PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

I am wanting to have the lapband but have nutcracker esphogus. Does anyone have experience in having the lapband with nutcracker. I need some guidance. Thanks!

Got the call from the doc today...May 9th is the big day! i'm so surprised that it was that quick! i can't wait. guess the easy part is done, the uphill road is comin, but i couldn't be happier.

I would just like to encourage you all to visit a support group for lap bansters, especially if it's offered through your surgeons office. Although I haven't had my surgery yet, it was great to see those successful, and even those that aren't successful, having the opportunity to share best practices and moments of struggle ewith them. It's like seeing everyone on this site in person! :rolleyes2: At first, I really didn't want to go.... I'm a wee bit shy. It's crazy I know, but I didn't feel comfortable. By the end, we were all sharing phone numbers and offering additional support outside the twice a month meetings. I have enjoyed every minute on this site (even re…

ok...lets talk vomiting here..... I understand that you basically have 'two stomachs' now. The upper one is the banded area, then you have the lower one. Now here is my question and Im so sorry for being so graphic, but Ive got to know this...here goes!! When you have the flu, or have food poisoning, you vomit. So, knowing that what is in your upper stomach eventually moves down into your lower stomach, when you vomit, does the stuff from the lower stomach go back up into the upper stomach? And since that passage is so narrow with restriction, doesn't it hurt like a bitch?? Im picturing some really intense moments here with this. Scary in fact. Has anyone e…

Surgery is May 5th. Can't wait!! Starting pre op diet Monday. Has anyone tried these drinks or meal bars, r-kane or z-pro? I can't get samples and are afraid to order them if they suck!! Thanks GOOD LUCK!!:rolleyes2:

Well I previously wrote about being panicked at my upcoming 5/2 surgery for LB; however, since then, I developed a wicked upper respiratory infection and they have postponed my surgery. I'm a little depressed and not sure when I will be well enough to reschedule. After getting all excited about it and now having to wait. I had even made all my travel arrangements (hoping I can get my tickets - flying to Detroit - changed over or refunded) and now am having to try and figure out how to get all that moved to a future date. Just wanted to tell someone. I don't have much of a close support group and this forum has been so inspiring to me. I'm a little concerned because…

I was a coffee addict until 6 months ago. I was on about 10+ cups per day. I switched to de-caf to help with sleep problems. I had also reduced my intake. I was banded on 12th Feb and have had maybe 2 cups per day and have not been able to finish any. By half way it tastes bitter. Tea is just the same. Anyone else with this problem?

ok.. im really excited about my lapband.. but i keep running into people that burst my bubble about it!.. people are always telling me that they know someone that had the lapband and didnt really loose weight.. or they lost weight but they said they werent allowed to ever eat carbs again and stuff like that and had to exercise alot.. im planning on exercising and im prepared for the new lifestyle.. but the way people make it sound is that the strict diet is whats making them loose weight not that band! i hate when people burst my bubble.. im getting the lap band def.. i havent had any doubts about getting it.. im just scared i wont loose weight or atleast as much as i …

Howdy Folks! SO! I am approved (WOOHHOO) and terrified and excited and on cloud nine and my nerves are all over the place and I am hoping to survive until my surgery date. I have been waiting as patiently as is possible for me and now that it is really on, I would love to hear from you guys and girls about what brand of band you are choosing and why. Please pull no punches and tell me what you think… will you give me your thoughts?!

My surgery date has been set for May 5th! I'm going in the morning to get a chest xray and final blood work. I'm scheduled for the final meet with the Surgeon on May 2nd. My Brother was banded 7/05 and has lost 220+ pounds. I'm so proud of him!! I'm not nervous, I've had so many surgical procedures in the past two years, I've lost count. I'd really like this one to be the last. I say, bring it on

I am doing my happy dance cuz I am approved for LapBand :biggrin2:and I have been accepted to graduate school:thumbup:!!! Dr. Ballette's office sent in the pprwk on 4/2, UHC rec'd it on 4/8. I have spent the past 3 days calling UHC - getting boomerang'd between Customer Service and Care Coordination is no fun :redface: - the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing in the world of health insurance. I finally yelled at a sweet young woman yesterday b/c in 30 minutes I was bumped btwn 6 dif't people in Cust. Svc. and Care Coor. with 3 dead-ends. I am paying UHC $400 each month to handle my health coverage and my paperwork is sitting in a pile on someone's…

has anyone heard of a non adj band done in monterrey mx by dr barajas or Dr roffe?

i am wonderin if anyone else is in the same boat as me i went for my appointment after my insurance finally is going to pay for me to have the surgery but i am too high risk for them to do it there i am wondering if anyone else has had the lapband surgery that also has cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure and there heart is pumping around 30 percent if so where did you have the surgery done and would i be better off to go to an university in my area to have it done i was also told that if i don't have something done i could die too so what do i do i am sad and confussed :thumbs_down:

