Parshuter

Hi, I am going to my first consultation tomorrow, and am meeting with Dr. Laker. Has anybody gone through this doctor? Dr. Laker is with The Great Lakes Weight Loss Center, and any info on this place would be greatly appreciated. I am self pay and was wondering if I have to go through the same process that ins. patients go through? Is it typically shorter for self pay? I am really looking forward to tomorrows appointment. I'm nervous, but excited. Thanks

Hey Everyone, I am going to be banded August 25th, 2009. I am very excited, no very nervous right now, but expect to be as we get a little closer. I am on my pre-op diet. I have to do it for 2 weeks. I get a shake for B-fast and lunch, then a small meal for dinner(meat and a veggie). The last day or 2 will be Clear liquids only. Anybody else scheduled for this day? What type of diet, if any, are you on. How do you feel right now? Excited, nervous? Good luck to all of you, Par

Hi, I am just starting out, and I already know my ins. doesn't cover the Lap Band surgery. I have looked into a few doctors and am considering Dr. Weiner, out of Harper hospital. Has anybody gone with this doctor? Any information would be very helpful. Also, I am wondering how many people that have gone with the Lap Bnd have had complications and wouldn't do it again. I am nervous that, because I am self pay, if there are any complications, my cost will go up much higher, trying to fix the problems. Thanks

Good Luck guys, This is the First day of the rest of our lives. The next time we post we will all be new people. See you later! Pars

Well, tomorrow is the big day!!! My surgery is set for 1 PM, and I'm very excited. I can't say that I'm nervous, but I believe by the time I get there I probably will be. I look forward to the rest of my life. See you on the flip side! Pars :biggrin:

Here we go guys....Less than 24 hours left. We are starting the greatest journey of our lives. I have lost 14 lbs, 4 more than required to do. Not great, but acceptable. I am very excited, still no nerves. I'm sure tomorrow they will show up. Thats ok though, its worth it. I took my vacation this week to help with the recovery. I go back to work next Tuesday. I will try to post one more time tonight, if not, Good Luck to all of us! I will see you on the flip side! Pars :biggrin:

Hi, I have been getting really bad headaches since I started my pre-op diet. Has this happened to anybody else? My surgery is set for August 25th, and my diet is Protein shake for both b-fast and lunch. Then a sensible dinner. Low carbs and fat. At first I thought this was the reason for the headaches, but now I think I may be having caffeine withdrawls. I used to drink a lot of pop, and now I'm not drinking any. I stopped cold turkey. I don't really miss it, since I am drinking crystal light. But these headaches have got to go. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks, Pars

It looks like from all the threads I have read, most people are overwhelmingly in favor of being banded. Obviously there are those that didn't like it or failed or even worse, had complications. Before you make the decision to get banded, you must realize, it is only a TOOL. If you aren't prepared for a lifestyle change, then it won't work for you. The pre-op and post-op diets are very tough, but hey, they should be!!!! Getting healthy and happy, and looking great shouldn't be easy after we put ourselves in this position. I am obese, because of the poor choices I have made. I didn't help myself with my diet or lack of exercise. I failed at a lot of diets in the past, just like everybody else, but by then my habits were very poor! Hopefully this helps! Pars

To all of the A-25 Bandmates! Then there were 6 days left! We are almost there. Keep up the good work team. Next Tuesday is the 1st day of the rest of our lives. We will be healthier and happier than we will know what to do with. I myself am excited over the prospect of being healthy. My biggest issues right now are high blood pressure and sleep apnea. However, with my current weight at 279 (down 6 lbs), I would not be lucky enough to stay that way. My family history shows heart surgeries and diabetes in my furture. I can't take that chance. I NEED to be healtier! If not for me, then for my wife and kids! Good luck to all of us! Pars

Abby, It sounds like you are doing great! Thats awesome. Keep up the good work! I read your blog, nice job. You have a talent for that. I don't know if I could do a blog or not. I will continue reading, so keep us informed. Thanks, Par

Froggie, Thanks for asking! I am feeling a lot better. I get some small headaches, but for the most part they are gone. Boy am I happy too, they were pretty bad! Now I'm just concentrating on my diet! Pars :sad:

Congrats on the good news. You will be ready, and you'll be fine. This Friday is the first day of the new you!! Pars :sad:

Thanks Froggie!! I appreciate that, its good to have support. Its just a matter of time, and you will be finding out when you will be banded. Stay the road, in the long run, you will be better off, with the work you are doing now!! Pars :sad:

Abby, How was your surgery? I haven't heard from you and wondered how you were doing. Hopefully everything is going good. Were you happy with the hospital and staff? How was your surgeon? My surgery is in 7 days and I'm getting more excited by the day. Since we are both going through the same people, I just wondered what you thought 1 week out. Thanks, Pars

Woo Hoo for all of us! It looks like next week, will be a turning point in all of our lives. I am really looking forward to getting banded. The pre-op diet is getting easier. I am now getting prepared for the liquid diet, I need to have ready for post-op. I hope to keep this thred going as our journey continues! Pars

Thanks guys for the replies..... Froggie D, I think you were right, I may have been suffering from 2 withdrawls. I gave up both the caffeine and carbs at the same time. When I gave up the pop, I actually gave up caffeine, and then by eating a more sensible meal, I gave up most of the carbs I was eating. I still have a minor headache, but the REALLY bad ones are gone. Maybe I have turned the corner and on my way to a healthier lifestyle! I get banded on August 25th. Pars

Hey August Bandmates! My date is August 25th, at 1PM, in Detroit Michigan. I will be at Harper Hospital, and Dr. Laker is my surgeon. I am currently on my pre-op diet. 2 protein shakesand then a "sensible" meal for dinner. If I knew what sensible was, I probably wouldn't need the band! lol Oh well, I wanted to say hi! Pars :drool:

Very interesting, I never would have thought of that. thanks Restless! My surgery is August 25th and now I know to ask that. Pars

Ruth, the 25th will be a great day for us. Good luck to you! Moms, the 26th is your big day, and good luck to you also! My doctor wanted me to lose about 10 pounds before the surgery, to help avoid the fatty liver. If the liver is too fat, then they have a hard time working around it. So just to make sure he has enough room in there, he needs a little help from me. Its the least I could do. Although I'm not having much fun with this part. lol Pars

***Update*** I met with Dr. Laker and he is very friendly. He spent a lot of time with my wife and I. He answered all of my questions, the good the bad, and the ugly. I am no longer nervous, and now very excited. I will be banded on August 25th. I am looking forward to like with the band. Great Lakes was very thorough, and really takes the time needed to make you comfortable with the proces. Pars

Congrats to all of you, it sounds like you are doing very good. I'm in Michigan and I will get banded on August 25th. I am really looking forward to it. I met with the doctor yesterday. I was abit nervous, now I'm excited. Keep up the good work! Pars

Hi, I went for my consultation today and was pleasantly surprised. Dr. Scott Laker (Great Lakes Weight Loss Clinic) was very friendly, and really took the time to answer all of my questions. He mentioned that he believes everybody should go to the seminar and get as much information as possible. I will try to attend the seminar next Tuesday, which is also the day I start my pre-op diet. I will be banded on August 25th, by Dr. Laker at 1 PM. I am very comfortable with the process now. The people at Great Lakes, really took the time to go through everything with me. Where I was very nervous before, I am really excited now. They helped put me at ease. They answered all of my questions from, what I need to do before surgery, to the surgery itself, and then what to expect after being banded. Dr. Laker also answerd all of my complication questions. I couldn't be happier. I saw some information on the lap band about 17 months ago, and thought to myself, that this is the tool I need to finally be free of the pain and suffering from being MO. I didn't really think about it seriously again until about 3 months ago. Thats when my wife told me about an add she saw online for Great Lakes and their $10,700, special they were doing for self pays! I actually planned on seeing Dr. Weiner, but didn't specify when I called a couple weeks ago, and they set me up with Dr. Laker. I look forward to being on this site, with my "bandmates". If you have any questions please ask, I hope to keep this thread going! Thanks, Pars :ohmy:

Abby, Congrats on your decision to get the surgery. Dr. Webber is one of the doctors I am looking at too. My cosultation is August 5th, at Great Lakes. I look forward to meeting the doctors. Are you self pay? I see that you are coming from Wisconsin. Good luck! :crying:

Thanks LibbyJane, it sounds like you are doing really well. I have heard a lot of good things about Harper Hospital. Where is Dr. Gazayerli out of? Have you had any problems with your fills? At your office who does the fills? Is it the Dr.? One of my real worries is having a complication with a fill, like a puncture to the tube of band itself. Thanks :juggle: