Lap Band Surgery
Hi All~ I haven't posted here for quite sometime now. The last time I did I was considering RYN surgery. After going to the seminar and having my appt with the surgeon well I had the eeby jeeby's scared out of me. I don't think I can go thru with it. I know a lot of you here have had this surgery and have been very sucessful with it and that is wonderful but for me I just can't do it. I'm now considering the lap band procedure.
My biggest problem with eating is not stopping when I know I have had enough. In my mind I tell myself "Beck, you are satisfied you don't need to eat more!" but noooooo I go ahead and eat more cuz it tastes so good! Then I end up bloated and pissed at myself for doing that. I'm hoping with the lap-band it will help me to stop eating by restriction.
I haven't read up too much on the pre-op for lap band. Is it pretty much the same as pre-op for gastric bypass? How about the post op? I had went to the seminar in Dec. of 2008 and with medicaid you have to wait a year. So hopefully this Dec. or soon after I will be able to have the surgery.
I would love to hear from anyone who has had the lapband surgery. Any info or suggestions you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks and Hugs,
Chevy in Texas
My biggest problem with eating is not stopping when I know I have had enough. In my mind I tell myself "Beck, you are satisfied you don't need to eat more!" but noooooo I go ahead and eat more cuz it tastes so good! Then I end up bloated and pissed at myself for doing that. I'm hoping with the lap-band it will help me to stop eating by restriction.
I haven't read up too much on the pre-op for lap band. Is it pretty much the same as pre-op for gastric bypass? How about the post op? I had went to the seminar in Dec. of 2008 and with medicaid you have to wait a year. So hopefully this Dec. or soon after I will be able to have the surgery.
I would love to hear from anyone who has had the lapband surgery. Any info or suggestions you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks and Hugs,
Chevy in Texas
Chevy,
I'm not sure how the pre-op process for the band compares to RNY, because I never tried to have RNY, but from what I know secondhand, it's not too different (unless Medicaid has some special requirements). Many (but not all) surgeons require a pre-op diet, to improve the size and texture of the liver (making the surgeon's job easier). The specifics of the pre-op diet vary hugely - you would have to ask your surgeon's office about that. Most surgeons require some kind of pre-op testing to make sure you're healthy enough to undergo any kind of surgery and so they can get the lay of the land (so to speak) before they do surgery. They'll order blood tests, cardiac/pulmonary/psychological evaluations, do an upper GI X-ray or upper endoscopy, etc. I had to have a test for h.pylori bacteria (causes ulcers) - if I had tested positive, I would have had to do a course of medication for it before surgery. You'll probably do some nutritionist consults or nutritional seminars to educate you about the pre-op and post-op diets.
I suggest that you check the lap-band and realize band forums here on OH. And when you go to those forum pages, you will see a list of topics about each brand of band, including how it works, post-op nutrition, etc. If you click on a topic, it will take you to more detailed info.
You say that your main problem is not stopping eating when you know you've had enough. I have to comment on this kind of bluntly. I don't want to scare you, but you have to know now that not stopping eating when you've had enough after you have band surgery is a really, really bad thing to do (it's probably not such a good thing for an RNY patient, either). You will get food stuck in your stoma (the opening between the upper & lower stomach, where the band pinches around the stomach), which is extremely painful and can irritate the stoma so much that you wouldn't even be able to get liquids through it and could become dehydrated. Even if food doesn't get stuck in your stoma, you will find that if you overeat, the food will come right back up (like a baby spitting up formula). This is called a PB (productive burp). You won't necessarily feel any nausea or other warning that you're going to puke - it just comes hurling out - not socially acceptable, and not fun for you. And/or, you will "slime". When you slime, your body is making excess saliva in attempt to deal with the excess food. Because the stoma is jammed with food, the saliva has nowhere to go except...out your mouth.
Now, I'm not saying that I'm a perfect bandster. I'm not saying I never overeat, never get stuck, never PB, or never slime. I've had to work really hard and eating mindfully and stopping eating before I get into trouble. After decades of overeating, it hasn't been easy. I suggest you start working on this issue now, before you have any kind of weight loss surgery. Some things that have helped me are:
1. I weigh and measure my food (a small portion) before I put it on my plate.
2. When the measured food is gone, I stop eating, even if I think I'm still hungry or I want more food because it tastes so good or I deserve it or whatever other game is going on in my head. I tell myself I can have more food later, but for that meal, I'm done.
3. If I find that the portion size is too big (by paying close attention to how my body feels as I eat), the next time I measure the portion and put only half of it on my plate. I take the plate to the dining table and leave the rest on the kitchen counter (out of sight). If I'm still genuinely hungry when the half is gone (grumbling or painful tummy), I will eat the other half. Otherwise, I'm done. I tell myself I can eat the rest of the food later and put it away. Often, the food isn't so appealing later on, but if I do end up eating it as a snack, I don't feel guilty.
If you have any other questions about the lap-band, please feel free to send me a PM.
Jean
I'm not sure how the pre-op process for the band compares to RNY, because I never tried to have RNY, but from what I know secondhand, it's not too different (unless Medicaid has some special requirements). Many (but not all) surgeons require a pre-op diet, to improve the size and texture of the liver (making the surgeon's job easier). The specifics of the pre-op diet vary hugely - you would have to ask your surgeon's office about that. Most surgeons require some kind of pre-op testing to make sure you're healthy enough to undergo any kind of surgery and so they can get the lay of the land (so to speak) before they do surgery. They'll order blood tests, cardiac/pulmonary/psychological evaluations, do an upper GI X-ray or upper endoscopy, etc. I had to have a test for h.pylori bacteria (causes ulcers) - if I had tested positive, I would have had to do a course of medication for it before surgery. You'll probably do some nutritionist consults or nutritional seminars to educate you about the pre-op and post-op diets.
I suggest that you check the lap-band and realize band forums here on OH. And when you go to those forum pages, you will see a list of topics about each brand of band, including how it works, post-op nutrition, etc. If you click on a topic, it will take you to more detailed info.
You say that your main problem is not stopping eating when you know you've had enough. I have to comment on this kind of bluntly. I don't want to scare you, but you have to know now that not stopping eating when you've had enough after you have band surgery is a really, really bad thing to do (it's probably not such a good thing for an RNY patient, either). You will get food stuck in your stoma (the opening between the upper & lower stomach, where the band pinches around the stomach), which is extremely painful and can irritate the stoma so much that you wouldn't even be able to get liquids through it and could become dehydrated. Even if food doesn't get stuck in your stoma, you will find that if you overeat, the food will come right back up (like a baby spitting up formula). This is called a PB (productive burp). You won't necessarily feel any nausea or other warning that you're going to puke - it just comes hurling out - not socially acceptable, and not fun for you. And/or, you will "slime". When you slime, your body is making excess saliva in attempt to deal with the excess food. Because the stoma is jammed with food, the saliva has nowhere to go except...out your mouth.
Now, I'm not saying that I'm a perfect bandster. I'm not saying I never overeat, never get stuck, never PB, or never slime. I've had to work really hard and eating mindfully and stopping eating before I get into trouble. After decades of overeating, it hasn't been easy. I suggest you start working on this issue now, before you have any kind of weight loss surgery. Some things that have helped me are:
1. I weigh and measure my food (a small portion) before I put it on my plate.
2. When the measured food is gone, I stop eating, even if I think I'm still hungry or I want more food because it tastes so good or I deserve it or whatever other game is going on in my head. I tell myself I can have more food later, but for that meal, I'm done.
3. If I find that the portion size is too big (by paying close attention to how my body feels as I eat), the next time I measure the portion and put only half of it on my plate. I take the plate to the dining table and leave the rest on the kitchen counter (out of sight). If I'm still genuinely hungry when the half is gone (grumbling or painful tummy), I will eat the other half. Otherwise, I'm done. I tell myself I can eat the rest of the food later and put it away. Often, the food isn't so appealing later on, but if I do end up eating it as a snack, I don't feel guilty.
If you have any other questions about the lap-band, please feel free to send me a PM.
Jean
Jean McMillan c.2009-2013 - Always a bandster at heart
author of Bandwagon (TM), Strategies for Success with the Adjustable Gastric Band & Bandwagon Cookery. Bandwagon for Kindle now available on Amazon. Read my blog at: jean-onthebandwagon.blogspot.com
On May 4, 2009 at 8:51 AM Pacific Time, chevygal55 wrote:
Hi All~ I haven't posted here for quite sometime now. The last time I did I was considering RYN surgery. After going to the seminar and having my appt with the surgeon well I had the eeby jeeby's scared out of me. I don't think I can go thru with it. I know a lot of you here have had this surgery and have been very sucessful with it and that is wonderful but for me I just can't do it. I'm now considering the lap band procedure. My biggest problem with eating is not stopping when I know I have had enough. In my mind I tell myself "Beck, you are satisfied you don't need to eat more!" but noooooo I go ahead and eat more cuz it tastes so good! Then I end up bloated and pissed at myself for doing that. I'm hoping with the lap-band it will help me to stop eating by restriction.
I haven't read up too much on the pre-op for lap band. Is it pretty much the same as pre-op for gastric bypass? How about the post op? I had went to the seminar in Dec. of 2008 and with medicaid you have to wait a year. So hopefully this Dec. or soon after I will be able to have the surgery.
I would love to hear from anyone who has had the lapband surgery. Any info or suggestions you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks and Hugs,
Chevy in Texas
I was schedualed for a RNY also. But, after consideration and a long discusion with my PCP I changed my mind and am know banded. I too got a case of the eeby jeeby's.
My biggest problem with eating was not stopping when I knew I had enough. I also went ahead and ate because it taste good or just becuse it was there.
The only difference at our center pre-op is we had to do and extra day of the liquid diet.
If you want more info drop me a pm
BAND REMOVED 9-4-12-fought insurance to get sleeve and won! Sleeved 1/22/13! Five years out and trying to get that last 15 pounds back off.
Hi, Chevy:
I had lap band surgery Sept. 29th, 2008 and have lost 41 1/2 pounds. It hasn't been easy but it has happened and would not have happened without the lap band.
I didn't have a preop diet except to stop eating after midnight the night before.
My surgery went well, I had some pain from the gas (because it is abdominal surgery). I took 2 weeks off of work and was glad I did. After the first week I was feeling pretty good, but still very tired and needed the extra week of rest.
I have not done this perfectly by any means. And I didn't really get good restriction until I was at 6.5 in a 10 band.
I STILL have trouble not eating too fast and also stopping when I am getting full, but am doing better.
I have had no complications and would do this again! I am off diabetes medicine and high blood pressure medicine.
it has saved my life.
Jeane
I had lap band surgery Sept. 29th, 2008 and have lost 41 1/2 pounds. It hasn't been easy but it has happened and would not have happened without the lap band.
I didn't have a preop diet except to stop eating after midnight the night before.
My surgery went well, I had some pain from the gas (because it is abdominal surgery). I took 2 weeks off of work and was glad I did. After the first week I was feeling pretty good, but still very tired and needed the extra week of rest.
I have not done this perfectly by any means. And I didn't really get good restriction until I was at 6.5 in a 10 band.
I STILL have trouble not eating too fast and also stopping when I am getting full, but am doing better.
I have had no complications and would do this again! I am off diabetes medicine and high blood pressure medicine.
it has saved my life.
Jeane
Hey Chevygal,
I know the RnY is very successful, and has advanced in surgical technique, and is safer than in the past, but, like you, it made me squirm to think about taking apart part a and connecting it to part c and rerouting d back to a.....oh no, too much for me. So I decided to investigate some other things. Since my insurance only covers band, RnY and sleeve, those are the procedures I looked into. I have decided that the sleeve embodies the best of the band and the RnY, and if you don't lose enough it can be part 1 of a 2 part procedure. The stomach is resected, cut off a big piece, and the remaining stomach is the size of a slim banana. There is no malabsorbtion, but plenty of restriction. It still requires a real change in life style, as they all do, and particular attention to diet and exercise. The only thing that concerns me at all with it is I may not lose the amount I want to, and that it might be possible to lose that with the RnY. My surgeon and I will make the final choice together based on her experiences with both. A caution to you.....I love food, love to eat it, to look at it, to smell it cooking, to shop for it, to snack on it, oh my goodness everything about it. And, like you, I eat because I enjoy it. That does not go away with any surgery. You still have those desires. Because you don't have malabsorbtion you can get away with eating more of the can't haves. I question if this is a good idea for those of us who love to eat. You have a lot of thinking to do, and some huge decisions to make. It's good you have to wait the extra time. It will give you plenty of opportunity to look into the different procedures. Check and see which ones are covered before you get to far into it. Blessings on your decisions.
