Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Chairboy on June 07, 2004, 03:33:01 PM
-
Hi guys,
My wife and I have scheduled surgery to have adjustable gastic bands (known as lapbands because they use lacrascopicy) installed in two weeks.
Anyone here do this and have any feedback? It's one thing to read a bunch of stories from strangers on the internet, another to hear from someone who we know isn't a shill.
We're doing the surgery in, and I'm not making this up, Tijuana because the doctors have 10-15 years more experience then any US doctors (2 years max) because the procedure was just FDA approved recently.
Thanks!
-
Chairboy
Is this were they schrink your stomach?
What is the procedure for?
-
Gack! Never heard of it so I went and looked...
http://www.obesitylapbandsurgery.com/tecmain.html
Is there nothing else for it? Diet? Excersie? Anything? Seems awfully extreme.....
h
-
Heroin works much better, just look at Anna Nicole Smith!
-SW
-
We're doing the surgery in, and I'm not making this up, Tijuana because the doctors have 10-15 years more experience then any US doctors (2 years max) because the procedure was just FDA approved recently.
Holy ****! Remember, if they want more than 3 chickens and a donkey you're getting ripped off. Good Luck.
Charon
-
Heh heh, thanks guys.
Yeah, nervous about the Tijuana part too, considering that when I think back to all my visits, it's essentially a long street with cantinas, people selling chiclets and blankets, and bunches of cheap stores.
I did research on the doctor, and he's done something like 1500 of these surgeries and has authored or co-authored a number of papers on the subject.
The surgery is $9,000 cash, not covered by insurance.
My wife and I have both dieted and excercised, and we keep plateauing at certain points that we can't break through. My wife originally wanted to get the RGB (Roux-en Y) gastric bypass, but I was against it because they literally cut your esophagus and re-plumb everything so your stomach is bypasses so you can't absorb as many calories.
It's dangerous, has a 2% mortality rate, and you are essentially an invalid for the rest of your life in the sense that you need to take vitamin supplements, can never eat many normal foods, etc.
The lapband is fully reversible, it leaves your stomach intact and just constricts it near the top so you have a smaller effective space, and everything else is normal. The reduced calories + excercise should allow us to lose weight at a safe rate (my goal is to lose 100lbs by 7/4/05) and sustain a healthy lifestyle afterwards.
Here's what it looks like:
(http://www.columbiasurgery.org/divisions/obesity/images/ill_lapband.jpg)
Compared to the other options, it's not extreme at all.
The surgery takes 20-25 minutes on average, and the recovery time is really fast. Literally, the surgery is on Friday and we go home Sunday night.
The operation is on the 18th, so wish us luck!
-
Originally posted by Chairboy
Hi guys,
My wife and I have scheduled surgery to have adjustable gastic bands (known as lapbands because they use lacrascopicy) installed in two weeks.
Anyone here do this and have any feedback? It's one thing to read a bunch of stories from strangers on the internet, another to hear from someone who we know isn't a shill.
We're doing the surgery in, and I'm not making this up, Tijuana because the doctors have 10-15 years more experience then any US doctors (2 years max) because the procedure was just FDA approved recently.
Thanks!
why not eat less?
-
Mortality: Unspecified misadventure during surgical and medical care (Top 100 Countries)
1. Germany 11 (2001)
2. Korea, South 10 (2001)
3. Brazil 6 (2000)
4. Dominican Republic 5 (1997)
5. Spain 5 (2000)
6. Poland 4 (2001)
7. Mexico 4 (2000)
8. Peru 3 (2000)
9. Hungary 3 (2002)
10. Israel 3 (1999)
11. Australia 2 (1999)
12. Netherlands 2 (2000)
13. Iceland 2 (1996)
14. Colombia 2 (1999)
15. United States 2 (2000)
Also in 2000: 3,175 people died in Mexico from Septicaemia.
-
Originally posted by storch
why not eat less?
