bandmember

This may or may not make sense, but I noticed a correlation between skipping my protein drinks & irritibility, depression etc... After I was on regular meals (albeit smaller portions) I figured I didn't need the expensive protein drinks in between, so began skipping them periodically. Maybe it was coincidence but it seems whenever I went without the protein drinks for a few days I became very irritable & depressed.. Every time! I recently re-ordered my protein powder and have faithfully been supplementing my meals w/the drink & I don't feel as depressed and I have lots more energy. I can't explain it, (maybe it's just a placebo effect!) but when I read your post I felt the need to write w/my experience. Good luck.

First of all I'd like to say congratulations on your decision! Yes, you are doing the right thing by having this procedure. I made up my mind to have the procedure once I developed diabetes, and I have never looked back. Don't let anybody tell you that you are taking "the easy way out". You are making a wise choice to improve your health and longevity. All the "diets" in the world don't take away that constant hunger that sabotages even the most motivated dieter. This procedure does. Pure and simple... I went through the grieving process that you addressed, thinking about all my favorite foods that I'll never be able to eat again. I actually went out for a big steak dinner the day before I began my 10 day fast prior to surgery. Surprisingly, now that I'm not hungry all the time, I don't even miss those foods. Once I watched the scale drop, my blood sugar readings return to normal, and my energy level increase food became something I had to do to survive, not something I looked forward to all day long. I will tell you that you'll need to have patience... It's been 6 months now and I'm still not adjusted perfectly. I've had several incidents where the food got "stuck" and I needed to have the (saline) Fluid removed from the Lapband after one of those episodes, setting me back a few months. Also trying to remember when to eat and when to drink fluids and keeping those 2 functions separated is a learning process! Read / learn as much as you can, (but don't believe everything you read), listen to your doctor and always follow his/her directions to the letter. You'll have moments when you yearn for the "good old days" when you could eat whatever you wanted... But, just as somebody w/food allergies learns to avoid certain foods, you will soon adjust to the fact that there are certain items that just won't work. Trust me, you won't miss them! Congratulations again, I wish you good health.

I weight myself at the same time every morning, before I dress & before I eat or drink just to keep myself in check. It's not an obsession just a good way to monitor myself & to make sure I don't get off track. If the weight goes up I know to change my eating habits & make different choices. It's only been 6 mos. since the surgery and I'm still getting adjustments so I find a daily weigh-in helpful to me.

Congratulations on your decision! Mine was done in December, 2007 and everything went fine. The worst part is what you're going through right now with the liquid fast... My doctors and hospital were absolutely wonderful and supportive, and I had zero post-op pain in the hospital thanks to the pain medicine. You won't regret your choice and you'll feel so much healthier for it later on. Just be patient with the band, and follow your doctor's orders. Good Luck!

Yes, they are excellent. I had the procedure done in December, 2007 at Norwood Hospital and had a very positive experience with both dr & hosp. I also have BC/BS of MA, and no, they don't pay for the psychiatric test which costs $175.00. It's a test the office mails out to you to complete and then return to them prior to your visit with the doctor. They then sent it out for evaluation and the findings are sent back to the psychiatrist prior to your appointment with him. My insurance did pay for the psychiatric visit though. I only had to pay the co-payment for that visit. If you meet the criteria BC/BS has no problem pre-authorizing your procedure. They actually encourage this type of Bariatric surgery, which is how I found out about Dr. Glasgow in the 1st place. Outside of my deductible (I have a lousy BC/BS plan) they paid for everything; the pre-op., appointments with my PCP & surgeon; bloodwork, etc... They (BC/BS) even called me after my surgery to make sure everything was going well! The seminar is very helpful. Good luck and maybe I'll see you at one of the monthly support groups they offer when you're post-op!

Congratulations! You just gave yourself the best gift you'll ever receive, the gift of living a longer, more healthy life! Now that's the best celebration you could possibly ask for. Forget the cake!

Yes it is normal, at least from my experience. I did well during the post-op phase and felt fine (except for the "gas" issue) after about 3 days, too. I decided I felt good enough to get out, and went grocery shopping a week or so later (I had somebody w/me who pushed the cart & did the lifting). All of a sudden I became so overwhelmingly exhausted I had to cut the trip short. I went home & straight to bed & slept the rest of the day. Don't worry, just listen to your body, & take it easy and let everything heal properly. Although it's good to do a little walking after surgery, I too found the shopping trip exhausting! I took 2 weeks off from work per my doctor's orders and was glad for it. Don't feel guilty about the rest because right now that's what your body needs!

Wendell, Great post w/good information. Thank you for sharing your pictures, too. You have inspired me!

Your BC/BS will most-likely approve your surgery; My BMI was slightly under 40, but I had hypertension, diabetes II & high cholesterol. They approved it without a problem. You should also show some sort of proof that you have tried various weight-loss programs; showed some weight loss then regained the weight. I made copies of my Weight Watchers & Diet Workshop weight records; prepared a print-out of my South Beach Diet on-line weight readings, etc... They attached those records to my other documents for approval. PS - You are in VERY GOOD HANDS with Drs Glasgow & Glasgow. They are very skilled, knowledgeable and conscientious. You will not meet a more qualified team to perform this procedure.

Drs Glasgow & Glasgow did my surgery, too in December, 2007. Excellent physicians... I noticed a discussion about lactose intolerance which I am experiencing right now... It's making me quite miserable actually! I also read the word "temporary". Does it go away after a while? Practically all I consumed were dairy products for the pre-op prep. & the 1st 3 weeks afterwards. Now I'm stuck as to what to have that does not contain milk products. Lactaid doesn't do a thing... I bought soy milk to prepare mushy mashed potatoes & the like. So far so good w/that. I'm continuing on the liquid/soupy pureed foods a bit longer because my body isn't ready for the next phase yet. (A bit of stomach pain & trouble swallowing.) No big deal but I'm running out of ideas of what to puree!

Well said!

I am referring to comments made that were directly related to my obesity. Period. It was NOT "my perception" based on my size. As I stated before I spent my 1st 30 years at a normal to below normal weight (BMI range 17 - 20). I was (still am) beautiful, and I was treated totally differently. No one made "fat" jokes about me then... No need, I wasn't overweight. Even at my highest weight I never really thought of myself as "morbidly obese. I was a thin gal trapped in a large body... Hearing someone bash an obese person is not a perception; it's reality and it's also discrimatory.

My doctor did not allow lapband patients to return to work until after 2 full weeks of recovery at home. I kept myself somewhat active by short walks and the like, but no lifting whatsoever during that period. Although I have a desk job, I really needed the full 2 weeks to heal and get my strength back. I had a laparoscopic procedure done about 10 years ago & at the time I felt the need to return to work within a few days time. I paid the price. I ended up with a number of complications and then developed adhesions from being too active too soon, which I still feel to this day. I learned my lesson & felt no remorse for "babying" myself for this procedure!

You'll probably laugh, but when I could'nt take it any longer I went to bed!! During the day it was okay because I was at work and occupied. The 3 protein drinks seemed to take the edge off as far as pure hunger, but boy did I miss my regular foods. Night times were the worst, therefore I bailed out & slept!!

Avoid looking at the big picture right now, it's too overwhelming... Just simply take one day at a time. Wake up tomorrow morning 1/2 hour earlier, pump up some high-energy dance music & move around. Nothing elaborate, just have fun. Then for breakfast measure your portions & take one small bite at a time, eating very slowly. When you find yourself tempted by a high-calorie item, give yourself permission to have a bite --- but in 10 minutes... (During those 10 minutes re-evaluate why you need that calorie-laden item.) After 10 minutes if you're still craving it, go ahead and have a bite (one bite). Then walk away & focus on something else, unrelated to food. As others have commented, it is really unfair of your family not to support you in your efforts to obtain a healthy lifestyle by their allowing foods in plain sight at home that are unhealthy (not only for you, but for them as well!) & then expecting you to simply walk away from them. If it's right there, I can't walk away from those types of goodies either. You're not alone! Whatever you do, please don't beat yourself up about it. You made a courageous decision to go through the preparation process & surgery. You are on your way to a healthier life, one pound at a time.

