Hi, everyone!

I posted on here years ago when my PCP first suggested that I get a lap band due to my seeming inability to lose weight despite dieting and exercising. I put it off at first, but when my brother was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, my PCOS got worse, and I was just gaining more weight and becoming more fatigued, the band seemed like more and more of a viable option for me. I've looked into it, both online and also within the information available to me at work, I attended the informational seminar put on by local surgeons, and spoke with friends and family who have had weight loss surgeries done (though they have had rny and the sleeve done, not the band).

Anyways - while my PCP was gung ho about it two years ago, when I brought it up again she seemed hesitant, but put in the referral for me to see the surgeon since my weight has continued to climb. Since I met with him, things have seemed to be plugging along quite nicely. I rec'd the letter from my insurance indicating that I was approved for consideration for the band, but needed to meet the further requirements - ie lab work, EKG, psych eval, meeting with a nutritionist, sleep studies, and enrolling in a program called Accomplish that will help me 2 months pre op and 10 months post op navigate life prior to and after surgery. I've done all of this, had my psych eval done yesterday, and I have my first phone meeting with my Accomplish rep tomorrow. Surgery could be as soon as 2 months from now.

My worry right now is based on whether or not I will get the final approval, obviously. During my eval yesterday, the psychiatrist expressed concern about my "relatively young age" and my "relatively low bmi." I'm almost 29 (which is practically 40 as far as I'm concerned in my quarter-life crisis ), and my BMI is 36-ish. It wavers from high 36 to mid 36. Of course the surgeons are going to say "Heck yeah, go with it!" and not fuss about my age, but have any of you found in your experience (or heard from others) that age is a consideration in this? I'm a logical person, and I know that the band isn't a fix all, catch all, and will require work - but this is work that I'm willing to put in and utilize this tool for what it is meant for. I want to be healthy and avoid a higher bmi as I get older. He said this was reasonable, and based on the diets and methods of exercise I'd employed in the past, it seemed like "not that bad, but nonetheless drastic" of an idea. So, he cleared me of any red flags and said that I was psychologically fit to go through this process, but did note that he was concerned about my "relatively young age" and "relatively low bmi."

My husband isn't necessarily thrilled about the whole process, mostly because he is worried about my safety during the surgery and recovery time. He fully supports every diet and exercise program I've ever tried, and loves me at any size. My friends and family who have had the process done as well are very supportive, but I do have many members of my family who are not supportive and trying to talk me out of it.

Aside from my background - I do have a few questions to throw out there. My surgeon happily insisted that I should be able to return to work and exercise (I currently work out at Curves) within a week post op. This seems sort of hardcore to me (and I'm one to push the envelope, don't get me wrong) - can anyone vouch for this? I have almost 3 weeks of vacation saved up, and am thinking of taking 2 off. Is this too much? Would I be erring too far on the side of caution? I had a UPPP and my tonsils out last year, and 2 weeks wasn't nearly enough, it seemed.

Has anyone done any of the beachbody programs (ie p90x, ChaLEAN extreme) after your surgery? I know I can't jump into it right away, but I'd like to graduate from Curves to something like this.

What have been your major annoyances/adjustments since surgery?

Are there any specific things you wish you would have known prior to surgery?

What's the best goo to use on my incisions so they don't scar so badly?

Do you have any regrets?

I'm determined to do this if I'm approved. I need something drastic at this point to help me to my goals of being happy and healthy again - I'd love to be back to my highschool weight of 143, but I was my most comfortable at 160. I'm currently 221, and I've been on the Dukan diet for 2 weeks now - I started at 225, my highest recorded weight was at the surgeon's office at 232.7 on April 12th, 2012.

Thanks for reading my random rambling post, I look forward to getting to know you as I move through the rest of my process!

Rachel

Consult with Surgeon 4/12/12 - DONE

EKG: 4/29/12 - done

Chest X-Ray 5/18/12 - DONE

Psychologist Appt. 5/29/12

Nutritional Evaluation - met with a nutritionist Jan-April 2012

Sleep Test I've had 3 - 2 overnight studies and one MSLT most recently in March

Labs 5/26/12 - DONE

Insurance Approval - in process

Pre-Op Diet??

Surgery Date??

I think the biggest consideration for surgery is your size and/or health risks. I wish I had this surgery when I was 29 because it would have saved me a lot of pain and aggrivation. You really need only a week for recovery. I took an extra 2 days because I also had a hernia repair. I feel like it took about 3 weeks after surgery to feel like myself again. I began light exercise 2 days after surgery as I found it helped with the gas pains. I'm not ready for the hard-core exercise programs yet but I'd like to try them once I get my fitness level increased.

Good luck with the process. It can be challenging.

Thank you for letting me know! I have to say that the time off of work aspect is almost the most worrying part for me right now (until I get my surgery date, then I know I'll be 100% nervous about the surgery).After the tonsillectomy, I'm over cautious - it took me almost 3 months to feel like a rational, normal human again.

I love these boards because I can read everything people have experienced... I'm driving my poor husband nuts at this point, so it's great to have the community support. It looks like you're doing great with your band - do you mind if I ask how the fills have been? That's another point that kind of scares me (scared of needles, despite the amount of ink I have covering my body - go figure!).

Take care