Dreamingof139

I had surgery on Thursday morning and my doctor has me on liquids that will go through a strainer for four weeks.

I just got my date today - August 7th. It does not seem real yet. I had a band in in 2010 and out in 2012 and have regained all of my weight so I am ready for this.

I have to travel for mine, so I leave home on a Tuesday evening and return home the following Monday evening.

If you cannot afford an in person therapist, there are several websites that offer therapy by licensed therapists for a VERY reasonable rate. Something to consider if cost is an issue that is preventing you from seeking help.

The only bariatric doctor that I know of in Spokane does not have the best reputation.

What is the name of this surgeon?

Hey everyone,

I'm scheduled to be banded on 7/14/11. I'm wondering -- if we still need to journal and really watch what we eat, why not just do Weight Watchers or something. What does the band really do that it's worth putting all my money into it? Sorry, I'm just getting nervous and want to make sure I'm making the right choice to have surgery. Also, is it okay if I'm not working out right now? Should I be working out prior to surgery in case I could be losing weight on my own? So confused and nervous.

Thanks.

Please remember that everyone is different - if WW worked for us, we would not be considering or have had surgery. I think that the point to be taken here is that the band is not a magic fix - we are still accountable for our choices. If you get your Protein in and get an exercise program on that works for you, you will see results 99% of the time.

If Kalispell works for you we charge $135. Medical Weight Loss, Lap Band Kalispell Missoula, Cleansing, Detox, Botox, Vitamin Telomere Testing, hcg, Isagenix Isalean Shake

And I can personally attest that Chris is WONDERFUL! He did an unfill for me a few months ago and he is an expert. So thankful to have found the New Image Clinic in Kalispell.

Hello - yes, you are very normal to be a bit nervous! I flew home from my surgery, so I was on an airplane less than 24 hours after surgery and even had to make a connection. It was just fine. I did have my doctor give me a small fill in surgery - you may want to ask yours to do the same.

Good Luck - shopping without looking at how things drape is wonderful!

So sorry to hear that you have had to deal with this. I am six months out and have told very few people and very slowly because I was afraid of the backlash. I already have one person in my life telling me that I took the easy way out, so I figure the less people I tell, the better.

I appreciated what you said about finding out who people really are to be a gift - great perspective!

For anyone in Kalispell and the surrounding areas, I have found the most amazing follow up care. New Image Clinic, right next to the hospital does fills. I had a fill yesterday from Chris, a wonderful PA and it was the ideal situation. Quick, accurate and just a tiny pinch.

Given that I live hours from any kind of care, I was just delighted to find such a great clinic and provider within a days drive of my home.

$750!!!!! Well I hope you got your money's worth and not just a mere cc or something! That's criminal. My fills are also under fluoroscope and are $100/cash.

That doctor was/is a crook. Insisted that I sign up for his aftercare program for $1750 even though I live three hours from his office and would not be able to attend the meetings or use the gym or... well, you get the idea.

I fired him.

My six month band anniversary is on the 24th of this month.

I started this journey with a BMI of 34.7 and today my BMI is 26, still overweight, but getting closer to being a new healthy me.

I love my band!

For me, the band has done two things. First, I was not aware of how quickly I was eating before the band. The band slows me down, because if I eat too quickly, it is uncomfortable and I sometimes burp up what I have eaten. This is an unpleasant experience, so this has modified my behavior and I tend to do that less often now. Second, diets worked, but I rebounded after and gained not just that weight back, but 20 or more pounds for good measure. Being on a diet for me is torture and cannot work permanently. With the band, I can eat anything that I want, but in a small, thin person portion.

I am down 54 pounds - my surgery was 9/24/10. I was 215 when I started at 5'6". I am now one size away from my goal in about six months. Something that I could not have done without the band.

I also had the thought of why not just diet and stick to it? I liked the post where the person noted the quote about the definition of insanity. This is VERY true in this case.

Good Luck regardless of what you decide to do - my only regret is that I waited so long to do this.

