debi717

Sooverit, 1. Do you ever get frustrated that you can't eat "normally" like you did before? No. I can eat normally -- just a lot less. The surgeons aren't going to fill your band to capacity from the get-go. It's done gradually so you get used to it. Tell them that's the way you want it done. I have a VG band. It's seems to be more flexible with different textures of food than the original 4cc lapband. At least that's my understanding. I've never had the 4cc, but I can eat pretty much anything as long as I take small bites and chew well. 2. Do you forget after a while that it's there? I'm reminded that it's there when I try to eat too big a forkful of food or if I try to eat past what my stomach tells me is enough. I don't feel the lapband any other time. 3. Have you ever regretted getting it? Only when I read posts about bad experiences with the band. They scare me to death. However, I made the decision to get the band, Drs. Fielding/Ren are top notch and are well acquainted with what can go wrong, and I go for regular follow-ups. I wish I could have gotten my eating under control without it, but I wasn't having much luck with that. It seemed the more I tried, the more I gained. I knew there would be risks going into getting this surgery, but there were risks to my health if I didn't. 4. Do you feel healthier since getting the lap band? Absolutely, and I've only lost 53 lbs of my weight. I can get up and down from a chair without other people noticing that I'm struggling. I walk faster. I'm less winded. Best of all, the dosage of my blood pressure medicine has been cut in half. Hope my answers have helped you. Debbie

Hi, Lynne. You won't have a problem missing donuts because they are one of the foods that you'd have a tough time eating -- unless you did it one tiny, tiny piece at a time. I don't eat too many carbs anymore. I can eat one slice of well-toasted bread with my morning coffee, if I want a slice of bread. I can eat a few pieces of ziti or two or three forkfuls of liguine. When it comes to mashed potatoes, maybe 1/2 a cup (probably less) would go down if I eat nothing else with it. You'll definitely be eating less carbs. You'll eat less of everything. Just stay away from junk. Really. food portions will no longer be a problem for you. What is the date of your surgery? If you have any questions, please feel free to private message me. I'm glad to help. I would have been so nervous if it hadn't been for some of the nice people on this board who took the time to address all my concerns. Hope you're having a nice weekend! Debbie

Hi, LinzerPA. I'm still around and doing okay. I've lost 53 pounds since my surgery in February. I look and feel better, but I still have a way to go. The lapband has made it much easier to lose weight, but I find that I still have to do work on my part. Exercise, willpower and self control have to be part of your mindset. Unfortunately, sweets and soft foods go through the band easily, so if you allow yourself to dine on chocolate, ice cream or eat too many "easy to get past the band" foods -- chicken salad, tuna salad, eggplant parmagian..., you'll still consume too many calories. Of course, not as much as before, but it will hinder your weight loss. My sister is addicted to Cadbury chocolate bars. She asked me if I thought the lapband would help her. I told her it wouldn't help unless she's ready to deal with her daily chocolate eating. That's my reality with the lapband. However, it's definitely easier to eat half the amount of food than I use to eat at meals. If I sit down to eat a chicken parmagian dinner, I can manage about 1/3 of a cutlet and maybe 4 pieces of ziti. No salad unless it's chopped to pieces. A tiny piece of Italian bread crust with butter. That's all I can manage and I'm so happy for that. I only allow myself to eat a dessert once a week, usually on a Saturday or Sunday. This surgery was a good decision for me. Just don't go into it thinking the band is going to do all the work for you. If you have the right mindset, the band will take care of the size of your portions. Just get the dessert eating under control before the surgery, if that's a weakness for you. Good luck! Debi

Hi, Kelly. I just reread your post and the word "omenectomy" popped out. I remember seeing that as a voluntary surgery choice when I filled out my paperwork to have surgery. How is your weight loss going? I remember reading that it's suppose to enable quicker weight loss. Is your post-op care any different because of it? Just curious. We're leaving for vacation in about 4 hours, so if I don't respond to your reply, it's because I'm outa here. Of course, my dog injured his leg running around yesterday, so we have to take him to the vet first. Depending on his injury, we may be leaving later than scheduled. He's my baby. I hope it's nothing more than a muscle strain. I'll catch up with all your posts in a couple of weeks. LIGHT ER NYC, stay well, enjoy your liquid diet! Debbie :whoo:

Congratulations Light ER NYC. You did it, and you did it well! I was impressed with the care at NYU too, I had that same trouble taking deep breaths after surgery. We must look like human balloons on the operating table with all that gas they pump into us. Well, you're on your way. Enjoy watching the scale go down! Debbie

It's a busy practice, that's for sure. I've seen the waiting room so full that people were standing out in the hall. They've added another surgeon to their practice, Dr. Kurian. She also has an excellent reputation. That should help ease some of Ren & Fielding's workload. I usually go to their satellite office in White Plains for my monthly followups. It's so much easier. I love that they do that. I believe they have different satellite offices in different locations on Wednesday's. I think White Plains is the 3rd Wednesday of the month. Fielding did my surgery, but Ren was always in White Plains when I went there. When I went last week, I was surprised to see Dr. Fielding there instead of Dr. Ren. I hadn't seen him since my surgery. He said that he and Ren are going to be alternating months in White Plains now. They are both very nice and I'm very happy with the practice. It was a good choice. Congrats on your surgery Light Er NYC! Debbie

Hi, Cheri. Good luck on your surgery. I had mine back in February '07. To date, I've lost 48 lbs. and I'm feeling so much better, and I still have 100 lbs. to go! Honestly, I think you have to be committed to changing the way you eat to maintain your weight loss over the long-term. The lapband will keep your portions under control without too much effort on your part. If you eat too much, you're going to feel uncomfortable, and unless you stick yourself with pins for pleasure you'll probably want to avoid that. However, Desserts seem to go through the band without any trouble. For myself, I've had to commit to limiting myself to one dessert a week. Sometimes it's a medium sized cup of ice cream at Coldstone Creamery, sometimes it's a piece of cake, BUT it's once a week -- no excuses. Believe me, the first 3 months that was hard, but now I don't think about chocolate everyday at 3:00 pm and then again at 9:00 pm. I've learned to substitute that stuff with a cup of yogurt and a 2 TBS of Go Lean Kashi Crunch, and I've even learned to enjoy sliced fruit in the afternoon. The short answer is that the lapband has worked for me and I believe I can keep the weight loss off if I don't make the choice to go back to my old habits. The lapband has curbed my hunger and lessened my desire to eat for the sake of eating. That's what the lapband is meant to do. It was a good decision for me. The problems are almost non-existent and when I have a problem it's because I'm eating too fast. PB's are not this huge, dramatic event I thought they would be before I had the surgery. Do yourself a favor and don't pay attention to that kind of talk. You can avoid them if you eat the way your suppose to eat -- small bites, chew well, eat slowly. If you do PB, you won't feel the need to call a doctor or run to the emergency room. Enjoy the journey.

I don't know what a ventricle hernia is. Dr. Fielding fixed my hiatal hernia and removed my gallbladder at the same time he placed the lap band. I've had no problems whatsoever. If Dr. Fielding is doing your surgery, I'm sure you'll do fine. He's a very gifted surgeon. I've felt wonderful since my hiatal hernia was fixed -- haven't had heartburn since my surgery and I used to get it all the time. Good luck to you!

pjanes, I'm so glad my post encouraged you. Green, my surgeon said he wouldn't put in a band without fixing a hiatal heria first. He said a hiatal hernia would make the lapband and resulting heartburn and reflux "unbearable." I don't know how difficult it would be to fix a hernia after the fact, but Dr. Fielding says he looks for it prior to placing the band. I had an endoscopy before my surgery, but he said he would have looked for it anyway. I haven't had heartburn since. It's wonderful. I agree with Marji 100%. You have to have a positive attitude. Don't make a big deal out of little things. You learn to live with arthritis and that doesn't do you one bit of good. The lapband has some inconveniences, but the weight loss and better health far outweigh the bad stuff. Honestly, most of the bad stuff is a result of our own mistakes. You can easily avoid them. Exercise will speed up your metabolism (and is there anyone over 50 that doesn't need a faster metabolism?). I walk 30 minutes a day. Working full-time certainly limits the "me" time, but I can still fit in a 30-45 minute walk. My dog benefits too. Good luck with your surgery. Hope you feel better soon, Green.

Good luck, Clara. I'm doing fine. I'm down 47 lbs and I'm feeling so much better. Everything is easier, and I still have a long way to go. I'm amazed by how much of a difference 47 lbs can make. I really don't have any problems. I PB once in a while, or I get that golf ball feeling when I don't wait long enough between bites, but nothing that has been terribly difficult to live with. It's been a lot easier than living with those 47 lbs I lost. Before I got the band I used to read the posts about PB'ing and sliming... scared the hell out of me. I have found the band is not difficult to live with and PB's and sliming are not nearly as dramatic as some of the descriptions I've read. I certainly try to avoid them because repeated episodes are not good for you or your band, but once in a while is normal. My toughest challenge has been to rest a minute or so between bites and swallowing. If I don't do that, I get that golf ball feeling in my chest. If I take my time, I'm absolutely fine, plus I fill up quicker and am satisfied with a lot less food. I don't post often because I don't feel like I have much to say that will add anything to what's already been posted by others, but every now and then I feel moved to throw in my two cents. Glad to read that so many of us 50+ people are doing so well. It's really encouraging. Debbie