There are laws against discrimination against race, religion, age, sexual preference, sexual harrassment, etc. etc. The last hold-out? Weight related discrimination. Why is that? At work once a comment was made about those "employees over there taking up too much space by the sink" when me and another overweight employee were washing out our lunch dishes... He was a boss. Was I about to say anything? No, because half of the (thin) office staff were always saying the same type of stuff about us "fatties" behind are backs. Now that I've lost 39 pounds you should see how nice those same jerks are to me now!! Sickening.

If it's been 3 weeks since your surgery I would definately check w/your doctor about the shoulder pain... As far as the pain after eating? I had the exact same problem. I did okay while on straight liquids. Once I switched to purees I had terrible pain in my stomach area. My dr did a barium swallow which showed no problems w/the band, so he recommended that I go back to liquids, and very, very mushy pureed foods. I think I didn't puree the food w/enough liquids at first. (I'm a beginner!!) I feel a little bit better now, but I'm not totally improved. At least I know now that there is nothing wrong with the band placement. I'm just going to have to take the process a little slower than other people and be patient. Don't forget the protein drinks though, because you need that to heal. Good luck.

Are you recently post-op? Yes, I did too for a long time after surgery. I also had a little shortness of breath because of the gas they use during surgery caused pressure inside. It will pass after about a week or so. Try to walk a little bit as tolerated; that helps. I used GasEx to relieve the gas after checkingw/my dr. You should feel better w/each day.

You are right about how society looks down on people because they've obtained a (healthy) weight loss via WLS. If these critical people only knew how difficult the process is they may (?) be less critical. Ignorance is bliss!

I was banded 12/13/07 but I've only told close friends, 4 close co-workers & my family. I can always say something later, but once I "out" myself I can't undo it, so I keep silent. I work w/a group of caddy people & they would have a field day with the information... I also would have a problem w/critisism such as; "you took the easy way out". After all I went through to have this procedure; the appointments, the liquid diet for what seemed like forever, and the surgery itself, NO, I didn't take the easy way out! I did it so that I would live longer. I tell people that notice my 39 lb weight loss (in a very short period of time) that I am under my doctor's care for weight loss; and also have a nutritionist at the hospital that I am working with. The rest is none of their business. I'm not lying, but I'm not sharing more than I want to.

I had mine done 12/13/07. The worst day was the 3rd; then it got better each day. By the 5th day I felt much better & had some of my energy back. Keep drinking the protein (I use Whey) twice a day. Much of my discomfort was actually due to the gas they used during surgery, which settled into my shoulders. I took a "GasEx" type product after checking w/my dr. which relieved the pressure a bit. Congratulations on your decision & happy weight loss!!

My physician required a liquid diet for a minimum of 10 days (I went 12 days), which also included 3 low-carb. protein drinks per day. It was difficult, but I saw the procedure performed on OR Live (I think that's the name of the site) & visualized exactly what the doctor's had to do in order to properly place the band, so I didn't have a problem w/the fast. If your liver is large and bulky they are going to have a tough time flipping that liver up and out of the way in order to reach the stomach area. Plus, once you have had the surgery you MUST have liquids for the first few weeks at least... You're better off knowing whether you can endure the fast before the band is placed!

My surgery was 12/13/07. I progresssed from liquids to purees two weeks post-surgery, but I developed difficulty swallowing (even water) soon after I made the switch. After my doctor confirmed that the band placement was okay via a Barium Swallow procedure, he put me back on liquids to (very soupy) pureed foods again. It's been about 3 days & I'm doing much better. When I first started the pureed food I immediately felt sick to my stomach, nauseous etc. I should have listened to my body at the time! The best thing to do is to call your surgeon asap & check the placement of your band. You will most likely find out that it's just fine. But if it HAS slipped, that's something you need to know right off. Good Luck!