HI - Can anyone help me figure out how to make my ladybug move in my weight loss ticker? I have lost 6 lbs, and she needs to walk! Thanks

Hello all! I am new to the board and very excited to be here! I have been approved by my ins. and went yesterday to get my date. May 13 will be my big day!! I am so excited and ready to do this, that I'm not nervous(yet).....just wanted to say hi!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to post how things are going. I went to the seminar last night, it was very informative and I liked the surgeons. I called and made my first appointment tomorrow and they have it scheduled May 2nd! Which is next Friday I was suprised I could get in that soon, but I'm glad! I'm VERY excited to be on my way! Emily

I only have to do a two day liquid diet before sugery tomorrow, and I feel AWEFUL! Today is my second day, but after surgery this will continue for two weeks on full liquids. I feel tired, sloshy, like I could roll away in a river, headaches, weak, and irritable. I feel like I'm not eating enough maybe? I got protein shakes yesterday and have yet to have one this morning, I had carnation instant breakfast so far. Is this normal? I'm STARVING on top of all this! I know after surgery when maybe you don't feel 100%, it's easier to not wanna eat, but I have two little ones, and feel like if this weakness and blah feeling last until I start mushies, I'm going to need a lot mor…

I watched a report on Sixty Minutes, three days ago, that gastric bypass surgery solved high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and diabetes every time. I had sleep apnea 32 years ago when I weighed 205 pounds on a 6'1" frame. Now, I'm 346 pounds and I lost an inch of height. I've had high blood pressure for the last four years, controlled with medication. I also was 'discovered' to have obstructive sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine. I've avoided the idea of either gastric bypass or lap band because it basically is forced portion control. Although I've lost over 900 pounds in my life, I'm now heavier than ever and I can't get it together. I intend to do a procedure…

I really didn't think it was going to happen but I just got the call and I am approved for my surgery on Monday. I have gone through all my tests and pre op appt but the psychologist took forever to send in his evaluation. My doctor’s office sent in the paperwork last Wednesday without the evaluation. The insurance company called this morning for them to fax it over and wellah! Approved. I really didn't think it was going to happen because I did not have a 6 month supervised diet that they require. My PCP sent a vague letter that said I tried WW, LA weight loss, phentermine, maridia, etc. No dates or anything. My insurance company is BCBS Healthy choices plan of Rochester…

Holy cow!!! Thank you everyone for all of your support on my liquid diet thread. Guess, what.....I'm being banded tomorrow!!!! It's funny how slow and fast it goes all at the same time.

This is my first post so bear with me..lol. I have my pre-op physical tomorrow with surgery scheduled on 5-1 and I have to say I'm nervous as h*ll. I know that I need this but I keep reading the horror stories on the net and it's got me almost to an emotional wreck. Being a man I feel like this should be no big deal and I should just man up and do it. It's not that easy. I'm not sure if most of you on the board are women or not but if there are any guys out there with any advice I would sure appreciate it. Advice from anyone is also appreciated. The way I'm thinking now is that I could change my mind at any minute and just cancel the whole thing.

I wonder if anyone knows if I am likely to be accepted for the lapband ?....I am 61 yrs old and in very good health DAMIENNE.:tt1:

I'm being banded by Dr. Oliak in Orange, Ca on April 28? Any other OCer's out there being banded in April or even March or May?

Hello, I started my quest for a lapband in July of 2007. I weighed 300 pounds. My GP set up an appointment for me to meet with our local hospital team. When I arrived for the first meeting in mid September I was informed our local hospital dr. would ONLY DO GASTRIC BYPASS ROEX EN Y procedure. The reason why was: lapband does not do as good of a job. Too much is reliant on the patients will to not eat fattening foods.....a RNY is more reliable because if the patient ate sweets the body would not tolerate it. This was a VERY annoying end to what I thought would be a new beginning in my life. I had to research my state to find a hospital that did do lapband. A hospi…

I have my info. session at 6pm tonight at NYU. I have the jitters and I do not know why - and not excited butterfly jitters more the unhappy kind. I guess that going to a meeting is another step in admitting I need help, but in front of others kinda scares me. Anyone felt the same way before their info session?:glare:

I am being banded on that day! :thumbup:Anyone else going on the same day? Any advice from people already banded? Starting weight in Jan 2008 = 264.0 lbs Weight when starting the process for Lap Band = 251.8 Weight as of 4/14/08 = 242.5 Goal Weight = 175 Ulitmate Goal Weight = 154

Ok, so my biggest fear with this surgery is what happens to the skin when you lose weight. I am 233 now and don't have any hanging skin, but obviously I have skin that will have to go somewhere after I start losing weight. Is it possible to exercise and keep that looking ok or is it a definite that you have to have the skin removed after you lose the weight? Does insurance cover that surgery if they cover the initial Lap Band?

