I am 57 and going in for banding on Sept. 22nd. I am one week into my liquid only pre-op diet and I am going crazy with hunger. My current BMI is 33.4. I was wondering if anyone was my age or older when they got the band and if they did okay? I mean, when you get older you don't bouce back from things like when you are young(er). I also am having trouble relating to some of the posts about what kind of relationship people had with food before. I was always thin growing up and could eat anything and not gain weight. I started to gain weight in my 30's after 2 children. I ate more calories than I burned so I put weight on one pound at a time until (25 years later) I was 110 pounds heavier than when I got married. I never binged. I never ate a carton of ice cream or a box of donuts. I never ate a lot of fast food or on the run. I ate what my family ate but it was more calories than I burned. And until 7 years ago, I didn't exercise. My parents, brother, aunts, cousins and all 4 grandparents were obese. And I've always had a big appetite. So I'm hoping the band will control the appetite so I can control the portions. At this point in my life I don't want a lot of complications. I am motivated. I am a compliant patient. I did very well on the 6 month pre-op diet. I just don't want to deal with vomiting and nausea and pain well after the banding.

I'm not older but I am 53. I am way heavier than you; I'm shocked they will even do the surgery if you "only" have a BMI of 33. As to bouncing back...well, I did "better" than most posts I've read. I slept in my own bed the first night (and no it's not one that launches you out of it LOL) I slept on my side the first night, on my belly the second. I drank Water fine from the moment they gave it to me. I never needed a pain med and in fact took only 1/2 of the morphine they wanted to give me post op. I felt great and was on here posting that evening. I have not had one minutes nausea or vomitiing. Per my doc you "PB" if you don't chew well, eat too fast, have too much restriction, or eat one of the foods that don't agree with you. I plan on every food agreeing with me, just WAY less. He said that's a great attitude. Some people want so much restriction they can barely eat. That path is not the one I want.

So I'm 53 but I'm not at all old. I guess it's just how you look at things! I'll be old later when I have time.

"I'll be old later when I have time"

Great Restless Monkey....congratulations on your excellent progress and great attitude:thumbup:

Thanks Sooverit! And good luck on your 3rd appeal! Darn Cigna I hope they give up and do the right thing by you this time! :smile:

Oh Thank you...I'm thinking of a loan now and thinking perhaps I'm worth it too. My twin sister died from morbid obesity related heart condition a few years ago but Cigna doesn't care. Thanks for the good wishes ...I'm thinking February...wish me luck on the loan now!

Now that I'm on a roll Restless Monkey....forgive me... :-)....I also have heavy incidence of Type II diabetes, heart disease, hi chol, morbid obesity in my family....Cigna is cold hearted!~!

I wish you all the luck in the world! My husband and I had decided we would pay for mine when I found out literally days before the seminar that indeed my insurance had started covering lap band Jan 1 of this year (never mind that I had called twice, once in Jan and once in April and was told NO WAY do we cover that...sigh)

But it's less than the cost of a midsize car...and I'm surely worth as much as a Kia! You are, too!

i had my band done Friday and I am 60 years old. not doing too bad today but tomorrow will be better. hang in there

I'll be 54 soon and had more problem with nausea from the pain meds than the pain itself. I never had shoulder pain, started sleeping on my stomach within the first few days, and felt pretty darn good by day 5. I'll admit that 100% took longer.

I know lots of bandsters your age and older who are very successful. Check out the 50's and Older thread to meet some of us, it's a friendly and supportive place.

Good luck!

Orea

Well, I wasn't always at a 33.4 BMI. I was over 35 BMI when I started the 6 month pre-op diet and had co-morbidities of sleep apnea and elevated cholesterol. The insurance requires the 6 month diet and the nutritionist said the surgeon would want me to lose 20 pounds which I did. That took me to a 34.8 BMI but the insurance approved it anyway. Now this liquid only diet is causing weight loss, too, but I guess that is what they want. Thanks to everyone for your posts.

Then you are doing great! Congrats for taking care of you!

