Sojourner

I recently went through that too. It helped me to stay on a liquid diet for several days after I was feeling better. I'm still not totally back to "normal"...sipping Water has become more difficult that it was prior to my illness...I guess there is some residual swelling around the band. I hope you feel better fast...

I also had to have my gall bladder removed due to rapid weight loss 6 months after having my band placed. My gallbladder was discovered to no longer be working, which contributed to my first episode of pancreatitis...also no fun. I did find that recovery from the gallbladder removal to be more painful than the band surgery, mostly due to the placement of the incisions. I just took a day at a time (we all do!), and within a week felt much better. Best wishes for a fast and uncomplicated recovery!

Two days ago I experienced my first episode with vomiting. I have 5cc of Fluid in my band. Afterwards I gave my stomach a rest for about 6 hours. Not wanting to risk dehydration again, I began with sipping plain Water for a couple of hours, and then went back to a full liquid diet for the following day. It was difficult for me to take my prescriptions later that evening; I waited a couple of minutes between pills, and experienced no additional complications. Everything has felt normal since the day after...however I continue to be conservative with food choices. I'll let my surgeon know what has happened when I keep my next appointment in a couple of weeks. Based on my recent experiences, I don't believe I need to have my band unfilled. I'll continue to monitor the way I feel. Should anything change with that, I won't hesitate to contact my surgeon. It is not likely you did any harm with what happened to you. As with all medical related concerns, it will always be best for you to contact your surgeon with medical questions...peace of mind is a priceless commodity!

As getting banded is all about changing your lifestyle, in my perspective, that means looking for other Snacks to take the place of those in the last which likely were part of the reason you became obese. As others have mentioned, it is important to become an educated label reader, and understand the ingredients of everything you put in your mouth. I've left "snacking" behind in my other life, along with chocolate. I've had 1 piece of chocolate in 9 months. I don't graze or eat between meals. If i did, to me it would mean that I was engaging in the same behaviors which contributed to my obesity in the first place. I've come too far to turn back. Others mileage may vary...

I can't get down on myself for enjoying the sampling of a number of many of the choices of traditional Thanksgiving foods which were on the dinner table yesterday. I didn't eat extreme portions, and I did allow myself to have a very small portion of many of the different family tradition menu items which we have every Thanksgiving. I felt the key was to not have too much of anything...and I didn't. These recipes are only prepared once a year, so to miss everything would have left me feeling deprived of a great time and traditions. I know myself well enough to understand that I am able to return to my diet compliance the following day. I also know that celebrating a holiday was not the reason I became obese. Understanding my limits and getting back on track the following day were not a justification or a rationalization for me to stray from my daily routine. Joining in an annual family celebration is an event which I likely would have resented not participating in. I understand that none of us will have perfect daily compliance with what we understand we need to do for weight loss success. I also understand that resentments for not joining in will often sabotage diet compliance. Every day brings choices...yesterday I celebrated Thanksgiving. Today I am back to my compliance with my portions and few carbs. No harm done, and great memories of quality time with cherished family.

I don't believe you will need to take a laxative pre op, and your surgeon should give you a script for either a stool softener or a laxative for post op. Most of the problems, at least for me were due to a complete lack of Fiber post op. Things have gotten much better the further out from surgery I am. Best wishes for a successful journey!

As others have posted, a successful weight loss journey with the band requires significant lifestyle changes. Your original post indicates that you are currently working in an environment where your food triggers are constantly around you. Not an ideal situation unless you develop the willpower to say no to eating beyond what you should. Weight loss with the band requires you to make good menu choices and manage your portions carefully, along with regular exercise. I also had health issues and was facing an official diagnosis of Type II diabetes which pushed me to choose to have my band placed. I was pleased to read that you are carefully considering your options about the band surgery, for it is not without risks. Previous to the band surgery, I had only had 1 surgery and 1 hospitalization all my adult life, with the exception of the birth of my children. Since having my band surgery, I have required 2 hospitalizations and 1 surgery. These were not directly caused by my band, however they were related to weight loss and the band increased the circumstances to the level of needing to be in the hospital. Whatever your decision is, be certain that you approach it with an open mind and be certain that this choice is being made by your own motivation and not others. Best wishes for your weight loss success...

