Okay folks, Lynn is going through the mechanics of scheduling her Lap Band surgery sometime in July (waiting on Insurance approval) so this is her support thread for stupid questions and feedback and venting and cheerleading, and all the other stuff you get and give on LBT. I have committed to following her through her journey and here is where we will post our stuff. We are hoping that other newbies can peek in and get encouragement, ideas, and a picture of the process, while others of you can just follow along and chime in at any time with pertinent advice/opinions/feedback, whatever. Or you can just ignore us and we'll happily post along through Lynn's band journey!

So here we are Lynn! Next post is yours so I'll leave it to you to bring it up to speed on what has happened so far. Give us the scoop on your doc, hospital, weight loss goals, etc. and stupid questions, if you have any yet.

Welcome to the best Lap Band Support site available! Welcome to YOUR thread!

Thanks Kathy!

Well hello everyone and thanks in advance for helping to address my "stupid" questions, fears and providing overall insight to the band-life.

I'm tenatively scheduled for surgery on July 27th, 2005 with Dr. Horgan in Chicago, IL. As Kathy mentioned I awaiting Insurance approval. I'm also in the process of running all pre-op/tests. I would like to get started sooner, but I've also just started a new job 2 weeks ago so I won't be able to take anytime off until after my 90 day probationary period.

Here's a little about me - I'm 40 years old, single with no children. I have PCOS and Kathy thought it might be a good idea to share this illness with everyone so here goes....

Let's see PCOS is Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. It's a hormonal defect in that your female organs aren't in tune from the onset of puberty. Your body produces insulin, but your cells don't absorb it and process it correctly so your pancreas works overtime trying to produce more (hence the spiking effect / highs & lows). If not corrected or reversed, this can eventually overwork your pancreas until it stops producing insulin all together and you have to start replacing it with shots (type I). I know that now, but didn't know it back when I was 12 and my period first started. The first signs are irregular cycles, or very light or extremely heavy periods. Researchers have also determined that there is a genetic link to diabetes & PCOS. I guess the best way to describe it is - if there are family members in your maternal (primarily maternal) or paternal lineage that has diabetes, female offspring's are more susceptible to have PCOS at the on-set of puberty. It's like a weird cousin to diabetes. Most Doctors generally suggest trying to get pregnant early on through invetro or at the very least fertility meds, because - if there are no children born early on say in the early 20's - then the hormonal balance gets further off line and ovulation decreases consistently. Once you hit your early 30's and no pregnancies occur, you start to become insulin resistant and start heading towards type II diabetes the closer you get to your 40's.

The body is a miraculous invention, it appears that having children resets your hormones and the problem can correct itself. However the more time that goes by and PCOS is not corrected via pregnancy or diet/exercise the worse off you get. The upsetting part is all of this information is new and no one was aware that irregular periods were more than just a gynecological issue back when I was a young lady. I should've been seeing an endocrinologist back then.

PCOS is treated with the same medication they give type II diabetics to help keep the insulin levels from spiking when you eat. The problem is it also causes some dramatic side effects in that your metabolism slows almost to a complete stop. Because the medication only works on part of the problems associated with PCOS. One of the main problems is that your body is in a constant state of "pseudo-pregnancy". All foods, fluids are stored for fuel, so you keep moving up & up in the weight department, you lactate (small milk leakage from your breasts), and you don't have a period or at the very least you have periods 2-3 times a year. You also have skin discoloration (darkening) in your hormonal areas (face, neck, breast, pelvis). It's horrible - I've been on the medication now for 3 years and the medication has some drawbacks too - it dries your skin & scalp and gives you diarrhea or loose stool.

I've been on every diet known to mankind it seem - Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Weight watchers, Atkins, Zone, even a PCOS diet - but I've only been able to drop 5- 10 pounds, which was probably only Water retention.

So that's a little bit about me. I'm really excited about joining "the band"!

Dr. Horgan

July 27th, 2005- tenatively

325/SD-???/Current-325/170 goal

Here I am Lynn! Sorry, I had a busy birthday weekend and haven't had much LBT time except to check in and browse quickly. Thanks for your birthday wishes!

So, which pre-op stuff have you completed? What's left? It's good you have a date, from what I have gathered the band doc will schedule, then file for the insurance, and THEN it gets approved. So that's a good sign that your insurance will pay with no problem. You can know all day long they will pay, but something about getting that approval letter is SUCH a relief!

Your PCOS info is very interesting. I know I have seen others post about having it but I never really understood it. Let me go search some links. You might find some good info on how it effects banded life, and also find the others who also have it...lets see...

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1761&highlight=PCOS

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1509&highlight=PCOS

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1126&highlight=PCOS

there's a link on this thread that looks interesting

Mostly what I got is a list of names of folks who have commented about having PCOS, so your post above is the best explanation I have come across so far...if anyone else out there knows of a post I have missed that would be helpful...please post the links!

Lynn, I'll e-mail you with my list of active screen names with PCOS.

