Suzzzie.

I think alot of people cheated...but thats no excuse. Fortunatly, my doc only had me on 1 day full liquids, then 1 day clear liuids before surgery. It was so hard those 2 days, I can't imagine having to do 2 weeks. The main thing is that your doc wants you to lose a few pounds the week (or 2) prior to surgery so that your liver loses weight and is easier to manage during surgery, since it lays accross your stomach and they have to move it. Try to be really good on your liquid diet at least the 2 days prior to surgery and you'll be fine!

My port did that on Thursday! I rested with a headting pack, then iced it for 15 minutes, and heated again. The swelling mostly went down. Mine is still really bruised too. Let us know what happened!

Haha, don't blame ME! I'm still in pain. Haha. I was supposed to work some OT today but got cancelled due to a low census (I work in a hospital) so now I'm lounging around doing nothing. I'm too broke to do anything fun today, but I'm BORED after spending the greater part of a week sitting around healing. I am considering going to the gym sometime today, though I prefer to go in the evenings. I just want to give it a try to see how it feels... I slept in the recliner last night, but I did take a nap yesterday evening in my bed, on my right side. It gets easier everyday! I can't wait until I have NO pain left! And before my appointment yesterday all of my incisions were fine... now they ALL itch! Its horrible. I don't want to keep scratching them, I'm afraid of infection. Overall though, I think they look really good! I've been taking pics of my tummy daily, to log the process. My bruises look much better too. Oh!! And I had 2 scrambled eggs this morning - first real-ish food I've had in forever! At first I was nervous about it, but it slid down well! I'm having trouble with taking the TIME to eat, but I am getting better about the no drinking with meals... (except the liquid meals! haha) OK, I think I have written enough... Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Fill date: July 20! I'm excited!!

Haha, you can be a man, that is OK. We like men here! Actually, I think you make our 4th man. Welcome!

I can't believe you're eating PIZZA! I had a scambled egg tonight and it was heaven. Lol. Pizza sounds good. Chinese does too. Mmm, so many good foods... it all just reminds me of WHY I needed this surgery!!

Just got back from my post op appointment, apparently all is well. The nurse practitioner pulled off my steri strips, then put new ones on my port incision. She assured me that the pain my my left side will pass, haha. I whined a bit about it. Got my appointment for my fill set up for 7/20, I'm excited about that! Hope everyone here had a great day... I'm gonna go lounge in my jammies for another exciting Friday night! captain danbo - I'm 7 days post op and STILL sleeping in my recliner. I can lay in bed, on my back...but I can't sleep that way. It's incredibly painful to sleep on my sides, even with pillows for support.

OK... Im going back to work this morning! It will be a better day cause all I'm doing is passing meds until noon when I leave to go to the doc for my post op visit. I'm sooo looking forward to leaving at noon. By the way, I figured it up last night and my calories have only been around 500 - 600 a day since starting full liquids. It was around 200 when I was on clear liquids. Ugh. I still don't get hungry, but did have a FF pudding last night just cause I 'wanted' something.

Welcome Terry! BTW, I went to high School witha male Terry. AND I'M NOT THAT OLD! Hahahaa! Toni - Seriously? you're named after a hair product? Haha. I was named after Suzanne Somers. My Aunt that you remind me of (Phyllis) was named after the labor/delivery nurse when my Grandma went in to have her. Lol! So funny how people come up with names!

OMGoooooodness. I went back to work today (6 days post op) and I'm in horrible pain. All throughout my abdomen, some sharp pains, some dull pains. Some I know are gas, others feel like... I dunno. My port site is more swollen now than it has been, and I have another incision site that is swollen tonight as well. In case you're wondering - I'm a nurse on an oncology ward. I didn't lift much, but more than I'm supposed to... I didn't bend much, but more than I should have. Wahh. I still have some of my Lortab Elixor, I might go take some and camp in the recliner for the night. (Thats another thing - I STILL can't lay down! Tonight will be my 7th night in that dang chair!) I have a doc appt tomorrow and I'm going to ask him what he did to me! Haha. I hope you all had a better day than I did! PS. Is anyone else experiencing sweating?? I won't even be hot and will just start sweating! I never sweated before unless I was really working out at the gym!!!

Interesting! I was not told to stay overnight to make it cheaper. How odd... Here is the quote from fepblue.com " You Pay Standard Option You Pay Basic Option A comprehensive range of services provided, or ordered and billed by a physician, such as: • Operative procedures • Treatment of fractures and dislocations, including casting • Normal pre-and post- operative care by the surgeon • Correction of amblyopia and strabismus • Colonoscopy - diagnostic • Other Endoscopy procedures • Biopsy procedures • Removal of tumors and cysts • Correction of congenital anomalies (see Reconstructive Surgery in this section of the brochure) • Treatment of burns • Circumcision of newborn • Insertion of internal prosthetic devices. See Section 5(a) – Orthopedic And Prosthetic Devices, and Section 5© – Other hospital services and supplies – for our coverage for the device. • Voluntary sterilization (e.g. Tubal ligation, Vasectomy) • Assistant surgeons/surgical assistance by a physician if required because of the complexity of the surgical procedures • Gastric restrictive procedures, gastric malabsorptive procedures, and combination restrictive and malabsorptive procedures to treat morbid obesity — a condition in which an individual has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more, or an individual with a BMI of 35 or more with co-morbidities who has failed conservative treatment; eligible members must be age 18 or over. Benefits are also available for diagnostic studies and a psychological examination performed prior to the procedure to determine if the patient is a candidate for the procedure. Note: When multiple surgical procedures that add time or complexity to patient care are performed during the same operative session, the Local Plan determines our allowance for the combination of multiple, bilateral, or incidental surgical procedures. Generally, we will allow a reduced amount for procedures other than the primary procedure. Note: We do not pay extra for "incidental" procedures (those that do not add time or complexity to patient care). Note: When unusual circumstances require the removal of casts or sutures by a physician other than the one who applied them, the Local Plan may determine that a separate allowance is payable. Preferred: 10% of the Plan allowance Preferred: $100 copayment per performing surgeon Note: If you receive the services of a co-surgeon, you pay a second $100 copayment for those services, No additional copayment applies to the services of assistant surgeons Participating: 25% of the Plan allowance Participating: You pay all charges Non-participating: 25% of the Plan allowance, plus any difference between our allowance and the billed amount. OK, sorry, I know this made the post INCREDIBLY long... Basically, I was told it will be covered, except for deductible... and that is what I am counting on! Haha. I'll let ya'll know if/when I get a bill!

I have BCBS federal also. My surgery was just this past Friday, so no bills YET...but I'm expecting one. I know another woman from this site who has the same insurance and used the same place I did for surgery and she got a huge bill too, but she doesn't have to pay it for some reason? I dunno. THe Docs bill the insurance companies WAY higher than they know they will pay, in order to get a larger amount of money. Call the insurance people and ask them about it, then call your doc office. If you have to pay ANYTHING at all, they can set up payments for you.

haha, thought this was cute...(if it works...)

Oh Toni! I'm so sorry!! I hope no damage was done. Take it easy. BTW, you remind me sooo much of my aunt - the way you 'talk' and use the smilies.

Well, for protein and calcium I make my protein shakes using 16oz skim milk and 2 1/2 scoops of Body Fortress Whey Protein (23gm per scoop). I drink this off and on throughout the day. I have 1 fat free pudding cup. 1 fat free yogurt. And I've been drinking the V8 V-Fusion light, I like the peach and mango one. Each 8oz cup has 1/4 cup veggies and 1/4 cup fruit mixture. I'll have about 2 8oz cups a day. I've also really enjoyed blended cream of mushroom and cream of celery soups, but can't eat much of that before I start to feel really bloated.

I kinda agree about the regular foods thing. I'm good on liquids. Everything goes down, I have no hunger, getting in about 50-60 gms protein a day, plenty of calcium and fruits/veggies all with JUST liquids. Of course... I know I will get hungry at some point...and I will want to CHEW. Haha. But I am a bit worried about eating 'regular' foods.

I had my surgery at WTLSC on 6/15 by Dr. Ellison, and he did a great job. Everyone there is so nice, I would recommend them in a heatbeat! My first consultation was 5/9/07 and surgery date 6/15/07...so everything went very fast.

Haha, I saw that Velvety Potato soup at the store and wanted it so bad, but I was still on clears at the time and wasn't sure if we could even have that when we started fulls. Yum! Now I might have to go back to the store! As for the Ibuprofen, I would MUCH prefer that over the Tylenol, but couldn't find it in liquid? Maybe I didn't look long enough? It was when I went out by myself for the first time and I was really hurting and felt sick, so I just grabbed the Tylenol and left.

I quit taking the lortab elixor on Monday - it didn't help at all with the pain, and would knock me out for hours. I have been taking liquid tylenonl twice a day, mostly cause I get headaches. The pain I have is a cramping, like muscle cramps. I think I would benefit from a muscle relaxer...maybe I'll ask the doc about that on Friday? I am starting to feel a general discomfort around my port site, which is just odd and hard to explain. The skin around the port site is still numb to the touch, and swollen, and when I lightly push around it it feels weird. All of my incisions look great, no pain from them at all. And, no, I don't feel like I've lost weight. I still feel bloated and blah. Haha, either way, its nice to see the scale move in the RIGHT direction!

OK, I'm feeling better (emotionally) today than I was yesterday. I've decided to quit whining! I still have pain and am sleeping in the recliner because it hurts badly to lay anyway other than my back, but I'll deal with it! The pain is just temporary. When all is said and done I will be thinner and healthy! I had a dream last night that I went to some party and I was still quite chubby, but smaller than I am now, and there were guys hitting on ME instead of my friends! That was a great dream! I am also down to 365.5 pounds today. Started at 382... so this is amazing. I should count up my calories - even though I'm still in full liquids right now. ANYWAY - I hope everyone has an amazing day! CONGRATULATIONS - to all who are banded today!

Oy... so I am skipping work again today. There is just no way! Ha I think I was crazy to be thinking about going to work by Sunday (2 days post-op)! I still have alost of soreness in my left abdomen, today is a mix of muscle pain and that annoying gas - the gass hurts from left chest through to my back. Also I have pain in my mid chest/tummy...thinking its where my band is? I don't know, but its very uncomfortable. Wah, I'm turning into such a complainer! I did get out of the house on my own yesterday though. I drove 3 miles to Wal-Mart and bought some liquid tylenol, and then stopped on my way home and filled my gas tank. I was in so much pain from getting in and out of the car... I just want to cry! I feel like I should be 'better' by now?? Anyone else having boredom issues?? I'm so BORED sitting around the house!! Normally I would eat my boredom away, but obviously can't now. My neighbors were grilling out steaks last night and they smelled sooooo good, my mouth was watering and my tummy growled, which was weird. I had a bit of a pudding cup and was stuffed. I do miss food. Bah. I think I just need to start feeling better so I can get up and OUT of this house!!

I haven't heard anyone else say that they needed to do an enema, and my doc didn't require it. I'm not sure why they want it, other than to just be sure your bowel is empty. You might ask them. Its not that bad...people in general have an anxiety about enemas, especially if they've never had one before, but I'm a nurse and its not that big of a deal. Good luck!

Yes yes! Can't wait! I'm going to try to schedule it when I'm there on Friday for my post-op appt.

I have federal bcbs and was approved the same day as my papers were submitted. My BMI was 54, with no co-morbidities. good luck!!!

thats so awesome! Congrats to you! I have a pair of 24s I bought on clearance a few years ago... never worn them. CAN'T WAIT!!