twiggysmiff

My surgeon (Dr. Oldham) was in the news today. They performed the first incisionless gastric bypass in the US on Monday. Yes, they do incisionless surgeries on people who need a revision, but this is the original surgery that was incisionless. Check it out: Hospital performs 1st incisionless bariatric weight-loss surgery - Latest News - Kentucky.com :sneaky:

It says that you are in Virginia. Are you driving back to Lexington for your surgery?

Yes, I wish it had more information as well. I'm going to keep an eye on their website and our newspaper to get the pertinent details. I want to know what this procedure is called and who invented, how long its been in development, etc. I have a feeling we'll hear a lot of information in the coming weeks or months. :sneaky:

This was her original surgery done without abdominal incisions. There is a similar procedure where they can do a revision with no incisions, but this woman had it done as an original surgery.

All I know is what the article said. It said it was the first done in the US. I'll definitely keep an eye out to see what else they say. Surely more details will emerge. :sneaky:

I have PCOS and I had the surgery on 1/14. So far, I have lost 18 lbs since surgery and I'm doing fine. I'm hoping for improved fertility as well. I have a 6 year old and required surgery to remove endometriosis and clomid because of PCOS. I was able to conceive after 2 years of trying, but I'm hoping next time will be easier. Good luck with your journey!

The only regret that I have is that I waited so long to do it and that I spent so much time before the surgery worrying about it. I've had a wonderful experience with my band so far (not counting the 1st week after surgery...that was rough) I've lost 18 lbs since surgery 5 weeks ago and 32 lbs total. I love it!!

Well, I'm a mom to a 6 year old, so I haven't had a hot meal in over 6 years!!! LOL I'm used to it!

When you reach the 100's in pounds. You get to Onederland when your scale reads 199.9 or below. :mad2:

I don't have this experience, but wanted to drop into the thread and wish you the best of luck. Just remember, the most important thing is to make sure you are healthy. You can always get unfilled completely and go back later. you could also deal with a removal and get it back in later as well. I hope you have the best outcome that leaves you healthy.

For Breakfast on Sundays, we sometimes go out to eat with my parents to a place called Perkins. They serve a TON of food there, so I was worried about this. If you get a breakfast there, you get pancakes, 2-3 eggs, 2 sausages, hash browns,etc. So much food that it comes out on 2 plates! WOW!! Last week, we went there and they let me order off the seniors menu (which is better and healthier than kids menus typically). I got 1 egg, 1 sausage patty, 1 piece of toast, and some breakfast potatoes. I ate the egg first, then the sausage, I nibbled the toast and had about 3 bites of potatoes and I was good to go! Other restaurants...I've been to several and I've not had a problem about what to eat. I either eat an appetizer or get a regular meal and eat on it for about 3 days! The cost doesn't seem so bad when you divide it by 3 or 4 meals! LOL I'm going to save a lot of money on food now that I have the band!

It is everyone's personal decision about whether to tell people they have the band, but I have chosen to tell people. Just having them know what is going on helps me not be nervous anymore and I see it as my way of educating people about the band and not see it as an "easy" fix, etc. On Friday night, I went out with my husband's boss, his wife, and son and my husband had told them about my surgery. During the meal, his boss told me, "OK...I've only known one other person who had this surgery and I couldn't ask them about it, so I'm asking you...what's it like." I told them all about restriction, pb'ing, getting stuck, food portions and choices, exercise. He was fascinated by the process, but I think that I may have "oversold" it because he said that he wanted one. Keep in mind, he's a tall, handsome VERY fit man who would make a lot of women SWOON....(not me though because I've known him long enough to know he is a too self-centered for me) Given the fact that they knew what was going on, I didn't have to worry that I only ate 1/4 of my meal and had to box the rest of it up or that I didn't drink anything while I was eating, etc. In fact, they were amazing that I could eat as little as I did and his boss asked, "How do you feel right now after eating that little bit?" and I just said, I feel as full as you do after eating that whole plate full and will be fine for the rest of the night. I'm pretty open about a lot of things though...that's just my nature. Good luck!

I could have written this very post on 1/17 when I was 3 days post op. I was depressed, sore, having trouble "eating", and having panic attacks. I do want you to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. At about 5-6 days post op, I really turned a corner and began to feel normal again. I went from searching on google about how to get it removed to loving the band. Just try to take it one day at a time. you're almost through the hardest part! Good luck!

I was banded on 1/14 and have felt restriction from day one. I went in on Thursday for my post-op appt and possible fill, but didn't get one. I am choosing to be conservative in my fills and my doctors are supporting me on this. As long as I'm losing and my hunger is under control, I'm fine. I'm not even focusing on how much I can eat (I am watching it and keeping within the guidelines and am content with my 1/2 cup to 1 cup of food, but its not my focus...my feeling is that even if I can eat 1 1/2 cups of food, if I'm still losing, I'm losing!) I did not get a fill this time because I've not been stuck at all and I don't ever want to be! Good luck!

I went to my first post op appointment and they were very pleased with my progress. I'm down 15 pounds since surgery. It was decided that I did not need a fill today because the doctor put on a band that fits snugly, so I actually have restriction right now, just with the band itself. :thumbup: I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I have an appt scheduled in 2 weeks in case I need a fill, but the NP said that if I am still doing the same progress, I can cancel and schedule it for another 2 weeks out (or whenever I need it). They seem like they are very open to the patient's opinion on whether or not they need a fill. She also said that you have to wait 2 weeks between fills, so if I wasn't filled enough, I don't have to wait a whole month. So far, I'm very happy with my band.

I think you have found from reading this thread that being nervous and panicky is absolutely normal! I did lots of crying and praying before my surgery and even asked them to give me my happy medication almost as soon as I walked into the hospital! I didn't want to panic and back out and I knew once I got the good stuff, I'd relax and be fine. The surgery itself was quick and I did just fine. I had a rough first week because of anxiety, but after 5-6 days, I felt much better! Now I'm 15 lbs lighter and feeling great! My band was put on snugly and I'm actually feeling restriction, just with the band itself. :thumbup:

It's funny you ask about this because my husband and I were just talking about this today! I have had migraines since 3rd grade and take a daily medication to prevent them. I was also a caffeine addict before surgery and have done good in the 4 weeks since I've had the band. (I've had 2 ice teas and 2 cups of coffee total and the coffee left me so jittery I couldn't stand it!!!) My husband looked up caffeine addiction online and found an article that said caffeine causes your body to produce extra spinal fluid. After a while, your body doesn't produce as much because it relies on the caffeine to create it. If you quit cold turkey, you no longer have the caffeine to create spinal fluid and you run low because your body "forgets" to produce enough and so you have a headache. After a while, this stops because your body kicks in again. I thought that was an interesting idea....I've had an increase in my migraines since surgery as well and it's not fun. In fact, I have one building now, but we have a storm system about to come through the area, so that's probably the cause. I'm a human barometer!!! Good luck!

I think you are doing great too! I would imagine that what happened was your stomach, for whatever reason, didn't like what you ate. I have noticed that there are days that my stomach is more sensitive than others. I have no idea why it happens. Good luck! (My first fill is scheduled for Thursday too!!)

Well, after being banded 3 1/2 weeks, I put on some pants today and realized they were WAY loose. I hadn't worn them since before the surgery and I was pleasantly surprised, especially since the scale hasn't moved in over a week! (Except this morning when I dropped another pound) I decided I would go through my closet and see what fits and what doesn't. At the highest weight, I was a 28/30 or 3 XL in shirts and pants...solid 30 in jeans or non elastic waisted pants/skirts. I tried on clothes I haven't worn in a year and they FIT!!! I can actually wear jeans (elastic waist) that are size 26 and some khaki and navy blue and black chinos in size 26. I have a bunch of shirts and skirts I can now wear! Woo-Hoo! A whole new wardrobe!!! :thumbdown:

I'm so sorry that you feel this way. I was fortunate in that I did not feel nausea or vomiting after surgery. I had told them ahead of time that anesthesia makes me sick, so they put a patch behind my ear that was kept in place for 5 days and it helped SO much. I did have the shoulder pain like you describe, much like many people here. I will say that I took Gas X chewables like clockwork and also took my pain meds on a regular schedule. I tried to get up and walk at regular intervals too. All of this helped, but on day 4-5, I was googling how to get my band removed! After day 6 or 7, I started feeling SOOO much better. The pain in my shoulder went away when I was able to pass gas and have a BM. Just hang on a couple more days and my guess is that you will turn a corner and start feeling more like a normal person soon. You've almost made it through the worst part. Good luck!

Ok....I was banded 1/14 and I have a weird question for you all. For my entire life, I've never been able to burp. I've had little air bubbles that come up resembling a hiccup, but not really an honest to goodness BURRRRRP! I have no idea why and I never really thought about it. Now that I have the band, I'm burping like crazy! For a while after I eat, I can burp over and over again. My husband even heard me across the room. Of course, being a man (no offense to you males out there), he said he'd only be impressed when I could say my ABCs at the same time! LOL Is this normal? What is causing this? I don't think I'm ingesting air. I'm not drinking with straws, no carbonated beverages at all. I've been a "good girl" with respect to my diet and eating. What gives??? I'm not disturbed by it, I'm just curious....

I was banded one day after you and I am allowed to eat regular foods too, but there would be no way I could eat as much as you did (not saying you shouldn't have, but its just a difference in what our bands are allowing since we haven't been filled yet). This morning, we went out for breakfast with my parents. I told the waitress I had been banded and asked to order off the seniors' menu so I could get less food. She was very helpful and said there was no problem. My order consisted of 1 scrambled egg, one sausage patty, breakfast potatoes, and 2 slices of toast. I ate the egg first, then the sausage, 3 or 4 bites of the potatoes and the inside parts of the toast (not the crust...probably the equivalent of 1 piece of bread) and I was full. The plate was still full of potatoes and a lot of the toast. The mistake I made was having a cup of coffee before breakfast and the caffeine made me shaky. I've not had any caffeine since surgery and I'm not used to it and I don't like that feeling, so milk or water for me from now on. I would say you got sick from the amount of food or the lettuce or potato skin. I would ask your doctor about it and go on mushies for a day to make sure you're OK. Good luck!

OK...it's been 9 days since you started this thread. Have you made an appointment with the doctor yet? I may not be an expert, but many people have suggested you need an unfill because you are too tight. Have you asked your doctor about that yet? You've been advised to see about getting testing done to rule out metabolic issues, etc. Have you done this yet? Were you merely venting on your first post or were you seeking advice that you could act upon? Please, call your doctor and demand some attention. You are paying THEM and they are there to help you. What you are experiencing should not be allowed to continue. Don't leave the office without answers and an unfill. Let us know what happens at the doctor when you go in.

My insurance company always says that any benefits or estimates that are told to us prior to a procedure is just an estimate and the final amount could change depending on the claim itself. It could be that the doctor's fees/hospital fee/anesthesiologist fee could be greater than what the insurance uses to determine cost prior to the procedure. Good luck fighting it, but I doubt it will change the cost. Insurances are good at paying the least amount that they can!!!

I had to be at the hospital at 9:30, surgery scheduled for 10:45, put under at 11:45, in recovery by 12:15 and home by 3. Pretty quick, really....Good luck! The first week is hard, but after that, its great!