Self Pay in Michigan - Just starting out....

[Noor 0]

Hi,

Thanks Abby for the nutrition info. It's interesting that you have to wait until after you schedule the surgery to get the nutrion packet. I had hoped to get that information from GLWL before than as to help me decide if this procedure is right for me. And congratulations to you Par on scheduling the surgery..that is awesome!!! The best part about reading your blog is that you are now so much more at ease and excited about having the procedure done. I'm not there yet because I have yet to have my consultation with Dr. Webber but I hope to be :sneaky:

The one item that I'm still really confused (and scared silly about) is how my diet will change after the surgery and what happens when I eat the wrong foods. I have been checking out other blogs and came across one that discussed problems with being "banded." The bloggers mostly live over seas - Europe and Australia - and reading about the problems that they're having has really made me think twice about lapband.

The site I'm referring to is http://au.messages.yahoo.com/lifestyle/general-nutrition/1417/

Check it out for yourselves. You can see that they're experiencing horrific problems with the band. Some have constant pain in their stomach even months after the surgery; constant acid reflux where you have to sleep in a chair so that you don't gag; constant vomiting and I mean constant vomiting no matter what they eat and drink and the vomit is black!!!. Some talked about having a sip of their morning coffee at work and then vomiting it up. Can you imagine this happening at work??? And they keep reiterating that all this vomiting is happening as they eat only the foods that the nutritionist has told them to eat. And what's more horrifying is that some are gaining the weight back because they have found that some "junk foods" stay down.

Suffice to say I'm a little freaked out after reading their blogs. I'm really looking to you guys to help me understand if this is the "norm"

Par and Abby, I'm counting on you guys to share every detail of your journey after the surgery..and I want you to be graphic!!! lol Any info that you would like to share Par from your consultation would be greatly appreciated.

I also wanted to let you know that I signed up for a second seminar - this one on the 13th at Henry Ford Wyandotte. I'm curious to see how the material is presented here - Not interested in getting the surgery performed there - but figured that it doesn't hurt to get another clinics take on this procedure.

Can't wait to hear from you.

Noor

[abbypoo 0]

Noor, I have some useful information for you as to why the Australians have experienced more complications that us. Read what Dr. Watkins writes in this forum: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f78/lap-band-erosion-46721/

I think you will find that information helpful.

To paraphrase Dr. Watkins, he says that they used to install the Lap Band a bit differently and it would cause a lot more complications than we see today. Complications are definitely something to be aware of when making your decision, but you should also realize that there have been advancements in the technique of the surgery as well.

As far as the nutrition information, I'm sure one of the coordinators at Great Lakes would be happy to give it to you before you scheduled your surgery if you asked. If you don't want to go that route, you can pm me with your email address and I can forward it to you, I have it in pdf form I think.

Are you wondering what happens when you eat the wrong foods immediately after being banded or in the long-term? Immediately after being banded you run the risk of slippage or other complications, but it is only a risk. Some people have followed the post-op diet to a T and had several complications while others started eating solids right after surgery and were fine.

As for the long-term there isn't much you can't eat that will harm your band. My doctor has very few restrictions in the long term except carbonated beverages. However, it is heavily recommended that you eat Protein first and then vegetables during your meals, lest you become malnourished! There are also plenty of foods that you will not be able to tolerate, but that is different for everyone, so it's sort of a trial and error. If you are worried that you are not going to be able to stay away from your favorite foods it's ok, you will probably still be able to eat most of them, just less of them. And if you can't, most people say they don't miss them at all or they develop new favorites.

Noor, it is my understanding that most people (but not all) have very few problems with their bands. I've also read many times that even those who had complications do not regret getting their band. There are two forums here in the support-groups section one is called "Complications," and the other is called "Life After Lap-Band Removal" that can you give you more information about what happens when things go wrong.

It is a BIG decision. I understand that, and I think it is very wise of you to educate yourself and consider things before you make that decision. I know that losing weight on my own was not something I am very successful at and so my options were to stay obese or do something about it. I personally chose the Lapband because it is cheaper and less invasive than the other forms of bariatric surgery and it is also reversible if need be.

Hope this didn't seem too long-winded, just wanted to share with you what I know. My surgery is less than a week away I will keep you updated with the process.

[Parshuter 0]

Abby,

How was your surgery? I haven't heard from you and wondered how you were doing. Hopefully everything is going good. Were you happy with the hospital and staff? How was your surgeon?

My surgery is in 7 days and I'm getting more excited by the day. Since we are both going through the same people, I just wondered what you thought 1 week out.

Thanks,

Pars

[abbypoo 0]

Hey Parshuter! Sorry I forgot about this thread! My surgery went really well. I have absolutely no complaints with the hospital or staff. They were very attentive and took care of my every need. If anything, they are actually TOO attentive at Harper. I must have been visited by 15 or so doctors by the end of my stay. I think this is largely due to the fact that they are a teaching hospital, though.

I'm glad you are getting excited! You should be! My best advice for you is that the first two days are very rough and then it gets much better after that.

As for me I'm healing very well. My stomach is still sore inside, but for the most part I'm back to doing 95% of my activities.

You might want to take a look at my blog (the link is in my signature) because I have an entry that talks about my surgery day in detail. Let me know if you have any other questions or if you just want to talk!

[Parshuter 0]

Abby,

It sounds like you are doing great! Thats awesome. Keep up the good work!

I read your blog, nice job. You have a talent for that. I don't know if I could do a blog or not. I will continue reading, so keep us informed.

Thanks,

Par

[abbypoo 0]

Thanks! Please let me know how your surgery goes just as soon as you can! I didn't think I could blog either, but it's easy when you have a specific subject to talk about. I don't think I could ever blog about my daily life, I'd have to start doing "interesting" things... Lol

[Parshuter 0]

Well, tomorrow is the big day!!! My surgery is set for 1 PM, and I'm very excited. I can't say that I'm nervous, but I believe by the time I get there I probably will be.

I look forward to the rest of my life.

See you on the flip side!

Pars

:biggrin:

[Christopher 0]

Pars-

I had Dr. Laker, at Great Lakes, do my surgery last Wednesday, the 19th.

I'm up and about and worked 7 hours today at my office, but am very tired this evening.

Surgery went without any issues & the hospital was, as Abby said, too attentive. Somebody was checking my IV, urine output, vitals, wounds, whatever every 65-70 minutes to I had very little true sleep, but I was very comfortable.

I've been busy so this is my first post actually, I haven't posted a day or two post surgery as I had intended.

[Noor 0]

Hi everyone,

Abby so great to hear that your surgery went well..no complications thats great. Your blog is also very insightful. Sorry to hear that you have no restriction.

I'm curious to know how did you realize that to be the case? Dr. Weber told me that he does the first fill after 6 weeks so does that mean given ur situation that you will have to wait that long, or will he fill it sooner? Please keep up your blog..it really helps me to gain a clear idea about like after banding.

I hope everything went well for you Parshuter. Can't wait to hear about your experience. You stated that the blog is not your thing so I hope you keep this thread going. So for you Chris..details details details!

Good luck guys!

[abbypoo 0]

Hey Noor,

I realized that I didn't have restriction when I started eating mushies, which was this week. The pouch is only meant to hold 3-6 ounces, I can eat WAY more than that, so it's obvious that the food is just sliding right through. That being said, I do feel fuller faster than I did before I had the surgery, so I'm confident that with fills I will reach that "sweet-spot."

That's correct, Dr. Webber doesn't do fills until six weeks, and I'd say most surgeons wait 4-6 weeks before doing the first fill. Sometimes it happens sooner, but that's usually on a case-by-case basis. They want to make sure you're fully healed first. I've heard that the time between the surgery is a time to focus on healing, and if weight-loss happens you are lucky. I guess I was just hoping I'd be one of those lucky ones.

I am not getting my fills with Dr. Webber because it's an inconvenience for me to go back to Detroit. He gave me the go-ahead to see a surgeon in Chicago to get my aftercare, and that surgeon also requires you to be six weeks post-op before receiving your first fill.

When are you having your surgery? I'm glad that my blog is giving you some insight, I found it really helpful to talk to people who were banded by the same physician/group when I was preparing for surgery as well.

If you are still nervous about the surgery, don't be. I'm going to give it to you straight. The pre-op diet isn't fun, and the first couple days after surgery are the worst. Also, the first couple of weeks of the post-op diet are hard, but after that life is almost 100% normal again. Then it's pretty much the waiting game to find that "sweet spot" (unless you are one of the lucky ones), and then you're pretty much good to go. This is assuming you don't have complications. You're in good hands with Dr. Webber, though. I was told by MANY of the staff at the hospital that he was a great surgeon, and his credentials speak for themselves.

If you have any other questions let me know.