conniesueb

My total surgery cost was about $14,000. $4,000 to the doctor himself, $1,000 for Anesthesia, and $7,800 for The facility charge(same-day, at a surgery center, not a hospital.) The psych eval was another $200, plus $150 just for her to send the report to my doctor. I think the nutritionist visit was included. I had to pay up front, and am now waiting for my insurance to re-imburse me (they sent a letter before surgery saying that it was approved, and I was told it should be paid at 90%) I hope that is really what happens because I borrowed the money from my mom!

I have never chewed my food that many times, and I have never had a problem--no PB'ing, no throwing up, nothing getting stuck--but maybe I am just one of the lucky ones! Better to be safe than sorry I guess until you know how you will handle it!

Hey guys--you will be so happy you decided to do this. I am 6 weeks post op and it has been the best decision I have ever made. And yes, I did experience some negativity from some people, too, but you just have to ignore them and concentrate on what you are doing, and why you are doing it. Some people think that this surgery is the "easy" way out--let me tell you, there is nothing easy about having this surgery! But, the pain I experienced in the beginning was well worth it, and it has been pretty easy since then. The band sets you up to succeed, as long as you respect the band. Sure, there are ways to "eat around the band", but why would you want to invest that much time and money on something only to have it fail. Just remember, the band is a tool--not a magic cure. You still have to make good choices, and exercising is really a plus! Take it from someone who NEVER exercised before --and now I love it. And it is really helping with my weight loss. Good luck to both of you, and remember, the people on these boards are so helpful, and knowledgeable, they can help you with anything!

Well, for me it was about 22 pounds. I don't know if that is "average" or not, but I was thrilled with that amount!

My question is--can you really lose weight, even with the band, if you are not "dieting" to some extent? I mean, if you get banded, but continue to eat the same kinds of foods that made you fat in the first place, how much weight are you actually going to lose? I may have the occasionally treat now and then, but I have chosen to change my eating habits dramatically, and fill what small amount of space I have in my new stomach with healthy foods, not junk. I think that is the only way to maximize the success of the band--along with regular exercise, of course. But hey, that's just my opinion.

By 2 weeks post op, I was eating solid foods. I just had to be careful to chew really well, and take very small bites. My doctor is far less restrictive than most about what you can and can't eat after surgery--after about 5 days of liquids, then another 5 of mushies, he says to go ahead and try things. I know some people are afraid to try anything solid too soon, for fear of stretching their band, but I don't think that happened to me. I have had a good steady weight loss, and I am going for my first fill on Monday, but have not been starving or anything. I think if I had stretched my band, I would be a lot hungrier than I am now. I seriously don't think a scrambled egg or two is going to hurt you.

I had my surgery on Nov. 30, and am going in for my first fill on Monday. I have lost 27 pounds since my surgery. I am starting to get hungrier, and can definately eat more than I could in the beginning, so I hope this fill helps. I have definately not been starving though--just the occasional bouts of hunger, but usually a small Lean Cuisine meal will satisfy me, so it's not too bad. I will let you know how I feel after my fill on Monday though!

Katie--don't feel bad--I had to ask the same thing when I first joined these boards. The other one I didn't know was NSV--which I found out means Non-scale victory. By the way, PBing is also called sliming sometimes--nasty huh? Thank goodness I haven't had any actually experience with that!

I agree that you need to stop when you feel content. I have had similar experiences with food like that, and I think what happens is this: we've always been told that it takes 20 minutes for our stomach to signal our brain that we are full, right? Well, which stomach are they talking about now? The little one or the big one? If it takes 20 mintutes for our big stomach to signal our brain, but it takes 3-4 hours for the food to pass from the little one to the big one--what does that mean? Does it take 4 hours for our big stomach to let our brains know we are full? Okay, now my brain hurts from thinking about all that:p . All I know is that there have been many days when I have felt hungry and full at the same time, and I have tried to just ride it out. I'm sure after we have been banded a while longer, we will figure this out!

I have been on Metformin(generic) for Diabetes for about a year, and never had any of the side effects, but I didn't lose any weight either! Of course, I only take 500 mgm a day, while most people take 1000. Luckily, my diabetes has never been too out of control, and i am hoping that I will be able to go off of it completely after a few more months!

The girl I work with and I always used to fight over the thermostat--I was always hot, and she was always cold(she weighs about 95 lbs). I have lost about 35 pounds, and now I am cold right along with her! I thought maybe I was imagining it, but I guess not! Het Brenda B--my husband is from Montana--near Kalispell--it is my absolute favorite place to go in the summer, but I don't know if I could survive the winters! We are having an unusually cold, snowy winter here in Colorado, though, and I have been freezing!!

Well, for me it is the fear of not losing like I should with the band if I don't add exercise. I have always used the excuse that my arthritis kept me from exercising.. And, believe me, it is painful, but in the long run, I know it will be worth it. You know that old catch 22--I need to exercise to help me lose weight so that my joints will feel better, but it really hurts when I exercise! And it still does, but I have just learned to block it out I guess. I do water aerobics, which is awsome for people with arthritis, and I joined LAdie's Workout Express, which is like Curves--women only, and a 30 minute circuit that is actually fun and not too hard on the joints. And we all know that if we are exercising, we can have a little treat now and then and not have to pay for it so much.

I ran into an old friend(male) that I had grown up with, and we were talking, and he said"I didn't know you were pregnant again!" And I said "i'm not". And he says "no, seriously, when are you due?" and I keep saying I'm not pregnant, and he's just not believing me! I think he finally figured out, that I was telling the truth, and getting very irrititated!!

Well, my doctor suggests a week off, but I had my surgery on a Thursday, and was back to work the next Monday. I was still pretty sore, but I did not have a choice. I was okay as long as I was sitting, but getting up and down from my desk was what bothered me. But I think it helped in the long run--I think being as active as possible as soon as possible helps--especially with the gas pains!

That's awesome OfferRocker! I joined Ladie's Workout Express a couple weeks ago, and this week I actually made it there 3 times! Part of it was the weather's fault though--they were closed for about 3 days because of the storm and then the holidays, but this was a good exercise week for me. And I have not been a fan of exercise because I have severe arthritis in my knees and ankles, and a herniated disc in my lower back, but I just decided that I have to work through the pain. It actually fells good(mentally) when I do exercise, and I have pain meds for the physical pain! I tried their eliptical there, but could only do a couple minutes! But today, I did the 30 minute circuit, and then walked for 10 minutes on the treadmill, so it was a good day for me!

Hey OfferRocker--I am so sick of the snow! I am in Pueblo, and we have gotten more snow in the last 2 weeks than we usually get for the whole winter! I get my first fill a week from tomorrow and am really looking forward to it too! I'm definately getting hungrier in between meals, and can eat more than before too. I guess we just have to hang in there don't we? I think there's supposed to be another storm on Thursday or Friday--bummer!

I was able to continue taking all my meds(8-10 a day) after surgery. One suggestion from my doctor was to take them at night instead of in the morning though, because most bands are tighter in the morning than at night for some reason. The only ones I take in the morning now are my pain meds(for severe arthritis). One thing you might watch though--I take an aspirin a day, and Aleve, and both can thin your blood. No one told me at my pre-op appt. at the surgery center to stop taking them for a few days prior to surgery. I figured I shouldn't take one the morning of surgery, but when the nurse asked when the last time I had taken it was, she looked at the doctor and aske dhim if that was okay. He said "Not really, but I'll still do the surgery". So, if you take anything like Aleve, or Naproxem Sodium or aspirin at all, be sure and ask your doctor about how many days before surgery you need to stop taking it.

Okay girls, I have a question about drinking water. Fortunately, I do love water, but I am wondering if iced tea(without lemon or sugar) would be considered the same. I really need to have a little tea in the morning--I don't drink coffee, and just need a little caffeine. I just wondered if I could count that as part of my water consumption? What are your thoughts? By the way Faybie, I hope things are better for you now, and I am also sorry to hear you had to go through that. Definately not the way anyone wants to lose weight is it?

Well, I haven't had a fill yet, but I have lost weight every week since my surgery. Although, some weeks I will gain a couple, then lose them plus another 1 or 2 by the end of the week. I have not had a week where I have ended it with a gain, though, and I am happy about that. Especially since I am one week from my fill date, and I can tell I am pretty wide open. I hope I get good restriction with this first fill, so I can go back to "normal". The fact that I can eat bigger portions again is scary to me, because I do have trouble controlling that, hence the band!:nervous

I lived in Houston for about 1 1/2 years and I couldn't wait to get back to Colorado! I think it was more about living in such a big city rather than the weather though. Although, I was pregnant in the summer while I was there, and wanted to die from the heat and humidity!

Well, I had the regular general anesthesia through an IV. I wasn't in a whole lot of pain right when I woke up either, but after a couple hours when the pain meds wore off, I got very sore. I had liquid Tylenol, and a pain medication in the form of a nasal spray. That made me very sleepy, which was okay with me. I had to sleep in my recliner for the first couple nights because I can't sleep on my back either--I usually sleep on my side, but even that--especially the left side where all my incisions are--was painful at first. I don't know any statistics either, but I think all in all, it is a relatively safe and very successful procedure. As far as the pre-op diet--I only had to do a low carb diet for the 2 weeks before surgery--like Faybie said-every doctor is different when it comes to that. As far as the smoking--I agree it would be best to check with your doctor. Good luck, and try not to stress too much--you will be so glad you decided to do this. I know not everyone has had it as easy as me, but I have not had any problems at all--no PBing, no sliming, I can eat pretty much anything I want, just in much smaller quantities. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Okay, so today it is sunshine and blue skies again! I tell you--this crazy weather is always an adventure!

Ah, beautiful Colorado!! Even here in Pueblo, where we are usually in our own little world, and the snow usually bypasses us when the rest of the state is getting hammered, we are getting dumped on!! I am so over it! Yesterday was 61 degrees--today maybe 30. It's just crazy! Carlene--thanks for passing that on--it just goes to show that we take care of our own here in Colorful Colorado! I was very proud of myself today though--even though we were in the middle of a snowstorm, I still went to the gym and worked out today!:clap2: Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Hey guys--I have a question. Has any one else's doc told them not to drink the protein shakes once they start on solid food? Mine said that because they are a liquid, they will not stay in the new stomach and slowly digest like regular food does. I haven't had any since I started on solids, but the other day I grabbed one as I was headed out the door for work cuz I didn't have time to eat, and it really didn't seem to keep me full like the scrambled egg or whatever I usually eat does. Maybe it depends on the kind of shake? This was an EAS AdvantEdge shake. Any thoughts? My doc said to eat a protein bar instead of drinking the shake. Does anybody eat the bars?

Isn't it amazing how often we eat for reasons other than hunger? I would eat when I was bored, happy, sad, upset, watching t.v., whatever! NOw I only eat when I am actually hungry. What a concept! My doc also suggests 3 meals and no snacks, but does not put a restriction on the size of the portion. After surgery I was lucky to get a quarter cup of food in, but now I am feeling much more open, and could probably eat a lot more, but I try not to. I am also learning to distinguish between being "satisfied" and being "full" or "stuffed". They say to stop eating as soon as you start to feel full, but sometimes it seems as though I feel full and hungry at the same time! My little stomach feels full, but the rest of it is still rumbling--does that make sense?