Banded14yr

I'm very glad to read all of this. First of all, it's very informative, secondly, I was seriously considering flying to Dallas to have Dr. Dobson perform my fills. This is the second negative thing that I've heard about him. He won't be hearing from me now.

I've never heard of this, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. Good thing you're going for a scope. Hopefully that will get you the answers that you need. I hope all turns out well!! Please keep in touch on how everything goes, and hang in there! Tricia

BTW - Congratulations on your decision. I remember how excited and happy I was once I made the choice to have the band. It couldn't come soon enough for me. If you've already decided to have the band, then you're already 1/2 the way there!

You ask a lot of good questions.... I really don't think that there is a clear answer in that everyone seems to respond to the band in their own little way. For instance, like you said, some people don't require a fill for a few months after having the band. Some like myself, felt no restriction after getting the band and have already had a fill one month after surgery. I even saw someone post on this board that had her first fill 2 weeks after surgery, I didn't think they would do an adjustment that soon after surgery, but every doctor and every patient is different. How your body will react to the band is yet to be determined. Dr. Rodriguez filled me to 5cc's (for my first fill) which seems like an awful lot, but another one of his patients might not require so much. I feel restriction now, which is wonderful. Some days I feel a little more restriction than others. I think this is one reason why people tend to name their bands, they really do have their own personalities Just do as much research as you can about the different kinds of bands, talk to Dr. Rodriguez or any other health care professional that has experience with the different types of bands and make your own decision based on what you feel is best for you. Like I said, I don't think you can go wrong with whatever band you chose, they're all basically the same and ultimately have the same purpose.

Kim, My husband and I did a lot of research on the different bands before we made our decision. Basically, they're all pretty much the same but there are some minor pros and cons about every one. The Inamed Lapband is the most commonly used band in the U.S. It has a fill capacity of 4.0 or 5.0cc's, but I believe that Inamed has come out with a new band that's fillable to 10cc's. The Swedish band made by Johnson and Johnson, not yet FDA approved (Target date of December for FDA Approval) is a larger band that holds 10.0 - 11.0cc's. Dr. Rodriguez prefers the Swedish band but will place any band you wish. Dr. R. said that the Swedish band allows him to work with the band easier during surgery if surgical adjustments need to be made. Just do all the research you can. My husband (Laserjock) will be able to answer more questions about the difference in bands since he's the one that really researched it for weeks. Just pm or email me if you have any specific questions, I'll try my best to answer them.

I was banded by Dr. A. Rodriguez, and I think he's wonderful. I've also heard very good things about Dr. Rumbault (sp?) in Mexico. I decided to go back to Monterrey on 8/27 to get my first fill because I really wanted Dr. Rodriguez to do it. I made the round trip to Monterrey in a day and it all went very well. I'll probably go back to Monterrey for future fills as well. If you have any specific questions about Dr. Rodriguez, you can email me and I can try to answer them based on my own experience. You can also email Deborah deborahb26@yahoo.com if you haven't already done so. She can help you with anything that you need. Good luck in all of your future decisions!

WHOA!!! That seems long a very long time. I struggled with one week clear liquids post op. I'll just go ahead and admit that I'm a weak person and don't think I could do 6 weeks clear liquids.

Zoe, So glad to hear everything went fine and that you're back home on the way to recovery! You're very fortunate that you don't have much of an appetite. I few days after my surgery, my appetite kicked in while I was on the liquid stage and I didn't think I could get through it. I remember posting on here asking everyone if it was normal to feel like I was starving to death! LOL...... I thought the band would take away the hunger pains also It sounds like you're doing very well in your recovery. Just continue to take it easy and you'll be amazed at how much better you feel with every passing day! Take care! Tricia

Hey PamRN, Hope you don't mind me butting in here Everyone heals differently and at a different time scale. Two weeks after my surgery I couldn't tell I had anything done at all except for the visual lines on my belly where my incisions were. I had no pain, nothing...... It's amazing how much better I felt just a few short days after surgery. I might be considered a fast healer, I don't know, but I had my surgery on a Monday and was back to work the following Monday. I could have gone back earlier but decided to take a full week. I think that 2 weeks is a good, safe amount of time to take off. As far as heavy lifting in 2 weeks, I would check with your doc and see what he says. I know these 3 weeks will seem like they take forever. Hang in there!

Johnson and Johnson also purchased the Swedish band. Is this the band that is currently in clinical trials? I heard that the Swedish band was supposed to be FDA approved in December.

Thanks Michelle, just let me know what you find out. Thanks!!

Tonight or tomorrow? Tonight is not doable for me....Some kind of Monday Night Football party or something Tomorrow is doable. If I don't get a chance to meet you all (if you're meeting tonight) maybe we can plan to get together in the future again.

Have you called your doctor yet? The gas is normal (I think) I had awful gas that didn't fully go away until about 2 weeks post op. The drinking part would bother me a little. Could it be that your stomach is swollen causing restriction to the point where you're having problems drinking? It's normal for your stomach to swell after surgery, that's why you get to drink fluids for a while afterwords. But I would definatley call your doc and see what he says. Hang in there!!

Rica! Way to go!! You're gleaming! You deserve that smile on your face, you've worked hard to obtain that weight loss and you look marvelous!!

Welcome Shireen! It will get better with each day that goes by. It's amazing how fast the body can heal and recoup. Just take it easy. I bet by tomorrow you'll notice a big difference in the way you feel. Please keep us posted! BTW: We go to Clearwater for vacation every year. What a beautiful place! It's a dream of mine to live on Clearwater beach some day Take Care!!

Hola Zoe! I'll be in Monterrey on Friday for my first fill. Even though I'm sure I won't be seeing you there, I'll be thinking about you and wishing you well. I know how excited you must be right now, have a safe trip and be sure to let us know how you're doing when you get back.

Oh my! My Anaesthesia wore off during my delivery and never came back, so needles to say, I basically gave birth and felt it all. There is absolutely no comparison between childbirth pain and lapband pain. I took a total leap of faith, but a jump that I was willing to take if it could help me lose weight, get healthier and feel better about myself mentally. I jumped on an airplane, flew to Mexico and had a surgeon that had never seen me before perform Arthroscopic surgery on me. Was I scared? Maybe a little, but honestly, after I made the decision to have lapband surgery, my excitement out shadowed any fears or anxieties I had. Now about the actual surgery, pain ect..ect.... I'm just going to be honest about my experience which may differ from other's. I was sick to my stomach while in the recover room, that was the most discomfort I felt. Having the dry heaves was not pleasant, but they gave me Phenergan pretty quick and it went away, but had another episode in my room. I'm sure it was a reaction to the Anaesthesia. Having to cough or sneeze might hurt a little for a couple of days after surgery, but every day after, I felt better and better. It amazed me at how just one day can make such a big difference. Getting up and down, like off the couch or out of bed was a little painful at first, but very tolerable. My husband would help pull me up but I only needed help right after surgery and the next day, after that I was solo! I went to a mall the day after surgery to try and walk off the gas that they fill you with. I felt bloated and gassy, but no major pain involved. I have 5 small incisions that are almost completely healed. No major problems with them at all. If this is truly something that you have decided that will help you to achieve a "better you" then just make the thought of you being thin again, liking what you see in the mirror again and becoming a healther you again your motivation and it will overshadow any small amount of pain that is involved with this surgery. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

If I had to do it all over again, I think I would have done more in preparation as far as my diet is concerned (pre-surgery) I found that the liquid phase was very difficult for an entire week, and some doctors have you on the liquid phase for longer than that. I would have started trying to eat more Soup instead of something solid for meals. One thing I've learned is that everyone is so different, and how their body reacts to certain things are very different. So I think if I would have started a semi-diet before my surgery, then going right into the liquid phase, then mushy phase would have been easier to adjust to. I don't think I would have had as much hunger pains if I would have curtailed the inhaleing of food before hand What does your doctor recommend? Did he put any info in your informational packet?

Hey Eva! I'm also in Tennessee, just a little north of you I have BC/BS of TN and they would not pay for the lapband. There's a Bariatric group at Centennial Medical Center that you could call, or Dr. Morton at Southern Hills. There's also a group at Williamson Medical Center (I believe) that performs Bariatric surgery, but not sure about the lapband. You might also want to try Dr. Ponce in Georgia. Or if you're like me and strike out, you could always go to Mexico, the doctor's are very good and the price is a lot less. Good luck to you!!

Congrats! I found that the more reading I did the less nervous I became. Also, hang around here, it helps to talk to others that have already traveled down the path that you will be taking.

Hey Lucky! I was also banded by Dr. A. Rodriguez. I go back for my first fill on Friday. Great to see you doing so well! Welcome "aboard"

I'm guessing you have the Swedish Band because of the amount of fill that you are getting. I go for my first fill next Friday, as of right now, I don't feel like I have any restriction, but hopefully will notice a difference after my first adjustment. As a friend of mine said, it didn't take overnight to put on this weight, and it's not going to come off overnight either. Hang in there!

I was self pay My surgery cost was $11,500.00 Fortunately, I was able to pay cash (for all) except for $5,000.00 which I did 12 month's same as cash. I had the entire amount, but just didn't want to hit the savings account that hard. Good luck to you. It's definately worth getting a low interest loan, or home equity line of credit or any other financial means for something that will change your life for the better

Dr. Ponce is in Georgia. But my trip to Mexico wasn't filled with a lot of "wait time". They picked us up at the hotel at 7:00am Monday morning, I arrived at the hospital at 7:20, did some paperwork with Admissions, then immediately went to get into my "lovely" gown. I had absolutely no wait time. I was in surgery a little after 8:00am. Every doctor/hospital is a little different, it's neat hearing about everyone's experiences and how they differ.

I can only dream of this! Pizza is my weakness, along with ice cream. I still don't feel any restriction, but I'm patiently waiting for my first adjustment. I haven't tried eating any pizza since my surgery, but i can't wait until the day that I cannot even eat one piece! How wonderful that must be