NurseShay

Absolutely would do it again! The first few days are difficult but bearable. Yes you're uncomfortable- the pressure from swellling & gas pain. If you have hernia repair which it seems about half of us on here have, the discomfort is more. But its a surgery- its inevitable to be uncomfortable. Are you in agony and brought to tears by it? Far from it. At least for me. I took liquid loritab (yes ofcourse all ur meds should either be liquid or you need to buy a pill crusher ($4 at walmart!). A crushed pill can be put over a tablespoon of something flavorful to avoid the taste. (Protein shake or juice) That's this nurses trick! =) For me cutting out rice & bread during pre op dieting helped curb the withdrawls during post op diet. I always loved carbs but I haven't had it for so long it doesn't bother me. Same goes for soda! Be prepared at home pre op. Have your supply of broths, Protein drinks, crystal light, v8splash light (good way to get your veggie/fruits in!), gasX strips, heat pad, and the help of a friend or family member that you're comfortable with & can depend on. You will need help the first 24hrs- you will be out of it immediately post op til the anesethesia wears off. You may even need help getting on/off the toilet. (Bending hurts!!) You should know you will be passing a lot of gas due to the co2 used during surgery... so if you're like me & don't like tooting in front of the bf- warn him!!haha =) If you live with ppl make sure they understand the process- it will help them be more supportive. I emptied my kitchen of temptation before the pre op diet- chocolate syrup, Cookies & all fatty condiments. My bf now eats light or fat free everything bc its all we have & its really not that different. You can't eat what isn't there. I recommend having a special day to weigh in and otherwise keep your scale put away. With the swelling & gas the first weeks your wt will fluctuate & it may throw you off your game if you don't necessarily see results daily. Keep in mind it takes 2-3 days to lose a single pound depending on your basal metabolic rate. (A deficit of 3500calories is equivilant to 1lb loss). Beware of bandster hell! You may take a while to find your sweet spot of restriction. I personally felt restriction from day 1 but from what I've read that's not common. Be prepared to use self control & will power for a while. Don't expect immediate rapid weight loss. People that expect to lose a lot immediately tend to have post op regret/depression. And for many of us depression leads to comfort eating. Excercise!! Lack of calories slows the metabolism so keep your body moving to keep it up & you can keep losing! Remember the band is a tool you have to do your part. Make smart food choices, do NOT drink with meals & do not eat or drink a lot of empty calories. And finally find & keep a support group! Accountability is essential for me. I tell certain people my losses & my slip ups. And if I slip I forgive myself & make a plan how not to do it again. Don't be too hard on yourself this is a learning process. Other bandsters will know exactly wat ur goin through & how you feel. The best ppl to advise you are those who have been there. Stay positive & inspired. You can do this!

I was 380lbs and went a good 2yrs avoiding scales & yoyo dieting I may have hit 400 once or twice. Honestly at my size I don't even notice a 20lbs loss or gain! But I was banded 2 weeks ago at 360lbs. I loss 20lbs pre op dieting & have loss 5lbs a week so far post op consistantly (10lbs in 2wks post op). I have some restriction from the empty band alone, although I know that's not common but is possible. Just going through thjs process has been so much more motivating than dieting alone. I have never felt so confident that my lifestyle change was permanent. I think for us larger bandsters the band has faster results early on because we are suddenly eating so little. (And feeling full so we're not cheating!) The bigger we are the higher our BMR (basal metabolic rate) so we require more caloric intake to maintain our size or gain even just laying in bed all day. So when you're eating 800-1200 calories a day and you technically need say 3000cal you're bound to lose weight. A defecit of 3500calories is equivilant of 1lb loss. Combine that with healthy food choices & excercise and you're going to lose. If you're mentally prepared to follow the program (ie: not eat around the band) success is inevitable! 400lbs doesn't scare the band! =) you can totally do this! Stay positive & inspired!

Congrats on your date! Best of luck! I liked the protein shots from walmart 26g protein in 3oz shot. I also drink slim fast ultra & atkins shakes. Chocolate & strawberry were good. Once you're on mushies cottage cheese is a good source of protein!