We've tried that over the past couple years, our weight dropped at first, then plateaud and held steady. It's difficult because when we eat small, normal meals (which we do now), we don't lose weight. When we eat micro meals, we get really hungry. We tried that and lost little bits of weight, but the moment we ate normal portions again, the weight came back because our bodies had switched to 'starvation mode' where it holds onto every last calorie it can.
This is one of the reasons it's difficult for fat people to lose a lot of weight, if the stress hormones related to hunger get triggered, it puts their body into energy conservation mode.
The lapband prevents that hormone from being released because the stomach says 'no worries, I'm full.'
-
Originally posted by rpm371
Mortality: Unspecified misadventure during surgical and medical care (Top 100 Countries)
Thanks! I assume that's a per capita type measurement? If this was a complicated surgery, I'd be more worried. I'll share your figures with my wife so we go into this informed, and thanks for the data!
-
I hope that it all goes well and you are successful in your weight loss goals
Never give up.
-
Originally posted by storch
why not eat less?
never been there huh?
you diet and loose about 15% of your weight, then your body thinks there is a famine or something and goes into "low-fuel" mode.
you become starving hungry and you barely have the energy to move, it's like your body is trying to hibernate or something.
for example here's a situation from a few years ago. I was working out of town with my brother at the time.
we do the same type of work and are equally active in the day.
we eat in the same restaurants, break for food at the same time.
he orders huge portions of several items on the menu, I order a small reasonably sized portion. I'll have left-overs from mine, his plate is clean. then later in the day he eats the left-overs from my dinner.
in the 6 weeks we worked that job. I gained 4 pounds, he lost 6.
just staying as active as you where before the weight is damn near impossible. go through your day with an extra 50-100 pounds in a backpack and see how much energy you can muster for exercise.
the diet I'm on now seems to be working fairly well though. for this inner-ear condition I have to go on a very low salt diet. everything tastes so bland that you never feel like eating, and you can't cheat on it because if I go over my daily salt I get incredible pain. pain is a wonderful teacher, I'm sticking to this diet fairly well so far.
-
Originally posted by Chairboy
We've tried that over the past couple years, our weight dropped at first, then plateaud and held steady. It's difficult because when we eat small, normal meals (which we do now), we don't lose weight. When we eat micro meals, we get really hungry. We tried that and lost little bits of weight, but the moment we ate normal portions again, the weight came back because our bodies had switched to 'starvation mode' where it holds onto every last calorie it can.
This is one of the reasons it's difficult for fat people to lose a lot of weight, if the stress hormones related to hunger get triggered, it puts their body into energy conservation mode.
The lapband prevents that hormone from being released because the stomach says 'no worries, I'm full.'
I see, thanks for the explanation. I would be reticent to under the knife unless I were morbidly obese. But that's just me.
-
Chairboy, just one thing before you go for that Lapband surgury.
Did you check out "Cortaslim", I think its called. A capsule that is supposed to be effective in repressing the hormone associated to the stress syndrome related to hunger?
-
Originally posted by Chairboy
The operation is on the 18th, so wish us luck!
I would bring somebody with you that can be watchful and responsible while you are under general and through recovery--like a family member or lawyer, someone like that. You will not be able to help each other should something go awry while you are both under.
h
-
Originally posted by storch
I see, thanks for the explanation. I would be reticent to under the knife unless I were morbidly obese. But that's just me.
Hi Storch,
Well that pretty much sums it up, that's exactly my problem. This isn't a cosmetic surgery, it's a life saving surgery because unless we lose this weight, we're gonna die early.
You know, it's real hard talking about something like this, and before we decided to do the surgery, I would never talk to anyone about it. But once we scheduled it, I had to tell me family, then a few select co-workers (I'm responsible for a few million dollars of revenue, if I'm dead there'd better be a contingency plan) and it doesn't necessarily get a lot easier each time, but I have a better appreciation for how important the subject is.
Regards,
-
Originally posted by Horn
I would bring somebody with you that can be watchful and responsible while you are under general and through recovery--like a family member or lawyer, someone like that. You will not be able to help each other should something go awry while you are both under.
h
Hi Horn,
Thanks for the advice. We're trying to see if there's anyone who can do that for us. We've decided that if we can't find a friend to do it, we'll still go through the procedure, but it's a good idea as it reduces risk.
Based on the historical success of the surgery, I think the odds of both of us being hit is low, and since the same person is doing our surgeries, I don't have to worry about both of us being under the knife at the same time. I doubt you could fit both of us in an operating room. :D
Regards,
-
Heroin would be a lot cheaper in the short term, but since that doesn't seem to be up your alley... Good luck with all of it for both you and your wife.
-SW
-
Originally posted by Chairboy
Based on the historical success of the surgery, I think the odds of both of us being hit is low, and since the same person is doing our surgeries, I don't have to worry about both of us being under the knife at the same time. I doubt you could fit both of us in an operating room. :D
Regards,
rgr. Good luck to you and the wife.
h
-
Heroin would be a lot cheaper in the short term, but since that doesn't seem to be up your alley... Good luck with all of it for both you and your wife.
Smoking also. :) But having said that. Good luck to you Chairboy and your wife. Hope it all works out for you.
-
Thanks guys! I'll post any interesting updates in case anyone is interested.
-
Originally posted by Chairboy
Hi Storch,
Well that pretty much sums it up, that's exactly my problem. This isn't a cosmetic surgery, it's a life saving surgery because unless we lose this weight, we're gonna die early.
You know, it's real hard talking about something like this, and before we decided to do the surgery, I would never talk to anyone about it. But once we scheduled it, I had to tell me family, then a few select co-workers (I'm responsible for a few million dollars of revenue, if I'm dead there'd better be a contingency plan) and it doesn't necessarily get a lot easier each time, but I have a better appreciation for how important the subject is.
Regards,
best of luck then to you both.
-
Chairboy, I just now saw this post. The best to you and your wife, tomorrow, and always.
-
We just had a young woman die last week of complications from gastric bypass. Its really quite sad, she was trying to shed the weight. My friend was checking into doing it and met with folks who'd had it done. They effectively scared him away from it. Its quite the lifestyle change even after the weight is dropped
-
Originally posted by Gunthr
Chairboy, just one thing before you go for that Lapband surgury.
Did you check out "Cortaslim", I think its called. A capsule that is supposed to be effective in repressing the hormone associated to the stress syndrome related to hunger?
Chairboy,
Ok... stop this insane talk buddy. Cortislim is a good product as well as some others. btw... are you bound to a wheelchair? is that why it's Chairboy? If not, start moving your body. Hell, I'll send you all the Taebo tapes you need if you get to the point where you can handle them. The point is, you're gonna waste that money because you're not solving the problem, just dealing with a symptom. Decreasing the size of your stomach,in this manner, doesn't keep you from stretching it out again. You're going to have to have the same willpower later and you'll save 18K. and not risk your life.
You can also go on "The Zone" diet. My dad lost 100lbs on that in a year and swears by it. My 83 yr old grandmother too. Also an ex girlfriend.
Cortislim inhibits the chemical reaction that creates Cortisol that tells your body to eat and store fat. basically, it will allow you to eat when you are truly hungry but NOT create the desire when you are stressed.
Excercise. I sell infomercial products. It is required, by law, to state that a person CANNOT lose weight in a healthy manner without proper diet and excercise. There are no miracle cures. You will need to have the same willpower later that it will take now. Period.
