Going to be evaluated Lap Band - What do you guys think?

I have decided that I am tired of being on so much mediciation. I am going on Monday 11/30/2009, to be evaluated for getting the Lap Band. Everyone needs a little bit of help every now and then. Being medical transcriptionist, I see a lot of people who are having success with this type of surgery. It’s not gastric bypass. It’s just the band around the stomach and can be removed without any problems if I so desire. What to you guys think of this? Give me your honest input.

just my .02 not a fan of surgery and I try to avoid it whenever possible. are their diet limitations associated with surgery? what results are you hoping for from this surgery? what does your doc say?

I’m not a fan of surgery either, but if this may be a last resort for yourself I wish you the best of luck. If I had a family member in the same situation I would 100% support them… Good Luck Clee.

Linzie

Thank you so much Linzie! My doctor has suggested it. As I said before, this is not gastric bypass. This is the Lap Band. It’s just the band around the stomach to slow gastric emptying. I have read the in almost all of the cases the patient is immediately off insulin. I’m hoping to lose weight, come off insulin and pills and improve my quality of life. There are some restictions on certain foods in the first 5 weeks, but that is to just get the stomach to being banded. I will be able to eat anything but my appetite will be supressed. I have to do my part. As my stomach shrinks the band is tightened wtih injection of a small amount of saline every now and then. Right now, I have a somewhat bulging belly. This was partly caused from when I had very large fibroids (15 of them, some the size of golf balls). My tummy never went back to being flat after surgery. After the surgery about 5 months later, I was diagnosed with diabetes. I had always worked out and now working out is doing nothing for my tummy. The insulin causes weight gain and this is where my tummy is coming in. My legs, arms, thighs and hips are all slim. As I said, I’m hoping to come off insulin. It will take some time to lose the weight I want, but it is well worth it if I can come off my insulin. Thanks for your support Linzie. I go for the profile on Monday in the Texas Medical Center at The Methodist Hospital here in Houston. This is mainly to deterimine which program I am best suited to help me lose weight. I’m hoping they say that the Lap Band will be a good one. My husband is employed there and we have excellent health insurance. Since I will be having the procedure there (if I qualify) my co-pay will be waived since he IS an employee. Iwill update you when I get back from the evaluation. Wish me luck.

As usual, all of us should do portion control which is what I’m doing on insulin. There are no food restirctions but I love veggies and the diet should not be a hassel for me. I’m hoping to reduce my belly size and lose weight. My doctor (an endocrinologist) is the one who suggested it and at the time, I was somewhat felt insulted that she did suggest this. However, I got to thinking about it and began to do some research on my own and came to the conculusion that maybe this is a very good idea. The thing I like about it, it can be reversed without any complications.

You want my honest opinion? Well, I am definitely NOT a fan of any kind of surgical intervention, until it appears that no matter what you will not lose weight without it. That means at least 100 lbs over weight, and having tried every safe diet known to mankind and your docs. I have several friends who are looking at both GBP and lap band, and honesty I have to say that they aren’t being very realistic about it, and I am hoping you are. You know that you will not be able to eat the foods nor the amounts of food you have been eating. Although they say it’s not GBP surgery, you will still have the possibility of gaining back what you have lost IF you don’t adhere to a regimented diet plan — lo carb, Weight Watchers, Atkins, calories, whatever. Let’s face it, as much as we don’t want to admit it, being overweight is a matter of food in, no movement out. As diabetics lap bands and GBP aren’t the answer to being healthier, unless you have tried everything else for at least 6 months time.
Sorry, I’m not in favor of it, it’s expensive, it’s risky, it’s not a cure all…it’s a help, but if you can’t stick to a diet, what’s the point, because whatever diet they give you after surgery…well it’s still a diet.

I’m glad you replied. However, as I said everyone needs a little help a some point in their lives. I have stuck to eating right, I’m not a fan of sweets (never have been, even as a child), I love veggies. I exercise at least 6 days a week and before having a hysterectomy for fibroids as large as golf balls (15 of them as a matter of fact), I attended arerobics class at least 4-5 days a week along with weight training. The fibroids caused me to look as if I was 6 months pregnant and my uterus was the size of a 6 lb. baby at the time of my surgery once it was out. It’s my abdomen that I’m concerned with. Before my hysterectomy and the fibroids I was considered to be within normal range for my height and weight according to my physician. I am on insulin and as it has been shown, insulin can cause weight gain…my weight gain is in my abdomen… creating something like metabolic syndrome. My physician put me on Byetta (it causes slow gastric emptying) which I lost 50 lbs. However, it did nothing to keep my blood sugar down or my A1c. Byetta is not a substitute for insulin and, at the time was not to be used with insulin. Thus, it was not working for me any more AND I was not taking insulin. My doctor took me off of that. I have gained only a few of the pounds back but only in my tummy. My legs, arms and hips are very slim. Byetta works very well for some at keeping down the blood sugar but not for others. I was one of the “not for others”. I have never ever been overweight, but as I said, when I had the fibroids, that’s when my problems began, plus, diabetes run in my mother’s family although my mom does not have it. Two of her bothers have it and my grandmother and none of them were overweight. As a matter of fact, my grandmother died at the age of 89 just recently, but not due to diabetes. Her’s was well under control. She had Altzheimers.

You say it’s a matter of food in and not getting moving when a person gains weight…I disagree…sometimes there are extenuating circumstances. Not everyone is a couch potato. There are some who eat whatever they want, are couch potatoes and still are able to NOT gain weight. I eat healthy, I eat low carb but being on insulin seems to counter everything I do to lose weight. The lap band causes slow gastric emptying and will allow me to exercise without using insuling to counter the benefits of exercise.

I am doing this because I want a healthier life. I’m 55 yrs. old and I am still verey active. Having this procdure will allow me to have somewhat normal blood surgars and my lose weight as well.