Cocoabean

Oh, Melody, Boy did I marry wrong for that!! I am the IT person of the entire family. Any computer problems come to me. The problem is I am not nearly as good as they all seem to think. So there I will be with one broken computer and one on the internet researching! This morning, I tried to speed up DH's internet explorer, and somehow managed to delete his printer! I quit! Mine seems to be OK now, though! Elcee...how'd it go?

Hi again, That being the case, the post-op phase is short, and while you want something you can tolerate, I don't see it as something you need to stress over. :thumbup: You have enough stress right now! Go to your local store and pick up a few of each type of shake. That will probably be enough to get you through the post-op and onto solid protein. One thing about shake advice, it is most often based on personal preference. So, because 10 people like x-brand, doesn't mean you will. As you said, not too many people hate Unjury (I've never tried it). Every time I hear it though, I think, who would choose a name for their product that is so close to "injury"? I did Medi-fast for my pre-op, I found their shakes to be nasty and could barely choke them down. A thin friend of mine uses them all the time to help when she needs to lose a couple of pounds for maintenance. She thinks they are good. During my post-op I used EAS Advantage. I also used Special K protein Water mix added to my water. I had bought some other tasteless protein powders to add to foods, but I either picked the wrong kind, or I have a discerning palate...I think the former! I could taste it--it was nasty. Also, the kind I chose apparently could not be added to warm foods. When I put it into Soups, it created a globby, gooey mess. But I think there is a technique to adding in while heating soups. Best wishes to you for Monday!!!

Hope it went well, Elcee! Just remember, if you fall, make it look like you meant to! Well, I could not stop eating today Right up until dinner when I got stuck on my veggie burger. Drat! Was not my week for computers. Now my home computer is acting up. Must be my magnetic personality! I think I messed up some registry files, but not really knowing what I am doing I am not sure. But I seem to be making things improve now, rather than making them worse. I may be reformatting before the weekend is over..greeaattt! This time I won't have an IT department to help me. Looks as though we are going to see some sun tomorrow for the first time all week. I could have been Soggy Dwarf this week. We got 1.5 inches of rain this week. Highly unusual for San Diego in October! So we are hoping to get outside for a while. Poor Butters has got cabin fever. OK, got some files downloaded...here goes nothing..hope to see you all soon!!!!

If Aetna says BMI 35-39 with co-morbidities, you should have no problem. I have BCBS California Access HMO, mine was BMI 35-39 with 2 co-morbidities. I had no problems at all, once I got permission to see my surgeon. Which I had to appeal to do because I hadn't done a 6 month program. I submitted Weight Watchers records and won the appeal. From that point on, my medical conditions were no issue.

Are you certain you will need them? I bought bunches of the stuff only to find out my surgeon doesn't want me using shakes, or drinking anything with calories for that matter. He wants me eating my calories. I ended up throwing alot of money in the trash when I got rid of the shake and powders I didn't use. I had read all the posts on here about people using shakes and thought I needed them continuously. Every once in a while when I am too lazy to do anything for breakfast (I start my work shift at 6:30 a.m.) I use one called Isagenix. But it is uncommon for me.

What you say is likely the case, but as we know, threads wander around a bit. :w00t: However, sometimes those posts will bump a post up so that others who might have missed it will see it and respond. I usually click on the new posts link and start at the top and work my way down.

I can eat more some days than others. My surgeon says this is normal. The stomach moves a bit inside the confines of the band, so we feel tighter at some times than we do at others. There are also other factors that go into restriction, such as Water retention and altitude. I don't weigh and measure my food. I go by what my body is telling me. So there are some meals where I eat more, and some where I eat less. But I've also noticed that if I watch my "normal weight" friends, for lack of a better term, they are the same way. When we go out to lunch or dinner, sometimes they order a larger meal than others. That is a concept that was foreign to me before banding.

Fainting is no good! :w00t: Ouch. I was not talking about walking miles. Just moving around at home. The more you move about the more the gas can move to leave your body. Moving helps to disperse it. Up and down the hallway helps.

My take on it isn't that if you are pre-op you should post on the pre-op forum and post-op you should post on the post-op forum. It is that if you have questions about the pre-op period then post in pre-op. Like support getting through the 6 month supervised diet or something. If you have questions about post-op life, even if you are pre-op then it goes in the post-op forum. It's about what phase of banded life you are talking about, not what phase you are living in.

Gas-x strips, walking, and a heating pad will help. Keep sipping Water. Sip, sip, sip. As often as you can. It is important to stay hydrated. If you cannot get liquid down, call your surgeon ASAP.

No, I was not implying that at all. I responded in agreement to gottamakeachange's statement that no one can kick her off. I like that there are sleevers on here who can respond with intelligence to questions asked about the procedure. I believe I also asked questions of potetial sleeve folk up thread so that I could respond to people who post on here asking about various procedures. I was stating that I don't WANT to see disrespect of anyone on here. I would be upset at someone who came on here and disrepected us as people who made our decision to have a band for our reasons. You certainly did disrespect anyone on this thread. I agreed with you that everyone needs to research and make an informed decision. I also was saying that I have been reading the sleeve board just recently. Saying I haven't posted there because I haven't gotten a feel for the board to know if a bandster would be welcome at all. I don't want to poke my nose where it isn't welcome. I certainly would not post on a sleeve board that I believe the band is better than a sleeve and everyone should get a band, because that certainly isn't the case. I have read other boards (not WLS boards) where people who did not fit the dynamic of the board were not welcome to post. Period. If one was not a memeber of the subculture, one was not welcome to post.

Courthouse detectors are more sensitive than airport ones. But the port has very little metal. I did superior court jury duty for 3 months and the band didn't cause a problem. But it wasn't federal. :wink2: That's not what TSA's site says. hmm..the Govt, lie? How odd! :biggrin: They even say if a person put explosives in a body cavity it could not be seen on the new scanner. It also says that the images are seen in a closed room. I am curious how you saw them?

Nope, I don't wanna kick anyone off the board who provides information about the other procedures. I want to see that here. I just don't want to see disrespect of any of the procedures (especially banding, as this is a band board) or those who choose them. I've recently started reading the sleevetalk board. Lots of interesting stuff over there, too. I haven't posted anything because I want to read a while to be sure of how I'd be received. I hope it would be with respect, as I'd only post to provide information and personal experience about the band. Never to debate or try to turn anyone away from choosing the sleeve.

Oh my! Sorry you missed that little detail! Thanks for the update. Are you feeling fine now? I had much stricter rules after my last fill than I usually have. Sometimes it is hard to catch everything they tell you. Or they think they told you, but they told the last person. NOW you know!

Gosh, I've never had any rules for before a fill. I'd be strongly tempted to do a Protein shake first thing in the morning. But then again, your doctor ordered you to be on an empty stomach. He must have a reason for it...wah. Is your fill in the morning?

Each doctor has his or her own rules based on how he or she does the procedure and your body. Just because most of us had to do a pre-op doesn't mean that we all did. Don't be concerned. Don't torture yourself in advance! The post-op diet will be enough torture. Best wishes for a great surgery and speedy recovery.

If you mean the full body scanners, I don't believe they see under the skin, just clothing. As for metal dectors, band won't set them off. And yes, you can opt out of the full scan for a pat down. I think the scanners are at use at 19 airports so far.

Budgie Smuggler is a great term, never heard it before! Too funny! Hearing it my head with a Aussie Accent. I am doing well, keeping my portions small, yay! My computer at work tanked today. Had to go do something in another office for a bit, when I got back to my desk, I had a blue screen of death! Yikes! IT got me sort of working again 4 hours later. Turned out to be something to do with the firewall. It's amazing how much my worklife revolves around a computer. I had NOTHING to do. After I filed a few invoices, there I sat. Twiddling my thumbs. What a pain!

This is from LAP-BAND.com: The LAP-BAND® System creates a small stomach pouch that can hold about one-quarter cup (approx. 2 oz) of food. Eating more can stretch the stomach, canceling the effect of your procedure. Dietary Guidelines After LAP-BAND Surgery Portion size is a major factor in your success with the LAP-BAND System. However, the types of foods you eat can affect your weight loss as well. A healthy diet will have items from each of the following food groups. Quantities and suggested foods are listed in each group. Always talk to your doctor or dietician about your particular dietary needs. Good Choices Fruit and vegetables: 1 to 2 servings of fresh fruit daily 2 to 3 servings of fresh vegetables daily Whole grains: 1 small portion of cornflakes for breakfast, or 1 to 2 slices of toasted whole wheat or rye bread each day. If you find you have trouble with bread blocking your stomach opening, substitute other whole grains such as refined, cooked or ready-to-eat Cereal, oatmeal, cream of wheat, or grits. Protein: 2 to 4 oz of meat, fish or poultry, or one egg for additional Protein Remove all visible fat from the meat. Remove skin from poultry/fish. And cook with little/no fat — grill, steam, microwave, or boil. Dairy: 2 cups of low-fat milk or yogurt, or 1 oz low-fat cheese (max.) Since milk and yogurt are calories in liquid form, you might think they should be avoided. However, the Calcium and protein they have makes them an important part of a healthy daily diet. Fats: 3 to 4 teaspoons of margarine, butter or oil per day (max) Low-fat salad dressings and mayonnaise (in moderation) Drinks: Unlimited zero- or low-calorie liquids per day, including: Non-carbonated beverages Tea or coffee (black) with low-calorie sweetener Clear soup and broths Water Not-so-good choices Proceed with caution: Some foods may cause problems as they may block or have difficulty passing your stomach opening. Introduce these types of foods to your diet slowly, one at a time, to see if they are tolerated. Remember: always be careful and chew these foods well before swallowing. Dry meat Peanut Butter Shrimp Untoasted or doughy bread Pasta or rice Fibrous vegetables (e.g., corn, celery and asparagus) Dried fruit Coconut Popcorn Citrus fruits Nuts Steer clear: Some foods contain too many calories and too little nutritional value to be of any use to you with the LAP-BAND System. Avoid foods high in sugar or fat, including: Syrups, jams, honey Candy, pies, cakes, biscuits chips, dips High-calorie soft drinks Some doctors suggest patients avoid carbonated drinks, as they may contribute to enlargement of the stomach pouch. Alcohol should also be consumed in moderation (one glass of wine or less per day).

Thanks y'all, sleeve seems very scary to me, but I am banded and doing well, and not making the decision. mskissty, you are correct, everyone needs to research for themselves and make an informed decision. But I don't want to be on here and "bad mouth" sleeve or bypass just because I feel the band was right for me. Thus my questions to those who are researching it now. Most likely you who have made your desisions will go on to VSG boards and support eachother there. Best wishes to the soon to be sleevers out there! Denise

Nicole, as far as how much is in your band, it really doesn't matter. The amount you need in your band is the amount you need for restriction. What is actually in there is academic. My doctor's notes said i had 4cc in mine when I went for my last fill. I thought I had 5.5. I asked for a small fill of .25cc. The NP loaded .25 in the syringe, entered the port and withdrew everyhting, just to check I've not had a leak. Low and behold there was a total of 6.0. We are not really sure where things went astray, but it really didn't matter. The fact was I had pretty good restriction, but wanted a little more. It is based on how you feel, not the amount of Fluid in the band. If you have great restriction at 3cc in a 10cc or 14cc band...great! I didn't ask what band I had until my 3rd or 4th post-op visit. I have the AP Standard, which is the 10cc band. But my surgeon tells me they can put more than that in it if I need it. I won't. I will say it is good to know what band you have from a medical device standpoint. If there is a recall or some such. But yes, all these different bands? Very confusing!

I have 6cc in a 10cc band. I've never been told to crush pills. Even immediately post-op. But my pain meds were liquid. I've had a few horse chokers that I had to cut in half. I take my pills one at a time as my surgeon told me to, rather than the handfull I used to do. The biggest I take regularly now are a Cal-citrate Petite and a Florastor pro-biotic. You might be able to get some of the drugs in liquid form, ask your doc or pharmacist. Also, if any are time-released, these should NOT be crushed or the capsules opened.

Hey Bry, I am just starting looking at VSG, trying to learn more so that when folks post here I can answer with a bit of intelligence. Did you research strictures at all (when part of the sleeve gets tighter than other parts)? And I'm also curious about the size of the sleeve. Are you concerned about if the sleeve diameter is too big when all is said an done? I've seen differing studies on outcomes of weightloss, one says much less weight loss than banding, one says about the same. What have you found?

I am the one who posted that I order sliders while eating out. Howdy! I don't really scope out bathrooms, because it is seldom an issue, and there is time to find the bathroom if it is needed. I order sliders when I am with a group and don't want to have to excuse myself and then explain when I return after a period of time. A stuck episode can sometimes take a bit of time to resolve. If I am out with my DH, I'll order whatever I feel like. When I am with a group, sometimes I get more wrapped up in the convo and will take too big of a bite, so I opt for easier to eat foods to aviod an uncomforatble (in more ways than one) situation. Once you learn what foods work or don't work for you, it gets much easier. But the fact remains, that you never know when an episode could happen. DH and I were at a local pub. I was having grilled cod, and commented that many folk here say they get stuck on fish. I was saying I could not understand why, it is so soft and easy to chew. About 20 seconds later, the pain and slime started. Oh yeah! I was taking small bites and chewing, but it still got stuck. So, I went to the restroom and up it came. Slime and fish. Joy! Plop into the public toilet, complete with backsplash into the EYE! Note to all, if urping into a public toilet, put a seat protector into the Water first..it will stop any backsplash. I learned of this here, AFTER this event happened!

Weight loss can be had prior to fills, but it is through the tried and true "diet and exercise"--which is the way we lose WITH restriction as well. But you'll also be relying more on willpower than you will have to when you get to restriction. You had a big loss that first week after surgery. Your body got lots of fluids. You were on a crash diet. Now you are probably shifting back to foods. Get off the scale! Only get on it once a week at a maximum. Quit beating yourself up. Glad to hear your clothes are looser! Often for me when my weight plateaued, my size would change.