Interested in having a get together?

As far as to tell or not to tell....yes it is an individual choice, but people that would judge you are going to judge anyway. This is not something to be embarassed about, it's something to be proud of and know that you are doing something to help yourself. Just wait till you start losing, you'll see how supportive people in your life will be. It's a wonderful journey and you should be comfortable with your decision.

I told anyone and everyone and have not had any negative feedback. As a matter of fact it has given hope to others around me and I was such a positive influence that 3 people I work with have either already had the surgery or are embarking on the appt journey and they thank me every time they see me.

thank you amanda. Can you tell what your post op was like. Honestly my big concern is my children and what I will be able to do. They are very active and I love my husband but he is not mommy to them. Any information will be helpful.

BTW looks like you are doing great with the band.

Thanks I think I'm doing pretty good. For me the key is exercise.

Post Op is different for everyone. I didn't bounce back for about 3 days then I had to deal with a lot of mind games and second guessing. That is why I tell everyone to research and have all your questions answered before. I had a bit of Post Op depression. Don't know if it was from the anesthesia or what. Also you can't be lifting over 10lbs for a couple of weeks. I was back to normal in about 10 days.

How well did you recover from child birth?

Go read some of the blogs here. That might give you some hints.

Thanks I think I'm doing pretty good. For me the key is exercise.

Post Op is different for everyone. I didn't bounce back for about 3 days then I had to deal with a lot of mind games and second guessing. That is why I tell everyone to research and have all your questions answered before. I had a bit of Post Op depression. Don't know if it was from the anesthesia or what. Also you can't be lifting over 10lbs for a couple of weeks. I was back to normal in about 10 days.

How well did you recover from child birth?

Go read some of the blogs here. That might give you some hints.

Hi, I am not from Long Island, but was banded by Dr. Aaron Hoffman who was trained by Dr. Geiss and did quite a few bands there. Anyone know him? He had a great teacher.

Post op, I was back to work in 5 days. Never had pain, unless I eat too much. No surgical pain though. It is different for everyone. I was about 200 pounds and I roomed wit a lady that was about 400, she had a real hard time compared to me. I did have bad post surgical nausea though. I am down about 13 pounds.

HI everyone,

After years of struggle I am considering lap band and am doing some research. from what I read this is the minimun BMI of 35 and I have hypertension controlled by 2 meds and also treated for depression.

I have aetna HMO thru verizon.

ANyone have any pearls of wisdom? I have put out some inquiries to docs on long island. It seems like this is difficult to get covered thru insurance.

Thanks for your thoughts

:confused2:Sue

Sue:

If you haven't already, I would call your insurance company and see if your policy covers weight loss surgery.

Also ask if they require a 6 month supervised diet. Some do and even if you are just in the research stage right now, you could get started on it right away.

Good luck

Candle, congratulations on your loss!!

Sue, I have not heard of too many patients being turned down by insurance. good luck with your quest!

:lol:Thanks both for the well wishes. I called aetna and they do cover. The 6 month physician supervision is required. I am not clear on what that entails because i have been under physician care for years. I think the office staff will help me figure out what exactly is needed.

Candle...wow.congrats!

I am excited but nervous.

Sue

I called Vytra today and they cover the surgery!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG Im estatic.

I know it's a lot ot ask bu can anyone explain to me what to expect?? I know I would go for some testing but what about your diet before surgery??

what is required?? what about after surgery, is it a one day surgery or do you stay overnight??

Can you eat after having this surgery, even after your recover.:tongue_smilie:

Hi Everyone,

How nice to have found this thread....I didn't know there was a LI one. I too was banded by Dr. Geiss July 2 of this year and I'm so happy with the results. I look forward to chatting with you all....good luck on your weight loss journeys!

Lisa :thumbup:

Hi FatgirlinNY,

It depends on who your Dr. is concerning if you have to stay overnight. My Dr. is Dr. Geiss in Syosset and he requires you to stay overnight, which I feel is a good thing. As far as pre-op, I was on a liquid diet 1 week before and it's not that bad, but you really have to have your head in a good place and be very determined to stick with it. I just kept thinking that it wouldn;t be forever and I would be able to eat real food in a few weeks. The surgery went great but there is a bit of discomfort afterward such as gas pain, stomach muscles hurting and fatigue from not being able to sleep in my normal position. On night 10 post-op, I was finally able to sleep on my sides and tummy and get a good nights sleep....that's when I really felt myself again and its been great ever since. As far as food, I've read that some people can't tolerate certain foods but I haven't experienced that. I can eat really anything at this point as long as I chew it well. I haven't had a fill yet. Went to my Dr. last Wed thinking I might get one but it was determined that I really didn't need it yet....they said I was losing weight at the rate they want and I'm really not hungry in between meals. Maybe after I need a fill things will be different but for now, the band is doing what it's supposed to do and I'm feeling great. I wish you luck on your weight loss journey!

Lisa

Hi FatgirlinNY,

It depends on who your Dr. is concerning if you have to stay overnight. My Dr. is Dr. Geiss in Syosset and he requires you to stay overnight, which I feel is a good thing. As far as pre-op, I was on a liquid diet 1 week before and it's not that bad, but you really have to have your head in a good place and be very determined to stick with it. I just kept thinking that it wouldn;t be forever and I would be able to eat real food in a few weeks. The surgery went great but there is a bit of discomfort afterward such as gas pain, stomach muscles hurting and fatigue from not being able to sleep in my normal position. On night 10 post-op, I was finally able to sleep on my sides and tummy and get a good nights sleep....that's when I really felt myself again and its been great ever since. As far as food, I've read that some people can't tolerate certain foods but I haven't experienced that. I can eat really anything at this point as long as I chew it well. I haven't had a fill yet. Went to my Dr. last Wed thinking I might get one but it was determined that I really didn't need it yet....they said I was losing weight at the rate they want and I'm really not hungry in between meals. Maybe after I need a fill things will be different but for now, the band is doing what it's supposed to do and I'm feeling great. I wish you luck on your weight loss journey!

Lisa :thumbup:

So I have a silly question, does the band force you to eat less?

Yes it does force you to eat less because you have that "full" sensation. You just know that you've had enough and feel satisfied. And I don't even have optimum restriction yet but I still can't eat anywhere near the amount I used to eat.

So I have a silly question, does the band force you to eat less?

It's all ways good to ask questions. It's when you don't know what is going on that you start to worry.

Go have a look at the big boards. There are threads on pre op, post op, exercise, food & diets. It is a great place to start. Also read some of the journals/bolgs. Some are personal, some are funny, most are very informative.

Information is your best tool with the band and weight loss in general.

When you have more ??s come on back and ask.

Good luck on your journey!!

Amanda

OK, so I did it, I made the call. My consult is 9/16 with Dr. Paayal Mehta. Im so excited. How long after your first consult does it take to get banded. What kind of time frame are we looking at?

Hi FatgirlinNY,

I read in your earlier postings on this thread that you were originally interested in Dr. Geiss. I see you've made an appointment with another Dr. If I'm not prying too much, I was just wondering why you switched doctors? Good luck to you....you're going to love being banded!