I know the RnY is very successful, and has advanced in surgical technique, and is safer than in the past, but, like you, it made me squirm to think about taking apart part a and connecting it to part c and rerouting d back to a.....oh no, too much for me. So I decided to investigate some other things. Since my insurance only covers band, RnY and sleeve, those are the procedures I looked into. I have decided that the sleeve embodies the best of the band and the RnY, and if you don't lose enough it can be part 1 of a 2 part procedure. The stomach is resected, cut off a big piece, and the remaining stomach is the size of a slim banana. There is no malabsorbtion, but plenty of restriction. It still requires a real change in life style, as they all do, and particular attention to diet and exercise. The only thing that concerns me at all with it is I may not lose the amount I want to, and that it might be possible to lose that with the RnY. My surgeon and I will make the final choice together based on her experiences with both. A caution to you.....I love food, love to eat it, to look at it, to smell it cooking, to shop for it, to snack on it, oh my goodness everything about it. And, like you, I eat because I enjoy it. That does not go away with any surgery. You still have those desires. Because you don't have malabsorbtion you can get away with eating more of the can't haves. I question if this is a good idea for those of us who love to eat. You have a lot of thinking to do, and some huge decisions to make. It's good you have to wait the extra time. It will give you plenty of opportunity to look into the different procedures. Check and see which ones are covered before you get to far into it. Blessings on your decisions.
Walking with you on this journey, Mary
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
I have the band and love it. I am at good restriction and find that most days I am not hungry. I have not drank carbonated sodas, eaten a sandwich, or have cravings since August 2008. I am off my diabetes meds and blood pressure meds and feel great.
I am hoping to lose another 50 pounds at least. And yet I am stalled right now and am feeling frustrated.
Certainly the loss is greater/faster with RNY, but the loss can be accomplished with the band - just slower. Exercise and choosing the right foods is very important with the band as with RNY.
Good luck on your journey and you will be able to make the right decision for you!
Shelia
I am hoping to lose another 50 pounds at least. And yet I am stalled right now and am feeling frustrated.
Certainly the loss is greater/faster with RNY, but the loss can be accomplished with the band - just slower. Exercise and choosing the right foods is very important with the band as with RNY.
Good luck on your journey and you will be able to make the right decision for you!
Shelia
Hi, the band rules are different. If you eat too much you will vomit. It only takes one extra bite. Plus you have to slow down and taste your food. You have to give your body time to process what you put in there. The band will suppress your appetite so you are not hungry. I am 7 years out. I like the adjustability of the band. I was hungry 24/7. My hunger is way less now. Hope this helps. Mona
Veteran Bandster 2002
Nothing tastes as good as thin feels!
Thank you all for your replies.... I do have alot to think about now. Even the band scares me. I tried weigh****chers and was able to loose 14 lbs in two months. I did really well on it but then the wanting to eat what ever I wanted slipped back in and I fell off the wagon. I think for now I will pick myself back up onto that wagon and see if from now till Dec. I can loose some more...
Again thank you all for all your replies... they were so very appreciated!
Hugs, Chevy in Texas
Again thank you all for all your replies... they were so very appreciated!
Hugs, Chevy in Texas
I've read on this site that some members have continued with Weigh****chers as supplemental
support, for their peptalks, nutritional info, etc. The WW food program is different than ours.
I really haven't been on one of their plans in a few years and I know it's changed, but some
of the differences are they seem to allow more calories, esp carbs, but the support can be really beneficial.
Katherine B
support, for their peptalks, nutritional info, etc. The WW food program is different than ours.
I really haven't been on one of their plans in a few years and I know it's changed, but some
of the differences are they seem to allow more calories, esp carbs, but the support can be really beneficial.
Katherine B
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