DaisyMay

I was banded last week and was self-pay. I paid $13,200 for the hospital and the surgeon. That includes all pre-surgical appointments and it includes a year of routine post-op care and fills. My insurance would not pay for the procedure but did pay for the majority of the pre-surgery tests that were needed. I probably had about $500 out of pocket in co-pays, etc. Hope that helps. Good luck!

Hi all. I was banded a week ago today. I know everyone is different but I hope I can provide a positive story and alleviate some fears for those who are still waiting for their band. I lost 22 lbs on a mostly liquid diet for six weeks pre-surgery and I've lost 6 lbs in the week since my surgery for a total of 28 lbs lost since March 18. I went in at 7 am last Tuesday and my surgery was scheduled for 9:15. I was taken to a pre-surgery prep room to get into a gown and get my vitals, take a pregnancy test (required for all pre-menopausal women), etc. My husband was allowed to be with me during this part and my daughter (age 20) was able to come back after the first 20 minutes or so. They put compression garments on my legs to reduce the risk of blood clots. They started my IV and gave me relaxation medication which I was told would feel like drinking two glasses of wine really fast on an empty stomach - and it pretty much did! About 9 am I said goodbye to my husband and daughter and was taken into the OR. I got onto the operating table and the nurses and techs talked to me a bit as they got things organized and then a mask was put over my mouth and that's the last I remember of surgery. I was awakened in the recovery area where I dozed a little and talked a little here and there to nurses. I had a few ice chips. I don't know how long I was there. Seemed like a few minutes but was probably an hour or more. Then I was taken to a day surgery recovery room - just like a standard hospital bed - where my husband and daughter joined me. The nurses got me comfortable and had me drink sips of Water. I was talking and I remember talking and drinking water (my throat was sore and I was SO thirsty) but I don't really remember any specifics about conversation or anything like that. After about 30 minutes in bed I asked if I could go to the bathroom so the nurse took off my compression garments and unhooked my IV and helped me to the bathroom. You have to pass urine in order to leave the hospital and that went fine. I took a little walk around the nursing station and around the ward. Felt okay. No pain. A little unsteady and a little nauseous but overall pretty good. The weight loss surgery coordinator came in and talked to us for a little while. She's really nice and is inspirational. She has lost 130 lbs with her band and looks beautiful. Says it's absolutely the best decision she's ever made (other than the husband and kids of course!). I was definitely wanting to get into my own clothes and get home so I asked if I could leave around 1 pm or so. They had wanted me to stay until at least 4 pm. The nurse evaluated me a little more - had to walk more, etc. and then released me at around 2:30. The ride home was kind of rough - I was nauseous and kind of disoriented. When I got home, things were tougher still. The nausea from the anesthetic set in and I had trouble with my pain meds because of the nausea. I was pretty miserable the first day. I know I cried a couple of times. It was hard to get out of bed and hard to walk around much. Mostly I was just very very nauseous rather than in a lot of pain. My doctor says women usually have a tougher time with nausea from surgery than men. Because of all the anti-nausea medications they had given me I managed to get it through it without vomiting so that was a relief. Each day since the first has been better. I had pain in the left shoulder - pretty severe the first 4 or 5 days. That has now disappeared. I am now able to sleep on both sides - as well as my tummy - with no problems (the first night I was flat on my back and the second night I was able to sleep on the non-port side for a few hours at a time). I still have some discomfort just under the sternum and a little near the port area. Definitely manageable. I don't notice it too much unless I sit up in a chair for long periods of time or bend over to tie my shoes or something similar. I am walking a fair amount. Did about 2.5 miles yesterday and will probably do about the same today. Am only at half-speed or so from my pre-surgery speed but it's getting better. I would definitely recommend being careful about rushing the full liquids or even mushy foods (which I can't have for another two weeks). Sipping slowly is really important. Even on full liquids I find that if I drink too much of something too quickly I get pain in the shoulder and the sternum. I don't feel like I'm ready for anything more than liquids right now (it sounds good in my head but I can tell my stomach isn't there yet). I try to alternate Clear Liquids with thicker liquids. The clear liquids definitely feel better - although the thicker ones are better for hunger obviously. Yesterday was the first day since the surgery that I felt any hunger. Because I still have some discomfort/pain I wasn't tempted to try anything more than Soup or a Protein shake. I get pretty full after about a half cup of soup or shake. I know that there's still swelling and that the fullness will go away soon and I'll be hungrier. Today is my first day back at work. I worked in my office for about 4 hours this morning. I had to get up and walk around several times because of discomfort from sitting upright for too long. I know I'll be tired when I get home this evening. I may leave a little early depending on work flow. I know some people on this board said they went to work a day or two after surgery and I think that's really impressive. I definitely needed the whole week off to recuperate. This weekend my husband and I went and ran some errands and I was okay for a couple of hours and then I had to go home and lie in bed and rest for a while. I am almost completely off my pain meds. I started to reduce them on my third day and yesterday I took two separate half-doses. Today I have taken one-half of a dose. I may need another one later this afternoon. We'll see. My doctor told me to use them if I need them and not to try to get off of them too soon. He gave me two weeks worth of pain meds and said I'd probably be able to be off of them around the one week mark and that's been about right. My husband is much tougher than I am and I know he probably would have taken one dose and then just toughed it out but I'm kind of a baby about pain so I take them when I feel like I need them to be comfortable. So, that's my story. I've been on mostly liquids for 7 weeks and have lost 28 pounds. I'm already off of my high blood pressure medication and my diabetes medication and my acid reflux medication due to the weight I've lost. (My reflux completely disappeared the day of the surgery.) I feel really good. My energy is coming back and all of the headaches and other problems I had when I first went to liquids have disappeared. Another two weeks of liquids and then I can have pureed/mushy foods for three weeks and then I start solid foods. I'm excited to get back to a wider variety of foods but I also think this detox period has been good for me emotionally as well as physically. I still go out to lunch with my girlfriends just to socialize (I either bring Protein powder and order a glass of milk to mix it in or have soup depending on what kind they have). It hasn't been too hard. Whenever I have cravings I try really hard to focus on the long-term benefit to all of this and not the short-term temptations. That's definitely not to say I've been a saint because I haven't. I cheated on my pre-surgery diet here and there. There were definitely times I just couldn't stand another sweet shake. I ate a few bites of my husband's food from time and time and even had whole meals at other times. I was always careful to get back on the liquids for several days after a cheat but I had trouble going more than about 3 days without solid food. I'm going to try really hard not to cheat on my post-surgery diet because I want to give my insides a good chance to heal properly. My surgeon said it takes six weeks for the scar tissue to form properly and that it's important not to do anything that might cause slippage or other problems. Right now I know the pain and nausea I'd feel from eating real food would not be worth it. Plus, I paid a lot of money for this band and I'm just plain tired of being unhealthy and overweight and I don't want to jeopardize anything. Right now, my motivation is really high and my attitude is great. That doesn't mean that tomorrow I won't be fighting off ordering a pizza! Anyway, I just wanted to share my experience. I have great confidence in my surgeon and his team and I feel like I have a lot of support (I've had to do a little education of some friends and family members to get them there but overall they have all been wonderful). My husband and kids have been fabulous! I also appreciate the answers and support I have gotten on this website. I am feeling really hopeful about my future for the first time in a long time. Best of luck to each and every one of us in this challenging journey!!

My doctor said it was between $3,000 and $4,000 for the band. I didn't look at the specific price (I'm self-pay and they rolled it all up into one package payment).

Hi. I was banded on April 29. I have to be on full liquids for three weeks following surgery and then on pureed/mushy food for another three weeks. I have lost 28 pounds since I started the pre-op diet. My surgeon says the reason for the full liquids and then pureed foods is to protect the internal surgical sites and not for weight loss. He says it takes six full weeks for the scar tissue to hold securely to be sure there is no slippage or other problem with the band. He says that although it could be safe for some patients to eat regular food sooner, you never know and shouldn't push it. I'm self pay and since I already wrote checks for $14,000 I'm going to try to follow instructions to the letter as I really don't want to have to pay for a fix if I mess something up. That being said, IT IS REALLY HARD!! Today is the first day I've felt any hunger since the surgery. I'm sick of sweet protein shakes and I'm sick of soup (I was on a mostly liquid diet for six weeks prior to surgery). I'm struggling every day to look at the long-term benefits and not give in to the short term temptations. It's a very frustrating process. Very exciting but very frustrating!

Gwenn, I was banded 5 days ago and I'm having exactly the same thing. Kind of like a hiccup but not really a hiccup. A sharp involuntary breath - usually several in a row. Not sure what they are but I'm having them as well. I also have a little of the pulling and itching you describe. So, no answers but if it makes you feel better, we have the same experience!

My doctor said the only thing I couldn't do was play rugby for a few weeks. That made me laugh! I wanted to say, "Do I look like I play a lot of rugby, doc?"

I was banded on Tuesday so this is my 5th day. I feel pretty good. I can definitely tell when I don't follow the doctor's instructions (like if I drink too quickly or take gulps rather than sips) but I feel much better every day. I did 30 minutes on my treadmill yesterday and today we went to a movie. I'm sleeping well - on my stomach. I still get fatigued and need to nap and I still get sore if I bend over too deeply. But I have noticed drastic improvements each day since surgery. I'm trying to wean myself off the pain meds but am not quite there yet (although I'm cutting down to half prescription meds and half regular tylenol). I agree with other posters. At 12 days out you should call your doctor tomorrow and report your problems.

I was banded on Tuesday and I'm already sleeping on either side or on my stomach. The first night after surgery I had to sleep on my back. The second night I slept on the side opposite from the port. The third morning I woke up on my stomach. No problems at all.

I was banded on Tuesday also. I have discovered that going without the pain meds is a bad idea this soon - at least for me. I feel pretty good with them and just awful without them. I feel like kind of a wimp but I'm going to stick with them for a few more days. Good luck!

I am self-pay - about $14,000. I have no regrets whatsoever. I thought about surgery off and on for years but kept thinking that I could lose weight by myself. I did lose a large amount of weight two different times - 50 lbs once and 85 lbs another time. But I could never keep it off. And then when I reached about age 40 I started to have health problems from obesity. I had high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, swollen legs and ankles, acid reflux, back pain and was starting to have liver problems. My husband and I talked about it a lot and we decided that it would be irresponsible for me not to have this surgery. I owe it to myself and my family to be healthy and to stick around for a long time. If I could have done it by myself, I would have. For whatever reason, I couldn't do it alone. I've only been banded a couple of days but I know this is going to change my entire life and I'm SO EXCITED!!!! What's $14,000 compared to that?

I was also banded yesterday. I feel pretty good today as long as I take my pain meds, walk and take the Gas-X. Yesterday was awful - absolutely awful. But I don't react well to general anesthetic. My doctor said to be sure to take the pain meds regularly whether you think you need them or not and to walk and to sip fluids continuously. Good luck!

Tomorrow is my band day also! I'm mostly excited. A little nervous. Ready for it to be over. Instead of goldfish, my cheat today was two bites of my husband's cheeseburger. I just couldn't resist! I've been on a mostly liquid diet since March 18 (22 pounds lost) but I find I can only go about 3 days without a bite of solid food. I guess starting tomorrow I need to do better than that since it's three weeks of liquids without cheating! That's scarier than the surgery! Good luck to all of us! Here's to a safe procedure with no complications and quick healing!

I'm getting banded on Tuesday too. I'm not really scared about the surgery itself - well, maybe just a little. Mostly I'm scared about life after surgery. I'm worried about wanting to binge and not being able to. I know that's the whole point and I'm definitely excited about having some control over my eating. But right now I'm worried about the interim period between getting banded and getting to the sweet spot. I met with my surgeon on Friday and I felt better afterward. He said he will do a small fill during surgery and then will do another fill six weeks after surgery and then every three weeks after that until we find the sweet spot and I'm not hungry and am losing weight at a good, safe rate. I have been on a mostly liquid diet for 5 weeks now and although I have lost 22 pounds and am happy about that, I've been REALLY hungry at different times and I have had an almost uncontrollable desire to eat from time to time. Usually after about four days of only liquids without a bite of food I'm just going crazy with head hunger and the desire to eat real food. When that happens, I give in and eat something - usually healthy, but not always. I'm worried that after the band I have to be on only liquids for three weeks and won't be able to have those "cheats." I guess we just have to take it one day at a time. My surgeon - a really, really nice guy - says he will work really hard to get me to the appropriate level of restriction as fast as possible to get rid of the cravings and the hunger. I know it's all going to be worth it but I'm worried about the next couple of months until the optimal fill level is reached. In spite of all that, I really am excited! I'm already off my blood pressure medication and my diabetes medication due to the weight loss from the pre-op diet. That's a huge bonus that happened really fast. And I'm already down one clothing size. I feel exactly like you do with the questioning of why can't I just diet and do this. But, I also know that I've been overweight for all of my adult life and I've lost a lot of weight a couple of times before. The weight doesn't stay off. And, at least for me, I have enough health problems that have developed because of my weight that I have run out of time to try to solve this myself. The surgery is the right choice for me and I'm just going to do my best. I totally understand how you feel. Good luck to us on April 29!!

I am scheduled for banding on Tuesday (4/29/08) and have been able to go off both my metformin and my blood pressure medications just from the weight I have lost on the five week long pre-surgery diet. I'm amazed. I've lost 21 pounds since March 18. I went off the metformin and the bp drugs about a week ago and my blood pressure was 122/74 yesterday and my glucose levels have been averaging about 95 to 110. I had about 200 average on my glucose levels on 1000 mg of metformin prior to starting the pre-surgery diet. Never been on insulin. I feel really good. Hungry - but good!!

Hi all! I am April 29 also! I was supposed to have a May 13 surgery date but I've lost weight so quickly on the pre-op diet that my surgeon is letting me go two weeks early. Very exciting! Good luck to all of us!

I am self-pay and my surgeon still requires all of the same pre-op things for me as he does for those who have an insurance company who will pay. He says the pre-surgery appointments are for my safety and not just to get insurance to pay so everybody has to have them. And yes, obviously he has to worry about his liability. So, in my case, self-pay doesn't mean I get to skip anything. However, as soon as I got the list of what I needed to do I got on the phone and called around to get in as fast as possible for each appointment. The sleep lab suggested by my surgeon was 6-8 weeks at least for an appointment so I verified with my surgeon that I could use a different licensed sleep lab and found one that could take me within a week. I went to my seminar on March 11 and here it is less than a month later and I have already completed all of my pre-surgery appointments - sleep study, psych eval, dietician, physician approval, cardiology review, lab work, pulmonary approval. I have a surgery date of May 13 and the only thing I have left to do is finish losing the 28 pounds my surgeon requires me to lose pre-surgery. I am down 15 lbs. and have 13 left to go. I suggest you go get weighed in ASAP and start a diet and get your pre-surgery appointments scheduled and it will go faster than you think! Plus, although I too was a little disappointed at the delay, I think waiting a few months is good to give the head time to adjust to what the body is about to undergo. I applaud those who have had to wait six months or even a year or more. That's patience!

Sue, I had a VERY similar experience. My doctor requires a sleep study for all patients regardless of whether you have any symptoms of apnea. I snore a little off and on but it doesn't disturb my husband and he has never noticed me not breathing or gasping for air or anything like that. I feel pretty rested in the morning, etc. Anyway, I had my sleep study last Monday and it was very uncomfortable. Very similar to your description - how in the world are you supposed to sleep like that? I had been told my doctor would not operate if there were any sleep abnormalities picked up by the sleep study. I got my results yesterday and they were completely normal. I was worried that because I had spent half the night at the sleep lab lying awake and the other half in fitful, frustrated sleep that the results might not be good. But they were fine. I'm taking the good news to the surgeon today and that's my last hurdle to clear - other than his requirement that I lose 10% of my body weight pre-surgery. I have another 13 pounds to go on that. Good luck - I hope your results are good!

I'm also one of those tell everybody everything kind of people. I just haven't worried about how other people react. All of my friends are skinny (not sure how that happened) and while I don't know if they really "get" it, they are being very supportive. My family is the greatest and 100% with me! I've had a few people say that if I can lose weight on the pre-surgery diet I ought to be able to lose all the weight on my own. Grrr. If somebody is very negative I just say something along the lines of, "You know, I'm 43 years old and I've tried to lose weight my entire life. I have diabetes, high blood pressure, acid reflux and the beginnings of liver problems. I'm running out of time to continue to try (and fail) to do this by myself." It took me a really long time to admit to myself that I can't do it alone. But now that I have admitted it to myself, that's it and I don't care what anybody else thinks. Good luck to all of us!

Hi all. My surgeon requires fairly extensive pre-surgery testing of all patients regardless of health history - sleep study, psych evaluation, dietician approval, EKG, chest x-ray, echocardiogram, blood work, and approval of family doctor. He also requires that all patients lose a minimum of 10% of their body weight prior to surgery - no exceptions. That means I have to lose at least 28 lbs. before the surgery. Is this common? Have others had this requirement?

I've lost about 14 pounds in two weeks - mostly liquids with a little fat free cottage cheese, chicken breast and vegetables thrown in occasionally. But I have to do almost two months - not two weeks! My surgeon requires you lose 10% of your body weight before he'll operate so for me that's 28 pounds. I'm half of the way there. Hope to make it for my May 13 surgery date.

I want my daughter to be able to quit worrying that I'm going to die too soon.