I remember from our most recent cruise that I had to change the patch every 72 hours. Post op, I was instructed to remove it after the 72 hours had passed. My prescription for my band surgery was only for 1 patch.

I agree with you...to me, Muscle Milk tastes horrible...like drinking the contents of a test tube in chemistry class! I was advised by my surgeon that the best Protein choice for bariatric patients is 100% whey isolate protein, and there are a number of different Protein shake products which are based on this complete protein. I use the GNC Wheybolic Extreme protein powder, and when I mix this with 1% milk, I get 37g of protein per shake. And it's true...all of the products GNC sells are covered through their return policy. It's important for you to try several types until you identify a couple that you can tolerate or even like. I actually do like the GNC product I use, but it did take several tries to find THE one for me. Best wishes...

Nausea is also a symptom of dehydration; I ended up in the hospital because I did not recognize this. Though I was nauseous, I had to force myself to continue to SIP Water frequently. Frequent sipping of water and IV infusion did make the nausea resolve. And your doctor should have given you medication for nausea in addition to the pain meds, which also could be a cause of your nausea. I had a motion sickness patch which was prescribed for me that I had to apply 12 hours prior to my surgery. It worked well, and immediately post op I did not experience any nausea. Best wishes...I hope you feel better fast!

I have an autoimmune spectrum disease which causes chronic inflammation in my joints; if I can't my meloxicam I can't move too well. I had to decrease my pre-band surgery dose of the NSAID by 50% which just gets me by, though barely. I have to take Prevacid daily to protect my stomach. On a few occasions, my surgeon has allowed me to take an Advil liquigel which did not have any negative effects. When I had my gall bladder surgery in August, my band did not need to be unfilled. I have heard of people needing their bands unfilled for surgery, however my surgeon said that for me it was not necessary. Good luck, feel better!

I stopped drinking my morning coffee while on the pre op and post op liquid diets. Coffee is a known stomach irritant, and I really wanted to avoid any possible complications with the band surgery and getting off to a positive start with my new life. My surgeon advises avoiding drinking all coffee except decaf, which to me tastes horrible. About 2 months post op, I did resume enjoying my daily glass of iced coffee in the morning. I use a dark chocolate Stevia for sweetener, and still add a splash of real half 'n half. The amount of calories it adds is minimal, and realistically we do need some fat in our diet. I limit myself to the one glass in the morning, and the rest of the day/evening the only liquids I have are Water.

Why, thanks CG!!

The band will not prevent you from overeating, that is a skill you must master. It is easier to avoid overeating because you will pay negative consequences if you do overeat. The "rules" include measuring portions to limit the amount of food you have for every meal. Every surgeon seems to vary slightly in their recommendations; my surgeon wants each meal to have 3 oz of lean Protein and 2 oz of a healthy Fiber carb (i.e. fresh fruit, sweet potato, steamed veggies). Following those rules and staying with the foods you know you are able to tolerate well will help you to not stretch your pouch over time and allow your weight loss to begin. I do still get hungry between meals, however not before 3.5-4 have elapsed. I've discovered that getting all of my fluids and limiting my meals to the right sized portions is easier if I structure my time to drink a minimum of 25-30 oz between every meal. There have been comprehensive discussions about diet approach on this forum. My surgeon has advised me that if I make good choices with meals and measure my portions there is no need for me to count calories. To this day, I have never counted calories, and this approach has worked for me. Others have been advised to track their calories. It depends on what you are advised to do by your surgeon. One universal rule however is that having enough protein and being certain to take all of your Vitamin and mineral supplements is a must. We have to learn to time meals (20 minutes is my limit), eat slowly, take only small bites, and chew every bite 20-30 times to be certain to minimize your risks to get food stuck. Another wide variation exists with surgeon instructions as to how long you need to abstain from drinking after meals, and if drinking during meals is allowed. As per my surgeon, I need to wait 1 hour after finishing my meal before I am supposed to have anything to drink, and never drink during my meals. I've found this is not difficult to follow providing I am properly hydrated prior to a meal. Over time, if you have additional fills, you will discover that you need to be more aware of your menu choices, as there will be likely foods which you can no longer tolerate eating, and many that you no longer want. Many posted stating that they cannot tolerate raw vegetables; I have a small salad every day. Everyone is an individual, and you will learn through trial and error what your limitations with diet are. Initially all of this did seem overwhelming to me, however over time it has become much easier to follow. I have never regretted my decision to have my band placed, and as others have written, I only wish I had been able to have this done sooner! Best wishes...

I believe that your mindset and determination to be successful before you are banded will be major determining factors for your level of success with your weight loss journey. Looking at the quote in my signature will give you my approach to my life with the band. Life with my band has not been difficult, however I was determined to be successful with my weight loss as I was pre-diabetic and knew I would never be a compliant diabetic. As so many others have shared, it was much more difficult to live with excess weight than it has been to make the lifestyle adjustments necessary for a successful weight loss journey. I have not experienced any cravings to date with the exception of understanding more about how the cycle of eating unhealthy carbs (i.e. white, over processed foods such as white bread, Cookies, any foods with added sugars) and the craving to continue to eat those unhealthy carbs. Eating a piece of crumb cake will be certain to make want me to have another piece. I understand that I was a carb addict, and you have to avoid those items that feed your addiction. For me, the pre and post op diets were the most difficult parts of this journey...and just being honest those weeks were a B***H. However there is an endpoint to that part of this journey, and for me it has become easier over time. One key point is to understand that just because you can eat something which is not on your "allowed" list of foods does not mean that you should eat it. You likely will be able to tolerate most all foods, the difference between your success and failure with your band for weight loss is that you should comply with your diet despite being able to eat whatever you want to. No one will be with you 24/7 to enforce your diet compliance; it must come from within you, and you should be motivated for this journey because you want to loose the weight. Don't expect that you will be 100% compliant every day; tomorrow does come with a "restart" button, just don't use it too often. When you "cheat" on your diet compliance, you are harming only yourself. Your band is highly self empowering, as you will determine your level of success with how effectively you make the life style adjustments for diet compliance and exercise. I have no regrets for choosing to have my surgery, and I have benefited from the results to date. I have experienced some medical complications, however these were caused by my weight loss and not the band. Whatever your choice is, just be certain to approach it with an open mind and a motivation for your own success. Best wishes...

Sigh...still a few months from when I'm allowed to drink wine...

Spinach quiche and blueberries...

I would definitely consult with your primary care physician to help determine this goal. My goal is that for a healthy and normal BMI, and is less than that established by both my bariatric surgeon and my PCP. I have not come all this way to have my BMI in the overweight range or borderline normal. That said, I am 5'4". My goal weight as established by me is 140. My bariatric surgeon set my goal at 166 (using a formula which states in part that as an average we loose only approx. 2/3 of our excess body weight), and my PCP at 150 (which he felt was a healthy goal based on my frame size(small) and age(late 50's)). Your goal should be a healthy weight for you, one at which you feel healthy. Definitely discuss this goal with your PCP!

I've never heard of this pre op requirement either. I'd certainly be asking additional questions of both your physicians's office and your insurance company as to inform you of the rational and medical necessity of this evaluation prior to moving forward in your insurance approval process. Insurance companies are not infallible, so that which I don't understand I do question...Don't feel discouraged...be patient. All good things are worth waiting for...good luck!

No, Celebrex is classified as a NSAID, and is contraindicated for those who are banded. I have many issues with arthritis and had to stop taking meloxicam (Mobic), also a NSAID as a result of being banded. I've had major challenges with trying to get adequate exercise and still be able to walk. I'm still searching for a good alternative. I have to resort to hydrocodone when the pain becomes worse, but I can't live on narcotics forever...

What an excellent validation of your progress! I had to renew my driver's license the month prior to my surgery, as my birth date was only 6 days after my surgery. I haven't had any difficulty convincing anyone it's still me, but look forward to getting a new licence and picture next year when we move. Keep up the great work!