hgranola

Hello folks! I finally had my lap band surgery on the 20th, Monday. My hospital experience was fabulous! Every staff member seemed like they really cared about me and they supplied very nice private rooms! My surgery went off without a hitch. I have 5 little incisions on my abdomen. I am in some pain, prescribed lortab which works fine for me. I got several heparin shots while I stayed at the hospital (2 a day) and an Ancef injection as an antibiotic before I left. I had really good weight loss before the surgery which was encouraging in itself. On an 8 day clear liquid diet I lost 15 pounds and in the 4 weeks prior to that I lost approx 10 pounds just doing my own thing. So I am happy with my surgery and I look forward to continuing my involvement on this board!

Good luck on your surgery! I was very nervous the 24 hours leading up to surgery. I almost talked myself out of it once and my husband had to get me back to earth. My nerves were shot. I have been on the look out for my port but I can't find it. I have pushed around and looked but it's hiding pretty well. I go back in a couple weeks so I'll ask about it then.

GNC does carry single serving packs for you to try. The Vitamin Shoppe does as well.

I have the sugar free almond roca. Yum! Smart and Final here has them as well as the pump tops. I think BJ's Bariatrics carries them online as well.

I had a whole week's worth of last suppers! I had Vietnamese food one night, Indian another. It was crazy. Now I am on day 5 of an 8 day clear liquid diet and I am looking forward to my morning Flintstone vitamin! Ha!

Jay Robb egg white Protein is whey and lactose free. I don't care for the vanilla flavor but chocolate and strawberry are good! It mixes well and it uses stevia for the sweetener. No artificial colorings. http://www.jayrobb.com/protein/egg-protein-vanilla-12-oz-bag.asp

My doc requires a 5 day CLEAR liquid diet for 5 days before surgery. But, he told me that since my BMI is over 50 that he wanted me to do EIGHT days instead! My surgery is June 20th and I have been drinking chicken broth, eating sugar free popsicles and Jello along with three Protein shakes a day since June 12th and this is totally for the birds. I just want to curl up and go to sleep only to wake when it's time to go to the hospital and have my surgery! Today I went to the store to buy foods for post op and I almost passed out in the store. I was broken out in a full sweat and everything. Plus, I have had diarrhea since I started this diet so running errands has been hard because I have to be constantly aware of where the bathroom is everywhere I go. Gah! I can't wait for this to be over with!

I just got my surgery date too! Mine is June 20th! So excited and so nervous all at the same time!

Hello, my name is Holly and today I got clearance from a psychologist for surgery! I spent almost 2 hours with the woman and she asked me all sorts of questions about the psychiatric issues I have and medications I take. At the end of the appointment she told me she had 2 recommendations for me. 1) see a therapist that works with women with eating disorders because I have one (OUCH!) and practice sipping my Water instead of gulping. The eating disorder kind of shook me up a bit. Nobody has ever told me that before. I tend to eat carbs to soothe myself when anxious or when I want to go to sleep. Apparently that's a disorder. She did clear me for surgery though. The psycho clearance was the last thing I needed to do before they can schedule me for surgery *is giddy*. It's really happening! Lap Band here I come!

I'd like to hear how it goes for you on the clear liquid diet. I am worried about having enough energy to do my job (I'm a job coach) on a liquid diet. I am considering taking a one month leave of absence around my surgery date (not scheduled yet) just so that I am not weak or testy on the job.

I'm terrified of puking too. It seems like it would be harder and puking is bad enough when you have to stick your head in a toilet bowl and wretch! I am afraid of getting "stuck" even though I am planning on being super careful about what I eat. I am also afraid of all of the lose skin afterwards. I am afraid of having to go to work and do my job on the liquid diet that comes after the surgery for those first few weeks. I am afraid I just won't have the energy to do it. I hear ya, I have some fears too!

I have been stocking up on sample packs and starter kits of various powders so that I can taste them all now and then know what to get BEFORE my liquid diet starts. On Vitalady.com you can order single serving packs of lots of different shakes. I am still waiting for my box to come from them. I tried the Jay Robb brand Egg White Protein strawberry shake today for lunch and it was pretty good. I like that it doesn't have this super long list of chemical ingredients in it and the only sweetener in it is stevia. There's no artificial coloring in it though so it wasn't pink. I also have a starter pack from unjury but haven't tried it yet. I tried "Celebrate" but found it ridiculously sweet and not in a good way. I hear that "BSN" is good but I am waiting for mine to come in the mail still so I can't comment. Good luck!

I have Medicare A and B as well and will be having the surgery next month. As far as I know everything is cleared and Medicare is paying.

I saw an entry in the surgery story section about a user here who went under anesthesia and everything only to wake up to find her doc couldn't do the surgery because her liver was too fatty so she had to try again. So, it does happen. How often? I dunno.

I have been under MANY times and while people say you can't dream while under (even the nurses say this) I always come to right smack out of a crazy dream! Maybe I am just dreaming while in recovery....like I have come out of the anesthesia and now I have actually fallen asleep and have started to dream? I'm not sure but it always happens to me. I also have epilepsy and I dream while I'm coming out of a seizure. It's very much the same feeling to me, the coming out of a seizure and coming out of anesthesia.

You can take small pills. If they are large your doctor can tell you if they can/should be crushed or if there is a liquid form for you to take instead. If you take a time release pill it cannot be crushed or split. Maybe the nurse was referring specifically to a pill that you currently take?

Is this support group still active?

I'm due to be banded in May and live in North county.

I'm being banded by Dr Takata at Scripps in late May. Anyone else? I could use some Band Buddies. Tee Hee

I thought the liver reduction diet was the liquid diet we go on for a week or two pre-surgery. Perhaps I am wrong? Regardless, hang in there. Start tomorrow over and keep the dialog going. If you want to instant message with people tomorrow to keep you from making poor food choices, then do that. Pull in all of your support people and call your friends. That's what they are there for. If it helps any, I'll be home tomorrow in the morning until noon-ish in California and would be available for instant messaging. Hang in there!

I haven't gotten my surgery date yet but it's looking like the end of May or beginning of June. However, I take a LOT of medication. By a lot I mean 11 different pills at night and 6 in the morning and that's not including the Vitamins. Some of the pills that I take are rather large. How is this going to work when I get banded? Am I going to have to crush all of them? Just the larger pills? Maybe just use my pill splitter on the large pills? What size pills will fit? Will I just have to crush/split them temporarily? Anyone out there take a large amount of medication too and have any advice?

I'm buying my vitamins in chewable forms. I've been eying my medications suspiciously ever since I held the tiny lap band in my surgeon's office. I was thinking I could smash the larger pills up and put them into applesauce or something....maybe put them into a Protein shake when the time comes. None of my meds are time released so they can be split. One of my meds is diclophenac which will have to be switched I think because it's an NSAID which I hear is a no-no because of stomach irritation.

I actually considered going to Dr Callery first but now I am going through Dr Takata at Scripps instead so I have been through two free informational seminars so far and all of the associated beginner stuff.

According to this website: http://www.wlshelp.com/lap-band-vs-realize-band.html There aren't any long term studies yet to determine which is better or what the real differences are if there are any and it's basically all determined by the patient's anatomy. Personally, I think I'll take my surgeon's suggestion on this one because I think I think he'll know more about this particular area that I will. I feel a little perplexed by the two choices!

I just ordered myself the Unjury starter pack after reading this. I am planning a taste test before my surgery so that I have a supply on hand for all my liquid diet days both before and after surgery so that I am prepared with only the best shakes!