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I'm going to my first appointment tomorrow. Can anyone provide any questions I should ask? I know the basics that you can find on websites, i'm just wondering if there's anything that the experienced have asked or wished they would have asked. :sneaky: thanks :thumbup:

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I'd really done a lot of research before I went to my first seminar and didn't have a lot of band questions to ask--they were mostly practice-specific things, like what their pre-op diet consisted of. I also asked about the number of bands the surgeon had placed, the post-op diet, what kind of pain relievers they allowed, and what their fill policy was. There were more, but I can't think of them off of the top of my head :thumbup:

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The fill policy is a biggie. I would ask how aggressive the surgeon is with fills. I would want to know how long it is going to take to reach proper restriction and how frequently they will give you a fill. Some doc's make patients wait 6 weeks in between fills.

I see many people in these forums complaining because it has taken them so long to reach proper restriction. Some of them are taking 8 months to get there.

I have the older style band and at first worried it would become a problem at some point but it only took me 2 fills to get good restriction or my "sweet spot" so I began losing immediately.

Best of luck to you.

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thanks so much for the imput; had my first visit with the surgeon today and ask most of those questions. I'm approved and now have to participant in the 4 month weight management plan (ironic that i've spent the last 30 years on an unsuccessful one) but whatever the insurance company wants, they seem to get. :scared2:

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    • BabySpoons

      Sometimes reading the posts here make me wonder if some people just weren't mentally ready for WLS and needed more time with the bariatric team psychiatrist. Complaining about the limited drink/food choices early on... blah..blah...blah. The living to eat mentality really needs to go and be replaced with eating to live. JS
      · 2 replies
      1. Bypass2Freedom

        We have to remember that everyone moves at their own pace. For some it may be harder to adjust, people may have other factors at play that feed into the unhealthy relationship with food e.g. eating disorders, trauma. I'd hope those who you are referring to address this outside of this forum, with a professional.


        This is a place to feel safe to vent, seek advice, hopefully without judgement.


        Compassion goes a long way :)

      2. BabySpoons

        Seems it would be more compassionate not to perform a WLS on someone until they are mentally ready for it. Unless of course they are on death's door...

    • Theweightisover2024🙌💪

      Question for anyone, how did you get your mind right before surgery? Like as far as eating better foods and just doing better in general? I'm having a really hard time with this. Any help is appreciated 🙏❤️
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      1. NickelChip

        I had about 6 months between deciding to do surgery and getting scheduled. I came across the book The Pound of Cure by Dr. Matthew Weiner, a bariatric surgeon in Arizona, and started to implement some of the changes he recommended (and lost 13 lbs in the process without ever feeling deprived). The book is very simple, and the focus is on whole, plant based foods, but within reason. It's not an all or nothing approach, or going vegan or something, but focuses on improvement and aiming for getting it right 80-90% of the time. His suggestions are divided into 12 sections that you can tackle over time, perhaps one per month for a year if a person is just trying to improve nutrition and build good habits. They range from things like cutting out artificial sweetener or eating more beans to eating a pound of vegetables per day. I found it really effective pre-surgery and it's an eating style I will be working to get back to as I am further out from surgery and have more capacity. Small changes you can sustain will do the most for building good habits for life.

      2. Theweightisover2024🙌💪

        That sounds awesome. I'll have to check that out thanks!

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