pandagirl

Nope. All this has cost me is maybe is a total of $150 dollars in co-pays from the supervised diets, the wiegh-ins, and the EKG's ( I had two). Since I actually went in and out of surgery, technically I don't have co-pays anymore either and I pay nothing for hospitalizations or surgery. Heck, I just had my gall bladder taken out and it cost me nothing. I think I spent $10 dollars over for my vicodin because I didn't have my medical card with me.

You know, I'm not really sure how I feel about the whole thing. I have an appointment tomorrow to see the Doc,to check the incisions and my progress on the wieght loss. My Doctor is female,btw. I wonder and I don't mean to sound sexist, but if she were male maybe she'd be strong enough to get through what she says she couldn't? I am grasping for explanations. I will ask some questions tomorrow.

That's a really good idea. Thanks!

Cool. I used goo gone. Felt wierd, but it worked. Your idea seems more sane. :huh2:

True, but I wonder if I went to a new surgeon if I would have to start the process all over again?

Yeah, it is wierd whatever happened. They told me everything else was fine. Maybe they just miscalculated how much I actually needed to lose. If you saw me, you'd think I was smaller than I am. I am very tall and as far as fat girls go "thin" everywhere but my tummy. So....maybe they weren't hiding something, but still so wierd.

I don't think the apple shape alone is the problem. I think it's that my fat is the thickest around my belly button. As far as them not being on the up and up, I can't imagine what could have happened for them to pull me off the table. I guess no matter what happened, I am alive and they made the right decision. I am feeling better today btw. I had asparagus for dinner last night and a V8. I know it wasn't the protien I should have had, but I just wanted a different set of flavors and something to chew on.

My favorite tasting one is

Most of the people I've told are supportive, but like you I've had a few who just aren't. They know someone who knows someone, etc. Whether they actually do or not isn't the issue. You know, I know, everyone who has studied the process knows the risks, the complications, the statistics, etc. Somewhere someone is having a hard time with the band; that's a given. But for every three people having trouble somewhere there are twice as many having an easy time of it or at least an expected normal time of it. Your friend is going through her own issues. Maybe she is fat too or has built your relationship, even uknowingly, around that your bigger than she is. Maybe she fears losing the you that she knows. I don't know, but I do know that you will do what you must and if she is worth it to you, then she'll be around when all is said and done, if not..Well, you will be healthier, happier and where you are supposed to be. (Gosh, do I soap box much? :thumbup:) All IMHO, of course.

3 days? Nix my previous comment. You are just nervous. I was totally nervous the week before my almost band. I even wrote out a will and told my family my final wishes for burial. How melodramtic is that?!?

If you aren't ready to make those sacrifices then I would slow down the process and get your head together first or at least while you are getting what you need to get done in order to have the surgery. I've spent a year going through the motions and I'm not sure if the process had been fast for me if I'd have been ready say in summer of last year. As each day goes by, I understand my relationship with food more. I am more in tune with the mind/body aspect of it than I've ever been. I hope that this will make it easier in the end. Does every one need to be in the "right" state of mind before surgery? Probably not, but I can't see how it can hurt. And you know....you can always say no right down to the last minute.

I was on 2 protien shakes a day with salad/lean meat/low-fat salad dressing. The possible side effects are gall stones, kidney stones, and severe cramping. You need to drink a lot of Water (at least 44 oz) to help your system process the excess protien and to alleviate constipation. I used "Pro-Rated". It has 27 grams of Protein per serving. There is also a brand called EAS that you can get from costco. But....Unjury is the best tasting protien shake out there, imho. But it doesn't have the same slow release feel that the other two have. To tell you the truth though, I wouldn't do it w/out medical supervision. You might be okay, but then something might happen. If you do it, ease into it.

You're not the first one to wonder why it couldn't be done and not believe it was the fat issue. The Doc said they thought about making a larger incision, but thought it wouldn't make a difference. I don't know. I feel fine. I didn't have any issues post-op ( other than not having the band) I was on my period during surgery??? Gosh, I don't know and if it was something else they aren't going to tell me.

Thanks bunches, every pat on the back helps. :thumbup:

So true! Though....egad chewing is a great thing. :thumbup:

When I started if I got headaches I would have a cheesestick or a bite of a chicken breast, an ounce or something like that. (Kept it low cal and only one time per day.) It seems to help at first and after a couple of days of that, just straight liquid Protein wasn't so bad for me.

Wow, Kat thanks so much for this. I don't think it ever occurred to me that the stomach has to move to digest. It really brings home the importance of the post-op diet.

---------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for the support. I was doing fine over the weekend, but sitting at my desk yesterday and today has given me lots to think about. The one thing I am certain of though is that barring any complications, my recovery will be easy. I have very little pain from the incisions. I think once it actually happens it will be the food intake and the soreness of the band that causes more trouble.

The Dr. said the upper portion of my body was just fine. It was the area around my belly button that was said to "carry the fat towards the core of the body". As I understood it, there is more fat agaisnt the abdominal wall than can't be seen from the outside. The fat there is harder somehow as well, while the rest of me is kind of fluffy. I dont know...I am apple shaped, thin legged, thin armed, thin upper body, fat center. I guess I have a pot belly or something.

Essentially, I've been placed on a very strict liquid diet. If I stick to it 100% I should be able to drop the wieght by the end of the month. (30 pounds)My other liquid diet was 2 shakes and a salad with lean meat. I lived for those salads...It's kind of hard doing nothing but the liquid. Assuming I lose the wieght I will have the surgery next month or at the end of this one. Hopefully, they can finish it next time around. I'm not sure how I'd handle it if they told me they couldnt do it for a second time. *crosses fingers*

I was scheduled for my band on March 6th. I went in, was put under and woke up with five incisions and no band. Does this happen often? My surgeon told me that one of the instruments couldn't make it through my fat; it kept bending. I was okay with this at first, but as the days go by and I am on a super strict liquid diet to drop 30 pounds in about 2 weeks I've become kind of depressed. I feel like a failure. I know I have lost 60 pounds since September. I know that I have lost a total of 72 pounds since I started all of this early last year. I have done what I was told to do, albeit perhaps more slowly, but I got there. I got to my required maximum pre-op wieght. 330-340. I was 330 before surgery. I am now tired, frustrated and feeling like this is much harder than it should be. And I'm wondering how many people go under the knife only to come out unbanded? I hope this is my only complication. I can at least say my surgeon chose my saftey over my disappointment. I will survive this. I just wish it was a smoother ride...:thumbup:

I can't tell you what to expect, but I can tell you are not alone. I think nerves are normal. I am just starting to get mine. I'm two weeks away and wondering if something awful will happen to me on the table. Chances are nothing will, but I can't help but knock on wood. So, good luck to you, to me, to all of us!

I did a 6 month supervised diet and wieght loss wasn't the entire goal of the program. They mainly focused on getting me to change my attitude with food and to start getting rid of things like sodas and fast food. I only lost 6 pounds during that time, but they approved me to go onto the next stage. Afterwards I was told that the program was really set up so those who weren't really serious about the WLS would bail out or be impatient. I don't know if that is true, but I know that my journey started way before I said hello to the surgeon and I am glad to have had that 6 month period of internalizing the upcoming changes and taking it step by step.

My Doc and nutritionist have stressed that the first month after banding is all about healing and not to worry about losing weight. Isopure is on their list and has been very helpful to people thier first week. I am not banded yet, will be on 3-6-08. I am planning to stock on Isopure. They have a few different flavors, they taste horrible warm, need to be icy. I hope it all works out for you.

How soon were you back to work? I am so worried about my time because I unexpectedly had my gall bladder taken out on Jan 6 and only have 37 hours left. I am hoping that four days out will be enough. With my g/b surgery I went back on the 14th, a lot sore, but I made it. I am hoping that the lap band isn't as bad as having an organ removed. :frown: