RestlessMonkey

Actually the difference is that over here insurance often pays and many of the companies have various prereqs before they'll pony up the dough. If you are self pay, comorbidities aren't usually required over here, either. Our surgeons pay WAY more in malpractice insurance, though. Mexican doctors are essentially protected from being sued if they slip up, where as here you have recourse. SO US docs charge more, but they have more overhead, too. But comorbidities are usually just a factor to qualify with insurance companies.

I'm so glad you're doing better! Thank goodness you didn't have to go back into surgery, too. :thumbup:

Personally I prefer people who are a little insane to those that aren't! LOL :biggrin: You aren't going through anything that most of us haven't. Apparently I worried about the cheating thing as did many of us...and about eating the wrong things, and so on. It's good you are thinking this through and deciding what will work for you! :wink2: I didn't get to be this big eating LOTS of healthy stuff, (although I guess feasibly someone could)...I ate lots of wrong stuff. I probably will always want the occasional burger and fries or whatever...and that's where I think the band will save me. I can watch it carefully for a while then I get bored and that's when I backslide. If the band can limit my portions and even keep me from gaining until I get a grip again, it's worth it for me! You keep on asking questions; it's your life and your body and you should worry it until you decide what steps you may want to take! :thumbup:

Hey FalloutGirl! I agree 100% with HowluckyamI. And I want to add that I too thought the band was "cheating"...that somehow being fat was "honest" but if I got the band and lost I'd be "hiding something" or being a cheater. Then (maybe because I'm 53 and I've been dieting since I was 16...and I'm darn stubborn and have LOTs of willpower) I woke up one morning thinking: Hmmm If I needed a pacemaker for my heart, I'd get it in an instant. I wouldn't say "OH NO that's cheating" Then why, I wondered, would the band be cheating? I eat too much. I'm often truly hungry. I've even been through behavioral therapy. SO what's wrong with me doing something to save my life, and make it better? NOTHING! It's being smart, for me, not cheating. AND as to OJ and coke; all you have to do is read the nutritional info (I assume it's on foods etc in Australia?) The OJ has more calories but it probably has some Fiber (if it has pulp) and definitely has more Vitamin C etc than Coke. So no, it isn't MUCH worse than coke. It may be more calories?? may have more sugar?? but it's got other stuff in it that is good for you, unlike coke. :thumbup: Knowing that won't make you thin, you know. Knowing what to do won't make it happen. But if you haven't really tried some formalized diet program that teaches portion control and healthier choices then you are right; try that first. It works for some. And it could very well work for you! Only you can decide. Just realize there are viable workable options out there for us that weren't there even 10 years ago!

I think it depends on your doctor. Mine said no yogurt until "soft foods" and custard was NEVER mentioned; I'd have remembered that! But each doc is different.

I think they're actually pretty similar. I got the lap band (AP large) because that's what my surgeon uses. But here's a web site I found with a side-by-side comparison. They both have some good points and drawbacks. Compare Adjustable Gastric Bands - LAP-BAND vs. REALIZE Band

Mellis is right on; different doctors require different preop tests, preop diets, post op diets etc. That's one reason this site can be so overwhelming! The important thing to remember is to do what YOUR DOCTOR tells you to. You trust him/her with your life during the surgery, so trust him to steer you the right way pre and post op. This site is great for support and general info, but bottom line, do what your surgeon tells you! :thumbup: I love my band and hope you love yours too! :biggrin:

Welcome. Actually since you are an analyst you probably know that the best statistics for successful permanent weight loss are from weight loss surgery. Not other diets. WW is a great "diet" (though they call it a lifestyle) but I personally went insane losing a pound a week (or less) and counting out 100 cal worth of baked chips, and writing down every bite I took after I weighed it and so on. That type of bean counting grates LOL I figured if I needed a pacemaker for my heart I'd grab it! And I know I can't keep weight off on my own (I have tried and tried all my life) so the band is a wonderful opportunity for me to regain and retain my health. I just wish they'd had it when I was much younger! :smile2: I love my band! I hope you love yours, too!

I'm not and wasn't a food addict so I can't address addiction transfer. Yes I weighed 405 but it wasn't an addiction, or at least not like to cigarettes or drugs. HOWEVER I did have other issues with food! And yes my life is 1000000% better already and I am just getting started. The BIG difference is hope. Not optimism, but hope. I've been able to diet well in the past but always gained back everything plus 20-30 more pounds. Now I know when I get tired of a diet, the band can help keep me in place until I muster the energy to go on again. And once I hit goal, that restriction will help keep me there. To me, the band was the missing ingredient. Now that I've found it, my life will never ever be the same again. The hardest part for me was the liquid diet my surgeon had me on for 2 weeks post op. Lots of people do turn to gambling or alcohol though, but a good therapist can help you past that if it becomes an issue for you! :smile2:

It's not tightness around the belly! Someone who has it can post definitively, but I was told it's more a feeling of "oops better not eat/drink any more or I'll vomit" type of feeling. It's not really full in the "stuffed after thanksgiving" sense, but a feeling in your upper stomach and esophagus. Around your belly like around your belly button is really your intestines! :smile2:

Welcome your ticker isn't quite there yet, this may help: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f5/ticker-tutorial-pictures-41782/ Good luck on your surgery; do you have aftercare lined up locally or do you just plan to go back to TJ for fills etc?

So far I honestly can't see any downside to the band, but I only was banded 8/29. I got my first fill and still don't have restriction but am not worried because I knew it would be a process and require patience, it's not a quick easy fix. Otherwise, for me, it's honestly all good! :smile2: Good luck to you!

Call your surgeon and if they say it can't be surgery-related, then call your PCM. Don't fool around with kidney pain! You may have an infection etc and need some antibiotics! :smile2:

I agree with sillygoose! I haven't even paid my hospital bill (haven't gotten it!) yet and I had surgeries 8/11 AND 8/29! Do you have to pay the deductible up front? If not, go ahead and have your surgery!

If you have to lift more than 20 then you will really need to take off work for 2 weeks or see if they can put you on light duty. Your band needs to heal in place and that straining to lift can pop the sutures loose. You don't want that! Otherwise you should be fine! :smile2:

And as to failing? It's not over until you're dead. Seriously. It's a war and you've just lost a skirmish or two. Get back out there! And are you sure the "hard spot" where your doc did your fill isn't your port? I can feel mine! It's the port, not the little bit of saline. That's common!

Hmmm...your hair is falling out from the surgery. It will grow back. Do you have a history of depression so that you might need medication? If not and you're just kind of "feeling sorry for yourself", then may I suggest that you make a list? Remember why you wanted the band. It can still help you. You had only 1 fill! good grief! I have had 1 fill and don't have any restriction; the doc told me it would take 4 or more. And he gave me a TINY fill the first time because he wants me to get in the habit of NOT snacking. He said to do that and come back for more. So I suggest you make your list, and start to take steps to remotivate yourself. Clean out your kitchen until you are ready to eat like a weight-losing bandster. For me, that mean Proteins and veggies. No breads no rice no crackers no Peanut Butter (love that stuff LOL) in the house. If I do get in the mood to go wild, I'd have to drive to the store to buy something and I have NEVER been that motivated! LOL THen once your house is clean and you have your list, Just do it. Get 64 ounces of Water each day. Per your doc's protocol, restrict water before, during and after meals. No sweets. No slider foods. AND finally call your doc for a fill. By now can you exercise? If so, start walking and build up. Honestly just think if you do these things, in a month you could be down a chunk of weight, back on the road, and feeling good and sassy instead of sad and blue. You have to do it for yourself but you can. THe clot was bad but it didn't kill you (and they can and do kill!) so be greatful they caught it and move past it! You can do this.

OMG you work for banana? LOL ok all kidding aside, do you lift more than 15 - 20 pounds at once? If no, then a week at least (more if you want it, but if you're tough, a week will do) If you lift 2 weeks minimum depending on when your doc says it's ok. If preop at the end of the day you are worn out, then take longer than a week. Post op I felt pretty good but you still have anesthesia etc that has to work its way out, plus you are on liquids (probably) and that can make you a little dizzy and tired more easily. So if you can take 2 weeks, do. You'll probably be bored week 2 but better bored than run ragged.

I can't feel the band and port at all. If I hadn't seen it during my post op x-ray, I'd have my doubts. I can kind of feel the port if I really mash, from the outside. I don't really have restriction yet so I can't answer this personally but from what I was taught, being "satisfied" (the goal of the band) and being stuffed to the gills are very different things. That stuffed full feeling means you've over eaten and it isn't the goal post banding. I took all my pills (including huge horse-pill postassium) fine post op. However we're all different; pills you can't take on an empty stomach will be dicey until you get on mushies, and some have some restriction post op. I didn't. No restrictions, once you're healed, on physical activity. In fact that's part of the point; for us to be active and healthy. Post op pain is very personal. For me (53 year old fat broad) it was a non-event. Honestly I got a cold 3 weeks post op and that sucker kept me down more than any pain. But I walked frequently and I am a firm believer in distraction as an aid to pain control. I did take liquid tylenol fairly regularly the first 2-3 days. 2 doses of darvocet on day 2. That's it. I slept on my side the first night (with a pillow to support my torso and surgical sites) and on my tummy the next night. I think that helped keep me from getting adhesions. Move move move...walk walk walk....and the gas and pain are mininized. I'm in Texas so no experience with the center you're interested in. If I may make a suggestion? Go to a seminar. The good ones are very informative. Mine covered several types of bariatric surgery. The surgeon conducted it and we got to meet him and ask questions. They wouldn't even schedule appts until after we'd gone to the seminar so no hard sell. It will help you decide if you want to proceed in checking it out or not. Personally I think this may be one of the smartest best things I have EVER done for myself.

I'm pretty lucky in that when I'm sad or angry I don't want to eat, but I AM a reward eater (and you can tell from my stats that I rewarded myself A LOT! LOL) I went to a behavioral therapist, on my own (not a requirement or surgery or so on) and it really helped me figure out when and why I overeat, and what to do to stop it. Actually if I'd found that therapist 25 years ago when I only needed to lose 50 pounds, I think she would've done the trick for me. But at 200+ I felt I needed more and got the band. That therapy, though, that helped me understand how and when I use and abuse food, was very enlightening for me and I think has helped me be so happy and optimistic about the band. I know therapy isn't for everyone, but behavioral (not the kind where you lie on the couch and whine LOL) therapy has been a wonderful tool for me! :smile2:

Re: Help!!!! Please.... Longhornmom and I have the same Doc. He's very specific about what to have when: no protein for 1 week post op, and NPO after midnight, and only clear liquid (AKA Water in his world) from noon (plus the mag citrate) the day before surgery. ANYWAY GO Patti Go! I know you'll do great IF you read my post you'll see we (Longhornmom and I) have the SAME doc. We've discussed ad nauseam what he requires etc; and I ASKED him. Preop from the day before is essentially the same for all his band patients. Post op is the same for all band patients. I have the journal in hand. Had he given Patti special directions, then she'd surely have known that. She was wondering in general and I answered her PER OUR DOC. You are right we are all different and I would NEVER presume to tell YOU what your doc requires; I don't know you or your doc. But Longhornmon and I are in the same boat. Thanks for your concern but it's misplaced here. I was answering a personal friend who's going to the same doc as I am about what our doctor requires.

Maybe you could try some sessions with a behavioral therapist? Not the kind where you lie on the couch and whine, but a more action/goal oriented therapist? I went to one last year and she truly helped me figure out when and why I overeat, and gave some good ways to combat it. Now I can tell when I am wanting to eat just to reward myself (my big issue) or when I am REALLY hungry. It is truly helping me now. My ins paid most of it, I paid like $11 a session. Worth every penny. I googled "behavioral therpaist for eating disorder in San Antonio" and that's how I found mine LOL .... might be worth a try. I am really having an easy time all around with the band; no fears, no angst, no feeling like I'll never eat again etc and I know a big part of that is what I learned about my food habits from my therapist. Good luck!

Thank GOD I don't have this issue! I think it would be incredibly tough. I'm a reward eater but if I'm stressed the last thing I want to do is eat; I get vaguely nauseated. It's easy to find other things to reward myself with, things that aren't necessarily expensive (but hey, a new purse or CD is always welcome LOL) but stress? That's a hard one! Good luck! :smile2:

Whether or not you damaged yourself by eating depends on what you ate and when. THere's a reason they have us on this post op diet and it isn't to torture us. The band is lightly sewn into place around your stomach. When we eat food (mushies or soft or real, anything that isn't liquid) our stomach churns to digest it. This churning can rip some or all of your stitches loose. If I were you I'd tell my surgeon what I'd done so he can decide if you may need an X-ray or whatever to make sure things are still in place. You don't have to be in pain to have popped a stitch or 2 and that will set you up for slipping or erosion later on down the road. You just have to use willpower; the band is just a tool, not a miracle drug or something. We all know it's hard; I held a can of refried Beans and cried (and felt like an idiot, but I STILL cried!) but you have to heal properly. Tell your doc; not to punish, but to make sure you're ok.

Actually I'm not there yet but from what I've learned, what works if you have the issue is plastic surgery. Whether you have saggy skin depends on many factors...how heavy you were to start, how LONG your skin was stretched (how long you were obese), your genetics, your skin type (oily? elastic?) your age, your previous sun exposure, etc etc. Creams, rubs, etc may make it more supple but they won't tighten it long term. Exercise tones the muscles UNDER THE SKIN but the skin is an organ in it's own right; exercise doesn't tone or tighten it. Hope this isn't bad news; but each person is different and you may not have issues, depending! I'm pretty sure, since I started out at 405, that I'll need plastic surgery. I figure honestly I'd rather have plastic surgery than open heart surgery because of obesity, so it's all good. And the skin can tighten a good deal on it's own. From what I've been told they prefer, before Plastic Surgery, that you wait 1 year after you hit goal and maintain to allow your body a chance to do what it can on it's own. Good luck! maybe you'll be one of the ones who has no skin issues. I know I will have them but it still beats the alternative! :smile2: