marjon9

It seems to me that the best answer is to discuss this with your surgeon, just like you did here. It sounds like it will all work out since you've done all the studies. I think the best bet is just to pass along all the facts to the surgeon.

My surgeon's price is $9950 for self payers. He's in Denver. A fair number of people in this forum have used him now and everyone seems to like him. His web site is in my signature if anyone's interested.

I've heard some people say that doctors fear that the gum will get stuck if you swallow it. This actually could be a big problem. But I've also seen quite a few bandsters say they still do it, and with the approval of their doctors. So, as usual, there are a lot of different answers to this issue.

As ousooner said, it's a matter of balancing the risks. At my age of 53 this surgery was my last chance. My health was tumbling so fast I was just about too late. All my life I was a healthy, strong guy. I was given a gift of great health and vigor. I threw it away by becoming morbidly obese. I'm determined now to turn things around to the extent I am still able. The bottom line is, early death is virtually certain with obesity. In contrast, there is only a small chance of death with the surgery. When these two risks are put on the balance scale and measured realistically, the answer is obvious and there is really no decision to make. This is not to say that your fears are "wrong" or unjustified. Everyone has them. I certainly did. But in resolving them it's really just a matter of coming to terms with the sobering realities of obesity.

You should be aware that not everyone recovers as quickly as the lucky bandsters who responded to your question. There is no way on earth I could have returned to work in 3 days. I'm over two weeks post-op now and still have some significant issues. I would be careful about making major work commitments too quickly if you can avoid it.

I've gained a significant amount of weight each year for the last 5 years. Like at least 20 pounds. So, if I lose 40 pounds my first year with the band, I really have to understand that I'm actually 60 pounds less with the band than I would have been otherwise. That is something to keep in mind when considering success with the band.

How great to be starting so young. It's likely you have not done permanent damage yet from the obesity. That's really great. About 3 months ago I was a person who (a) hadn't talked to a doctor, ( hadn't checked to see if my health insurance would cover surgery, © had not talked to anyone about their opinions. Now, three months later, I sit here as a person who has been banded already for 2 weeks. My point is, it can happen fast. Like most of us you have discovered that walking a little bit more and taking some diet pills does not do much. And even when it does, it is rarely permanent. People who have major obesity usually need something more like life- changing intervention. Most of us here think the lap band is the best option in that category. Read this forum, ask questions. Pretty soon you'll have a handle on what this is all about. Welcome to the forum.

I would do that if I were you. It sounds like the insurance in your case is turning into a burden rather than a help. And just for your info, my surgeon charges $9950 which is not much more than Mexico. He's in Denver. Good luck.

I ordered from the site and use the unjury powders. From doing a little bit of research it seems that unjury is a high quality Protein powder. As for taste, the goal with protein powders is to get the ones that don't taste horrible and add as little protein taste as possible. None of them are really that great tasting. In my experience the unjury does not taste too bad. The flavored ones like chocolate and vanilla don't add much of a bad taste. The unflavored powder does have "that protein taste" to it, but it's not too bad. I know this report is not exactly glowing, but actually it is intended to be. I think unjury provides a Protein Powder that is high quality and does not taste too bad. I think that's about as good as it gets in protein powders. I do want to mention that unjury is a whey-based product (from milk). The other option is a soy-based product like Gen Soy. I use that one also. To my taste the soy powder tastes significantly better than the whey powder. But, I've heard that whey powders give you more digestable protein compared to soy powders. I really don't know whether that is true or not. So, I use both whey and soy in different situations. I think unjury offers samples you can order from their site. That may be a way to go to see if you like them.

I haven't read this whole thread and someone may have listed this one already. But, for me, probably my greatest peeve in all of life is that George W. Bush, the President of the United States, mind you, says "nucular" instead of "nuclear." This is absolute bamboo shoots under the fingernails for me. I am so ashamed that on the international stage our president insists on presenting himself to the world as an illiterate bumpkin. I disagree with almost everything else he does, too, but this is a democracy and people voted for him. I can accept that. But I simply cannot understand how he could shame this country the way he does with that level of public illiteracy. I hate this so much that I don't even feel better getting it off my chest. Well, OK, maybe I feel a little better.

To me that is an unusual way of posing the question. This is not a decision anyone else can make for you. If you are happy losing 18 pounds in 7 months, then you should not be concerned. If you feel you should be losing more, then you should be concerned. It's really up to you. If you are asking whether it is normal to lose so little in 7 months, the answer is probably yes. Most people do lose more than 18 pounds in 7 months. But on the other hand, you are losing almost 3 pounds a month at this rate. That is not that bad. At that rate, if it is consistent, you can lose over 100 pounds in 3 years. So, I guess the answer to your question is, it just depends.

I know that we are supposed to do things like switch to non-fat creamer and us Splenda, and all that, but speaking for myself personally I'm not going to do things like that. For me, the band is about eating much less. With respect to the little bit I will eat, I don't really feel the need to make it virtually calorie-free. I still plan to enjoy my food even with the band. I'd rather eat 1200 calories a day of really tasty food, instead of 1100 calories a day of food I don't really like. It's still about 1/3 of what I used to eat. But that's just me. I'm not prescribing for anyone else.

