Hey There!

[catfood37 0]

Hello out there.. This is my first post as I am now waiting for my LapBand which is sked for the 13th of October. I am a disabled vet after having lost a battle with gravity in my helicopter and compressing 7 vertebrae in my lower back. My orthopedist kept telling me to get this surgery and I finally came to grips with the thought that I won't ever be able to break the holy trinity of Pain, Excercise and Weight Loss. If it weren't for one thing, another may rear its head, or another or...I am sure many of you are in the same sitch.

My wife was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in Oct 04 and had a pretty rough go post operative with the initial removal and Tram Flap repair done that turned into a MRSA infection in the mesh and .....4 surgeries-4 years and 120 pounds later (thanks to Tamoxifen, sleep Apnea, Hyper, etc.. comorbidity hell) she will be getting a bypass, perhaps sleeve depending on what they find... She is scheduled for Sept 29, and although they told me that they can schedule me first, I want to be sure that she goes first in case something bad happens to me and I would preclude her from her little hospital stay and recovery time. My band is scheduled for the 13th, and being a tad superstitious if it would have been a Friday I would have had to let it slip another few days or so...

Sorry for deviating from the intro- If anybody has a pain pump installed any advice if required would be appreciated, same with those taking Warfarin. So, can anyone tell me what the diff is between the Realize and LapBand are, 'cept for the electronic links? I know the band is different itself but is there any proven studies documenting one being substantially better than the other? Don't know if this is the place to ask ?'s re the pre-surgical Atkins Diet-

Back to intro- started the paperwork in early May, met with the Nutrition folks in mid-May, received my authority on August 1st and will get my final Eval in a week or so... Dr. Landerholm (Edmonds, WA)will be doing the procedure up here North of Seattle. I will learn where to appropriately ask questions about the LapBand and a pain-pump and living with Warfarin.....Any directions on where to go for these issues would be greatly appreciated- Hope to learn from you all- Thanx in Advance!

Matt

[Missprdiva 0]

Let me be the first to say welcome! And Thank you for serving our country!