PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

I got my appointment in the mail today for the Orientation:thumbup:. The bummer is that it is 2 hours away!! I have to remember to take this one, small step at a time. I have decided to tell more people than I had originally decided. I figured that the people I will tell are my family and very best friends. These people love me, care about me and should not judge me nor make me feel bad or guilty for wanting to be healthy and make a positive change in my life. Anyhoo...Im going to ask my a friend to join me at the Orientation so that someone else is also hearing the same info. What can I expect at the orientation?

Coming closer to my surgery date I am thinking more and more about the possibility to keep the lap band a secret. Sure, my husband knows that I will have the band placed end of the month, but I am really unsure about whom I should tell about the surgery. Who else needs to know? I didn't tell any friends so far. I am scared of their reaction and wonder if they need to know at all. My parents live in another country (several thousand miles away), and I don't want every phone call start with the question: and, did you loose any weight? Yep, they can be like that and are not very sensitive about my struggle with obesity since I was a child. We (or they) visit once a year.…

Ok, so it's now less than a month until I am banded. I am really excited that I am finally having this done. I had been wanting this done for about 4 or 5 years now, but never had it done because I saw no use in it being with my ex-hubby. Now I have a wonderful hubsand and wonderful children and I'm ready to get my life back on track. Only thing is, I'm really nervous about this surgery. I have had several surgeries in my life and I can only remember 1 time I was this nervous and I was only about 15 or 16 at the time. So, if there is anyone out there that can help me settle these butterflies in my stomach about blood clots and all the other stuff the doctors have…

HI! I was just wondering what size and types of band you have been banded with. My son-in-law's doctor uses a size 14. His father on the other hand was banded with a size 4. One doctor I spoke with wanted to use a 10 and another wanted to use the Realize band that expands to a 9. What does "expand to" mean?" Does that mean it isn't really a 9. I so want to make the right choice. Help! PLEASE! What do you have and what worked for you! Thank you

Does anyone know who came up with the idea of the lap band? I want to find a way to contact them and tell them how grateful I am to them! If you have any idea, please let me know.

I'm new here & I hav questions.Can anyone here help me ? Diann

Hey all ... Okay so I got the my date for surgery!!!! August 8!!! 8-8 08 Hell ya!!! LOL I just have a few concerns... I am in a wedding in Sept 20th to be exact... I don't want to be sick and only be on liquids and mush food... I will have been 6 weeks post op... do you think I will be okay to eat regular foods.. just chew.. chew... chew.. lol ... I am sooo excited... I can't wait..

I was just wondering if anyone has had experience with Dr. Nick Nicholson at Baylor Medical in Plano Texas. He is performing my surgery in a couple of weeks and really don't know a whole lot about him. Just was wondering, I am extremely nervous...........I have never had surgery before or put to sleep. Pray for me please....................... Scared in Texas!!:smile2:

Can anyone tell me what the problem is with rice and bread after surgery??? I am so hungry right now I could eat my shoe :thumbup: My husband had chicken and pasta for dinner and I was so tempted to taste it but didn't

I live in Great Falls, Mt and was wondering if there was anyone out there who has been banded here and which dr. they recommend? Thanks for any input you can give!

Hello, I am getting banded in about a month...I am in a full time program for school, and I go 4 days a week, and only have 3 months left and CAN NOT miss any school. I scheduled my procedure on a Wednesday, so that way I only miss one school day. I plan to go back that following Monday. I do sit for about 2 hours at a time, with a 5 min break in the middle, but my day at school is only 5 hours with an hour lunch. Do you think giving myself 4 full days of rest will be enough for me to return to school? If I do, what kind of pain will I experience, if any? Thanks

OK, so I just started this process about 4 weeks ago and I got a call yesterday from the surgeon telling me that I need my psych eval asap. I have already had that scheduled and they knew it so I could not figure out this phone call. When I called them back , I was advised that it was approved and just waititng for that! I could not and still cannot believe it!!! Now I am really nervous, I did not expect it to happen so fast. No 6 month diet or anything!! WOW! I will keep you updated, I get my surgery date next week!! Wish me luck!!!

