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They gave me my scripts for pain meds and Prilosec at my preop appt two weeks prior to surgery. It was so convenient!

Noor, I was unable to attend the 2 hour seminar. I was planning on going today, but was unable to due to a change in my work schedule this week. I wouls really like to know what you thought. How did you like the doctors. It sounds like you can't go wrong with either Dr. Webber and Dr. Weiner. Did they talk about the fills? How often do you get them, or does the doctor do them or is it the people in the office. Are you a self-pay also? When I go in on August 5th, I will be posting what I thought, and my decisions. This is an awesome site to find the info you need, however, I have found that the opinions differ from person to person. :thumbup:Thanks

Congratulations Abby on your decision to have the surgery. It's only a week or so away..u must be so excited..and I would think a bit nervous. I really hope the surgery goes well and you have no complications. It would be great if you can share your story..what made you decide on lapband, why Dr. Weber? how long have you researched the procedure/doctor...who did you talk to about nutrition? Anything you can tell us is greatly appreciated. Hope to hear from you soon.

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:

hello everyone, I'm so glad I came across this thread. I too live in MI and am considering having the surgery performed at Harper Hospital with Dr. Webber. When I first started researching the procedure a few weeks ago I came across the link for Dr. Webber and his associates. I'm leaning more towards Dr. Webber because he seems to have a bit more experience from what I can tell. What's really great is the 2 hour informational session that they offer at Harper Hos, which I will be attending today. It is being conducted however by Dr. Weiner, who comes highly recommended by a one of the bloggers on this site. I'm just really curious to see what he has to say more than anything. I've been trying to do as much research as I can, however there just seems to be tons of blog sites out there and it's difficult to find everything you want to know without having to read tons of blogs - lol. Was wondering if you attended the informational session and if so, what did you think? I'm really curious about pre-surgery - seems from some of the bloggers that they had to lose weight prior to surgery. Wondering if that is the case for everyone and if so, how do they want you to lose the weight? Do they put you on a liquid diet so that you can get a feel for what it's going to be like a few weeks after the procedure? The whole transition from liquids, to soft to regular foods is a concern, esp given the possibility of the band slipping from too much vomiting. So suffice to say I have lots of questions and hope that they will be answered for the most part at the informational session. Would really like to know how things turn out with you and what you can tell me from your consultation meeting with Dr. Webber. Any info you can share would be really appreciated. And Nwlife4 I would really like to hear more about your experience both pre and post op. Also, how did you hear about Dr. Webber and why did you decide to go with him? Looking forward to hearing from both of you. Thanks

Hey Noor, I realized that I didn't have restriction when I started eating mushies, which was this week. The pouch is only meant to hold 3-6 ounces, I can eat WAY more than that, so it's obvious that the food is just sliding right through. That being said, I do feel fuller faster than I did before I had the surgery, so I'm confident that with fills I will reach that "sweet-spot." That's correct, Dr. Webber doesn't do fills until six weeks, and I'd say most surgeons wait 4-6 weeks before doing the first fill. Sometimes it happens sooner, but that's usually on a case-by-case basis. They want to make sure you're fully healed first. I've heard that the time between the surgery is a time to focus on healing, and if weight-loss happens you are lucky. I guess I was just hoping I'd be one of those lucky ones. I am not getting my fills with Dr. Webber because it's an inconvenience for me to go back to Detroit. He gave me the go-ahead to see a surgeon in Chicago to get my aftercare, and that surgeon also requires you to be six weeks post-op before receiving your first fill. When are you having your surgery? I'm glad that my blog is giving you some insight, I found it really helpful to talk to people who were banded by the same physician/group when I was preparing for surgery as well. If you are still nervous about the surgery, don't be. I'm going to give it to you straight. The pre-op diet isn't fun, and the first couple days after surgery are the worst. Also, the first couple of weeks of the post-op diet are hard, but after that life is almost 100% normal again. Then it's pretty much the waiting game to find that "sweet spot" (unless you are one of the lucky ones), and then you're pretty much good to go. This is assuming you don't have complications. You're in good hands with Dr. Webber, though. I was told by MANY of the staff at the hospital that he was a great surgeon, and his credentials speak for themselves. If you have any other questions let me know.

Thanks for the very kind words. They are helpful. I called and setup my consultation, which will be August 5th. I am really looking forward to meeting with the doctor to discuss everything. It sounds like you are doing fantastic! Thats awesome, great job. I am still very nervous, but excited at the same time. How long was your recovery? Did you have to miss any work? I hear a lot of different things, some say it isn't that bad, and others say up to a week. I guess everybody is different. I am going to ask the doctor about the fills. They say that 3 months or fills are included. Does this mean 3 fills or 3 months? I'm not sure about this. :smile2::thumbup:Thanks Again.

Hey everyone, I'm having my surgery at Harper on August 12th by Dr. Webber. So far I have no complaints, but I'll let everyone know how the surgery goes in a couple weeks.

Hi everyone, Abby so great to hear that your surgery went well..no complications thats great. Your blog is also very insightful. Sorry to hear that you have no restriction. I'm curious to know how did you realize that to be the case? Dr. Weber told me that he does the first fill after 6 weeks so does that mean given ur situation that you will have to wait that long, or will he fill it sooner? Please keep up your blog..it really helps me to gain a clear idea about like after banding. I hope everything went well for you Parshuter. Can't wait to hear about your experience. You stated that the blog is not your thing so I hope you keep this thread going. So for you Chris..details details details! Good luck guys!

My doc had me do a "Liver Shrink" for two weeks. It is to help with the band placement. I think it also helps to get the right mind set for after surgery. Those first few weeks of eating are so very different from what we had eaten previously. I didn't have an amount to loose, but I followed the rules and did loose; it was high protein. I was told that the liver fat was the target.

yes, all your symptoms are natural - i remember eating jello also a day or so after the surgery and it felt like it just sat there in between my boobs and hurt - this too will go away and ease with each passing day but don't expect to feel some relief for close to a week plus. not trying to be negative - just realistic. hang in there - 18 days post and i'm feeling like my old self only 18 lbs lighter :frown:

Hi Pookybear. No you are definitely not alone. I had the problem just a lil bit before surgery due to a hysterectomy (ovaries remain though for right now). BUT now it is a big problem. It hurts just to walk around and I also have extremely hard Water at home. I haven't really looked into something for it, but I may need to. I have been using Vagisil, but it is such a pain to have to keep applying though the day. I see a gynecologist in a few weeks for ovary problems and I am going to ask her what can be done about the severe dryness. I will let you know. I have other health issues and sometimes don't remember to follow up, so shoot me a message or something if I forget to let you know. Tell your man it's not him. My husband thought this at first, when I initially started changing after the hysterectomy, but now we just keep our room fully stocked up on lube (lol). And, please know that it is NOT your fault and don't let this stop you from reaching your goal. You are doing great!

Hi guys I'm 31 years old female living in London! I has my banding on the 18th June I'm on the liquid phase and will be starting mushy food on Monday, I've lost 18 Pound so far but 11 was list in the week leading to surgery I'm starting to worry that I have made the right decision. I'm concerned that my will power will let me down! I'm so determined to loose weight and finally be fit and slim but I keep having that nagging feeling that I may fail. I was so confident I'd do well prior to the operation but now I find myself having more Soup or shakes that I think I possibly should Did anyone else feel like this or is it just me? Thanks Kel

Yup, as mentioned, my wife made me an embankment of pillows in which I nestled into. I am not a back sleeper either, so with the pillows and an afternoon nap in the recliner, I was able to get enough sleep to get by until I was able to sleep on my side. That was probably two weeks post.

Good to know !!! Thx Any recommendations for oral supplements? I'm struggling with these chewables. Tomorrow I'm 3 weeks out & still not able to really eat, the vitamins make me wanna hurl

On been using the patch since about three weeks PO. Labs have been good except for iron which I had trouble with prior. I take an additional iron tablet daily with my patch

it will be 2 weeks tomorrow since i was banded. i am so ready to eat food with substance. hopefully my dr. will let me. i get my first fill on thursday so we will see. it was very hard over the holiday weekend and also my husbands birthday. can you say bbq, cake, and ice cream. and boy did that bbq smell good:tt2:. but i was good i stuck with the protein shakes and clear and full liquids. so i was a good girl. if anyone has any ideas for full liquid that would be great. and also i am not losing as much weight as i would like. i would think i haven't eaten so i should lose more. plus i am going to the gym. well hope everyone had a good and safe holiday weekend!!!:thumbup::thumbup:

I was just banded 2 weeks ago today and people keep asking me if I am hungry and I still say "I'm not sure?" I think my brain needed as much surgery as my stomach! But I am always rumbling and grumbling I don't know why.

I am 3 weeks and 2 days post band and still feel tugging sometimes around my incisions. Near my belly button and my port area seem to be the worse after I have finished my walk. Just wondering if anyone else has this going on. Nothing too painful just uncomfortable at time. It seems to ease once I have rested.

The only person in my life that knows is my husband!! My friends think I just had abdominal surgery... and my family ( who do not live close ) do not know anything! This was the best decision.. becuase I know that I am not prepared for any negative comments.. so even though I feel bad that i told a little lie.. I am so happy I do not have to explain anything.. And I have started to get some compliments on the weight loss.. and I just thank them and tell them I am working on it. Here is the kicker.. My mom came down last week.. and did not say anything to me about my weight loss!!! WHen she has been my biggest critique!!! Now 25lbs is hard not to notice!!! At the end of the weekend visit.. it just proved to me that I made the right decision!!!

Hey, Sleeve Plication Talk Members! Now that Memorial Day has passed and we’re well into June, it’s summer time! Why not use the warm weather and casual dress code for motivation to stick to your diet? Of course, the newsletter’s a great way to remind you to be good, too! We keep you updated on what’s going on at SleevePlicationTalk.com, and we’ll jump right into this newsletter with: Sleeve Plication Support Groups: Are you taking full advantage of special forum groups on SleevePlicationTalk.com? To Tell or Not to Tell – Do you tell others about your sleeve plication? Member Spotlight – None other than Alex Brecher, founder of SleevePlicationTalk.com! Sleever Challenge – This is a great one to kick off the summer. We encourage you to stay involved with SleevePlicationTalk.com. Ask your questions, answer your peers and keep your profile current. All of your participation keeps you on track and helps everyone else! Always let us know when you have suggestions, comments and questions. Enjoy the newsletter. Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder SleevePlicationTalk.com Sleeve Plication Support Groups: What are They, and How Do They Help You? SleevePlicationTalk.com can be a huge part of your life. Many of us check the boards every day or more, and depend on the site for support, information and encouragement. Joining one or more SleevePlicationTalk.com support groups is a great way to get even more out of SleevePlicationTalk.com. These support groups are like exclusive clubs, but all you have to do to join is to participate! Just look at the different types groups we have. Monthly groups based on when you got your surgery Groups based on your hometown, age and weight goals. The sleeve plication buddies and mentors forum in case you need a little extra help or want to help someone in their weight loss journey. And more…for religious sleevers, gay, lesbian and bi sleevers, crossover addicts, biker sleevers…and way more. These groups are smaller discussion forums for sleevers who have a lot of things in common with you even beyond your weight loss surgery. They may have great solutions to problems that you’re having, and they can be super sympathetic to your situation. You can make close friends on these boards because you already have so much in common, and because you can spend a lot more “one-on-one” time with them. Come on over to the SleevePlicationTalk.com support group page and see which groups you want to join! Hot on the Boards: Coming out of the WLS Closet. To tell or not to tell? That’s a pretty sensitive question for a lot of weight loss surgery patients. It’s normal to feel embarrassed about your surgery, especially when you’re dealing with people who look down on you. Always remember that you don’t have to let others make you feel bad. As long as you’re healthy and happy, you should feel proud of your accomplishments. Anyone who truly loves you will also be proud. It’s a personal decision whether to tell people about weight loss surgery. You might tell your closest friends and family first, and let others in on the secret when they start to ask you how you lost so much weight. You don’t ever have to tell anyone if you’re shy or just don’t want to. Or, if you prefer, you can tell everyone as soon as you set the date for your surgery. Maybe that’ll make you feel more accountable and inspire you to success. What are your thoughts? Do you tell people that you’ve gotten weight loss surgery? Do you explain to them what a sleeve plication is, since they probably don’t know? How do you choose when to tell, how much to say and whom to tell? Do you have any tips for other sleevers? Tell us about it! First Member Spotlight – It’s Alex! We promised, and now we’ve delivered! It’s time for the first true Member Spotlight, and who better to be honored than…Alex! He’s the founder of RNYTalk.com and the other communities belonging to WLSBoards.com. He manages and promotes the boards to make sure that they’re here for everyone. He is truly passionate about helping others reach the same weight loss success that he did. Here’s his story. He’s the handsome, friendly face you see hanging out on the forums, but he took the same journey as many of you to achieve those looks. Alex struggled with obesity and diets for years without finding permanent weight loss success. He finally realized that he needed to lose the weight if he wanted to be around for his children for years to come. Alex got the lap-band, lost more than 100 pounds and never looked back. Thrilled with his new energy and health, Alex had the motivation and confidence to stop smoking. Today he is an active, lean family man who loves to run, bike and spend time with his children. In 2003, Alex founded LapBandTalk.com, which quickly became the largest weight loss surgery community in the world. He started VerticalSleeveTalk.com in February of 2009, and the other WLSBoards, RNYTalk.com and SleevePlicationTalk.com, followed in 2011. That’s right – we’re only starting our second year, and we’ve already got thousands of great members! Alex works hard to make sure that all members to have positive experiences and benefit from being part of the communities. Do you have someone you’d like to see featured in the Member Spotlight? Would you like to be our spotlighted member? Come tell us in the Member Spotlight forum! It’s a regular feature of the newsletters to let you learn a little more about someone in our community with an inspirational story or who helps out our members. Thanks for your nominations so far! Sleever Challenge! Challenge Yourself and Achieve Something New! We give you a challenge in each SleevePlicationTalk Newsletter. It’s not a challenge for you to compete against anyone else. It’s just a way to set a new goal for yourself to try something new or push yourself a little harder. Nobody’s keeping score, so try it! You can always find the old challenges in the Challenge Forum. So far, the two challenges have been: Try a new food or recipe. It’s pretty simple. Come up with a new recipe or try a new food that fits on your diet. Tell us about it! Recognize your non-scale victory (NSV): An NSV is something that is an accomplishment during your weight loss journey, but it isn’t based on the number on the scale. It might be something like fitting into a dress you like or being able to keep up with your grandchildren without getting tired.. It’s never too late to try the old challenges and write about them. Share what you come up with to brag a little and help out others. The New Challenge: Be an Exercise Buddy! This challenge is great for your health and the health of a lucky new or old friend. Why? Over the next two weeks, your challenge is to do a workout with a new person. Some ideas for the challenge are to: Ask your neighbor to take a walk with you Ask someone at your gym to be your partner while you both lift weights Go for a bike ride with your kids or spouse Take a new exercise class Be creative! The goal is to do something fun and healthy, and maybe make a new friend or two along the way. Don’t forget to post your challenge results in the Challenge Forum. The forum’s also great place to go if you need ideas or have advice for other Sleevers so they can complete the challenge. Good luck! And Finally: Please Support Us! Just as a reminder, we’d like to ask you to support us when you can. We know you value SleevePlicationTalk.com and all of its free services. We’d like to remind you to please ask your surgeon and other healthcare providers to post SleevePlicationTalk.com fliers in their offices. We’re always growing, and you can help. Thank you. That does it for this newsletter. Thanks for reading and for your continued participation on the boards. Take care! Sincerely, Alex ==============================================================If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you may unsubscribe by going to your Control Panel and clicking on the Newsletters tab, or clicking on the following link: http://www.sleevepli...&tab=newsletter

OMG guys I'm actually approved!!! I can't believe it, I'm almost in a state of shock. It like this is REALLY happenig now! Surgery is one week from today and I was so afraid because they didn't submit to instance until yesterday that approval (or denial which I was preparing for) wouldn't come back in time. Everyone in the surgeons office, including the surgeon was unsure if I would get approved because I was told my insurance is very tough to approve but THEY DID!! I'm in a state of utter shock but SOO excited! Now nerves are starting to hit me though ahhh! Thank you to everyone on here who has offerenee me advise, support or a kind word! ONE WEEK!!

Hi, I am almost 6 months post op. My weight loss was gradually until recently I find it weird. I meet weight loss stall and I increase my walking distance to counter it . Hi we’re recently I had this issue. If I had to take some rest off the exercise and I notice the 1st day I gained 1lb!! Is this normal as I may think it’s my body regaining the water due to me not exercising. I am trying to rest few more days and see how my weight goes.

I went to the local 2 hour information class and I requested my doctor to refer me to the Clinic out of Richmond. My PCP made the referral this week and I was called by the Clinic at they have scheduled me for the 4-5 hours orientation with the surgeon, nutritionist, pych doc, and case manager for the end of this month. I am just scared that I will get to that stage and be told no.

I guess I'm different in that I am hoping for the full two weeks. My wife was off 4 weeks with the bypass. Part of my recent problem is this is the first time I've had a job that confines me to my desk, but its a very stresfull one. We have lots of turnover, and every experienced employee is extra valuable right now, they will welcome me back after the two weeks, and I could use the rest even without the surgery.