Anewme24

I have a tentative surgical date of September 29th. Endoscopy scheduled for August 26 and final insurance approval is my last step. I'm excited and confident. I was reviewing my info pack from my doctor and the lists of foods I will eat, should eat and foods I should avoid. It's confusing because on one page they recommend a food like rice or shrimp and on the next page those foods are listed as common problem foods after lap band surgery. What foods have you totally removed from your diet?

Thank you. That's great information to know. After my surgery my doctor told me I could take my medication without a problem. But we haven't talked about medication after a fill.

I was banded on Monday and take daily meds and have had no problems. My one a day vitamin is a horse pill so I cut it in half which is about the size of my other medication. I spoke with the bariactric coordinator on Thursday and asked her a question. My question was, "What was the size of the opening between my new stomach pouch and my lower stomach. She wasn't entirely sure but she was guessing somewhere between and inch and an inch and a half. I'd have no concerns over swallowing your pills. Sips fluids after and that should help. More experienced bansters may help more but that's my guess.

I was banded Monday also. I feel as though I've swallowed a watermelon whole and it's sitting in my upper abdomen and wont budge. Burping is painful. The pressure I feel isn't varied from a sitting position to laying position. The pressure is constant. It's hard to get any where near the 64 ounces I was told to drink. I did call the doctor because I also take diuretics so I was concerned about dehydration and electrolyte inbalances. The doctor said that I should concentrate on protein drinks and to sip constantly throughout the day. I already knew that but it was a comfort to hear it from him too. He also said that some people have more swelling than others and once the swelling goes down the pressure will go away. Are you feeling the same way?

It's amazing to read the wide ranges of experiences. Thank you for your input everyone.

I decided in October of last year to have WLS. My doctor recommended the surgeon I'm currently seeing. When I went to the info session he seemed like a personable guy, good credentials, thousands of bandings under his belt. I was excited and made all my appointments right away as I was told. I met with the nutritionalist twice, the pulmonologist, my PCP, cardiologist and psychologist and made further follow up appointments as I was told. Along the way little insignificant information wasn't told to me and that should have been my first clue especially when I got the, "Oh you didn't know?" answer more than once. The lack of information wasn't a big concern because it delayed other appointments but I was still weeks away from a surgical date. Well now the little insignificant information has turned into a major miscommunication. My insurance carrier requires I see a nutritionalist for 6 months. In the info packet from the surgeon I was told I needed to see my PCP for 6 months and follow a doctor prescribed weight loss program. Well that's not true. My insurance carrier requires I see a nutritionalist not my PCP. So now my surgical date will be delayed for another 4 months, (I saw my surgeon's nutritionalist twice in two months). The lesson to be learned here for anyone contemplating WLS please learn all that is required of you. Call your insurance carrier yourself and ask. Make sure you call your surgeon's office often to make sure all the information is correct and accurate. Don't trust the answer of one person. Make sure you ask for comfirmation from someone else in the office. Interview the office help before you decide on your surgeon. I have an appointment on Monday with a different surgeon. I'll interview his staff and may change doctors. Problem is he prefers gastric bypass. At this point I could be talked into it very easily.

I hate to be delayed any further by getting a new surgeon but you're right. I worry about dealing with them on a regular basis with fills. And what else haven't I been told?? That's got me wondering. What other information am I lacking. I've read a lot, read this forum often. I've asked questions but still there's that nawing feeling that can I trust I have all the info I need to make a good decision. The surgeon I'm going to see on Monday does both banding and gastric but he prefers gastric and that's his speciality. I'm very confused right now. I know banding is right for me. I know I can have success. I can feel it strongly. I need the weekend to sort it all out and I'll make a good decision. Thanks for the reply. I needed support and nurturing. Off to make numerous errands now in the rain bummer. From bad to worse huh. Maybe I'll see a rainbow :thumbup:

Thank you chickie. I hadn't thought of overfilling leading to poor outcomes. It makes sense. I wanted to be banded so that I was still in control of eating properly, to train myself to eat the right foods and still be accountable and having the band to help me with my portions was the was my main goal. Having good, nutritious foods on my cannot eat list didn't make a lot of sense. Chickie you met your goal in just 16 months and lost 190lbs thats amazing and an inspiration to me. Thanks

Thanks Abby. Looks like I'll have to develop my own lists as well. I think that many of my favorites could end up on my no list. We'll see. Thanks for your input.

Thanks mmsmom. I guess there is no one answer huh. It will all be trial and error... with much more trial than error I'm hoping. You're right once I get stuck I won't get stuck again. Who wants that. I want to eat healthy, be healthy and active. You said something interesting to me that I hadn't thought of. You eat pork with applesauce. So a dry food will be more tolerable when you add a moist food item? That makes sense to me. But gee. You'd think you could put anything done there. The stomach is now smaller by being banded. You eat less obviously. The food sits there, breaks down, passes through the band and digests. Batta bing. Over eating I can understand the complications but you'd think any food would be tolerable. We'll see as I go along I guess.

Thank you kc. The visual makes a lot of sense. I'm probably stressing over something I can control and will be a non issue. The more info the better. Thanks for the answer.

Thanks to all who replied. It helps. I figured it would be a trial and error proposition. I wanted to have some foods in the house ready for after the surgery. I think I'll stick with tuna, eggs for egg salad and dark chicken for chicken salad to start. None skinned veggies and fruit. No breads. Soups. Any other starter foods?? kcmagu, what happens to you if you drink too soon after eating? Too full? Or does it push your food through too quick and it get's stuck? Something else? Drinking is my biggest fear. I can easily drink a quart of milk with my meal and to be limited to NOTHING stresses me out to the max.

Or did any of you have conscious sedation or a spinal block? I see my surgeon's PA 7/15 and I would like to use either for the surgery but I'm not sure that's acceptable.

Thanks for the reply. I think general is the norm too. Can't hurt to ask the PA I guess.

I want to try an outfit on and ask someone, "Does this make me look fat?" :thumbup:

Gosh there's so many things I want or want to do but here's some: Sit in an airplane sit without sqiushing the poor soul next to me and not having to wear a seat belt extension.. how embarrassing. Wash a sink full of dishes without my back hurting. Have a big beautiful garden and be able to take care of it Swim!!! Oh how I want to swin and actually wear a bathing suit Buy clothes in a store instead of a catalog.. and get out of those dreaded x sizes. Clip and paint my toe nails without it feeling like I'm playing a game of twister. When two flights of stairs doesn't feel like I just climbed Mount Everest. Get down on the floor without worrying about how I was going to get up. Amazing huh how life's little things can become such obstacles. How in the world did this happen.

Thank you. I made an appointment with my PCP the week following my appointment with my surgeon. I'm sure to ask both doctors what they want to do. Hopefully with weight loss my vascular system will improve.

I'm currently taking 2 diuretics for pitting edema in my lower extremities. It's been so bad I've ended up with wounds that required a wound specialist to heal them. I'm getting compression stockings next week to help draw the fluid to my upper legs. Have any of you had this problem and has the banding helped? Do you still need the diuretics?

I'm amazed that you got surgery date a month after your first appointment. I'm a bit jealous actually :thumbs_up: I started my process back in December. I will see my doctor in two weeks at that time I will get my surgery date assuming my insurance company approves the operation. I hope it will be in August but I'm prepared for September. I had to do a 6 month insurance mandated diet program. My doctor requires two appointments with a nutritionalist, a psychiatric eval, a respiratory eval, a cardiology eval. My doctor will do an upper GI exam and I'll have to do a two week optifast liquid diet to lessen the fat around the liver before surgery. At the very least I'd think you'd have to do a liquid diet and see a nutritionalist before your surgery. Best of luck to you. :biggrin:

My doctor stopping my meds is what I'm afraid of. Missing one day of my diuretics makes my legs unbearably swollen. The compression stockings will help but only to a point. But at the same time being dehydrated isn't good either. I'm hoping I can cut my dose to 1/4 and see what happens.

To all those who have been banded do you feel like you are eating foods equivalent to a "normal weight" person? To lose you have to eat and I wonder with the lap band are we taking in enough calories to keep our bodies from going into starvation mode and holding on to every ounce of fat? Or have you noticed that after a certain amount of time your bodies get over the shock and you start losing a small amount regularly?

Thanks to all who responded. What you all described sounds similar to the amounts the nutritionalist stated. It definately sounds like enough food is being consumed to energize the body enough to lose weight. Congrats to you all.

Thanks for the reply. I spoke with a nutritionalist at the start of my 6 month mandated diet and she spoke about the food intake after band placement. It was such a small amount I had a hard time believing it could add up to 1000 calories. But I guess it does. Right now I'm taking in at least 50 grams of protein a day and if I'm short I have a protein drink. I've worked hard these past six months to prepare and I've lost 15 pounds. Not a lot but I celebrate the victory any way. Today is yet another party to go to but I got the menu ahead of time and I know what I'm going to order. This time I know I can win the battle. Thanks for listening and have a great day.

Gee I'm sorry to read that Kaye. Are you eat at least 50 grams of protein a day? Also don't forget your essential fatty acids, olive oil, flax seed oil, fish oil for example. But even if you have your hair thinning problem resolved I'd be concerned about your fill issue. Pain on insertion and food stuck isn't a good way to live. Sorry I don't have any answers but I wanted to wish you luck and hope things can be resolved.

Thank you. Good to hear that you have not had a problem with the limitations. That gives me a lot of hope that I can do it too.