I asked ahead of time because I have had complications before from the cath and was told that they do not use them because the surgery is so short. I was very thankful and had no issues with ambulating to get to the restroom when needed.

If you are going to give others internet protocol lesson, you might want to check yourself. You started out this with "I have seen you in other threads posting". Really?

My grammar is excellent - occupational hazard. Nothing amiss with my post - not sure what you are referring to. Perhaps it is how you changed my post above to give the impression of an error. Go back and look at what I initially posted - it may not be the best sentence that I have ever constructed, but it is grammatically sound and correct.

I write for a living and hold advanced degrees in English and in Education. Yes, you may call me doctor. Sorry, I do not general spout my education, but I wanted to explain the position that I am coming from. And before someone goes there, the Masters is from a top 20 and the PhD is from an Ivy. Real schools - very expensive too.

I find it so interesting that people pipe up and jump in, yet fail to assert a valid point or actually find anything wrong with what I am writing.

So very interesting to watch this unfold.

Seriously? A spelling lesson for someone who is incredibly upset and seeking answers to very REAL problem? That's what I call rude.

My post was polite and respectful. I find your comment interesting in that you 'heard' rudeness in polite conversation.

I have a 4 cc LapBand. My surgeon wanted to use the smaller band because I was smaller to start with. I agree with finding a surgeon that you trust and letting him or her make that part of the decision for you.

I am self pay.

My first fill of one cc was done in surgery.

My second fill was under fluro and was $750.

I have arranged with a PA to do any future fills - he charges $135.

Yes. I'm a freak of lap band nature! I guess my "tool" is really awesome. lol!

Amazing weight loss - I see that you were also banded in Mexico. Wonderful to see someone else that had a great success story from Mexico.

First of all I want to thank You for responding to my Post I was good and p'd off when I posted that in CAPS, so I thought I was doing the appropriate thing. Thank You for pointing that out. Second as far as the spell check, I use it every time. If it's not up to snuff,,, well I do apologise for that.. But yes I do use it every time. Third I didn't take the response to the CAPS as offensive. That's why I asked WHY? Being p'd off to the Max, I guess I was write, because it was proper after all. Fourth and Final Yes it P'd me off something terrible to think that I would seek sympathy for myself.! ! ! That would be the day. Solutions to the problem is what I seek. So except for the spellcheck not working at 100%. I guess I'm holding my own pretty good.

If it makes all of you happier Then even if I get more bad news, and loose my cool. I will try not to post in CAPS "if I remember!"

Shirley.

I have seen you in other threads posting in all caps just to respond to people in general, which is why I presumed that you were not aware.

I am not sure what you mean when you say "loose your cool" I think you meant to say lose.

The words loose and lose are mixed up in writing; for some reason, many people write loose when they really mean lose. But there's no reason to lose your mind worrying about this, just lose the extra o!

Loose

Loose is an adjective, the opposite of tight or contained.

Lose

Lose is a verb that means to suffer the loss of, to miss.

I don't have the ins. that I had 5 yrs. ago. I now have Medicare, so I hope this covers this type of problem. He's not admitting that he did anything wrong.

I appreciate the posting that you put up, and I just hope people will realise that I'm not alone. That's what is scary to me.

How many people out there will fail do to a defective band/or the Dr's. mistake.

But after all I went through, what really p me off, was all the lies to cover his butt. So if he did that to me, he has to be doing it to the rest of them to cover a mistake from anyone. I mean I'm not being singled out ! It's in his post op notes...

If that is true,, then he should be put in jail, and loose his license. But there is no way to prove it. Hippa would make sure of that.

So I'll waite and see what happens with this surgeon. If it's not a good thing,,,, it can come out.

First, very sorry to hear about all that you are going through and dealing with. I also have a 4 cc band, filled to 2 cc's and I have had zero problems, so your story hits me as we have the same size band.

