I have been lurking around the forum for a year and have finally decided to get the lab band. I am 38, and I have 4 kids and I am at my highest weight 265. I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2006 when my youngest was 3 months old. After 3 surgeries and 3 radiation treatments it is gone. I have spent the last 5 years dealing with depression eating, and self pity, and anger eating till I ate myself to being this big. My 10 yr old son is embarrassed to be seen with me if an kids from school might be around, he was teased really bad by a couple of classmates a few years ago. I am so ashamed that I let myself get this big. I am beyond ready to start this new part of my life, and to be healthy and to have more energy so I can enjoy doing things with my family again. I am going to schedule my consult with the surgeon tomorrow. I have a million questions I want to ask him, but I am sure there will be more after I leave his office. So I thought I would ask what questions you wished you had asked the surgeon or what questions did you ask?

Thanks,

Lou

If there was going to be a catheter installed!! When I woke up it was weird! But when it was pulled out the next day it hurt and I was wizzing razorblades for several days after!! I didn't like that!

did you put a fill in my band in surgery

Do I have to now get all my meds in liquid form.

I would want to know where the port would be placed. I really like where mine is because it never gets in the way. It is just below my rib cage in the middle.

Best wishes to you.

Sue

I have been lurking around the forum for a year and have finally decided to get the lab band. I am 38, and I have 4 kids and I am at my highest weight 265. I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2006 when my youngest was 3 months old. After 3 surgeries and 3 radiation treatments it is gone. I have spent the last 5 years dealing with depression eating, and self pity, and anger eating till I ate myself to being this big. My 10 yr old son is embarrassed to be seen with me if an kids from school might be around, he was teased really bad by a couple of classmates a few years ago. I am so ashamed that I let myself get this big. I am beyond ready to start this new part of my life, and to be healthy and to have more energy so I can enjoy doing things with my family again. I am going to schedule my consult with the surgeon tomorrow. I have a million questions I want to ask him, but I am sure there will be more after I leave his office. So I thought I would ask what questions you wished you had asked the surgeon or what questions did you ask?

Thanks,

Lou

Thank you for putting this question out here Lou... Congratulations on fighting and surviving cancer. My heart goes out to you. Let the Lapband be a tool for you to regain your self confidence and assist you in losing weight. But as a person who has battled depression for some time, I suggest you seek counseling to help you keep from overeating after the surgery. It's the need to feed your pain you must overcome not an addiction to food that you're fighting.

What can I eat immediately post-op?

Don't laugh, no one mentioned anything about this until I was being discharged from the hospital and it never occurred to me to ask!

What the pre-op diet is, including what vitamins/supplements to be on.

Congrats on your decision!

I'd ask" what do they mean about gas pains?"

Thank you everyone everyone for your responses. Most of the questions I hadn't thought of most of the questions. I am so excited to get this process going and can't wait to start this new life journey!!!

Thank you everyone everyone for your responses. Most of the questions I hadn't thought of most of the questions. I am so excited to get this process going and can't wait to start this new life journey!!!

I agree with Sue that I wish I would have asked where my port would be placed. Although I'm happy with where it is now, the incision was right at waist level which caused a lot of discomfort from the waist band on my pants rubbing against it.

I am with the others on the port placement. Mine is also at waist level, and even after 4 years it can bother me with some pants.

Also, ask about post-op long-term diet. I read here how "everyone" drinks Protein shakes, so I went out and bought tons of the stuff only to be told my surgeon that I am NOT to drink them. He wants no liquid calories, period (after the immediate post-op period, and exluding right after fills that is). All my calories are to come from solid, nutritionally dense sources.

So, I kept them around for just in case times until they expired then tossed them. Now I still keep some around for after stuck episodes, or if I am just too lazy to eat (yes, I said too lazy to eat!! Imagine that!).

2 very important questions in choosing your surgeon:

1. do you sew the band in place and have you ever had a slip? (my doc sews his down and has never had a slip and I have vomited a lot at first and been fine)

2. How is the port going to stay in place and not flip over requiring another surgery? My doc sews your port to a rectangular piece of mesh that scars down in place...he has never had a flip.

I self paid and surely did not want to have to go back and have more surgery for more money, nor did I want any of those complications!

Also ( I hope I dont sound too negative but its good to be prepared) ask your doc about what their usual fill schedule is and what they cost. I suspect some docs give tiny fills at very long intervals for the money and to get you past the free first year into the paying zone...this can be costly, but more importantly, it can mean your band is doing NOTHING for you for many months! This time when your band has not got enough fill in it to help you is the worst but it doesnt need to be a year long!

I would recommend Jean McMillian's book bandwagon. It is very informative and takes you step by step. I love it and refer to it just about daily. Best wishes on your journey.