LTjr

I am up to 8cc's and Sometimes I feel restriction. I'd better find my spot soon, don't have much room left.

I am a month out and on the stage 4 diet. Since then, I haven't lost any weight this week, just jumping around +/- 5lbs, and it is quite annoying. I know I shouldn't weigh myself everyday, but it is bizzare to see me gain 5lbs in a matter of hours, only to lose it by morning and start all over again.

Yes. I used to love propel drinks and a certain fruity protein(new whey bullets) drink before surgery, now I can't stand them!

I was just talking to my surgeon about this today. I finally made it to stage 4 and couldn't be happier. He also said that even though i have no fills yet, there is "some" restriction. I mean, c'mon, I just had a band put around the top of my stomach.It's created a funnel that lets less food in than without it. Obviously the restriction isn't drastic like a fill, but I noticed that I get full quicker after a little food, but also I get hungry more often. SOme people can go up to a year without a fill.

I am not sure how accurate this is , but this site calculates how many calories you burn a day based on height, weight, age and level of activity. Free Calorie Counter - Calories Burned, BMI, BMR & RMR Calculator It says I burn over 2000 calories just lying in bed!

My pre op diet was the same: 3 meal replacements, and 1 real meal per day. Do you just have to drink shakes, or do you have a calorie goal. I found out that I had a 1200 calorie a day goal. after that I didn't really stick to shakes, but kept myself under or at 1200 cals a day and it worked fine. The surgeon said my liver was good. I am not saying go against your surgeon, but ask your nutritionist if you have a calorie goal.

Have any of you who are in Mass with BCBS had problems getting approved? I am being submitted for review with the surgeons tomorrow,then, if approved by them,submission to BCBS? Would they not approve it if I hadn't been to a supervised WL program? My BMI is 49 and I have 2 co morbidities.... I have a gym membership(a lot of good that's doing), trying my own diets for years, but never a jenny graig or weight watchers. I've taken pills, slim fast...all that crap. Has anyone here ever been denied because of this? I guess I am freaking out a little. Thanks.

I am only 2 weeks post, but my surgeon told me if you don't take in enough protein, you will lose hair.

I agree that you need to rest for a full day at least. You may be on morphine after surgery plus anesthesia takes a long time to get out of your system. you will be in pain even if minor. I don't really agree with going home the same day, IMO.

I am almost 2 weeks post op. and I still have swelling between my band and port incisions. It is very uncomfortable (but not painful) to drive or sit up straight. I freak myself out thinking I had either developed a hernia or had some internal bleeding. an ice pack helps sometimes..feels good to numb it down.

Hello, I am a week post op and feeling pretty good. Now that I am no longer on the liquid Oxycoten I am feeling a little uncomfortable. Decent amount of swelling between the port and band incision. I was a little worried at first, because the swelling has not gone down, but my nurse said it was normal. The day after I was released, I was back in the emergency room for dehydration and shortness of breath.My stonach was so full of gas, that I wasn't able to get all the fluids I needed. So now I am on Lovenox for a month to prevent blood clots. But now I am doing well, not hungry at all, actually, I have to remind myself to eat(drink). Good luck to the future bandsters!

This is a great thread. I am being banded Wednesday August 1st, and I am still worried that my old eating habits will prevent it from working. I kind of lost faith in myself a little bit.It is reassuring to know that people with similar habits actually have trouble eating the way they used too. It is just hard for me to imagine that "I" could turn down the food that I once could eat the entire bag/box.

My surgery date is August 1st, so I am a few days into my pre op diet. My plan is 3 meal replacements and a "real food". For men, it is a 1200 calorie diet, for women a 1000. But when I add up my meal replacements and lean cuisine(my choice for "real" food) it's only 900 calories. I'll be damned if I let those 300 slip away. So now i have a little fun figuring out how to spend the 300. Also if you go for a walk for 30 minutes , the calories you burn get added to your calorie count, for me, it is an extra 266 calories, so essentially, I can eat another 566 calories. I hope this helps. Now if I can only use those calories for good.......

I just got my approval in the mail today, no sweat. Date is set for August 1st. There were no hangups, probably because my case is bad. Pre op diet starts Monday....ugh.

Wow, next Thurs....Awesome! how long did it take to get to that point? I am only at the nutritionist stage, but I got my psyche evaluation the day after I started the program....The therapist was freaked out I got it so fast. Anyways, good luck! Try not to feel too overwhelmed....this is a good thing for you!

This confuses me, because even with out a fill your new stomach is only capable of holding around 3cc's of food(right?). How can someone feel as hungry like they had no surgery???

I am also going with Beth Israel. There is a surgeon named Dr. Shnieder, I met him at an information seminar. I was very impressed with his confidence and knowledge. He has done around 500 RNY's and close to 300 LAP, he has been doing more LAP's lately due do it's increased popularity.

Hi christellini, i don't know what insurance you have, but I know some will only cover RNY and not LAP. If you can't get the lap RNY may be the next best thing. I am from Mass. and my sister has the state run healthcare. MassHealth only covered RNY. It is bizarre to me that some companies will not cover LAP. Both surgeries help the same problem. I know LAP is more expensive, especially if it is done Laproscopically . I hope you can find a solution.

Hello all, I am new to this forum and am in the middle of the process to get the surgery. I have felt that lapband was right for me up until recently. My main concern is that I will still eat the same foods(junk), just smaller amounts and more often. My question is for the people who have had lapband is do you find yourself still eating the junk food or has the surgery changed the way you look at food and keeps you on the right track? My second concern is long term. Have the people who have had lapband more than 5 years ago been able to keep the weight off? I am still mostly leaning towards lapband, but I have a real sweet tooth and want to make sure I do not regret the surgery I go with. Thanks to any who reply.

Thanks Raven5683! I love the new outlook on food that you now have. Understanding how other people change after surgery makes me more confident that I can do it also. I don't want to eat that crap anymore, but I don't like the idea of re routing my anatomy to do it. I understand it will be more difficult to keep those foods away, but it seems that a lot of people see those foods in a different light after surgery. I am seeing lots of success in this forum and I know I can be another one. Thanks for the advice!

Thanks for the speedy reply! laurend- Thanks for that piece of info. That was basically what I was looking for. Long term success is very important to me (as I am sure all who get this). Buffie- I am now where you were a year ago, so I definitely get what you are saying. It is very encouraging to see someone with a similar lifestyle break out of it and take control of their eating. Congrats on the progress! Your success has me feeling more confident that this surgery is more for me than RNY. I want to use the band as an aid, not a crutch. If anyone else has an opinion, I would love to hear it.