2ND THOUGHTS

Goodmorning!

I am a 41 year old female who hopes to lose 100lbs using the band.    I have been attending support group since Oct 2010, met my surgeon 2 weeks ago, had my pshy evaluation last week,    All I have left is to meet with the nutritionist, BUT now I am having 2nd thoughts.  I wont see her for a few weeks, and I don't want to dwell on my doubts, so I am hoping some of you who are post-op can help clear up some things.

1)  How many times a day do you eat?  Support group girls say 3 meals and a couple small snacks a day....however, the psych doc said STRICTLY 3 meals a day, snack is a treat to be reserved for once a week, if that!  I am being honest with myself, I don't know if I can "snack" only once a week. I asked him about a healthy snack like a handful of almonds.....he said NO!

2)  I noticed on the surgical consent that the band is PERMANENT, never to be removed.   I understand this, however, what happens if, God forbid, I get cancer and need to have it removed?   Just a scenerio.

3)  Group girls were all back to work/life within 5 days.   Dr. Pham said 7-14.   I am a medical secretary who is up and down throughout the day.    Realistically, how long should I anticipate being out-of-work based on your experiences?

I work for a surgeon, I understand everything is a case by case basis, but I am starting to hear contradicitions.    I figure who else better to turn to than those who have already experienced it?

Thank you all for your time and input.   I really appreciate it and look forward to "getting to know" each one of you.

I ACCIDENTLY POSTED THIS IN THE WRONG FORUM EARLIER.   SOMEONE TOLD ME TO POST IT IN THE LAP-BAND FORUM TO GET BETTER ANSWERS.    OH WELL, I AM NEW AT THIS.

Question 1.

I eat three meals a day and sometimes I will eat one snack a day and as much as three snacks a day it really depends on many factors.  When I do my double Zumba on Wednesday I eat alot more because I need the calories and the carbs for that day .  Some days I'm just not hungry and dont snack at all .    My doc believes in snacks it keeps you from over loading at meal teams :o)

Question 2.

The band can be removed at any time . It is not a permanent thing in you . I can go tomorrow and have mine taken out if I wanted to .

Question 3.

It really depends on what you do .  Usually your kind of work as long as you dont lift anything heavy you can go back to work within 5 days. I dont work but my doc told me if I had a sit do job (  no  heavy lifting ) I could go back within 5 days . Some girls have went back to work after three days.  It really depends on how well you do after the surgery . I had no post surgical pain or I had very little that didn't amount to anything or any post surgical gas. , BUT some girls on here have alot of pain and alot of gas it really depends on you and how well you react to the surgery.

I know some docs. say no snacking, but I disagree with that pretty strongly. I eat 5-6 times a day, including planned, healthy snacks. I snack on low fat cheese sticks, almonds (1/4 cup- they are very calorie dense) and berries (they are lower in carbs than other fruit). I lost 107 pounds in about 10 months. Just what worked for me, I think everybody is different. I guess if you are getting in enough calories and nutriton and not hungry between meals there would be no reason to snack. Good luck on your impending surgery!

Unfortunately, different surgical practices have different protocols and patient instructions, so navigating these waters can be very confusing.

Here's my understanding:

1)  How many times a day do you eat?  Support group girls say 3 meals and a couple small snacks a day....however, the psych doc said STRICTLY 3 meals a day, snack is a treat to be reserved for once a week, if that!  I am being honest with myself, I don't know if I can "snack" only once a week. I asked him about a healthy snack like a handful of almonds.....he said NO! My nutritionist (and surely a nutritionist is in a better position to advise about eating than a shrink?) said it's OK to eat 3 small meals and 3 small snacks a day. That's what I do, as long as I'm physically hungry for the meals and/or snacks. I think that some docs discourage snacking because they want to discourage mindless grazing, which is quite different from eating planned, healthy snacks.

2)  I noticed on the surgical consent that the band is PERMANENT, never to be removed.   I understand this, however, what happens if, God forbid, I get cancer and need to have it removed?   Just a scenerio. Yes, the band is meant to be permanent, and yes, it can be removed if medically necessary. I can't think of why a cancer diagnosis would require band removal - maybe stomach cancer? - but it can be removed. I think that docs emphasize that the band is permanent so that patients understand that this isn't like putting on Spanx for a fancy dinner party, after which you take them off and heave a sigh of relief. WLS is a lifetime commitment, no matter what procedure you choose.

3)  Group girls were all back to work/life within 5 days.   Dr. Pham said 7-14.   I am a medical secretary who is up and down throughout the day.    Realistically, how long should I anticipate being out-of-work based on your experiences? I was self-employed at home doing a sedentary job when I had my surgery. I had planned to take 2 weeks off but I was so bored after 3-4 days, I went back to working. Unless your employer has a problem with you taking off 7-14 days, why not plan on that and then go back to work earlier if the doc says it's OK?

And finally...welcome to the band forum!

Jean

Wow!  I assume  you are  from Buffalo, NY?  I am going to Synergy bariatrics and having surgery with Dr. Caveretta on July 7th! I recognized your surgeons nam from the office.. I am getting a bit jittery myself, but I want to get healthy and haven't been able to do it on my own. I know that we have been told just 3 meals a day, but everyone on these boards has healthy protein type snacks and that is what I'm planning to do if I need it. Keep in touch!
Cindy

I'm having surgery in a few days, so I'm not able to answer all of your questions. However, I wanted to share a couple thoughts:
#1 - the psych who did my eval had NO IDEA what she was talking about. My surgeon recommended her and it was like they had never met!!!! She contradicted nearly everything he said!
#2 - the band is technically removeable, however, insurance won't cover removal unless there's medical necessity (you know that term I"m sure!)
#3 - in the support groups I've gone to (face to face), it has varied how long someone was out. One woman had her band on friday and went to work on Monday. Yet another person had it done and needed a week off. I agree with Jean, it might be better to take the time and go back early if you feel up to it.

I started in my doc's office in Oct 2010 too. I thought it would be so easy and straight forward. I've lost many nights of sleep trying to decide what to do. I've been frustrated about not completely knowing what to expect. But I've decided that I need this tool and will work hard with it. And I'm looking forward to having it done!

Good luck to you!! I wish you the best.

I think Jean hit it right on regarding snacks.  My DR says no snacks too, but I think they want to prevent us eating all day long.  There are some days for me where I will have a snack (ie: apple or a babybel cheese), but I just make sure it's something healthy and it keeps me within my nutritional requirements.

As far as recovery, I took 2 weeks off, but probably could've gone back after one week.  Although, I really didn't feel more like myself for 2 weeks.  If you're able to take the 2 weeks, I would recommend that.  This way you can get used to your new regimen without the added stress of work.  

Whatever you decide, good luck.  We'll save a place for you on the loser's bench!!!
~ Barbara