misltoe

Aaahhhh! I caved! I ate whold food a week after surgery! Not to sound melodramatic...but I feel like a failure. I am so frustrated with my choices. I finally have a good chance to loose weight and I feel I am that I am sabotaging it. Anyone else cave in to the call of "real" food during your post op eating schedule? I had lots of restriction until a week after surgery. Then it went away over a couple days. Now I have very little. Do you think the swelling went down, or did I cause the band to slip? Do you think I hurt my band...cause my stomach to stretch? 11 days since surgery...3 days until mushies...

I have an appointment for banding on december 14. This is the second appointment that I have made. The first was in June of this year...but I cancelled it. My parents came unglued to say the least...so worried about me...they know I can do it if I really try, etc. My husband does not support me in doing this either. To make a very long story short...if this operation was covered by my insurance, I think he would be more positive. I agree $17,000 is a lot of 4, but it is my health that is at stake. We are doing the Dave Ramsey thing and are following the guidelines pretty well..lots of progress. But having to take out a loan to cover "elective" surgery costs definitly goes against what he teaches. my husband reminds me of this regularly. But this surgery is like the light at the end of a very long dark tunnel. I have tried to eat right/diet since 3rd grade...that's over 25 years...no permanent success so far. I feel that after all this time...it is safe to say that what I have been doing is not working. I need to change strategies...and the band seems like it will help me succeed. So...basically...I am getting it from all angles...guilt...guilt...guilt...i would write "guilt" a few more times...but I think I would run out of room. Anyone else have a similar situation? I feel like I have no support. I have never had to do anything without family support..It is really hard. Any advice???

Thank you for all of your advice and support. My husband has accepted that I am going to get the surgery. When I went to the initial informational seminal, the speaker (who lost about 100lbs with the band) said he was scared of two things about being banded...dying during the procedure and failing at loosing weight again. I am letting myself get a little excited...but I am also pretty scared that this will be another attempt at loosing weight. I have read all the facts and know that if I follow the rules/use the band, I will lose weight. But I still have that nagging fear...that this is too good to be true. Did any of you feel that way before you were banded??? Melissa

Good advice about checking out more expensive Dr.'s too...I found a Dr. in my city that would do the surgery for $4,000 less that the surgeon I decided to go to. However, fills are much more expensive, he only gives one fill for free after surgery, basically...LOTS of hidden costs. The surgeon I am going to costs more, is about 4 hours away, but has an awesome track record. He also gives you a year of free fills. The best part is he has his own surgery center...so any complications..slipped band, leaks, etc...he fixes for free. I will have to pay for anasthetic...but that is all. That is a very comforting feeling since I am self pay...defnitely worth the extra $4,000.

Thank you for your support. It means a lot. Interesting about the insurance board...what insurance?...was band surgery an exclusion on your policy or were they making you jump through too many hoops in hopes you would give up?