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I was banded November 1st. Not bad at all. Looking forward to becoming a loser now!!

I was banded November 1st!!

I was banded November 1st!!

Thanks for all who posted a response to my question. I had my surgery Nov. 1st. Surgeon's priority was to get the gallbladder out first. If there had been spillage of contents of gallbladder, the rest of the surgery would have had to be delayed because of chance of infection. Luckily, I was able to have everything done. I have been so pleased with everything and everybody so far....Now if I can just start losing this baggage!!

Hi! I'm still going through the pre-surgery stuff but I'm curious.... How many calories do you think you take in a day? Will you continue to lose eating tiny meals a day? By the way..... Congratulations on your weight loss!!

Hope things go well for you!!

Thanks y'all for the replies. I guess it does come down to risk....that of infection vs. that of additional surgery. At least I know to request both at the same time since there are some surgeons that do both. My boss does not like for us to miss work and I don't really want to be out any more than I absolutely have to. Still have the psych exam (have to leave work early) and colonoscopy (have to miss a whole day) next week and I'll finally be able to make my appointment to schedule surgery. Thanks again for your support!!

I found out that my gallbladder is full of stones!! I am praying that my doctor will remove it the same time I get my lap band! I've read conflicting opinions with some saying that the band could get infected if the 2 surgeries were done in one; on the other hand, if the gallbladder is removed later (for someone who develops stones after lap band placed) it would pose the same problem with possible infection of band. Have any of you had your gallbladder removed during lap band surgery? OR have any of you had a surgeon require that it be removed first in a separate surgery, and if so....how long did it take before the lap band surgery could be scheduled. Thanks in advance for any advice you can provide!!

Hi everyone. I've been lurking around for a couple of months getting inspired from you all and becoming very excited about WLS! I have finally chosen my surgeon and procedure (banded plication with Dr. Enochs) but I have some real concerns about the cost since I am self-pay. I have BCBS - NC but my BMI is slightly less than 35. I have been told that even though the band was approved by the FDA, our insurance will not pay for it yet and it may be a couple of years before they do. I am approaching retirement age and just don't want to wait any longer. I can manage the cost of the outpatient surgery (barely) but my fear is "the unknown". What if there are complications? For example, will insurance pay if I have to be admitted for dehydration as a result of the surgery or anything that requires medical attention? I would love to hear about experiences of self-pay people about post-op care and costs!! Thanks!!

Hi all! I'm excited to find others that understand why I want the surgery as I've gotten the same reaction from the few people I told. My BMI was 31.5 when I went to my personal doctor but now it's higher because I've been eating a LOT, telling my fav foods goodbye!. I have BCBS insurance and even though the surgery has been approved by the FDA, I was told that it may be a few years before insurance picks it up. Therefore, I am SELF-PAY! I found a doctor in Raleigh, NC to do it for $8,000 (without all the extra testing) and another "famous" surgeon to do it for $10,000. These are stand-alone clinics which is why they can do it cheaper than a hospital. I do have a couple of health issues like high cholesterol, joint pain (arthritis), and possibly sleep apnea, but that makes no difference to insurance companies. Anyway, best of luck to you all. I will be anxious to watch your progress!!

Hi Cat Lady (and others)! I've been lurking around here long enough and decided to post since we have something in common (age---I'm right behind you) and I've also been having second thoughts recently. I am self pay and was on the fast track to be banded in 2 weeks and just changed my mind today! (I really should quit watching all those videos of the surgeries!) I decided to have the gastic plication done instead, mainly because I live over 100 miles from the first surgeon (Dr. Bovard) and feel like having to travel that far for the $200 fills will be too much. My new doctor is Enochs in Cary and he requires the other stuff like the sleep study, the psychiatric eval and nutrition visit so that will delay my surgery but hope to have everything ready by the 21st of September when I hope to be plicated. I hope you and all July 2011 Bandsters are doing well post-op!!