andielmt

i have to say that since ive gotten my date for surgery ive been starting to think about the bypass. For almost 1 year ive been focusing on the band and when i went to see the surgeon he was persistant on the bypass and i actually was upset about how the visit went because i wanted the band. a few weeks passed and he called me and said that i should have the bypass and i was very strick on why i wanted the band, he said that i seemed very dedicated. well now i have a new surgeon and will be meeting with her on the 30th and have my surgery date on nov 19th. i think the reason why ive been distracted is because my friend at work had the bypass and has lost 61 lbs in 4 months and is doing great. i just want something that will have results, if i dont see results i usually quit. thats why diets never worked for me because i didnt see results. i am just scared that i wont lose weight with the band, but am scared to have the bypass because of the risks and because ive heard that people usually gain their weight back with the bypass. i hate feeling like this, i was so sure of what i wanted and now i feel confused. deep down i feel safer with the band. andrea (i noticed that there was another andrea on this website)

im getting banded on the 19th also, ever since i got my date i even been thinking of getting the bypass. i dont know what my problem is because for 1 year ive been focusing on the band only, but seeing my friend lose 61lbs in 4 months makes me second guess my decision. my biggest fear is that i wont lose weight with the band or if i do it will only be a little. are these fears normal or should i be concerned? andrea

my surgeon has changed her post op diet to eating mushies two days after surgery, i am a little nervous of eating so soon so i will probaly do a liquid diet for a awhile. andrea

im a little nervous that i wont lose much weight, ive heard from quite a few people on here who say that they have lost a lot of weight but i dont have much confidence in myself i guess. my friend who just had the bypass 4 months ago has lost 60lbs. i just want something that will work and i wont get discouraged. i have been in the program for 1year now and know alot about the band and have only really focused on getting this done. its hard when you see bypassers lose so fast it makes you want to do it. my friend and my surgeon agree that i should get the bypass but theres a fear deep down when i think about it. i just dont want to have the band and not lose much weight, the doctor says i need to lose 140lbs but i would be on top of the world if i lost 80-100.i just need some encouragement i guess, i have been so persistant on getting the band now for along time and i want to be sure that this will work,i may be alittle doubtful now because i have a date and i've heard of people getting scared because its such a reality was you get your date. andrea

i just found out that my husband is switching jobs in two weeks which means that i will lose health insurance. so now i wont have coverage for the surgery. the only hope i have is getting cobra but i dont know if i can get it and how much it will cost. i dont know what to do andrea

i got a call today with an appointment date for oct 30 with the surgeon, this will me be with a different surgeon than the first one i had gone to. my first surgeon has talked to this surgeon and explained everything and she said that she would do surgery on me and gave me a date of nov 19th. i am surprised that i have a date without even meeting with the surgeon but seeming how the two surgeons have talked about my case she must be comfortable with it. i just hope that her and i click and i feel comfortable with her because if not ill have to travel a ways to see someone else and possibly do a different program all together. so wish me luck and ill keep you all posted. andrea

my surgeon needs two people in order to become certified in maine seeming how he is new here and he only has me right now that wants the band, he said that he is meeting with someone in october who wants the band but there is no guarentee. he wants me to meet with the other doctor in the same practice to see if she can get me in sooner. i was suppose to see her in the beginning but chose not to because i heard that she was difficult and also preferred the bypass. now she is my only option if i want to see someone here. in the end i may have the choice of who i want but talk about overwhelming ill have to pick which doctor i want to do the surgery. im not feeling to good about my options right now. i guess ill just have to meet with her and see how it goes. wish me luck andrea

i just found out that my surgeon is referring me to the other doctor in the same practice. he needs two lapband patients to become certified in maine seeming how he is new here and im the only one who wants the lapband. i probably will meet with the other doctor soon, wish me luck i heard that she prefers the bypass and is quite assertive with her patients. andrea

thanks wanttobeme that is helpful. andrea

faithmd i just went on the obesity website that you told me about and found out some info on dr.lalor it didnt say much. one thing that i have to find out is if he is board certified. it said that that info wasnt available,(thats weird) it also said that the was a general surgeon. i emailed the director of the program with some questions but i hope she doesnt email them to him like she did before. he probably thinks that i am difficult because i ask so many questions andrea

thank you for the feedback, i have been asking alot of questions about my surgeon because i want to be sure hes good. when he called me he asked if i had any questions but i forgot to ask him some things so i decided to get some info on him from someone else. i am trying to get info from the internet but am having a hard time finding any. i am realizing now that i shouldnt hurry just because my insurance is running out soon. if i have to get other insurance then wait for approval than thats what i have to do. i am a little up and down on things lately i feel all over the place because i just want to do whats best. i know that there are other doctors out there if i dont feel comfortable. at first i was discouraged because the surgeon talked down about the band. he told me that the band can be successful but it takes alot of work and is slower and there may be ups and downs, i can deal with this ,it sounds like he is telling me the facts, thats alot better than our first conversation that we had when he preferred doing the bypass. i do feel more confident in him since weve talked, at least hes willing to talk to me and is willing to answer any questions i have. some doctors meet with you once and then you dont see them until surgery so at least i can get a better feel for him by talking to him. again i really do appreciate the feedback it makes me sit back and think whats important in a doctor and what to expect. andrea

his name is dr.peter lalor, he used to work at the cleveland clinic i do need to find out more he did say that he did lapbands for two years there. i am a little nervous being his first one here. i may see if i can get the other surgeon who works here. i heard that she is mostly for the bypass also but i do know that shes done over 45 bands here in maine. some of my friends think that dr.lalor is a good doctor because he emails me and has called me but so many on this website have told me to find another doctor. andrea

i got approved on the 14th but may have to wait. my surgeon who is new to the area needs two lapband patients to operate because he needs a proctor to supervise his operation to become certified in maine, so i will be his first patient here. the problem is there is no one else who wants the band right now and my husband will be losing his insurance in a month or two so i dont have much time. ive come this far and now i dont know what to do andrea

well my surgeon did call me yesterday and we talked. i told him that i feel scared about the bypass and really feel good about the band, he said that he doesnt want to push anything on me but the bypass would be better. he said that it is a trial and error with the band and that i have to be patient especially when it comes to fills it may take a few before it works and for me not to expect alot of weight loss. i felt better telling him my decision but now he may not be able to operate on me for awhile because he needs another patient to do us both on the same day because he needs a proctor to supervise. ( hes not certified in maine yet he just got here 1 month ago) andrea

thanks, ever since ever i went to the surgeon and having my co workers pressure me i felt like crap and depressed so i kind of knew that the bypass wasnt for me. my gut was telling me no, its sounds good at first but if you really think about it its so drastic and theres no turning back. for me this is my one and only choice, i dont want to have more than one surgery. so i need this to work. andrea

i wrote on here about 2 weeks ago to ask for advice because he wanted to do the bypass. so many of you were shocked and told me to find another doctor. as i stated before i only have one other choice and shes the same way( likes the bypass better). anyway ive been emailing my doctor. i made the mistake of asking a few questions about the bypass vs the band. i did tell him that for one year ive only been focusing on the band and that the bypass scares me. he wrote back today not answering my questions but stating that in my situation the bypass is the best choice and that i would have better results. now the only situation that i have is that im overweight 140pounds according to him. i dont have any other health problems. i told him that on this website ive read that people have lost more than 50lbs and that it can be done. he did say that he would support me no matter what i choose. the only reason why i even put the thought of bypass in my head was because of the surgeon and my co workers pushing it on me. i just want to make the right choice and have success not just at first but long term. my doctor is calling me tomorrow so any feedback would be great thanks andrea

congrats to you i just called my insurance today and found out that i am approved also. it was a close call because i just got a letter on friday stating that i needed more proof of diet and exercise but when i called today they said i was all set. ive been in this program for one year now and still feel like its overwhelming to know that things are going to happen fast now. i am also thinking that i should be able to do this on my own without surgery, especially seeming how i havent exercised in 4 months. i feel that i should be trying harder but i have been there and done it. i think that some of us need something drastic to happen to get things to happen. andrea

i can relate, ever since i went to the surgeon ive been a little depressed and even thinking about not doing surgery at all. part of my reason is because my doctor said that he would do it but he prefers the bypass. my friends are trying to talk me into the bypass saying that the band wont work etc. so ive been so overwhelmed. if youve been excited about the band most of the time think of that you didnt come this far to quit. is this what you want. what will you do if you dont have the band? andrea

this is great feedback. i know that i didnt post this site but i am going through the same thing. my doctor is actually going to call me to talk about the lapband vs the bypass. he is defitenly for the bypass so i am a little nervous on how much he will pust me. andrea

i had the same thing happen to me. i went for my consult 2 weeks ago and was told that i need to lose 140lbs and that i would only lose 40 with the lapband, he is trying to get me to do the bypass instead saying that there isnt much success with the band. its a hard decision on which one to do, you have to really look at the pros and cons of both, i have been for 1 year now focusing on the band now my friends( one just had bypass 4 months ago) are trying to get me to do the bypass. yes you will lose weight really fast with the bypass but will you be able to keep it off once your appetite comes back? the band is slower but if you look at success stories here on this website some have lost just as much weight. feel free to write to me anytime because i am going through the same dilema. andrea

i just got a letter on friday stating that i need a supervised medical letter stating for 6 months that ive exercised. i did go to the gym for 4 months and had a personal trainer for 3 of those months then i started working out at work 3 times a week and my boss who is a doctor would exercise with me but i dont think that is proof enough for what they want. i am so upset. when i first got into the program last nov. the director told me that i have everything i need for the insurance and that i should be approved now i may not qualify. if i have to wait another 6 months im not sure if ill go through with surgery and i may not have insurance by then anyway. has anyone had this problem? any feedback andrea

i just found out that i need 6 months of documentation of exercise from my physician. when i first got in the program last nov. the director said that i had everything i needed and i would be fine. she never said that i had to have proof of exercise. i did go to the gym for 4 months and worked out at work 3 times a week for 3 months and my boss used to work out with me and she is a doctor but i dont think that this is enough proof. if i have to wait another 6 months i dont know if ill go through with it. im so discouraged. andrea

when was your band put in did you say 2003?

so many people are suggesting that i switch doctors, i dont know what to do? he did email me back with answers to some questions i had. the director of the wls told me that he isnt a negative person and he really cares about his patients but he was pretty focused on talking me out of the band. ive been in this program for almost 1 year and really want to get this done soon, also my husband insurance is going to run out in a month or two so i really dont have time to get another doctor, i did confront the head director on how i thought he was negative and she tried to convince me other wise of course because they are getting money so she going to say the best about him plus hes new to the area. any feedback would be helpful to me thanks andrea

im curious on the long term of the band. has anyone had it for a long time and were there any problems andrea