julieg40

Good morning. I had my original band surgery done Nov. 5th, of 2008. In the last 6 months or so my band has slipped and now I am scheduled to go in and have it repositioned and revised. I have my notes regarding all my post op surgery food do's and don'ts but can't find my information about prepping for my surgery. Last time I did liquids for 2 days prior. If anyone has any suggestions or helpful hints about what they ate (broth, Jello, sugar free pops I remember) I would appreciate the feedback. Thank you and best of luck to all those being banded, I would do it again in a heartbeat!! Julie

I am fairly close to one Jackie and didn't know that. Thank you for the input and the good wishes!

Thanks for all the wonderful advice/helps/opinions about this subject. It sure does make it easier when you have others who have been there/done (or tried) that! LOL Again I appreciate it, thanks so much!!

I know some people just do it, get past it, whatever.....I am not that person! LOL And best of luck to you!!

If I don't though I won't get any protein shake down. Seriously the texture and taste will make me gag and most likely throw up. LOL I have always been odd about texture and taste when it comes to stuff like that. That does make sense though, guess I better protein up in other ways. Thank you!

I asked my dr and fill tech what causes this, was it me or was it the band or what? There is no difinitive answer, it could be either or a combination of both that caused the slippage. They likened it to a balloon with a belt around it, sometimes it can "slide" down or if you ate too much it could "push" it out of place. I had it done here in the States and my insurance company pays for up to $20,000 for a lifetime on weight loss surgery. Because it's not a "new" surgery, a revision, my insurance covers it. Other options were having it removed, doing the sleever or the bypass. Removal is not an option for me, I did so well for 3 1/2 years and I know it can be done again. But because of my insurance and their parameters I would have to meet the guidelines of 35 BMI w/2 issues or over 40 BMI. I opted to have it covered by insurance and have it revised otherwise I would have had to pay $12,000 out of pocket to do the sleeve, which would be my personal other option. I hope this has helped.

Thanks for the suggestion of Atkins too. I have a terrible gag reflex and some of those protein drinks are so awful I just can't choke them down. LOL I am a big vanilla fan so I will probably try that flavor first.

Thanks very much, I will check it out!

I'm not a big fruit fan so what I did was take sugar free Carnation Chocolate Breakfast drink, add the skim milk and a scoop of Vanilla Whey protein, mix it up and heat it in the microwave. It was actually palatable(sp) to me. But I do like the thought of drinking a milkshake instead of the protein drink. LOL What is unnjury milk? Is that a brand? I have never heard of it. How much protein do you get with that shake?

Oh I couldn't forget those shakes Ladybug, ugh. Took me a long time to find the right combo of one that doesn't make me gag and want to puke! LOL Thank you!!

I sent an email to their office but haven't heard back yet. I know I have 5 weeks but I still want to be mentally prepared again. Thanks for the suggestion!

Hello all. I still feel "new" here but have a couple of questions. First off I was banded Nov 5th, 2008 and since keeping a food journal in June of 08 lost a total of 53 pounds. About half of it has come off since the banding but here are my questions. Do any of you ever freak out thinking you are eating too much but there hasn't been any "soft stop" signals? I can eat a couple of tacos with a few bites of Beans and rice but I always stop when I think I should be full. I know the pouch is supposed to hold about 4-6 ounces of food but how do you know if you are stretching it? I have had 2 fills, 2.5CC the first time then 1 this last time. But I never feel that "full" feeling. Occassionally I will feel like it is higher up in my throat and I stop at that point but normally I just gauge what I have eaten and quit when I am done. For instance I can eat a 1/2 can of green beans and 2 small pieces of fish and I stop. Or I can eat 4 oz of canned chicken with a little bit of shredded cheese sprinkled on top and about the same of cooked cauliflower. I am just paranoid I am eating too much and don't know it. Only once, YET, have I thrown up. That was because I didn't chew up the burger (no bread) good enough and boy that taught me a hard lesson I will not soon forget! LOL Anyway the next question is about Water. Will drinking your water normally, as opposed to sipping it, stretch out your pouch? I read all the time it says to sip but will someone please explain exactly why? I don't have any feeling of it being more or less constricted with either warm or ice cold fluids. Maybe I am not filled enough yet to be able to differenciate between the two. Any and/or all help, comments, suggestions are appreciate. Thanks, JulieG

Thank you for the reply. I too quit drinking 30 minutes before and an hour after eating. I tell you what, that was a hard habit to break. Quitting smoking and kicking my 10 Diet Dr Pepper's a day was easier than that! LOL Like I said I just try to eat foods that are good for me but fear so much stretching out my pouch. I assume once I go for my next fill in February I will notice much more of a difference. Maybe I am just chewing my food really well and why I have had little to no issues with it. And I drink Water like there is no tomorrow when, for the last 30 years, I hardly touched it. Now and again I will have a Crystal Light or K20 Protein drink for a change. Again, thanks for your insight/help. JulieG

Hi there, The program at the bariatric center I went to gave us all a very detailed book about EVERYTHING we would need to know. They state 4-5 ounces is about what you should consume, but again your doctor can advise you. I was banded 11/05/08 and since then I have lost about 20 pounds. Since June of this year until now (12/16/08) I have dropped 42 total. I don't ever feel hungry nor do I ever feel "full". When I am done eating my 4-5 ounces I stop, that is it. During the week days I have a Carnationa Instant Breakfast drink (chocolate no sugar added), 8 oz fat free skim milk and 1 scoop of whey Protein, blend and then microwave it and wa la, I have a hot chocolate every morning that tastes good. I do not even think about food until noon or so. I completely forget breakfast I think because that warm liquid satisfies me for that long. The bonus is that if I want to I will then eat around noon, then 5 or so and if I want a little something before bed I will have it then. I don't have to eat at 9, noon and then 5pm and be done for the night (that is just a random example lol). What I have really found, more than anything, is that 99% of this is mental. I am not sure we are really hungry, sometimes I think that we are so used to being able to eat what we want, when we wanted, that we just THINK we are hungry. I went through 9 months of appointments, support meetings, counseling, etc and to me that is worth following my own personal & the dietiticans guidelines to a "t". So now if I think I am hungry I do a check and refer back to the book "MINDLESS EATING" where it tells you the differences in hunger, here they are: Physical hunger 1-Builds Gradually 2-Strikes below the neck (ie growling stomach) 3-Occurs several hours after a meal 4-Goes away when full 5-Eating leads to feeling of satisfaction Emotional hunger 1-Develops suddenly 2-Above the neck (ie a “taste/craving” for ice cream) 3-Unrelated to time 4-Persists despite fullness 5-Eating leads to guilt and/or shame I hope this has helped someone. Hugs and good luck, JulieG

Thanks Mz. Yolanda, since yesterday I have decided to not put in more than 4 ounces, so far it has all been Protein to make sure I am getting that 60-70 grams a day. I really appreciate all the input I have gotten!! Hugs and good luck on your fill (my first one is Dec 10th), JulieG

Thanks Andrea, I appreciate the reply. And I will do my best to keep you posted. JulieG

Hi there. I am new here, actually I registered in August but just had my band done 11/05 so I still figure I am "new". lol I wasn't sure how much (and didn't even THINK to ask duh me) I could eat. So today was my first "soft solids" day and for breakfast I drank my whey Protein drink, waited 30 minutes, ate 1/2 a scrambled egg and then waited another 60 minutes before I drank anything (according to my instruction book given to me). I didn't feel any kind of "full" feeling but now after reading all you have posted I know why. I just finished about 1/2C (probably 3 oz or so) of cottage cheese and I can feel something different. It's not really a "full" sensation, which I am sure is different for everyone, but I didn't want to put in any more than that. I also saw some can eat 6 times a day but I was instructed to only eat 3 meals a day, having my Water and Protein drinks inbetween (along with my vitamins). So are all doctors just that different? Do you all just find your own "nitch" and stick with that? I am just afraid of putting too much in, that's how I got here in the first place. Thanks for letting me stop by and ask my questions, I look forward to any/all replies. JulieG

Hi! My name is Julie, I'm 40 y/o and live in Kansas. Last year our insurance company okay'ed having bariatric surgery except for the fact that the hospitals that would do it were all 3 hours away. They hoped to have one closer this year that would be approved as a "Blue Distinction Center". I started calling all the local hospitals in Feburary and only one had applied. They kept me posted on the progress. I did my seminar on March 5th, they shook hands in April, I got all my paperwork and and medical records to them during this time, they signed on the dotted line in June, and I had the first of my 2 required psych appointments made at that time. I have just been send approval from the psych doctor and now they are composing my letter of "need" for this surgery. I have my fingers crossed it will all go through without a hitch, I have no idea what to expect yet. I have great confidence in this Bariatric Center as they all seem quite on top of things. This past Monday I was given a "Lifestyle" daily sheet to log what I eat, how much, what my thoughts and feelings are, exercise, etc. I was also given a list of books in which he thought would be helpful to me, one being "Mindless Eating". I have to say I am just shocked at how many times a day I mindlessly ate on junk. I was a diet pop junkie until Monday and haven't had one since, I quit smoking in January, my mom had gastric bypass last Sept, has lost 100 pounds and is doing phenominally. I am trying not to get too excited yet until I know "FOR SURE" it's a go with my insurance company but I have been reading up on everything I can about what to eat, the do's and don'ts, the helpful hints, and everything inbetween. You all seem very helpful and a great group of support, which adds to the wonderful support I have had at home, work, friends..... I guess my biggest fear is having some kind of infection or issue from having the port or the band in. Has anyone experienced this at all? I have read 99% of positive things after surgery but just wanted to see if you were willing to share any adverse affects you may have experienced. I look forward to reading more on the first few weeks foods, making grocery lists, absorbing all the information I can. I believe knowledge is power so anything I can expect I would love to get the inside scoop on. Thank you all in advance for sharing your thoughts, words, experiences and stories here, it makes a difference. Good luck to you all. Hugs, JulieG

Chris, thanks so much for sharing your insight and experience. I know that each person experiences things differently but for the most part I have only heard positive things. I guess we should be wary some days of just driving into work so why should this be any different? LOL Congrats on your choice & your weight loss, that is something to be proud of. Also it was nice to get a man's perspective & input as I see mostly women responding. Continued success and luck to you......I'll try to keep you posted on my progress. Thanks again, JulieG