twohooz

Hopefully you were able to enjoy some of our great barbeque while you were here in NC! I have found that in addition to being a good source of protein, if done properly it is also very tender and 'band friendly' so long as you chew like you are supposed to! Glad you enjoyed being in our state and I am sorry for the one scumbag who tarnished your trip!

3 1/2 months since band and plication, down 40 pounds, but none of that has been in the last month. I appear to be on a plateau!

I was on a flight this past week, and for a decade or more I have carried a seat belt extender with me, I got one of my own since I was tired of (and embarrassed by) needing to ask for one. I tried the seat belt on this flight and it worked without an extender! It was a little snug, and I know some seat belts are shorter than others, so I am not ready to throw away my extender just yet. I am sure the lady next to me wondered why I had such a big grin as they were boarding the plane!

I had lap band and stomach plication on a Tuesday morning at 9:00, was home by mid afternoon. I took Wednesday through Friday off, although by Friday I was checking email a bit. I went back in full on Monday, but could have gone back by Saturday if it had not been a weekend. The key to starting to feel normal again was getting off the pain meds, which I stopped taking after by bedtime dose on Thursday night and just took Tylenol occasionally. I do have a desk job, so not being able to lift things was not an issue. I flew for business the following Tuesday, one week after surgery, and had no issues.

Agreed, I will eat everything I usually eat just in smaller quantities and chew a lot! T-day will be 4 weeks and a couple days post surgery so I will be transitioning from softer foods to real food, but I will not have had my first fill yet, so as long as I chew well I should not have any problems. One thing I have heard has caused problems is dry foods, so I will be a little careful with the turkey and make sure I don't try a piece from the outside of the bird that might be dryer and tougher. One thing I am NOT looking forward to is that my mother-in-law (we will be at their house) knows I have had surgery and has already asked my wife a couple times what I can eat. I keep trying to tell her just cook what you always cook or what you planned to cook, I will be able to eat most or all of it, if there is anything I don't want to eat I'll skip it ... but I don't want everybody talking about my food needs all weekend. Quite frankly, I don't talk or think about food that much anymore. I eat what I need to eat and move on!

Certainly not a medical viewpoint here, but I flew two weeks to the day after my surgery. In fact, I went from my two week checkup directly to the airport! Only real guidance I received was not to lift anything heavy and not to bend too much, so I checked my bag so I would not have to lift it into the overhead bin. Biggest challenge was making sure I brought enough 'food' with me as I was just transitioning from liquids to pureed/mushy foods at that point.

You should be excited! Congratulations for getting this far. I am three weeks and a couple days post op and all is well. Good luck on your journey!!

I have a 14cc band, and at my first post-op appointment I was told it had no Fluid in it. Now I am wondering, perhaps what he said that they didn't ADD any. I will have to ask next week when I go in for post opp appointment 2. I lost 14 pounds in 2 weeks post op, but I am now in week 3 and I have plateaued and actually put a couple pounds back on. But as many people have suggested in these forums, it can be counterproductive to weigh yourself every day. Weighing as much as I do, I can fluctuate several pounds day to day and that is a small percentage of my overall weight. What I DO know, despite what my scale says. My pants are baggy and I have worn a couple pairs that I had stuck on a shelf, assuming I would probably never wear them again! My son was home last weekend for an event at my younger kids' school, and he said 'Dad, your suit is too big!' I will take that over moving down a notch on the scale any day!

I think SkinnyJenn is correct, I think it is a combination of what the doctor requires and what the insurance company requires. The doctor should be requiring what he thinks is needed for you to be what he/she would consider to be a good candidate with a good chance of being successful with it. But let's face it, with the way our medical and legal systems seem to work, part of what the doctor is asking for is to cover his back side as well, I am sure. The insurance company also will require their battery of things to prove to them that it is medically necessary and has a good chance of being successful, thereby making it a reasonable 'investment' for them. Just all my opinions, of course! In my case, I had all the blood work done on the day of my initial visit/consult with the doctor. This included all the basic blood chemistry plus a lot of nutritional analysis to see where I might have had any deficiencies. I have been told that after 3 months post surgery they will do that again to make sure I am getting the nutrition I need. I had to meet with the nutritionist and get the psych evaluation. I know the documentation from the nutritionist included forms that needed to go to the insurance company. I have sleep apnea and use a CPAP, but they used the documentation from my original sleep study 5 years ago, I did not have to do that again. Also had an EKG that was done within the last year, so they could use that. The only two other things I had to have done were the barium swallow, my understanding is that was to make sure there were no obstructions or anything else that would impact the potential success of surgery. The last thing was a breath test I had to do to check for h pylori, a bacteria that can exist in your stomach that they have to treat for before surgery if you have it. For me, I had my first consult with the doctor in mid July, and my surgery was on October 29, so it took a little over 3 months. Some insurance companies require 3 or 6 month supervised diet programs from what my doctor said and others have posted in forums that they had to do. So I feel fairly fortunate that I got to surgery in 3 months. Based on my experience, I would make sure your doctor knows about any related exams or tests that you have had done before, it is less time consuming, and certainly less costly, to have them just get the records for things you have already done.

WOW! You really do look great! What an inspiration to those of us just starting out, thank you for sharing your success. Congratulations! I plan to follow in your footsteps!

Hi Jatinsle21! Welcome. For background, I was banded 8 days ago, and am on my third week of liquid diet, two weeks pre-op and the 8 days since. It really has not been as bad as you might think (only having liquids, that is), and I have lost 31 pounds since I started. Like many/all of us, I went initially to an informative session at my bariatric surgeon's office, I actually went to 3 different sessions at a couple practices in town. I did not know what type of procedure I was looking at when I started, but I wound up focusing on the lap band, and in my case, had it along with stomach plication or fundoplasty. I know some of the statistics favor more rapid results with the RNY gastric bypass, but to me, I could not see the major and largely non reversible alterations to my entire digestive system that RNY entails. In a pinch down the road, if anything I have had done needs to be reversed, it can be. To me, that was a big positive. The combination of the band for restriction, and the smaller stomach with the plication, seemed the perfect combination. A week out, I have been recovering very well. A couple twinges here and there when I try to get up from the bed or a chair? Yes. But 8 days in, the pain is gone. the discomfort gone, and I am pretty much back to normal. But the journey for me is just beginning. I am still on post op liquids, so I have not entered the part where I have to figure out how much 'real' food I can eat and how I will need to eat it. That starts with 'mushies' next week! One of the biggest challenges in getting through the process, is just that ... getting through the process. If you are attempting to have insurance cover the procedure, every insurer seems to have different hoops you need to jump through. In my case, I was able to get approved on the first pass, but I had to go through the doctor visits, nutritionist, exercise physiologist, psych evaluation, approval from PCP, heart tests, and sleep study (which I did not have to do again since I already use a CPAP and they just had to forward the results of the last one I had). The bills have not even started to come in yet, but it would appear based on the estimates I have received that I will be out about $1500 out of pocket. A very small price to pay, IMHO, for something that has already started having a positive impact on my health and well being. One of the debates I have had with myself has been about who to tell about what I am doing. I obviously told my wife and kids, also told my boss as I wanted him to know that there would be a significant number of doctor visits I would need to make in addition to the actual procedure down time and time out of office. For other coworkers that needed to know that I would be out of the office, I just told them I was having a 'minor procedure' and left it with that. Seems to be working so far. I had a hernia repair 'while they were in there', so for those that want to be nosier about what I had done, that is what I tell them I did. No need to get into the rest of it!

My doctor recommended plication, so I had it done with my procedure. It involved essentially folding over and stitching or stapling the stomach so that the stomach has less capacity, similar to what would happen if you had sleeve gastrectomy. My doctor calls it a fundoplasty. Reasons he recommended it are that once food gets through the band, you are still limited in how much you can eat because your stomach is much smaller. He also said that there is less likelihood of band slippage because there is not as much of a size differential between the portions of the stomach above and below the bands.

Hang in there, you can do it! I just completed 3 weeks on liquids (two pre-op, 8 days since surgery). Really looking forward to mushies next week! For me, keeping a variety of liquids available was key so you don't get tired of chocolate shakes! I have had chocolate and strawberry shakes, Unjury chicken soup flavored protein, unflavored protein in cream and tomato soups, and Isopure fruit flavored protein drinks.I really look forward to having soups in the evening when the family is having dinner, it makes me feel more like I am 'eating' with the rest of the family!

Reading through this certainly brightened my afternoon! Like many of you, I did not tell many people at all what I was doing. Wife, kids, boss. I wanted the boss to know mostly because of the number of pre and post op appointments I knew I would have to have. My coworkers who had to know I would be out of the office just knew I was having a 'minor procedure'. I am actually glad that in addition to the band, I had a hernia repair. Now when they are asking me post surgery how I am doing (and you know most of them are dying to ask you what your 'procedure' was for!) I can legitimately tell them it was for a hernia repair, and I am not technically lying! Then they can be supportive in wishing me well in my recovery from surgery, but we don't have to get into the whole other part of what I am going through.

Adding my congrats ... I was outpatient, but I was at home in bed, online on my iPad reading these forums as you are doing from the hospital it appears! You will feel like you have been kicked in the gut, you have had surgery and there will be some discomfort as your body recovers. I equated my feelings at the time with going a few rounds with Rocky. I am one week post op as of about 11 tomorrow morning. My experience has been quite positive, I was only on pain meds for a couple days. As long as you are careful about the bending and lifting restrictions that I am sure they will give you, and allow yourself time to recover at the pace your body wants, you should do great! This is a journey for us all! Nice to have another newbie on board. I wish you comfortable rest and recuperation the next couple days, then on to the rest of our smaller lives! Congratulations!

My nutritionist has recommended a multi Vitamin twice a day, and Calcium 3 times a day. For both, I am using Celebrate chewables that I get from the shop at my doctor's office, I have found they charge the same price as I can get them online but I don't have to pay for shipping that way. I am 6 days post op, and have had constipation as well, with the trauma your body goes through with a surgical procedure I can imagine that is part of it, I did not have any such trouble when I was on the same liquid diet for two weeks pre op. On day 3 or 4 I took a half dose of Miralax and that took care of the issue, but I was then loose for awhile after that, so I would be very cautious with how much laxative you take until you see what you need. I am hopeful that moving to mushies before too long and being able to get in some more veggies and fiber might help a bit ... but it is hard to get in much fiber on all liquids!

Donna66, good luck today, you are probably in your procedure or about to head in if your timing worked like mine. I was banded a week ago tomorrow, and as with any surgical procedure, there are apprehensions going in. The docs may perceive this as as being 'routine', but it is never routine when it is happening to you!. The worst part of the trip was the ride home, my wife was trying to avoid every bump and pothole .. I told her that swerving out of the way of a pothole and getting in a wreck was not worth it! I had a little discomfort and slept a lot the first two days, just take your pain meds and rest up while your body recovers. I am back at work on day 6 but I have a job where I mostly work from my home office, so I have the ability to get comfortable and still get some things done. I hope your experience post op is as good as mine has been, pain is gone, only thing lingering a bit is some lower back pain, likely from some lingering gas. The gas was the most uncomfortable part! Hope things go well for you over the next few days as you start your new journey!

I am about to 3 weeks on full liquids, two weeks pre-op, and tomorrow will be my one week anniversary from being banded. For me, the key has been to have variety, just drinking chocolate Protein shakes would drive me up the wall. I have never been much of a sweets person, but especially since starting this, I seem to like chocolate more than I did before ... seems a bit strange, but I will take it! I have mix for chocolate and strawberry Meal Replacement shakes, which I mix with milk and have a couple times a day. For the balance of getting in the protein I need, I either have an Isopure Protein Drink ... not exactly like drinking Kool Aid as to me they have an aftertaste, but it is a different way to get in protein with a different taste and feel to it. I have also had a wide variety of cream or broth Soups ... the premade ones in a box from Pacific I got from Target include creamy portobello mushroom, butternut squash, and french onion. If I still need more protein for the day, I will mix in an unflavored unjury protein packet, but getting in enough protein (I am supposed to have 80 grams a day) is never a problem, getting in 1000 calories without going way over on protein is proving to be more of a challenge. One thing I do try to do is have Soup when the rest of the family is eating. I find me having something that has some substance to it when they are eating good smelling stuff is a big help, and it also helps me feel more a part of the family, sitting at the table eating while they are eating, rather than them having dinner while 'Dad is not eating'. To me, a wide variety of options has helped a great deal.

Hi Justin, I am just day 5 post op, so still a way to go before first fill, but would like to know how it goes!

Congrats, Mommy! Having just been through what you are going through now, I am happy for you getting to this point! I had my first pre-op visit in July, and was finally cleared through the process in mid October and was banded last Tuesday, 10/29/13. I recall my last pre-op visit as being among the most routine of any I had. Being the 'last' appointment I was expecting to hear an overwhelming amount of new information, but with all the classes/sessions/meetings/appointments up until that point, there really was not much else they could tell me. It was more a run down of how the day would go when I got to the hospital. My surgical experience has been great so far. I know 'your mileage may vary', and there are people who have posted who are all over the map in terms of recovery time, discomfort, etc. Apprehensive going in for surgery? Of course I was, it is surgery under general anesthesia. I had the band installed, stomach plication (my doc refers to it as fungoplasty), and a hernia repair, so they were digging around more than they probably do in most cases. I was sore for a couple days and was taking the hydrocodone they prescribed, but by the third day I was only on liquid Tylenol for the occasional twinge. I am very mindful of not lifting things, not bending over too far, etc. But so far, on day 5 post surgery, I am quite comfortable, sipping away on my two week post-op liquid diet, and things are going great. Not sure if I am typical ... but I can certainly lend at least one vote in the 'I just had this done a few days ago and I would do it again tomorrow' column. I am ready to get on with the rest of my journey, and I wish you luck on yours. Congratulations on getting this far!

It appears my phone's spell checker got me again. That is Unjury, not Injury!

For on the go needs, I really like the Premier Protein chocolate shakes, taste good and at Sam's Club for about $16 for a 12 pack carton are a good price performer. I have thrown them in a cooler when travelling and don't have to worry about taking and washing mixer bottles. I personally do not like the vanilla, I don't think the vanilla is strong enough to cover the medicinal flavor, but that is clearly personal taste. I also like the Injury chicken Soup flavor as a change of pace, but I like chicken broth/bouillon, if you don't you probably won't like it as a shake. The nutritionist said it makes a good addition to add protein and chicken flavor to mashed potatoes, but I am still on full liquid (2 weeks pre op and now 4 days post surgery) so I don't know about that yet!

I have been using Unjury protein powder in my pre-op diet, I just had LBS two days ago, so my only post-op Unjury has been the chicken soup flavor, which if you like chicken broth is a great was to get in protein. They have an unflavored that you can mix with coffee or hot chocolate, I am going to try some in tomato soup as well. Directions say not to get it over 140 degrees as that changes the consistency of the protein. Their starter kit comes with a shaker bottle if you want to mix it that way and also a little thermometer that you can carry with you. While 140 is not 'piping hot', it is not bad and is a great change of pace to cold shakes all the time. I like chocolate as much as the next guy, but chocolate shakes 4 times a day gets a bit tedious, but I really don't like the vanilla or strawberry ones I have tried.

Thanks, firasjs, nice to know someone is in the same place I am with post op! I too stopped taking pain meds this morning, did not feel I really needed them, so we'll see how that goes. Coughing a little more today with a little mucus, but even that does not hurt as much as I thought it might, I think it hurts my wife more watching me cough as she assumes it must be painful!. Gas also seems to be going down, my tummy looked like a Buddha statue when I first got home. Taking my vitamins, trying to get in my protein via protein shakes and Isopure clear protein and staying hydrated. Nothing discouraging so far. For those considering or planning the procedure, I have experienced nothing discouraging yet.

I had my band put in yesterday and got home from the hospital mid afternoon yesterday, so I have been home about 30 hours, so far so good. There has been pain for sure, but it seems to be more pressure from the gas than anything. Trying to get in enough Protein will be a challenge when post op instructions are to only drink a few ounces per hour, and you also need to drink Water to stay hydrated. Sipping a little Powerade Zero for variety. Biggest discomfort is getting out of bed, when I try to stand it feels like I have gone a few rounds with Rocky, who always went after his opponent's abdomens. :-). Once I have been up and walking, it gets better. I am sure that, as others have indicated they experienced, I may hit a wall. But so far it has not been bad. I hope it continues!