paulawally

Hello, I just turned 61 on Jan 17 and was banded on Jan 28. It's never too late !!! Haven't regreted one minute on my decision. I feel so much better already. I have at least 100 lbs to go, have lost 35 lbs so far. My Dr does his fills a little at a time so my weight loss I feel is a little slower than alot of people, But 35 lbs is great and I'm not complaining:thumbup: So just go for it, you won't be sorry. Take the leap !!!! Paula Good luck !:devil:

you definetly need to get a "bariactric" surgeon !!!!!!!

I would just love to be able to cross my legs and to finally wear a dress again. My legs haven't seen daylite in a least 30 yrs. Honestly !!!!!!!

Hello, I was scared to death when I had my first fill, I feared it more than surgery. My port is located high up on my waist right between the breast bone. My Dr put it their because there is less fat therefore making it easier for the fill. I just had my 3rd one today and have never had to have any numbing meds or any floura (sp). Honestly ,not one has ever hurt, just feels like a needle prick. Only takes about 30 seconds. You will be fine !!! Best of luck on your journey. :thumbup: Paula

Don't feel bad, I was banded Jan 28th and I am in the same boat with you. I've lost 27 lbs and have been stuck there for months. I just don't get it !!!! :frown: I go for my 3rd fill wed, hopefully this will help as I can eat just about whatever I want right now. I need restriction !!!!!! :thumbup: When were you banded ? Good luck !

Good luck to you on your journey, it's going to be a great trip.

Wow !! I can't believe you can't have broth or jello. Your Dr is really strict. Try some sugar free popsicles, that might help a little.

My port is located between my breast bone. Less fat there and fills are easier to do. Can't see mine either. And the fills do not hurt ! :thumbsup: Good luck !

Ok, regardless if you have the band or the GB you are more than likely going to have the excess skin,but sweetheart that should be the least of your worries. At 25 you have plenty of time to worry about the excess skin. Your health is more important than anything. I have been heavy most of my life and have missed out on so much by being so overweight. You can do something about it NOW.Get your life and health back so you can enjoy the wonderful years ahead of you. My friend ,who was my inspiration for me getting the band , weighed in at 406 on the day she was banded ,lost a total of 165 lbs in her first year. Totally amazing, she looks and feels wonderful.To date has lost 185lbs. She is twice your age and then some , so the excess skin is not on the top of her worries. She just throws on a pair of spanx. :laugh: I was banded Jan 28th and have lost 27lbs. I don't have much restriction yet so my weight loss has been a little slow. Hopefully with my second fill I will get more restriction(Jan 12th). Whichever way you choose to go(and you should have a choice) I think it will be a journey that you will never regret. Hang in there , and good luck. Paula :cool2:

I also was put on a high dose (5,000 iu) once a week for 8-12 weeks. I guess I was low too.Have had blood work since and I guess everything is ok. :thumbup: Hope so anyway.

Way to go Lori !!!!!!!! Keep up the good work. :thumbup:

Cathy explains it very well. Just remember to be calm and breathe thru your nose,that way you will avoid any gagging. Happy trails !!!

Hello, I'm from Missouri , I was banded Jan.28th at Shawnee Mission Medical in Shawnee Mission,Ks. Welcome ! It's going to be a great journey. :drool:

Angel, being that I am diabetic and have high blood pressure and that I am 5'2" and weighed 287 when I started I didn't have any trouble being approved. All my pre-op requirements consisted of cardiac clearance(ekg), pulmonary clearance(just blowing thru whatever they call it),I had to have an endoscopy(upper Gi)which was not bad, all they do is give you something to numb your throat and then go down and look ,make sure you breath thru your nose and you will be fine, I think it only took 10 min,did not hurt at all.Also had to have psychlogical clearance(4 visits),dietitian consultation,had to attend a support group,and pre op lab work. I think thats it !!!??? I know it all seems so overwhelming but just take it one day at a time and don't get too frustrated. Everything falls into place. Yes I try and get 2 protein drinks in a day. I get mine from HyVee,I think the whey protein is the best.Also I get the protein bars from Wal Mart the ones with 20 grams of protein. They are really good and a treat. I did not have any bloating and very little gas, I just did alot of belching.Get some Gas X to keep on hand,the kind you put under your tongue. Ya know , I was scared to death to get my first fill.I was more scared of that than i was the surgery itself. My port is located between my breast bone,my Dr puts them there because there is less fat there and makes for an easier fill. I think he is right on,it did not hurt at all, just the pinch of the needle was all I felt. Yes there are horror stories out there but I think there are more good ones. I think the horror stories probably come from people that didn't have good surgeons that didn't know what they were doing. Having a good bariatric surgeon was the number 1 goal when I started my journey. Hope everything goes well for you,just do what you need to do no matter how long it takes, it will be well worth it. PS: There is never too many questions,I hope I have helped. Paula

Hello Angel, sounds like you are pretty miserable with all the complications .'m so sorry! I was feeling pretty bad myself and being I am diabetic only makes things worse. My primary care Dr said if I didn't do something I would be on dialisis in 5 yrs.Thats why I went with the lap band to get healthier and be happy with myself again. The surgery itself was not very painful at all ,it's more of a discomfort feeling than anything. I was really surprised by how "not" painful it was. It's only naturally to be scared, we all go thru that. But the outcome is worth it.. Most people go home from the surgery the same day but I stayed over because my heart rate was not where it should have been(due to my blood presure meds) and I lived 70 miles away. Let me tell ya I "LOVE " food just as much as anyone and as far as the post op diet goes I have no trouble at all. Befor the banding I thought about what I was going to eat all the time ,now its not important to me. When your not hungry you don't think about "what you can eat next" The band works when you work with it. Hopefully you have a Bariatric surgeon that knows what he is doing.Havin a good Dr is a must. Hope this helps !!! Wishing you the best. Paula

Hi Angel, It really all depends on what your insurance requires,they are all different. My insurance required that I have 3 mo supervised diet with a Dr with no success at weight loss ????!!!!!! Also if you have any co morbities such as diabetes, high blood pressure,sleep apnea your chances of being ok'd for the surgery are much greater. From the time I started the process until I had my surgery it took 6 months. Just don't let yourself get all bumed out if it takes awhile, take it one day at a time. The time will fly by. I was banded Jan 28th and am feeling great and have had no problems at all. I have lost 25lbs and I still don't have alot of restriction yet . My Dr does the fills a little at a time and I believe that is the way it should be. Your insurance will give you all the guidelines that are required by you. Just don't get discouraged. It's going to be a great journey. Good luck Angel !

You are in for a heck of a ride. Its a journey well worth taking !!! Hang in there ,your worth it. Good luck ! :tt1:

Been there ,done that !!!! Mar 28th will be two months since I was banded. I too was terrified of the antesthetic, I just NEW I was not going to wake up .And here I am in Lap Band Land :ohmy:. No regrets and feeling GREAT and 26lbs off. My whole process took me almost 7 mos to go thru all the hoops. I knew it was going to take awhile so I tried not to think of how long it was going to take and before I knew it I was waking up from my surgery. You are going to be fine ,so hang in there and go for it . Its a heck of a ride !!! Good luck on your journey! Paula

If you have a great surgeon that knows what he is doing you shouldn't be able to feel anything. A good surgeon is the key for a successful Lap Band. :tongue_smilie:

Great job JoeJoe !!!! I hope you have a wonderful weight loss journey.

I too had really bad back pain after the surgery,it was more painful than the surgery itself. I do have some arthritis in my back but I also think it was the positioning on the surgery bed that really did it. It finally got better after about three weeks. It will get better,so hang in there. Best of luck on your weight loss journey. Paula

Hello, I was banded on Jan 28th and that was also a big concern for me. I am not a back sleeper and while I had to stay in the hospital overnite I was on my back the whole nite :thumbup: My back hurt me for two weeks. Needless to say when I got home from the hospital I hit the bed,laid on my side and slept for 8 hours. It felt great and have never had problems sleeping on my side. You should be fine. Good luck on your journey. :w00t:

Hello, What they mean when they say you have to have co morbidities is that you have to have a chronic illness such as diabetes,high blood pressure,or sleep apnea. Those are the three that I know of. You need to check with you insurance to see if anything else comes under their guidlines, all insurances are different. Hope this has helped you and the best of luck to you on your journey.Hope everything goes smoothly for you. It can get a little frustrating going thru all the steps but just hang in there. Good luck !! :scared2:

My port is a little below the breast bone where there is less fat and will make filling a little easier. Each Dr is different. Good luck !