since the first night. I know we're all different and maybe you're just a slow healer but I'd get my doctor's opinion rather than just ours. Good luck!

I know it's hard but my personal opinion is that it's critical to stick to the post-op diet for the first few weeks. You only have one chance to heal the right way and you sure don't want complications after everything you've been through. It's really a short time to have to stick to something so strict, in the big picture of life. I'm not trying to sound harsh.... we all have our weak moments! I'm just saying having the surgery brings a committment to stick to your doctor's rules. I actually had to sign a statement agreeing to that. I'm sure no harm done, I'd say just learn from it and move on, you'll be on mushies before you know it!

Yes every doctor is different, I do find it a little surprising how much variance there is in their guidelines. I was banded on the 15th and for my first week I can have anything I can drink through a straw, including Carnation Instant Breakfast and creamed Soups -- just no chunks. If it's a Soup with anything in it, it has to be strained. I think the creamy soups and Instant Breakfast have really helped me deal with hunger.... clear liquids would be pretty hard, I admit. But that being said, I think you have to follow the advice of your own doctor. Maybe give him a call and ask him if you can move on to creamy soups?

Years ago I had a girlfriend who lost about 80 lbs. on a doctor-supervised MediFast diet. At the time, a doctor would only put you on the diet if you were severely overweight and needed to lose weight really fast. This was in the days before weight loss surgery was common. I was on MediFast for my pre-op diet too and I thought about her.... I don't know how she did it! I was only drinking the liquid Protein MediFast drinks (no soup, oatmeal, etc.) and didn't find them too bad at all. The first few days I was drinking EAS (an over the counter drink that is similar) because my doctor was out of MediFast, and I liked the MediFast a whole lot more. I also was allowed to have a healthy dinner up to 450 calories in addition to 3-4 MediFast a day so that probably made it more bearable.

I started having pain at my port site yesterday (2 days after surgery) and I applied an ice compress to it. Today the pain is much better. Still there, and I have to be carefdul when I bend over, or get up to walk.... but not nearly as bad as it was yesterday. I think everybody is different and we're all going to heal at our own rate. I've always rebound from surgery pretty fast so I guess I'm fortunate. It's amazing to me how different each doctor is in what they let you eat or drink the first week or two. For me this first week it's basically anything I can drink through a straw, with no chunks. If it has chunks in it (like the cream of chicken Soup I had yesterday) I just have to put it through a strainer so I don't get the chunks. I find that the creamier things like Instant Breakfast and creamed Soups help fill me up the most. Plus I'm drinking tons and tons of Water, which also helps with hunger. Good luck to you... hang in there, it will get better!

When I arrived on Thursday for my surgery, I was told they were running a little bit late because the two patients before me both had hernias that had to be repaired. I was told it's pretty common for them to have at least one patient per day with a hernia, but it was a little rare to have two of them back-to-back. They told me the hernia might as well be repaired while they're in there, because down the road it could cause problems for the lap band.

Hey guys, thanks for all the good wishes! It's Day 4 and I'm doing great. I'm going to post an update over on the post-surgery board cuz I guess that's where I belong now, so head on over and check it out. And good luck to all of you with your surgeries coming up! :biggrin2:

I have to say that I always thought I would indulge a lot before surgery, and I especially planned to go out to eat for a Last Supper. For me, it didn't work out that way. I was so disgusted with how fat I was and how I had been feeding my face that I just couldn't do it anymore. I started cutting back, but I did have some of my favorite sandwiches and recipes that have rice in them, knowing that after surgery, bread and rice will be eliminated or very limited. Then it just seemed like my surgery date came up so fast, and with doctor's orders to lose 10 pounds by surgery date, I was afraid to eat too much. So I never did go have my Last Supper and looking back now, I don't regret it. I'm very very surprised that I didn't over-indulge like crazy. I don't blame anyone else who does. I guess I'd just done so much of it over the previous few months that I'd finally had my fill.

That's great! I can imagine how thrilled you are. You're doing it! Congratulations. :thumbup:

Intersting experience for me since I was banded around 1:00 p.m. on Thursday (yesterday, May 15th). Even though I was worn out when I went into surgery from not sleeping well at all the previous two nights, I woke up from the anesthesia being pretty alert and almost energetic. I never dozed off or napped once I woke up from anesthesia, until I went to bed at 11:00 pm lastnight. I was surprised I wasn't tired enough to go to bed earlier than that after having surgery that day. I didn't sleep very well because of post-op pain, and I was up at 7:30 this morning. I showered, went for a walk, felt wide awake. Suddenly around 1:00 this afternoon, exactly 24 hours after surgery, it was like I hit a wall and I was exhausted. I laid down and took a 2-1/2 hour nap. And I never sleep during the day, even when I'm sick. I woke up at 4:30 pm, and about 6:00 pm I fell asleep on the couch for a couple hours. Just woke up and I was surprised how stiff I was, and aching all over as if I'd worked out too hard. Now after walking around a bit and washing my face, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm just wondering if I had an opposite reaction to the anesthesia or some medication they gave me, that was giving me false energy that wore off after 24 hours. I often have an opposite reaction to medications, i.e. meds that make a lot of people sleepy, wire me up. I've never noticed it with previous surgeries but it seems to make sense here. Anyone have a similar experience?

I was banded with the Realize band yesterday. My doctor told me there is virtually no difference between the two, and he showed me a stack of research and literature to back him up. Of course, every doctor has their own opinion and you have to trust your own doctor. My doctor gave me a choice of which band, and he gave me links to the website for each band. You can only access the detailed part of the websites if you have your doctor's access number. I chose the Realize band because it has a really good website with places to track your food diary, your weight, etc. But as far as I could see both bands really function the same.

Oh that must be so frustrating. I wish you lots of luck. I never weigh myself in the evenings, I know it's going to be heavier than in the morning and not my "true" weight (so I like to think, ha!). If I had to get weighed at the doctor in mid-afternoon I'd think about not eating anything or eating very very light all day until then. And I'd wear my lightest clothes!

My doctor also gave me a choice between the Lap Band and the Realize band. He didn't feel there was any difference either, but he gave me links to the websites for each of them so I could check it out. (You can only access certain portions of the websites if you are a bariatric patient and your doctor gives you the codes to access the websites). I ended up deciding on the Realize band because they have such a supportive website. It's been used in Sweden for quite a long time but just got approved in this country a few months ago. Grats on your successful doctor visits and feeling comfortable with the doctor you chose!

I just went through a sleep study and was diagnosed with sleep apnea, though I suspected I had it for a long time and I should have sought treatment earlier. It doesn't sound to me like what you are describing necessarily means sleep apnea, but it would be good to get it checked out. Most people I know with sleep apnea wake up many times during the night. They often aren't even aware that the reason they woke up is because they weren't breathing. I never had other sleep apnea symptoms like being exhausted during the day, but I always woke up every 90-120 minutes. When I was married my husband told me I would hold my breath in my sleep, then suddenly my body would sort of "convulse" and I would wake up. I never was aware of doing that. Here is a link to a support message board that is very helpful and educational. Sleep Apnea Support Forum Index Many people don't realize that if you have sleep apnea, your body is being denied oxygen while you sleep and it has serious affects over the long term.... heart problems, it slows your metabolism (some people lose weight without even trying, once they start getting their apnea treated), affects your memory. Good luck!

Hi everyone, I'm new around here - have made a couple of posts but haven't gotten around to introducing myself. I'm 55 and have yo-yo'd with my weight ever since my early 20's. I've lost 100 lbs. three times over the years (Jenny Craig, Atkins, low fat) but have always gained it back. I know how to lose weight, I don't know how to keep it off. And now that I'm getting older, and have "been there, done that" so many times, it's really hard to find that "zone" I have to get into to stick to a healthy routine. So finally now I am at my all time high weight (235, down from 255 a month ago) and it has really started to affect my health. When I was younger, I always wanted to lose weight to be thin and wear cute clothes. While that would be a nice bonus now, it's much more about feeling good and being healthy and active. After a week on the pre-op diet I am already feeling better and I know I can do this. What an exciting adventure! Up until today I haven't really felt the excitement of the surgery date and I wondered why not..... I think it's partly because I was so sidetracked by all the doctor's appointments, sleep study, adjusting to a bipap machine after being diagnosed with sleep apnea, arranging financing (I am self pay), tying things up at work for the time off, blah blah blah..... plus after reading so much about it, I have my feet on the ground.... I know the surgery is not an overnight trip to paradise, but the beginning of a long journey. But today.... the excitement has hit me and I am walking around with a big smile on my face. It's been great reading everything you all have written here..... I'll be back to tell you about my surgical experience. Mine is out-patient, check in at 11:00 tomorrow morning and if all goes well, home by about 4:00. We'll see!

That's great! Congratulations. :thumbup: