Are the Side Effects Worth It

Brooklynqueen77 · 02-29-2008, 10:13 AM

Hello,

I am new to this site and I am happy I have found it. I plan to have my surgery in next 2 months once I get my date. I do have concerns about... PBing... what exactly does that mean?... What can I do to not loose all of my muscle tone? How much pain are you in the day after surgery, i live upstairs and want to know can I climb them. what is the real recovery time.. can you really go to work in 3 days. ( I have a desk job). My BMI is at 50 and I am 4'11 / 232 will they force me get the gastric bypass, or should the 2 week liquid diet beforehand help? how bad is this gas, and does acidophillus help? I see alot of people take activia... also what exactly is w/ the pain in your shoulder.. does that last forever? I mean are the sife effects really worth the weight loss? I have my consultation with my Doctor next week and I have Oxford health insurance, does anyone have them, or has anyone been banded by Dr. Christine Ren? from NYU Medical Center??? She was on Oprah. I would love to know more about her..
Thanks in advance

**Jack** · 02-29-2008, 02:41 PM

Welcome to BandLand. Most of your questions are discussed in many postings listed for your review.

re: "are the sife effects really worth the weight loss?"

What 'side effects' do you mean? Not one of postOp issues I've had to deal with, have amounted to anything too gruesome or that big of a deal.

The 'side effects' of remaining Morbidly Obese are far far FAR worse.

snowbird · 02-29-2008, 03:17 PM

I took one pain pill post op. I did feel a bit bloated afterwards due to the gas they pump into you to aid in the surgery, but nothing too uncomfortable. By the way, this is gas they pump in around your stomach not into your stomach, so what you eat doesn't make much difference. The port pinched a bit if I lay on my left side for the first week or two, and sometimes the stitches hurt when I sat up for a few days after surgery.

PBing is mini-vomiting when your pouch is too full or food is stuck in the stoma. I don't consider it an evil side effect; I consider it the band doing what it is supposed to do. It is unpleasant enough that I try to follow the rules of chewing and watching the types and amounts of food I eat. It beats the hell out of weighing what I did pre band.

I can't eat and enjoy foods like I did preband. That is the only side effect I have. Since that was the whole point of having the surgery, I can't complain about it, even though a pain free hamburger sounds good now and then.

"They" can't force you to do anything. Your insurance, however, may go by what your doctor says and/or refuse to cover a procedure. Usually your BMI has to be at least 35 to cover surgery. Some insurances apparently want gastric bypass instead of Lap Band if your BMI is over 50. You would have to talk to your insurance company about that, and make sure you have your regular doctor on your side in this process.

If you keep active and exercise, and keep up your protein levels, you should not lose muscle tone.

The pain in your shoulder, I think, is referred pain from your diaphragm. It is caused by the surgery and sometimes from the pressure from the gas I talked about before. It goes away after a few days, and many people never get it at all.

Don't know anything about your doctor. Good luck on your lap band journey.

shortgal · 02-29-2008, 03:46 PM

Well here's one bit of happy news for you. Your BMI is not 50, if your numbers were listed right...4 feet 11 in and 232, your BMI is about 46.5.

See, you lost BMI just by asking questions on the forum.

( I'm short, too, and knowing my BMI, I had a feeling your number were off) You can type BMI calculator in a search engine and try it your self.

Exercise and eating enough protein will help with muscle tone. I would suggest at least five days off and then go back earlier if you feel up to it. I felt lousy the first four days and starting getting better after that. I also had a hernia repaired at surgery so maybe that made my recovery longer. Some people on the forum have not needed more than a couple days off.

Read, read, read as much as you can on the forum, you'll learn a lot, even things you didn't know or think to ask!

APRIL21 · 03-25-2008, 05:51 PM

i had my surgery with her partner dr,fielding they come upstate to do our fills, and i ve only heard great things about her from her patients in the waiting room. dr. fielding is wonderful also.

Brooklynqueen77 · 03-26-2008, 07:11 AM

Thank you April 21, so when did you have your surgery? How much have you lost so far? How did you feel immediately after Physically and emotionally and how do you feel now? Thanks again!

jvalve · 03-27-2008, 08:52 PM

go for it and dont look back. best thing i ever did. i was banded july 16 nad teh recovery was a breeze. you will be a little slower for a few days, thats it. if you have nay specific questions you can write me i would be glad to tell you all

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brooklynqueen77

Hello,

I am new to this site and I am happy I have found it. I plan to have my surgery in next 2 months once I get my date. I do have concerns about... PBing... what exactly does that mean?... What can I do to not loose all of my muscle tone? How much pain are you in the day after surgery, i live upstairs and want to know can I climb them. what is the real recovery time.. can you really go to work in 3 days. ( I have a desk job). My BMI is at 50 and I am 4'11 / 232 will they force me get the gastric bypass, or should the 2 week liquid diet beforehand help? how bad is this gas, and does acidophillus help? I see alot of people take activia... also what exactly is w/ the pain in your shoulder.. does that last forever? I mean are the sife effects really worth the weight loss? I have my consultation with my Doctor next week and I have Oxford health insurance, does anyone have them, or has anyone been banded by Dr. Christine Ren? from NYU Medical Center??? She was on Oprah. I would love to know more about her..
Thanks in advance

Chrisann · 03-29-2008, 02:49 PM

I was banded by Dr. Ren and had complications. I would still do it all over again. I was in about a month of hell, but I don't even remember those days specifically now.

Fenton · 04-15-2008, 04:05 PM

I'm reading this late - but congratulations on your decision and your FANTASTIC weight loss!

jpb67 · 04-21-2008, 10:55 AM

What side effects? I was banded on 3/17 2008 by Dr. Ren at NYU Medical Center in NYC. I had many misgivings before having it done. Because I had to go on a medically supervised diet for 6 months before my insurance would approve the procedure, I had many days and nights to think and worry and listen to the nay sayers. I cancelled my first surgery date. Then realized I had to do this for any quality of life at all. After the surgery I can say I had NO ill effects. No gas pains, no hunger pangs, no shoulder pain, a few little twinges at the port site if I lay on my side. but I felt great. I recuperated for about a week and turned off the TV when food ads came on. There is always the head hunger, especially when you're drinking only fluids, but by following your Dr.'s protocol you should be doing fine in a week or two. Good luck. It's the best thing I have ever done. The band really works, just work with it.

banditnj · 06-07-2008, 09:15 PM

Hi,
Dr. Ren's husband, Dr. Fielding did my surgery. You are in excellent hands with Dr. Ren, she does my fill ins. Nyu is a great place to do your surgery. It is ALL worth it!!!!! I had my surgery in December. I've lost 55 lbs & I feel better than i've ever felt in my life.
Banditnj