The surgery itself isn't just easy, the truth from the patient's point of view it does not exist. They give you the drugs, you immediately become a totally unconscious breathing meat sack, and then you wake up in the recovery room. That's it. There is often some pain and discomfort for a few days after surgery, but there is really no awareness at all of anything that happens during surgery. The Discovery Channel probably had a story about someone who was secretly conscious during quadruple bypass open heart surgery, which was done at the same time as a hip replacement and tonsilectomy. But the truth is, that just doesn't happen in the real world. I had a lot of fear before surgery also, I think most people do. But just hang on. It will all be over soon. It's a nice feeling of relief when you wake up on the Other Side.

I just want to mention that thinned creamy soups were not on my list until quite a while after surgery. That sounds like it could involve some work for the stomach to digest, which is what you want to avoid at the beginning. I would just check with your doc on that one. Congrats on banding.

You can get unjury here, order it on line. They might also list some stores where you can get it somewhere on this web site. Other on line sources like ebay also have it. http://www.unjury.com/

Your questions are complex and difficult to answer in a brief manner. The best thing you can do is spend a lot of time reading past and present posts on this forum. Many people have had the same questions you have, and these issues have been discussed a lot. As for Sharon Osborne, there is a thread discussing her thoughts on the lap band. Run a search with the term "Osborne" and you'll find it. I want to say just a couple things in response to your questions. Yes, surgery is scary. It is for everyone. And yes, you do need to have a general anesthetic. There are risks with any surgery. HOWEVER: The riks are miniscule compared to the risks of living the rest of your life at 390 pounds. The surgery itself is very safe, with very little risk of any serious complications. Most people recover well in a few days and feel completely normal in a few weeks. The risk of not having the surgery is much greater, involving a greatly shortened life span and much suffering and expense while you live out your obese life. There is simply no comparison here. And 49 is not too old by any means. Many people on this forum are over 50. I'm 53 and was banded 2 weeks ago. Give yourself a chance at life, Banrion. Be brave, have the surgery. It is nothing compared to more years of extreme obesity.

The ironic thing is that weight loss will help lower blood pressure, so I'd think they'd want you to do it. I have high blood pressure, but it is controlled with drugs. If you do have high blood pressure yours can probably be controlled also. So this may be just a temporary set back. Still a bummer though when you are all ready to go with a surgery date.

Sorry, I misread your original question. Actually, when I select text and right click, I do have a copy option, so I'm not sure what's going on with you.

There is a "quote" button in the bottom right corner of the post. Once you have quoted the post you can delete parts you don't want to quote.

Sarah, If it is true that a different sized band would solve your problem it seems to me that it is worth doing even if it causes you to "waste" your first band and pay again. In the overall scheme of things the money can't be a reason to live a life of misery and damage your health. It's easy for me to spend your money and I don't know your financial situation, but your situation sounds serious enough so that you should not let money be a reason to stay stuck. Another thing I'd like to say is that it might be worth going out and aggressively seeking additional medical opinions. It's true that the band works better for some than for others, but I don't think that this explanation is enough. I don't think you can just resign yourself to a life of misery and damage to your health on the theory that "oh, well, the band works better for some than for others." Your situation is essentially ruining your life. I think a lot more medical analysis and investigation is called for. There may very well be a solution out there for you.

It's different depending on the doctor, and it's also different depending on whether it is paid for by insurance or by your self. If insurance pays you need to jump through the hoops they set up (in the order they want). If you are self-pay you can usually skip the steps you don't want to take (but some doctors have their own hoops even if you are self-pay).

I called my surgeon. He said that I tried to go beyond liquids too soon, and I should go back to liquids for a while until the swelling goes down. (I guess that means I need to cut way back on the Cracker Jacks, at least for now.) He said he expected that the swelling would go down and that this was probably not going to be a serious thing, but that I should keep him informed. I also want to mention that he said I should get something like Pepcid or Zantac and crush that up and take the recommended dose. He said that sometimes it is stomach acid that inflames the swelling and that this type of antacid might help. Just thought I'd pass that along in case anyone else would like to try that. I will now return to my "projectile PB" target practice (which is not easy with these hiccups).

Hi folks, I'd appreciate some feedback. I'm about two weeks post op. I have started trying to eat some mushies like soft fish, cottage cheese. Things went well for a day but then the band just sort of closed up. I couldn't even drink a sip of Water. I tried to eat a little and I PB'd a couple times. It wasn't violent like actual vomiting. The slime and food just came up and I spit it out. Today I am better and I am able to drink water and other liquids. I need to sip, but it is going down and I feel OK. I'm not planning on trying mushies again for a few days. My doctor said that it is really important that I avoid vomiting for the first 30 days after surgery. I'm sure many of us have had the same advice. So my question is, when the doctor says "vomiting," do you think the doctor includes "PBing"? Should I be worried that the PB experience I had is potentially serious since it is just two weeks post-surgery? I know I should call the doctor, and I will, but my doctor is not local so I can't really go in for a check up. I suppose I could try to find a local doctor, but do you think this is necessary based on what I described? I am feeling better today, and able to drink again. Thanks for any information.

Thanks for the comments Wheetsin. "Not local" means 2000 miles in my case, so I would have to find a local doctor. But I can call my surgeon, and I will. It's my understanding that I had no fill at surgery time, so I don't think there is anything to unfill.

Thanks everyone for your responses. That gives me some good information. One thing I can say is that I am not sad at all to go back to liquids right now. That feels like just what I need. At the moment I don't miss all the things I used to love to eat. That may change, but it is interesting to feel that way even for a few weeks.