mattie7632

LMBO! Don't hold anything back now....

Good job!!!! Makes some of the pain worth it huh.....

Wow that's another thing I never heard of.......does this come on when one's band is filled to the point it hits this nerve?

Yes, for me it was the doctor's office. All over their website are before/after pictures of success stories, and someone who's lost a ton of weight comes to the seminar and tells you all the good things, but not the bad. The doctor specifically said "the band makes it so you can eat about 6 bites of food and then feel full, and you will stay full for 3,4 and some people up to 5 hours". Then the doctor asked me how long I'd been looking into it, I said a few months. He didn't then test my knowledge or say anything like "the band won't work if you don't diet" just "you're a candidate" and "the average weight loss is 40-50% but some do better"..blah blah blah. He is highly recommended and the best in the city so I didn't have reason to doubt. The psyche consult person did say it's a "tool" but I took that as they are covering their a$$es, who wouldn't in today's day and age right? I mean all I was exposed to were awesome results, other than some friends who told me about someone they knew who threw up all the time, but I understood that to mean if you ate too much it would come right back up.

OMG now THAT sounds good!!!!

Yeah....weight watchers would have been a lot cheaper huh?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You're right Adorable, that's the key--INFORMED decision.

I'm making the cabbage-spaghetti tonight, I will let you know how it is!!!

I don't know FF, but I hope we both are still on this forum in 6 months after getting our "restriction", have lost weight and are singing a different tune! You think?

It completely sucks, but we've all been there. Are you on the clear liquid diet? I was just eating jello and drinking broth constantly! It was very tough. The good thing is....this too shall pass. A week after surgery and you won't be so starving anymore....

My surgeon said the purpose of the psych eval is to be sure you aren't suspected of committing suicide following surgery. It happens. Also, keep in mind, the psycologist they refer you to WORKS WITH YOUR SURGEON so he/she has the documentation required by your insurance company, ie the psyche eval and more. SO unless there is a real psyche reason you shouldn't have surgery, it's nothing to worry about. And yes, you will just sit and talk. Take advantage of that hour.

Why do you have to have Optifast? Can't you pick out a nutritionally sound protein shake from anywhere? You should ask him, I bet Optifast is just his personal preference, the pre-op diet is to shrink the liver and the most obnoxiously expensive protein shake isn't the only way to do it!

I'm that poster about the five bites, but actually he said 6 bites, LOL!!! I wouldn't know about that as I'm still able to eat more!!!

I understand your reservations. I didn't want to just spring this on my husband out of the blue either, but obvioulsy we have to tell them. I was all worked up about bringing up the conversation, and when I did, it was so uneventful. All he said was "if that's what you want to do I'll support you", end of that.

I am 5 feet tall also and I know the BMI for 198 is like 38-39, just under the requirement if you have no problems at all. Gain 10 pounds before the consult and you'll be fine! LOL, okay not the best advice there but still, it would work.

I was doing the pre-op diet before Christmas and post op after Christmas. Bad bad timing. If I had a choice, I would have waited. It will bother you more than you think right now because you'll be hungry, tired from surgery, maybe sore...while the rest of the family is having fun. My advice, wait til after the vacation!!

Good Response by Banding12. The sleeve and bypass are so invasive so personally, I would only look at those options seriously if your health was in jeopardy right now. You don't sound like you are that heavy that a surgeon would recommend the bypass. I'm sure one would still do it if you wanted though! Good luck, think hard about it!

Well Maybebanding since you are a therapist you must know what all our problems are!!! I'm Mattie! , I live in Southern IL and own a medical billing service. (I used to bill for the mental health folks too!) I decided to go to a lapband seminar and the next thing I know I had the procedure done a week and half later. My insurance requires the supervised diet now in 2011 so the office rush rush rushed me in. I'm finding a lot of things on this forum I wish I knew before I made my decision. Good to meet you!

Honk I don't think in any way the comments here were judgmental. It's a surprising question. My understanding is the bypass cannot be defeated. It's a complete re-routing of the digestive system. Maybe the poster meant the gastric sleeve which I imagine could be defeated, but not sure on that.

They'll schedule you for a consult after the seminar and go over dates of surgery and finances. They scheduled my surgery on the date of my consult. It was 1.5 weeks later and likely depends on the doctor and hospital schedule like making any appointment. If you are using insurance, a supervised diet might be required for 3-6 months in which case, the surgery most likely won't be scheduled until that is completed. As far as skin goes, everyone is different. Depends on your age, elasticity of your skin, if and how much exercise you do, and how much weight you lose will determine how saggy you look afterwards. Good Luck

Yeah, but you don't need a twenty thousand dollar band to to measure foods, count calories and wait 20 minutes to be full.. Same dif band or not--I believe that is the argument here --

I agree with you, Formerly Fluffy. It IS about restriction, or at least that's what we're told so the sale goes through. I think this whole thing is a scam and I am so so disappointed. I sincerely hope that in 6 months I've lost a bunch of weight so I can "eat my words" no pun intended!!

Actually, you have a point there. I had a few days that I ate more calories than I thought I should, I was convinced I was cheating and didn't want to weigh myself, but to my surprise I had actually LOST another pound during that couple days so I think you're onto something.....

Okay, I haven't tried this yet but my friend SWEARS it is delicious. She makes "spaghetti" but instead of the noodles she cuts up thin strips of cabbage and cooks it til not crunchy and nice and soft. She makes the sauce like normal, adds ground turkey if meat is desired. I know it sounds odd, but so far the recipes she's given me are the bomb! So I'm going to try this soon!

I hear ya. I have tried sugar free jello w/light whip cream total of 25 calories. That does it usually, if not I go for a Greek Yogurt too.....MOST of the time that is....