MeganA

Hi...I know how aweful the waiting is. My friend Alice (who lost 100 pounds on Atkins 4 years ago and is now a size 4, btw) gave me the best advice about the whole chaotic process. This is what she said... You are now fat megan. Over there in a far off corner is skinny megan. The first thing you have to do is to get fat megan off the chair she's been sitting on...the chair is my comfort zone- everything is nicely in it's place and I can control everything. You've done that- you've made appointments, gotten some good thinking done, and made the decision to go ahead with WLS. But, once you're off the chair, the chaos begins. If you look down, however, there are stepping stones below you, holding you up. As the chaos insues (food issues, family, relationships, doctors appointments, tests, etc.) keep your eye on skinny megan and tell her not to give up...you're coming for her. You don't know where or when the stepping stones will reveal themselves to you, you just gotta believe they are there, waiting for the time you are ready to take the next steps. I'm not sure if that helps you or not, but it sure helped me feel a little more grounded in everything and to keep my eye on the prize. The other thing that you may want to do is look into another doctor if you're not happy with the service you're getting at your present one. See this as a great opportunity to start sticking up for yourself and don't get beaten by the system! Fight for your skinny self!!! Good luck, and keep us posted... Megan

Ahhh, shucks everyone...thanks for all of the cheeleading and support. I'm so glad I found a place to talk about all the various issues. You are all so awesome and I love to know that I won't be alone after having the surgery. Here is the information from Dr. Joya in Mexico about the two (or three) different bands: "We are not limited to only operating using the American LAP-BAND, We also have used the more internationally popular Swedish and French Bands. What is the difference between the 3 bands? Basically all 3 bands do the same job as described above. The main difference is material, feel, comfort, and durability. We have found that the Swedish Band is the softest and most flexible of the bands. Personally we prefer the Swedish band, as it provides for longer lasting fills, and the material which makes up the band is not the hard plastic used with the LAP-BAND. All 3 bands last about the same amount of time, and all 3 are fully removable. We have samples of all 3 bands in our office so that you may choose one prior to surgery. We have no problem placing any of the 3 bands, we just recommend the Swedish Band especially for those patients who are substantially overweight. (More than 100 pounds) " from : http://www.drjoya.com/engmain.html I sure hope I don't make anyone crazy with the idea that the Lap band isn't the greatest thing in the world. If my surgeon weren't doing the study, I'd be the first in line for the Lap band, believe me. This is just one doctor's opinion. So, there's a bit more info for the researchers out there :-). I'll keep you all posted about my progress. Thanks again for all the support. Megan

Thanks for the responses. I thought maybe my tongue was going to give me trouble, but I think the idea of only taking tiny bites will reduce that. I'm glad to hear we can still drink Water at a decent pace. It sounds kind of cool to be able to hear the water go through your band...sounds like a good party trick :-). Boy, am I going to be popular with that. :-) Thanks again! Megan

Congratulations, how exciting! I'm so glad to hear everything is in order. I, too, may be having my surgery Oct. 6th at the U of M Fairview. Isn't that funny? I still have to have prescreening and stuff like that, so we'll see if that date still works after the first part of next week. It sure is great to know someone else from Minnesota who is going to have surgury so close! Congrats again! Megan

Hi everybody...I have a couple questions for those of you that have had the surgery. I am possibly going to have a surgery date of October 6th. Gulp. Anyway...I have started practicing a few things :-). One of them is chewing my food up a whole bunch. What I've found is that when my food gets parcially chewed, my crazy tongue moves it to the back of my throat all by itself and I can't get it back to chew more. Has anyone else had this happen? I can chew gum fine, so I know my tongue can do it, but I think I need to retrain it. What the heck is that all about? Also, how do you get in enough Water by just taking little sips? Can you use a straw? I drink about 50-60 oz. a day now, but I drink it in some pretty big gulps. What do we need to do, strap a bottle onto the hip with a super long straw? Funny the kinds of things concern me late at night :-). Any help or stories would be great. You guys are the best... Megan

Hi there...I'm a candidate for the band study, too! Just ruled out a hiatel hernia today so I'm a go...they would like to do surgery on me October 6th. Holy crap that's soon! I still have a bunch of questions, so I am looking forward to my pre-screening thing. How far along are you in the process? Megan

Hi everyone. I am a candidate for the Swedish band study here in Minnesota. I just found out today that I DON'T have a hiatal hernia so I qualify! Whoo hoo. I've done some research into the differences...what I've found is that the Swedish band is made of a softer material. It's not a preformed ring like the Lap Band is. It's been used in Europe for as long as the Lap Band. One of the doctors in Mexico likes it better than the Lap Band...but because it hasn't been approved in the US there are few doctors here that are able to do fills. I just found out that my surgery date will be October 6th. I have one week to do all the pre-surgery stuff. It will be crazy, and I'm not sure my head is going to be ready. The nice thing about the band is that you lose slow enough so your mind can wrap itself around it all. Megan

Hi there. I am very familiar with the lump in the throat feeling. I had to have my lingual tonsils lasered down because they get so swollen. These are tonsils at the base of the tongue- not the usual ones at the back of the throat. Yuck. Anyway...what may have happened is that the pill did indeed get stuck and then dissolved in your throat- and now the area is sore and swollen a bit. Just an idea? Megan

Wow, did I have an interesting experience. I went to my Dr.'s information session last week. In the waiting room (the session was supposed to start at 1:30, it actually got started at about 3) I met two women. Let's call one Kay and the other Nancy. Kay is 18 and had the band 4 months ago. SHe has lost 24 pounds in 4 months. She now is wanting the doctor to take out the band and give her an RNY. She has a ton of medical problems and seems to be a real mess emotionally. I talked with her for about half an hour and all I kept hearing from her were excuses as to why her band hasn't worked. She blamed everything from her health (which I'm sure is a real battle) to her mom's cooking. She has been throwing up "everything" and says that the doctor tells her she must eat slower and chew more (he also said that she must be eating something because she's not dehydrated or loosing weight rapidly). Kay blamed her troubles on everyone else. She took no responsibility for her situation or her choices. After Kay went into her appointment, I breathed a sigh of relief. It was hard work talking to her. I felt like she was so down on the band that I was beginning to wonder if she was right. Then I met Nancy. Nancy had a brightness to her face. I wanted to talk to her. We chatted for a bit and she has had the band about 4 months too. She's thrilled with it and said it's the best thing ever. She said that the day she decided to have the surgury she decided that she was going to think of the whole experience as being "great". It is a miracle procedure and so she's going to act like it's one. She was so excited and enthusiastic. Guess how much weight she's lost...35 pounds! After talking to these two very different women, I decided to take the same attitude as Nancy. This journey is going to be great. It maybe hard once and awhile, but it will still be great. I also decided that I'm going to make sure to get rid of any negative person in my life. I also am going to work really hard at seeing the positive things myself. Megan

My thoughts on this are: I see the differences between the two surguries like cars. There are some people who go nuts and buy a super duper sporty car with awesome initial performance but once and awhile the exhaust gets into the interior and makes you sick. That's the RNY The band is more like a trusty, slower, less dangerous, better gas mileage car that is good for the long haul. I must admit, when I think about the two surgeries, the idea that I could loose 90% of my excess weight in a year is pretty attractive. Initially, the RNY doesn't seem to be much work...but after a few years all that has changed is your stomach and not your brain. The band forces you to change everything. Folks with RNY (at least those who didn't have any medical issues) are very loud when it comes to singing it's praises. I just think they have different ideas of what weightloss success means. Megan

Your body thinks your starving. It's slowed down your metabolism and has decided to turn any carb you eat into a fat cell. You have to eat more. And you have to eat more Protein and get rid of as many carbs as you can. That's great that you lost more weight with Atkins or Weight Watchers, but if you got the band that must mean that it didn't stay off very long. The band is a lifetime tool for your health- NOT a quick and easy weightloss option. Hang in there...you're fighting the hardest fight of all- against your own body. But the great news is, you're on your way! Megan

Hi everyone. I went to a session with my counselor today and I had kind of a breakthrough in why I've gotten so obese. I never talk about my feelings with people. I like to talk about other people's feelings and what's going on in their lives, but I'm not very good at talking about myself. Apparently I'm afraid of being vunerable. Kind of a no-duh assessment, but for some reason it really hit home with all of this band stuff. I'm still pretty new to all of this, and even the idea of having the band has brought up so many new feelings and emotions than I ever thought I would have. I hope you don't mind if I share a few...it is one of my assignments for the next two weeks :-) 1. Holy crap, I'm so fat I need surgery? When did that happen? I'm fine, really. Really, I am. Ok, no I'm not. 2. I'm going to miss food a lot. I'm pretty sure that a new body shape will feel a lot better than eating food, but who really knows. 3. What does it feel like to shop in regular stores? How does one deal with all the options? I'm used to jeans in either classic or relaxed fit...not jeans, slacks, trousers, boot cut, low cut... 4. What happens when I get naked with a guy for the first time with my new body? Will I know how to use it? :-) 5. Will I tick people off if I'm not the fat one anymore? What if I get thinner than my size 16 sister? Will she kill me in my sleep? 6. Can I eat potato salad? I love potato salad. That's right...potato salad got me here in the first place. 7. Will I have to get new shoes? Sometimes people's feet size change. 8. What if I'm prettier fat than thin? 9. What if it doesn't work and I'm a failure at this as I was with every other diet? 10. What if it works? Sorry it's so long...thanks for listening. It felt good to talk about these things and I'd love to hear what other people are scared about...pre op, post op, in op...whatever :-) Megan

I saw the show, too! Well, at least the first part and then I had to go help my friend rearrange her living room furniture AGAIN :-). It's amazing to see the transformation in the woman on the show. I wonder if what she had is also refered to as a beltlift, or something like that? It looks very painful, has anyone had anything like that? I assume I'm going to need a bunch of stuff lifted after awhile :-) I guess at the point that I'd need surgery, I'll be so uncomfortable with the skin I'll have lots of incentive to go through the painful surgery. I wish there was a way around it, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Megan

