Cocoabean

I did not have to do a pulmonology exam or chest x-ray. I also didn't do a sleep study. My insurance request was submitted right before Thanksgiving and I heard back mid-January. My surgery date as a month after I got the call with the approval. I had to do blood work during my insurance work-up then again during my pre-admittance appointment. for the hospital. My surgeon's pre-op diet was 2 weeks long, so I could not have had my surgery any earlier than 2 weeks after my approval came through. Some surgeon's don't require than long.

Self-pay and what an insurance company is billed are two entirely different things. The best way to find out is ask your surgeon's office what they bill. But there is also how much the hospital and anesthesiologist bills. You will have follow-up tests in years to come as well. My surgeon wants me to have an upper GI every year.

I was placed on a medication to prevent gallstones for 6 months after my band surgery. There have actually been several studies about bypass and band surgeries and gallstones. Here are links to just a few. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16687027 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1858735 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14578732 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12677265 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11792152

My surgeon said I could have a few sips when I eat, but that I might not have room. What I have found is that sometimes it can cause things t shift and I'll get stuck. Other times, no problems. I have not found that I get hungrier any sooner when I've had liquids than when I haven't. I believe it is a bypass rule that just got transferred to us with no real study. I've also found that over the past three years, I have just dropped the habit of drinking while eating because of the getting stuck issue. It just happened. Now, even if I pour myself something, I generally don't drink it until after my food is gone. After being on this forum for so long, it seems the doctors are not in agreement on this topic. So, I found what works for me.

I had one for my rotator cuff surgery. Pulling it out was very easy. It was just a tiny tube. Less than half the diameter of a phone charger cord.

Yes, you absolutely should join them. If you are part of the meal planning, try to have a dish that you can eat. Then just serve yourself what you can have. Don't make a big deal out of it. You will be banded for life. The less issue you make of it, then less your family and friends will. You just have different eating habits. Like a vegetarian, or someone who is allergic to peanuts. When we go to friends' homes for dinner, I never say anything about my band. I just choose from what is available. If that means I have a meal of lettuce and potatoes, I have a meal of lettuce and potatoes. Since they are all supportive, I think they will want to include dishes you can eat. Even if you have to have a separate Protein, you can still have side dishes with them. They'd feel much worse if you were in another room or just sitting there without a plate (imho). Even if you just have a small plate with a serving of a tiny side dish, you are still taking part in the meal ritual. Just be very, very careful when eating with a group. It's very easy to get distracted and forget to take small bites and chew thoroughly. Being on soft foods, you probably won't get stuck, but it's never too early to start working on those good habits.

And welcome to bandland! Ain't it a joy? Ok, three years banded and hadn't heard the jellyfish analogy! I was stuck once in our motorhome hanging over the kitchen sink. Had the slime string handing down with little bubbles running along it at about one inch intervals. DH usually just leaves me be while stuck, but with so little room in the motorhome he had no choice but to pass me by. He glances over an says, "oh look! A pearl necklace! How pretty!" Snort! Spit! Laugh! Gag! Great! Now I have to clean up slime from all over the sink and backsplash, thanks Honey!

I am with Cindy and CheckYes. Sounds to me like you might be too tight. You should be able to eat more than 2 or 3 bites at a time. Just a thought. If it were me, I'd get a slight unfill before the trip. I'd be terrified something would get horribly stuck while gone and I'd need to go to the ER for the unfill. I would rather have my surgeon's office do it. I tend to get tighter when I travel, no matter what the mode of transportation. I think it is just the stress of traveling that does it for me. So, I always bring some Protein shakes mixes and easy to eat Protein Bars with me. Along with some electrolyte mix. That way I can always get some nutrition down. I did throw TSA for a loop with a small canister of electrolyte powder. Apparently is x-rays like a liquid. On the way home I took it out of my carry-on. They were very thankful I did that! I have gotten food stuck in airports. I just love urping in public toilets....NOT! Especially the auto-flush variety.

I am in maintenance mode so I do allow alcohol in my diet. Sometimes beer gives me the hiccups. Usually on the first sip, if it is going to happen. I hate it because it makes me look drunk, even if I am not! ugh! The main thing to realize is that it is extra calories that provide no nutrition. You need to take that into account. I'd say try a sip or two and see how it goes. The only other alcoholic drinks i like are strawberry margaritas/daquiris and long island iced teas. Both with tons of calories. Alcohol does not affect us differently the way it does bypassers, because our digestive systems are still intact. But if you haven't consumed as much as you might have in the past, your tolerance may be lower. Just something to keep in mind. I say enjoy yourself!

You are missing my point. I said to ask the surgeon if a band can handle a certain sized pill to be swallowed. I am not talking about crushing them at all. I suppose breaking them into smaller pieces might be considered crushing, so I'll say ask your surgeon if you can do smaller pieces then confer with a pharmacist if that would be OK with the meds you are on. That work? But I've been given scripts that say to cut a pill into quarters when it is scored into only halves. I don't consider that crushing; however, that's the way it was prescribed.

You won't stretch your pouch with liquids. They go right through. Keep sipping and sipping. I always have water nearby.

Your plan brochure should say. They might not be able to tell you at the seminar. https://www.bcbsal.org/plans/group/index.cfm That's the website, sign up for mybluecross and search "bariatric" That should tell you if you have coverage. Or give the member # on your card a call. Or do both, they can sometimes be mistaken. Also find out what documentation you need, like weight history and supervised diets.

chicken and bands don't always get along. Last thing you want right now is to get food stuck over the hole created by the band. When they place a band, they anchor it down by pulling the stomach over it and putting in a few stitches. We are put on liquids post-op so that the pouch doesn't have to grind, risking pulling those stitches out. As hungry as we get, we have to live with. It truly sux. I was ready to eat my dog I was so hungry by day 2. He was just lucky that he could move faster than I. I don't know about you, but I'd have been humiliated to have to have my band fixed, or removed, because I didn't follow orders and ate chicken too soon and it slipped.

When I said ask your surgeon about breaking them up rather than crushing...I am basing it on the fact that the surgeon told the OP to crush the pills in the first place. And that the pills would therefore be a crush-able/breakable variety. What I meant was ask the surgeon if it would be OK to SWALLOW the pills rather than crushing them. Before I had my surgery my surgeon went over all my medications with me and the dosages. He said there was no need to crush them. The stoma could accommodate my pills with no problem as long as I took them one at a time. I think it IS appropriate to ask your surgeon if you can swallow a pill whole. He'd know if your newly formed pouch can handle it. I don't see that as a question for a pharmacist.

If you practice saying thank you, it will help to become a positive affirmation. You DO deserve compliments, you ARE looking great! You ARE getting healthy! There is no need to bring yourself down after a compliment. People (most) are trying to encourage you when they say something. It's time we stop the negative self talk. Even if you are not comfortable saying "I feel great" after a compliment, or "I've been working hard"...just say, Thank you! Leave it at that. The best one I got was from my hubby. He was going for either lovingly calling me bean stalk or a bone bag, it came out "Bean Bone." So that is my nick name now. "How's it going my Little Bean Bone?"

No, I did not say that at all. They question was if shakes were needed long-term to reach Protein goals. My response was geared toward someone beyond the immediate post-op phase. But, I'd also note that not all post-op diets are the same. By week two I was back on solid foods and could have eaten a Protein Bar. I did 3 days clears, was doing so well that I got moved to full liquids 4 days early. At my one week post-op appointment, my doctor allowed me to return to solids.

Such a tiny amount of Fluid, such a HUGE change, eh? When I hit that level of restriction, I started a habit of pausing before a meal and reminding myself to take small bites and eat slowly. It helps to slow me down to band speed, especially when I am very hungry and want to take that huge first bite.

Thanks CheckYes for quoting the response you were calling out! It was deleted. I would have been confused thinking you were talking about Melissannde who gives great info! To the OP, welcome to LBT, hope you are feeling better. The meat tenderizer was a great idea, I hope it helped. I'd say don't put ANYTHING down for several hours and see how you are doing. Did you feel like the tenderizer/water combo went down at all? When I am well and truly stuck, I cannot eat or drink anything without triggering a slime/drool reaction. Like a previous poster said, I am thinking perhaps it went down, but not without a fight and you are swollen. If I were stuck and tried some Cereal, it would have been disastrous. The fact that it stayed down, but was uncomfortable makes me think of swelling more than still stuck. I'd give it a couple hours then try sipping some Water, then some juice, then a Protein shake. Slowing moving to mushies then solids. Feel better soon!

Try some peppermint tea. It can soothe nausea. Or you might thin out some Pepto. If it is really bad, call your surgeon and ask for some anti-nausea meds. It isn't uncommon after surgery to experience it. They can call in a prescription for you.

Oh, and to respond to the OP, I forgot! Going into a restaurant on day 9? WOW! THAT was brave! I understand it was to see your friend, but I think i'd have made plans to meet somewhere else. The mental thing is a constant battle. My head still argues with me when making a plate of food as to how much I'll be able to eat. It still tries to tell me I am hungry when I ate 30 minutes ago and feel fine, no stomach rumblings or other signs of physical hunger. The band helps me to fight it because after 3 years of banded living my other brain says NO, you are NOT going to eat and entire steak and baked potato, don't even try. Cut off 3 oz of steak and put the rest away! Take your mushrooms and a third of the potato. You're unlikely to finish that. It also helps me in that when I get that feeling that I was to eat again 30 minutes after a meal, I consider, are you REALLY hungry? Uh no, no physical signs...ok, drop it then, you fool! Done. I go back to what I was doing and move on.

I hope that was supposed to be a 1/2 cup of grains! Unless you are low-carb, you can have Pasta. For some of us, pasta is a food that gets stuck. For me, lasagna noodles will get stuck pretty easily. I do ok with regular noodles. My surgeon didn't have any foods that are off my table. My band has taken chicken/turkey breast away, however.

My response, and I practiced it so it would flow was, "thank you! I feel great!"

Funny, i just put this into another response. I bought a ton of the stuff only to find out that my surgeon doesn't want his patients using them. His orders are no liquids with calories, period. After immediate post-op phase, of course. So, my investment of about a hundred dollars of stuff eventually went into the trash. Now, as much as I love my surgeon, we came to an understanding. I can consume liquid calories, but I need to take them into account in my overall nutritional plan. I did finally find a shake that I like, I keep it around for times when I am bored with my routine and just want something quick. I also LOVE a bit of milk from time to time and I was unwilling to give that up. So my surgeon said I could have a little, but needed to give up something else. I also do Protein Bars instead of shakes, they are not liquid calories!

I was told by my surgeon to just take them one at a time, a few minutes apart. He said just don't take them in a handful like I used to do. Are all your pills large? My medications are all small pills. He probably took that into consideration. Did your surgeon tell you to crush them, or are you going by what you read on here? I only ask because I stocked up on Protein drinks assuming I'd be using them all the time only to have my surgeon tell me i am not to drink my calories, at all. So, they sat on the shelf until I threw them away. You might check with your surgeon and ask if you can break them into smaller pieces to swallow rather than crush them.

How about drinking a sports drink? Get your electrolytes in balance. I had a recent bout with c. diff., and was horribly dehydrated. My doctor had me drinking gatorade. He didn't care if it was sugar free or not, he just wanted my electrolytes back where they belonged.