Mikochan

I had a bad cold, possibly a sinus infection, during my surgery. I got it a few days before and I told my doctor about it the morning of the surgery. My surgeon assured me that it wouldn't be a problem. He told me something about modern day anesthetics that are being administered at lower doses and also pointed out the fact that this was elective surgery and so I was otherwise healthy. My surgery went on without a hitch and I had an extremely good recovery. Good luck!

I went in for my second fill today. My first fill was under fluoro, but this one was in my doctor's office. Anyway, they told me to wait for about 20 minutes and drink Water after the fill. I did that and was fine, so I walked to my car. On the way to my car I had some dull back pain around my middle left side of my back which has not gone away and has gotten a bit worse. Has anyone had any back pain associated with fills? Or is this a totally unrelated sensation? Thanks.

Thanks for the reply! I guess it is just coincidence. Kinda like a reverse acupuncture where the needle gives you pain instead of alleviating it (just kidding).

That is great! Congratulations. You are an inspiration for me. I hope my numbers do the same.

Congratulations on being banded! Since you were only banded a week ago, I'd like to give you some unsolicited advice. Here's what I've learned in only 4 short weeks: A lot of people will tell you not to worry about the weight loss before your first fill because you are in the healing phase right now and you should not expect to lose much before your first fill. But my surgeon says that you CAN lose weight if you try hard enough. What that advice reminds me of is of the time when I went to high school from junior high. I was #2 in my junior high class, and someone said to me, "you know, high school is a lot harder so don't expect such high grades." Well, of course that was in my head and I didn't get such high grades in high school. But I could have, you see. It was just that mentality that was setting me back. For me, I got really hungry right before I started mushies and I have been eating the wrong foods since then (too much frozen yogurt, mashed potatoes, me thinking I can "puree" regular foods in my mouth, etc.). It is a slippery slope and once I eat some foods I just want more and more. If you're like me, don't start eating bad stuff. It will just be that much harder to get out of it. :smile2: Also, I wasn't measuring my food or counting calories and I am sure I have been eating too much at one time and snacking too much. I forgot that I was only supposed to be eating portions the size of a golf ball because my stomach wasn't giving me the regular "fullness" signals that I was used to pre-band. :ohmy: Non-caloric liquids and exercise are also key. As for exercise, I am sure you know that 30 minutes can burn as little as 100 or as much as 400 calories or more, depending on your exertion level. If you have to do low-intensity workouts, then you need to spend more time doing them. I hope this has armed you with some additional knowledge to keep losing as you get used to your band. You can do it! We can all do this together!

Yeah, maybe you just need a bigger size if they are cutting off your circulation. I told the nurse that I had huge calves and she measured them and gave me XL compression stockings (which I only had to wear for one day). Did they measure your legs?

Has anyone changed insurance companies after surgery and before your first fluoroscopy fill? I had my surgery under one insurance company (Cigna) but I am now changing to Blue Cross of California. I am wondering if Blue Cross will cover my fluoroscopy fill and any subsequent fills. Isn't lap band surgery a pre-existing condition? I sure hope they cover the fills, because my doctor's office told me that the fluoroscopy fill is about $1,000 and the office fills are $500 each. My other choice is to keep Cigna by paying for COBRA at $500 per month. Any help or advice would be appreciated!!

Thanks for your input so far, everyone! I already called Blue Cross and either they are 1.) too busy and the recording says to call back later, or 2.) the rep doesn't know what she is talking about and makes "guesses" as to whether it is covered. One rep said, "I want to say that it is not covered..." which really doesn't give me a definite answer. "Is it or isn't it?" I ask. Then she says, "No, I don't think so." I know I should speak to a supervisor, but I just don't like calling them again and again. You are right, I should just ask about pre-existing conditions in general. It seems like whenever I say "bariatric surgery" or "gastric band" I feel like they become discriminatory in tone (even though I know for a fact that the lap band is covered through the plan). Btw, I am on a group policy through my husband's employer.

Progresso (or is it Campbell's Selects?) chicken and Sausage Jambalaya Soup is really good. Edit: I went to the store and saw that it is actually called Progresso Chicken and Sausage Gumbo. SO good! If you can't eat solids yet, then strain it first (or after you cook it). I added some broth to it so I could stretch it out more. It is a bit spicy, so if your stomach can't handle hot foods then I wouldn't try it, or add more broth. Also good is the Campbell's Vegetable Beef Soup at Hand. It has tiny bits of meat and vegetables which of course you have to strain out or chew well.