OK so I wrote in here about 2 weeks ago. I was on the table ready for surgery when my Dr. looked at my chart and saw I gained 8lbs back from the 17 I had lost and cancelled my surgery. I was then schedule to see another Dr in her clinic to help with diet. He put me on a liquid diet allowing me 2 salads a day telling me he wanted me to have about 900 calories a day. I have been doing a shake for breakfast then about a cup of salad for lunch and a couple pieces of turkey then I someday's have a 1/2 cup of veggies in afternoon to get me to dinner then I have a small salad and meat for dinner. I realize this isn't the diet he put me on but after doing research found more peop…

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone could recommend a liquid Vitamin w/iron. I have had no luck finding one and I really am not doing well with the chewables. I think they taste like chalk. I tried walmart chewables, Flinstones and a few others and I truly do not like them. I know Vitamins are an important part of our diets and need to find something fast as my surgery date is fast approaching. Please help!

Hey everyone, I have been researching lap banding like crazy and I am excited and scared! I know this is a life style change, and I am MORE than willing to do that, I just have this fear that I am only going to be able to eat rabbit bites of everything, and not enjoy eating with my family. I don't want or expect to eat like I do now, but I do want to enjoy some of my favorite food every once in a while. Can anyone tell me what its like to eat after the surgery, like when you hit your goal weight? I plan on being very strict to get to my goal weight, but I hope that one day I can enjoy certain foods . I guess I just don't know what to expect, and am scared of t…

Hello to all, I was told to quit smoking pre op 1 month before surgery. Well surgery is less than two weeks away (29th) and I have still yet to quit smoking! Anyone know why they want me to do this? Has anyone else smoked all the way up to surgery and if so, did everything go okay for you? It is so hard for me to quit in this stressful time...THANKS FOR READING, DEBBIE :frown: :mad: :ohmy: :lol: :confused2: :thumbup: :thumbup: :mad2: :thumbup: :confused:

Hi. I got my date yesterday. September 15th. I had more choices than that, but that seemed like a good round number. I thought I’d be excited like I was the first time around. I’m not. I’m kind of scared. I’m telling myself that it’s understandable since the first one failed. I’m about 30 pounds lighter now though and I’m going to keep up with the liquid diet until the surgery date. There will be no “last supper syndrome” for me this time. Anyway, I just wanted to say hello to the September Lappies, wave, cross my fingers, pray if you’d like and just give an all around “Way to #*$)%ing go!!” :tt2::w00t::eek::w00t::thumbup::scared2::smile::tongue::thumbup::biggrin…

I have read a lot about people having a gall bladder exam before their surgery. But I already have had my gall bladder removed, does anyone think that is going to be a problem??? I had it removed two months after I gave birth to my baby so it has been 2 years next month since my surgery. I was just wondering if anyone else had their gall bladder removed before having lap band surgery or if it might cause a problem?? TIA

Hi all, I am self-pay from the beginning unfortunately. My insurance does not cover anything to do with weight loss surgeries. For those of us who don't have to qualify for insurance, what is the pre-surgical process like? Do we still have to do all the weigh ins?

Hi All, I have bcbs IL and was told that I needed a referral from PCP to do lap band, no other requirements. My PCP Group requires 6m supervised diet. Do I really go on low cal diet and exercise and work it for 6 months. I bet I could lose 30lbs. Problem is that I have a BMI of 36(w/htn, dm2, carpal tunnel, oa). I don't know what these people really want. I am sure if I lose a bunch of weight they will deny me and I will be crushed. The problem has never been losing, it's keeping it off. I will lose the weight in 6 months and in 2 years I will have blown up and added more. If anyone knows what is really expected out of the 6m diet please let me know. I just don't want…

