RestlessMonkey

Whether or not a person has saggy skin and wants plastic surgery is very individual and caused by many many variables...how old you are, how fat you were, how LONG you were fat, your genetics, your sun/skin damage at younger age, your skin type, your diet, and so on. Skin is an organ; it will tighten up some but if stretched out too far, won't ever be as it was before the stretching. Some people exercise like crazy to "tighten" the skin and all that does, frankly, is tighten the muscles UNDER the skin, not the skin. Being toned is good but it won't take care of serious sagging, if you're one prone to that. Some people think if they lose weight really slowly then the skin will magically "adapt" and that is fallacious, too. If that were true, you could lose really fast but then over 2-3 years your skin firm up. And it does, some, and that "some" is enough for a lot of people. But again, if you were severely overweight, whether you lose SLOOOW or quick, your skin will not be like it was pre-obesity. I don't mean to be negative! I honestly (especially at my age) am fairly sure I'll have saggy skin; you may not, depending! I figure that I'd rather have a tummy tuck than open heart surgery. So hope for the best, get good nutrition, ample Protein, take Vitamins, exercise (it is good for you) and see what "shakes down"! AND are you okay with waiting for the surgery? It kind of sounds to me like your husband may be putting unfair pressure on you, but there are a (very) few who can control morbid obesity through weight and exercise...just not all of us can. I don't mean to put my nose where it doesn't belong; just make sure that whatever you do, you do for you. I wanted my DH on board with my surgery because we're a team, but I ultimately am doing it for me. Good luck to you, whichever way you go!

I'd submit it NOW. If they become more lenient you can't lose, and if they get worse, then you'll be glad you rushed it.

if you are following the rules (small pencil-eraser sized bites chewed at least 20 times) and are still in misery, you're probably too tight. Try following the rules of eating slowly, small bites, chewed to oblivion, and if that doesn't work, call your doc!

If you have insurance, start there. You'll need to find out 1. if lap band is covered and if it is 2. what are the requirements and 3. what surgeons/surgical centers are covered. Once you have that info, contact a doc (or three!) and go to the free seminars. Once you've done that, a lot of questions will be answered, and more will pop up. Good luck!

I hate to say that I think it depends on your surgeon. We were allowed decaf clear liquids (and coffee was ok as long as decaf)...but each doctor is different.

Mine didn't give me a "meal plan"...he said "Clear liquids for the first week, then come back, we'll check you and you can proceed from there". No "meals". You need to call your surgeon's office on Monday and find out how you fell through the cracks. Per my surgeon no, you aren't doing the right thing, but others allow Protein during week one. I have NEVER heard of one, before now, that did not give some guidance. Here is a link to the "LAP BAND" website....(assuming you have it and not a realize band). I suggest you follow it, in lieu of direction from your doctor. If you go by what's posted here you'll honestly get lots of well-meaning but conflicting information because all our docs put their own spin on it. Anyway, here you go: Lapband.com - After LAP-BAND® System Surgery - Recovery & First Few Weeks

I can't feel my band at all and probablly COULD feel my port if I mashed, but when I was healing the LAST thing I wanted to do was mash on my incisions. (I don't know about you but being a VERY fat chick I wanted those suckers to stay closed, not pop open LOL and mashing just seemed counter-productive to me) Now that I'm healed I don't even think about it but at first, when I did, I was happy it was there. I felt it was my good friend, not unlike my glasses or contacts which help me see, or my beloved sunglasses that I do not go out in this pretty south texas sun without, etc. (or my bra. My girls need a house LOL) In other words, I chose it, it is there to help me. I am glad it's there. It isn't alien or foreign, it's an accessory I picked and love. Maybe thinking about it that way will help?

It may be referred pain from your diaphragm but call your surgeon on monday to be sure. Chest pain is NEVER anything to fool around with, especially as we approach our mid 30-s and beyond. :thumbup:

How much do you have to lose? You may need to meet with a nutritionist. My doc says to have the Protein shakes as a meal, not in addition to a meal, and actually they don't really "work" with the band (not long term, any way) because the point is for food to sit in the pouch and trigger "full" and Protein Shakes don't do that. They go on through. I think a visit with a nutritionist is in order. If you don't want to do that you MIGHT want to try something like weight watchers. It's possible you aren't eating enough, but honestly if you "starve" long enough you lose eventually. You may be getting more calories than you think, or may have some endocrine issues you're unaware of.

I had my surgery Friday Morning and was home that afternoon. I felt good but it was nice to have another person (in my case my husband) there for "just in case". I slept in my own bed from the first night. I felt great. I felt fine saturday; oddly Sunday I felt a little worse and that was the only day I felt I needed the prescription pain meds, I used it only 2 doses worth. By that next Tuesday I was driving and went to class (I'm a student). Things I did to help feel better faster were to walk walk walk (just around the house but still...up and down and walking A LOT) and I used a pillow to protect my abdomen and brace it when I was sitting (for the first day. After that I didn't need it). I really wasn't in much pain. I don't like feeling groggy and "out of it" and prefer distraction to being doped up (we're all different) so tylenol worked fine for me (I took capsules with no trouble) and I watched movies I'd had on hand "special", had a couple good books, etc. I was so happy to have the band, that joy helped me heal faster I think.

The surgeon you choose will probably require some preop tests so that s/he knows your status before the surgery. What those tests might be depends on you, your health, your surgeon. They MIGHT be things like Upper GI series, chest x-ray, abdominal ultrasound, various blood tests, cardiologist clearance, psychologist clearance, nutrition clearance. That's not a complete list, nor does it mean you'll have to do all of it. Your surgeon may just require some blood tests preop. It all depends. The 6-month diet is a requirement of some insurance companies and it won't apply if you are self pay.

My first week I was "clear liquids" .... no cream soups AT ALL. Also many docs say no tomato (because it's acid)...so check with your surgeon's guidelines. Once I was on full liquid I either strained the soup or I blended it, since I was told "anything you can drink through a straw" is ok for clear liquids. I loved split pea soup blended in my food processor; it kept me alive. Just make sure you follow your physician's guidelines; they are all different and many conflict; best to do what your doc approves for you. Hang in there; it gets better!

I'll probably just repeat everyone's suggestions, but here goes....(had I flown....) Hospital: Change of undies (LOL TQUAD64 I'm a "panty packer" too) and I'd wear loose comfy clothes, comfy bra (I MUST have a bra but no underwires or extreme shaping) and shoes that slip on and off...glasses because they won't let you wear contacts during surgery, and if I'd stayed overnight (assume you are doing that? If not, you need to stay in a hotel...do not fly home the night of your surgery) then a toothbrush and paste, any other hygiene things like brush etc. And I don't use chapstick but a lip softener...same principal though and a must-have. To fly...loose clothes, a pillow for your torso. At home, all the above plus clear broth. For the cream of soups (and the mushie stage) I bought and used a little 2 cup food processor to blend things. It was a wonderful tool! however week 1 I was just Clear liquids, no Protein even. So good books, puzzles, anything to distract was good. I just reread your post and you say "flying back the evening after the procedure"...you do mean the next night after your surgery, right? like have it on monday am, fly back tues pm? Or did you mean in the evening, after the procedure? Because if you plan to have it done monday and fly monday night you really really really shouldn't do that.

For many of us, we're "taught" that the first 6 weeks are for healing, not weight loss. Slimandhealthy09, since you're just 3 weeks post op, unless your surgeon has told you to the contrary, just follow the post op guidelines they gave you and don't worry about "dieting" etc. Once you've healed, how you want to work the band will be very personal based on what works for you and your temperament. Some prefer to DIET, some want to count the calories in every morsel, some prefer a more "atkins" or "south beach" type approach, some don't do anything except "try" to make healthier choices. The band is a tool and is fairly flexible; once healed, you'll find your own best way to work it. AND once you have restriction and can only eat about a cups' worth of food, what you select to put in that cup will change over time. Personally I prefer steak to pasta; it keeps me full longer. Pasta isn't off limits, however. You'll find what works for you! For now, just heal! :thumbup:

Most people are hungry early on post op. If you are progressing per your doctor's orders, you're doing fine. If you are eating things before he clears you, you aren't. They call it "bandster hell" and it's because we are hungry and don't have restriction but must follow strict post op diet to allow things time to heal.

This board is great, but honestly most "evidence" here is anecdotal (this is a talk board, after all!) and of course on the "complications" forum you'll get unfortunate people who are having trouble; in other words, it's concentrated. Your surgeon should be able to back up his statistics with research studies you can peruse if you want to. S/he is the safest source for solid info on your band...including pre and post op diets etc! :redface:

I suggest contacting the Texas Department of Insurance to see if you can get her current coverage to step up. Usually the band isn't life threatening...it's either in, or not...it's not that invasive and a person can get the fill removed and be essentially "normal" unless there's slippage. Even then usually an "unfill" will fix it, if not, or if there is erosion, the band is removed. Not that I'm a doc, I'm not. Just a consumer. At any rate perhaps Texas Board of Insurance can help.

