First Time Post

[rhepting 0]

First I would like to commend everyone who is a part of this site from the individual considering banding to pre-op to post-op all the way to the experienced. Thank you all for coming together and sharing you concerns, fears, triumphs, setbacks, and stumbles along the way.

I will try to be brief however, I will like to share my story. I am 43 years old and I have always had a problem trying to keep my weight down to a recommended level. Over the last few years I have tried a number of diets but I have always gained the weight back. I would usually lose between 20 -40lbs and then I would just stop. As most of you probably already know, this can be very disheartening.

I have been considering banding for the last two years and have researched it periodically but I didn't follow through because of the concern that my insurance would not help cover the cost. Well, to by surprize, I found out last week that they will now cover 85% of the cost, Thank You God.

Here is where I stand now, as I mentioned I am 43yrs old, 6 feet tall and weigh (as of yesterday's doctors' visit) 350 lbs which gives me a BMI of about 47. I currently have Atril Fibrilation ( I won't go into detail but you can read about it on Webmd) which my cardiologist expects was cause by a childhood infection. I also have sleep apnia and a degenerated disk in my lower back. If I don't make some changes in my life, the next thing on the list is going to be Diabetes. This is not by any means a pity party, I am just trying to let you know my story. I have been married to a wonderful woman for 4 1/2 years and I have 26yr old & 20yr old stepdaughters and God blessed us with a wonderful son 3 yrs ago. If all this isn't motivation to make a major change in my life, I don't know what is.

Here is where I am now. I met with my regular doctor yesterday for the needed consultation & refferals and he is behind my decision 100%. I am scheduled for my psych eval in two days and I see know reason why I shouldn't pass that step. I am waiting on a telephone call for my first appointment with the surgeon I have picked (who has been recommended by one of my wife's co-workers who was banded in March of 2009).

So I am on my way and I am very positive about the whole idea of being banded. I know that I may not be all roses but I have to much to concentrate on to help me through any of the low times, plus I feel pretty confident that I can always post here for help.

Sorry to draw this out but hopefully my situation and decisions may help someone else out there

Rhepting

[john47 0]

Hi Rhepting,

We have a lot in common; this is also my first post, I am a 47 y/o male from the UK. And weigh 305lbs. I have suffered from AF periodically over the last 15 years. Most recently was 6 months ago when I had Cardioversion to shock it back into normal rhythm. Luckily enough my local health authority recently agreed funding for my weight loss surgery and referred me to a private hospital for the procedure. I recently had my first appointment with them and am now just waiting for my surgery date.

I have to admit, although I am desperate for the surgery, I am also feeling nervous. My wife does not want me to have the procedure and neither do my parents. However, the weight is making me feel so low at the moment that I know there is no alternative.

The people at the hospital were fantastic, and had all undergone surgery themselves. They were so welcoming and friendly that it has gone a long way to ease my fears. Now I just want it done as soon as possible and look forward to my new life.

John

[johnmordecai 0]

I'm exactly where you are, except a little older and in a little better shape. Just had the surgery 8 days ago. It's the preventative aspect of it that I find the most appealing and useful; the idea that if I do this and do it right I won't get diabetes and I will be taking active steps against heart disease and what's more be a better father to my two small children. In my 30s my dieting was always about, basically, women--and I would get thin and get involved with somebody crazy and beautiful and get fat again. Now I've been married for eight years and I have an entirely different motivation for weight loss. And I think this one will stick.

[PATCHELTON 0]

Congratulations all of you, for your decision. For the poster whose family is not supportive, explain to them that the band is simply a tool to restrict portions, and it is still up to you to choose to eat healthy and exercise. If you need motivation, consider my story:

Top weight 252. My idea of working out was to go to Curves, then stop at the local pizza parlor, pick up a 12-15 inch pizza with pepperoni/green peppers/onions/extra cheese and then eat the ENTIRE pizza! I would tell myself that at least I was getting some veggies in with the peppers and onions. I would eat until stuffed.

Did 6 month supervised diet for insurance (lost 10 lbs), was put on liquid diet before surgery (lost 25 lbs), had surgery 3/25/08, and this morning I weighed 139.8 which is roughly 112 lbs lost.

I was wearing 22 womens, now misses size 10, and with work clothes I have gone from 2X to small-medium. I had every co-morbidity except diabetes (sleep apnea, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, reflux, and knee arthritis). I was on 2 meds for blood pressure, one for reflux, one for arthritis, and 2 for cholesterol. I now take only one for blood pressure, and the pain medicine for arthritis as needed. My cholesterol is normal, the reflux and apnea have resolved.

What do I do? I don't hardly eat bread anymore (it gets chewy and can get stuck), and I designed a crustless pizza that I can make in the microwave when I have the urge (I still have peppers and onions, but I used Turkey Pepperoni which is 70% less fat, and fat free shredded cheese on top--so it satisfies the Protein first requirement, is almost completely fat free, and I can't eat NEAR what I used to). I read labels like a maniac (if you have a Trader Joe store near you, they have a Greek yogurt that you can get fat free with 22 grams Protein per cup, and only 6g sugar, naturally occurring milk sugar--I divide it into four half cup servings, and add sugar free preserves for fruit flavoring, so I get 11g protein and only 3 sugar). I try to minimize fat, sugar, and salt. Some people do low carb, but some carbs are healthy so I don't. I look for cereals that are low in sugar, like original Cheerios (or Joe's O's at Trader Joe). I use light salad dressings and mayo (dietician told us they are lower in sugar than fat free), drink light Soy Milk (lower in sugar than skim milk). My stand by quick dinner is chicken caesar salad (grilled chicken breast with Pam or Olive Oil, fresh Romaine, hard boiled egg, Parmesan cheese, light caesar dressing, and fat free croutons.

For exercise I don't do anything fancy. I still belong to Curves (just for women-sorry guys), but mostly I walk in a park near home. They have a nature trail that is about 1.5 miles or so, and I carry peanuts to feed the squirrels and ducks. I don't walk all that fast; I mainly go for distance. Curves is my backup for bad weather or darkness in winter. I also have a multi-class ticket for Water aerobics, and the county I live in has a nice fitness room at the local rec center that costs all of $2 a month. Mostly I walk, though.

I hope this helps, and good luck on your journey.

[rhepting 0]

John47 - Thanks for the reply. I had Cardioversion once & it only stuck for about 2 weeks. I plan to try again once I get my weight down. About your family, are they concerned about the procedure itself or the fact that you are getting banded. Any medical procedure can cause concern but this is a pretty inevasive one at that. If it is the banding that they are concerned about, well, you need to do what is right for you first and hopefully they will see that you are doing this for them also. Hang in there and stand you ground as you need.

RHepting

Edited July 28, 2009 by rhepting
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[RestlessMonkey 7]

Welcome! I hope you find the band to be marvelous; I love mine. Truly. (can one love silicone?)

As to unsupportive family...my husband (long term RN who confused this with gastric and after years in a GI lab was imbued with horror of all WLS) went with me to the seminar, asked a LOT of questions, and came away on board. Surgery is scary but so is obesity. Education can help them calm their fears, if they are worred about you.

Anyway Nice to meet you RHepting!

[john47 0]

John47 - Thanks for the reply. I had Cardioversion once & it only stuck for about 2 weeks. I plan to try again once I get my weight down. About your family, are they concerned about the procedure itself or the fact that you are getting banded. Any medical procedure can cause concern but this is a pretty inevasive one at that. If it is the banding that they are concerned about, well, you need to do what is right for you first and hopefully they will see that you are doing this for them also. Hang in there and stand you ground as you need.

RHepting

Hi RHepting- I hope the Cardioversion works for you next time, it seems to work for me for a couple of years at a time, but then my heart seems to go crazy for no apparent reason. It’s happened 4 times over the last 15 years, I have had Cardioversion twice, and medication got it normal again the other two times.

The family are concerned because WLS has had a bad press in the UK, with scare stories about deaths, and operations going wrong etc.

However, my recent visit to the pre op team has gone a long way to remove their fears. The team couldn’t have been more helpful and because they had all had the same procedure, it felt good to talk to them and be able to ask questions.

This journey is going to be a long one, but reading these boards shows we will have support and friends to support us along the way, and that in itself is a big bonus.

[john47 0]

I hope this helps, and good luck on your journey.

It sure does, thanks for the support and advice