DesertRose80

HI and greetings from Sydney Australia
I just wanted to thank all who helped me make this decison and for the great advise I found on this site.
I did find a wonderful aussie site where we have monthly meetings and chats, but I havent forgotten all those who responded to my posts and thanks i thought if some of you remembered me it would be nice to let you know about my date tommorow(its Monday in Aussie)
My 15 year old daughter Jennelle will also be banded with me, so again thanks

Michelle, I would be glad to suport you through your journey. I am almost 2 years post op and have lost 115 lbs. I started near your weight at 252 and currently weight 137. I am 5 lbs from goal. I have been active on this site since surgery, I don't personally blog as much as I used to but I still read the forums and respond to topics. There is also a fairly large group of us from this site who are friends on myfitnesspal.com and are trying to help each other through this journey. Good luck to you, Diane

You will not be able to swallow pills without crushing them for the first few weeks post op. My surgeon prescribed a liquid form of hydrocodone prior to my surgery.
I had all of my prescriptions that came in a different form changed to either liquid or chewable form. The rest had to be crushed...and no matter what I did, I was unsuccessful with disguising the horrible bitter taste of the pills.

I actually contacted insurance to find this answer out- they said whatever the weight submitted on the pre-authorization papers was the weight they would go by, so I could lose whatever else I wanted pre-op.

I would find another Dr to visit. I actually spoke with 3 on the phone and 2 in person before I made my mind up who to use

I would speak to the surgeon, not the nurse, about your NSAID use and the band. I know she was only trying to help but the fact is she's not a bariatric surgeon. Go with what your surgeon says, not the nurse.
For the record, I take 800mg of Ibuprofen very regularly. My surgeon was aware of this before surgery. He was also aware of the fact I've taken it for years. It's never caused a problem with my stomach or the band.

It's great you have such a supportive husband! You need to do your research & decide what is best for you. I am almost a year out & 100 lbs down. It has been a wonderful experience on all levels.
However, the only people who know I had surgery are my sisters & my therapy group. I've lost this much twice before the band & I had people gossiping that I had wls then. So, for me, I just don't talk about it & say I've changed my eating & exercise habits & am working hard. All of which is true.
To make a life long change you must put you first & make your health your priority. As long as you have a good dr & follow the rules 90+ % of the time you should be feeling great & looking great before you know it. All the best!

short and sweet
sure the bypass will help you lose weight (faster sometimes)
and so can the band.
news flash---anyone with any WLS can gain their weight back if they start overeating the wrong foods again.
(its up to the person with the band to do the hard work, you know eat right, eat the 1 cup required food and excercise).
some people dont have manners.
i hear that alot too. but you know what, i made the decision to make myself well.
haters gonna hate regardless.
seems to me, people who dont know sh** about the band
or understand it have the most neg nellies comments.
do this for you and be successful
you already are in my book

My main motivation is to be happy and healthy for my husband and our 4 children...(ages 8,7,3, and 14 months). My body is really beginning to feel the effects of the weight. So I need to nip this in the bud before it causes seriously problems!

My main motivation is to be happy and healthy for my husband and our 4 children...(ages 8,7,3, and 14 months). My body is really beginning to feel the effects of the weight. So I need to nip this in the bud before it causes seriously problems!

No one can really say for sure. I'm sure many will say it's no big deal. However, you couldn't pay me to touch carbonation since being banded. My roommate after band surgery was in there for a revision. Her band had not only slipped but her stomach actually prolapsed up through her band- because she drank soda. She also gained 40 lbs because of it.
For me, it's simply not worth the risk.

I haven't told my inlaws and hopefully never will. My mother in law, brother in law and sister in law are huge...my hubby is getting bigger these days too. My inlaws and husband have all been large, except my father in law... Hubby was always the smallest after his dad, but not so much anymore.
5 years ago my MIL was absent at my daughters birth because she was in Louisiana with my sister in law, who was getting gastric bypass at the time. I totally understand her being there for that. It's not like I was going to allow her in the OR with me anyway. My SIL has always been huge. Not sure of her exact weight but I know she wore 5x. She never made good food choices and exercise was a foreign word to her. Pretty much sums up my whole inlaw side of the family.
Anyway back to her surgery. She was receiving state medical insurance so her surgery was free. Within 1 year she lost a lot of weight and looked great. Then something happened after year 2...She went back to her old eating habits and gained all of the weight back, and then some. She was given a huge gift in the form of free surgery that could make her healthy and enjoy life more and she trashed it.
The main reason I don't tell my MIL...she is the biggest blabber mouth and if I fail at this everyone will know thanks to her. Then I'll be compared to her daughter and I can't take that. It might seem petty but I don't care. I worked hard to be able to pay cash for my surgery, my insurance excludes weight loss.
If I want the world to know something, I'll tell the queen of gossip and you can bet in two minutes everyone in the USA will know. Not lying. I will be a success in spite of my inlaws.
Sorry for the long post...guess I needed to get that off my chest.
Sent from my iPhone using LapBandTalk

I will tell anyone in the world, except my in-laws. They have been VERY verbal about my weight and just like my weight being none of their business, neither is my WLS.
Good luck to you!

I had my pre op class today which told us about what to expect while we are in the hospitals and things like that. We started taking about the pre op diet and she told us that one patient disregarded the diet and two days before surgery he had a cheese burger and fries which had not digested yet. When the surgeon cut into him he could see the cheeseburger and it leaked out so the surgeon could not do surgery the patient beck septic due to the leakage, had to e rushed back to the OR , now has a huge incision, and almost died from the sepsis. WOW if that's not motivation to do the diet correctly idk what is

I have two. One is to finally be happy with the way I look, it's time I am in control not the food or fat. Two is my health- I don't want to be diabetic like my dad or have a stroke at 40 like my brother. I want to be healthy so I can enjoy a long life with my wonderful husband.

Many hugs, prayers, and love coming your way! ❤

It truly really depends on your insurance. My insurance wouldn't even consider it without a BMI of 40 or over or BMI 35-40 with a severe co morbidity. I also had to provide them with a 2 year weight history as well as a 6 month weight management program along with all the tests and other visits. I am finally getting banded Wednesday after 9 long months of trying to get qualified. If you click on my link my story is the only blog I have done so far. I wanted this so bad I was willing to do whatever it took and just never gave up on it. Good luck to you and please keep us posted!!!

Be positive with everything you do. It does work but you are the only one that can succeed. The band is a tool, use it and you will drop the weight. We are all here for you and for us to all Succeed in losing weight. We are a big support group and I'm sure many here have gone through what you're feeling. I'm only 1 week since surgery, but I know I want to be healthy and be able to do normal things again. I will succeed.
Best wishes and hang in there. WE all Care!

I am also a plication or imbrication patient. Best decision i could have ever made. I had my surgery April 24, 2012 and I am now down 63 pounds. I have not had a fill yet, but I feel that my first one might be fast approaching. I did not pay anymore than what I would have with just the lap band. I have been very successful up to this point.
I am also in the U.S.

I had my last phone conference with my nutritionist...(had to do the 6 month thing).
I've been looking forward to this day since February!
Now i wait. Wait for my Insurance to give the go ahead.
I've been watching many of you get to this point and I've been so excited for you all. Thanks for all the great posts and fabulous advice! Keep it up! I've learned so much!...can't wait to learn more!

Bust!!! You can do this!!! Just think of everything you will be able I accomplish, how ppl won't look at you any different because of ur size... How much more confidence you will have. I'm scared too! I have the same fears as you but I have a kid to keep up with and the fact that diabetes runs in my family and I've already lost 3 family members because of that disease. I don't want to leave my kid motherless. That's my reasoning. Journal all ur struggles and go back and read ur goals and remind urself why u are doing this. Good luck bust! You can do this!!!

hi Jason and welcome!
You are not a pansy lol. It's totally normal to be scared. I think I'd question anyone who wasn't at least a little nervous. It's a major lifestyle change!
You have nothing to fear. It's a minor surgery and the recovery process after is fairly quick. The lifestyle change can definitely be daunting. I know for me, that was the hard part. Many of us (myself included) actually go through almost a mourning like process, leaving behind the lifestyle and eating habits we've known our whole lives. I know it sounds weird, but in some ways, it's almost like losing an old friend. So many of us grieve with food, Celebrate with food, even kill boredom with food. No longer being able to do that is difficult and often emotional.
The good news it, it gets a lot easier as time goes on. I was banded 7 months ago and have lost 125 pounds so far. I love my band and the new healthier lifestyle I've adapted. I still have to do the work. I still regularly battle the difference between physical hunger and head hunger, too. But with every pound the scale drops, I am reminded how far I've come and how happy I am with my new life. I have no regrets and would do it again in a heartbeat.
My best advice is to educate yourself on the band thoroughly before surgery. Learn all about not only the mechanics of it but what to expect from it- as well as what not to expect from the band. I would also highly recommend seeing a nutritionist before surgery. A nutritionist can help you set up food guidelines specifically for your needs and lifestyle. For me, this has been a crucial part of my weight loss so far. By having clear guidelines and an understanding of nutrition, it takes the guess work out of eating.
Best wishes to you

Insurance has 30 days from submission to respond.
I have heard horror stories of people who believed their surgeon had submitted their info and on pins and needles for weeks just to find it was not submitted yet!!

You need to call ur dr office every week and see where they are at with all your paperwork. Hound them!! They will get sick of it and want to put u first cuz u keep buggin hahah. That's what I did

I'm so sorry. That sounds like something that typically happens to me.