SanDiegoSusan

How unbelievably frustrating! Four months of work to go down the drain. I can't imagine how you feel.:thumbup: But please proceed with a lot of caution. You want this procedure to work, not to give you a life of discomfort or, worse, no life at all. Find out why you were rejected by the surgeon and do research on how dangerous the reason is. Don’t find a surgeon who will do it “for the money” after getting you to sign a bunch of disclaimers. Yes, a delay is frustrating but making sure the surgery is right for you is extremely important. Please hang in there!

Huzzah! I have a surgery date of July 2nd! Just had my four week follow-up where I had to lose 8 pounds (actually lost 11) and was ok'd. Am hoping for an earlier date so I may begin the liquid diet earlier in hopes of a cancellation (if they ok it) but will be done by Independence Day! :biggrin2: Is this a good time to start getting nervous?

Please don't forget that wonderous source of FREE books - your local public library! If they don't have it in stock they may be able to "inter-library loan" it from another branch or even state.

Hi Tattoo'd: i agree both with the idea that lap-band is pretty extreme if you "only" have 50 pounds to lose and 50 pounds is pretty dang hard to lose. But if you are this scared maybe you should put the decision off for awhile and try a more traditional approach. There's not a lot of info in your post. How long have you been overweight? Have you dieted over and over again only to regain the weight plus extra? Are you overweight from extreme overeating? Or did you gain weight from decreased activity while undergoing your big surgeries? (This is all stuff your surgeon should have discussed with you, but since it is unusual for someone 50 pounds overweight to be branded I am a little concerned.) There's so much new technology (you may want to research and watch for the V Bloc - a few more years until it gets FDA approval but there's a trial going on in San Diego and there might be in your area) that waiting might be a good idea. The bad news is that often after surgery and/or kids you may need surgery to get your body back. :wink2: Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Hope all went well today and you're feeling great (and fast asleep at the moment!:scared2:) Let us know how it all went when you feel up to it.

Congrats. You are no more insane than the rest of us!:biggrin2: (Or maybe just as insane?:scared2:)

Please report back. I think you will like it. I used to drink Diet Coke every morning and would just feel weird after about 40oz. (Yeah, I know but it was calorie-free and all you could drink - who knew?) I just feel so much better since switching to Stevia, taking a good multivitamin, eating right and exercising.

Hi <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on">Cher</st1:place>: I hope this becomes an annual event for you. May I suggest <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Las Vegas</st1:place></st1:City> as a possible location in the future? I'm not a great fan of Vegas but it is easy to get to for almost anyone in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>, cheap hotels rooms no matter your budget, and can be a family trip with plenty for spouses and kids to do while we attend the conference. Would love to see it in late fall (October or later) for inspiration for getting through the deadly holiday season. Panel presentations of both successful lap-banders and unsuccessful attempts. Maybe a mentor program where newbies can be paired up with those who have achieved goal. And a "buffet" for lap-band friendly foods and portions. If there's a conference hotel would love to see exercise sessions in the morning - maybe split between beginners, intermediates and advanced. And oh yes, don't forget some events that allow the singles to get together. :biggrin2: Most of all I would love to see invitations given to insurance companies. I was just turned down for permanent health insurance because I told them I was going to be lap-banded. I know I may never be able to get life insurance if banded. I know it’s a lot harder to get disability. I find it ironic that taking action to get healthy makes me an insurance pariah! Let them come see some successes and maybe that will no longer be a problem. Thanks, Susan<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

Huzzah! All the hard work is paying off and you're on the way. Hope the insurance is easier than the rest!

Love Stevia and think it's a Godsend! Thanks to the sugar industry monopoly we won't see any Stevia-sweetened colas any time soon but anyone can buy it for cooking and sweetening. Unlike any of the artificial sweeteners (which I now think are far more dangerous than processed sugar even though I like the taste of Nutrasweet) I would give Stevia to a child.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Here's the interesting part. I'm a classic sugar addict. The more I eat the more I want. (Sugar hits my brain the way alcohol hits an alcoholic’s brain.) One way I used to lose weight was to give up all sugar - processed and artificial. If I eat no sugar or sweeteners and am careful to balance fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose) with protein, fiber or fat, I eat less, get hungry, get full. You know like a normal person. I'm on a four-week pre-diet to show my doctors that I can change my eating habits and I've done a really good job of getting rid of the real and fake sugars. But this time I am using Stevia in green tea, cereal, etc. And I still have normal eating patterns. I haven’t craved sugar whereas diet coke in the morning meant an ice cream binge at night.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> This works for me and my body chemistry and I think there are dozens of reasons/addictions that cause people to gain weight. But if you are a huge sugar eater you might want to try Stevia as a substitution and see if it lowers the desire for other sweets. There is a lot of information online about Stevia as well as recipes, sugar substitution measurements and health pros. (Have yet to see a real con about Stevia.)<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> I was introduced to Stevia by my healthiest friend – the aerobics instructor who munches veggies all day and lives healthy, not just talks it – and I am very glad I found it. It’s a little expensive at $10+ a bottle, but the bottle will last forever. I also recommend the packets which can be stored in a purse or wallet easily.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> 100% natural – no calories – no bad effects – no calories – ok for diabetics as there is no spike in blood sugar – no calories – ground plant root – no calories – no chemicals and did I mention it has no calories?:biggrin2: Love this stuff and strongly encourage all to try it. Trader Joe’s, Henry’s, Whole Foods, any health food shop all carry it so it is easy to find (and I suspect you will see it in the supermarkets soon as people discover this “miracle” herb.) There are different flavors - sometimes it tastes like licorice (yuck!) so I go for the labels that indicate no aftertaste and a lighter flavor. Let me know if you have any questions.:thumbup:

I'm bringing up this topic after several weeks because I also had this problem - however I am not yet branded. I'm on a four week diet to prove I can change my habits and lose some weight before they will consider me for banding. I've done well - given up all junk and fast foods, lots of raw fruits and veggies and nuts, high quality, wholesome food, no processed or fake sugars except Stevia which is neither. (I gave up soda several weeks before due to sleep problems and haven't missed it a bit.) So I'm doing great and eating well. Had some problems with all the roughage at the beginning due to shocking the system (from fast food two to three times a day to all health food - bit of a shock) but it was manageable. Except for one thing. Raw broccoli is trying to kill me. I mean bent over in pain, praying for death and resolving to hit Burger King for a "cure." I simply cannot tolerate it. But it doesn't hit immediately, it takes a few hours before my stomach is swollen with gas (and hard as a rock) and I am in agony. I now know that raw or even undercooked broccoli is simply a food I cannot eat. No big deal - spinach is high in nutrients too. If I had eaten broccoli everyday instead of taking a couple weeks between doses, I might not have realized the source of the agony it caused me. Check your diet carefully - is there anything new that you may be having a bad reaction to? A new supplement, suger substitution, fruit or vegetable, or favorite convenience food that is now made with different ingredients because prices on the old ingredients have gone up so much? I couldn't believe the pain I was in but I am very grateful that it happened before banding so I will recognize it after banding. Good luck and I hope you figure your trigger out and that's it not the band because that would be such a bummer! It you feel the way I did, and it sounds like you do, that is not a way you can go through life. :rolleyes2:

I'm gonna tell everyone I found a doctor who believes in tape worms. Medically supervised of course.:biggrin2:

I'm going to be a self-pay and have saved enough for the costs quoted at the introductory session and in my first one on one. It was supposed to be $16,500 with $1,000 due for the preliminary appointment and the other $15,500 due a few days before surgery. Fine, I have the money. (I don't do debt.) Today however I received a bill for $800 for the blood tests they had me do. There was no warning about this additional cost and while I realize that this may be a clerical error I am wondering if I should be expecting costs above and beyond the $16,500 and $250 per fill after three months (plus any medical tests/services after the three months.) I find it worrisome that I was told that my out of pocket for the first three months would be one amount yet I am already paying more. Should I be worried or has someone else had to deal with this and it all worked out? Thanks in advance!

Oh and BeckyinTexas? - Wowsa!!!!!! You are an inspiration!

I'm nowhere nears as far along as you, I have at least three weeks until surgery if everything goes ideally (in other words the doctors do what I want instead of what they want. :biggrin2:) But I understand how scary this will all be when I am as close to surgery as you. I just have done enough research to know this is the right thing to do if I ever want to stay healthy. I've been lucky so far - my body has not punished me for the abuse I have given it. But that will change soon if I don't mend my ways. And this is the tool that will help me do that. If you are like most of us on here you have dieted multiple times with great success only to gain the weight back plus 10%. Do you really want that cycle to continue? Do you really believe that it is simply a matter of eating less? This is a tool that will help you get healthier if you think of it as a tool and not as a miracle. Yes, the pain after surgery will be rough, for a couple days. BFD. Walk a lot after surgery and that will diminish the gas pains tremendously. Ok, your skin might sag. Or it might not - mine hasn't any of the other times I've lost weight. Worse case, you get a second job because you have so much energy and earn the money for a lift of whatever parts need it. The port site? The miracle area where a little shot (that you don't feel because they numb you) turns you from a raging foodaholic into a disciplined health monger who craves healthy food. Be aware of and realistic about the risks. The community lost a member a few weeks ago because of complications after surgery. It can happen - all surgery is dangerous from root cannels to heart bypass operations. But don't make the risks and discomforts so huge they cripple you. Pain is mostly in your mind. If you focus on the positive rather than the negative you will have a better experience. Remember, above all you are in control. You can stop the surgeon. You can have the band removed (please don't until you've gone at least six months as many people want that at first but change their minds when their bodies start changing.) You can read about people's experiences and see if you can spot a pattern in how people respond online and in surgery. The more negative people seem to have a harder time to me, although that is a subjective opinion. :tongue: You did the right thing by bringing your fears here and communicating what most of us felt/will feel in your situation. But talk to the people who have been through it. Find a support group in your area and meet the people in person. See the differences live. Only you know if this is right for you, and you should not do anything you truly do not want to. But address your fears realistically. Pain - do you truly believe modern medicine can't help you deal with that? Sagging skin - if I offered to suck out 125 pounds of fat today but you'd have sagging skin left would you really say no? liquid diet - yes the first two weeks are tough but they prepare you for the next two weeks and you won't have much hunger then anyway. Don't you think you can get through the first tough 336 hours if you will be thin and good-looking after? The post site - well, if you're not married imagine the fun of having a new lover find that and explaining to them that you are bionic. Just ask yourself - do you really believe your co-workers when they say "just back off the food" and you'll get thin? Truly believe it after how many years of trying? Keep us informed and be very true and honest with yourself. And you really can do anything you believe you can.

I am so sorry for your loss and thank you for taking the time to be thinking about all of us at this difficult time. Denyell will be in our thoughts and I have little doubt you have prevented an unnecessary death by alerting us to these symptoms.

Whew! Am so glad to hear this Pitter! Sounds like you have a good sister and a great mom. Best of luck with the surgery!:biggrin2:

Thanks so much. This is another resource that I printed and put in my lap-band notebook. Really appreciate you sharing it.

So literally the diet starts Monday?! :biggrin2: Best of luck!

Hi Got: Can you give some more information? Are you supposed to be on the liquid diet yet, or is this a pre-diet to that? I am on a four week diet where I have to change my eating patterns and lose 2 pounds a week. Shouldn't be hard as I am losing weight but am not really "dieting." More I am eating very nutritious whole foods, no fried, no sugar, no fake sugar (which makes me crave processed sugar), lots of fruits and veggies, 3 servings of milk a day, some Protein, etc. Although the amounts will be smaller after I am banded, this is close to what I suspect I will eat afterwards. (If you are not eating much every bite counts to keep your body energized!) I don't know what will happen if I am good at eating and exercising but do not lose the 8 pounds. Since I am losing I am not worrying about it. I use dailyplate.com to keep me on track of my calorie/fat/sodium/protein intakes and it has been a great tool. You may have to find out from the surgeon why he wants you to lose weight. Mine is specifically to prove I can change my patterns and will be successful after banding. I also have to do a two-week liquid diet later (as most of us must) to shrink the liver, make the surgery easier and prepare us for the post-op liquid diet. Are you on that? If so, talk to your surgeon because I would be surprised if you are limited to Slimfast. Most people have some variety on the liquid diet and Slimfast is not that healthy (it's mostly sugar which is what got many of us here in the first place.) If your surgeon just said lose weight and didn't say to go on a liquid diet, maybe that should wait and you should focus on healthy eating and a 30-minute exercise each day. The liquid diet will come soon enough! :cursing:

Thank you for sharing this. It is always great to see before and after on parts, especially since some of my nows look like your thens!

Hi Jessica: I'm a lot older than you (a very old 41:biggrin2:) and am getting to the point where I care less about things like my belly being looked at. At your age it would have KILLED me! Just keep in mind that these surgeons and other health care professionals spend their day looking at tummy's and many of them will be far worse than yours. It's kinda of like going to the OB/Gyn - no matter how intimidating and terrifying it is to us to them it's just another Vajayjay out of the dozens they will see that day. Unless you code on the table or have some other extraordinary event, no one who looks at your stomach during this meeting will remember it the next day. Unless you paint it purple with yellow balloons of course. The picture is you fully dressed - front pic and side pic. I am also taking my own set at home. As hard as this pictures are for us to take now someday we will be extremely proud of the progress we have made. Go to the before and after pics part of the forum if you want to see some inspiring hot people! Honestly, the exam was no worse than an annual exam (not pap smear exam) with my doctor. Please don't worry about it. They have to look to see if there are considerations for surgery (i.e. scaring.) They will also feel your neck (Thyroid), check your ankles (no idea why but doctors keep doing this so it must be important), listen to your breath and to your heart. This is all important. Some people have discovered major problems during the exams that they were able to catch and treat. (See other forums - I've read a few stories.) Just remember, this is what they do all day - no one is going to think twice about you. No gown - they just had me sit on the edge of a table or lay back so they could look/listen. Never even had to show my bra. For the weigh in they had me take off shoes and socks (darn - no pedicure!) and step on a scale that measures weight and BMI. Full street clothes and I went after lunch and after drinking 1/2 gallon of Water so I weighed a good ten pounds more than I do in the morning with just a nightshirt. (And I forgot my keys were in my pocket so that was another 6 oz.) Heavy clothes may help - I just wouldn't make it too obvious. Remember a quart of water is two pounds. Hope this helps. Please don't dread this. Trust me, most of the bad stuff is in our minds and if you look at the positive side - he has to look at my belly to make it disappear - you will do fine!

Hi Everyone. I am planning to use Dr. Horgan with UCSD and I was wondering about people's total experience who used them for their Lap Band Surgery. Overall was it a good experience? Was the staff friendly and willing to answer questions? Did you feel like you had the support you needed? If you were cash-pay (I will be) were the fees close to what you were quoted? I would appreciate any information you can provide, both pro and con. Thank you so much in advance and I really look forward to hearing your stories (overall not just at UCSD) and successes! Thank you!!!:smile2:

At UCSD all my appointments were private. I sat in one private room and the six people came to me. All individually. There was never more than one other person in the room with me and I don't think there was in the original post to this thread either. And instead of having to make separate appointments for each consultation I got them all over with the same day. In my view that is very professional and UCSD did an excellent job.

Hi San Diego Photog: I am so sorry to hear about your bad experience with UCSD. I went yesterday for my first appointment, the psych, nutrition, and surgical consults and my experience was completely the opposite from yours. Everyone was very kind, very helpful and explained who they were and why they were there. Not counting check-in I meet with 6 difference people and had to show my belly twice to the surgical consults. All six people where wonderful, and while it's hard to flash my belly (not all of us have the excuse of having twins or even a single baby to excuse our stretch marks:tongue2:) it was very clinical and no worse for me than any other medical exam. I suspect you were either the lucky patient who got all the bad apples and things just kept going wrong:sad:, or your letter worked to improve communication which is really the key to good customer service. I hope you find a medical facility that works really well for you - please keep us updated.