NanaLaura

I thought I had given all information that my doctor could possibly need for surgery. I saw him yesterday and we discussed the realize band. I left his office excited and optimistic. Today we are having to give more diet history and more support meeting history. I have moved, have a new doctor of two months and my old doctor lost her nurse practitioner to a move to another state. To get diet history from my old doctor seems bleak at best. To expect the new doctor of two months to be willing to send a letter of diet history may be a little unethical. At this point I just don't know what else to do. I asked my current primary doctor if she is willing but I am in a waiting pattern. Why is it so freaking hard to try to get healthy? Two days of jumping through hoops... what a bummer. Ok I vented, didn't help! Any ideas? Laura

I am not so upset that this is going to take time. What upsets me is that I was going to have this done in Mesa and opted to wait and see a closer doctor once we knew we were moving. Three seminars later, three doctors later and a year and a half total and life circumstances not working in my favor. It is not a big deal, I will do what they want but it won't be easy and I was so ready. I was supposed to have surgery on Tuesday. You get phyced sp? up for that... It is all a paper chase, that is what is frustrating.. Laura

I just met with Dr. Burpee and Sonia. We discussed the realize band and the support group that is associated with it which your doctors monitor. I found it interesting. The doctors can keep track of your progress and make suggestions online and if they feel that you need to come in sooner for an appointment then they can suggest it or help in other ways online. It sounds like the realize band is a little different than the lapband. Do any of you have information? I am on new turf. Just know that this is the route that Dr. Burpee would like to see me go and so I agreed with him. I would like to be a little more informed from those that are using it. Got lots of answers today so I am happy but I won't make the September 16th goal for surgery. They didn't get all the paperwork back soon enough. Bummer! Really bummed about that. Thanks for all your help in the past. Laura / NanaLaura

Chi and Kiz, I have been looking at the site too. I am really excited about it. I will do more reading and I like the idea of the doctor being able to keep track. I just wish I had a date for surgery. Laura

Ernie, I am glad that you are doing well. Hi All, I am kind of bummed, I may not get the surgery on the 16th, there are some insurance requirements for paperwork that have to be met that we did not anticipate. That is all complicated with the fact that we moved from Mesa to Vail in February. So what I started in Mesa had to be re-started here in Vail with the Tucson choices. That meant yet one more required lecture for which I am grateful but none the less had to repeat before I could see Dr. Burpee. Dr. Burpee's lecture really tied up loose ends for me emotionally and mentally so I don't regret that at all. But dang! I am ready to get this done and with the move to Vail I have to kind of back track, it is a bummer! If a person has been fat all their life how come this program can't be easier? It is a life saver compared to the fat issues. Sorry, just had to vent! It will all work out, I know that but it is a bump in the road and I want it to be smooth sailing to the surgery and the road to recovery :-) Laura Porter

Lowbmier, If all goes as scheduled I am due for surgery on tuesday! It is constantly on my mind but not much for nerves probably until Monday. I was not required to do a pre-op diet and I am a little concerned about that. I think I will just cut way back starting today. I was just looking at this great site and think I may order the vitamins from her. It is bariatriceating.com What I really liked is the suggestions for foods. Since I have little information in that regard I really appreciated this site. GL with the nerves and the surgery..... I am right there with you! Laura

Joy, Thank you so much for that website. It is the answer to a prayer. I had no clue what to do post op. My Dr. does not require a pre-op diet and I was struggling with what to do after the surgery. This looks like a great site. Thanks, Laura (Waiting for insurance approval for the 16th)

Hi, I am being banded on the 16th.... Maybe you guys can find the good stuff and share :-) Just teasing, my doctor does not require a liquid diet prior and I am thinking that maybe I should just take it careful anyway. Good luck to you guys... Scarey huh? Laura

Hi Terilynn and all, Well since we just moved in to a mobile, I will continue organzing it so that I don't feel the need to do something I don't have any business doing once I have the surgery. I will shop for things that I will need after surgery to make this change as easy as possible by not wishing for Jello, liquids etc. Hubby will be working so that won't help but will probably go on a ride on Sunday since the desert is so gorgeous right now... Since I do photography, I may stop work and edit photos, that always consumes me.... Nothing too exciting huh? Anticipating the day... September 16! Laura

Hi there, Since I am being banded on Tuesday, I am thinking that maybe I should do some shopping. Can you tell me what you had on hand for when you came home from the hospital? So far I don't have any of that information and thought I should be prepared. Eating less is one thing but having nothing in the house that I can eat is something else indeed. I know that you are first restricted to liquids but what then? Thanks, Laura

Teri, The 16th? That is when I go with Dr. Burpee. I am glad it is just after the weekend, we will be busy and I won't get too nervous until Monday. I am kind of scared. But also excited. Laura

Sorry but 1oz of oatmeal is not a breakfast thats whats left in the bowl when your done. I looked at WW but I dont need someone to weigh be and give me a good boy yoiu lost 2lbs this week and since I dont make the meals at home a lot of the cooking info goes to waste. The comments you made above seem like you are not ready to make the commitment that will have to come with the lapband. You can cheat and it sounds to me like you will fall in to that mode. When you come to the point that some of us are at and you will do anything you can to just feel better and will not make excuses for your shortcomings you will be ready. That sounds harsh but I have been there,,, and now I am here... sick to death of feeling lousy and sick to death of being unable to play with the grandkids like I would like to. Sick to death!!! and so sick you feel like you will die if you don't do something different. That would be me. Today I got some answers about my surgery and it is scheduled for the 16th. Thank God! My doctor does not require a diet before surgery. I really have mixed feelings about that. But I am finally scheduled! Thank you for all your support and patiently answered questions. Laura

Looks like it is September 16th for me. I did get some questions answered today, thankfully! My doctor does not require a pre-op diet. I still feel like I should do something? What do you think? Now I am wondering what to expect. What do I expect in the hospital and then again when I get home? We are in close quarters and I have to go up two steps to the bathroom. Is this going to be a problem? Good Luck to all the September Bandsters! Laura

Indio Girl, As far as I know my apt. is on the 16th. But you can believe that after the feedback I am getting here, I am going to be having a long talk with the dr. I want to know something about the band choices that he will have at hand and I want to know about the diet. I want to know if he is going to be reachable within a reasonable time if there is a need post op. If I get the feeling that he is getting resentful I will be changing doctors, I won't go under the knife unless I feel comfortable with him. My phsyc was a couple of weeks ago and tred mill and initial appointments were two months ago. Your relationship with your doctor sounds ideal. And no, they are not close, they are on the far opposite side of town for me or I would drop in to their office. Thanks for responding. Laura

They talked about surgery on the 16th of this month! That is ten days and even if Dr. does not require a liquid diet, I feel that I need to do that. I would like to have time to do it too. We are talking only 10 days away and it is decision time. I got the call last week and I am not even thinking of bailing but I want to be informed, that is for sure. I will switch dr.'s rather than to go into this blind so to speak. When I saw the Dr. for the first and only time he knew I was trying to make a decision between bypass and band. I have read enough to know I want the band but I still have questions. Well enough of me! I plan to call them on Monday and get some details. Many congrats to all of you here that are doing so well and thanks so much for the responses, it has really given me strength and the courage to follow my heart. Laura

Well Ellen, When you call your doctors office do you get a person on the phone or do you have to always leave a message? What would your doctors office have you do if you needed to talk to someone right away with a serious question? I see that is is not that long since you have been banded. I don't question this man's bedside manner personally, I don't care about that but the office organization with patients is less than helpful to me at this point. I am concerned about being called for surgery and having many questions left to be answered. I felt I would have that chance with an appointment prior to surgery and I don't even know if that is going to happen. The lady that is the patient advocate seems more interested in getting insurance cleared and surgery scheduled than answering any questions. Questions get put off to another time. I must stress that my concern is not that the dr. is good, or that his surgery is not excellent, my concern is with communication entirely. Sadly because we have moved this past year, I am stuck with this being my third doctor/required lecture. The first lecture in Scottsdale did not leave me with a good feeling. The second lecture for the lapband in Mesa I felt comfort with. This last one with the new move answered many questions but also left me with more questions. With the move I felt good to have the surgery with a local doctor, that was important to me. But if I am not going to have that warm fuzzy feeling about all this with the communication I will have to go to yet another lecture and I just really do not want to have to do that if that makes sense. I have tried so hard to get this surgery completed. But I do want to be as safe as possible and have a doctor that I can depend on once I am post op. Geez, I just want the surgery and a good doctor that will have a staff that communicates. I just don't think that is too much to ask. We ALL need to feel this comfort. I will be calling and leaving a message on Monday. Thanks for the help, Laura who just wants to feel good enough to play with the grandkids!

Whew, thank you for that advice. You are right. It is just that this is new turf for me. But I do need to be more informed. This is serious stuff and I need to go in to it with all the help I can get. And you are right, I have been having this feeling that maybe I should change, I need the answers. This is after all, my life. And after waiting this long I need to at the very least feel informed. I really depend on this site. I am in a rural area and that concerns me too. So going in to Tucson for support meetings is difficult. Thank you, ty! Laura

JoanMarie, Thank you so much for your response. When you are scared and then frustrated with communication you start to second think your choice and I do NOT want to do that. I really think my concerns are valid. I have never gotten a response to email. I thought about offering to be an advocate for email because of that since I will have first hand experience. The only time I got a return call was when they wanted to put together the schedule for surgery. I don't feel that I have had enough appointments to be well informed. Yes, I read from this board but it is not the same. I agree, I will be talking to the surgeon. I need to feel good that I matter once this surgery is done. Again, thanks for the response. Laura

:shades_smile: I read this thread a lot and appreciate the advice that is given here. I posted before and got no response in another thread. I am slated for my surgery on the 16th with Dr. Burpee in Tucson, I understand that he is one of the best and I look forward to getting on the road to good health. Here are my frustrations... I have completed all of my appointments but I seem to only get a phone call when they are ready to schedule and then no update so that I know what is going on. I worry that we have not discussed the type of band that I will get nor have we discussed the pre-surgery diet that Dr. Burpee may require. I try to make some phone calls to the office and have even emailed twice, called twice, I don't want to be a pest. I want to feel good about this surgery in spite of being afraid. But dang, shouldn't there be better communication? I worry about reaching someone in the office if I have a problem post surgery, phone calls always go to voice mail. Am I being silly about all this or are my concerns real? Please help? Laura

I have browsed the posts but don't see anyone posting about a pre-surgery diet required by Dr. Burpee. The communication with that office seems minimal and I have a problem getting through and getting answers which is frustrating but I am told that Dr. Burpee is excellent so I hang with it. I wish someone kept closer touch. I have had all my consultations accept for photos I think and I hope a last visit with Dr. Burpee prior to surgery. My concern is that Sonja called and said they are scheduling for September 16 and I have not been told anything about a pre-op diet. I don't know if Dr. Burpee requires that or not? Even if he does not, I would like to go liquid for a while before surgery, I just think it is best to shrink the liver, etc. Does anyone out there know if Dr. Burpee has a pre-surgery diet that he requires? Has anyone else had problems getting through to a person in that office? My concern is after surgery complications and not being able to get through to ask a question if I need to. Thanks, Laura

Hi, I am finally finished with all of my appointments and waiting for a surgery date. I find myself wanting to pig out on everything, thinking that these are things that I will never eat again. I also feel guilty and feel like I should be making a big effort to lose some weight for the sake of the surgery being easier for the surgeon. I am sure others have felt this way. I am just looking for suggestions and would love to pair up with some of you who have already passed where I am at and someone that is at the same place that I am so that we could support each other through the process. I am looking forward to the surgery but also a bit aprehensive. Laura

Hi Big Jim, I am happy that you found yourself able to make that dicision. I worried this a long time. And I probably willl right up to the day for the surgery. I am in the waiting period now, just waiting for the phone call. Good luck and maybe you will be in surgery by the time I am :-) Laura

Long 2 b thin, I could not agree more. My motivation is twofold for the surgery.... I want first of all to be able to be more mobile in playing with my grandkids and secondly I want to be able to avoid knee surgery. It is funny because my doctor about had a fit today saying that the knee surgery is no more invasive than the lap band. I have to disagree. AND I know that if the weight is off I can be more mobile and opt never to have knee surgery. I just know this. Don't you think that most parents are always going to be upset with this kind of choice with any of their kids? If my mom were alive she would be having a fit. I simply would not tell her and let her draw her own conclusions,,,, probably it would be that I was deathly ill... which actually I was, deathly ill with FAT!!! hehehe Laura

LongBthin, I am waiting for an appointment to be banded too. It should be any time. I have told my two daughters, my husband of course and I figure anyone else can figure it out for themselves. I kind of figure it is no ones business and I really don't want negative feedback. I haven't talked to my son at all because I know he disapproves. I do talk to other people who have had weight loss surgery and I get the problems and the perks... I am happy with the choice I have made. If someone asks I will talk about it but if they don't I just get on with my life. I am a happy person, I am afraid of the surgery but I have made a positive choice to be well and that is what is most important to me. Hope this helps. Nanalaura