sarcar

The lapband surgery was my third dealing with Dr. McCarty. He did my gall bladder surgery in 1998 and then in 2000 I was bitten by a brown recluse and hospitalized for a week. I have always found Dr. McCarty to be very knowledgeable and great bedside manners. My partner is an operating room nurse who has said that he knows his business and would recommend him to anybody. My issue was getting approval from the insurance company with took about nine months. Dr. McCarty's office worked dilegently with me and them to get this approval. I had to take three months and go through the diet I would be on after surgery and they worked with me on that and getting the paperwork to them. I had to have the standard pre-op testing -- heart, lungs, blood work, etc. but no problems there. After surgery, my port flipped which is not uncommon and he had me back in same day we found out and took care of it. I found his entire staff to be extremely helpful and always there for me. Let me know at sarcar@swbell.net if you would like to talk more on Dr. McCarty. I do think you would like him.

Can anybody recommend a Lap Band doctor in OKC? I had mine done in Dallas but a former high school classmate lives close to OKC and wants to have one done. He is a cash pay so insurance is not an issue and money is not an issue -- he just wants the best.

I had surgery on Thursday and returned to work on Monday. I felt great all weekend and my commute is about one hour. I did not spend a full day at work the first day and was going strong on the second day. I think it all depends on you and how you feel. Don't push it.

I was banded on Nov. 10 and I feel great. I'm on the soft food stage and the doc said I can now start trying different foods and see how they work. So far, no problems. I can't wait to get my first fill on Dec. 22. I've been one of the lucky ones with little discomfort during the whole process. Thirty minute surgery, home by 1:00 p.m. and eating soup that night with no problems. I've stayed on the program with nothing more than liquids for two weeks and now soft foods. Got through Thanksgiving with no problems.

Hi yall, I was banded on the 10th and today is Thanksgiving and this is such a wonderful Thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for. I'm down almost 20 pounds. I'm back on soft/solid foods. I'm not feeling hungry. When I do, a little bit is all I eat. The surgery was easy, easy, easy for me. I was back at work on Monday following my Thursday surgery and I've never stopped. I'm taking it slow and chewing, chewing, chewing so I've not yet had the dreaded PB that everybody talks about. I'm eating very slow and listening to my body. I'm taking in plenty of liquids all day. So much to be thankful this year and years to come. This band has already changed my life. Congrats to all the November bandsters and those still to come. Carolyn

ladysplenda, What I told Jini last night and what I will continue to say is that you make the best choice possible for you. People with Gastric Bypass have issues, people with lapband have issues. Likewise people with Gastric Bypass wouldn't trade what they did for anything in the world and the same goes for those with lapband. Both surgeries have their risk. You and only can look at all the info and make the best choice for you. After that, quite worrying. Don't worry about whether it was the right choice, but instead follow the program given and thank God for all the positives that come out of it and ask for help for the hard times. If you worry, you're wasting your life waiting for something that may never happen. And then what do you have to show for it. Enjoy life and if something happens, then deal with it. I'm lucky. I was banded on the 10th of November and have had nothing but great success. I've already lost almost 20 pounds to date. My surgery lasted 30 minutes. I was home in four hours. I've not been hungry during the liquid stage. I'm just now starting on the soft food stage and I'm finding that I'm not hungry after a few bites. Will it always be this great. I doubt it. I'll have issues and when I do I will take the steps I need to, to get through those issues. But I'm not going to worry about what the issues are going to be, how I'm going to handle them or anything else until it happens and then I will deal with it. For now, I'm going to enjoy the changes and thank God that I am having an easy time with it. My prayers to you to find the best solution for you and then to let go.

I didn't have the gas pains that you mentioned. I have been real surprised (and thankful) about how easy it has been for me. I was on liquids for two weeks. I'm now on solid foods. Try and see what works. I have a family history of heart problems and had to do and had to have a stress echo before the surgery. I'm sorry you are not having as easy of time and hope that things get better for you...Carolyn

Jini, I think we have to take each day one day at a time. I always tell people that I can spend my time worrying about what might go wrong and if it doesn't then I've just spent a lot of time worrying about nothing. I would rather just take each day and live to the fullest and do the best I can. If something goes wrong, then I will deal with it. I don't want to waste time with worry. Try not to worry about this. Some people have problems, but more don't have problems than do. This is too small a percentage to waste all that time worrying. Carolyn

That's me too. I was never a big sweet person. Give me a cake and it will go bad before I finish it. I just overeat which is why my doctor agreed to the lap band instead of the bypass. I'm not really hungry even on soups right now. So I'm hoping that it continues this way.

When I first started thinking about the lap band, I thought I knew how hard the surgery would be since I had had a gall bladder surgery a few years before. Wow, I had the surgery on Thursday and was back at work on Monday. I was in surgery only 30 minutes and at home four hours latter. I was able to eat a little bit of Soup, drink Water with no problem. Friday, I was up and about most all day (at home). Saturday same thing. Sunday went out for a drive. Monday at work. I'm just now getting off liquids and it hasn't been hard. I've lost 14 pounds in the two weeks. I know this will slow down. I also know there will be some very hard times. But I am going to enjoy this while I can. I had a follow-up visit today and they are just amazed about how I'm doing. Even joked they were going to make me their poster girl for lap bands. Thanks for all the support. Carolyn

I had my surgery early Thursday (Nov. 10) morning and I'm feeling great. The surgery lasted less than one hour and by 1:00 p.m. I was home in my own bed a little bit and walking a little bit. I spent most of Friday out of bed walking around the house. Saturday I didn't lay down at all. Pain is minimal. Today is Sunday and I plan to go to work tomorrow. I had previously had a gallbladder surgery and was expecting that type of pain, but it was nowhere close. What a great experience this has been so far. Much better than I had anticipated. And I've lost 10 pounds in these last few days - which I am sure is mostly Fluid - but who cares it is weight loss. Hope all the others having surgery in the next few days, weeks, months, years have the same experience as I have had. Carolyn

I'm November 10 with Dr. Todd McCarty @ Baylor Dallas. Exceited and Terrified all at the same time.

Wendiss, It is frustrating and time consuming to the vast amount of those that want to have insurance pay for it. It took me seven months and they made me jump through hoops. But the big thing to keep pushing and keep communicating and just do everything they asked. I researched over a year before I decided that I wanted to do this and exactly which of the gastric surgeries I wanted to do. So insurance took seven months and then twelve months prior for research. But the main thing is don't give up.....I won on my first appeal.