Hi everyone...once again I am here looking for support! Good thing you are all here! Well, like momma always said, "careful what you wish for...cause you just might get it!!" Well, I was hoping for a quick date when I met with my surgeon and I got it!! June 14th... two weeks from Monday! I sort of freaked out inside! Guessing that is normal... but what was weird for me was that my Doctor actually tried to talk me out of the band!!!

Ok, so I have Gerd (gastric reflux) and a bad back (two back surgeries). She said... "you know.. the band might not help your Gerd and you may not be successful at all if you don't exercise 1 hour a day... so you might want to reconsider. I looked her in the eye and said... "So I guess I'm going to have to exercise an hour a day!" She also said I might not like it. I said... we'll we'll just give it a whirl and if I don't... you'll take it out. She actually smiled. Oh well...I'm a nurse and have worked with surgeons my whole life... just have to work around them I guess.

Then I asked her about band erosion, slipping and vomiting, as I fear vomiting and having complications, i.e slippage/erosion etc. she said, "What are you a vomiter?" Since when did THAT become a noun I wondered. I am not a "vomiter," so I "guess" I'm ok! I heard she encouraged questions... but she didn't seem to like mine. At one point she said... "I'm not going to be your PCP!!" I said "fair enough."

She is known for being a superb surgeon, and I'm ok with her crankiness... but this push for Gastric bypass is really creeping me out!

Next she said, "Fluids for a month you know." I said, yes, I'm aware. She asked if I could do that. I said... it's not Cancer, not a life sentence of illness or fluids, it's a month... I can do most anything for a month. She smiled a little and said... ok, let's book you.

I wanted to hear from her that I'd be successful! That the band was going to be a good tool, etc... instead I felt like I brow beat her into doing it!!! NOT what I expected today.

Any thoughts my friends?

Thanks,

Tracy

I don't necessarily buy into the surgeon is just being "hard" on you theory and this is why. When I went for my one year check up my surgeon was disappointed in my 50 lb weight loss and made the comment "but YOU wanted the band. I told you bypass is faster." I was very upset and frustrated by his behavior and felt like he did not consider me a success and that I was lowering his statistics. I posted about it on here and several folks told me to find another, more band-friendly surgeon. Well, guess what? In the Detroit area, none of the surgeons I called will take another surgeon's patients unless that surgeon moves out of the area or stops practicing bariatrics. They all said, you're supposed to research your surgeon before you have the surgery to make sure you have a good fit. When I went back to see my surgeon and told him how I felt we had a very good talk and he apologized for his approach, but he did confirm to me that he is not doing many band surgeries as he said the success rate is not that of bypass. He said there was a study by a bunch of doctors in Michigan to confirm this.

So while I am very, very happy I had the band and I have lost 50% of my excess weight, make sure you find a surgeon that is also going to be there for you and not remind you that you could have done it differently. The Lap Band is a slow weight loss, they did tell me that in the beginning. But as long as you are okay with that (which I was), please be sure you have a surgeon that supports your decision. I found it's not so easy to switch surgeons after the fact. Best of luck to you. The band is a beautiful tool!

BTW, I'm not saying I agree that the bypass is a better solution. It's a personal choice. Just like we make a personal choice, I think surgeon's have a personal preference too. Some are pro-band and other's pro-bypass. My surgeon just happens to be pro-bypass and I found that out after the fact. Find a pro-band surgeon.

About exercise...I know it's important and I am certainly not advocating for not exercising, however, I have lost more than 70 lbs in 6 months without working out regularly. As the weight has come off, my energy level has increased. I chase my two toddlers more, I park further away, I take the stairs at work, I clean my house more, and so on. So while it is an important aspect (and I am working towards making it a regular part of my life), I am living proof that you can lose weight without running an hour a day!

Good luck!

I am a nurse also and I really think you need to have a good relationship with your surgeon before your surgery. My surgeon only does the lapband and has always been very supportive. When I asked him on the first fill how much he put in he said "does it make any difference" and I said no, so he never tells me how much is put in which makes sense to me. I also had to see a psychiatrist before my surgery who was

excellent. I see my surgeon on a monthly basis and he's the only one who does my fills. He answers all my questions by email or phone anytime within 30 minutes. As for exercise I walked the treadmill for a while and just started to work out with weight machines a month ago so don't dwell on the exercise. I also measure and journal all my food which really helps. I use the website "LivestrongMyPlate" which figures everything out for you. You put in your height, weight, how much you want to lose weekly and your level of exercise and it tells you how many calories you should have a day. Good luck

She sounds like a *^%@# to me.

"you know.. the band might not help your Gerd and you may not be successful at all if you don't exercise 1 hour a day... so you might want to reconsider.."

Seriously? What a stupid thing to say.