Intro and concerns

[KikiM 0]

Hi everyone

I am 42, married, no kids, busy with 4 jobs. One of them is writing restaurant reviews. Some things are going to have to change there.

I have type II diabetes, practically no "good" cholesterol and chronic pain issues that make it hard to work out.

My relationship with food is somewhat self-comforting, but I am so into it as a hobby - studying regional cuisines, writing about it, photographing it, cooking, blogging...I guess if Al Roker could do it I can. Just in moderation and maybe becoming obsessed with finding the healthiest recipes or something.

My Dr has been trying to get me to have the lap band for years. Although I am only 80 pounds over my ideal weight, by BMI is crazy and my waist measurement is 44. Family history of stroke and heart attack add to his fears for me. Tomorrow I am going to go in and tell him I have made my decision and to start the process.

I am just so afraid to be cut into - the Drs have also been trying to get my uterus out for years but I am so freaked out about operations. I am having panic attacks now that I have decided to do this. Maybe that will affect my psych eval? I have depression and anxiety, but research shows women with depression show marked improvement 1 year after lap-banding so maybe it will be OK.

I don't know if they x-ray or ultrasound first - my family weirdly has their appendix behind the stomache instead of where it belongs. I don't know - weird farm inbreeding??? My brother almost died because his appendix burst while they insisted it was heartburn. They had to open my uncle up in 3 places before they found his. Also there might be endometriosis in there - no clue. Maybe I am full of candy and prizes like a pinata.

Anyways, it seems of all the expert sites the forums are always know the most and give the best advice, so here I am, putting myself in your hands.

[rhondalou117 1]

Congratulations and welcome! You have chosen one of the safest WLS out there. Is the plan to do a hyst with your lap-band?

[Jodi_620 37]

Welcome KikiM! I really enjoyed your post...you sound like such a fun person.

As for the anxiety of surgery, it is truly nowhere near what we build it up to be in our heads. I remember the first surgery I had, I was having nighmares for days leading up to it and was shaking so bad in pre-op they brought me heated blankets thinking I was shivering. But the surgery was not even close to being as bad as I thought. I am not sure your fear will affect your psych evaluation but it is a good place to discuss your anxieties. And make sure your surgeon knows about the special place you keep your appendix so that he/she can account for it.:biggrin:

As long a you are ready for it, this is a wonderful tool to lose weight and become healthier. You will still be able to eat alot of those wonderful foods, just in a much smaller quantity. And there may be some foods that you won't be able to tolerate.

I wish you luck through this process, it is a big step to take but so very worth it.

[fresca 0]

Like a pinata - LOL. I too have a unusual relationship with food. I like to cook, take lots of cooking classes, collect cookbooks, and am always searching for unusual and unique dishes to make and try.

Please take care of yourself and really consider the lap band now while you are still young. I had my lapband surgery on February 26th. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. I am now on the right track, lost 44 lbs, my BMI down from 43 to 34, and I am off all three diabetes medications. I still enjoy my food but in very limited amounts. Good luck and please consider the lap band.

[skinipete 0]

Trust me...you will still be able to eat what you love. Just not in the same volumes (yes, I WAS a VOLUME eater). The cool thing about it is, it WILL be enough.

The surgery? The only thing I took afterward was liquid Tylenol. It didn't hurt but I ached. However, after you hop on the scales after a week or 2, you will forget about that!:biggrin:

Good vibes coming to you from Fla!

[KikiM 0]

I don't know what they will do if they find endometriosis. I assumed they would go back for it later. Maybe my repro endocrinologist will have to be at the ready in the OR. Maybe I can just tell them to keep taking organs out until I look thinner.

I resisted the "old" surgeries because I do love food, and heard so many awful stories of people drinking awful chalky diet drinks and vomitng on themselves in airplanes and having to sit there like that - eeek!

But this sounds perfect for me - my problem is not so much self-control as a huge appetite and curiosity about food. But it looks like I can maybe choose to have the lap band not taken down as tightly. I still want to eat maybe 4 oz of food. I could happily live with a deck of cards for a meal. I only need one bite of foods to be able to review them. Also, Carnation Instant Breakfast was mentioned and I can totally live with that. Even the sugar-free kind.

What kinds of foods aren't tolerated? I heard that healthy foods like lettuce can by hard to digest. I noticed someone else saying here that they learned which foods would "slip through" the band and I immediately imagined a diet of Skittles and M&Ms.

[Jodi_620 37]

Four ounces is very reasonable and probably about what you will be able to eat in a meal.

The types of foods not tolerated vary. Some people can eat pretty much anything. I can't eat bread, it gets stuck every time. I tolerate lettuce just fine. Dry and/or fibrous meats are sometimes a problem for me. I was also told that fibrous veggies can get stuck too (asparagus, celery etc.) Basically, if you can't chew it to mush in your mouth you could have a problem with it getting stuck.

The foods that slip through the band are soft foods like ice cream. Pre-op and while healing you eat softer foods, first liquids (shakes, carnation instant Breakfast, broth) then mushies (baby food consistency) but once you are on solids you should focus on denser high nutrient foods that will stay in your stoma and keep you full longer whereas the Protein shakes and soft foods although easier to get down slip through the band faster and leave you hungry sooner. I was told not to replace any of my meals with Protein Shakes for that very reason. My surgeon says that Protein Shakes should be thought of as a supplement, not a meal.

[KikiM 0]

What does it feel like when food gets stuck? How do you un-stick it?

[HeatherO 7]

Really the surgery was a breeze. I realized afterwards that all that panic and sleepless nights were unnecessary :0). I was a little uncomfortable when I first woke up from surgery because I felt cold and shivery and my throat hurt more than anything else. I couldn't even feel my stomach. I was walking around ok fine the next day. The only slightly difficult thing was getting up or down which required the use of more abdominal muscles.

I also love different dishes, textures, tastes and love to experiment with cooking. To be honest with you, I think I really enjoy foods now much more than I ever did before. Before, after the first bite or two I was just eating to eat and things lost their taste, not to mention the uncomfortable guilt I always felt afterwards.

Now I eat and savor each bite which is a whole new frame of reference. Best of all, a bite or two really, truly satisfies me in a way it never did before.

The only thing I had to learn is that taste testing as I cook means I can't eat dinner with my family. A couple of bites and I am finished :0).

[Jodi_620 37]

What does it feel like when food gets stuck? How do you un-stick it?

You will get pain an/or you will slime.

Have you ever taken a drink and swallowed wrong and got the intense pain down your esophogus? That is the closest comparison I can make. Only the pain moves up instead of down and can last longer.

Your body may "unstick" it by

1. Burping it up. (PB'ing). You will burp and the stuck food will come back up to your mouth.
   
2. Sliming. The stomach makes excess phelgm to try and wash it up.
   

Or sometimes you just have to wait it out. :eek:

I have read here not to take a drink while stuck but my surgeon told me to try Water and it worked for me. I took a hard swallow and the Water immediately came right back up with the stuck piece of food.

Edited July 22, 2008 by Jodi_620

[KikiM 0]

Thanks everyone.

I am so discouraged. I went to the DR today and he said he doesn't recommend the lapband. He recommends gastric bypass. I spoke to my husband who was in the original appt with me and he verifies that it was lap-band the Dr suggested and I am not crazy.

The Dr says gastric changes your metabolism, is more effective and you lose weight much more quickly. He asked why I didn't research it more and I said, "I spent a month researching LAP BANDS, which is what you TOLD ME." It makes me wonder how thoroughly he has considered the treatment's appropriateness for me if he just suddenlt changes. Maybe the gastro salesman just took him out on his yacht.

He was also concerned about band slippage. I asked, "What is going to happen? Will it wrap itself around my duodenum and kill me?" He said No, they would just re-do it and I was like, and that is more drastic than having them cut my intestines and take parts of them out and re-connect them to my stomach in a different way? I'll take the belt replacement any day.

I don't know. Maybe he gets me confused with other patients. he said, "Well, we have to do SOMETHING." So he will accept lapband tho it is not his favorite. He said some insurances may require 6 months of "medically supervised diet" like Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem first, but that the psych stuff and med requirements should be easy to pass. He said if I don't have to do 6 months of diet, it should be done asap.

He is the top endocrinologist for Diabetes in the world. In spite of the weird bait-and-switch there are no better Drs out there. And I would still have the lap band people to counsel me in a more sensitive fashion. I also got a therapist referral.

I have to go to work now and I'm trying not to cry, so thanks for being here for me.

Edited July 23, 2008 by KikiM

[Annie0341 0]

A co-worker of mine had the bypass a year ago, she was heavy but not what they would call morbidly obese. She now looks gaunt and sickly,just skin and bone. Definatley not what I hope to look like when all is said and done. She said she went for the bypass because it's faster,however she can't stop losing the weight.

Sadly we are nurses, and it's tough to see her go down like she is. That surgery really scares me.

I know the lap abnd is the way I need to go.

[HeatherO 7]

Really this is such a personal choice. Doctors are there to guide us but we ultimately must live in these bodies. Do your research on both and make the best decision for you. You can always write down pros and cons of each and do a little soul searching as well.

There are a lot of people that do really wonderful with band or bypass. There are others who have trouble losing, regain or have serious complications. I think that is why it is so important that you make the best decision for yourself. No one knows you and your needs better than you.

It sounds like ultimately he will perform either option. If he is top of the line and very experienced, I would still consider doing the surgery with him. I would take an experienced proven surgeon any day without regards to personality before I would take a newbie with great bedside manner.

I am sorry that your doctor has you so confused. I would be feeling the same as you. Good luck with whichever option you decide.

[KikiM 0]

Thanks everyone. I will keep you updated.