I don't know who posted that statistic, nor the source, so I can't really comment on it. I have not heard that. What I do know is that the success rate with the band is higher than with diet and exercise alone, but the rate with RNY Bypass is higher than with the band, per some studies. Other studies show that 3 years out, bandsters and bypassers lose the same percentage (up to 80%) of excess weight. Neither procedure guarantees any loss, and not everyone loses all they want to. The band is only a tool. It is not a quick fix, it isn't even a fix, unfortunately. It is a tool. If you follow the band rules it can help a person lose and keep the weight off. If you choose the wrong food or don't follow the rules, it won't magically "make" you lose, anyway. I do not mean to sound negative. I think the band is wonderful! But it does take work. Your concerns about the success/failure rates may be best addressed with a good surgeon. The band is not for everyone. But it can be a life changer for others.

I too use a straw now. I didn't the first month or two post op, but once I'd healed and the issues from that settled down, I went back to my straws! :redface:

Carbonated beverages are out for most bandsters, because frankly most surgeons put them on the "do not ever" list, and because for many of us they hurt more than they taste good. Once you have a band, and restriction, carbonation doesn't perform like it does for people without those issues. For many of us it causes painful gas bubbles, or if not painful, at least very plentiful. Some don't have this issue, especially as they have the band for a while (year or two, etc) and some will let the carbonated drink "go flat" (eww, JMO) to drink it. There is not the dumping syndrome with the band like there is with RNY Bypass, but many surgeons and nutritionists will tell you to limit sweets because they are empty calories. I know that my surgeon asks his potential patients if we have any autoimmune diseases (of which lupus is one, i believe) but he didn't say we COULD NOT be banded....just that he needed to know about it. Each surgeon is a little different, you'll learn. As to your other issues; of course as you lose weight, anything caused by obesity will likely resolve, and anything made more difficult by obesity will get easier to manage. The band takes work and time, committment to follow up appointments (for fills, etc)...but it can be a lifesaver for some. Only you will know if it is the right course for you to take! This site has a lot of good info but remember it's anecdotal. Attending a seminar or two, and reading from the contingent of "lap band" books that are on the market today, will help you too.

Not all surgeons put straws on the "do not" list. You might ask yours; I can only assume it's because there is air in the straw and when you use one you swallow all that extra air, each time...it can exacerbate gas and so on.

Many overweight people have sleep apnea, it is considered a "co morbidity" of obesity. Of course, if your weight CAUSES the apnea, then losing will CURE the apnea. Most sleep apnics are tired all the time even if they "think" they got a good night's sleep. Over time apnea can cause many problems including heart attack or stroke. Many people, facing lap band, are tested for apnea in order to fulfill insurance requirements. If you do have it, you may be prescribed a cpap machine which will help you keep breathing throughout the night so you can rest well. It will not impact your surgery; you will be intubated and on oxygen during surgery regardless. Post op your doc may want you to bring it to the hospital; it will be up to him, depending on your diagnosis and degree. Not all overweight people have it (I don't) and not all people with sleep apnea have obesity as a cause. Hope that answers your questions.

I just nosed around (very quickly) and that appears to be the case. Inamed originally marketed 9.75 and 10cc bands that held only 4cc's in them. They are the old style bands. Then there was an interim 10 cc band, and now they have the AP (for "advanced platform) bands in 2 sizes...one holds 10 ccs and the large holds 14ccs . Having read this, if I were you, I'd call my surgeon and ask why he used the older style band, and what he suggest you do since you still don't have any restriction? If it only holds 4ccs, then he likely won't be able to tighten it enough to help you. How odd, huh?

What may be happening is that the 4cc band (which is an older style) won't GET tight enough to give you restriction. 4cc's is just how much it HOLDS, not how big the stoma or opening is. Have you discussed that with your doctor?

As long as you don't need the prescription pain meds, then yes you're realistic. But you don't want to do any kind of work (unless you're a rock star on tour LOL) while taking opiods. So it will depend on your pain level and if extra strength tylenol, or taking nothing, controls it. I had very little pain and was good by day 3 for what you describe, but we're all very individual about our pain threshholds and experiences.