kiz

I was self pay too, and not one of the self paid patients spent the night in my group. For me, I would have been absolutely miserable had I spent the night in the hospital, because I felt great, considering I just had surgery. I came home, relaxed in the recliner, watched TV, and surfed the Internet. I was able to drink my water very easily, so I had not trouble keeping hydrated. I also was vigilent about sucking on my (I can't remember the name of it) device to keep my lungs clear, and walking. I've had surgery before, and I knew I the anesthesia made me sick, so in addition to the normal anti-nausea medication they give patients, they gave me a motion sickness patch behind my ear, and an extra shot after my surgery. Be sure and let the doctor know you need additional medication.

Maybe this is why I need a band. I liked them all, at least the ones my doctor recommended. For the week after surgery, though, he really wanted us to stick with Carnation instant breakfast No Sugar in the blue box, mixed with one cup of skim milk plus 1/3 cup Non Fat Dry Milk mix for extra protein. I mixed mine in my Magic Bullet with a little crushed ice. I also drank Boost for diabetics and Unjury before banding.

I'm not supposed to eat more than 1/2 cup per meal, three meals per day. Lots of tuna (haha). Egg salad; egg omelets w/ FF cheese, onion, chili powder topped w/ salsa; baked chicken diced, salmon, bean soup, refried beans, weight control oatmeal (all of these no more than four oz). I have less than four ounces of the protein when I add a fruit or veg. (fruits: no skin - apple, peach, etc). (veg: 2 tbls baked and sweet potato, green beans, zucchini). Plus a snack: SF Jello or popsicle. When I'm too busy, I've had a protein shake as a meal replacement.

Hi Amanda, and welcome to LBT! I had surgery just a couple of weeks ago too. I'm glad you're doing so well at four days out. What are you able to drink? I had no problems with my protein shakes, in fact, I liked mine. lol You'll find a lot of helpful information on this board. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Someone will have the answer.

My post-op diet was a week of full liguids (3 protein shakes/day) plus broth, pureed soups, jello, etc and 48 to 64 oz of water. Now, I'm on mushies for two weeks, and I start real foods on week four.

I had my two week check up this week, and my doctor recommended vitamin E or aloe vera to help with any itchiness (not having any), and to help with healing. My incisions were glued, and he said it would also help remove any residual glue. I have a great skin lotion that has both ingredients, so I've been using it twice a day for three days, and the sites do feel better. I had another laparoscoptic surgery, and the scars with staples and stitches, and the scars left are just tiny white lines. I hope these heal as nicely.

Our instructions were to wait, but it was for one hour.

I wonder what the cost actually is. At the self-pay semimar I attended, they said the band costs the hospital $3,000. hmmmm

Our instructions specifically said acrylics and nail poish were fine, as long as you didn't have on dark nail polish. I'm sure different hosipitals have their on individual procedures. They must get this question asked a lot, because it was on two different forms. I even played it safe, and had light nail polish put on my toe nails at my last pedicure. :biggrin: It's pretty clear, already, that different hospitals have different requirements, so you should check with yours to be sure. I was told that if they polish was too dark, they have remover, and take it off of one nail.

We were told to absolutely take out body piercings. In the event of an emergency, and they have to use the paddles to restart your heart (I think this the case, if not it was something they might have to use in an emergency), those metal piercings would cause very bad burns. :biggrin: We were allowed acrylic nails as long as the polish was translucent. I have pink and whites, and they were fine.

I was really worried about that too. We were told to wait 45 mins to an hour. One of the surgeons in the practice usually comes to our support group meetings to answer questions. Drinking during meals was brought up, and in his train of thought, he went from one hour, to 45 mins, to 30 mins. :biggrin: I'm sticking with an hour for now. I'm drinking so much more water than I ever did before, I'm just not that thirsty during meals. The benefit, is feeling full for longer period of time, although, now I've read that as you get tighter with fills, drinking with meals may be painful for some. The benefits, for me, far outweigh the inconvenience. The doctors have all said that occasional sips are fine, but not to overdo it.

I attended two seminars (same hospital, different surgical practices). Basically, they just gave an overview of the different WL surgeries they preform and what to expect as far as weight loss and problems that might occur. We also received handouts with information about what to expect if you're using insurance or if you're self pay. They answered questions too. Some people came by themselves, and others brought someone with them. I think it lasted about an hour.

krista, as far as the hunger thing goes, from what I can tell, it depends on the individual. I've read about plenty of Realize Band users who are hungry too. I don't know if it's the degree of swelling, the person's anatomy, or what that makes so much difference. Raven, by 11:30, I also have usually drunk 32oz of Water. I drink 16oz 1/2 hour before Breakfast. I wait any hour, and drink another 16oz before lunch. I do the same by dinner, and will drink at least another 16oz before I go to bed. I never drank this much water before, and I do think it's helping me feel sated.

Hi Raven, I got my Realize Band one week ahead of you, and I felt great, considering, at a week out. One of the major reasons I felt so good was that I didn't suffer from gas pains. (You're correct, there's no fill yet). I don't chug my drinks (never did), but I haven't had any problems drinking as much water as I want. I also didn't have any issues drinking my protein shakes. On the other hand, I'm still feeling plenty of restriction from the band, even with no fill. I'm on mushies, and a 1/2 cup meal holds me over until it's time to eat again. I haven't had a fill yet, but I've been told that there was nothing to it, even for the first one.

I've not had any problems drinking water. I've never been a big gulper, but I can drink as much water as I want at any given time. I usually drink 16 oz in the morning before breakfast, another 16 oz or more before lunch, and at least 32 oz before I go to bed. I've been able to drink without problem from the get go, and I still am feeling a good restriction from surgery as far as food intake. I'd love to stay this way, but I'm sure the hunger will set in before long.

Hi brikads, and welcome to the board. I found the first surgical group I visited through the Internet, and one of the doctors in the group had been recommended to me by a friend, so they were my first choice. After I went to their seminar, I felt they were more interested in bypass surgery rather than lap band. I found this board, and I found a different surgical group through here. I've been very happy with them. You might want to ask for advice for a surgeon on here. Chances are, somebody will know a doctor in your area, and give you a recommendation. My road to banding was seminar, consultation with the surgeon, and then having the required tests and meetings (psych eval, nutritionist visit, medical tests, two week pre-op diet, band). I'm self pay, and it took me three months, although, it could have been a little quicker, but my schedule didn't cooperate. Good luck!

My surgical group is also a member. I googled Bariatric Center of Excellence to find more information about it once I saw the designation in their literature, and I was very impressed. So far, I've received the best of care. I would consider a huge plus.

A lot of rules are different between doctors, but one that seems pretty consistent is NO carbonated beverages after banding. It's the carbonation that causes the problem. There's the empty calorie thing too, but the carbonation is the big issue. Same goes for soft drinks. He said a small glass of wine now and then is okay, but that has to do with the liquid calories, and not any effect on the band. I thought not drinking during meals was going to be a big problem for me, but staying full longer is a huge motivator. Eating out and not drinking is going to be a little harder. My doctor said a few tiny sips during meals is okay, so I think that will do me. I've only gone out to eat once since I've had surgery (I'm still on mushies), and I ordered Soup. It was a little spicy, so I did have one small sip of Water at the end, but being it was soup anyway, I don't think it made much difference.

Wow, do I feel fortunate. My questionnaire took about ten mins to answer. My psych eval took about 20 mins. I'm a very optimistic person too, but the psychologist thought that was a positive trait - How novel is that? I only paid $100 for the whole thing. Sorry, you have to go through that again, and now you'll be second guessing your answers. I don't know how I could do the questionnaire again, if I'd been accused of trying to make things look better then they really are. "Don't try to take off my rose colored glasses, I like them just fine."

I have a 20lb limit for a month. I don't have any young children depending on me. That has to be hard on you and the child. I really feel for all of you who are trying to balance your needs and the needs of your young children.

First off, you are absolutely not a failure. Being overweight is just one part of your life. You should never measure your self worth by your weight. For one thing, you're a mother, the most important job in the world. You sound like a very thoughtful and loving woman, and I'm sure you're children are being raised in a wonderful home. Look at your life, and don't get stuck on diet failures as a measure of your worth. Secondly, you've had some very successful weight loss victories, but there's just something out of whack when you can lose weight, but not keep it off. I have friends who eat like there's no tomorrow, and they don't gain an ounce. I blame my ancestors. They were rugged pioneers who worked hard, and I'm sure needed a slow metabolism to stay healthy during lean times. Unfortunately, for me, life is just too darn easy. :tt2: I was used medically prescribed diet pills for weight loss, and they worked great for a short period of time. My body adjusted, and soon, the affect wore off. They really are a short term solution. I've only been banded for two weeks, and I've lost 20% of the weight I want to lose to be healthy again. Part of that was during my two week pre-op diet. I still have good restriction from being so recently banded, but I can tell you that I've never had this feeling of satiety with so little food. Once I start feeling hungry, I'll be able to get fills that will keep me in this zone. The band isn't magic though. Food cravings can still hit you, you have to make good healthy food choices, and there are changes you'll have to make when you have a lap band. For me, those small sacrifices are worth it. I already feel so much better. My clothes are loose, rather than skin tight. I feel victorious, because I know I'm going to win this battle once and for all. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. But know, that there is help for you, and you're not alone in this.

I started off with two "mushy meals" and one protein shake. I could have up to 1/2 cup of food, or until I felt full. My first mushy was a boiled egg smashed up with a bit of ff salad dressing. That wasn't a whole 1/2 cup of food, but it was all I could eat. I've been on mushies for almost a week, and I'm still full with one egg, and it carries me to lunch. I've also mostly been drinking a shake at lunch to help me get in my protein.

Hi bloom. I was banded on the 4th as well. Lucky for me, I didn't have the dreadful gas pains. I was on full liquids the day after surgery for a week. I'm on mushies for two weeks, and then on week four, I start real foods. I see my doctor tomorrow for my follow-up exam.

Great discussion, and it got me to investigate the calcium my doctor recommended, two sugar free Tums. I am a milk, yogurt and cheese eater, so I'm not too concerned with extra calcium, but I do want to do what's best. I found this article on Tums, but I thought the interesting line was this: "Watch your Protein intake. Too much can promote calcium loss from bones." I wish it would have said how much protein is too much. I never had as much protein as I am now, and it makes me think I should pay more attention to my calcium intake. Tums for Calcium?