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DomincanGirl

LAP-BAND Patients
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Posts posted by DomincanGirl

  1. Posted

    Ok so maybe there is such a thing as ME reading or getting too much information.

    I'm researching the LapBand preparing for this and reading through posts because I havent had the sugery yet, but want to be well informed .

    Butttt....

    I know in some ways Im a easy person to scare .. because just reading the bottle of Metimucal had me to scared to take it. So I didnt .

    The may cause choking or swell up your throat , if not taken with enough liquid totally freaked me out.

    My main concern is I have a hard time with the thought of choking or feeling as though I am .. with that said I am just wondering is this truely a common occurance that most of you have felt from time to time?

    Im scared that I will do the banding , and then become a permanate fixture at the ER:omg: , or my doctors office fearing Im dying from choking ( yes, I have been told by friends I can be a bit of a

    Hypochondriac..)

    I dont know why Im panicing because I know there will be some who had bad things happen or go wrong.. Its just Im starting to think that the vast majority has had dificulting swallowing .. which may send me into a panic.

    Do you think this may be a reason for me to not do this surgery ?I know its my decision and, I'm not trying to find a reason to back out .. just honestly have a scared moment again.

    :help:

  3. Posted

    GeezerSue, I think that you intentionally try, always, always, always, to put the most negative spin on the LapBand as is possible. First of all, trying to compare the "rearranging" of your innards to the holes used laparascopically to place the band is laughable. All WLS surgeries use either the laparascopic incisions or an open incision to perform the surgery. All "lap" surgeries, whether WLS, gallbladder removal, etc will carry risks due to the surgery and incisions themselves. Of course, duration of the surgery and what is DONE in the surgery changes the overall risks.

    Second, you state that a LapBand surgeon "walks away" after band placement...again, implying a worst case scenario in which the surgeon provides no follow up and no after care. You mention morning sickness, flu, or food poisoning all potentially undoing the work of a good surgeon. Again, how often do you think a LapBand patient encounters any of these things right after surgery? The flu is the most likely of the 3 and in the event of the stomach flu, there are anti-nausea medications to help with that. 6 weeks or more after surgery, these things are unlikely to cause a slip or any other problems related to the band.

    And last, IF we're looking at worst case scenarios (which you tend to do), then IF a person has problems with the band, it is removable...and their "innards" usually work fine without the band and with no additional medical interventions needed. But IF your DS (or the by-pass) fails for some reason, such as when a patient finds that they can't tolerate any food and have to be on a feeding tube, or that malabsorption is so bad that medicines can't be absorbed, then there is little that can be done to fix the "rearranging." Surgeries to revise or reverse the DS or by-pass are risky and rarely successful.

    You can't compare worst case scenarios of being banded (esophageal problems, reflux, erosions, slippage) to best case scenarios of the DS or by-pass (your rearranged innards are functioning fine).

    You can compare best case scenarios (I've had zero problems with my band, lost about 75 lbs and still losing, you've lost 100+ lbs with DS and are healthy and happy, so we're both doing great!).

    Or you can compare worst case scenarios of both (the band slipped or eroded, caused too much reflux, didn't help the individual to lose weight...so they had it removed and now everything is fine or the DS/by-pass caused abdominal leaks, or severe malnutrition and the patient died after multiple surgeries to try to fix it). Personally, I was determined to try to have the best possible scenario with any WLS I chose, but IF I happened to be one of the unlucky ones that had to deal with a worse case scenario, I wanted the one where I didn't have to worry about dying.

    I find it rather sad that because banding didn't work for you, you're so sure that it's wrong for everyone...and yet there are MANY people who are successful with banding. And yes, there are people who haven't been successful with banding, but that will be true of any WLS, so trying to present DS as the "holy grail" of WLS isn't any better than saying that banding is the perfect WLS.

    Most bandsters are pretty darn honest when someone asks about potential negatives. Yes, you have to get fills, yes, you sometimes have to get unfills, yes, sometimes you PB, sometimes you have reflux if you're too tight, yes, you still have to work at not eating junk, no, it's not super easy most of the time and it doesn't do all of the work for you. Ports flip, bands slip and occasionally erode. Anyone doing research will find these things out quickly enough. Implying that you're doing newbies a "service" by presenting the negatives of banding is giving yourself far too much credit and them not enough.

    Thank you for posting that:clap2:

  5. Posted

    I have sat here trying to decide what to say so here is what I came up with. First, My Husband and Mom are the only people who know. My story (short version) I was big as a child 3rd grade to 8th grade. Not huge just overweight. I was anorexic for about 3 years, I got very thin and unhealthy. I met my husband and he was worried about me not eating. I guess I knew he truly loved me regaurdless of my weight so.... I ate. I have always been active and exercised and so on. I got to a healthy weight and something happened and was hospitalized, and got put on steriods. Well I gained 60 pounds in about 3 weeks!!!! Then another 35 or so after while still on steriods. You think I am kidding. I am not, nor am I making it up. SO, I thought that this was Water weight or something and that I could loose it. I could not. I tried for 3 years.

    I am going to say something and I hope that some one will understand what I mean. Please don't get mad at me, this is just how it is and was for me. My aunt(500lbs) and Uncle (900lbs or more) had gastric bypass. Well I watched them my whole life, they were too lazy to even try. Never tried to diet, never tried to exercise or nothing. They were the people that came to the Christmas Party and ate ALL the food and never even thought anythign about it. Well, my view is that they were to lazy to try so they just got insurance to pay for gastic bypass, my aunt is still fat and still doesnt try, she drinks tons of Coke and fast food and so on. I know what she looks like form the outside and I assume that people thought/think that of me, thet they think I was just to lazy to do anything because I was fat. I always felt that I had to tell people why I got fat and that I was not the "Typical" fat person. None of this matters I realize. But it is how my screwed up brain works. SO, the reason that I do not want anyone to know is because when you tell some people that you had WLS they automatically think you were to lazy exercise and ate Burger King all day. I'm sorry but that is how a lot of people think. I do not want to have to explain my situation to everyone or anyone for that matter. And I don't want some A$$ hole like my brother telling me what he thinks I need to do, (assuming he knew)when he knows nothing about a lap band or anything. I don't want peoples 2 cents about something they don't understand. I am on LBT so that I can meet people and tell people and share stories and stuff. I truly appreciate this site and have learned sooooo much and enjoy it. I just like to remain anonomous because I live in a TINY town and just don't want to have to explain my decision to have WLS. I don't want people telling me what else I could have done with 15,000 dollars. I can just hear them "You could have hired a personal trainer for 2 years" you could have done it on you own. Does anyone know what I mean. We all know that WLS is not a quick fix and it is not easy but unless you have been through it or known someone who has, the majority of people don't think that. I just don't want peoples 2 cents about something they know nothing about.

    I hope that this does not offend anyone. This is only my experiance and opinion. I am not speaking to or about anyone else but myself, so please don't take anything personal.

    I havent had my sugery yet (hope to soon ;) ), but I totally agree witht your reason for not telling .

    Plus my family is made up of "super thin" woman to who have ridiculed me enough and I choose to not put MYSELF through any sarcastic comments that would be made if they we aware of my decision to go through with this .

    My wonderful family member told me to get the gastric bypass at a time when , due to me starving ( dieting) myslef , I had lost weight and weight around 165 at 5 '6 . which meant I WASNT a canidate at the time of her oh so "helpful" unsolicited comment.:omg: This ofcourse hurt my feelings terribly

    to me its a private personal choice, and I will make sure 1 person knows ..just in case i need help or a problem arrises....

  7. Posted

    Hello everyone ,

    I've gone to a seminar for the lap band and starting to get the documentation Aetna will need to see if they will aprove me.

    Im so afraid to get my hopes up , because I had to fight my insurance ( Tricare Prime) at the time to approve my breast reduction which I appealed and it was later approved .

    Fighting just for me gets to be so depressing , I despise how I have let myslelf get body weight wise .. so Its so hard to have the drive to even think of fighting with my insurance.

    My BMI is almost 40 , have high blood pressure and major Migraines , and back problems ..but im also a worrier and always plan for the "what if's "

    just venting I guess . ..and words of encouragememt would be apprecited .;)

  11. Posted

    Hi Jennifer ,

    I too have been doing my research on the lap band and Im so excited at the prospect of beigng healthy and fit into a size 9/10 (hopefully)

    I'm hoping my insurance will pay for it .. but not too sure .. my BMI is not quite 40 I weigh 235 , but it fluctuates so much from week to week. Depending on if Im starving myself or not.

    Good luck with your journey !

    by the way I too am scared also about doing this .. more so than I was when I had my brest reduction surgery .

    But I keep telling myslef this is to help change my life for the better .

    Chellie

  12. Posted

    :girl_hug: (so i copied it and posted here .. not sure how to delete my other post in the general lap band area)

    Hi I'm new here just was looking for support through my decision to have the lap band sugrery.

    Alittle about me Im 32 and have been overweight for most of my adult life . Fluctuating between 250-235 and Im 5 '6

    Im going through the steps to get the sugery approved through my insurance ..With no one in my family knowing

    I just decided that I have been critisized enough for my weight ( always in joking ways) by my family ..and it was never funny to me. So this time Im not going to include anyone in this journey who I dont think will be supportive.

    I know they would say .." You dont need it.. your not THAT big" But I do and I know have high blood pressure and signs of diabetes creeping up

    SO ,Now the waiting begins .. Im super excited and super nervous .. but I know its the right thing.

    Hope to make some friends too here :biggrin1:

  14. Posted

    Hi I'm new here just was looking for support through my decision to have the lap band sugrery.

    Alittle about me Im 32 and have been overweight for most of my adult life . Fluctuating between 250-235 and Im 5 '6

    Im going through the steps to get the sugery approved through my insurance ..With no one in my family knowing

    I just decided that I have been critisized enough for my weight ( always in joking ways) by my family ..and it was never funny to me. So this time Im not going to include anyone in this journey who I dont think will be supportive.

    I know they would say .." You dont need it.. your not THAT big" But I do and I know have high blood pressure and signs of diabetes creeping up

    SO ,Now the waiting begins .. Im super excited and super nervous .. but I know its the right thing.

    Hope to make some friends too here :biggrin1:

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