Help! Im having second thoughts.

[nurselori73 0]

Jeremy-I am a Registered Nurse and researched the options for over a year. Through my experiences as a nurse I personally would never have gastric bypass. You will have to decide what's right for you. I reviewed many,many research studies. I have taken care of many bypass patients. Some have died. What you are experiencing is normal. This is a big decision. I have co-workers also that have had bypass. It would have to be life or death for me personally to ever choose bypass. Remember too that the band is reversible and you could choose to have bypass later if the band does not turn out to be the right choice for you. Please, please look at the statistics for both before you reach your decision. Look at the morbidity rate for bypass. Having all the facts will ease your decision. But remember, it is your decision and your body.

[BGP 0]

Hi All,

I'm just in the beginning stages of thinking of going through with this and it is scarey, especially when I'm thinking of going out of the country which is what I'm thinking of.. going to Mexico to have the procedure done.. I'm in Canada..with the extreme cold here you'd think my mouth would freeze shut, but alas, my mouth is never closed long enough for that to happen..lol

Am I crazy going to Mexico? Does anyone have any last words before I actually talk myself out of this.. I'm really desperate and am sick of feeling like crap...(

I also need to know if my Hiatus hernia is giong to be a issue.. I am guessing it will have to be fixed or tied down in order to have the band.. (

Tired of the heartburn too..

BGP

[nurselori73 0]

I'm thinking of going to mexico too. I work in a hospital and one of the surgeons here is going to start doing them. I would be his first. He would have a proctor there to oversee but still scares me. But it would be free. So right now i'm weighing the options. do i go with the surgeon whose never done one and have it be free of charge or do i go to mexico to the surgeon who has done over 5000 procedures and get a loan? HELP!!!!

[Big-D 0]

I know there have been people with successful surgeries in Mexico, but personally, I wouldn't do it. I'd rather deal with someone local than someone out of the country.

After you get back, if there are complications, you will probably have a hard time getting an American doctor to help. I can see where a doctor might be perturbed to have to deal with someone else's screwup with a patient that expects everything to be fixed when that patient didn't want that doctor to do it in the first place. Especially if that doctor saw the patient initially and may have done the pre-op work for the surgery down in Mexico.

If it became life threatening, then whoever is there at the emergency room would handle it, so then you would have no control over your care whatsoever.

Just my 2 cents.

Regards,

Danny

[LINY1074 0]

ooo boy did i have 2nd thoughts but im so glad i did it cus if i didnt i probably wouldnt get off the couch lol i was banded 7/26/07 have lost 42 lbs. & lots of inches down 2 pant sizes you should really be drinking Protein Shakes Protein is so important also you gotta know excersise is very important i workout 4-5 a week w/out it i definatly wouldnt be where i am it really gets easier expecially when you get to mushie stage good luck

[Sue Magoo 71]

Jeremy:

Please stick with it. You won't regret it.

I had a huge amount of weight to lose, and I'm already more than halfway there and it's only been six months since banding. I dieted for three months before banding because I just couldn't stand the pounds anymore and also because I didn't want to be turned down because my bmi was too high.

The pre-surgery diet seems like starvation, but it's meant to give you a big jump start to decrease the size of your liver which makes your surgery safer. I think that the pre-surgery limitations are the hardest part of being banded. It's the only time that I've been really hungry. The rest of the time I've gotten hungry a few times, but it's more like my brain is hungry, not my belly.

I believe that Lapband is the safest choice in today's world. I'm thinking that over the next 20 years the scientists and doctors are going to develop the magic solution to obesity. Lapband is the only reversible solution at the current time, so do what is best for now that leaves options open for the future. You're a young person that may see many changes over your lifetime. Please keep the future options open by not making drastic changes to your body now - lapband is minimal and reversible.

I hope that the rest of this goes smoothly and easier for you. I recall trying to do lots of things that didn't involve food while I was on the pre-op liquid diet. For me, that meant alot of showers, swimming, and walking. I got bitchy about it, but it's a short-term issue.

Take care and best wishes.

Sue

[Sue Magoo 71]

Liny1074:

We're bandmates. I got my band 7/26/07 too.

I agree that exercising helps so much. I walk 4 to 5 miles per day 6 days per week. I give myself one day off, or only do one or two miles on that 7th day. I have a great mp3 player and I really enjoy the walking now. I know that in the next few months I've got to start to do some strength training too. Not looking forward to going to a gym, but don't have room for equipment at home. What kind of working out do you do?

Sue

[Big-D 0]

Well, I assume you've done it. So how are you doing?

[SorrowsChild 0]

Jeremy,

The diet you are currently on, sounds more like a post op diet rather than pre-op. My current pre op diet is 2 Protein shakes and one small meal a day, like a Lean Cuisine, or Smart One frozen dinner. The idea was to keep it at 1000 -1200 calories a day. However, you body still requires nutrients, and 2 puddings a day are not going to give you that. Please check the diet with your doctor!

[jaylow 1]

Hi Jeremy,

I feel just like you. My doctor has put me on a one month high Protein low carb diet. I am thinking if I can live like this I will not need the lap band. Than the other half of me wakes up. The one that has lost weight repeatedly and never keeps it off. Now I'm the biggest I've ever been. I think I need to go through with it but question myself 20 times a day.

[Jessie Ward 0]

I was on a liquid diet with no solid food for 2 weeks prior to my band on Nov. 14th 2007. It was well worth it. I am 3 months in and I have lost 33 pounds and 30 inches and have dropped 3 pants sizes. I had my first fill 4 weeks ago and am having my second fill today. I feel great and I have more energy than I have had in a long time. I go to the gym and exercise 3 times a week. Hang in there you will be glad you did. Jessie:wink2:

[Jessie Ward 0]

I forgot to tell you the reason for the liquid diet prior to your banding. They want to get the fat away from the liver so they can lift it safely away from the stomach. If you dont get the fat down around the liver they will have to do an open incision to get where they need to be so as to move the liver without damaging it. JESSIE

[li33ymint 0]

Hi jo anne, i just read ur reply to someone who is having scond thoughts, what a nice thing u said to them pray; it will help pls pray with me cause i am worried 2. i get a lot of reflux and it may get worse when i get fills, can u still loose without fills if u diet and eat healthy foods ie: protien salad veggies fruit, and will i feel fuller than without op or have i got to have fills? don't know what 2 do i have op on 9th feb slf pay lot of money if i am in pain with reflux constantly, i have gaviscone advance it's thick and coats linning of stomach it's great, also take meds? hope u can help answer my questions. God Bless li33y.

[Jeremy 0]

Im alright i dont seem to get full when i eat though. I start mushis a couple days ago and eat my cup of whatever and dont have a full feeling. Do you?

[Jeremy 0]

Also to Li33ymint my acid reflux is gone i had severe acid reflux before my band took a nexium every morning and a few tums at night. since the surgery i havent taken the nexium or tums. Im not positive this is from the surgery or from the fact that im not eating the way i was befor the band hope this helps. Jeremy