tachlime

Shame on your surgeon and nutritionist for not explaining about the drinking. Here is how I explain it when people ask why I don't drink with meals. Imagine a funnel (your pouch and band) in the top of a big jar. Now imagine pouring a can of tomato paste into the funnel. It will stay there a long time before it finally trickles into the jar. But if you add water in there the paste becomes more like tomato sauce or ketchup, and it will go through much faster. That's why you avoid water with meals.

Stick to thin crust, stay away from the "pan" style. Small bites, chew thoroughly, and of course, pick your spots. It's not something you want to have 3 times a week, but save it for special treat night.

It sounds like you do have some psychological issues, as most of us do. That being said, let's assume that you lose down to your goal weight and the binge demon says to you, "OK, you've worked hard, reward yourself, pig out for a few weeks!" If you've still got the band and have restriction, guess what? The first time you give in to your binge demon you will feel like you are going to die! The point is, the band will be a tool to help keep you honest that you never had before. You will just have to love yourself enough to work with the band and obey the rules (don't drink with your meals, avoid high calorie liquids, etc.). So stop the negative thinking and enjoy your journey!

The only discomfort from the fill was that after the syringe was inserted (mosquito bite) he had to keep manipulating the syringe while he was pressing on my belly trying to make sure he had the port. Not really pain, just pressure. Don't put too much faith in the accuracy of home scales-mine is relative expensive but it fluctuates wildly also, so I don't really pay attention to it. I consider my official scale the one at the surgeon's office. It says I've lost 20 lbs. Most of that was the pre-op diet. Good luck.

All I know is that after the post-op diet, which was five weeks, I could eat anything I wanted with no consequences. I had very little pain after three weeks post-op, so I'm guessing most of the swelling was gone by then. Hope that answers your question.

I got the first adjustment of my band this morning, about six weeks post-op. I had no restriction whatsoever after the swelling from the surgery went down, and I could eat normal portions with no consequences, even bread, rice, and stuff that causes problems for some. We started at 4cc in the 10cc band. I had difficulty just sipping Water right after the fill at the office without burping or getting hiccups, but the nurse said as long as there was no nausea I'd probably be OK. I've been able to get down about 48 oz. of water and juice today (Clear liquids for 2 days) and it seems to be getting easier, but still a LOT of burping and some hiccups. Is this normal after the first fill? I'm hoping not to have an "unfill", because I really like the idea of restriction. Your experiences would be appreciated.

I did 10 days of clear liquids before. I had very little post-op pain. Never filled the prescription pain meds and only took OTC twice. I believe that two things that affect the amount of post-op pain you have are 1) the skill of your surgeon, and 2) how closely you adhere to the pre-op clear liquids. The better your surgeon is and the more you shrink your liver, the faster he (or she) can get the job done and get out without disturbing your insides any more than necessary. So if you've been prescribed a pre-op diet, it may be tough, but you'll be glad the first week after surgery.

"That breathing thing" is called an incentive spirometer. I was banded Thursday the 10th also, and fortunately, I've had to take very little in the way of pain meds, just OTC Tylenol twice. I'm going to try to make it tonight without that. My biggest complaint is getting cold shakes late in the afternoon. I thought maybe I had fever, but it goes away after an hour or two. I may just be a little anemic.

I have BCBS of New Jersey. Just be prepared for a long wait, even after you've jumped through the hoops. They took 8 weeks to give the go ahead even though it was a slam dunk in terms of meeting the criteria. Maybe you won't have to wait too long. Also my psych evaluation was paid for. Sorry you couldn't find a surgeon/facilities in network.

Think of your banded stomach as a funnel in the top of a big jar. If you put a can of tomato paste in it, it's going to stay there quite awhile before it makes it's way though the narrow part of the funnel and into the big jar. But if you put tomato ketchup in the funnel, it will go down through pretty quickly. Eating with food dilutes the food and makes it thinner and pass through your band faster. You don't feel full as long.

Good point, Susan, about the long-term weight loss comparison. And I hope all of us are in this for the long term. It's a commitment to lifestyle change for the rest of our lives. Good luck.

I'm going through the pre-op testing in preparation for banding May 10. Today I had a chemical stress test. The cardiologist said the EKG portion looked great, and they would call with the results of the pictures. He warned me that in obese patients there are frequently "false positive" results. Sure enough, I got a call mid-afternoon by the doctor reading the tests who said there was a possibility of a small blockage, and that they only way to determine for sure if there is a blockage or if it is a false positive is to perform a cardiac catheterization. Has this happened to anyone else in band land? I've researched the cardiac cath and it sounds like it's major testing and more down time, and likely will push back my band date if I can't get one scheduled quickly. I'm very frustrated. Any insight, anyone? :help:

Krystal, remember that you can't change the past, so don't beat yourself up over it. Just don't forget that the band is a tool, so work with it. Don't drink with food, avoid high calorie liquids, and chew your food well. The weight will come off. Congratulations on your new start. I'm from Cape Girardeau. Long way to drive for appointments and fills, but it will be worth it.

After many weeks of waiting, I'm finally scheduled to be banded May 10 in St. Louis by Dr. Van Wagner. The approval should have been a formality, but of course BCBS-NJ took their sweet time-about 8 weeks. The last time it took me that long to get a date was high school. :heh: Pre-op testing this Friday and next Thursday (still dread the upper G.I.). Clear liquid diet for ten days also. So now it's finally sinking in-this is going to happen, and my life is going to change-for the better.