male only For Just Us Guys

[John 0]

Steve:

You'll wake up to a beautiful nursing student...and you'll be in a hospital gown....

Seriously, you'll likely feel a bit bloated and gassy, don't worry about taking anything, they'll handle it for you. As soon as you can, get up and start moving around, it helps your body absorb the gas they pumped into you so they could see and work. It'll also make it easier for you to be able to swallow liquids a day or two after...which is a benchmark for getting out of the hospital.

You'll be amazed how hungry you are not going to be in the first days and weeks...at least I was. Everyone is a bit different.

As you can see from my posts, I'm new here. The support and positive emails have been great. I fell off the process for two years; no one's fault but mine. Never had any support in this area and finding this has been great. I have no doubt that this time I WILL remove the 325 pounds I need to to be where I want. BMI of 77 just won't cut it anymore.

Like you, I'm doing it for my grandson. 3 years old and has already dealt with cancer and his Army dad taking a hike with a woman in his unit. If he can keep a smile on his face and laugh like he does, I can do this for him.

Congrats of the birth, happy b'day and have a great surgery!

John

[mjskipper 0]

Hi guys! I've been banded a little over a month. How are you handling bowel movements. I feel like I need to be going more than I am. I have tried a stool softner, but still only have a movement every two or three days and it is not a very large amount. I don't feel bloated or uncomfortable. Any advice?

Skip

[Dave01 0]

Closing in on the 100 mark myself. Its been a real adventure. Tomorrow will be my fill again, so i am going for a little more than last time. Good luck to all in the Mens Room

[SteveInKansas 0]

Man, you guys are making this sound waaaaay to easy! I'm gettin myself all worked up over nothin it sounds like. Congrad's to all that have hit the 100lb mark. Hope to be right there with ya in a few month's, if I can kick this "willl power" in the ass. Right now there's a big lack of it. . . . . . . .

Dont actually start my pre-op diet until Jan. 22nd but have been really trying to watch what I've been eating. Splurged this past weekend cuz of my 50th B-Day, after all, ya only turn 50 once! All you can eat boiled shrimp Sat. night and cocktail's with old friends. But now it's time to start gettin serious. Dr. is gonna have me on a 8oz shake for Breakfast, 8 oz shake for lunch and weight watchers meal for dinner. I dont think I eat that much now but the two 8oz shakes have got me a lil worried, might be a loooooong time till that diet dinner???

John, thank's for the kind word's, I'm as new on here as you are. Lookin forward to the good lookin nurse's you said would be there when I wake up! And ya gotta love them grandkid's, wish we would of had them first! Our's is 10 week's now and she's the new love of my life. She's one of the main reason's behind doing this. Also checked out Whosyadaddy's site, he's got him a couple cutie's. And what kind of bike ya got whosyadaddy? We've got 4 Harley's and dont have time to ride any of em.

I'm not smart enough to post pic's, lucky to be able to do what I do. I know just enough about this thing to be dangerous! I've tried to go back and read most of the messages on the "Men's Room" and I'm not understanding why the gas effect's your left shoulder as many have said it does post-op???

I'm sure I'll have plenty of stupid question's before and after the big day, Feb. 5th. Keep up the good work all

Band date Feb. 5, 2008

Dr. Stephen Malley, Kansas City

Starting weight 320 BMI 50

[gometros 0]

Hi guys! I've been banded a little over a month. How are you handling bowel movements. I feel like I need to be going more than I am. I have tried a stool softner, but still only have a movement every two or three days and it is not a very large amount. I don't feel bloated or uncomfortable. Any advice?

Skip

My nutritionist suggested that I add two tablespoons of olive oil to my dinner. That, along with stool softeners seems to be helping.

[Brewa2000 1]

John- Good luck with your resart. You can do it!

Steve- It really is no big deal for most. I was sore and gassy for a couple days. Walking around really helped. I take Benefiber daily and it seems to work. Good luck...

Bruce

[John 0]

Bruce:

Thanks for the encouragement. The game began again yesterday and went pretty good. Just a matter of paying attention to what's important...today's pretty good too.

One step at a time.

John

Saturday 512

BMI 77

Today 510

Goal 200

[enzochiefs 0]

Hello I live in France I been here for 4 years. I moved here from Texas. I got banded sep 25 if 2007 so far i have lost 23 kilos or 50 pounds. Next week I will join a gym for 6 months. The Doc told me I should lose about 30 kilos or 66 pounds per year. I cant wait until I get my goal weight. Losing 50 lbs so far is good and I feel better in my body, but I still dont like the way I look in a mirror.

[Pizzaman 0]

John, I wish you well. You're doing it for all the right reasons.

Steve, I get banded tomorrow. I'll let all you guys know how it went.

[Brewa2000 1]

I've got 1 more pound to go to reach 100! I'd like to do it in the next week because I started my preop a year ago Jan 15th. It gets tougher as the body gets smaller. I'm now the "runt" of the guys in our family. Hee hee!

Pizzaman- Good luck tomorrow. We're all pulling for a speedy recovery.

enzochiefs- You're doing super!

John- Getting through the first few days helps alot.

Bruce

[Rocket City Guy 0]

Hi Guys, I've been reading this forum for awhile now, and really appreciated the insight that I've gained. I got a surgery date yesterday for 22 Fed 08 with Dr. Schmitt in Birmingham, AL. I've been working this process since September and when I started I was very gung-ho about the LB...however, in the last few weeks I've began to wonder if the bypass wouldnt be better. I keep reading how GB is the "gold standard" and what not. Are there any of y'all that are regreting choosing the band over bypass? Also, if anyone has comments about Dr. Schmitt, I would love to hear 'em. Everything I have heard/read about him is very positive.

Thanks!

[Chris61 0]

Someone on here asked about life insurance. I have seen a couple of post here and on other sites about this question. I have heard that some people have been able to get a price break because they have lost so much weight and their blood levels and other things were back to normal. So we all have something to look forward to. Also keep your current insurance and doo not drop it until you have the documents in hand. I have heard people dropping one and then not getting approved. Just something to keep in mind. I guess you can say for some people that this is a NSV.

Chris

[SteveInKansas 0]

Today is the big day for "Pizzaman", give em hell and let us know how your doin'. John says there's good lookin nurses when ya wake up . . . . . ??? Maybe somethin to look forward to!

There is a post regarding life insurance, did anyone "up" their's before surgery???

[John 0]

Thanks for all the positive comments everyone. Today was a bit off, but recovered well as the day went on. Just gotta stick with the plan and remember what fun it'll be on the back end. Who know's? Maybe time for another Harley...

As to "gold standards"...I heard and have read the same as most here likely did. I rejected it out of hand for a couple of reasons. First, studies I read showed that the post op "pouch" would grow at the rate of about 10% a year from normal stretching. So in 10 years or less, the pouch is the same size as your stomach.

Also for me, with the traveling I do and the sometimes lack of decent (clean) medical facilities sometimes several hours away, the risk of a staple popping, leakage and infection was an unacceptable risk. Finally, I had seen and heard too many folks who were having problems with the GB. So the band was a no brainer.

As far as my back slide, that was my fault, not the band. Would I do it (the Lap Band)again? Absolutely.

Insurance...in Maryland, the state legslature passed a law a few years back requiring that insurance companies doing business in the state could not deny the surgery. They were smart to recognize the long term health care costs far exceeded the cost of surgery.

[PaulD 2]

Hey Ted,

I was banded Jan7, a little sore but not to bad, I stopped the Percoset they gave me(nautious) I take a few Ibuprofen to take the edge off.

The toughest part is the reality of BEING THERE, you went all the pre op stuff to get yourself prepared, and it is a little scary knowing the journey has actually started, it is taking a while just to get used to not reaching for what I crave.

liquid stage sucks,looking forward to Mushies!

Paul