When you talk about energy, here's something to think about. The more you work your muscles, the more effecient they are in moving and using energy. Not only does it take less energy to move a 150lb guy than it takes to move a 250 lb guy, but if the lighter guy has more effecient muscles, he is burning even less energy. Also, different foods and combinations of foods in your stomach take different degrees of energy to process. If you eat a lot of grains, you are pulling a huge amount of energy from other systems of your body to get that digested. Think about it.... Grain has evolved to be very rot proof. It has to survive, in the wet ground, through winter and intact, to be useful in the spring. And what is your stomach? It's a rot pot! So your stomach has a problem processing grains so it pulls energy from other systems like... your brain (after a starchy meal we get tired right?) to be able to produce enough digestive fluids to take care of business... btw your stomach is on a timetable to get food out of the stomach so that's why it does that ( about 3 hours). Also, mixing proteins and carbs create another problem..... it takes different digestive fluids to process these 2 foods. and guess what.... they dont mix! When your body is processing a protein and a carb at the same time... neither get processed properly (next time you do this, notice how much gas and bloating you experience). Even the energy created by the processing of these 2 foods together isn't very usable...
there's a lot better (and safer) ways to do this buddy. And in the long run.... it's gonna come down to less (and healthier) intake and excercise.
I've seen a lot of letters from people that not only are healthier, they are stronger willed people as well after conquring this my friend. You and your wife can do it.
-
dam chariboy..bets of luk..thsi doesnt sound liek fun..
btw..i was listing to..that doctor on the radio...whats his name..ahh Dr Dean Addel?..
he was talkn about the ballons in the belly....some new stuff about them..they were filling them with water..really safe and all..
but..seems you are getting very desperate to go to TJ...sounds a bit scary to me..
anyways...Bring back some Chiclets!!.:)
-
Chairboy,
After reading this thread I am very concerned for you and your wife; good luck to you both. My first concern is that a certain percentage of the population dies after undergoing any kind of surgery. I would be especially concerned with infections and anesthesia. Staff infections still occur in US hospitals and can be quite deadly. Your anesthetist must be every bit as good as your doctor; I would check their record as well. I’m no expert, but what mosgood wrote above sounds intriguing. If you are not 100% committed I would look into that.
When exactly are your surgeries, and when can we expect your return?
I will be thinking about you.
Once again, good luck.
eskimo
-
Originally posted by Gunthr
Chairboy, just one thing before you go for that Lapband surgury.
Did you check out "Cortaslim", I think its called. A capsule that is supposed to be effective in repressing the hormone associated to the stress syndrome related to hunger?
Hmmm... last month there was an article in Popular Science about all the "pseudo-science" being used for marketing. Cortaslim was one of the featured commercials. According to PS, the claims are specious.
-
Opps...wrong thread. Was a lil misleading though.
I envisioned Bands that play specifically for Lap Dances...:rofl
-
Originally posted by Sandman
Hmmm... last month there was an article in Popular Science about all the "pseudo-science" being used for marketing. Cortaslim was one of the featured commercials. According to PS, the claims are specious.
All I can say is, don't believe everything you read. I've seen a arthritis pain relief device that literally thousands of people benifited from, pulled off the air because the FDA got the "word" from lobbyists that it was NOT in their self interest.
You wouldn't believe the stuff that is kept from us.
-
Popular Science now lobbies the FDA?
-
Originally posted by Sandman
Popular Science now lobbies the FDA?
LOL
No, but i'm sure it's easier to see that the AMA and Pharmacutical companies do. So depending on who Pop. Sci gets there information from, it can be skeud.
It is NOT in the AMA and Pharmacutical companies best interest for some jamok to come along and sell a great widget that actually helps people with arthritis and weightloss.
So Sandman, I did not say that Pop. Sci. lobbys the FDA.
-
this inner-ear condition I have to go on a very low salt diet. everything tastes so bland that you never feel like eating, and you can't cheat on it because if I go over my daily salt I get incredible pain. pain is a wonderful teacher, I'm sticking to this
diet fairly well so far.
What condition is that, sounds unique.
-
I wouldn't go to Mexico for a vacation let alone major surgery
hoping it turns out as you want for you and yours...