Dying to get banded, but unsure

[CSULB]

Hi, I just discovered this great forum. I am planning to do lap band surgery in Tijuana, Mexico. My surgeon has already done lipo surgery twice on me, but I always gain back the weight! I am 170 pounds and I would like to be 125 pounds. In the US, I do not qualify for surgery, but in TJ, alot of people who don't qualify are getting it done. My surgeon specializes in this type of surgery, but I would like to know if I have anything to worry about. What can you eat after? What are the post op symptoms? Am I crazy to do this?

[Darrin S.]

Hi, I just discovered this great forum. I am planning to do lap band surgery in Tijuana, Mexico. My surgeon has already done lipo surgery twice on me, but I always gain back the weight! I am 170 pounds and I would like to be 125 pounds. In the US, I do not qualify for surgery, but in TJ, alot of people who don't qualify are getting it done. My surgeon specializes in this type of surgery, but I would like to know if I have anything to worry about. What can you eat after? What are the post op symptoms? Am I crazy to do this?

CSULB -

First let me warn you - this is your choice, so take what I say with a grain of salt. But I think anyone who goes through this surgery to lose 50 lbs or less is out of their mind. Now that I've gotten your attention lets look at some statistics.

18 months after surgery, you can reasonable expect to have lost (depending on where you read it) 65-80% of your excess weight. Now take my example - I started at 325, and my optimal weight is 185 (yeah right, less than when I graduated high school). On the lower loss figure of 65%, I will lose approximately 100 lbs. That would take me down to 225, which was my weight when I enlisted in the Army. Definitely not bad. On the high side, if I lost 80% of my excess weight I would weight about 200 lbs - even better!

If you apply the same figures to your situation at best (80%) you will only reach 135.

So now you need to make a decision - is it worth the $8500 to go through a life changing experience (that you will have to live with for the rest of your life) to lose 35 lbs? That is a decision that only you can make.

As far as the other questions go.... you can eat anything, just less of it. But you may find that certain foods don't appeal to you anymore. Carbonated drinks have to be stopped during the first few months, but some people find an occational soda is tolerable... others can't handle it. Post-op the only problems I experienced was some discomfort, but walking helped a great deal. I see people experiencing a lot of pain post op due to gas, but I must have been lucky.

Good luck on your decision... if you decide to go through with the surgery, this is a great place for support.

Darrin

San Diego

Current weight 295

[cleo6666]

I too weighed about 170 at my pre op. I am very short, so this realy effects my BMI. My goal is to loose 50 pounds as well. But as the person in the email I just read to you said...."This is a life changing experience". Most likely, you will never eat again like you will have pre surgery. and a life style change is not the only thing, you have to change your ATTITUDE.

I met a lady while I was in the clinic last Tuesday. She was banded in May and hadn't lost a pound. She wasn't keeping any food down except ice cream. ICE CREAM? I was suprised at that, but even more surpised that that was ALL she was eating! You can totally sabotauge yourself. Now don't get me wrong, this gal was doing what she had to for her. Everyone is different. And she did the right thing coming back to the clinic to have the doctor look at her band and talk to the nutritionist.

Let me tell you this: In one week I have learned to get to know my body and how eating effects it. Prior to surgery, it was how I felt and how much food I could get into my body to comfort it. Hence my obesity. I am getting to know how foods effect me. I actually at a small piece of turkey yesterday for protien, which I should not have, and I felt the horrible feeling that was described to me about food blockage. I thinkit's called indigestion or heartburn. I don't know because I had never had it before. It wasn't anything I couldn't tolarate for the 20 minutes, but was it an eye opener.

I was banded one week ago. I am doing well with little pain. The pain that bothers me most is the gas and it effects my left shoulder. It's funny because it feels like an old sports injury and...I've never played sports. LOL.

My to my surprise, I haven't been hungry once. I went shopping when I got back from TJ and bought Jello, broth, and every clear liquid I ever wanted that wasn't carbonated. It was fun because I was spending money on other things and I splurged a little and bought the name brand popsicle which is something I would never do. It was fun.

Good luck with your decision. Let me know if you have any questions. I've fresh out of the operating room!

Take care.

Michele