Weight loss surgery

[trekkie2]

I am going for an evaluation to have weight loss surgery. I am not sure if I will go Lap band or gastric bypass. I was wondering if anyone here has had surgery, going for surgery or thinking about surgery. I would love to bounce some ideas with others in the same situation. And to keep it disney related, I will be at the World in May (3 months following surgery I hope) and not sure how to deal with food on vacation.

 

[Hendoendo]

I am going thru the same process. I just met with a psychologist and dietitian this week. Now Their reviews get submitted to my insurance for approval of surgery. I am getting the bypass surgery. If you are just starting the procedure it usually takes about 6 months before surgery happens, due to insurance requirements. You may want to discuss with your Doctor about the trip. I will be happy to give you any other info I have

 

[Hendoendo]

In answer to your food question you will have trouble eating anything at the parks. Your diet is very specific after surgery for the first 3-4 months and requires a lot of soft food and protein suppliments

 

[trekkie2]

At this point, I have Anthem and it appears that I meet all the criteria so the center that I am using seems to think I can be scheduled within 2 weeks of my preop. Hopefully this is true, Now that I;ve made up my mind I want to get done asap. But what ever it takes I guess.

What kind of pre op evaluations do you have??

And for you that are done with the surgical portion, what was your post op like? How long were you off work, how long till you felt better and what was your post op food plan like?

 

[Hendoendo]

Wow that is great if you can get in in 2 weeks. My insurance requires 6 months of monitored weight. I am currently in month 4. When I went to the Nutritionist on Thursday he was thrilled that I have lost 30 pounds. He says most people let themselves go before surgery. If you can get the surgery done soon you should be ok for Disney in May. Diet I was given for post op is

First two weeks Clear Liquids only

2nd Two weeks Pureed foods(yogurt, baby food, cottage cheese, canned
Tuna or chicken mashed up)

Month 2 to Month 4 Soft food diet Lunchmeats, hard boiled eggs,oatmeal,
mashed or Baked potatoes with no skin, Canned fruit,
cooked vegetables

This is just an outline. It is way more involved than this. Please make sure your doctor explains everything in full. I know someone who ruptured the pouch because they didn't listen and ate solid food too soon. When I first got evaluated I wanted to get the surgery done right away. But now I am glad that I have to wait because I have time to learn so much. Please be careful and ask a lot of questions. Good luck with your surgery

 

[Hendoendo]

In terms of pre-op evals I have to have the following before Surgery

Blood Work up
EKG
Upper GI
Stress Test within 2 yrs of surgery
Chest X-Ray

AN exam with a Psychologist (To Discuss my mental state and any previous depression

A meeting with a nutritionist to discuss in detail the Post-surgery diet.

I am having my surgery done at Mcgee Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh which is actually a renowned teaching hospital for Bariatric Surgery

 

[Nazran]

I will be having the Lap-Band surgery at the end of this month or early Feb. My health insurance has an exclusion so I will be a self-pay. I am male, 36, 5'11" and 370 pounds. My co-morbidities are sleep apnea and hypertension.

I never considered the RNY bypass for myself, but I did receive consults on (VSG) Sleeve Gastrectomy and Lap-Band. I ultimately decided lap band would be the best tool for me. VSG is too new of a procedure for me. There have been no long term effects studys. I feel more comfortable with a surgery that does not make drastic changes to my anatomy. I also do enjoy exercising and feel the lap band in conjunction with weight training and restricted food intake may help me reach my goals.

You should head over to www.obesityhelp.com. That site has been a great help to me espcially when it comes to surgeon reviews, and large msg board community.

Good luck!

 

[trekkie2]

I hope my time frame works out too. I have to drive about 9 hours one way for the surgery center and the less I have to drive the better off I am.

I will try that website, thanks for the info

 

[raniroo]

I had lapband surgery back in August 2009 and apart from the first 2 months or so, I have had no real problem with foods. You just need to make the better choices. Softer, more chewable foods. 1/2 cup to 1 cup serves. I eat lots of fish and mince dishes, casseroles, stews, but occassionally I can eat some steak (medium rare as it is softer) and chicken (although if to dry forget it!).

So far (in 5 months) I have lost 60pounds. Have been exercising from 3 weeks post op and even jogging (never thought I would do that). Honestly, 3 months post op, making sure that you make the better food choices, you shouldn't have any problems with a trip to WDW. With some planning you would be fine....

I am heading to WDW in October for 2 weeks and cannot wait for my Disney dream to begin........

good luck with whatever surgery you decide.......I can honestly say for me, it has given me back my life!

 

[Nazran]

I have scheduled my lapband surgery for Jan 29th! Wish me luck!

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Narzan - Good luck on Friday.

And to anyone else, I had RNY surgery in November 2007. Feel free to ask any questions. Also, www.obesityhelp.com is a great website. Just remember that many people stop posting or only lurk. You get a lot of people that only post when they have problems. I stopped going over there because I got tired of all the same crap over and over. Just do yourself a favor, listen to everything your surgeon and nutritionist say. Follow the dietary guidelines. Ask any question you may have (none are dumb). Start yourself on a workout regime even if its just walking. And good luck!

Again, I'll answer any questions some one may have (even the yucky ones).
BTW, make sure you get fiber in!! Otherwise -

 

[Nazran]

Just reporting back I had my surgery on the 29th.

I was 361 Friday morning and this morning I am weighed in at 346.6!

I created a blog here to document what my experiences are with the Lapband, so drop by and leave a comment because it sort of feels like I am talkign to myself

http://jayslapbandjourney.blogspot.com

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Just reporting back I had my surgery on the 29th.

I was 361 Friday morning and this morning I am weighed in at 346.6!

I created a blog here to document what my experiences are with the Lapband, so drop by and leave a comment because it sort of feels like I am talkign to myself

http://jayslapbandjourney.blogspot.com

Congratulations on the successful surgery and the weight loss so far!! And my advice to everyone having surgery, please remember not to compare your weight loss journey to others. I can't tell you how many people I've seen over at OH that get so frustrated and down because they aren't losing as fast as someone else. The journey is individual and cannot be compared.

Okay, now that is easy to say this far out but I know I compared to others but I didn't let anyone know.

 

[trekkie2]

congrats on your surgery. I had mine also on 02/09/2010. doing great and looking forward to hitting disney with a smaller behind