jobigirl

Surgery on Aug 13 (yes, Friday the 13th) went well. I was released from the hospital on Sunday morning and return to work on Mon. 8/30. Incisions are all healing super quickly. Feeling tired and sometimes bothered by acid reflux. Have to eat so often it wears me out. Try to make what I eat nutritious since can eat so little at once--about 2 Tbsp. Am bothered by back pain but Aleve works. Here are some things I learned within the last 2 weeks that you may find helpful: 1. Don't go out and buy clothes for the hospital. You will live in a hospital gown and you won't care. Bring some bedroom shoes. 2. Never, ever let them put the iv into your right arm. You'll need that arm to wipe your butt. 3. Don't splurge on a "last supper" the day before surgery. You may get diarrhea. 4. I'm gagging on the protien replacement meals. Get some unflavored so you can mix it in something you like. I can't take anything sweet without feeling sick. But NEVER skip the protien. Your body can only absorb 30g at a time, and too much protien can cause negative health issues. Do 30g at least 2x daily. 5. The Walmart brand Gummie Bear vitamins are cheap and taste good. Take 2 instead of one. 6. Hang a calendar on the back of the bathroom door to write your weight on. I have lost 12 lb. in 2 weeks. The daily weigh-in frustrates me, so after Sunday, I will weigh once a week on Sundays. 7. Get a hand held calorie counter (electronic) or a food counter book. Keep a food and exercise diary. Your doctor will love you for it. 8. If you go to bed to watch tv before falling asleep, don't eat anything in your bedroom. Caused on of the worst cases of acid reflux I ever had. 8. The first week, never trust a fart. Always go to the bathroom to release it in the toilet or you may ruin your clothes. 9. The second week, you may need a gentle laxative. 10. Surgery pain was so minimal that they took away the morphine the second day because I didn't use it. 11. Keep in mind that your weight loss is going to be rapid at first but it will take time to see a difference in yourself. If you lose 2 lb. a week, that's 104 lb. lost by next August.

yes he did prescribe something for acid reflux. And it works if I take it! LOL I just don't want to swollow anything unnecessary. Good luck with your surgery. I had a band for 3 years and although I lost all my excess weight in 6 mos., it came back. I threw up almost every time I ate. The band is unpredictable. One time you can eat 2 bites, the next almost a regular meal. I am sooooo glad it is out of me! Keep me posted as you recover, Slim. :tongue_smilie:

Lucky you! I wish I could get it today! However, I also have to quit smoking or the doctor won't do the surgery at all. He says smokers heal less quickly and the only two leaks he's ever experienced were in smokers. I need to quit anyway. Have bought a stop smoking aid and set a quit date.

Every Aetna policy is different. You should call the number on back of your id card to ask your specific questions. I have Aetna through AT&T and there are no limits in the policy for bariatric surgeries. I am in the beginning stages of band to sleeve revision. However, even though an insurance company may say they cover the process, there have been times when, after surgery, the insurance company refuses to pay. That is why the doctor must put you through all the paces to dot the i and cross the t, to assure that insurance will pay and you will not be left holding a bag of debt. Be patient. It will happen in due time. My new sleeve surgeon is making me gain 20 pounds to assure insurance payment. Imagine that!!!! So with all the tests, dietitian, psychologist, etc, appointments, it will be about two months before a surgery date can be set. The good news is that he removed all the fluid from the band. I have thrown up at least once a day and sometimes more for the past four years. I will be so very very happy to get this band removed! Good luck to you as well.

I want you sleevers to tell me--do you still have to take very small bites and chew, chew, chew like with the band? And what happens if you don't? And why would you have to eat any differently than normal if there is no restriction at either end of the stomach opening and digestion is normal except for the quanity of food the stomach can hold? The band was a disaster for me. I have vomited for 3 years. I can't deal with another similar experience.

Thanks, Tiff....I should have known you would come thru for me! I have my first appointment tomorrow afternoon. btw,, what is PB?

Congratulations on your success and thanks for your response. I need to hear more from people like you!

Thanks so much for your response! I have a few questions still. My online research refers to "dumping," hair loss, acid reflux and throwing up. Any long lasting issues with those side effects? I read that the 10 year study on the band shows almost 50% failure rate. If they had told me about the 30 carb per day limit, I never would have done it. I was never "full," but often "blocked" which resulted in vomiting several times a day. I learned to eat around the band. My typical lunch salad while at work would take about 3 hours to eat so I could keep it down. They wanted me to eat in 15 minutes. No way! I saw on u-tube that some sleevers actually have to make themselves eat because they are not hungry, and they divide their day into 6 small meals. What about when you get old? Will you still eat or will you just dry up from malnutrition? I've made a terrible mistake with the Lap Band but it is reversible. The sleeve is not. I want to know everything I can from real sleevers before I commit. Please help!

Banded 2006, attained goal within 6 mos. regained all the weight. throw up all the time no matter how small the bite or how well the chew. Saw another doctor who called Aetna. My policy has no limit on bariatric surgeries and will do the sleeve and pay 100% after deductible is met. Am starting the process to have the band removed and the sleeve done. Wish I had never done th band. I have read that the sleeve brings nausea, some throwing up if you don't chew well or if you drink while you eat. How does it compare to the band?