Monday, January 21, 2008

First Lap Band Meeting & Follow Up Appointment


I went to my first Lap Band Support Meeting on Saturday. It was a meeting made up of people in the Houston area who have received the lap band. I got there late but I wanted to hear at least part of it and it was really informative. It was totally voluntary.

I learned that the lap band is made of the same kind of plastic used inside of bodies, like hip replacements, etc. That was comforting to learn.

I asked some of the people there if they ever considered taking the lap band out and they all said absolutely not. I told them that one of the things that had gotten my attention about the lap band was the fact that it is reversible, however I haven't really given that part much thought.

Someone put it this way. People who have a pacemaker keep it inside for years. If they took it out they would die. The lap band is the same to an overweight person as a pacemaker is to a heart patient. If we take it out we may likely gain the weight right back and yes, it can lead to disease (heart, diabetes, high cholesterol) and death. Interesting analogy and very true.

Anyway, I go to my first follow up appointment THIS FRIDAY and for my first fill!! I am so excited! By fill it means that they will put saline fluid in that small tube that you see in the picture that leads up to the band. The band then tightens and restricts how much I can eat. As I lose weight the band loosens and I go in periodically for "fills." SO that's why I'm really excited about going in for a fill this Friday.
More than likely I will be on liquids for the rest of that day and probably mushy food the next day. Then I go back to normal food, but I'll feel full really fast. I am so looking forward to that! As I'm healing more and more my regular appetite is returning and it's scaring me! I need some more restriction. Let's see how I do with this first fill. (It's doing it again. Not leaving space between my paragraphs, even though I keep putting a space there.)

1 comment:

Jenny, the Bloggess said...

I know a lot of people who've had great success with those!