Hi Cleo's Mom,

Yes, I am 57 also... two weeks ago. Came home from surgery on my

birthday... Not fun. But it went so well. No nausea, no vomiting nothing. No problems walking with 2 hrs. Don't over do it with the pain killer... that will definately make you sick. Had surgery on Wed and went back to work on Monday no problem... Slow alittle but no real pain. Wear your girdle it really helps allot with sleeping. I too was never heavy young. It's all adult on set and middle age. Good ole

menapause. I never binged either. I don't even like sweets at all never

have... my down fall is meat and potatoes... and having an Italian man who loves to cook and feed me... Stay strong, keep the pre-op going and you'll do great.

Sincerely,

MartiXLardy

You hang in there too. Slow but sure. It's been almost two weeks since I had my surgery and I cannot believe how good I feel. Energy

I haven't had for years already.

Take Care,

MartiXLardy

I turned 59 Yesterday and had my surgery on August 11th. We can do it.

I'm not older but I am 53. I am way heavier than you; I'm shocked they will even do the surgery if you "only" have a BMI of 33. As to bouncing back...well, I did "better" than most posts I've read. I slept in my own bed the first night (and no it's not one that launches you out of it LOL) I slept on my side the first night, on my belly the second. I drank Water fine from the moment they gave it to me. I never needed a pain med and in fact took only 1/2 of the morphine they wanted to give me post op. I felt great and was on here posting that evening. I have not had one minutes nausea or vomitiing. Per my doc you "PB" if you don't chew well, eat too fast, have too much restriction, or eat one of the foods that don't agree with you. I plan on every food agreeing with me, just WAY less. He said that's a great attitude. Some people want so much restriction they can barely eat. That path is not the one I want.

So I'm 53 but I'm not at all old. I guess it's just how you look at things! I'll be old later when I have time.

restless...I am denise from boone, nc. very interesting reading your reply for several reasons. i am going to my first dr visit tomorrow. i have attended the seminar and i have tricare insurance. we are retired military and i wondered how difficult tricare was to deal with. also, i am flying to san antonio 10/23 to visit my longtiime friend. your attitude is great!!! what is a fatty liver. i had one person on this sight say the pre-op diet was to shrink your liver and that was really interesting to my husband and i. i would appreciate your conversing with me via this sight or email. look forward to hearing from you. restless monkey!?!?! i always say i have monkey brain!!!

DaneQ8@hotmail.com....

I was SO obese that my Tricare standard insurance approved me in under 48 hours. I didn't need comorbidities etc. I was good to go! I'm not 100% up on fatty livers since I didn't realize I had one until my 1st surgery when the doc, on 8/11, couldn't place my band because of mine! I will tell you what I know...visceral fat (around organs, and mostly in our torsos of course) is really hard on us...super obese people store fat there and in the liver. If left unchecked it can lead to liver disease...cirrhosis It is in fact called NALD...or "Non-alcoholic liver disease" I think as the liver becomes more clogged with fat, its function diminishes. I wasn't at that stage (thank god) but did have a large thickened liver. I followed an Atkins type diet but very low cal, too...600 cal a day average, VERY low fat, high proten. I did that for 5 1/2 weeks and lost 32 pounds. Apparently I lost much of that as visceral fat .... that gut fat around my organs and in my liver. On 8/29 my liver had shrunk sufficiently for the doc to move it out of the way and place my band. They did blood work which, I'm sure (although I didn't discuss w/my surgeon) showed elevated liver enzymes, so he knew I had a fatty liver. I had an abdominal ultrasound but that didn't show him how THICK and immovable my liver was...so he didn't know that until he "went in". As motivation to stick to a diet, coming to in recovery and being told "You didn't get the band, dear, your liver was too fat" is right up there at the top of the heap! I cried about 2 seconds and then got determined.

SO if you are VERY obese, like me, (more than double what you should weigh) then your approval will be fast. If your doc tells you to follow a preop diet, do it TO THE LETTER! Learn from me! LOL