Well I attended DR. Maremas Seminar tonight in st. augustine, fl. It was pretty good i think. He seemed alright he seemed to push the gastric bypass more than the band, but i know i will NOT get bypass, he also seemed to like the realize band more than lapband, not sure why he said he likes the contour more i dont know, but i will research both, does anyone have the realize band? Well i weighed in my weight was still 230, bmi was 40.5. So i'm not sure if when i go approval they will go off that what that says, or whatever weight i am at when they submit my approval, i still have to do the 6 month diet.But the insurance lady said my bcbs ppo state employee plan was the bes…

I am excited and NERVOUS at the same time. I went for my consult with a surgeon on June 18 and here I am already approved one month later with a tentative surgery date of 8/21. I still have to do the nutritionist visit and the psyche eval and I also have an appointment with a cardiologist, then get medical clearance from my primary. I don't expect there to be any problem with all that. The surgeon is really nice and answered all my questions. I was concerned about band slippage, hair loss, not getting enough nutrition, having a foreign object inside you. I mentioned some of the not too pretty stories I read on this site. He took his time and went over things and was rea…

Well I finally am at peace with my decision. When talking to the young lady she began to address my fears and explain things very calmly and clearly. I guess I just needed reassurance. I left out the office knowing that this is going to be a good thing in the long run but everything good usually takes effort... So come August 1st I will be banded and ready to start my new life... Also I would like a buddy I would like one close by but however I will love email buddies too this will give me the support of someone knowing how I feel... Kinda like AA for bandsters.

Hi everyone: this is the first posting I've done on this site and reading about everyone's experience is helpful and confusing too. My friend just decided on the bypass. Her surgeon told her that he went to conference recently in Europe and the doctors there are now very against the lapband after the years they've been working with it. My surgery is 7-22 and of course my surgeon is not exactly objective. Tell me what you've heard if anyone can. Thanks so much!

I went for my consultation today and the doctor told me I had to get off of birth control for a month before and a month after the surgery. Can anyone explain to me why this is ABSOLUTELY necessary and if anyone was told differnet???

Hello everyone, I am interested in having the lap band surgery and have started the process but I don't have a primary care physician. Does anyone know of a good doctor in my area that is lap band friendly? Please help, I have to follow a medically supervised diet for 6 months in order for my surgery to be covered by my insurance. Also, the physician has to write a letter of recommendation. Thanks

I just got banded today and I forgot to ask if it is o.k. to sleep on my side, does anyone know?

Ok so I finally decided to do the LapBand, I called my insurance (GreatWest) and they told me they do cover the surgery but only under these conditions 1. BMI over 35 (Which im there) 2. Weight management history which includes all of the following: A- Five year history of morbid obesity with an BMI of 35+ B - Review of weight management for at least the preceding 2 years C- Participation in a weight loss program for 6 months (within the last 2 yrs) with hart notes that include documentation of ALL of the following: 1.A dietary program for weight loss which consist of a low calorie diet. 2. At least monthly clinical encounters with healthcare professional who d…

Hello Everyone, I have been reading through this forum for 2 hours....and I have some questions about the lab band. I am currently 85 pounds overweight, and my BMI is at 37%. I am going to the seminar tonight to start the process to see if I qualify. I have PCOS and that is why I gained this weight. I have never had a weight problem growing up, just in the last 6 years this weight has slowly crept on. I have always been athletic and I know once I lose the weight I will be able to keep it off, but because of my hormone imbalance its almost impossible for me to lose the weight. I am wondering if anyone here has had this done who was in a similar position as me? I a…

I live in Maine and have what they call Maine Care, I was wondering if anyone knew if they will pay for Lap Band and if so do they have a waiting period? and all the gym and diet requirements? I can'nt affrod a gym have they ever heard of people on a limited income? lol. My mother in-law had the by-pass years ago and suffers from SO many complications from it. I DO NOT want that done. The band seems like something for me cause when I loose weight I keep it off for the most part, but they consider me on high weight side on Dr's chart that I am still 107 pounds over weight. I have had 3 kids back to back over the last 5 years and after each one I kept 50 pounds. I am under …

well, I know I haven't visited here in a while, busy with work, convention prep, doctor appointments... but I just got my surgery date today!!! I'm going to be banded on Tuesday, August 5th!!:eek:

The Bariatric center I am going to go through has a requirement that you need a specific support person.. My sister and a close friend both went to the seminar with me, and I have a husband also.. My sister immediately started naming off all the things I was going to have to change before we even left the building, one being junk food in the house.. which I can't afford, and can't and haven't eaten for more then two years, along with other comments.. My friend called me 2 days after the seminar to tell me she wasn't going through with it because her friend was in the hospital with an ulcer and had to have the band removed... Her friend never quit smoking even after she wa…

Hi everyone my name is tammy i haven't been banded yet. just wanted to know if any one has had their band 5 years, 10 years and what can i expect down the road.

I decided to go through with the surgery some time in MAY and went to a required seminar in June. Got all my paperwork I needed to sign, no pregnacy, smoking, etc. in July,, now just waiting for my first appointment which is with the shrink.. I was totally into this and determined to lose some weight, recording everything I eat,, (for current dietician) and was exercising again.. Now that I'm just waiting for an appointment I'm slipping, how do I stay motivated. The surgery program I am going to put a new notice on their site today, that they are making almost everyone go on a pre diet even if your insurance doesn't require it,, mine doesn't, and that if you gain weight…

I'm STILL waiting for my paperwork to go to my insurance company but still am wondering about this. I'm comfortable with all the changes that will be necessary for my band to work. I know it will be hard work and I know its not an easy fix. What worries me most is something happening to me, either on the table or from complications afterwards. Its my husbands fear too (I think) since he's not completely on board with this yet. We have two small children and I just am scared something will happen to me. But at the same time, I really want to do this. I feel like I NEED to do this. For us all. Anyone else scared?

My surgeon requires me to follow a "liver shrink" diet for the two weeks preceeding surgery. Anyone else doing this?

I was wondering what type of anesthesia was used in the surgeries you all have had. Was it gas or IV? The reason I am asking is because I have had to under go many surgeries, as I was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate. I had other surgeries too, but I do remember a certain kind of IV anesthesia that was used and I could actually smell it and taste it when it went into my veins. It was soooo yucky. I was a little kid and STILL remember how it smelled/tasted. I just hope they won't use the same stuff. :frown: Also, how long did the procedure take? Thank you, Paulette

I got approved yesterday, scheduled for PreOp on the 16th, and surgery (with luck!) on the 24th. What I want to know is what everyone discussed at their PreOp appointments. I'm alternating between joy and fright right now and need to read some LBT to calm my nerves. :thumbup: TIA, Lisa

I was suppose to have surgery on 7-11-08 but because I did not lose 20 pounds the doctor got very upset and told me he would not do the surgery until I lose the 20 pounds. I have been waiting a long time for my insurance to cover this surgery and I was scared if I did lose weight they would not cover me so I was not strick about losing the weight. I have been working on losing the weight I have two weeks to do it. This has really upset me. I have about 180 lbs to lose. Was anyone required to lose weight before surgery.

I am getting the lap band surgery.whoo hoo! I have always been over weight all my life and have fought to get some sort of surgery for years thinkin it was the only answer. My husband even became apart of the isurance bored at his job to educate them on the benfits of the surgery . But being that i had no health problems at that present time they continued to say we are lookin into it . Only to be turned down several times b4 from other insurance companies. Well in Feb.2007 on my birthday I went to the dr. right after me and my girlfriend from work decided we were gonna go do weight watchers together . She had never done it and was scared but i had made my mind up it …

Does anyone know if it's safe to be on Accutane prior to surgery? My lapbnd surgery is scheduled for October 3rd and I'd like to be put on Accutane now to work on my adult acne. My derm's nurse's practitioner was all for it until I mentioned the surgery and then said she wasn't sure if it was ok for this type of surgery. So she gave me about 7 other products that I've been using for almost 6 weeks and they've made my skin worse!!! :embaressed_smile:

I just got back from the doctors, and while I showed a weight loss, he is still being 'assertive' with me that if I just ate 1500 cals a day, I would lose more. As I am one of the notorious one meal a day eaters, I think this is an unfair assessment. I have worked very hard since my hyster surgery in Dec to start eating regularly, and have been thrilled with the fact that I have started losing weight at all. My main focus has been identifying the signs of hunger, trying to chew slowly and completely (for practice), and to make sure I don't skip any meals. I am also making better choices with my meals, and trying to eat low carb Snacks and no-sugar Desserts. As my di…

I hope I'm not the only one who does this. First it was my blood pressure when I met with the surgeon. Got through that one ok. Now I'm imagining all sorts of other reasons. For example, a few weeks ago I developed a pretty bad infection on my leg. I went through tons of antibiotics until it was healed and my doctor gave me the go-ahead with the surgery. My WBC was elevated a bit prior to the antibiotics (11.5) and it hasn't been tested since. For some reason, I am now convinced that when they do my labs a few days before surgery, my WBC count will still be elevated and they'll cancel it! (I don't even know if that would be a reason for canceling it!) I also ke…

The Road Less Traveled??? Hello, to all my soon to be fellow bandsters! Was just curious if any of you are lacking support by your family and friends like I am? I am 5' 4" 190lbs with a BMI of 39.3. I am really excited about the surgery but have received nothing but negativety from family and friends. They tell me I should just take the six months and lose the weight myself, it's not safe, your skin will be all stretched out yada, yada,. Some of them are not so skinny themselves hard to tell where they are coming from. Does anyone have any opinions as to why I am receiving such negativity. Thanks for letting me vent. Have a nice day!! Oh2BeThin

Hello there! I just had lunch with a friend that I hadn't seen in about 3-4 years. We were meeting for lunch and before she ordered she came right out and said "I may not eat a lot because I had the Lap-Band procedure done." I was shocked, she didn't seem like the sort of person do to such a thing. She had NOTHING but great things to say about it. She said the only negative is if you eat too much you will throw up. I figured, then it can't be that bad and why in the world do people choose to cut their stomachs instead of having a lap-band put in???? Since our lunch I have not stopped thinking about having this done. I want to make an appt. with my Dr. but am so …

I am going to be banded soon, and was wondering if anyone used the Spirometer after the surgery. I can't decide whether or not to order it.

Ok I know that all I do is ask a lot of questions but this site is so awesome and all of you give great answers... So here is my questions I am in search of what to buy for my post band diet.. I don't have to do a pre band diet but I think its time that I find what I will be able to tolerate taste wise. I love fruit and there was a site called Vitalady.com that has protien supplements, also when you are on the post diet can you mix "real fruit" in the shake as long as you can drink it through a straw. Second give me ideas on what else is out there for the liquid diet... Thanks for your help:lol:

I am supposed to be on a liquid diet... Im having surgery on July 18th @ 2:30 pm... so i should be on all liquids @ 2:30 on the 17th?? Or should i start first thing in the morning?? I get so grumpy when im hungry!! haha

Hi all :tongue_smilie: I called my insurance again just to make sure I understood everything. At first, I thought I was going to have to make an appointment with my primary care physician to refer me to have the Lap band; however, luckily I called and they said all I would have to do basically to get an authorization is to have the surgeon call, which sounds divine to me. :tt1: So, I go to the seminar on the 23rd. I am guessing by what the receptioniost at the doctor's office said from there they will call the insurance. So, for those of you whose insurance worked like this, how long after the seminar did you find out if you had been approved? Thank you, Paule…

has anyone experienced bloating whilst on pre op diet. as i have got it really badly this morning. i had chicken, rice and veg (small portion) last night and was fine, however i did not manage to sleep well ast night due to external commotions. and went to sleep feeling hungry. I now feel very bloated, even though i had not eaten anything until i had a yoghurt, thought that would settle what ever it is that is causing it, however it has possibly made it worse. has anyone experienced this? i am worried it is going to affect my pre op checks tomorrow if it does not sort itself out. Sarah