What do you wish someone had told you BEFORE your surgery?

[Jennerator 0]

I am in the process of researching/consulting/etc... and am wondering...

What is the one thing you wish someone had told you BEFORE you got your LAP-BAND®? :smile2:

Thanks so much for any information/help/support!!

Jen

[k-statearmywife 6]

I wish someone had told me (that went to the same surgeon) what my Dr does for fills. That would have helped.

I also wish someone would have told me about the suprise heavy menstrual period immediately after surgery which come to find out, is not uncommon.

[Makulafamy 55]

I am in the process of researching/consulting/etc... and am wondering...

What is the one thing you wish someone had told you BEFORE you got your LAP-BAND®®? :smile2:

Thanks so much for any information/help/support!!

Jen

This is such a great question and if you don't mind I am going to post it on my blog and see what everyone else has to say! My blog address is in my signature.

For me, I was led to believe

that after surgery I would only be able to eat about one ounce of food or liquids...and that I would be full with that. My doc, nor the nutritionist ever mentioned the period of bandster hell....or how I would have to rely on willpower until I got restriction. That was a surprise :thumbup:

Amy

[Makulafamy 55]

I wish someone had told me (that went to the same surgeon) what my Dr does for fills. That would have helped.

I also wish someone would have told me about the suprise heavy menstrual period immediately after surgery which come to find out, is not uncommon.

I just noticed that you are in Kansas right now! I was born and raised in Topeka and now live in Pensacola Florida! I am jealous of all the snow you guys are getting :smile2:

[phil1336 0]

Mykulafamy, what a hoot...being in Pensacola FL is like living up north in the Plains! Hot as hell in the summer, Cold as hell in the winter! You just traded Hurricanes for Tornados. I would`nt trade living in the Florida Keys for anyplace else in America...truly is Paradise.

[frenchvanilla 0]

I wish they had told me that most likely i would only lose 50% of the weight i need to lose. so now i am down 54 pounds which is half. but now it wont budge at all. i count calories and have really been kickin some azz at the gym , and still no friggin weight losss in 4 months, i gotta say i wish i had gotten bypass surgery instead.Just my personal opinion

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

I wish I would have been told that you absolutely CAN gain your weight back. I was always being told that you will lose the weight "forever".. Not true, unless you stay en guarde and keep it off yourself.

It may not be as easy, but it is still easy to gain weight back. Beware of this going into the surgery.

[phil1336 0]

I think everyone is well aware before hitting the operating room that the Lap Band is (ONLY) a restrictive devise that will (help) control portion size when eating. There is (NO) mal-nutrition aspect of this procedure since your entire stomach and intestines remain intact. Did they not warn you that they cannot perform a (Brain by-pass) and head hunger will always be an issue to deal with despite that your stomach hunger will be reduced. Its very simply, radical RYN and its surgical risks vs Lap Band and its reversibility. I`d rather chance the Band and an out patient 40 minute operation then 3 hours in surgery and a 3 day hospital stay if theres no complications.

[melliecat 55]

I remember a guy at the required pre-meeting who had a lapband a year ago and was still heavy. What a loser, I thought. Well here is the truth, it is possible and even EASIER to gain weight with the band by eating slider food. you still need a DIET to lose weight-a protien heavy healthy diet to lose. The band will not MAKE you lose weight, it will only HELP you eat less of dense food.< /p>

NOT A MAGIC BULLET.

There, although if I knew this before, I would have still done the band and thought it would be easy.

ITS NOT EASY, JUST LESS HARD

[Cocoabean 430]

I wish I had been told not to stock up on Protein shakes and powders.

After my post-op period, I didn't need them much.

My surgeon wants me to eat foods rather than drink them, for the satiety levels. I was thinking I'd be having Protein Shakes as part of my normal diet for the rest of my life.

So there I was with a cupboard full of the stuff, and directions to not consume them regularly.

I keep a few around for the after-stuck times when my stomach isn't feeling up to solids, and for after fills.

I also wish I had been told that my feet would get smaller, my pants would get longer, and I'd need to get all my rings resized! Add to that, my fingers have lost so much fat, that the rings barely go over the knuckles, but just spin around and around once in place. Guess it's time to tell DH I need an eternity band so that diamonds are always showing!! :thumbup:

Denise

[Jennerator 0]

I really appreciate all of your posts. I am in the process of trying to decide 1. if I should get surgery at all and 2. which procedure. All of your comments are helping me put together questions for my doctor! Thanks so much! You all on this forum are such an inspiration!

[smitten kitten 0]

I'm less than two weeks post-op and wish someone would have told me that recovery is not always peaches n' cream (the gas pains are horrid; nausea too!), and just because one person had it relatively easy does not mean you will too. That aside, I'd do it again - in a heartbeat!

BOL with your decision

Edited January 9, 2010 by smitten kitten
because I'm my own grammar police :P

[minimeme 1]

I wish someone would have told me how much I might hurt after surgery. It was very, very painful for me.

I wish someone would have told me that my insurance might be billed close to $200,000. While my out of pocket didnt increase, it does take away from my life time limit. I am a long term employee who will probably be in my job until I retire and there is a very good chance I will run out of my health benefits prior to retiring.

I wish someone would have told me how scary and painful it is when food gets stuck. I have only had one episode which resolved by my throwing up 2 greenbeans, but for the short time it was stuck it was very frightening.

My doctor did stress this is only a tool and that people can gain their weight back. They also did speak about how many people only loose a fraction of their needed weight with the band. Most wont loose 100% of the extra weight like the bypass and sleeve patients do. I am thankful they were honest about it.

[janellody 3]

I'm not sure about "most people won't lose 100% of the weight" because I have seen so many people reach their goals. Why would someone opt for a weight loss surgery that wouldn't help them lose all their weight? I think if your attitude is right and you have the right fills you can lose all the weight. Kind of a pessimistic doctor if you ask me!

I am paying for mine out of my own pocket since insurance doesn't cover it, but after reading all the insurance stories, I think I prefer this way. I get to go to the awesome Dr. Ortiz in Mexico and pay a fraction of the cost of the American doctors prices.. and from everyone I have talked to, it was the best experience they have had, no complaints about the clinic or the doctors. I also didn't have to wait for months and months to get approval and all that, so all in all I am happy with my self pay option. I feel bad for all you guys using insurance and jumping through so many hoops but I guess that is insurance for you, huh? They are ever easy to deal with..

[Cocoabean 430]

Snipped

My doctor did stress this is only a tool and that people can gain their weight back. They also did speak about how many people only loose a fraction of their needed weight with the band. Most wont loose 100% of the extra weight like the bypass and sleeve patients do. I am thankful they were honest about it.

Bypass and sleeve patients don't lose 100% either. Bypass is about 65-80% and sleeve 60-70% at least from a quick google search.

And bypass patients can certainly gain the weight back, I've seen it happen.

Denise