Hope your week is going well so far! I have seen you posting around the boards, so it's good to have you jumping on in here!!

Welcome Lynn! There is a lot of support and information here for the taking. Good luck with your testing and please keep us informed of how you are doing.

Thanks Betty - and thank you Kathy once again for starting this thread for me!

I checked out the PCOS threads and they are pretty good- it's a shame that PCOS

is not more widely known or even talked about. So many young women suffer from

the side-effects, but the Gynies - don't recognize it.

I truly hope that I have the same experience with the band as some of the other

PCOS banders have. I'm going to do what I have to do to get the weight off, so I promise to be a good girl. However, I will need all the support I can get - so hang in there with me...pleassseee!

Wow thanks Lynn that was informative about PCOS you know I have always had irregular periods and missing ones and heavy bleeding. Granted It was a miracle that I had 2 boys after having several Miscarriages..

Welcome to LBT and good luck on your new Journey:)

Hello Lynn and Welcome to LBT

Your explaination of PCOS is very informative and I have a better understanding of it. I never knew it was so closly related to the pancreas producing insulin. I just thought it was a hormonal inbalance.

Good Luck with all your pre-op tests.

Thanks for the welcome! Yes you are very fortunate to have 2 precios boys.

Thanks Vera! I'm looking forward to becoming a bandito!!

Welcome Lynn, I too thought it was just a hormon thing. I don't have the skin darkening though, but I do have the pad of fat on my back. Heh, and laser treatements keep me from being the bearded lady...

Well it's a combo all of the aforementioned, the skin darking I think depends on the level of melanin in your skin. I'm olive complexioned so it's a problem for me. I've got a bit of the "hump-back" myself...lol, but I think thats more from poor posture than PCOS - in my case anyway.

The laser treatments got too expensive for me, so I continue to wax on a regular basis. But the hair thinning on my head, and massive growth everywhere else is killing me. I can't wait to get the band and start dropping lbs. so that I can hopefully be rid of this horrible syndrome.

Thanks for the welcome!

Hey Lynn!

I saw your PCOS thread and it looks like you are getting good support there...ya'll are talking over my head on that one!!

So you went to your seminar, how was it? Did you learn anything? Most times you find out more here on LBT than a seminar could ever tell you, especially when they design them for "beginners" who have no info up front. You are well on your way, now.

So, what's next? Which lab tests? Which appointments? Keep us updated!!

Yes I enjoyed it quite a lot. I'm scheduled for lab work on June 10th - that's the first appointment I could get (two weeks from this Friday). I think I knew more about the surgery than most of the folks there - it was truly a full house, not one empty seat.

Some folks were really more interested in the Bypass as oppose to the lap-band, but Dr. Horgan was very upfront with his opinions for both. He performs both, but prefers the band as the most direct weight loss option. He's very strict in terms of who he will perform the surgery on. He puts all pre-op patients on a 10 day liquid diet and if the weight loss during the 10day period does not fall within a certain range, he will cancel the surgery.

Another thing I liked about Dr. Horgan is that he always uses the smaller port for women. He says he is biased that way - he does the surgery on women with the goal in mind of wearing a bikini, so he wants to be sure that the port is not easily visible at goal weight. I really liked that thinking!

I'm not sure what lab work is scheduled for my visit. They told us, but I can't remember and there was nothing in writing. I'm calling daily to see if there have been any cancellations, but so far none have come through.

Oh, I'll bet you like Dr Horgan, he sounds good. Does he have a separate support group for Bandsters? Or is it all together with the Bypass folks? I don't know what I'd do without LBT. With young children, it's difficult to get away for meetings so the 'puter is perfect for me.

Keep us posted about cancellations. Hope one comes up soon!

Oh, and my doc only uses the new smaller ports, I like that thinking too. Not that I'll ever be seen in public in a bikini even at goal weight but if I can avoid a pokey port, that's a good thing!

I'm so excited for you! You are gonna do great!!!

Another thing I liked about Dr. Horgan is that he always uses the smaller port for women. He says he is biased that way - he does the surgery on women with the goal in mind of wearing a bikini, so he wants to be sure that the port is not easily visible at goal weight.

It's true. Dr. Horgan is my fill doctor; on my first visit I made a lame joke about wearing a bikini (I'm in my late 40s, with big surgery scars on my belly and back) and he said very seriously, "Don't laugh -- you can do it." He has an excellent reputation. I think you've made a fine choice. Maybe next year we can visit him together in bikinis! (Over my dead body. . .)

I'm with you Zoe...it's cool that he has that way of thinking, but I'm not going anywear near bikini city. Because I've seen the post-surgery scar photos and I'm no wear near Nana's territory.

My tummy is not in the best shape now, so I'm dreading the war wounds from the band. However, the end result is what's most important to me - healthy living and hopefully the end of my bout with PCOS.

I'm excited about it - I just wished I could speed up the process and have surgery sooner. But, my new job, insurance approval, and consult/testing with MIBC is what's holding me back.