Hi there, fellow Minnesotan. I looked up the number for Unjury online and called. They do send you a few samples! I haven't received them yet, but expect them any day. Oh- and I got the diet recommendations from Abbott/Northwestern but they didn't say anything specific about the band- only the bypass. Isn't that nice of them. I go to my other doctor on Thursday and I have a feeling I'll get better info there on the diet they use. Take care, and good luck! Megan

I'm pretty sure that bandsters aren't supposed to drink carbonated beverages- can make the band eat into your stomach...or I guess it's the other way around- your stomach eat into your band. Yeah, thats it. I don't know if it's a totally forbidden thing or if it's ok once and awhile. So, a lot of help I am. :-) Megan

How about this- I'm so jealous of your band! You're so lucky that you have made this decision to take care of yourself-even though it may not always be smooth sailing- and you have an awesome tool to help you! I don't have one, and it looks like it's going to take a while for me to get one...so hang in there. Don't forget that the being "under" for the surgery sometimes has side affects like fatigue, depression, and loss of focus. Just wait until you see the scale go down one pound at a time... Megan

I seem to remember seeing a photo of her in People a while ago. I believe she was about 250. She looks so awesome now! That my be us someday!! Megan

I love the photos! What a difference some stones? makes. Congratulations! What is the conversion from stones to pounds? I think I'm going to start saying what I weigh in stones :-). I'm definitly going to take a photo of my butt. Because it's the biggest thing on me, I bet I see the most difference in it. Thanks for sharing and good luck in your journey! Megan

I was very suprised by the article, and had never thought of the ramifications of eating style on the band- and that's why I posted it. I sure hope that it's only food for thought- not for decision making. I'm the same as Babs- I eat and eat and eat until I'm sick. I never feel satisfied. I either feel empty, or sick. I think that years of being overweight have left me with some really bad habits and a bad relationship with food period- so I've decided to see a counselor to get myself ready for the massive changes ahead. If you can't afford a counselor or if your insurance doesn't cover it, there are lots of programs offered through social services in your counties that can help. None of us got to the point of having to have surgery because we've got all the answers! Bright- the fact that you know this about yourself gives you the ultimate power. I don't know who said it, but one of my favorite quotes is "Be brave, and mighty forces will come to your aid". Megan

I just read a journal article in Obesity Surgery that talks about the kind of "eater" you are and I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts about it. Obesity Surgery 12, 200 ...Sweet eating has been reported as the worst outcome predictor after surgery ...Binge eating has also frequently been denoted as a relative contraindication ...Nibbling style can compromise the band ...Gorging they don't talk about except to mention it as another behavior Any thoughts on this? The article title was "Role of Brief Strategic Therapy on Outcome of Gastric Banding" The conclusion of the article is : "the study shows that in patients who underwent Lap-Band, selection is very important, but psychological support should also be considered before surgery, to increase patient compliance. Megan

I've read journal articles and have watched lots of support groups talk about the band. From what I can tell, sabotage is definitly prevelant among bandsters. Some of us (will) do it once and awhile, while others, it seems, continue to try and make the band work without working themselves. To those veterans out there- how do you stay on track? Megan

It breaks my heart to read you post...I'm still pre-band, and your situation is what I fear most for myself. You're not alone! I started seeing a counselor last week...I know that I have bad habits and a relationship with food that is years long...and one little peice of silicone in my body isn't going to change that. Have you thought about seeing someone? In the mean time...I would recommend that you make smaller goals for yourself- the drinking enough Water during the day should maybe be your first- and do that for a week so you have some success. Then don't drink with your meals, and after a week of that, buy yourself something nice, or get a magazine subscription, or get your nails done. It just seems like it's all too much and you're really being hard on yourself (who isn't!!). Well, you're not alone. And you're here talking about it, which is a HUGE success for you! Best of luck, Megan

Sheryl- I sure will get you the diet info. I've heard really good things about the doctors at Methodist. My insurance doesn't cover there, so I am looking at both Abbott and Fairview-U of M. I have the Abbott informational meeting on Friday and the Fairview one next Wednesday so I'll have both sets of info. I'm pretty sure I DON"T want to have it at Abbott- I call there and you can't even talk to a person and they won't even give you the time of day if you haven't attended their info seminar. When I called Fairview- I talked directly to the doctor's secretary and I at the info session they have, you actually have a one-on-one with the doctor. What a difference! May I ask you a question? Why did you decide to go with the band? Thanks! Megan

I was just wondering if anyone had a hiatal hernia and if it prevented them from being banded, if they had to get it fixed, etc. I was tested for something else several years ago and the radiologist said I had a small one- with no symptoms. Now I'm worried that it may affect this surgery if I have it. Any info would be very appreciated! Thanks, Megan

Hi there...I live in Northfield Minnesota. Where are you having your surgery? The date is so soon- how are you feeling? Are you a member of the Obesity Surgery Support Group in Minnesota? Most are RNY folks, but it's nice to have people who have worked with the same doctors. Best of luck, and let me know how I can be supportive! I'm in the pre-pre stage- going to the informational meeting at Abbott this Friday. I'm SOO ready to get the ball rolling. Megan