Newbie from Kansas

[ThinDolphin3 3]

<p>Well let's see where do I start. Well I've been fat pretty much since puberty. I've tried starving myself in high school only eating crackers and iced tea for lunch and eating lettuce with mayo for dinner and nothing for Breakfast. Well those bad habits made lots of weight pack on me over the yrs. Went through a bitter divorce and as we all here know food is the bestest friend you could ever have in the world. I've done OTC diet pills, mail order pills, herbal pills, exercised my butt off and only lost at the most was 25 lbs in two months and then I gaind about 50 back because I couldnt afford the gym fee anymore. I dont really eat much but my body immediately stores anything I eat. I have been diagnosed with PCOS and insulin resistance and I am BIG TIME Infertile. <img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/angry.gif" border="0" alt="" title="angry" smilieid="34" class="inlineimg" /> So I've given up on the fertility train after 11 yrs of trying with no luck. Just a bunch of fertility pills that packed more weight on me. </p> <p>Well anywho my friend had the gastric bypass done and she went from 350 to 140 in one yrs time and that scares me and it just seemd to drastic. She is having all kinds of health problems etc and I dont want that. I've done research on both the lapband and the gastric bypass. I'm tired of looking in the mirror and absolutely hating what I see I've become. So I've made the decision to get the lapband done. I havent spoken to a doc yet because I'm waiting til after the holidays. I want to get all the in's and out's of this procedure and know that this is in fact the right way to go. That way I start 2008 with a new life choice. My insurance covers the surgery just hope it covers all the doc appts and nutrition appts etc. Havent really seen anything about that stuff in the posts I've been reading in here for the past two days. My hubby is scared for me he doesnt want me getting sick like my friend is right now from the RYN. He also doesnt want me losing my breasts. LOL And the darling hubby that he is says that I look fine to him. I said well honey that is really sweet but I HATE THE WAY I look and cant understand why you love me or even want to ya know with me. But he is behind me 150% when I get this surgery done. </p> <p> </p> <p>So this is me in a huge nutshell. I'm 5 foot 5 and I weigh about 250 and considered by that wonderful BMI CHART as EXTREMELY MORBIDLY OBESE! My BMI is 41.6. I dont have a specific weight I want to get to ...I just want to be able to fit into a size 14 jean like I did before I gained all this weight. I want to still have some meat on my bones to keep me warm...LOL LOL </p> <p> </p> <p>Love and light to all of us that are in search to make our outside person match our lovely inside person!!</p> <p> </p> <p>Dolphin </p>

[reif78 0]

hello thin dolphin, I can totally understand what you have gone thru your entire life. that pretty much sums me up in a nutshell

the reason i went with lapband VS gastic bypass is because its less invasive and less revovery time compared to bypass and i didnt feel like them hackin me to peices and stapling me up and so forth and them in for some reason that comes undone then your stomach is open and infection happens and possibly death

with the band its just a band wrapped around you . and its reversible. though you may not get fast weight loss as you do with the bypass, but thats the way its designed to be and reason being is so your skin can re adjust to the new body so you may not have much excess skin after weightloss but everyone is different. but what ever choice you make you will do great. i was banded 12/12/07 and i feel great and im only 8 days post op and i feel way different.

[FireDust 0]

Hello and welcome! This is a great place to get the info you'll need to make an informed decision. I'm just starting my journey too, so here's to a healthier us!

[ThinDolphin3 3]

Thank you for the welcome from the people that posted. Nice to meet you and hope to become good friends. So far I'm not liking the lack of response when I came here to get as much help as possible, I'm scared to death about so many things with getting this surgery. Will my marriage go down the crapper, will I have to wait a yr before I get this surgery, will it hurt so much that I cant move, will I be able to drink anything, how will I lose the weight even if it is just 3 super small meals a day...my body is a food magnet literally. I've tried the 1500 cal diet and all I did was lose Water weight that's it. No lbs!! I'm just so frustrated at this stage....I dont know where to turn my friend is trying to talk me into the bypass and I know I dont want that one. But I am just wondering how the lap band is going to help. I mean I see so many ppl that have lost so much weight, but I've been fighting all my life to lose weight and to no result!!

[reif78 0]

There will always be the what ifs in life but if we worried about the what ifs we would never do nothing to better ourselves. i dont think your marriage will go down the crapper.per sat. there might be objections on your husbands side. i know mine always expressed fear that if i get this done and lose the weight i will go for something better. and i always assured him im not doing this for that reason im doing it for my health and just because i lost the weight doesnt mean thats gonna change my feelings for you. thats what i always told him. as far as pain. you will have maybe 2 days of really irritating soreness. but it will subside. i went and finished my christmas shopping the day after i got home.lol. Things will work out just fine.

[travelgirl 3]

Welcome to LBT! I hope that you find the support and advice you're seeking here!

[Living My Dream 0]

Thank you for the welcome from the people that posted. Nice to meet you and hope to become good friends. So far I'm not liking the lack of response when I came here to get as much help as possible, I'm scared to death about so many things with getting this surgery. Will my marriage go down the crapper, will I have to wait a yr before I get this surgery, will it hurt so much that I cant move, will I be able to drink anything, how will I lose the weight even if it is just 3 super small meals a day...my body is a food magnet literally. I've tried the 1500 cal diet and all I did was lose Water weight that's it. No lbs!! I'm just so frustrated at this stage....I dont know where to turn my friend is trying to talk me into the bypass and I know I dont want that one. But I am just wondering how the lap band is going to help. I mean I see so many ppl that have lost so much weight, but I've been fighting all my life to lose weight and to no result!!

Hi Dolphin

I can relate to your concerns. I feel like I have been fighting my weight all my life and it just keeps getting worse. I have tried so many diets and spent so much money only to regain it and more.

As for worrying about your marriage, I told my husband I wanted to do this and he was so mad. I told him I was doing it anyway, it's my body. Now he is supporting me and I am trying to convince him to do lapband surgery too. Where do you live? I live in Belleville, Ontario. Have you booked surgery yet? Mine is now finally booked - January 17. I am worried it won't work for me either.

Lynda :phanvan

[shortgal 5]

Just let the process take place. Have the consult or go to a local dr's seminar and then schedule the appts with pysch and nutritionist. Ask the Dr. questions and at many seminars you will meet previous lap banders. Many Dr's also have support groups that you can go to and see what topics come up.

Things I didn"t know to ask before:

What brand name band and what size band would be used?

How often are fills done? And what method is used to do the fills?

What is the pre-op diet and for how long?

What is the diet after fills?

Are there certain foods once I'm into maintenance that many patients have difficulty tolerating? What are they?

Are most patients able to sleep on their side or stomachs after healing? ( I can)

Some of these questions were answered in the package they gave me (mostly the diet ones were answered).

The more you know and understand the better off you'll be.

My surgery was on 11/27/07 and for me the first four days were the hardest due to the gas pains. The incisions never bothered me at all. I am a little older than many on this forum. At 56, I probably recovered a little slower than the younger patients.

I have had little trouble sticking to the post op diet restrictions as it progressively adds more food each 5 to 7 days, so I am only a few days away from adding something new.

I just got my first "fill" today and that went smoothly. I highly recommend you understand the nature of a "fill" and how it works. Search over the forum for anything regarding fills. But remember each person is different and you might have a different reaction to a fill than someone else.

I also recommend that you follow YOUR doctors instructions. Each Dr. is different and has a different protocol, but following your Dr is the best thing you can do to be successful.

Good Luck on your journey.

Finding my Way!

Banded 11/27/07 5'0"

Consult/Day of SX/Current/Goal

216/ 212 202 140 (Fingers Crossed)

First fill 12/20/07 2cc

Next fill 1/3/08 1.5cc if needed

Inamed 10 cc band

[sunsett 2]

Hi Welcome, You are making the best decision I ever did.

I had the band 26 months ago. I've gone from a 24/26 to a 10/12. It is so hard to believe!

I have spend many hours on this forum and band2gether.net and have learned a lot about the band and the head.

Every step you go through is a process. I felt the same way you do about the RNY. My husband and family felt the same way yours did.

I don't want to lose this so I'm going to post and then continue.

[sunsett 2]

I am a huge believer in support groups. Here and in person. We go through so many stages that it is nice to speak with others and get through the tough times.

I had my band for 4 months when we discovered a leak in it. This is VERY rear, Nothing for you to worry about. The reason why I am sharing it is because it made me become more of an advocate for the band I think than if I hadn't had my problem.

I had to have the band replace. My Dr said that he thinks it happened when the band was put in. I am the only patient that this had ever happened to with him to this day. I'm his lucky star I guess!

So I know first hand the complications that are so very rare but can happen. And I also know the benefits that this tool has for not only me but many others.

I would love to talk to you if you'd like anytime, just PM me.

I now work for NewHope Bariatrics. I am Patient Relationship Associate. I speak with people all day about the band. I don't usually share my leak story because I don't want to scare people away. But I can honestly tell you that if I had to do it again, I would do it again in a heart beat!

Have a great day and again, feel free to PM me and I'll give you my #.

[shortgal 5]

So grateful my husband has been VERY supportive of the band. He has of course witnessed first hand my unsuccesful struggle to lose and keep off weight using diet and exercise.

I was a self pay patient, so I really needed his co-operation. We tried going through insurance but we have United Healthcare and I was unable to meet their five year history requirement. I HAVE been overweight for more than 5 years, more like 25, but I could not get the proof they require. (Long Story).

For whoever posted that they cannot lose even on 1500 calories a day. No kidding! That is way too many calories for me to lose. The surgery itself restricted me to about 500 calories at first. As I healed, and felt better I gradually more food and calories. Today, at 3 1/2 weeks post op, I am consuming between 800 and 1000 calories daily. Weight loss is still slow, but I'm short, I'm older and I'm a female. But I still managed to lose and that's a good thing! I am not yet restricted so getting by on that amount of calories is tough, but I am very motivated at this early stage, so I'm working with it!

Until this weather gets better ( I'm in the Northeast) I will not be out walking or working in my yard, so exercise, well honestly there's not much of that happening. Can;t wait for Spring!

Gastric bypass was just not an option for me. I just couldn't bring myself to do something so drastic. And my husband didn't like the sound of it either.

So far I am happy with the band. Long term, well we'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully, no complications and prayiing for just the right restriction so I can maintain a reasonable weight on my short frame.

[SteveInKansas 0]

ThinDolphin3,

I'll welcome you but I'm just as new as you are! Had "cold feet" and second thoughts until last night when I finally went to Dr. Stephen Malley's seminar in KC (I live 2 hrs south) Seminar is required before making your consultation appointment there. I asked about 75% of the questions, and was very suprised to get some very sadisfactory answers.

I too am going into the world of the unknown, for me anyway. Not sure what's ahead but ya never know what's down a road until ya take it! And this is one I desperatly need to take. (BMI 50.1) I walk by the fridge and gain weight. Dr. Malley stayed and talked to me at least 30 minutes after the meeting. Heck, he answered questions I didnt even have!

I told him about my "window of oppertunity" to have the surgery done and he didnt think it would be a problem at all. Everyone I had spoken with said he was very down to earth and trust me, he is. He's like talkin to a buddy at the bar over cocktails. He walked in and introduced himself as a "long haired, tatooed, beer drinkin biker" . . . . . . we hit it off just fine after that.

My first visit to his office is Jan 2nd and I'm ready to get the ball rollin.

Dr. Stephen Malley

5820 Lamar Ave. Suite 200

Mission, KS. 66202

913-492-2530

Kansas City LAP-BAND® System Surgery : Weight Loss LAP-BAND® System Surgery Experts

[billiejean 0]

Welcome to all of you! I was banded in June of this year, but have just found this site and decided to participate. Dolphin, you are so not alone in your story or your fears that you will never lose the weight. I have had a life-long struggle with my weight and tried everything under the sun. Nothing worked, at least not permanently. I have lost about 50# since my surgery and couldn't be happier. I still have doubts, worries, and struggles daily, that is a completely separate battle that I am fighting. The beautiful part of the band is that even when you are emotionally ready to "fall off the wagon", it just won't let you. It takes that option of binging right out of the game. You just can't do it. I have found that the feelings and the emotional eating that used to sabbotage me subside, and thanks to the band...no harm done. I sometimes question whether or not I should have had the GB instead so that the weight would just disappear quickly, but I really think that the "slow and steady" pace of the band will be the key to overall success. Good luck to you, and I hope that we can support each other down the road to health!!:clap2:

[ThinDolphin3 3]

Thank you to all your responses...and the doc Malley in KS sounds hilarious and MY KIND OF DOC...just wish he wasnt so damn far away...I can see driving 2 1/2 hrs to KC to get a . something CC of saline.....I also know I am going to need an over night stay in the hospital because I dont do too well with surgery...and I dont want to be driving back home for 2 1/2 hrs right after having surgery..that would NOT BE TOO GOOD AT ALL....but I love the way the doc introduced himself....you NEVER hear of doc's acting like that...at least NONE of the docs I HAVE EVER EVER HAD!!!

[TracyinKS 7]

First CONGRATS on making a decision!

Second.. attend several seminars and take your hubby to at least ONE of them.. I know this helped mine understand it much better.

They get freaked out because its human nature to resist change and if he is like mine... they wanted to know how it would affect HIM. It is mentally hard for HIM to see me eat so little, but he is getting used to it. It is Mentally hard to go into a buffet and pay $15 for a cup of Soup...... but YOU WILL GET OVER IT, because you are full and not feeling deprived of food.

That is the best feeling ever......... to be FULL.. to FORGET to eat! freaking amazing......

Pre Band we would go out for mexican.........

I would eat:

1 basket of chips and salsa

1 order of chicken fahita's with extra shells

and whatever was left on my sons plate.

plus at least 3 glasses of diet coke

NOW:

1 or 2 chips w/ salsa

1 crunchy taco OR 1 cup of chicken tortilla Soup

PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!