thebandedgirl

Hi Cideways! Like RestlessMonkey said, that's a really broad inquiry! I really encourage you to read as many posts on this site as you can to help you form some more specific questions. You might also want to search for blogs of people who have been banded. Check people's signatures in the forums (like mine), as a lot of us write in blogs pretty regularly. I'm newly banded, but I'll give you a really brief list. Maybe that will help you some. Right now there are more cons than pros for me, but that will change after I get my first fill and am completely healed! Pros of surgery: I feel hopeful and confident for the first time in a long time. I'm losing weight. It's adjustable, unlike other types of WLS. It's reversible, unlike many other types of WLS. Fast recovery time (back to work in less than a week!) Cons of surgery: Well, it's surgery. It hurts. There's a chance for complications. I have to relearn my body's signals. Hungry now isn't the same as hungry two months ago. The band doesn't do the work for me. I have to relearn all of my former eating habits. The band doesn't deal with the emotional problems I have which caused me to turn to food in the first place. It doesn't start working *right away* for most people. Finding the perfect amount of Fluid for each individual is a matter of trial and error. It's a short list, but I hope it helps a little bit.

YAY! I wish you a perfect surgery and fast recovery

I can't help you with any insurance questions; mine didn't cover the surgery so I financed. My advice to you is to do a lot of reading. Look through the forums here. Look into other types of weight loss surgery (there are several). Find other forums to read through. Look at the blogs of people who are considering the different types of surgery and read about their experiences. Go to doctors' informational seminars. Really, you can't over research this

Awesome, congratulations! I made my guy go to informational seminars and all of my pre-op appointments with me for the same reason you asked your husband to go to the seminar with you

I don't like pain. Surgery is painful, and gastric bypasses are major surgery. If I were in your shoes, I would try to find another surgeon in my area who would be willing to take on another surgeon's patient. If I couldn't find one, I'd go back to my original doctor. You might get a disapproving look. You might not. Explain that you were discouraged and afraid, but now you're ready to do what you can to make the band work for you (but this part applies only if you are really ready). I'm newly banded, but I've done a lot of reading and have learned that fills are fickle things. The first one doesn't usually give restriction to people. I was told to expect four to six fills (or more!) before mine would be where I need it to be. Maybe one fill wasn't enough for you. Don't forget that nutrition is important, too! If your surgeon didn't give you instructions on how to eat after you were banded, do research or call your surgeon's office! There's a wealth of information available in this and other forums. Find a nutritionist who specializes in bariatric surgery. Exercise!! If I did all of this and the band still wasn't helping me, I would consider other surgeries, but not before. Mainly because of the anesthesia, cutting, and recovery time :confused: Really, this is how *I* would approach it. You have to weigh your options and consider what is best for you. Lap-bands don't work for everyone; neither do bypasses. Sometimes it's because, for whatever reason, the particular method was incompatible with the patient's body. Sometimes it's because the patient cheated the system, which is possible with ANY weight loss procedure. You HAVE to follow the rules or you're not going to be successful. You HAVE to go to follow up appointments to make sure you're doing well and things are working as they should. *hugs* I understand feeling out of control and spiraling into a bad place. That's how I got to be 300 pounds. There came a time when I realized that what I was doing wasn't helping me at all. I had to pull myself up by my bootstraps (that was hard), admit to my mistakes (even harder), and decide what to do about the situation. It sucked! But I did it. And you can too. (Sorry for babbling and/or incoherency. I'm tired!)

I know you asked for those who are currently pre-op to answer, but I'm only three weeks out from surgery, so I'm close :confused: Every surgeon's diet is different. What does yours want you to do? I think we can offer more assistance with a few more details! It's also pretty common for people to feel lousy for the first few days of the pre-op diet, but generally people feel better on day three or four. It's hard to slog through at first, but it gets better.

Yay! Have a good surgery :thumbup: Best wishes to you!

My insurance didn't cover the procedure. The company I work for is switching insurance companies soon, and I guess I could have waited until the switch happened to see if the new insurance would have covered it. I didn't want to wait two or more months (it was supposed to switch in July, now they're saying August...) until the insurance changed and then wait another 6+ months while I jumped through the hoops of a supervised diet, etc. Having said that, if my current insurance had covered the band, I would have tried for it. I'm going to be in more debt than I was for a long time. Worth it? I think so. But it's still a financial burden.

If you like cottage cheese, get the fat-free kind. It's so versatile! Want something sweet? Add applesauce, baby food, or sugar free jam/jelly. Something more savory? Put Pasta sauce in and zap it for 30 seconds in the microwave. Or add salsa. It's great! Fat-free refried Beans with low-fat cheese are yummy. I've also blended baked beans. If you're allowed potatoes, try garlic mashed potatoes with green chili and low-fat cheese (I allow myself to eat that no more than once a day. I try to focus on more protein-friendly options). You can blend tuna salad or chicken salad made with reduced fat mayo. Try pureed chili (I like Wendy's) and thicker Soups, too.

No solids yet! I get to start in a week--I'm looking forward to a small slice of really thin crust pizza I'd like to complain, but I think that my surgeon's post-op diet is a lot easier than others. I was on Clear liquids for the first 48 hours, full liquids for the next five days, and mushies for two weeks. When will you be able to start solids?

Hi Lisa! I'm in the Phoenix area, too. I attended two seminars--I wasn't comfortable with the doctor at the first seminar I went to. I did find a great facility though, and was banded on June 18. Best of luck to you :redface:

I am so sorry you've had such a rough time! I agree with greytz on all points--find someone who will work with you and listen to you. I know cost can be intimidating, but this is your health! Perhaps you could make a post in the regional board for Australia: Australia Local Lap-Band Support - Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum See if anyone can recommend a surgeon in your area who is reasonable. Please don't ignore it any more!

I keep a large bag of Dove Dark Chocolate around. If I really "need" a sugar fix, I grab one square and suck on it. Just one, though! If you can't trust yourself to only eat one occasionally, this isn't a good idea :redface: Would sugar free candy, Crystal Light, or sugar free popsicles help? Again, you'd still need to keep the quantity down and reserve them for occasional treats, but they might help with "sweet hunger" without doing much damage caloricly. Other than that, I'd say stay away. Go on a short walk. Make a post on here about how much you're craving sweets. Read a few pages in a book. You can do it!!

I've started chugging water in the morning. I drink about 24 ounces in the morning with my medication before I go to work. I try to keep water in sight at all times (I know this isn't possible for you, but maybe it will give you some kind of idea). I'm sitting in my home office right now and can see my bottle out of the corner of my eye. If I go into another room, I grab the bottle and take it with me. I do the same at work. If I go to someone else's office, I take my water. I know people who have set times every day when they drink a specific amount. They set an alarm and then go drink a small tumbler of water. My mom drinks a small glass every time she walks by the kitchen. I know that drinking a lot at once isn't always possible for those with good restriction, so I don't know how well any of these ideas will work for you. Right now, I can gulp water because I have no restriction at all. I don't know what my solution will be when I'm filled.

You were banded the day after I was :redface:

Hi Karen! My advice to you is to do your research if you haven't already. There are a lot of different kinds of weight loss surgery and a lot of different complications each can have. Make sure you know what the risks are, know what potential problems you can have, and make sure that you're comfortable with the decision. Read the boards here and find blogs of people who have had the surgery! The whole process went by really quickly for me. I went to a seminar, had an actual appointment at the office two days later, and scheduled the surgery at that appointment for four weeks after that! I was a little dazed through the whole thing, really. I'd researched for a few years and then when I finally made a move it was seemingly lightning fast. Best of luck to you!!

But of course!! :wub:

I registered just to say that my date is June 18, too!