Got banded in Springfield MO??

[Princess21 0]

Hello Everyone!

Only three more days on the pre-op liquid diet before surgery. Yea! I am going to finish my shopping tomorrow for things to have after surgery. I can not believe my date is almost here. I am getting sooo excited! Maziemommy - I hope your tooth is better.

I hope everyone is doing great!

Kimberly :thumbdown:

[TabithaH 0]

Mazie - No particular reason for the change, just decided to use my real name instead of the dog's name. :thumbup:

Princess - in case I don't get back on before your surgery date, good luck! I know everything is going to go great. Please give us an update as soon as you feel like it.

[Debbie_S 0]

Princess21 - not much longer now. I'm so excited for you.

Granny - how's it going now that you've gotten a fill. Hoping you feel some restriction but if you don't in a few days, don't hestitate to call and schedule another.

[grannyk 0]

Hi Debbie,

Yes I got the fill on Friday, still feel very little restriction. How long should I wait before I call to schedule another? I still feel like I can eat anything, just trying not to!! I've only lost 15 pounds so far, and 8 of those were during the liquid diet!! I try not to get discouraged, but then I think - oh great - I'm going to be one of those that the surgery doesn't work for - I was self pay - and I spent $17,000 for NOTHING!! Hopefully soon I will be able to get some restriction.

[Debbie_S 0]

Don't get discouraged, Granny! It'll work but it can take a few fills to reach good restriction (took 4 for me). Give it a week and then call for another fill. I think they're conservative with their first fills because they want you to get used to the feeling of some restriction. Honestly, I felt nothing after my first fill and could eat just like I did before the fill. Hang in there!

Debbie

[maziemommy 8]

grannyk... it took several fills for me too... hang in there.

With each fill, I ate a little less,(and gained a problem food... I was glad I went pretty slow with that, so it wasn't too many changes/problems at once). It takes some getting used to, and it sometimes is difficult to recognize problem foods. I would of felt like a failure to get all of these issues at once- now, it's never a big deal.

Good luck with your journey and keep us posted with regular updates and questions. Kimberly

[Debbie_S 0]

Just wanted to wish you much luck in the morning and a speedy recovery!

Debbie

[Princess21 0]

Just wanted to wish you much luck in the morning and a speedy recovery!

Debbie

Debbie, Thank you so much for your well wishes. I will post an update as soon as I feel up to it.

Thanks,

Kimberly

I am sooo excited and nervous!!!

[maziemommy 8]

Princess I hope you check your emails before going in the a.m.... we are with you...Kimberly

[maziemommy 8]

:welldoneclap:Well it's about 12:30p.m.... wanting to hear from Princess soon..

[Princess21 0]

Hello Everyone!

I finally am feeling like getting on the computer. I got to the Hospital @ 5:30am. They took me back around 6:40am. They had problems with my IV due to my veins being so deep. They were able to get it on the second try. I guess it was around 8:30am that Dr. Edwards came and talked to my family. I got back to my room around 10 or 11am. When the nurse asked about my pain on a scale from 1 to 10, I told it was a 10. I do not think the pain was that bad I was just really uncomfortable. It was around 2pm that I got released. They were short staffed due to the ice.

Tonight I am sore but I am feeling pretty good. I have been walking around the house a lot to help with the gas. Maziemommy and Debbie you both said that you slept in your bed the first night home. Did you put a lot of pillows to keep you upright? The nurse told me not to sleep flat tonight because of the gas. I am trying to figure out how to sleep. My mom and husband have been very good taking care of me today. I will talk more later when I am more awake.

Thanks to everyone for their prayers and well wishes. It means so much!

Kimberly:)

[maziemommy 8]

New to me.... no flat sleeping once at home?

I slept on my tummy from day one! I'm always a tummy sleeper... I was careful to place my self, so my port didn't pull/hurt bad.

I have heard of others sleeping in the recliner for 40 nights! I couldn't do it. You can put a kitchen chair by the bed, to help you lift out of bed, by pulling with arms and not tummy.

I found that I could combat the gas by walking, sitting, and moving around or changing position. Good luck with the sleeping.

Any experience I have had, I would share. I am an open book, just ask.

Kimberly

[Debbie_S 0]

It's good to hear from you. I've been thinking of you all day! I hadn't heard of the not laying flat because of the gas either. I'm a right side sleeper so I slept on my right side most of the time. I did kind of prop a pillow under my side to keep myself from rolling over on my stomach but I never had any problems. I really didn't have any problems with gas either. Like Kimberly says, just walk and move around as much as you can. And keep the gas-x close by just in case.

Debbie

[LMarie_MD2b 0]

Hello, all! I've been a 'lurker' for about 5-6 months, and I have decided that I should register and start talking to some of you lovely ladies about your Lap Band experiences.

As an introduction: I'm a 23 year old medical student--I go to school in St. Louis. I was born in Springfield, and my family lives in the area. I have scheduled my seminar for March 17th (on Spring Break), and hope to have surgery as soon as school is out for the summer at the end of May. I'm choosing to have the surgery in Springfield for several reasons--not the least of which is I don't want the people who are in charge of my grades to be in the OR. I have a great support system in my family at home, and will be spending much of my LAST SUMMER EVER at my mother's house. I want to be healthy for my 3rd and 4th year rotations--I want to be the strong woman I am, but to be able to run up the stairs to work the Code Blue, and not to cramp up on my Surgery rotation when I can't stretch my legs and back for 5-6 hours at a time. I want a LapBand for myself, of course... but I also think it would be a great service for my future patients.

I got engaged to a wonderful man in October. It breaks my heart to tell you that one of the first things I thought was, "Oh, my G-d, what will the pictures look like?!" I don't do pictures--I haven't for about 3 years now.

I am a little concerned, however, about Dr. Edwards being willing to perform the surgery on me. I don't have an incredible BMI; I'm at 36.2 today. I'm 5'7"ish and weigh 225 pounds. I've always been able to 'carry a lot of weight' and don't appear to others to be as heavy as I am. Has anyone heard of patients being turned away for being "too light" for surgery?

If that is a possibility, I think I should mention that, as a part of my Biochemistry & Metabolism course last semester, we had our blood drawn for a lipid panel. My total cholesterol was 250. I am terrified!! That's a ridiculous number for a 23 year old...especially someone who will be telling patients to lose weight to reduce cholesterol in just a few years.

My insurance (through school) will *not* cover the surgery, under any circumstances, so I will be self-pay. I have read on this board that it's about $17K, but that includes a year of after-care--is that correct? Does anyone know if Dr. Edwards would make referrals for patients that need fills and can't make it back to St. John's (i.e., if I need a fill, but can't get out of St. Louis)??

Enough of my yammering. It's great to be here--best wishes to all you recent post-oppers!

[maziemommy 8]

IMHOpinion... if you need to show co-morbidity issues... back/feet pain, or incontinence may be factor for you, that should be brought up as well. I no longer have the incontinence issues, I had previously suffered from silently!

You may not have these issues, but there may be others related to weight, that haven't even been a thought.

I don't have any idea what his policy/opinion would be.