Lap Band Forum

This is my first post. Is this a Lap Band Forum for NY? I live on Long Island and Dr. Geiss will be the surgeon performing the procedure. I'll be getting my surgery approx. the second week of January 07. I'm feeling a tad nervous about it. Actually, I'm feeling very nervous-wil it run smoothly, will I comply with the program not just in the near future but for the long run, how much cosmetic surgery will I need, etc. etc. I just don't know what to expect. I will take it a day at a time.

Hi Fredrika..... I know others who have used your doctor...one had the surgery already and one is waiting for the date. I just got my surgery done on the 6th with Dr.Vohra. It's natural to feel anious about the surgery, I know I was. I wasn't so nervous about the surgery itself, since I tried to do a lot of research before hand on both my doctor and the procedure. I was more nervous about the anesthsia( im sure I just butcherd that word!, ha, ha). I have to say everything went as smotthly as it could go. I alos had a hernia repair. I stayed over night at South Nassau Community Hospital, and got such great care. They have you up and walking when you are up for it, and believe it or not its pretty soon after waking up. I got lucky because I had met another person person from the office who was having the surgery same day as me, so I had a walking buddy there. You will take frequent walks around your floor, which will elevate the gas build up. That was the one downfall, was there was a lot of gas build up. I say it took about a week for most of it to go. It especially is uncomfortable around the back of the neck and the top of your shoulders. A heating pad helped a bit. I stopped taking the meds ( tylenol w'codeine ) after the frist 2 days and just stuck with a little motrin and tylenol. All I needed was a child's dose of the motrin and I felt better. The more you walk , the more it is suppose to release the gas.As each day went by, I felt more and more like myself. I am returning to work tomorrow night, and just wont do any of the heavy lifting. I didnt drive for about 5 days. I have found that I have a lot of energy, but again everyone is different. By the end of the 11th day, I have had it with jello and chicken broth!! Went for my first office visit yesterday, and was estatic that we could finally eat different things!!! I never knew how much i would love lentil soup and pudding !! I I am scheduled for my first fill on Dec 29th, just in time for the New Year. I did lose 17 lbs from my surgery until now, and all together, have dropped 27lbs. These next few weeks will be challenging since we really are still in the dieting stage. Each week, new things are introduced. Hopefully I answered some of your questions. Hope to hear from you. Take care!

Fredrika: Hello! This is the NY forum not the Lap Band Forum that is here: http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/surgtype-forums/LapBand/ But stay here we have many different surgival types here! Support is helpful! I recommend you do lots of research so you can make a educated and informed decision to know realistic expectations and typical outcomes, risks etc. Each person will have individual results but knowing the range of possibilities helps! Here are some links I have.... regarding the LAP BAND: http://www.thebandsters.com/ http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Bandsters/ http://www.lapbandinformation.com/RECOMMENDED_FOOD_PLAN.pdf http://www.obesity-online.com/Pat_and_docs_info/index.html http://www.inamed.com/products/obesity/us/clinician/lapband/prodinfo.html http://www.drchampion.com/lapband.htm http://www.sabariatric.com/assets/forms/AGB_Diet_000.pdf http://www.lap-band.com/ http://www.waynesmith.net/lapband/ http://www.obesity-online.com/Pat_and_docs_info/index.html http://www.obesitylapbandsurgery.com/adjmain.html http://www.asbs.org/html/story/chapter5.html 2 BOOKS ABOUT LAPBAND: Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding : Achieving Permanent Weight Loss with Minimally Invasive Surgery (Paperback) by Jessie H. Ahroni Ph.D. A. R. N. P. $12.48 on amazon.com http://tinyurl.com/zfno9 ISBN: 0595311148 Paperback: 130 pages Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (May 31, 2004) Lap-Band for Life (Paperback) by Ariel Ortiz Lagardere MD FACS Price: $13.57 on amazon.com Paperback: 331 pages Publisher: LM Publishers (December 5, 2005) ISBN: 187913666X http://tinyurl.com/kkrou 2 mags dedicated to WLS (any surgery) OH MAGAZINE: http://www.oh-magazine.com WLS LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE: http://www.wlslifestyles.com No one knows if you will hav e surgical complications, be successful short/longterm all you can control is making the most educated decision and using each day as a opportunity to learn a new helathy lifestyl, nothing magic about WLS but it is a great opportunity to make one's life healthy! I also recommend therapy at least for a year postop to work on all the emotional aspects of your morbid obesity, believe me they do not get better w/ just the operation and sometimes they get worse! Do all you can to be successful! HUGS Take Care, Jamie Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh 320/163 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery) Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/members/profile.php?N=c1132518510 "Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"

Fredrika, Lap band forum is nation wide but I am from LI, had the band put in by Dr. Vohra at South Nassau Communities Hospital on January 24th, 2006. I know of a Ron C. who is also a LI'er who has a support group out in Suffolk county. If you go to the Lap band forum you can find one of his posts. There are quite a few LI'ers on the site with the band. Sandra 316./250/155

Thanks all for such instant and wonderful advise. Thank you for your support. I just got a call from Dr. Geiss' office and he wants to see me next week for a consult before I get a surgery date. I'm sorta excited about it! Maybe I can change my anxiety into excitement. Yes, the anesthesia is also a fear for me-I hate, hate, hate intubation! since I have asthma,but I'll discuss this with Dr. Geiss next week. For now..... :-)

No fears, just make sure the anesthesiologist knows about the asthma. I have asthma and I had no problems what so ever. You will also be asleep before they intubate and by the time you wake up the tubing should be out. If it isn't don't fight it, just let the nurses know that you are awake and they will get a doc to take it out. Oh yeah, have fun with pain killers.....