Writing in all caps is universally considered shouting in emails and in online communication and IS considered rude - some people are not aware of this and I see that someone mentioned it to you. It was mentioned as information, it was not an attack, so please try to keep an open mind and please do not presume that someone has a negative intent when they post or reply to you.

You may also want to consider turning on the spell check - we are not meeting you in person and we cannot 'hear' the tone in your messages - caps and poor spelling can give a less than accurate impression of what you are trying to communicate and can make it harder for others to understand what you are trying to get across.

Best of luck with your situation - hopefully you will have a great and positive outcome in the end.

There are pros and cons for every WLS. I researched all of them and decided on the band for a number of reasons...and discovered a reason or two afterward that made me glad I chose the band.

1. The long-term outcome for bypass, sleeve and band are comparable. Yes bypass and sleeve lose more quickly in the beginning but at the end of 2 years, sleeve and band statistics are the same as far as weight loss.

2. The band is less invasive and reversable. Recovery time is much faster.

3. The band is adjustable. The sleeve is whatever it is.

3. The most important reason:

The band works by putting pressure on the vagus nerves, which in turn tells the stomach to quit producing ghrelin, the hunger hormone. When this hunger is suppressed, it becomes more doable to make good choices. Sleeve patients have that part of the stomach removed that produces ghrelin so they get an immediate hunger cessation...the reason for the rapid weight loss their first year. *HOWEVER*, the body in that year learns how to start making it again and after the first year, it is producing that hunger hormone again. According to a recent bariatric report provided by my surgeon, they are seeing a rising number of sleeve patients coming back for a band in order to control that hunger...and they speculate on how many more there are who can't afford that second surgery.

I've had my own difficulties adjusting to life with the band, but I am 14 months post op and have no regrets.

.

I know someone who added the band to her sleeve because the sleeve is not enough for her. She is so happy with her band.

Thanks,

My brain still feels like I am 20, which has always been my problem with my recoveries. I need to hear from more people my age so, I can get my brain on the same page as my body......lol....

Slow down - we are NOT kids anymore and our bodies can take longer to heal.

Statistics vary and complications happen and people do die. I met a woman on a retreat a few years ago and she died a few months after her gastric bypass - Heather was in her 20's. It can and does happen, but, if you look at statistics (if you can find reliable ones), in my case, I was way more likely to have a complication from the diabetes that took my Nanna and my cousin in their 60's and both of my Uncles as well and that has wrecked havoc with my other cousins and my Mom. Statistically, I was more likely to die in an accident driving to the airport or flying to my surgery and back than I was from the surgery itself. You are way more likely to be killed by a drunk driver or by any of the complications of being overweight/obese than you are from surgery.

Do you research carefully and ask lots of questions - I am confident that you will make the decision that is best for you.

As it is right now more people know then I would like about me getting this done. I have a job and a part time job and at both places is at least 1 person who has had it done, with great results and little to no complciations, yet I still heard negative feed back. Thankfully in both places are a few people who are greatly supporting me as well and that really helps. My immediate family knows and a few other family members that had to be told because the surgery & recovery time interfered with other family plans that were extremely important and I couldnt play the "sorry I work" card. I wouldnt have told the in-laws (all but one arent totally pro idea) but I have one that lives with us and has a big mouth so...they all know. Really quick I had to get thick skin because I wasnt just hearing the negative feed back cuz of surgery but also because I'm going to Mexico. So I just tell them the facts, results of my research, and end it with "Its my body, my mind, my soul, my decision. Thank you for worrying however I have done my homework and I have made up my mind and feel confident I am doing the right thing for me and my family". After that they can scoff all they want or support me...thats their decision. For the most part though I have noticed, I have more support then negativity I just need to tone out the negative ones and I'm fine =)

I'm one week post op and I too am hearing from folks to walk, walk and more walk. Today was the first time I got out of the house and the more I walked the more it felt like the gas build up. But then..it hit...the broth I drank wanted to come out. So I went home and won't go into details, but lots of gas expelled itself!!

But did you feel better then? Sometimes things just need to move or get out.