Does anyone know what the rule is as far as eating salads go? I have read in several places that raw veggies don't go down well. I will be so sad if I can't eat salad anymore. :blushing: I know things like celery are a no no but all of it???

WooHoo!:tongue: I am going to be self paying.. and I got the call today that my loan has been approved! I am so excited. I have been fighting my insurance company for months and months - and I got sick of it. It took 2 days to get the approval from the bank about the loan. :rolleyes2: So Ive made some calls - and I have arranged for Dr. Ariel Ortiz to do my surgery. I have to set my date - but I am 'ON MY WAY'!!! I guess the next phase is to start my diet. I was told to lose atleast 5% of my body weight. Which is about 14lbs. What did everyone do to lose the weight before surgery?:biggrin:

so I just heard back from my surgeons office and Im approved for surgery!!! I dont have a date yet, but we are thinking probably the first full week in May. I have been thinking about the lap band for a year, and have been going through all the steps since January, but I am kind of freaking out right now. I have never had surgery, I have never been under anestesia. I know I really want to do this, and I am ready to make the life changing sacrifices to be healthy, but it all seems like so much, I am scared that I wont be able to do it, that I will fail like I have before. Im scared about surgery and waking up. I have a 4 year old who is my world and the thought of leaving …

OK, I decided to get lap band surgery because I was sick of gaining weight and ready to make a change. So my surgery is scheduled for 06/13/08 and I want to know what I can do now to get myself in the right state of mind. I just feel like i'd be doing myself a disservice by eating like crazy thinking i'll just get skinny later after i get my surgery. Lately I've been feeling really gross and hideous and I have actually gained 3 pounds since putting my deposit down. My "fat" clothes don't even fit!! I have never had success with diets and i'm actually pretty active already (I workout 3-5 times a week), so what else can I do to start my journey now? Sorry, i'm being…

Hey! hope you all are doing great. Well, I went to my seminar Thurs. and I'm going for my first surgeon's visit this afternoon. What should I expect with my first visit? What's next after this? I'm learning all of this as I go. Thanks for any info.

After waiting for 8 months, I finally have approval from my insurance company. Now... I have to lose the weight I've gained over the long depressing winter before I can have the surgery! I need some tips on safely losing 5-10 lbs quickly. I am a failure at losing weight so far and need some advice. Thanks, bonbon

Ok so I am trying my best not to just freak out and run around in circles screaming with excitement. This will probably be a very long post as I want to get it off my chest :ohmy: I started checking into LB about 2 years ago. I knew my insurance wouldn't pay so I was like crud and I thought I can do this myself sheesh how hard could it be to lose 100 pounds! haha I lost 52 pounds and then thought I could take on the world! I then quit smoking and decided that eating was more fun than the cig addiction and proceeded to pack on the 52 pounds again! Then my company switched insurance to BCBS of Minnesota... This is the best thing that happened to me. We switched in Sep…

I've been waiting and waiting! My seminar is tomorrow, just the start of a very long journey! Just wanted to share my excitement with everyone! Emily

I got my date... May 21! I'm very excited!!! Of course, I didn't lose any weight (didn't gain any either), so I'm on the liquids earlier than planned -- two liquid meals and one light meal. Surprisingly, I'm doing okay with this. I think the stubborn streak has kicked in and I know what I have to do in order to make this whole procedure go smoothly. But I have the date and I'm doing a happy dance...woohoooo :thumbup:

Hi! I have been reading in this forum and thinkng for about 4 months and had decided lap band was the way to go for me. Then I saw my doctor and he recommended the bypass. So I read about that and thought "maybe?" I am in month 4 of the pre op and cannot seem to make up my mind. It seems like lap band is so hard with fills, getting food stuck and only 2 pounds a week average loss, but the rerouting of my insides doesn't sound appealing either, nor the dumping syndrome. How did everyone decide what was right?? Is the sliming, food getting stuck, slow weigth loss that hard? Has anyone had friends or others who had the bypass, and are they having a hard time? I really…

My surgery date is Wed, Apr 23rd. I went to my last pre-op appt to see my surgeon on the 16th and he was really happy with my weight loss of 24 lbs. I have worked so damn hard to lose that. Well, since the 16th, I went to a birthday party (Fri nite), a wedding (Sat)and my hubby took me to my last dinner tonite (Sun). I just weighed myself and gained 10 lbs back!!!! I'm so upset and angry at myself that I will show up to the hospital Wed the 24th and the Dr will refuse to do the surgery. Has anyone been refused the day of their surgery for this reason? I'm doing nothing but clear liquids Mon and Tues, so wish me luck and a few prayers wouldn't hurt....

I am getting my band on 4-24. I am nervous about this. I have been out of work with back problems since January 3. I sit around the house every day with nothing to do. I am supposed to be on a pre-op Atkins diet. It is very hard to just sit around home and not eat. What do you guys do to keep your mind off of eating when at home?

Hi all; Well, my date is finally here and I am nervous... I am hoping I do as well as everyone else on here seems to do. I am scheduled for tomorrow at 10am. I am so greatful to have found these boards because I feel so much more prepared now. I have been waiting months for surgery and it seems to have just flown by ..I cant believe that tomorrow I am starting a new life. Wish me luck

My PCP was disappointed in me this last weigh-in. It was my final weigh in prior to submitting for insurance approval. I lost weight (20 lbs during 6 month program) and I know it's not a lot, but hey, it's better than going up! She wasn't disappointed in the weight, but that I'm not getting the Protein shakes in as much as I should. I know that there are threads about Protein Shakes, but for those of you who are bothered by weird textures, what's worked for you? Do you manipulate the protein shakes in making smoothies, etc.? I think the Proteins shakes are too sweet, too thick, or just plain gross. I'm really struggling b/c I recognize this is a big part of my life…

I have been approved and have May 13 as my surgery date. But what if I fail again and do not lose weight or not keep the weight off ?:tongue_smilie: I have been watching how and why I eat. Trying to make good choices and smaller amounts. Down 9 pounds in 6 weeks. I'm getting the WHAT IF fear:confused2:

hi , im due to get the band this Thursday April 24 i started the Optisfast two weeks ago and was doin greally well but the lst two nights i just cant help picking at meat/cheese/bread. help this is not good, but i cant seem to help myself any help gratefully accepted. judy 0........

I go for my consultation tomorrow was wondering who has used united health care and what i can expect my doctors office said they would take care of the insurance dealings. just wondering if united health care is going to make things harder than need be. thanks

I just found this site with some recipes for your Medifast shakes. I thought some of you may like it. Medifast Recipes Guides

Has anyone else had this problem, and if so, how can I reassure? The situation is, I have been seeing this great guy for about 4 months now- He is only one of 4 people that I trust enough to tell about my upcomming surgery, and he is my biggest supporter. My big problem is, that he was crushingly hurt in a past relationship, by her wanting to be an irresponsible carefree "teenager" again, and went back to the party scene, leaving the family behind. Now, that I am doing this for my health, and to look on the outside the way I feel on the inside,:tt1: he is petrified that when I loose weight, that I will want to "be young again," and he is afraid that his relationshi…

Has anyone had Drs. Glasgow at CCH in Norwood? Going to a seminar in May. Went to one at another facility but was not happy with the MD, rubbed me the wrong way. Any problems w/BCBSMA insurance in getting an approval for pre-testing, psych eval and surgery? Also, at first seminar I went to, presenter said they require 500.00 upfront because insurance does not cover "education" by a psychologist. Anyone find that to be true? I am just starting out, so any help is greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone, I just wanted to share a little of my excitement. My surgery is in TWO days! I have lost 33 pounds pre-op (20 on WW, then another 13 on Medifast the last couple of weeks) and I'm already down from a 26 to a tight 22. My surgeon didn't require the medifast since I had lost weight, but three weeks ago I realized I had been eating a lot of "last meals" and started Medifast just to keep myself from gaining back the 20 pounds! Woo hoo! I have my date, time, supportive family and friends, a blog (don't we all need a weight loss blog? :thumbup:,) my mom is cooking me my one and only "last meal" Monday, and I'm just counting the hours. I can't wait to join you…

Finally, after 2 years I finally got my date. 5/15 is the day of change. I start my liquid diet on Thursday. I am not really excited about that but is anyone. This is going to be hard for me. I know I will do it though. The one thing I am scared about is the whole hospital thing....I know some of you may laugh but I have never been in the hospital. I try to stay away from them. This is the only thing that is making me think....Anyone have any advice to help me through my scare.. Also I am in College living away from home. Anyone have advice for me. A sociable thing I do at college is go out to eat. Get a bunch of people together and go relax and chill at the bar. How d…

My husband is almost 4 days into his 14 day preop diet and works from home during the week. Before he left I blended up all kinds of Soups, sent him with a gallon on milk and Protein samples, Jello, Water, etc. I dont tell him what we eat while he is gone, but I am really feeling for him. What are somethings you wish your significant others would have done for you or things you wish they hadnt said? I have told him how proud I am of him so many times, I think he is tired of hearing it. I'm thinking the time is going quickly, but I'm the one able to eat. Thanks ahead of time for your suggestions. Leslie