AbbieRoad

add me on fb if you wanna! https://www.facebook.com/abbieroad

I've decided against lapband since I commented on here, I'm going to get the gastric sleeve instead so I've been all over the verticalsleevetalk.com website! (same as this one, but for the sleeve!) but since I saw your comment about South Jersey - I figured I'd reply! I'm living in South Jersey (Medford to be specific) it's wonderful. My doc is Dr. Wasser. He's got offices in Lumberton (which is where I go!) and Willingboro. He does all bariatric surgeries including lap band and he's great. I just got my approval on Thursday so I'm not sure when my surgery is, soon though! If you do see him, I'd suggest going to his Lumberton Location, Willingboro can get a little dicey heheh. I hear they're opening a big giant office in Mt. Laurel soon too so that's cool! They're all through Virtua which is a great hospital system! Feel free to message back if you have any questions!

Thanks all. I am so indecisive. If I could do it in September, I'd start my 2 week liquid diet tomorrow if I could! But October is such a busy month for me, and it's a fun month, with lots of activities and plans already that I don't want to miss out on. On the other hand? If I do it in early October, I'll be thinner for Thanksgiving & Christmas which is awesome. How soon after your surgeries did you go out and be "normal" with people? How did you (if you did) keep people from knowing?

Thanks for your input! I really don't want it to be obvious that I'm not drinking/eating because I can't think of a good reason as to why I wouldn't be. I really don't want them to know about the surgery ya know? Word travels fast lol, the whole world would know. I just wanna get this done already! But on the other hand, I don't wanna be under a ton of stress while trying to heal and adjust. November would be easier, but do I want to wait that long? Ahh my mind is racing! I kinda thought I wouldn't even be approved yet since I only had an 18month weight history not a full 2 years!

After a long journey of deciding between lap band, or sleeve, jumping through all Aetna's hoops, losing weight, getting pregnant, gaining weight, losing the baby - it's been an emotional journey. I've been accepted for the surgery. Now I'm half excited, half freaked out! My surgeon is scheduling for October. I have 2 major events in October that I really don't want to miss, one is a high school reunion of sorts, we do it every year, on the 28th. The other is a giant halloween festival that I am committed to, involved in running and planning on the 13th. They can schedule my surgury as early as the 9th of October. Do you think I'll be able to move, hustle, and run this festival on the 13th? I can avoid lifting things but I'll be on my feet for a good portion of the day. For the reunion - What will life be like 2.5 weeks after surgery? Will I be able to hide that I had the surgery from everyone or will it be blatantly obvious? I really don't want the world knowing about this, just my hubby & mom really. The girls at the reunion will be doing a lot of drinking, like we always do. I know I won't be able to do that! Half of me says just do it, and deal with the concequences. The other half says wait til November so I don't have to stress about all this! Input? Abbie

Wow, so I was on this whole "should I or shouldn't I" trip. Last year I sucked it up and made an appointment to be seen about the lap band. The doc gave me a laundry list of things to do, it took me nearly 9 months to complete them all (as I was dragging my feet!) and then, miraculously I got pregnant, which, was the whole reason I wanted to loose weight - so I'd be more fertile after trying with no luck for 4 years. Unfortunately 3 months into my pregnancy I had a miscarriage. Devistating as it was, it's motivation for me to push forward with a weight loss surgery. Revisiting the idea of wls, I decided the sleeve sounds like it's better for me. A new doctor for the sleeve as the old one only did lap band. He says he can use everything I did for the band prep, all he needs is my weight history and he'll submit it to my insurance company. This is all moving sooooo fast. I'm petrified! On one hand I'm ready, on the other hand, I am just plain terrified. My doc is readying my weight history so I can pick it up tomorrow & take it to the sleeve doc. I could be approved, and scheduling my surgery within the week. Completeing the 2 week liquid diet prior to the surgery - that still has all this possibly happening in a month! I'm scared! Excited, but scared.

I haven't had my surgery yet but I threw my back out last year, and a chiro taught me some back stretches to do that really help, and he got me re-adjusted. When it hurts - make sure you ice it, DO NOT USE HEAT! Heat will draw all teh blood to the area and it will feel even worse. Ice is the way to go. Remember RICE! Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation (not sure how you'd elevate your back though!)

Initially I was only going to tell my hubby, and my sister. But I've decided to tell my parents too. Basically immediate family only. I feel like it would be hurtful if/when they eventually find out - to know that I went through a major surgery and kept it from them. I don't have a surgery date yet. I have just recently decided to do the sleeve rather than the lap band, I feel like the sleeve is a harder thing to keep secret than the band since the weight will probably come off faster.

Ok that makes sense, good - I like that answer! Thanks!

I've recently begun changing my mind after being dead set on the Lap Band for the last 2 years. I'm doing some final research and the more I see band to sleeve revisions, the more I am changing my mind. If I go with the sleeve, will I have to drink Protein drinks for the rest of my life? What is a day in the life of someone who's been sleeved say, 2 years, 3 years, 5 years - what's it like for you once you've met your weight loss goal?

Hey All - I'm kinda in the same boat. Have been dead set on the band all along and now I'm close to having completed all the hoops I needed to jump through for the insurance company, I'm starting to change my mind and considering the sleeve even more. What made you change your mind? I wish I could find a doc that performed both the lap band and the sleeve - who could give me a good honest suggestion. Seems around me I'm only finding docs who do one or the other! Obviously a lap band doc will urge lap band, warn me off the sleeve. And a sleeve doc will do the opposite! Ah! What made you change your mind?

See I've been looking for a doc that does sleeve AND band, but can really only find ones that do one or the other (or combinations there of, but not the 2 that I'm looking for.) I've spoken to a band doc, I've spoken to a sleeve doc. They both suggest their relative surgeries and assure me child bearing afterwards will have no consequence as long as I wait the suggested amount of time after surgery. I wonder if I have too much to loose for the band. I am 350, my ideal weight is 180 according to my height (6' tall) 170lbs is a TON to lose. The fact that in the sleeve communities there are whole forums of people who had the band for 2 & 3 years and then went for the sleeve - that scares me. I want one surgery, and that's it!

Thanks all. From what I'm reading it seems like there are an awful lot of people I'm finding who had the band and ended up having the sleeve surgery or another gastric surgery. That scares me, I want it to be done, so I can focus on my health, and not worry about future surgeries. I like the outlook you shared Kiwi. I'm 30, I know more things will come out. I'm terrified to change my body forever. What happens if I'm 60 and there's an issue, I can always have the band removed, I can't have my stomach put back on. Then again, will the band last until I'm 60? Will it need to be replaced, will it erode, or slip in the next 30 years? I feel like I need a crystal ball to make this decision!

oh I know it's mostly banders. I'm looking for band experience with pregnancy. I went to obesityhelp.com and read - it seems like the anti LB page. It kinda scared me. I'm sure people here considered the other options of wls before choosing the band.