elgrad

I have not been banded yet, but I am wondering if you have any co-morbities? Any sleep apnea, high blood pressure, etc? Have you been checked for any of these things because having co-morbities allows for you to have a lower BMI and still qualify. If you haven't been checked in awhile, now would be a good time to get these things screened. Good luck! Elgrad

Well, maybe it is not better than what we may have to go through. There are a lot of issues with the sleeve also, the number one issue in my mind is that it is incrementally more invasive than the lap band. I like the idea of doing something small to my body that will enable me to get big results. The more surgery and cutting and stapling you do, the more I fear it. I understand that many folks like the idea of just being able to eat what they wish and lose weight, but without some type of control ( and yes, even negative reactions are a control mechanism) I will just go back to old, bad habits. Like many who had the by-pass surgery, they found that it was all too easy to fall back. To me, having the option to gain restriction (with all it's side effects) is the reason I have chosen to get the lap band. I am not banded yet, but am looking forward to it soon. Elgrad

Medievalgal, I am interested in your name. Are you a history buff? In the SCA? I am almost complete with the pre-op things and hoping to get banded within the next 2 months. Elgrad

For those of you that have been banded: Did you think that the weight would just fall off the minute the band was in place? Be honest now. Cuz I read so many posts on the list that go something like: I had my surgery 2 weeks ago and have only lost 15 pounds. What am I doing wrong? I am not banded yet, so maybe I will feel the same way, but I think that I understand that this is not going to be the magic pill that will cause me to be the slim, size 6 I know I am inside. Certainly not in the first couple of years. But, I just seem to see a lot of folks that get a little whiney when they haven't lost the 100 lbs they want to lose in the first few months. I am wondering if some of us set our expectations really high and then can't understand why the weight isn't coming off. It isn't bypass surgery and yet, some seem to want the same rapid results with none of the side effects. I may be asking for a beat down here, but I am curious. Elgrad

To all who responded, thank you! I love a good discussion and you all certainly have provided one. After reading them all, I think that we all are looking for the one thing that will make this journey to weight loss more successful. We hope to finally reach the weight we know is good for us yet we still bring with us some heavy (no pun intended) baggage. It is hard to forget the many times we have lost and then gained, watching all our good intentions fall to the wayside, and then look at something new with any degree of confidence. We have beaten ourselves down so often that we have a hard time getting ourselves emotionally positive. I understand this only too well. That is why I asked for honesty and you all replied. So here is what I am taking away from this discussion - I am looking at this as personal challenge and a do-over. I will try not to expect fast weight loss and will work to make this tool a success. Yes, I have failed in the past but those days are gone. I have proven I have the skill set to lose weight, now I will have the tool set to accomplish it. It may take me years, but hey, I wanted more years of life anyways, right? What better way to use those years than to better my life?! You folks are great support and a good sounding board to find my path. Thank you all! Elgrad

Not sure what kind of reception you will be at, but there is nothing that says you can't take the food, a little, and then pull the old "play with it on the plate routine" so that people will think you are eating it. If possible, and you are allowed, choose food that you maybe can mush up and eat slowly. Enjoy the company. Talk, laugh and be sociable. Te weeding is about celebrating right? Eating is just a small part of the celebration. Being with your family is the most important part. Be a social butterfly :thumbdown: Elgrad

BKNY- I have not had my surgery yet, but have had surgeries in the past. Please understand that the emotional part is NORMAL! This is a big decision and you will need time to adjust. Additionally, a lot of what you are feeling is due to the anesthesia. These drugs can wreck havoc on your emotions. The best advice I can give to you is to try to relax, get plenty of rest and focus on the fact that you have started a wonderful adventure. It may not feel like it now, but give your body some time to heal and I think you will feel better in the very near future! Congratulations on your surgery and keep us all posted on your recovery. Elgrad

I told my older brother about wanting to get banded. I thought he would be supportive, as he has always had a weight problem and just recently had a mild heart attack! Well, surprise, he was very negative!! He kept saying "Why would you want to put something foreign in your body like that?" I thought long and hard and this is what I asked him " If I needed a hip replacement, would you question that? How about if I needed to have my shoulder worked on and had to have pins implanted? Would that upset you? Better yet, what about the ear tubes I had put in? These are all medical tools used to improve my quality of life. Yet, the lapband is upsetting to you? I have been obese for so long and now, medical science has advanced enough to provide a tool for me to use. I am looking forward to bettering my life and I need all the love and encouragement I can get. Please, get on board with me here and be the supportive big brother." You know what? He cried. And then, he said "Of course Sis, you know I am there for you." I should be a lawyer :ihih: Elgrad

I think you have found what works for you. And that is the whole idea of the lap band. It is not a "one size fits all" kind of tool. We each have to make it work for our individual lifestyle. Congratulations on using this tool you friend and not your enemy! Elgrad

Hey folks! I am at the end of my pre-op stuff (one more nutritionist appt left) and then I am looking at surgery. The one thing I can tell you is to take your time and really research the procedure. I have been doing just that for almost a year. It is not something to go into lightly. My PCP insisted that I know as much or more than the surgeon about the lap band before he would sign off on it. This is for a very important reason: this procedure is a life altering event. As you will see on this website, a lot of people have been very successful but they will probably tell you that it has been a lot of work. Know what you are getting into before you have the surgery and you will be one of the successful ones too. Good luck in your journey! Elgrad

I currently work as a civilian for the Marine Corps and have Aetna insurance as my primary. I also have Tricare coverage ( hubby is retired) that will act as my secondary insurance. I know that I have to meet the Aetna requirements but was wondering if anyone else had a similar set up and if so, what, if anything, did you end up paying after your surgery? I am trying to be prepared for the unexpected costs. Thanks for the help. Elgrad

Inmlisa, I am located in Jacksonville, NC, at Camp Lejeune. I am awaiting one more nutritionist appointment before I have cleared the insurance requirements ( I have bothe Aetna and tricare). Who is your surgeon? Good luck with your surgery and maybe I will see less of you around Jacksonville very soon :redface: Elgrad

I am not yet banded but have been reading alot of the posts on the site and I have been asking myself - " Self, what are your expectations of the band?". Don't get me wrong, I know intellectually that this is just a tool and that I will have to really work hard at this, but I am wondering if many of us have this expectation that the band will save us and will make the pounds just fall off our bodies? I ask this because I see a lot of folks that will be upset because they "only" lost 25 pounds in 2 months and now it just doesn't seem to be working. Or, they see a lot come off at the beginning and then, it just seems to be creeping off. Are we being honest with ourselves when we say that we understand that this is not a magic pill or do we still wish, in our deepest hearts, that this will be a quick answer to our weight loss problem and we will be thin in 6 months? Come on folks, I know I do. I understand that it won't work like that, but don't we just wish it could? Any thoughts? Elgrad

Hey! I have had the gall bladder thingy happen to me (I am not yet banded), so I can understand that you feel really bad. But, you did not bring that on yourself. It is temporary. Once you get healed and feel better, you can get back on the band wagon and get started on the weight loss again. Do not accept these things as defeats! You want to stay around for a long time, so look at this as a journey for the rest of your life. Not a quick sprint to the end, but a beautiful long journey. This is just a very short stop. Be positive in this and before you realize it, you will have forgotten all about the gall bladder and will be amazed at how well you feel and look! Elgrad

They say that confession is good for the soul... Now that you have made the commitment, why not try some new things to get re-motivated? Maybe a different work out routine or some new foods that you have never tried. I am impressed by your success so far but maybe you got bored?? I can see how that might happen for all of us. Keep posting here and tell us what new things you are doing to rejuvenate your life. This is a major new step towards success my friend. Carpe diem!! Elgrad

Good Morning DanBar! Yes, I have been on diabetes medicines for over a year now and have been told that I need to get my sugar levels under control before I can get the surgery. I have used insulin but am now on a series of drugs including Byetta and metformin. The best way to get the levels down is to be sure to take the insulin and begin to watch your carb intake. That means controling your use of sugar, breads, Pasta and other carb laden foods. Also, start some exercise, like walking, as this will also lower your levels. This should not mean that you cannot have the surgery, but they do want to make sure that your system can handle the surgery. Also, by beginning a new life style, you will be prepared for the new way of eating when you do have the band. Protein is your friend, carbs, not so much. It is scary when you first hear that you have high blood sugar, but it is controllable and is the main reason that I am looking to be banded. Good luck! Elgrad

Okay, since you are obviously waiting to "be gotten" here you go -- How dare you eat like that!! Don't you know how bad that is?? You are defeating the purpose of the band!!! On the reality side of things -- I also am being banded so that I can enjoy a "normal " lifestyle. Do I plan to eat all the wrong things and still expect to lose weight? No. But, I am only human and when I see foods that I like, I will have a bite. Not the whole thing, and not until I am quite literally sick, but a bite or two. It is what makes my life well- rounded. So, I am proud of you for sharing a special day and not living just by the band alone. It makes me have hope that I too, can live like a normal human. Yours in support, Elgrad

You're welcome. That's what we are all here for, to help each other. I, too, am a little nervous about the surgery part. I think that is a normal reaction for most folks. I just want to gain control over my body again so I am willing to undergo a little fear to attain some success. I know that this is the right course for me. Good luck! Elgrad

Wendy, I have Aetna insurance also and have completed most of what is required. I am doing the 3 month, multi-disciplinary tract instead of the 6 month tho. I have had the psych eval. Mine was pretty easy. I went in and spoke with a RN for a few minutes. She asked me about my medical history, wanted to know if there were any folks in my family with mental health issues, asked me why I wanted to do the surgery and then we just chatted for a few. The doctor came in and simply asked me why I thought I wanted to have this surgery. It was over pretty quickly and was painless :redface: The upper gi was more of a fright for me since I have had some issues with anesthesia in the past. Basically, they asked me not to eat after midnite the day before. I went in really early to the surgical clinic. They gave me the gown, put an IV in for the meds to sort of knock me out and rolled me into the room for the test. They did spray some foul tasting liquid in my throat to numb it for the tube but I really can't remember anything about the tube going in. The tube is designed to down your intestinal track to look for any signs of things that might become an issue when they do your surgery. Whatever drugs they gave me for the test worked because I have NO memory of the procedure at all. To this day, I don't remember much of the whole process, only that I came home and slept most of the day. It was not a major procedure, in my mind. I am glad that it is over with however. One more thing to check off of my list of "to-do's". I am one nutritionist appointment away from submitting everything to the insurance company. Good luck! Elgrad

I am not banded as of yet, but I think I can understand why some folks would choose the gastric bypass as opposed to the lb. Fo many, if they are extremely obese, it may be a matter of life or death. A given, in my mind, to choose a rapid weight lose method. For others, they may not have the ability to control their addiction to sweets or binge eating, in which case, the bypass will give you a very strong and pretty immediate reaction - dumping. For others, it may be that they desire that instant gratification of losing rapidly. Not saying this is a good or bad reason, just stating what I have learned from some of my friends that chose the bypass surgery. For me, I think I wanted to still feel in control of my body. It is so out of control with my diabetes, blood pressure and sleep apnea, that I wanted it back. I am choosing to get banded because it allows me choices in my life while still keeping a firm touch on what and how I eat. I have done a lot of research (as most who are on this forum have) and the band seems the best option for me. It is not going to be without its own issues, such as carefully eating my food, possible slippage, pb'ing and others, but I believe that I can handle them. I hope that this answers your question. Elgrad

I am working my way through the process of getting banded and I have been doing a lot of research into the whole band versus by-pass question. So, for those of you that have also done your research, can you give me five reasons why you have chosen the lap band over gastric by-pass? I have issues which could make either choice reasonable. I just wondered what has made any of you make the decision to go with the lap band. Thanks. Elgrad

I am one nutritionist appointment away from submitting my paperwork to the insurance company and was instructed to keep a food log of everything I eat for a month. Well folks, it is hard to be honest with myself when I realize just what I eat everyday. I thought I was doing pretty good with my eating, but lo and behold, I have some definite eating issues. I noticed that I tend to do okay in the morning, start to slip a little in the mid afternoon and by dinner time, whew! I am in trouble. I think it is because I work all day and by the time I get home, I am starving. There will be some changes made in the very near future to eliminate that feeling. I can see where this is one part of my life that will need to be improved, greatly, if I am to be successful. I know that many of us have done the WW plan and have probably kept food journals. I am just wondering what, if any, food issues you might have discovered about yourself.

CONGRATULATIONS! I hope my approval goes as quickly. I have Aetna also. I have one more nutritionist appointment in June and that should be the end of all the pre-op stuff. I am so excited for you. Keep posting so that we will know how everything goes and good luck! Elgrad

Dear Hope, I have had a CPAP machine for over 4 years now. Tricare paid for mine, along with my primary insurance, so I would encourage you to talk with the insurance rep. It should be covered for you. Elgrad

Have you ever seen the movie "The Bucket List"? It basically tells the tale of two men who are dying of terminal diseases and decide to make a list of things they wanted to do before they died. Well, I decided to do the same thing, only focus on those things that I will do when the weight comes off. Notice I said when, not if. I frimly believe that the weight will come off with the lap band tool that I will soon have in place. So here is my list: 1. I will ride on the back of my husband's Harley. 2. I will wear high heels. 3. I will look hot in a great dress at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball. 4. I will walk into a store and not worry about what will or will not fit. 5. I will wear a bathing suit and not cover it up with a dress. 6. I will go to an amusement park and not stay away from the rides. 7. I will enjoy my moments with my husband again and not be ashamed of my body. 8. I will run in a 5K race. 9. I will not fear the doctor's office nor the scale. 10. I will enjoy my life because I will feel healthy. So, what is on your list? Elgrad