RestlessMonkey

It happens sometimes. I had one that probably would've gotten infected if not for me being a nursing student and my husband being a long-time RN...we recognized where it was headed and stopped it in time. ORs are very sterile but we humans have bacteria on our skin, and we encounter it all the time. So what happened to you isn't that rare! Just be sure to take ALL your drug (don't stop if your incision clears up before you are through taking the drug!)

If you are sure you are chewing well and taking small bites, you are too tight. Call your surgeon and have a little saline removed. What you describe is the classic sign!

Ask your surgeon! That is the safest route for you.

I lost 15 pounds dieting "my" way instead of what doc told me to do and my liver was too thick. Seriously just because you lost doesn't mean you lost it in your liver! You really should tell your surgeon....because you didn't just have "a meal" or whatever. Your call; but I can tell you it's not fun to come to in recovery and not have the band. I wish I'd told my doc and we'd put it off a week or two.

Sounds to me like thrush and if so you need meds for it. Call your doc tomorrow.

An exclusion means it is not covered. Period. The coverage is not selected by the purchaser (usually an employer) and is not paid for and is not availablel. Not that it is debatable, but that it is not covered.

Take what you weigh. Subtract from that what you "should" weigh. Whatever that figure is, divide it by 2. For example: Say you weigh 400 and should weigh 100. 400-100= 300 (your excess weight) 50% (or 1/2) of that is 150.

It depends on how quickly you recover, how "in shape" you are to begin with, how you adapt to the post op liquids only diet (some feel faint, some thrive) and so on. AND I agree (as a nurse, you know) there will be lifting restrictions post op. That may impact you, depending on your job. You are safest to discuss this with your surgeon; he would be the one who knows his patient base the best.

Ask your surgeon!

Well since beer is carbonated and my doc says no carbonation I'd have to say pretty much forever. I suggest you check with your surgeon.

Call your surgeon and tell him. Depending on your situation you may be ok, or because of your liver you may need to postpone.

I swear I answered a post by you about being a triathlete and I guess you edited it out! LOL ANYWAY... Seriously if you haven't ever given a traditional diet a good try, then you should do that before ever considering surgery. Some (not many, but some) DO successfully lose weight AND KEEP IT OFF (that's the kicker!) with traditional methods. You may be one of those where a lifestyle change of eating more healthy foods and exercising does the trick for you. If so, then the band would be a waste of time and money for you. If you try a traditional approach and find, like many of us, that you don't lose well or that you lose but gain it all (plus some) back as soon as you let down your guard, the band will still be here and available to you. So diet first...give it a good shot. That's smart.

Well since I'm 54 and weighed in at 405 I obviously can't answer your questions based on personal experience. However I can tell you that if you are too fat you can NOT do those things...and that as I lose I have MORE energy, not less. I am not starving. I'm just taking in less calories than i need, so I am losing. Are athletes fat? Do they overeat? Or do they just eat what they need? Do they choose high energy healthy stuff or eat pizza and Cookies? I can't address your issues about fast food. I can just tell you why the band works for me. And honestly I don't think there's anything wrong with occasional fast food. It's just food, not satan. :thumbdown: There are good choices and choices that are not as good, but it's all just food. Only you know if you will work the band; I can just tell you why it works for me. You might speak to a surgeon or therapist about this. To me, I eat like a thin person. My BFF is my age, weighs in at about 120 (she's 5'5") and has never had a weight problem. Every once in a while she has a milk shake (or part of one) from, say Chick Fil A. Occasionally she eats part of a hamburger. Not daily, not monthly, but sometimes. There is no food that you can NEVER eat (except maybe carbonated beverages) You just have to choose healthy things most of the time. For me that's easier when I'm not hungry all the time. Who said there is a specific diet you must follow after surgery?

I don't know about you but I can tell you the point for me...before the lap band I had to eat a LOT to get full. I could (and did) successfully diet many many times but always got tired of counting/weighing, etc...and also was usually hungry much of the time (when can I eat again? Do I have enough calories left for the day? I'm HUNGRY now will that make me gain weight if I eat? etc etc) With the band...I have none of that. I am full on an amazingly small amount of food. I eat about 1/4 (or less) of what I used to eat. I don't wish I could eat more. I'm happy with less. I eat like a slender person. I don't weigh food I don't count calories or beans or chips. I don't worry "what if i get hungry". I love the band.

Come on. If you worked in surgery you KNOW you want an experienced surgeon to handle your case. If you want your gall bladder removed you get someone who's done it hundreds to thousands of times. If you need a hernia repair you don't get a neuro surgeon...you get someone who's repaired OODLES of hernias. And with the band it isn't just the surgery, it's the after care. Who will do your adjustments? When you have band specific problems will they give you a handbook on roux-en-Y and send you on your way? You decide what's best but if it were me there is NO WAY I'd let an inexperienced surgeon perform my surgery. Good grief they can't even get straight within the office what you're there for!

Call your doc on monday. You may need something with some electrolytes in it (because of the leg cramps)...let him know about your symptoms. Otherwise just hang in there! You are doing fine! :thumbdown:

I'm an arbitrary little monkey. ANY time I tell myself I CAN NOT have something (cake, a cookie, pizza, low fat cheese...) I want it BAD. I get obsessed with it However, with the band, I leave that "diet" mentality behind. so..me not ever having a burger (for example?) not likely. BUT me not having one today? Totally do-able. It's a mindset. Diet mindset (lord knows I've practiced it a LOT in my 54 years) sets me up for failure. In other words...I don't do what you do because SOMETIMES (rarely) I buy the "junk" and we have it. We'll have hot dogs and chips for supper every once in a while. I understand where you're at because I've been there. Usually in a diet when I get to that point, I'm just a few weeks from failure. I haven't ever gotten to that point with the band because I don't have that "forbidden" thing to give the rush.

Well, preop IS preop. Not a month ahead etc. Odds are that yes they will be done that week and why have you duplicate? They want the MOST current data. No reason to have you do it earlier because they will want it just a few days preop. Call and see if they are doing the tests while you are there (both an ecg and blood work) if so, then that IS your preop testing.

I can not believe they are going to do surgery on you and not have current blood work. The ecg...maybe or maybe not depending on your age, weight, symptoms, etc. But not blood work. Although I would need to know more about your situation (are you under the care of a PCP? Did you just have bloodwork done?) but initially I agree that the lack is troublesome.

Both are effective forms of weight loss. Bypass offers faster initial weight loss (with a greater risk of bad side effects, unfortunately) but 3 years out, average weight loss is comparable between the two. I suggest reading, (there are some great WLS books on Amazon, for example) attending a seminar (or two, or more!) and deciding what is right for you. I'm sure your sister loves you and because she is successful with bypass wants the same for you. But you are different people; you'll be living with your decision, not her. You should weigh her experience and words, but also weigh what you learn about both processes, and decide which one fits you best.

I love my band. It's been a great experience all the way through. You need to realize that often people post here when they have problems (you can only say "I'm happy so many ways and then it gets repetitive, you know!) and it's good there is a place to get advice etc. But realize a HUGE portion of "bandsters" don't post because they are out busily living healthier lives.

Caffeine is not a no-no for everyone. My doc asks us not to indulge; when I asked why I was told because it can stimulate the appetite. IT doesn't do that for me, so I have it. It does not erode the band. Just to clarify; your doc may or may not allow it but ask him or her WHY if you want it and it's banned. Trust your surgeon!

I struggled with this too. I got the band and expected it to help me feel full; until I got a good bit of restriction it didn't happen. As one poster says "losing weight can be done with just the band" well guess what you can lose without the band too. I didn't expect a quick fix but I did expect a help! Hang in there; once you get restriction it helps immensely. I was about to give up but now that I have 6 cc in my 14 cc band, I'm finally getting help from the band instead of just feeling like it was in there along for the ride! :thumbdown: