Headhunter

Who is Dr. K? The initial doesn't give us much info..... :party: HH

Should prostitution be legal? It already is. It's called "Congress". :party: HH

I was completely clothed during my surgery. However, my Surgeon and the entire Operating Room Staff were totally naked.

I am not certain if Harbor City is presently doing Lap Bands, but they have a beautiful, fairly new Bariatric Operating facility there, so I am quite sure that they do. I will tell you, though, that the Chief of Bariatric Surgery there is opposed to the Lap band, so they might NOT be doing them at that facility. I do not know if he is personally still doing them....but, if he IS, and if you DO have a band there, have him (dr robert Zane) put it in for you. Even though he is opposed to the band, he is regarded as an expert in things that can go WRONG with the band. People who have band problems come from all over to have him repair their problem. He is an oustanding surgeon, and wonderful guy. Because of his unique knowledge, you can be certain that he knows how to do it CORRECTLY. I consider him to have saved my life, and I highly recommend him, and the Harbor City team in general. He WILL try and point you toward a Gastric Bypass....he has seen a LOT of suffering from the band. But, he is a talented Surgeon and he knows his stuff! HH

Nothing to be concerned about, really,....they won't ask you about your fetish for fuzzy slippers or anything... BUT....the role they play is very, very important, and when I hear about these little 10 minute sessions, I get a little annoyed. They should be doing MORE. I think we all know that a LARGE part of weight loss/gain is a MIND GAME. Self discipline. Self Control. Comfort Eating....etc. It really does take a certain personality type for the Band (or any WLS) to be successful. And it's the job of the Psych to make sure that YOU are going to successfull at this, from an emotional standpoint. So, I would listen very carefully to any questions they ask, and answer very truthfully. Don't just try and "get through it" so you can go on to getting the Band. You WANT to be successful in this process, so make sure you let the Psych people do THEIR jobs to the best of their ability. And I would seriously consider signing on for some weekly therapy both pre and post surgery to help you adjust mentally to this program. Because, if your HEAD is not in the RIGHT place for this, it won't matter what kind of device you have wrapped around your stomach.....you'll still fail. Good luck! HH

Don't even THINK about having this guy perform your surgery! I had an inexperienced idiot perform mine, and it almost cost me my life. I know that all surgeons have to start somewhere.....just don't let it be YOU! HH

The shrink may have seen something in you that raised a red flag as far as your ability to work the band program as it should be followed. The Band does NOT work for everyone. You need to be certain type of person to be able to make it work. It's easy to cheat the band. Don't see the Shrink as roadblock to what you want.....see them as partner in your ultimate success....listen to what they have to say. They are part of the approval chain for a REASON. HH

Ok, I've had the Bypass. If she hasn't done "#2" in 9 days, she is in trouble. Constipation is one of the problems in the bypass, IF you don't eat right/drink enough Water, etc. There is NO foolproof WLS. You can find a way around ANY method. Weight loss, with or without WLS, is a MIND GAME, and if people are not trained how to play that game prior to surgery, they WILL FAIL. and your friend is failing....AND could be in for a big problem if she does not get that "#2" problem dealt with. I would serioulsy consider calling her Dr, and tell him/her what is happening....of course, ask the Dr not to tell her you called, but have the Dr call her in for a "routine" followup. This is a bad situation. HH

Nope, not me. Didn't have to lose an ounce. Have you decided which procedure you are going to have? If so, what were the compelling factors that made you choose one over the other? HH

There are a MILLION different viewpoints on this! LOL! As someone who has had both the Lap band and a Gastric Bypass, I can speak to this with some experience. For ME, the Bypass has been a good thing. The band, on the on other hand, was life-threatening, several times. You will find people that will have the opposite story to tell. Each and every method of WLS has its risks and benefits. There are complications with all of them; no method is entirely without some form of potential difficulty. If you search this site, you will see posts from myself and some other people that will give you a really good idea as to the problems with both forms of surgery. People who would never consider having a bypass will usually offer the argument that they are afraid of the Malabsorbtion component of the surgery. That is a valid concern, HOWEVER, there are circumstances where the malabsorbtion is something you NEED to have to make ANY form of WLS work for you. It all depends on YOUR BODY, and NOT whether any particular surgery has worked well for someone ELSE. My own case in point: I have been aware for many years that I just don’t eat THAT much. There have been times in my life that I DID eat a lot, but for the most part I was one of those guys that simply LOOKED at food and gained 5 pounds. My therapist recognized this, my personal trainer recognized this, and family and friends could see it too. For Many years prior to even considering having WLS, I had very often wished that there some method that would prevent me from absorbing much of what I ate….I wished that it would simply “pass on through”. So, for MY particular needs, I SHOULD have had the Gastric Bypass to begin with. Malabsorbtion is what I needed. And, it has worked for me. Very well, in fact. I am presently very happy at the PERFECT weight for my height and build. With Gastric Bypass, the simple facts about nutrition are that, for MOST people, if you take your vitamins, and eat sensibly, you will be fine and healthy. There are rules with the GB, as there are rules with EACH AND EVERY WLS. Try and circumvent the rules and you will gain weight, or have some significant problems. Again, this is the truth with EVERY WLS. I chose the lap band for many of the same reasons that people here have stated: “It’s reversible/removable”, “No cutting up of my insides”, “It’s adjustable to my needs”,…blah, blah, blah. And the damn thing nearly killed me. Literally. I had life threatening complications. Don’t get me wrong; as I have said here many times the Lap Band has worked wonders for many, many people. But there is increasing incidence of complications, failures, and injury from the Lap band. One of my surgeons has told me several times that he thinks it will be removed form the market within a few years, due to these increasing problems. I don’t think it will, but it is interesting to hear that from a Surgeon. I think that my point here is, that YOU don’t choose your Weight Loss Surgery; IT chooses YOU. And it chooses you after you have done extensive research, met with plenty of Doctors, had psychotherapy (yes, that is an IMPORTANT component), and have TRUTHFULLY analyzed what KIND of overeater you are. It’s not simple, like choosing what movie you are going to see this weekend, and you should plan on taking plenty of time to arrive at a decision. You have probably spent many, many years becoming overweight, and you need to commit to a significant amount of effort in deciding what your surgical solution will be. Talk to very, very experienced surgeons who have done hundreds of BOTH Bands and Bypasses, and find out what their outcomes have been with the different procedures. Talk to Drs who specialize in Bariatrics, to determine if what you need is malabsorbtion or restriction. Also, don’t entirely rule out diet and exercise. I know, like most overweight people you have probably tried that. Multiple times. But you need to make sure that you have given it your BEST SHOT. Hire a Trainer. See a nutritionist. People use diet and exercise every day to lose/maintain their weight. Many, many people are successful at it. For those who are not, there is Weight Loss Surgery. But you need to give it your best. Because, whether you like it or not, after you have Weight Loss Surgery of ANY kind, you will STILL be on a diet. And you will still need to exercise to maintain your health. Surgery of any kind should ALWAYS be a LAST RESORT. One thing I highly recommend is reading a book called “The PH Miracle”, by Dr. Robert O. Young. It’s a book that has changed my life. I firmly believe that if I had discovered this material many years ago, I would not be writing this, at this moment. I believe I would never have had weight Loss Surgery. Because, when you get right down to it, it’s NOT simply about losing weight….it’s about becoming HEALTHY. And one of the by-products of Good Health is arriving at your natural weight. Most people don’t concentrate on getting healthy….they just want to lose the weight. But if you make getting healthy your priority, you might see a difference in the outcome. Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck in this process. It can be life-changing for you, as it has for me and the many other people on this forum.:thumbup: HH "The Journey is the Reward"

Having had a gastric Bypass, I can attest to the fact that MY appetite has DRAMATICALLY decreased. That, combined with feeling full very, very quickly has been wonderful. It's great to not constantly be thinking about what i'm going to eat next...... :thumbup:

The sleeve is a good choice for many. But not all. I'm pretty happy with my RNY. I think malabsorbtion is necessary for some types of people....it does play a role with some kinds of weight issues. As much as the sleeve SOUNDS like a perfect solution, well, it's still pretty new. I know, they've been doing them for a long time, but in very, very small numbers. It's only recently "taken off". So, there are not the huge numbers of patients to draw statistics from....we really don't have any idea what the long-term outcome is, in large numbers. There WILL be some flaw, some point of common difficulty that will be realized eventually....there is in EVERY form of WLS. One of the good things about the bypass is that they have doing them for 50 years, in very large numbers (in recent years), and we have more long-term stats with GB than any other WLS. The drs know pretty much what is going to happen short and long term with the majority of patients. The great thing is that we have choices. And I suspect that in the next decade there will be even more choices, surgical and medication and who-knows-what-else. And, I do believe that they will ultimately perfect REVERSALS for many of these surgical procedures so that down the road, if something better surfaces, we can enjoy those options as well. It's a pretty neat time to be alive, eh?:thumbup: HH

I'm not sure what you mean by "well liked".....she was actually quite well liked by people she worked with. I became acquainted with her first when she had her screen debut on Star Trek II, and then got to know her when she worked on Cheers (I worked at the studio where they made those). She was quite a lot of fun, and got along with most everyone....very personable. I had lunch with her a couple of times and she was a riot! I was surprised when i saw her begin to put on weight noticibly during "Veronica's Closet", because she always looked terrifc when i saw her on the lot. But, she was under a lot of pressure to succeed in her new series, and i suspect that is one of the reasons she turned to food.

This morning, as i drove from my home to a client's office, I saw no less than NINE billboards advertising the Lap Band. (I live in L.A.). And the television ads are all over the place as well. They DO make seem like it is the simple, easy way to lose weight. It's a pretty shady business, methinks......:thumbup: HH

Here's a little different perspective; Perhaps you should listen to the Nurse. I know how much you want this to happen, but it is entirely possible that this particular Nurse saw you as NOT being an appropriate candidate for the Band. In all fairness, you didn't give us a whole lot of info about the relationship you have with your therapist, what exactly her relationship is with the Nurse (therapists don't usually have Nurses), or what kind of conversations you had with the therapist. Did your therapist AGREE with you that the band would be right for you? Is the therapist qualified to make that decision? Again, I'm not sure what the relationships are here, but it would seem entirely possible that IF this Nurse was an experienced Nurse in Dealing with Bariatric cases, she MIGHT have simply identified you as someone who would NOT do well with the band. The Band does NOT work well for ALL people. It does wonders for many, but you really do have to be a certain kind of person to make it work. It may be that this Nurse thinks that ANOTHER WLS might be a better option for you. If you gave her a 40-year history on your weight ups-and-downs, she might simply have seen something in that history that might have precluded you being successful with a Band. Have you talked with your therapist since you saw the Nurse? it might be possible that in the time between your last meeting with the therapist and your meeting with the Nurse, that THEY spoke and came to the conclusion that the band might not be right for you. Just something to consider...:redface: HH

Count me in too, Nanook! Had a HORRIBLE experience with the band (it almost killed me....it really did!), it was removed a year ago, and at the same time I had a RNY. I have since lost 100 pounds exactly, and I am at my very perfect weight. I have had a few complications; stricture and ulcer, but they are coming under control. As time goes on, I think there will be many more who have "revised"......either to RNY or perhaps the sleeve..... HH

Jachut is our "poster child" for Lap band success when combined with hard-core exercise....she's an inspiration, and you should listen to her when she talks WORKOUT!:mad2: Also, consider going BACK and taking the education class that you skipped during your pre-band days. I'm sure that your Surgeon wouldn't mind you sitting in on someone elses session....If you feel you are not doing this correctly, then start over. Make an appt with a Band-specific nutrionist/Dietician, and find out the CORRECT way to go about this. Also, don't discount your success thus far. 25 pounds is a GREAT start, even if it has been slower than you want. You have to WORK with the band, and find your "sweet spot", and find the right combination of diet and exercise that will make it work for YOU. HH

Listen to Jachut. She's a lean, mean, fat-burning machine!:mad2: Diet pills won't do anything but mess up your metabolism. Let the Band do it's job. Slow and easy. I understand the frustration of waiting, but it probably took you many years to become overweight. It's gonna take some time to take it off SAFELY. Exercise. Seriously. Keep one important thing in mind: It's NOT about getting thin....it's about getting HEALTHY....and a by-product of being TRULY HEALTHY is being at your CORRECT weight. So concentrate on getting healthy....excercise....your body NEEDS that to be healthy. HH "the journey is the reward"

Welll......Kaiser DOES offer Bariatric Surgery as part of its plan....although, perhaps YOUR particular plan may not have it, but I think all Kaiser Plans offer that coverage. It's possible that your BMI or something else does not qualify you for WLS.... It may be that you are in that "zone" where you weigh more than you want, but not enough to qualify you for surgery. HH

I'm not sure that I would characterize this Surgeon's actions as "intimidation". The surgeon may have had a reason for recommending that THIS particular patient choose the Bypass....we really don't know. And, the Surgeon may have simply been very aware of many of the band failures and other problems, and thought it best that the Patient choose the Bypass. Either way, it doesn't sound like intimidation would describe the conversation. I do agree, however, that the OP should NOT have this surgeon perform the operation if she chooses the Lap Band. My methodology (now) would be to do comprehnesive research, Choose the PROCEDURE first, and then choose the BEST SURGEON that does that particular procedure. Like WasABubbleButt, I abhor the "Weight Loss Surgery Mills", but I have no problem with a surgeon that has decided that they prefer one particular method and he/she has decided to specialize in THAT method. But, I think that the patient has to go into the selection process with an open mind, choose the RIGHT procedure for them, and then choose the surgeon that is the best at performing THAT operation.

Hi, lauren; Sorry you've a rough time with the band. It simply does NOT WORK for SOME PEOPLE, for a wide variety of reasons. You need to make sure that you have given it your best shot (sounds like you have), and then look elsewhere. There ARE other options, and one of them might be perfect for you. The Sleeve is a good one - Talk to WasABubblebutt about that one, she' had one, and she's very happy with it. I've had a Gastric Bypass, and my success with it has been very, very good. I am now at my perfect weight. The incidence of RNY regaining their weight is extremely rare, and you really have to work at it to be able to put the weight back on. There are those here who may disagree with that, but if the surgeon really knows what they are doing, then the GB gives you a VERY good shot at reaching your goal. I understand that you are fearful of the more invasive surgeries. But, you need to consider what your life may be like if you do NOT get the weight under control. There ARE things that CAN go wrong with WLS.....but there are also things that WILL happen for SURE if you do NOT find a way to control your weight....diabetes, stroke, heart difficulty, and that's just the beginning. If you have really given the band it's best shot, then begin to look at the other options. Keep us posted, and ask plenty of questions! HH

I am 100% in agreement with what WasABubbleButt has said on this subject. But of course, I have a few thoughts of my own. J Let me be very clear about my experience with the Lap band….it was NOT good, and it almost cost me my life on several occasions. The port became infected, and it actually POPPED out of my stomach at one point. Surgeries were required to treat that, I walked around with a gaping, runny, oozing hole in my stomach for a year that would NOT heal, the tubes that were detached from the port eventually burrowed their way deep INSIDE of my colon, requiring more surgery……it’s a long story, and I’m not going to go into it all here, but it was very, very ugly, expensive, and it cost me my health and several years of my life. And, I didn’t lose any weight as a result of having the Lap Band. Ultimately, I ended up having a Gastric Bypass, which was performed at the time the Lap Band and its various pieces were extracted from me. Coincidentally, that occurred one year ago yesterday. I am not opposed to the Lap Band, in spite of my awful experience with it. I had an idiot for a surgeon, who did NOT step up and do the right thing when the problems surfaced. The Lap Band has helped a WHOLE lot of people, and THAT cannot be argued with. BUT….it has hurt people, too, and it’s even killed a few. So, when making this decision you really, really have to know exactly what you are getting into. The problem is, you DON’T know exactly what you are getting into because EVERYONE’S experience is different. And this is true with MOST of the WLS’s available. For MOST people, the Lap Band experience goes pretty well. Most people lose a fair amount of weight, but not as much as they like. There are some people for whom the experience is a breeze; ….they have the surgery, and simply go on about their lives, lose as much as they want (or more), and go about preaching the “Lap Band Gospel” to the rest of the world. And that’s fine, I couldn’t be happier for those people for whom the system worked perfectly. You will find those people to be the more outspoken proponents of the Band on this board, and many of them take great offense to the suggestion that there might be something wrong with the Lap Band, just because THEIR surgery went fine. There are many reasons why some Doctors tend to “push” the RNY over the Lap Band. First, they DO make more money doing the RNY. It’s more complex, so they charge more. Also, many of them have been doing the RNY much, much longer so they are more comfortable with it. Keep in mind, the Lap Band has only been approved here in the US for about the last 8 years. RNY goes back a lot further, so there are a lot more Doctors that are well experienced in that procedure. The surgeon that removed my Lap Band is the CHIEF of Bariatric Surgery for a MAJOR HMO. I had been referred to him because he was well known as a surgeon that dealt specifically with problems in Lap band Surgeries. I had heard of him before, and I was surprised when I joined that HMO to discover that he was part of it. Again, this is a Doctor who SPECIALIZES in Lap-Bands gone-wrong. He told me that, in his opinion, the lap-band would be removed from the market in a few years because of increasing incidence of complications and adverse effects. He reiterated that opinion in subsequent conversations. He also said it’s kind of the WLS industry’s “dirty little secret”….what the REAL stats are as far as failures and the level and severity of complications. He told me that he attends Bariatric Surgery Conferences and Seminars frequently, and all of the presenters get up and talk about their successes. But, in more private meetings and over dinner and in more informal settings, they talk about the increasing failures and the problems associated with the Lap Band. Do I think it will be removed from the market? Probably not, because in spite of the problems that many people have, it has saved many lives, and improved the quality of many others. I do, however, think that some SURGEONS should be removed from the market. J. Also, the Lap Band (and other Weight Loss Surgeries) have become a HUGE business. It’s an INDUSTRY now, putting hundreds of millions of dollars into the pockets of members of the AMA, which is an enormously powerful lobby. No, there’s just too much money involved for it to go away. And, there has been so much benefit to many people. As far as the choice between the various surgeries, well, as others here have said, it’s what YOU feel comfortable with. There are plusses and minuses with ALL of them. As far as the statistics for complications, mortality, etc, I don’t believe all of them, for the simple reason that most of the statistics are collected, compiled, and interpreted by the WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY INDUSTRY. And make no mistake, it’s an INDUSTRY. And you can be certain that they will only release information that is in their own best interests. The other part of the Lap Band Stats issue is that it is still a relatively new procedure. We don’t HAVE decades of detailed statistics on risk/complications. It was only approved here in the US in 2001. And PLEASE, don’t start telling me how it was used for many years in Europe and Australia, and we have those stats. Those stats are pretty insignificant, because there were so FEW of them. The Lap Band has only become really, really popular in the last few years, so I think we have a long time before we will have any really meaningful long-term statistics. As far as the Sleeve, I think that it’s in the same category as the Lap band as far as statistics, BUT, the initial outlook for the Sleeve is very, very good. People who have it seem to love it. It’s possible that at some point it will become the Standard. As far as the Gastric Bypass, I can speak to that with a little more authority, because I have had one. And, thus far (one year) it has been deemed a success, for the most part. It has NOT been easy, not by any stretch of the imagination. I had a HORRIBLE recovery, but that was because of complications of the Lap band, the removal of it, the removal of the tube that was buried inside my colon, etc. The first several months after the surgery was one of the hardest periods of my life. I suffered from some severe depression, and my energy did not begin to return for about 3 months. I did not consider myself fully recovered until late November of last year. And, I had some complications. I had a stricture (not yet resolved) and I have an ulcer (still not resolved). The positive side is that, at this moment, I am sitting here at a PERFECT weight for my height/build. I can wear a nice size 33 or 34 pants, 16 shirt (maybe 15-1/2), and people tell me I haven’t looked this good in 20 years. But, it’s not really all about how I look, or what clothes I can wear. It’s about how I FEEL. And much of the time I feel very, very good. Because of the ulcer and the stricture, there are times that I feel very, very bad. I am confident that those 2 complications will be resolved, and that I will feel good most of the time. So….back to the original point of this thread. First, I think that if the OP chooses to have the Lap Band, it should NOT be performed by the Doctor you are presently seeing. The Doctor needs to believe in it 100%. Second, you need to Choose the procedure FIRST, and then choose the Surgeon that is going to do it. Don’t let THEM sell you on what THEY want to do. Third, CHOOSE YOUR SURGEON CAREFULLY. I had an idiot install my Lap Band. I would have better off paying my gardener to put it in. Make sure that your surgeon is an EXPERT in the procedure that he/she performs. At a MINIMUM they must have performed at least 500 of the procedures. Don’t let them get their training on YOU. Finally, you really, really, REALLY need to do some soul-searching and MAKE SURE that this is something that you REALLY need to do. Have you HONESTLY exhausted all conventional weight control methods? Have you really included exercise in the appropriate amount? Are you REALLY eating as intelligently as you can? Tens of thousands of people all over the country are able to lose weight and actually keep it off, every year. For the rest of us, there is WLS. But if you CAN avoid it, you should. Because….REGARDLESS of which method you choose, it is still SURGERY. They cut you open. And that is NEVER a good thing, and if you can, you should avoid it. I do wish you best in your process. It’s a tough decision to know what to do, and you will certainly get a lot of different opinions, based upon the different experiences people here have had. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. We’re here to help. HH “The Journey is the Reward”

An interesting dialogue. Personally, I did not see anything particularly negative about what JaffaSteve had to say. Only CAUTIONARY. And, I have to support %100 what WasABubbleButt had to say as well. She is quite correct here, as she usually is. For MOST people who have the band, the process is fairly uneventful, and very often ends up with the patient losing some or most of the weight that they wish to lose, with few or no complications. For others, the experience is not that simple or easy. There can be and HAVE been instances where the presence of the Lap band can be extremely harmful, and in some rare cases, even fatal. There are numerous complications that can and DO happen. People need to be aware of this, both BEFORE they get the band, and they need to be conscious of that fact as they go through the experience of living with the band, as well. In the OP’s case, it is probably nothing more than a simple TOM reaction; HOWEVER, it is causing her enough distress so that she felt compelled to re-visit this forum to ask for opinions, and when she states that “I can't even get a Junior Mint down without pain”, and indicates that this has been going on for several days, well, I would see this as a reason to seek some medical advice. Telling the OP to be cautious and consider seeing a Doctor is not meant to “freak” anyone out. It’s simply a recognition that problems with the band DO occur, and they can occur at ANY time during the period the band is present, whether it be 6 months or 6 years. It’s simply common sense. Kimilicious, it’s probably nothing, but do consider seeing your Doctor, especially if the problem persists. HH

If you are interested in this, then I would HIGHLY recommend you look further into it. It has changed the lives of many people, and can be an important component of a healthy lifestyle. I suggest that you read a book called the "PH Miracle" by Dr. Robert O. Young. He is not a Medical Doctor, rather a Microbiologist, and sees things in an entirely different way. I would go so far as to say that if I had discovered his work (and the work of others like him) prior to my orginal WLS, there would no reason for me to be on this forum now. Eating in an Alkaline manner (and that means MOSTLY raw food, Mostly vegetables and fruit) can change your life. Because of the restriction of the Band, it CAN be more difficult.....but....that's why God created Blenders.. It's certainly worth looking into. I think the goal of everyone here is (or SHOULD be) to GET HEALTHY. And, a by-product of excellent health is proper weight for your height/build. It's worth Consideration.... HH The Journey is the Reward.....

I've had several of them in the last year, and they are not bad at all. Very quick, actually. I wouldn't be worried at all. HH