marjon9

I'm flying from D.C. Just curious, how much time are planning to take off work?

As it turns out I may have to go to the surgery alone, and I'm curious how often other people have done this. Any comments about this topic would also be appreciated. Thanks very much.

I'm scheduled with Dr. K for Jan 16, so I'm definitely thinking the same thoughts as you are. But I have my flights booked and time off from work set up, so I'm not going to mess with anything at this point. I asked the Doctor's office about this issue when I first called, and they said that Denver, having had some experience in this area, is generally pretty quick to recover from these things. They said that they would do whatever they could to make it work out if weather did cause problems at the time (such as getting the surgery done the next day if the weather made things impossible on the scheduled date). If you do call the Doctor's office to ask about this, I'd be interested to hear what they say, and what you decide, if you feel like sharing that info. Mark

For those who may be interested Better Than Boullion is available on line at http://www.superiortouch.com/index.html

CVS online has liquid tylenol and all the other things we need from a pharmacy. For the other things like protein items, boullion, etc., I found just about everything for the whole process from a few different sources. I like to shop in general but for this it seemed easiest just to order on line and let them bring it all to me. Other than popsicles, soup, and flavored water I think I've got it all.

Mexico has worked well for a lot of people. It's definitely a viable option. One Dr. in the U.S. you might also want to consider is Dr. Kirshenbaum in Denver. His price is just a little higher than Mexico. Check him out at "www.lapbandrockies.com" if interested. Probably the best thing to do is just spend as much time as possible running searches and reading posts on this forum. That process will answer many of your questions. Welcome and Good luck Mark

Today I put together my list of post-op necessities. Basically, I used the lists in the "stickies" section of the Pre-Op Post-Op Questions. They seem pretty complete. Most everything was available on line except for a few things from the grocery store like popsicles. I ordered all the drug store stuff from CVS online. Found a good price on some Atkins shakes and various types protein powders and ordered a few weeks' supply. Ordered my blender from Target.com. I found that "Better Than Boullion" stuff on line as well. About three weeks to go before I "tie the knot" so to speak. Feeling ready.

I hate the sound of one hand clapping, so I figured I'd answer your question since I saw the answer today in the FAQ section. Here's what the FAQ says about that. The administrator may have enabled referrals, which allows you to be credited for any new users you invite to the forum. You gain referrals by promoting LapBandTalk.com - Lap Band Talk Forum - A forum for Lap Band Discussion and Lap Band Support using your unique referral link. The link you should use as your referral link is this: http://www.LapBandTalk.com/index.php?referrerid=11032 Each time someone follows this link to LapBandTalk.com - Lap Band Talk Forum - A forum for Lap Band Discussion and Lap Band Support and registers as a new member, your referral count will be incremented by one. The number of referrals you have can be viewed in your profile. Your administrator will have more information on any prizes or rewards that may be given out for referrals. Please be courteous when promoting LapBandTalk.com - Lap Band Talk Forum - A forum for Lap Band Discussion and Lap Band Support by not spamming other web sites with your referral link just to gain referrals.

Wow, that sucks. I can't think of anything that would make me more pissed off. I assume that insurance is involved in this for you. If you are self pay I would just tell your surgeon to kiss your bumber and go find a doctor who is less paternalistic. There are plenty such doctors. Like mine, for example.

It could be a nice addition. Sometimes while looking through this forum I have thought it might be nice to be able to claw my way up onto a tiny toe hold of estrogen-free territory for a bit of sanity and recovery. Just kidding, of course. :heh: But it is interesting how few men are involved in this forum, comparatively speaking. :kiss2: Perhaps more men will be joining soon. :flypig:

Thanks Tonya, that's very useful. I've seen bits and pieces of this information in different places but it's good to have it organized. I definitly plan on referring to that again. I like the question they ask at the end: "Are you ready to go the distance?" I think it's a good question for focusing the mind on the task at hand.

I can't help myself. This type of comment does get under my skin. It's nothing against you Tracy, I agree with everything else you said in your post. But do you really believe that every man who is not immediately attracted to extremely obese women is "superficial"? I see this type of comment on this board quite frequently. I've also seen such men referred to as "jerks." To me it is a way of blaming others for what we have done to ourselves. The fact of the matter is, very few men are initially attracted to morbidly obese women. And, of course, very few women are initally attracted to morbidly obese men. That's just the way it is in this world. Who can deny this? Attraction can grow as love grows, and I've found myself attracted to obese women when I got to know them. And, of course, no one would condone leaving a significant relationship because a spouse/partner gains weight. But that is an entirely different issue. The issue here is, when you are first dating, and especially dating online when you know absolutely nothing real about the person you are about to meet, how is it possible to expect that others will not consider the fact that we are so fat that we are medically disabled, to the point where we deserve to have medical insurance pay $25,000 for our surgery? At this point in my life I am physically unattractive to the large majority of females out there. This is because of what I did to myself. It's my fault. I cannot imagine a mindset that would allow me to blame women for finding me unattractive, because they are "superficial" "jerks."

Are "Cracker Jacks" mushies? :hippie:

I'm really in the same place you are. I'm finding it hard to "diet" during this holiday season when I know the pre op diet is just a few days away. I really think that the best thing you can do right now is try not to be too hard on yourself for overeating a bit in these last few days. Do the best you can, but don't beat yourself up if you are not perfect. The timeline is set now, the snowball has already started rolling down the hill and it's getting bigger. There's no stopping it now. Just go with the flow, as they say, and before you know it, you'll be among the banded, off on a new life/adventure. Ditto to self.

I don't know if I can help you on the really quick surgery date, but as for pre-op diet my doc has me doing Adkins for 10 days before surgery, and that's it. Basically just getting rid of all carbs. That seems a lot less painful than liquids. As I've noted before the Adkins diet allows me to eat fois gras, which seems like an odd plan for shrinking the liver. But hey, whatever works. Of course, I'll meet my Grim Liquids Reaper after the surgery. So there's no escape. A couple other things about my doc may be interesting to you. First, he's in the Denver area, which is not too far from you. Second, he has a very low fee, which is good for us self-payers. He charges $9950 for everything. If you'd like to check him out have a look at lapbandrockies.com. His name is Dr. Kirshenbaum. He's a very experienced laparoscopic surgeon who has been doing lap bands for a couple years now. If you search his name on this forum you'll find a few people who have worked with him. Best o' luck to ya. Mark

I think that means you have to give back the band now. By the way, you had your first fill two weeks after surgery, and then three fills in two weeks. That seems a little faster than others have reported. Is that just your doctor's preference? I'd like to move forward quickly too if I can once I get banded, if the doc thinks it's a good idea.

I'm 53. Surgery date is 1/16/07. Can't wait for a new life. Mark

BabyGotBack said "I just needed to check in. I am eating more than I ever have, eating all the things I never allowed myself to since I lived my life from one diet to the next. I am getting really tired of fast food and eating out. I feel like crap. I am actually looking forward to my pre op diet on Jan. 29. I am a type of person that NEEDS structure. If I don't have a strict structure, I go crazy!!!" All I can say is I'm doing the same thing. My pre-op diet starts Jan 2. I'm starting to look forward to it. This pre-band freedom is killing me. Literally. I just took my dogs to the dog park and on the way home I stopped and bought a McDonalds McFlurry. :embarassed: You know, the soft plastic quasi ice-cream-like chemical dessert item. I almost felt compelled to do so by an alien master race. :messenger3: Now I feel like, well, a McFlurry. :sick I really think I'm going to be able to stick with the plan once installation and setup is complete on the band. I just need to survive that long.

Check out the FAQ button at the top, it tells you how to do all that. In addition to starting a new thread, you can also run a search for "mexico," and you'll find enough reading to keep you occupied for quite a while.

Hi Dolittle. Almost everyone who goes to Mexico for surgery seems to have a very positive experience, so for self-pay I think it's a great idea. One other option is a very exerienced bariatric surgeon in Colorado, Dr. Kirshenbaum, who has been doing lap bands for a couple years now. You can get more info on hime at LapbandRockies.com His total price is $9950. If you run a search on this site you can see posts from others who have used Dr. Kirshenbaum. I'm scheduled for sugery with him on 1/16. But again, the Mexican docs also seem great. The general price there seems to be about $8500 these days. In general, if you get surgery outside your local area, try to line up someone for fills and other aftercare in your area before proceeding with the surgery. It's good to know for sure that you have options. In some geographic areas of the U.S. it can be very difficult to find aftercare if you had surgery somewhere else. If your insurance will cover this I would focus on finding the best doctors in your area, not just on the best doctors in general in the USA. Many doctors are quite good at this, and experienced, and there can be some advantages to staying local. Keep reading this forum. All the answers you need are in here. Welcome and good luck. Mark

I'm not banded yet and obviously no expert but just from reading a lot of posts for a while I think that the answer to this question is different for different people. Some people feel almost no hunger ever, starting right after surgery. Others report that they are starving all the time for months and months. So, why get a band, you may ask? You can be starving all the time without the band, so who needs it? Good question. And I think this is the answer. The band is a tool that needs adjustment and calibration. If you keep working at this process by getting the fills you need (and sometimes the unfills), you can eventually find the "sweet spot" where even those who are hungry all the time after surgery can eventually find a balance where this goes away. Some people are lucky and reach this point quickly. With others it takes a long time. A few people report that they just can't ever seem to solve this problem. Rare, but it does happen. And also, from what I read here, many people seem to report that food just gradually becomes less interesting. It's not that they don't enjoy a good meal, but it's more of a mindset that happens naturally, without "will power," that food gradually becomes less and less of the central feature of people's lives. They get busy with other things. They are more active physically, more social, more interested and more interesting. So, from a complete newcomer who has no first hand knowledge, that's how I see it from reading posts by the experts and experienced people here.

Honestly, I would recommend that you let me make the decision. I say go for it. :omg:

It's an interesting story about seeing your legs in the reflection and not realizing they were yours. That's the kind of experience that lets you know something is really changing. Congratulations. I'm happy for you (but a little worried for your husband, if you see what I mean).

My surgery date is 1/16 I don't have to do liquids before, only after. Before surgery I just need to go Adkins for 2 weeks. You know the drill, no carbs. So I guess that means I can eat fois gras as I attempt to shrink my liver. So, until January 2, 2007, I'm on a strict salt, fat, and sugar diet. And I'm really sticking to it. No cheating. (Cheetos, yes, Cheating, no). :hungry: :party: :pizza: :popcorn: :cocktail: :pop2: :cheer2: :tea: :peace: :whoo: :cake: My wife is telling me I should start eating less now to get ready for the big change :boink: :blah: :huggie: :fencing: :boxing: :director: :mad2: :croc: :nono: But I don't want to hear it. :lalala: I'll be eating the "bandland" way soon enough. :puke:

I got the last one. I stuffed it in my pants.