Okay, this may be a silly question, but how do you know when you are full? Does it feel different from pre-op? Before surgery, I would only feel full after eating a lot and it would feel like my lower belly was distended and I basically couldn't take one more bite. Now, I am 3 and 1/2 weeks post-surgery and after I eat I can't tell whether I am full or not. After eating a good portion (about 1 cup, max), I do feel some sort of tightness in my UPPER chest, and I feel satisfied, so I stop eating. But it is not coming from down there anymore. Am I abnormal or is this what feeling "full" will feel like from now on? Will it feel different after my band is filled?

Thanks! That is really helpful. How much protein did your doctor tell you to have? Now that I am looking at my dietician guidelines again, I do see that it says to stop at 1/2 cup.

hope endures, You're regurgitating with only a few ounces of food? I don't know for sure, but that doesn't sound normal to me. I do get that feeling you are talking about where the food feels like it's coming up to my esophagus, but it never gets to the point where it actually comes out.

Hi everyone! I got banded on June 27th. Is this how I'm supposed to put my name on the list?

That is awesome!!! :biggrin2:

I only told 5 people that I got the surgery: my husband (obviously he knew about it), my parents, my sister, and my best friend. My husband might have told my in-laws, I think. I am not working right now, so I didn't have the problem with having concerned co-workers around. Thank goodness, because I really hate to lie. I told two of my friends that I was having a "medical procedure" done and that I wouldn't be around for a few days. Although they did have questions, I kind of made it seem like I didn't want to talk about it and they didn't press any further. They might know that I was having bariatic surgery, but then again maybe not. Because I had an excellent surgeon, I was up and around the second day after surgery, so none of my other friends knew that I was even in the hospital. One day, when they were eating and I was only drinking liquids, they asked why I wasn't eating and I said that I was on a special "medically supervised" liquid diet, which is true! Now it is about 3 weeks after surgery, and no one really knew that I had anything done. The weight is coming off rather slowly (as opposed to gastric bypass), and I tell people that I am exercising a lot, so it is not like anyone would suspect anything. I might change my mind later to tell more people, but for now I'd rather not.

I know you probably got your answer, but to anyone who doesn't have Aetna, beware of switching insurance! I was on COBRA to get my lap band surgery because my previous employer's plan paid 100% and my new insurance plan only pays 80%. I just called my new insurance company and I got so mad at them because they said that they don't think that ANY follow-up, including fills, will be covered. She said that she doesn't think that I can get approval now because the surgery was already done. I sure hope that the woman doesn't know what she is talking about! I am definitely appealing it if that's the case. It seems so dumb that they won't pay for fills. She said that no insurance company is going to pay for follow-up for a procedure that was done with a previous insurance company. If that is the case, then does that mean that a cardiac patient won't be covered for a cardiologist visit if he got heart surgery 5 years ago under a different insurance????

I just wanted to stop by and say hi! I got banded about 2 1/2 weeks ago and am really glad I made the decision to do it. I have type 2 diabetes and after seeing it get worse for a while, I went on glucophage and that seems to do the trick. But after seeing my father's type 2 diabetes get worse over the years despite a strict diet and exercise program, and seeing my weight climb up and up, I didn't think I could keep that up for long. Hopefully I caught it early enough and this band will get rid of my diabetes for good. Is that wishful thinking?

I started getting really hungry at about 1 and 1/2 weeks post-op, while I was on the full liquid stage. I hate supplement shakes, so I found that milk or Isopure drinks really helped me. Today I started mushies and I noticed that I am full with very little food, which I am really happy about! Someone on another thread said that this fullness/restriction during the mushies phase only lasts for 2 days, though. Hopefully it will last longer for me!

I didn't mean to imply that I was going to go off my meds without my doctor's approval. I just "want" to go off of them. My blood sugars before surgery (when I was eating real food) were in the 120's, and now after surgery they are in the 90's. They are pretty stable, and have been for about 7 months or longer.

Hi - I got banded just over a week ago and asked my endocrinologist whether I could stop taking my diabetic meds after surgery. He said to stay on them for about 3 months because, even though my blood sugar levels are the lowest they've ever been, he thought they would help me lose weight by increasing my insulin. I think they are actually having the opposite effect. If you were Type 2 diabetic before surgery, when did your doctor take you off your meds? Was there a time when you knew that you could go off of them? Do you think they helped you lose weight? I am taking 3 different meds for diabetes and I so want to stop taking them so at least I can save some money on prescription costs. Thanks!

Hi - I'm a new poster to this forum. I just got banded last week. I was reading up on saggy skin and I found this interesting website that basically says that surgery is not necessary to get rid of it. The sagging skin is from excess body fat and loss of muscle mass. I was wondering what others thought. Have those of you who have sagging skin been doing weight training or exercising since you got your band? :biggrin2: Here is the website: The Myth of Loose Skin (I am in no way affiliated with it or endorse it.)