I am in the process of researching/consulting/etc... and am wondering...

What is the one thing you wish someone had told you BEFORE you got your LAP-BAND®? :smile2:

Thanks so much for any information/help/support!!

Jen

No one told me that you have to carry an extra pair of underwear with you on the full and clear liquid pre and post op diet. Just when you think you have to pass a little gas, "surprise", a nasty liquid discharge like babies poop. Damn, guess its time to stock up on some adult size Depends throughaways. I know, its gross but......no one discussed it at the doctors office or for that matter on this blog either.

I wish I had known it would take 5 or so fills to get to my sweet spot. I have 8.5 cc in am 11 cc band and not there yet. Next fill (5th) on Jan 20th, hopefully it's THE ONE:thumbup:

There is another thread about the pre-op diet and Last Meal Syndrome.

I wish someone had told me how "normally" I would still be able to eat after I found my sweet spot.

I still eat many of my favorite foods. When I eat out, no one would watch me eating and think, "Wow, she must have had WLS, look at what/how she is eating."

I have a good friend who is of average weight. She and I often eat similar things in similar portion sizes.

Denise

I wish I had been told that I would not be allowed to have anything to drink for 40 hours. If I had known what to expect I would have been much less upset and grouchy with the hospital staff.

I went to bed at 9pm on Tuesday before my Wednesday surgery and did not have anything to drink until 1pm on Thursday.

I wish someone would have told me how much I might hurt after surgery. It was very, very painful for me.

I wish someone would have told me that my insurance might be billed close to $200,000. While my out of pocket didnt increase, it does take away from my life time limit. I am a long term employee who will probably be in my job until I retire and there is a very good chance I will run out of my health benefits prior to retiring.

I wish someone would have told me how scary and painful it is when food gets stuck. I have only had one episode which resolved by my throwing up 2 greenbeans, but for the short time it was stuck it was very frightening.

My doctor did stress this is only a tool and that people can gain their weight back. They also did speak about how many people only loose a fraction of their needed weight with the band. Most wont loose 100% of the extra weight like the bypass and sleeve patients do. I am thankful they were honest about it.

How on EARTH was your surgery $200,000 ..??? I was self pay..in the USA for a little less than $10,000..something doesnt seem quite right there???

I wish I had known it would take 5 or so fills to get to my sweet spot. I have 8.5 cc in am 11 cc band and not there yet. Next fill (5th) on Jan 20th, hopefully it's THE ONE:thumbup:

Hi Barbie,

I get my first fill tomorrow...You have had great loss already...Im confused about the sweet spot..if youre losing good..isnt that where you want to be...what is considered the best spot?? Thanks for your help since Im not sure what to expect..I have very little restriction right now..so have only lost like 5 lbs in the month since surgery!

Thanks for your help.

Poppyred

Hi Barbie,

I get my first fill tomorrow...You have had great loss already...Im confused about the sweet spot..if youre losing good..isnt that where you want to be...what is considered the best spot?? Thanks for your help since Im not sure what to expect..I have very little restriction right now..so have only lost like 5 lbs in the month since surgery!

Thanks for your help.

Poppyred

Poppy, in my opinion I think there is way too much emphasis put on fills and restriction. You are absolutely right in thinking if you are losing at a good rate then it's probably not best to get a fill.

Getting too tight is a serious problem and can lead to losing your lap-band quite quickly. It causes a great deal of problems running the spectrum from acid reflux to very poor eating habits. Absolutely the opposite of what the band was designed for! I personally want to keep my band as long as possible!

One should only consider a fill if, #1 You're SOLID meals aren't lasting 3-4 hours AND it's obvious you can eat too much. When I say too much I don't mean you can eat more than 4 bites. I mean you can still eat a large meal.

Do not consider a fill if you are constantly foaming on your food, if you choose more liquid foods than solid because solid is too difficult to eat, if you can only hold down several bites of food, or if it is too cumbersome to eat at all.

We're in this for health - not the quickest route to size 6.

I wish my doc had told me to get a tummy binder. I was in so much pain my 1st week. My sister who had a C-section let me borrow her old one and MY GOD, i felt like gold. The compression reduced my pain, swelling and I was only on pain meds for about 5 days. I sleep with mine and go to work in it. I feel that i can be more active with it and fear less about hurting myself when i bend over or go up stairs, ect.

Amazon.com: Abdominal Binder: Health & Personal Care

Please don't let it bother you. I am having surgery on Friday and I want the good the bad and the ugly. Honesty is best. Pre-op posters appreciate knowing how everyone feels. So don't hold back. Your comments help people get a full view of the possibilities as well as the ups and downs. So thank you. :thumbup:

WTH?? How on earth did you get charged that much money? is your band made of gold? Did you have hernia repairs??? Is that US Dollars? No insurance company would approve that claim. Even the most expensive places cost like 11k. you can go to Mexico for 4500. That is rediculous! Are you sure they didnt quote you for brain or heart surgery? lol Its only a 30-45 min procedure.