Not to be the party pooper but I just want to advise you to Research the doctor you choose!! As with any surgeon in any country do not let one persons experience or opinion be the deciding factor. Understand that in a foriegn country there are diff regulations- many less strict than the US & in the case of complications you have no legal recourse. None! Before you go find a fill doctor who will be willing to do your follow up. Most doctors in the US will not & legally do not have to touch a foreign placed lap band system. It holds a lot of liability for them bc as you said there is a stigma about healthcare practices there that statistically do hold true for many patients. The band is useless if you can't get fills or if you have complications & no US doctor will take a chance on you. Do your research on the doctor the facility & patient outcomes & ensure that your insurance will cover complications should they arise- if not your remainder of 7k won't help much in the states. Due diligence is key! I've spoke to people with great results & horrible almost fatal results visiting mexico & columbia so do your homework! There's grreat doctors in other countries but sometimes you truly get what you pay for. Your health is not the best place to shop for a great price vs great quality of care. There's a good thread here someone started about people being paid to advertise certain doc's in mexico- check their profile if they only have a couple posts on the forum & all of them name drop more than seem genuine be wary! Best of luck!

Hello all... I am so overwhelmed with emotions! I'm excited, nervous, scared, anxious, relieved... just everything! This process is going pretty quick for me and I'm trying to mentally prepare myself by now getting advice & opinions since I've already read all the statistics & facts now id like to hear from actual people who are about to be banded or have already been banded. I have been researching for over a year and switched from the idea of the realize to the lap band a few months ago. Gastric bypass was totally out of the question for me personally. I literally went to a seminar/consultation weds the 31st, I'm self pay & have a BMI of 51-53 (depending which calculator you use) so I was an automatic approved candidate and therefore am having all my pre-op done this coming weds (4/7) and my tentative surgery date is weds (4/14). EXTREMELY fast! Within a 2 week time span I went from wanting to be banded to scheduled to be banded. My surgeon uses only 1 week of pre-op liquid dieting but I've decided because my bmi is so high to start a little sooner. That's mentally quite a challenge for me but again I'm self pay so I'm very commited to doing this right and not wasting my $! Is there anything else I should be doing to prepare? Any advice any of you veterans can give that you didn't know until it was too late? I've read a lot about the slippages & esophageal erosions and I'm wondering if this is dominately something avoidable by the patient (strict dieting/portion control) or is it just a common occurance of the band itself?? And truly do you actually feel full with the band or are you better off just disciplining yourself without the band? The fail stories are a bit nerve racking but this is still a tool I really think will help me. Anyone else who's newly banded or will be banded in april/2010 id love to connect with you so I can have someone to go through this process with! Thanks. ~Shay Yim:soserious02

Well it was a purely personal choice I don't knock anyone for getting the realize band I read up on them both & spoke to my surgery centers medical director about the differences between the 2 and this is the info I got that helped form my decision: the lap band system (allargen) was fda approved in the US first (2001 vs 2007) & has since underwent 3 series changes. Their original was like the realize band with one single balloon that is inflated- so therefore the realize band is still using the original construction of band that Allargen has since improved on. The lap band has 7 baffles (mini resevoirs) that are soft & pre curved. The lap band has a patent on this design and that's why realize can not use it. Maybe the place you go to has a seminar & can show you both bands inflated like mine did, you can see that the lap band forms a circle of even pressure bc of the baffles as oppose to the realize band which formed a triangle & had 3 pressure points. Erosion is one of the main complications of both bands that can not be prevented by the patient so in my mind it was best to go with the one that had less risk ie: no pressure points & soft curving. Also bc of the triangle shape the realize band was more likely to have food get stuck in the creases & I was also concerned about slippages from constant vomiting brought on by stuck food. Further more the realize band is a one size fits all system where as the lap band has 2 sizes: standard & large with gives the surgeon the option once inside to see which model the individual needs. Being overweight & a nurse I'm a firm believer that one size never fits all!! =) I read a thread on here of a woman who was fitted with a standard band when she should've had a large one & had to have revision surgery after having complications. This was with the lap band system & clearly was a mistake on the surgeons behalf but if she were using a realize band standard would've been her only option despite her larger than 'standard' anatomy. Also speaking on ports... the lap band has 2 ports available standard & low profile- low profile to be used after massive weight loss when there's less belly fat to hide the port under. Realize band only has low profile & if you're grossly obese this can be hard for different fill doc's to locate in just one stick & frankly I don't like needles enough to be playing the guessing game! I also like that the lap band is either stitched in or mesh is used that once healed over holds it in place vs realize's 'self clamping system'. Port flips are the other complication that lies strictly on the equipment & not the pt so again I opted for what I felt was a better overall design. This info is displayed on both systems websites & that's pretty much what I used to direct my decision. But everyone is different & you can draw your own conclusions. Either way best of luck on your WL journey. Hope it helps!

How's everyone doing with their post op diets??

Mrs boomer, I'm about 2wks post op & have obviously had no fill. I get the stuck ache in my chest that just about makes me want to vomit whenever I eat thicker foods & no position or liquid flushing helps. I just have to sit & wait for it to pass. I feel full & nauseous for at least 2-3hrs and usually feel full with no physical appetite for like 8-10hrs. I am still sticking to mushies & although my doc says I can eat soft foods like tuna I can only eat a few bites before I feel sickenly full. It helped me also to use a toddler spoon to slow down the amount I put in my mouth. Everydays a learning process though! For some people though my doc told me just having the band in place provides some restriction without any fills. But like I was told this can help keep you out of 'bandster hell' waiting months to feel any restriction & relying on will power to stop eating!

Hi Amy! There's actually a thread in the specific age group 'banders in their 20's' can be found. I'm 25 & was banded 10days ago. I too have been overweight (obese) for well over 10-15yrs soo pretty much my lifetime! I don't have children either yet. But with the band the key is that its reversible & adjustable unlike gastric bypass for instance. When/if you became pregnant they would simply adjust your band and empty the saline from it and you'd be able to eat normally with no problem. The band does not have to be removed unless for some reason it causes a problem such as it slipped, eroded or was leaking. These complications are the exceptions not the rule. Even if/when you reach your ideal weight & don't desire to lose any more you leave the band in place you can have flluid taken out again to lose some of the restriction but feel confident that you still won't be subject to overeating & thus regain your weight. The band is definitely not a quick fix & still requires a lifestyle change to better eating habits & increase in activity level to see the results you'd desire. I think its best for someone our age because it doesn't tamper with the anatomy of our digestive system so it won't pose as many complications nor will it hender our future of reproduction. It really requires & helps change your relationship with food- for me so far its enabled me to see the difference in my head hunger & actual hunger. Its also showed me my distortion with portions I never in my life thought a cup of soft food (cottage cheese or refried beans) would be too filling! Understanding the disease helps you stick to a plan & me always psyching myself out before that ' id never get full off so little food at jenny craig or in a lean cuisene meal' was part of why they never worked for me. Now I realize I truly do recognize that I eat when I'm not even hungry. The band helped me see that. At our age its the perfect time to re-train our bodies & mindset related to food & health for that long life we have ahead of us! =) And the other reason its good for our age group is that if for whatever reason it didn't work for you, you'd always be able to take it off & choose a diff wls option. Everyone is different & in my opinion this option requires still a lot of self control & will power and if you read through the forum you'll see the results really vary. But I started simply by changing the kinds of foods I ate before I started preop diet- I lost 15lbs, in my 1 week pre op liquid diet I lost 5 more lbs and in one week post op I've lost 5 more lbs. I hope to continue the pattern. I may not... it may go slower eventually or I may hit a plateau or get lazy about excercising. But for once in my life even if I don't lose as much as I want... for once I know that the pounds I do lose will not come back as long as I have this tool inside me curbing my appetite. A lot of the older banders (no offense) speak of gaining most of their excess weight after having kids & a time they remember not being fat, the things they did & wore. In our case we've never experienced that! I only dream about being average size because I really don't remember a time that I was. So why wait until middle age to start living?! You deserve those same experiences, confidence & happiness that most people in their 20s get. That's what makes it worthwhile for me at 25! Best of luck! ~Shay

Welcome to the forum! I'm in san diego, ca so very very southern cali! =) Now that you're done with all the hoops & hurdles the process will go fast so congrats! The pre op & couple wks of post op dieting can be difficult & yes you may still be giving a lot of the carbs you like (flour bread, rice & such) but its still a worthwhile experience. To have lost so much weight on atkins you're sure to do well with your band! Best of luck!

Surely there's other proof of weight loss attempts you could give your insurance. The only things you should really list are the things you have documentation of anyways. Diet journals, weight loss trackers such as with WW or jenny craig, gym receipts or membership info? Was the trainer through a particular gym or company you could always contact them for at least payment proof & write a letter about not being able to contact that specific trainer. They're not doctors they don't typically leave forwarding addresses for past customers the insurance should know that & work with you to provide some other forms of WL attempt prrof. Best of luck!

I had the same experience 2 days ago. I had no idea that thin liquids would have that effect! That's the one topic I hadn't seen discussed here before I was banded. Personally I was unable to find anything that gave relief except for sitting upright in a comfy position until it passed & def not so much as even taking a sip of water for 8hrs. I felt better within 2hrs but any little sip put me right back on full! Definitely is a learning process!

I ordered one the week before I was banded! And let me tell you when I did my ER internships ppl with a med ID were easier to treat. The paramedic would've already phoned in the info on the way so if there were allergies to meds or special considerations the floor was prepared before you ever arrived & in life or death situations that extra 20mins we spend looking thru your wallet & your phone calling your family for your medical Hx can be detrimental to your health! Lots of people carry epi pens in their purses but you know when youre in anaphylatic shock its pretty impossible to tell anybody! =/ Something really simple can save your life so why not?!

I doubt my insurance will cover any of it even with the repair although the medical director did say you could always do an appeal after for some reimbursment at least for the anesethesiologist but even then its not guaranteed (or likely!) because with hiatal hernias they don't 'have to' be repaired like for instance, a strangulated hernia would. My Surgeon did not pad the bill at all any extra for the hernia repair or even the extra 2 hours it took. I had that same thought when I woke up at 1pm when I originally should have been home already at 12! They do it sort of as a choice if they see something wrong while in there they'll address it (if anything ever happened later & they neglected to fix it or at least tell you they could be held liable.) So he did tell me a few mins before going in then if he saw a 'hiatal' and he did emphasis hiatal hernia he would repair it no problem. You know I hardly remember the pre op diet now, it will pass! The post op diet is equally if not less gratifying in the frst few days post op, but you don't feel nearly as hungry & the oddest foods never tasted so good!!! I had cream of potato soup from Vons' deli today and OMG I might as well have been eating a thanksgiving feast! I already feel like my taste & desire for food has changed. Its easier to say than to do but try not to stress yourself. The day will creep up faster than you think baptist & bella. Good luck to you both!

Mine was a 2 week process! Just be mentally & emotionally prepared! It was overwhelming for me 2 days post op. Still wouldn't change a thing- cept maybe one last pasta meal.lol

Hello... I'm 25 also & started at 380 and last I checked was down to 360. Sorry to hear that you're struggling with your band but on the bright side you're still very early in the game I wouldn't be so hard on yourself. 30lbs is an awesome weight loss for 4 or 5wks! Its not uncommon to have mini stalls in wt loss this is all so new to your body. I'm very recently banded (4/14) but I have a lot of issues with food & I know it will be a day by day process to change my relationship with food. I'm busy & I've never been an excercise addict also so I can see this being a difficult journey without support so maybe we can encourage each other along the way. Sometimes accountability & encouragement from someone who knows how you're feeling goes a long way. Feel free to pm me. =) best wishes! ~Shay

Crzytchr, I was starting to think just what you're saying. The more post op reports I read from people the more I realize it might be a sort of good thing I feel so restricted by the swelling. I mean I feel "full!" Not nauseous thankfully I have had no vomiting or PBing, but if I drink more than a 1/4 cup of anything (esp.quick) I have a dull pain in my chest like a bolus is "stuck". Im having trouble with my calories though, I was so weak earlier I couldnt open my own water bottle. I thinned out some ensure with milk (350cal) to try & increase my caloric intake since Ive been counting Im less than 400calories per day for the last 3 days. =/ But only got down about 1/4 before I felt the ache. My doc wanted me between 800-1200cal. Thats so impossible! I dont think Ill hit 800 for another week. I already feel like Im force feeding myself for the sake of hydration & protein. The gas pain in my shoulders is really starting to dissipate and Im so thankful for that. Im hoping my body doesnt go into the "starvation" mode and hold on to my fat right now! I have no scale by design so I hope this temporary restriction I feel kick starts my weight loss. I have a lot to lose so I think the first 50lbs will fall off faster than the rest! 2 fills and you've lost so much...wow! I hope mine works out that way. Did you change your lifestyle dramatically or is the band helping that much??

My surgeon gave me the awful loophole of if I was to get hungry while following the protein shake pre op diet then I could eat something 'healthy' & low carb/calories/fat. Giving the addict the 'choice' is not the best idea but will power prevailed & although I wasn't always on liquids I did eat very healthy - 1 slim fast bar & on certain days a chickn salad, or some veggies. A lot of doctors have their pt's still eating healthy planned food not jus liquids so I don't think its the fact that you're eating solids so much as what exactly you're eating. Either way I lost 10lbs pre op, not bad.

I understand how you feel I'm 2 days post op & this is so surreal. My life is so different I keep looking at the mirror looking for visible change! I feel so incredibly full all the time. A sip of anything feels like I just had 2 or 3 sitting at a las vegas buffet! I can't believe how little I eat & my lack of appetite. I'm sure this will wear of when the swelling goes down though. I find encouragement looking at all the success stories online (youtube vlogs are interesting too!) & planning how I'm going to make this band work for me. Its a process though take your time!

Queen I'm glad to hear your surgery went well. Sorry your having the shoulder pains. =/ Heat pad, walking & gas x helped me with that. A good massage helps too! =) You must have very little swelling to feel physically hungry already. Lucky! Mushies in 5 days?? Gosh I've got 2 wks of liquids & then 4 wks of mushies unless my surgeon changes it at my follow up next week. Although I'm so swollen right now food is the absolute last thing on my mind. But remember you're still healing so sip slowly. I've actually gotten the stuck feeling already just drinking cold thin liquids too quickly so give yourself time. I had to have my bf & guests eat in other rooms I don't want to be tempted by anything. Makes me a lil jealous too!haha Todays been a rougher day for me feeling a little sore & uncomfortable but bearable. But again congrats on your successful surgery, happy B-day! Hopefully the worst is over for us all! =)

So the good stuff is running really low I thought I could skip a dose last night while I slept woke up 3hrs later (7hrs since last dose) in awesome amount of pain. I don't really want to call for a new order of lortab since I plan to be back at work monday. I also had a large hernia repair besides being banded weds. So I'm wondering which kind of liquid pain meds are you all taking over the counter? Ibuprofen or acetaminophen?? I thought ibuprofen would be better since it will address the inflammation but wondered which of the 2 OTC's you all have had success with relieving the discomfort?

Thanks! My surgeon just called me back & said they actually made a mistake on my Rx! (Both on my discharge instructions & the rx bottle) No wonder I was feeling soo good I've been takin 2x the dose he says he ordered so I've gone through the bottle quicker than I was suppose to. So once I'm out he says he'll order more. But he agreed no NSAIDs post op!

I am 2 days post op now- almost! I was banded weds the 14th my surgeon found an unforeseen large hernia with some obstruction & thus a lot of reflux & had some blood pressure issues during surgery so my procedure was unusually long- a little over 3 hrs. So my recovery time was a bit longer than a lot of what I read on here from people. But I have felt much better since the day of surgery & have not suffered much of the gas pain people describe. I am definitely less energized but pain pills & lack of calories can do that! I don't have much pain outside of the pressure from the swelling. Getting up & down is a little painful especially without arm rests on the chairs. So I think judging from the responses here the post op can be really different depending on the person. But I'm sure like most moms you can be up for anything when its for your kid. =) Just make sure you have someone to drive you I don't think many people can get thru day 1 post op moving around that much without a pain pill. Best wishes!

Good luck! I was banded on the 14th and I already feel much better! Im sure yours will go smoothly. Congrats on the start of your journey!