thebandedgirl

Ha! I did this too. They were wheeling me into the OR and I was thinking about screaming at them to halt. I didn't, though :thumbup:

Echoing others here--I like the fact that the band is easily taken out. If I have a complication that necessitates reversal, my physiology remains the same. My intestines and stomach weren't rearranged and/or resized. Recovery time is faster because of the nature of the procedure--a band is slipped on, stitched a bit, and you're good to go. There's a lot more that needs to heal with a bypass, even if it is done lapriscopically. It's adjustable. Not enough restriction? More Fluid. Too much restriction? Less fluid. I don't have a pouch that remains the same (or is perfect at first and then stretches out). No dumping. No malabsorption. Slower (many say healthier) weight loss. However, most of the people who have bypass swear by it and are glad they didn't go with the band. You just need to discuss it with your surgeon and decide what is right for you with his/her help!

I never got a call with my blood test results and assumed that no news was good news! If something had been wrong, they would have called. However, I'd give them a ring if you're feeling antsy about it. Don't forget that they work for you :thumbup: I had a total of two appointments before I had surgery. One to make sure I qualified for it and another two days pre-op. I was a self-pay patient, however. Insurance company patients usually have to wait longer.

Welcome, Jerry! I was lucky (as were those around me), my pre-op diet wasn't all liquid. Glad you have a sense of humor about it :thumbup:

Congratulations for fighting cancer and winning! Hope your seminar went well :thumbup:

Hi Barbara! Congratulations on reaching a decision :thumbup: I mulled it over and researched for over two years before I finally had the surgery. In some ways, I wish that I had made the decision much earlier! When it comes to picking a surgeon, do your homework! Google names of surgeons in your area, talk to people who have had the surgery (or who know people who know people who know people who have had it!) and get recommendations, check the boards here to see if there are reviews of the person. Most surgeons that I know of also have a free informational seminar you can go to. I went to two because I was not at all comfortable with the first surgeon after I attended his informational session, even though he has almost unanimous positive reviews on several sites. I was much much more comfortable with the second office. Good luck with the insurance! I financed mine because my insurance company didn't cover the procedure.

So soon! Congratulations and welcome to the newest phase of your life :thumbup:

I was banded on June 18th, too. I just had my first fill a few hours ago. Don't worry if your first fill doesn't give you restriction! It's not unusual for it to take several. Try not to rush it and give your body time to adjust :smile:

Burping. All. The. Time. It's insane.

Congratulations!! So awesome :smile:

I went in to get my first fill today and found out that my port is flipped on its side. They were able to do the fill and I may or may not have to have a revision; I'll see my surgeon in a month when my next fill is scheduled and he'll make the final decision. I had my surgery on 6/18 too, btw :Dancing_wub:

I ate a lot of cottage cheese, mashed potatoes (some surgeons disallow potatoes), yogurt, pudding, somewhat liquidy Cream of Wheat, etc. You can also eat a variety of mushed tubers and squash, creamy soups, and the like :smile:

Some people don't get hungry for a week or two (or more), but I was hungry the day after my surgery! It's just different for everyone, I'm afraid. A few people have good restriction immediately and never need a fill. It's more common to have to play around with your fill levels for a little bit, though--I've been told anywhere between four and six or more!

You're the same height as my guy! I don't meet many people who are 6'5" :smile: Congratulations on your surgery and your insurance paying all of it, that's fantastic! Donna, 54 pounds in three months! Wow, that's a lot!

I didn't have to do injections after surgery, but I still have the bruise from the shot they gave me pre-op a month ago! It's almost gone, though (I bruise easily, please don't freak out). My friend, who had surgery two years ago, did the shots for two weeks. Different doctors, different medical histories, etc :smile:

I'm glad you found your instructions. Hang in there, you can do it!

Hey Kim! I'm in Arizona, too :smile: I was hungry pretty much right away, but I had stomach noises that were unrelated to hunger, too. Are you sure it's all hunger? I've only had hiccups once in a month, but I burp all the time...

My insurance didn't cover it, so I financed my surgery through CareCredit. No regrets so far, but I've only been banded since June 18th :smile:

Do as your surgeon instructed!! I was on Clear Liquids for 48 hours, then could do Protein shakes and the like after that. Some people are on clear liquids for a week or two! It's hard, but you can make it through :smile: Welcome to banding and the boards

It might be better for you to think of as many questions as you can and then post them in your own thread on the Pre-op board. More people may answer your questions there, since they won't be buried in someone else's unrelated post :thumbup:

One-A-Day makes an adult chewable gummy sour that I've been taking. I also found a gummy omega-3 supplement. My surgeon also requires calcium supplementation, so my mom found some that are like Viactive but are sugar-free. My surgeon specifically says no Viactive products because they contain too much sugar. And they're something like 20 calories each.

Oh wow. You were beautiful before you had surgery and you are beautiful now! Congratulations on your loss! I have at least 140 to lose and your pictures give me a little hope of not having a horrible body pre-plastics. Thanks so much for sharing :thumbup:

My surgeon's instructions were to wait one week before baths or the pool. I probably would have waited at least another week before I took the chance, though. I'm three and a half weeks out and my incisions are mostly okay. I have two with scabs still :thumbup:

The gastric bypass isn't better than the band; the band isn't better than the bypass. There are people from both camps who will tell you that their surgery of choice is better, but I personally think they're wrong. There's a lot more that goes into the bypass. A person's stomach and intestines are both cut into and made smaller. Recovery time is longer. Because of the shortening of the intestine, some bypass patients become malnourished (usually because they don't follow their doctor's directions well). The awesome thing is that people who have bypasses lose weight a lot faster than those of us with the band. Long term (five years after surgery), weight loss is about the same with the band, though. Bypass patients lose the majority of their weight in the first year and then often experience a slowdown after that.

A Magic Bullet. Seriously, it saved my life when I started on mushies. So much smaller than a blender and easier to clean, too! I got mine for $50 at Costco. You can get them for $50 at Target, too, but the Costco one has more attachments :thumbup: