Hi. I'm new to this site and joined because I'm attending a seminar May 20th for information about lap band surgery. I think I've read so much about it so far on the internet that I could be a surgeon purforming the surgery. BUT the experts are those who have had the surgery or are seeking to have it so I thought they are who I'd contact. I'd adore any input from anyone pertaining to thoughts, ideas, suggestions, why I should or shouldn't have it. I'm 56 years of age, 300#, 5'2", have high BP, cholesterol, arthritis, and now they think sleep apnea ... otherwise I'm in great shape. haha. My insurance will pay for it and I have read laproscopic is day surgery and they will also repair hernias which I have a hiatal and a ventral. I'm a working girl in Florida. Anyone willing to help me with all the suggestions you can give?! Please!!?! Thanks!

Hi, I had LB Dec. 09 and have no regrets. Like you, had high BP, cholesterol, diabetic, back and knee pain and everything in between. I have lost 42 lbs so far. I feel sooo much better over all. The most benefit is no knees no longer hurt when waking r walking. My dr. told me every lb. lost is 4 lbs less on the knees. It feels good to be able to wear clothes that are not tight and be able to go buy small sizes. I still have a long way to go, but, no regrets. The best thing i have done for ME! Those first 6 weeks are rough and you will say why? But look at the long run and you will understand why you made this decision to have the surgery.

Make sure it is really what you want before you get it. I know you're probably read this 500 times by now, but this is not an easy way out. It's just a tool and you have to learn to use this tool. I am the "don't do this" examply of band surgery. I stopped working it so it stopped working for me. However, now that I am back on things, I am losing again. It's still hard to lose, but nowhere near as hard as before. You have to keep on top of your fills and learn how to eat again. (At least I did.)

If you're willing to make the commitment, I'd say go for it. Even though I haven't been the best bandster, I am still glad I got it, and doubly glad I am actually taking it seriously now.

GOOD LUCK and let us know!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your replies! This website is hard to find your way around on.

I know it will be tough but some of it won't be that bad for me. I'm a tea drinkers only and I don't drink alcohol or carbonated beverages. I'm definitely someone who drinks with a meal so this will be a big change but once I know what I can and can't, I will be fine. I think once I make some friends who instant message me or email me all the time I'll be fine... I have no other support structure from this end so I'm all on my own.. but I'm so interested in doing this. I fully intend to adhere to the rules and regs. I've been trying to find threads saying if baby food is good to keep in the kitchen once I have the surgery... from that point on. I'd think that would be great food to eat once off the liquids. How long did it take till you had the surgery once your insurance approved you?

I never bought any baby food. It's much easier to mush up your own food in a blender. That stage only lasts a short time anyway, then you're on solids. A lot of what I bought before surgery I never used ... gave it away in a canned food drive.

Many are on their own. Ultimately you only have yourself to rely on anyway. This is how it works, when you lose the weight, people will notice and keep encouraging you. You may get comments daily, people won't recognize you, etc. But after a time, they get used to seeing you thinner, the remarks become fewer and fewer, then eventually almost stop. It's not that they don't care, they just forget. From then on, you have to rely on yourself. That's when it gets hard. So, I think it is best to get in that frameset from the start.

I never stopped drinking iced tea. I did say goodbye to the diet coke. So, you are one up on me there. Good Job.

Iced tea is what gets me through my day, it always has. lol. I just had to stop drinking it in the Southern version. (In other words, good bye sweet tea.)

As for baby food, you can eat it when you're in the mushy stage, but watch out. A lot of the different baby foods have SUGAR added. It's gotten better since so many people are against added sugar in baby foods, but some brands still do it. ThinknHealthy had it right, it's just as easy to mix it yourself in your blender. Plus you can make it TASTY. (Baby food isn't all that great of a thing to eat. It's a bit bland.)

Insurance- as soon I obtained approval I got the first date open, which for my surgeon was not for like 6 weeks. Your surgeon may be different.

Frankly, I have a 13 month old in my house and I thought about baby food, but I had only to taste some of that stuff and said "NO WAY". It's quite bland to an adult's taste buds, trust me. Once you get to mushy food, you will do much better to eat mushy things that you happen to like already than to venture into baby food. Mushy food will include instant mashed potatoes made runnier than you would eat otherwise, grits (yeah, I know a lot of people have never tasted grits), oatmeal, cream of wheat, farina, refried beans (the low fat kind), cream soups (want a treat? go to a seafood restaurant that serves lobster bisque), and similar things. These will be tastes that you are familiar with for the most part and probably like. You will certainly feel less "cheated" that way.

I can't thank everyone enough. It never dawned on me... mutilate what I already had in the house. I just figured baby food was the easiest, but using my regular groceries would be the least expensive and best tasting. I'll just need the guidance as to what I can and can't.. and I adore grits, oatmeal, stuff like that. Any idea what reasons someone is NOT approved for the surgery? That's my biggest fear. If I can get the final approval and have it done... I can suffer through whatever they toss at me... just to get to be someone I've never been. A slimmer and healthier me. I've always been a large person and it's time to enjoy my life. I go to the seminar the 20th. From that point on I have no idea what happens or how long it will take. I did contact my insurance HMO and they will cover it if I meet the qualifiers.. which I know I will. Size, high BP, cholesterol, arthritis, back pain, now possibly sleep apnea... and I'm watching my blood sugar since all my family are diabetics. Doc has me watching with a meter just to be on the safe side.

Any other suggestions or ideas or thoughts that would help me?

I am 2 months out, and I am so happy I did the band. Baby food doesn't have the type of nutrients we need as adults, or the taste. For mushy stage well cooked veggies were recommended for me, I stayed away from the taters cause I like em to much. I made changes before the surgery so I wouldn't have to make them all at one time and put to much stress on me. I gave up my southern tea and soda in Nov. and loss 4lbs. in one week. I tried to start making better food choices, eating smaller portions and not drinking with meals. Later I did some meal replacements with Slim-fast and Carnation Instant Breakfast drinks and really pushed to get in more water. When I started the liver shrink diet for 2 weeks, I was OK. I wasn't hungry then, and I haven't been since the surgery. I think the water helps to keep the hunger at bay. The Crystal Lite type drinks, I use the Wal-Mart brand, have been a life saver. They taste good, and no calories. I am really glad that I eased into the changes, I didn't feel deprived when I "had" to give things up. Good luck

ELL,

Only you can decide to do this, you have to feel comfortable with the decision.All I know is it is the best thing I have ever done for myself. My health is sooooo worth it. I have extended my life and my quality of life. I can do things now, that I have never.. never.. never been able to do. I did not want to spend the rest of my life overweight and waiting for the next Weight related health issue to show up.

As stated before, it takes real COMMENTMENT.. I was self pay and gave it my all. I was probably to restrictive in what and how much I ate at the begining until I got restriction. One thing I did during mushie stage was to get soup and purre it in the blender. My favorite is chicken noodle, just watch the calorie and sodium. I also eat alot of cottage cheese, which you can mash up for mushie stage. Put a little Mccormicks season-all on it.. IT is WONDERFUL protein. Also, fix runny egg salad, again very good protein.

In time your food wants will change, Mind did.

You are lucky to like tea so well, I miss my Diet Cherry Coke. I drink hot tea when I first get up, that is when you are the tightest. The hot tea seems to sooth it and relax it some.

best of luck and let us know what you decide.

Lois

Edited May 11, 200917 yr by WOWOX7

One thing....you say "possible sleep apnea". Have you done the sleep study? If not, you might want to go ahead and do that because, at least for my surgery, they required me to do it (I didn't have sleep apnea). If I had shown evidence of it, I would have had to get the CPAP machine and use it every night for two weeks before the scheduled surgery date.

If your insurance will pay for it then why not? This is what I don't understand. I was self-pay and I always wonder why obese people don't get this surgery when their insurance would pay for it. It adjustable and removeable, so if worse comes to worse you can have it unfilled or even removed. What do you have to lose? It seems like a no-brainer to me!

Well the band isn't a cure-all but the sacrifices are definatly worth the rewards. I'm a slow loser with 65 lbs. lost since April of 08, but my wife has lost 61 lbs since Dec, 08. So everyone is different. We are both happy with our results so far with the surgery and we've both been taken off most of our meds. Would we do it again? Absolutly.