RestlessMonkey

I don't know what a surgery center is....but I know any surgery I have where I am under anesthesia, I want a hospital. A GOOD hospital. Just in case.

Your surgery date will depend on the schedule of your surgeon. Most self pay patients get scheduled quickly because there isn't all the insurance "red tape" My surgeon gave us time lines; yours should be able to do the same.

Please don't eat! It can cause you damage. You may have hurt yourself eating so soon post op. Can you call your surgeon and ask? (a drawback to being banded by someone away from your home) My surgeon stressed how very important it is to follow post op guidelines to keep from tearing the band loose before it heals well. I hope you didn't do that...if you are just stuck, what works for me is standing very straight, breathing deeply, and coughing. Good luck; hope you didn't do permanent damage...and call your surgeon as soon as you can.

There are some really good books on lap band surgery on the market...I found mine on amazon (where they have the client ratings) but a half price bookstore, a library, or a bookstore of your choice will have a good selection. Also many surgeons have seminars that you can attend free of charge...that will answer some questions and give you more questions. It is a big step, getting any surgery, no matter how welcome it may be. Now that you know it's intended to be permanent (but can be removed, in most instances, should a medical emergency require that) and you do still have to use the old gray matter to make good choices etc, (and you must exercise)....knowing that, if you're still interested, at least you have a starting point! Whatever you decide, good luck to you!

Hello! I think researching is smart. For one thing, the lap band isn't designed to be removed and in fact, most who have it removed gain their weight back unless they have some other type of weight loss surgery. Further I don't know how tall you are and how much you weigh but it's possible just being 80 pounds overweight that you would have to pay for the surgery yourself; most insurance companies have BMI's and weights you must meet or exceed before they'll pay. The surgery can be pricey. Respectfully, because all most all of us here are unhappy with our weight and I'm sure you too are unhappy, I would suggest you try losing weight by more traditional methods. Something caused you to gain; that won't magically go away. And most of us bandsters can still eat "one more candy bar" without trouble. That's what's called a slider food and many calorie and fat laden foods are sliders. (Cookies, cake, ice cream, fries all come to mind). If you don't feel overweight and don't feel motivated to try to lose, at 60 the last thing you should do is have a surgery that you aren't prepared to embrace and work at. If you don't have health issues, nor problems with your weight, then surgery is likely not for you. If you did get the band, odds are you'd be very unhappy without some serious rethinking. If you are just an 80-pound overweight otherwise happy and healthy person, then something like Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers might give you the motivation you need to lose those pounds. The lap band is a miracle, but it is just a tool. It's for life, it's a lifestyle. I don't think you mentally are in the right spot for that. I don't know you and it's possible I'm wrong, but from what you've posted, other options would be better and safer and more productive for you!

My bikini days are long gone but when I was a younger woman, I totally would've felt differently about them. There are things you can put on them to help minimize; ask your surgeon for a recommendation!

Welcome! I'm in S Texas too... Yes I almost starved preop and post op. LOL It was tough but worth it. I slept the first night (night of my surgery; I didn't stay in the hospital overnight...thank goodness surgeon let me go) on my side in my bed, night 2 on my stomach (my usualy sleep position). I slept like a rock. It was wonderful. I was a LITTLe stiff getting up but just took deep breaths and did it slowly. By the 3rd night I felt normal. I don't have a single regret. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Mine are bad but I am fair skinned, older, and was operated on twice. I honestly don't care...I'd never wear a bikini now anyway and in an odd way I'm proud of them; they are like a badge of honor. How much you'll scar though depends on many things...age, skin type, how dry your skin is, heredity, etc etc.

You know; to tell or not is a personal choice and we all have a right to make that choice. But I was thinking about Carrie C who said something about someone who'd lost but didn't have the band...well, how does she know that for sure? I think if more of us spoke up about the band, it would be more accepted. Just my two cents. I don't think there's any shame in it, and I think it is common for people to wonder. There are nasty people out there, but there are also nice people who may have a loved one they'd like to help, or who may see themselves as needing help. Then there are some who should just be gagged and left in a corner! LOL Good luck to everyone, anyway.

if you trust him then odds are it's exactly as he says. Good luck...I hope you get your fill. If it were me I'd probably agitate to have him "fix" it!

I didn't have to do a 6-month diet thing...but then I was over twice what I should weigh. However, if insurance required me to diet for 6 months before they'd pay, I'd have done that. While I won't lie and say I wish I'd had to diet for 6 months (I've dieted almost half my life, it seems, anyway) I don't think it's bad to weed out people who aren't really committed, sure, or ready for the change. Just last week there was a poster who felt she'd done the wrong thing and was hysterical because her doc wouldn't remove her band...she'd had it only a week or two. That is a rarity...but had she needed to diet for 6 months, she might have changed her mind, or been ready for the band. I am sure it's largely money driven, but it can be a good thing, for all that. I wanted the band since 2003 but my ins didn't cover it until 2008, so I waited a lot longer than 6 months to get my band. It gave me a lot of time to change my mind back and forth.

If you don't mind...you feel paralyzed and think it is from meds you got yesterday? Could you walk when you left the hospital?

With all respects to Jack, a true super moderator, I've only heard of the 6-month diet in regards to insurance requirements. If you are self pay, I've never heard of a surgeon requesting/requiring it. Jack's reasoning behind the diet is as good as any; who knows why ins companies do things? Some people do start the 6 month supervised diet and decide to forgo surgery.

If you're sick on Monday, call your surgeon and see. If you've a fever etc they will probably postpone it. It's a pain, but worth a few extra days to optimize your recovery. (and trust me you don't want to be post op and be all congested, feverish, and miserable!)

The sore throat is from being intubated during surgery. It will go away in a day or two. If it bothers you too much, suck on sugar free lozenges. As to the other...sorry you're so sore. I wasn't; but then I moved just about every chance I got and I think that helped me. However, we're all different. Use a pillow to brace your surgery sites and take your pain meds... I used tylenol because I wasn't in that much pain and I HATE feeling groggy... It will get better. Hang in there!

If this is a recent development and you haven't just gotten a fill, you need to see your doctor.

I really DO feel your pain. I'm 54 and it's bad enough being the fat lady with rosacea. I REALLY didn't want to be the fat BALD lady with rosacea! :thumbup: I know people will swear by supplements but most of them say "may take up to 12 weeks to work" and by then, little old unsupplemented me had her hair growing back! Hang in there!

My surgeon said the following, in the seminar (and he's been right about everything he's told me so far, including this)....Your hair most likely WILL fall out at anywhere from 3-6 months. Most of the time you won't need a wig or toupee. One patient "needed" a wig but then she had a wig shop. It will stop falling and grow back. You can take supplements or not and the same thing will happen; it seems to be tied to the trauma of the surgery. Mine started falling out at 3 months. It never got so thin that my stylist could tell (although it was horrifying for me). It fell out from about 3 months to about 5 months, then it quit. Hang in there. There are supplements people say to take (like biotin) but I personally don't think they really help. Just eat right, take your doc prescribed supplements, and grit your teeth. It'll stop. OH and I will say that it is growing faster than usual too. I have a short style and get it cut at set intervals...and now it's too long when I wait my "time"...if that makes sense. It's getting too long too quickly.

That's bizarre. I know my port is flipped, but my surgeon still manages to do fills and unfills. And last time (just yesterday) I said...WHat if it flips all the way around? What if you can't fill it? And he said "don't worry. I WILL be able to do fills on you" and I said "With a big curvey fish-hook type needle?" and he lauged and said no. He said...don't worry. This is part of my job... I'll always be able to do fills for you. ??? I didn't ask him "what about if I get scar tissue"...I wish I had. I'm sure you are frustrated. Do you trust him? If not, maybe you should find a new doc?

My husband is an RN who worked in a "GI" lab for years and was adamantly AGAINST the band, because of all the issues he saw relating to bypass (roux en Y) surgery. Once he went with me to a seminar (and spent about 30 minutes discussing the surgery etc with my surgeon who bless him seemed interested and willing to chat for hours!) he was totally on board, supportive, and enthusiastic. My husband was wary because of the medical risks he thought were there. So if your husband is cautious because of that, maybe a seminar etc can help? There are also some good books on the marked...half price books or your library (or amazon!) can help you there. Good luck!

I think you should ask him these questions. We don't know you or him and can't really tell you why he feels the way he does. He could be jealous; he could be afraid you'll die during surgery, he could see the band as a weakness. Until you talk TO HIM and get answers, you won't know what to do.

We were told not to eat until FULL, but until satisfied. Fine line of distinction, I know; but personally if I get full, it's uncomfortable. HOWEVER you should be able to eat food. The point of the band isn't like the old "jaw wiring" where you could only sip liquids for nutrition. You're supposed to be able to eat normally, but less. If I were you I'd discuss with my surgeon and maybe the nutritionist.

It takes our bodies at least 20 minutes to start signaling "done...full now" and that message get to the brain. So eating slowly is a good start. My surgeon says not to take longer than 30 minutes for a meal, though, because you can "graze" and overeat. So aim for taking 20-30 minutes to eat. As to how much? That's hard for most of us, I think! You can portion it out like some do. I go nutso measuring and bean counting (literally LOL) so I try to get what looks like a "sensible" portion. Then after each bite I think...how do I feel. Am I done yet? This gets easier to do. I'm hoping eventually to pick back up on those signals that, like Jack said, I've ignored for so long. Used to, stuffed was a good feeling. Now I fear it like the plague because it hurts! LOL

Miriam, we're all so different! I had my band placed 8/29 and lost just at 42 pounds pre and post op dieting. However, once I advanced to "real" food, I gained back some. Personally, I refuse to diet. For me, it just makes me obsessed with food. If I measure and count etc I CAN (and have, many times) lose weight, for a while. But I am SO concerned with food (what can I eat when can I eat it how MUCH can I eat...if I eat this apple will it ruin my calorie count for the day? what if I weighed this wrong? What if I eat too much now and am HUNGRY later") that I eventually just wore out. The beauty of the band, to me, is the restriction. I can make good choices, and it is easy not to snack (for me anyway) when I'm not hungry. My surgeon is a conservative fill doc and not until my last fill (Jan 30) did I FINALLY feel restriction. From then to 3/5 (date of my 5th fill) I lost 9 pounds...just by making "good choices". Now that I have more restriction, I'm sure I'll lose at least that if not more. 9-10 pounds a month is great, to my mind, because I have not suffered or "starved" or fretted one time. I've even had pizza once (it amazed me how little it took to fill me up) and a patty melt from Whataburger. Well, I had about 1/3 of the patty melt, and was done. I was shocked and pleased. I've also had a lot of fresh fruit and veggies etc... Anyway my point is, it's up to you. It is your tool. Singers have different styles, people who use hammers for a living have their own methods and tricks. You will use the band the way that works for you. If you like calorie counting and knowing exactly what you eat and when, then do that. Because until you get restriction, like me you MAY gain a little back, or not lose. Some diet until the restriction finally kicks in to help them. I chose not to obsess about it but to just live my life making the best choices. And my way works for me, and the other way works for others! So unless your doc is more aggressive with the fills, the first one probably won't do much (you may be one of the lucky ones who feels it right away, but they are in the minority) and if you want to lose until you get restriction, you may need to diet. Or just watch what you eat and trust the process. Your call! Good luck!

Chantix is VERY pricey. You might want to have your surgeon give you a prescription for zyban...that also helps a lot of people. AND...you can use the patch. Zyban and the patch are a good combo to help you quit. And it may cost a bit up front but with the cost of cigarettes, you'll save money in the long run.