Jessica1977

Hello - I was banded by Dr Wagner on 1/14/08. D.r Wagner requires a 7 day clear sugar free liquid diet. All of my pre-test were done in one day. I highly recommend Dr. Wagner. His staff is excellent, and I would recommend St. Alexius, they were amazing there! Goodluck!

Brandy, I totally agree with you.... I think that it would be great to have someone you know that has had it done and help each other through.... But I think that going through it "together" and doing it just because a friend or family member has done are 2 different things. Bottom line, I think that they just want to make sure that you are doing it for you, and not just because someone else has done it.

I asked the psych doctor after she was finished how she determines if people are good candidates, and this is some of the things the she told me: She said that insurance requires this because they want to make sure that you are not just doing this on a whim because your friend, neighbor etc. has gotten this surgery, and you think now you have to have it too.... & to make sure that you know that this is only a tool and to make sure that you have fully researched the procedure, and know the pros and cons. Also they want to make sure that you have realistic goals..not what you "should" weigh by the charts, but what you would like to weigh at goal. I also know someone who did not pass the psych eval part. She said that the doctor said that she just wasnt ready and also she said she messed up by telling them that her sister had just had it done...So the psych doctor in turn thought that she was just doing it because someone she knew had it done.....She was able to go to another Doctor and have another psych eval and pass it..I am guessing her bariatric Doctor didnt have a problem with her not passing the first time.

You are not supposed to drink with meals because it just basically washes your food right down. If that happens you are able to eat more and more often, so there would be no purpose in even having the band. My doctor says that drinking before during and after meals is the one sure way to defeat the band. I used to have a hard time with drinking after meals until I bought sugar free mints and as soon as I am done eating I pop a mint in my mouth and it gets rid of the food taste, making it much easier to not feel like I need to take a drink. It works wonders!

Welcome to LBT and good luck with your journey! This site is awesome, isnt it?! So much motivation and inspiration here! Well, good luck again!!!

Excellent post! Explained everything perfectly. I wish I would have had this info when I was newly banded!

Just a thought: If you are only a week and a half post op, the swelling around the band is probably starting to go down a bit. Since the swelling is going down it is easier for your food/liquids to go through your band, which is why you are hungry between your meals. It is perfectly normal. I went through this same problem. Just eat healthy and follow your diet and this will pass. When you start getting your fills things will get much better. Best of luck to you!

It's ok, that's what we are all here for! :w00t:

We are/or have all been addicted to food. This is why the first few weeks are so rough. An addiction is hard to break. A lot of what everyone is feeling is head hunger. Your not actually hungry it's just your addiction making you feel the need to eat. I have to say that food used to be my drug of choice, but thanks to my band I no longer have that addiction. If you find yourself thinking about food, try to do something to distract yourself. Good luck to everyone, it will get easier. :wink_smile:

I am assuming you are currently on a liquid diet...and if you are this is why your BM's are loose or runny. I had to be on liquid 1 week pre-op then 2 weeks post op before I was able to have mushies. So when you are taking in all liquids, thats pretty much all that is going to come out too. Hope I helped. Good luck!

I had this same problem when I was about a month or 2 post-op. When you go from liquids to mushy food your weight loss is going to slow down, maybe even stop, mine did. Plus I was exercising mainly walking on the treadmill, and that builds muscle...muscle weighs more than fat. I was losing more inches than I was pounds, If that makes any sense. Your weight loss will pick back up. Just give it time, and don't live by the scale!!! Hope I helped some! Good luck to you all!

2KpUpwithAvery - You gave excellent advice, very well said! When I read your post it even motivated me more than I already am, and that is so awesome! I just wanted to thank you! :cry_smile:

Alegna, It does get easier I promise. I went through the same feelings you are in the beginning, I wondered why I ever went through with the surgery. Now I am almost 7 months out, and now that i have learned about my band and what my body is telling me... I love my band! You are on the right site, you can get so much support here and your questions answered, everyone here is so nice and helpful. Best of luck to you! Hang in there it gets better!

I had to be a the hospital at 7am for a 9am surgery. I went in registered, and headed up to the pre-op room. The nurses had me change into a gown, and gave me another pregnancy test, just to make sure. I crawled in the bed and the nurses came to ask me my history, and also asked what surgery I was having. Then they started my IV and gave me a shot in my stomach, and stuck a little patch behind behind my ear for nausea, and also gave me something to calm my nerves. Then they called my hubby to come back to sit with me until it was time to take in for surgery. My Dr. came and talked to me to make sure I was doing ok, then the anesthesiologist came in and talked to me and explained everything she would be doing and told me that she would be with me the entire time. Then the time came, they wheeled me into the operating room, and had me move over to the operating table..they put ted hose on me, and gave me the 2 minute drug. It was literally just a few seconds before I was out. I remember vaguely waking up when they were wheeling me up to my room. It was only an hour or 2 before I was up walking around, making trips around the nurses station and going to get my own ice chips. I had one instance that I had a problem with gas, the nurses told me to help it just get up and take a walk until the pain subsided. Walking worked wonders! My Dr. requires his patients to stay overnight. The next morning I was taken for some testing and x-rays to make sure everything was ok. After my Dr. reviewed the x rays he came in to see how I was doing and told me everything looked good and I was free to go home, and gave me my prescriptions and a list of instructions to follow. Good luck to everyone!

You can still go out to eat with family and friends... With the band you have to eat slowly and chew, chew, chew, so it should take you pretty much the same amount of time to eat as a non-banded person (maybe even longer than them, it takes me longer), you are just eating a lot less than a non-banded person of course. Good luck with your decision, this is a great site to help you research the band!

I think this is very common, I am also tighter in the morning than I am later in the day. I have a little bit of a rough time with breakfast, it is usually mid afternoon before I can eat without a problem.

When I had my first fill it helped me a lot. I was very nervous also, but it was a very easy and painless! Good luck!

Oh I definately understand. I just recently had to have a slight unfill because i wasnt able to eat anything solid or even mushy and lost 13 lbs in 10 days. But now since my .4cc unfill I have the same problem. I will do excellent with a certain food one day and the next I will try it again and can't tolerate it. I am going to call my doc tomorrow just to make sure it's normal. Good luck to you!

Congrats and good luck!

Yea Shaunni - I totally understand now what my Aunt's logic is! And I totally agree with her!

Welcome to LBT! Best of luck to you on your journey! :confused_smile:

I used to absolutely hate to step on the scale, and I also find myself weighing every day. I get so bummed when it goes up even half a pound. My husband always knows when I have weighed and gained a little by the look on my face when I come out of the bathroom in the morning. :confused_smile: My Aunt was banded about 3 months ago and she refuses to buy a scale, she is afraid she will start living by the scale. I never understood what she meant, until now.

The band was much easier for me! It seemed to be a totally different kind of pain that was not near as bad as my c-section.

It has happened to me, and I think it is because anytime you have a fill, you also have some swelling, due to the band being altered. So after a week or 2 the swelling goes down and for that reason some people lose restriction. Hope that helped! :confused_smile:

It comes in a jar - just melted marshmallows