lisah25

DH was banded by a Dr. Montgomery from NWWLS, and I will be banded by him on 8/31. I was very impressed by the number of surgeries they have done, the stats they had, the aftercare they offer and the fact they have all the staff right there, and focus on LB surgeries.

My first official job was working for Burger King. When I first started, the women had to wear these HIDEOUS dresses for a uniform. They were brown, orange and yellow double knit poly. Went to about the knee, and made it really hard to do the job, when you had to clean out fryers and the like.

Any chance you could talk to your professors/TAs and tell them you need to have surgery and will be missing a few days? Ask if they can help with the classes you would miss? Or arrange to have a classmate take notes? They know that real life happens, and while it's been a looonnnggg time since I was in college, I remember getting help when I needed to.

That's what I was thinking. I knew I snored, but I had no idea how serious it was to have apnea. I was reading a list of symptoms and they all pretty much sounded like me. It kind of snuck up, the not feeling good and all, and I blamed much of it on my weight. So, by getting the band and losing weight, and sleeping better, we'll be unstopable!!:clap2:

OK, I'll post as soon as I can afterwards, and you do the same! It will be fun to have someone to talk to while we recover who is on the same timeline. I don't know yet, but I did good the night of the sleep study. The tech said I was one of the best patients he'd had for being able to tolerate the mask. My pros and cons are much like yours. Money is the main con, but what good is money if I'm not alive to enjoy it, or healthy enough? I don't have the grandkids, but have a niece I adore, and she's 4. I want to be around for her, me and DH are a stablilzing force for her and I want that to continue. No thread-killers we!

I got 16 right. I turn 43 this weekend.

They gave me the mask I wore for the sleep study, so I'm hoping it will be as comfortable as it was then. Have you tried different ones?

We're getting banded the same day! I'm still freaked out, but I talked to DH and he's really OK with my decision. He knows we'll have to be careful, but he wants me to be healthier and feel better. So that helped. And I want to feel better. I'm tired of being tired. Of not wanting to do anything. Of not really feeling like I'm living my life. So I've been working on my attitude. That this is worth it, that I'm worth it. Which, funny enough, is EXACTLY what my mom said when I told her I was doing this. And I've already had a great benefit from this. My surgeon requires a sleep study for many of his patients, and mine confirmed that I do indeed have sleep apnea. I get my CPAP machine tomorrow, and I'm excited. Even after just being on one for 4 hours during the sleep study I felt better. So, I think you too are doing the right thing! We'll have to compare notes after surgery. Have you done a list of pros and cons? Or of what you are looking forward to?

A friend said she could never do it because she couldn't stand having an open wound on her belly. She really thought they just left an opening, until DH showed her his port. Or more accuratly, where it is. The absolute funniest was my SIL, who when we called to tell them DH came through surgery well wanted to know how much fat they cut off him. She was totally clueless about WLS in general.

This has become Fraken-thread. Nothing will kill it... :heh:

You've already gotten some very good advice, all I have to was triggered by what you said above. It sounds like perhaps you all have a pattern like DH and I struggle with, that is using food as a treat/reward? If so, maybe find other ways to treat each other? And I need to think about that for myself. Hum, maybe a nice backrub or something like that...

Good idea GE mom, but the insurance is a no-go. The policy very specifically excludes any WLS. When DH got his band, we tried very hard to get him covered, so I knew going in that I wouldn't be. Logically, I know this is the right thing for me to do. Emotionally, it was one of the "What the heck am I doing" moments. Thanks!

Thanks Josette. I like that idea, I'll think about the money I've saving long run, on food too!

I've been SOOOO excited about getting banded. Until this morning. I had a tooth break, no big deal, it's happened before. I know my insurance doesn't pay all of the crown cost, and it made me freak out. :omg: I'm self-pay, and it hit how much in debt we are going, and how little we'll have available for emergencies like teeth afterwards. I'm wondering why in the world I thought this was a good idea and that we could do it. Rationally, we have a home equity line of credit that we plan to use. DH is totally on board, and I have great support from family, friends and co-workers. But all of a sudden I'm having lots of doubts.:faint:

Tell them you have to have some minor surgery. You can even tell them stomach surgery if they want details, or tell them it's a hernia or something. Nice thing about that is that it would explain your eating liquids and mushies while healing. I wouldn't use the gallbladder excuse if you still have it, because then someday you may have to have yours out!

I've had the same feelings. I lost about 12 pounds in the last month, then started going back up. So, even though I know I can lose a few pounds here and there, I also KNOW that I can't keep at it for long enough to lose all I need to, let alone maintain it, without some help.

I've heard that, but I get into trouble when I don't weigh in every day. I've learned to be OK with the not moving/going up when I know I've been eating well. But when I'm not eating well, I avoid the scale, and go right on up.

I'm only planning on using them for my pre-op liquid diet and through my mushy post-op diet. After that, I plan to eat my protein, not drink it.

I so totally agree with you on this point!

I'm lucky, DH supports me totally. But part of that is because he was banded 2 years ago. And I was the reluctant spouse. HATED the idea of him doing this. I was really worried about the risks of surgery, was worried that he might not be able to make the changes post-band that he'd need to - that he really believed deep down that this was the magic bullet no matter what he said. We are both self-pay, so the money was a bit of an issue if I'm totally honest about it. But the Dr said without him doing something, he wouldn't be around in 10 years. And I've seen him make honest, serious attempts before, so I went along. And as I did more research before his surgery, and learned more about it, I felt better. My best advice it to talk to him. Find out what his objections are. Remind him that you have tried and tried, and point out the stats on people losing and maintaining weight loss long term on their own. And if all else fails, find the thread about how sex gets better after banding and weight loss and have him read that! :heh:

Well - I'm one step closer. I did my sleep study last night, confirmed I do have apnea and will be getting my CPAP by Monday.

I'd probably give him the benefit of the doubt, this once.

That is an EXCELLENT point.

Of course you are feeling overwhelmed, what you are dealing with is impossible by yourself. I've been there, and even with family help it's hard. So, you need to find some help. Does you job offer any employee assistence for problems outside of work? Talk to the doctor about resources. Look for local groups/government help. Where do you live? And you may have to consider putting your mother into some sort of care facility. I know it's a VERY hard decision to make, we faced that same one last fall with my father-in-law, but it had gotten to the point where we just couldn't give him the care he needed. Feel free to PM me if you want. This is so hard, both on the pratical level of providing care, and the emotional level of this being you mom.

My DH is very supportive of my decision. We agree since our insurance wouldn't cover it that we could only afford for him to get it done. He had more health issues. Well, one day this spring he told me he wanted me to have it also, and that he was willing to cut back on things so that we could pay for it. The other day I made a comment about backing out(joking around) and he said that if he had to, he'd tie me up and take me in.