Hi Barbie,

I get my first fill tomorrow...You have had great loss already...Im confused about the sweet spot..if youre losing good..isnt that where you want to be...what is considered the best spot?? Thanks for your help since Im not sure what to expect..I have very little restriction right now..so have only lost like 5 lbs in the month since surgery!

Thanks for your help.

Poppyred

Hi Poppyred,

5 lbs in one month is a great loss! Don't downplay it. 1-2 lbs a week is wonderful. During my active losing phase, I averaged less than a lb. per week, but I got most of the weight off!

As to the sweet spot. Even if Barble is losing at good rate, she might still want a fill if she thinks she can get better restriction.

She may be white knuckling through each day and getting the weight off totally with willpower. With the band that is not necessary. She can fine tune it.

My comment on the $200k insurance. That is what her insurance was BILLED. Not the amount that changed hands perhaps. But the poster was speaking to what was BILLED and to her lifetime max. Her benefits might max out because of what the hospital billed her insurance. Even if they only paid $5k.

That sucks. I got a copy of my bill, it was $43,000. My copay was $100. Self-pay would have been much less than $43k.

It is something to be aware of. Many insurances have a lifetime cap.

There is another thread about the pre-op diet and Last Meal Syndrome.

I wish someone had told me how "normally" I would still be able to eat after I found my sweet spot.

I still eat many of my favorite foods. When I eat out, no one would watch me eating and think, "Wow, she must have had WLS, look at what/how she is eating."

I have a good friend who is of average weight. She and I often eat similar things in similar portion sizes.

Denise

Agreed! Boy did I think I was going to have to give up everything! And honestly...nope. I can still eat a wide variety of things...but in smaller portions. But bagels...I can tell you that we aren't friends!! haha. There are things you won't be able to eat because it'll get stuck and hurt. i.e. bagels.

Also, I was told by my surgeon, very clearly, that I should expect to lose 40% of my excess weight (I've lost more than that). and she even told me that some people don't lose anything at all. I knew all the pros and cons before going in. My recovery after the surgery was painful. But its different for everyone. I guess I wish that someone told me how normal I would be after getting the surgery.

It's less about being on a diet. And more about eating healthy and living with my band. I'm at 7cc's right now (Realize band) and I think my restriction is good. My weight loss has slowed, but its' still coming off. I can't go run and get another fill just because my weight loss has slowed.

A lot of this is about perserverance and will power. Remember that. It's just a tool. It's not a magic wand!!

Agreed! Boy did I think I was going to have to give up everything! And honestly...nope. I can still eat a wide variety of things...but in smaller portions. But bagels...I can tell you that we aren't friends!! haha. There are things you won't be able to eat because it'll get stuck and hurt. i.e. bagels.

Also, I was told by my surgeon, very clearly, that I should expect to lose 40% of my excess weight (I've lost more than that). and she even told me that some people don't lose anything at all. I knew all the pros and cons before going in. My recovery after the surgery was painful. But its different for everyone. I guess I wish that someone told me how normal I would be after getting the surgery.

It's less about being on a diet. And more about eating healthy and living with my band. I'm at 7cc's right now (Realize band) and I think my restriction is good. My weight loss has slowed, but its' still coming off. I can't go run and get another fill just because my weight loss has slowed.

A lot of this is about perserverance and will power. Remember that. It's just a tool. It's not a magic wand!!

Oh! Bagels and I had a nasty break-up!!

I can't eat chicken breast meat any longer either. But as it was aversion therapy, I don't really miss them much :thumbup: But I DO keep trying to eat sticky rice, like in sushi, sometimes its good...sometimes it isn't! Should probably stick with sashimi. But as my hubby says, "You can be taught, but you'll never learn!"

I am down close to 80% of my excess weight (taken from my all time high). My surgeon said I could expect about 60-80% for my case. So, I am very happy with my results. Now, if I'd just put my mind into these last few lbs. I'd show him and make it 100% of my excess! HA! That would teach him! :tt1:

Denise

Anyone from Overland Park Kansas? This thread has been helpful and eye opening. Thanks for info!:thumbup:

I got a buddy Ardie Davis who lives in Roeland Park, KS We are BBQ Buddies, damn, I`m gonna miss pigging out on good bbq. Oh well, maybe just small bites of this and that and chew-chew-chew.

I wish the anesthesiologist hadn't said I needed an epidural, cause I didn't! I was so nervous the day before surgery, it was awful, couldn't sleep at all!