RestlessMonkey

Scroll on through the forums. There are sections to address docs and hospitals etc and you'll probably get more play there.

If you are military aren't you tricare? If so I don't think you have that 6 month thing. I didn't, anyway. I'd give them a day and call again. Locally I had to attend a seminar, then see the surgeon for an initial consult, then have psych and nutrition clearance and paperwork was submitted. Once approved (about 48 hours; I'm tricare standard and no referral was needed) I had surgery scheduled, preop tests done, and surgery. Seminar was 7/10; first surgery 8/11.

Wait, you are mad because people don't think you are fat? Are you sure? LOL Actually 41 isn't a low BMI! :w00t: (I know because I was just tinkering around with the calculator wondering when I'd be in just the "obese" range instead of the "check your numbers" range) Bottom line, who cares? They think you look good like you are and that is making you angry so why give a rip if they think you should have surgery? You have to do what pleases you and you know you need it! :blushing: I don't think they are being polite so much as being honest. It's complimentary, to my way of thinking (well most of it anyway) And if they think that now, you'd better brace for the commentary you're going to get as you lose. They'll probably think you're sick or something! You'll just have to tune 'em out!

you'll probably recover faster than it took you to get to that point before. Remember too you did have surgery; your lungs had gas in them, etc. And it takes a while to heal; however your surface incisions look, internally it is NOT that healed yet! So walk and wii (LOL) but don't be too discouraged or down. It'll come back quickly. I was thinking I felt more energetic post op than you did but then i was so sluggish preband that almost anything would've been an improvement! :w00t: The fatigue will pass!

The most I ever lost on a diet was 45 pounds, so I was super pumped when I hit 46 down. HOWEVER honestly I got excited on May 8 when I realized my May 7 fill had put me at the "sweet spot" or "green zone" as my surgeon called it. I realized then "This is what the fuss is all about!" and I also realized then that if I was willing to work it, there would be no limit on how much I could lose. So May 8, 2009 is when I got excited! :w00t: And I still am. I lose in chunks but that's fine with me! I LOVE it. I am stunned I've lost over 75, can hardly wait to get to Twoterville, but am generally happy every day whether the scale goes down or not because except for some water fluctuation (which is getting less as I lose) I do not go UP. THAT is wonderful.

I did just lose the rest of that pesky 3/4 chihuahua, and just over 1/5 of another one. :w00t: My cat prefers that I lose chihuahuas.

I actually had more energy and stamina post op, but I lost 32 pounds in 5 weeks on preop diet and losing that amt of weight really made it easier for me to get around. I am sure this is individual. People lose muscle mass rapidly when they are sedentary. Just start building back up and you'll be to where you were in no time.

Well I was banded, not banned! LOL :blushing: I started my senior year working toward my BSN right after I got banded; in fact I had to miss 4 hours of skills' lab to get it. I was banded on Friday and back in class on the next Tuesday, so the time span is the same. I had a really speedy recovery though; felt great, no nausea, little to no pain, etc. Not everyone is so lucky. I figured I'd recover that fast because of prior surgery experience, and because I didn't have any clinical rotation until the NEXT week. However...unless you know how you'll do or can afford to miss more, I'd strongly suggest you wait. If your nursing school is like mine was, you can only miss so much of the skills/clinical portion or you'll be failed; you don't want that kind of pressure. Recovery depends on many things; what if you aren't well enough to give good patient care? If I were you, frustrating though it may be, I'd wait until the holiday break, unless you are in a program with no clinical requirements.

No if you are congested they will postpone the surgery, because it is elective and it's more dangerous (anesthesia, oxygenation) when your gas exchange/lung function is impaired. Call your PCP and see if it's bacterial and if antibiotics can help, and call your surgeon tomorrow. And don't cheat on your diet! :blushing:

Not everyone has a liver shrink diet but it's not uncommon. Do what your doc says EXACTLY and you'll be fine. I didn't the first time, I did my own diet and had surgery but no band. While that is rare it can happen. So follow your docs diet and you'll breeze through!

Just finished a rib eye for dinner, well done. Have shrimp often (just with cocktail sauce, or fried) Don't like calamari. Like others have said; we're all different. MY doc said "the goal is for you to be able to eat anything post band that you did pre-band, just less. Some have trouble with things like white bread or stringy red meat, but not all". I went in figuring I'd still be able to have anything, and 1 year out, great restriction, I can.

Adult females should get about 28g of fiber daily. That's the problem with supplements; you need to take a LOT for it to be helpful. (men need more) I do like the Mission low carb flower tortillas (8 or 9 gm fiber in each, I think) and also Fiber One cereal, if you eat cereal, is a good source. My nutrition prof suggested, if you just hated it, to mix it w/a cereal you like. Of course, this is all way post op when we are losing and/or maintaining loss. During the pre= and post-op phases, check with your surgeon, don't self-medicate.

I can go out to eat! We go out a couple times a month. I just make sure that I choose foods I know won't give me trouble. If it's just my husband it's easy. If I'm with a group (and might get more talkative, if that's possible, and "forget") I just remind myself before hand to eat carefully. I also put my drink just out of reach so it won't be easy to forget, because I can NOT drink and eat. It hurts like the dickens! I'm glad it's not a problem for me. From the very start I wanted the lap band to make me more normal, not less so, if that makes sense. I didn't want to be the one who can't eat and has to run vomit. God forbid. I do have papaya enzyme on hand, too, but have never had to use it when out. And fortunately I usually can tell if I've swallowed too quickly without chewing well and can remind myself to SLOW DOWN AND CHEW! Also, remembering that it's usually more about the company than the food helps me immensely.

What's your fill philosophy, are you aggressive or conservative, and why? How many fills does it take on average for your patients to achieve the green zone and lose consistently without sheer willpower? Who does your fills? How long do you require your patients to wait between fills, and why? What happens if I have an emergency; do you have an after hours number? Once I reach the green zone, how freqently do I need to come in for a check up? Have you ever had a patient die during or after the surgery? Why? Would you recommend the lap band, or another type of surgery, to a loved one requiring WLS? How often do you check my blood work? How much of their excess weight do your patients lose on average? Do you remove the gas you use during surgery before you close us up and if not, why not? Do I have to stay in the hospital overnight? (or if you want to: Can I stay in the hospital overnight?) Those are some that are good to know...not necessarily problems I've had with my doc (he's an angel straight from heaven LOL) but things I realize now I was lucky about...I thought I was well informed but there's a lot I didn't know.

I read several books but this one was my favorite: Weight Loss Surgery with the Adjustable Gastric Band: Everything You Need to Know Before and After Surgery to Lose Weight Successfully (Paperback) by Robert Sewell M.D. (Author), Linda Rohrbough (Author) Available from Amazon.com and probably from your local new or used bookseller. As to the liquid diet; I just did it. I didn't think it would be easy but I've been on so many diets, to know I had to do one (no matter how harsh) for a finite time, for a definite goal, helped me get through. My husband didn't eat real food in front of me nor did we cook at home and that helped immensely. Plus our kitchen was fairly cleaned out of any junk food, carbs, anything you could just open and eat (except Soup, and I didn't think I'd go for that LOL) So prepare your environment...whatever areas you think might give you trouble, and keep your eye on the prize! :blushing:

Erykah; you really do have to chew food well or it does get stuck, unless you don't fill the band. For most of us, an unfilled band means a pricey piece of non-functioning plastic is just sitting there. All joking aside, that's a major consideration you'll need to address before banding. If your stomach is really sensitive (and you've joked twice now about vomiting) the band may not be for you. I don't mean to be a downer! But, while most of us have times where we do "PB", it isn't something to be considered a lifestyle. It is hard on you and the band, and not something most docs will allow to continue. In fact at my check ups they ALWAYS ask if I've vomited even once, and want to know the particulars, symptoms after, etc. So an optimistic attitude is grand and I heartily endorse it, but do realize that you will have to chew well or have little restriction.

davsil; good for you checking with your doc and doing as he says! And GREAT about the wonderful loss! The time will pass and you will be set for a great successful band experience!

I've lost 14 and 3/4 chihuahuas.

I think odd cycles are pretty common. I would guess (just a guess) it has to do partly with the surgery and trauma, and partly with the weight loss. I think estrogen is stored with fat and if a bunch is released quickly, it can mess up our timing. Your doc will be able to discuss it with you; maybe not "band" especially but rapid weight loss and/or surgery.

Depends on you and your band and stomach and if you're filled and so on. Truthfully. I could eat a pretty good amount. I'll give you an example. Preband I could eat 2 Chick Fil A sandwiches, 1 large waffle fries, and then within about 30 min of dinner I'd have a Cookies and cream shake (wonder how I EVER got to 405? LOL) Post op I could eat 1 chick fil a, a few fries, no shake. Now that I'm restricted pretty well I can eat 1/3 - 1/2 of a chick fil a , up to about 3 fries, no shake. I don't have it much because I am trying to lose, but I had one about 3 months ago when a friend was visiting from out of town. So the band helped some, getting it filled helped a lot. Now I can eat about a cup (by volume, not weight) of food. Pre band I could probably eat 5 times that. Immediately post op (well i should say week 6 before I was filled, that is, but once healed and off post op healing diet) I could eat between 2-3 cups.

That's kind of like asking, how will I know if I pinch my finger in the door. Trust me, you'll know. It hurts! Sometimes it hurts badly, almost like I'd think a heart attack would. Sometimes it's just discomfort. Don't worry, you'll know it if it happens to you. If you're in doubt, you probably weren't! :thumbup:

Ins covered mine but last year at the seminar price was 15K and that included 1 year of fills. Just realize you may need to stay overnight. My doc generally requires it, self pay or not. He let me go early but there were extenuating circumstances. Generally he keeps you overnight. So don't rule that out, find a package that includes that if needed.

It doesn't get a LOT better but you make it! Keeping my eye on the goal helped me a lot. Plus, I was very firm with myself...no little voice whispering or whimpering. (that's the 2nd time. The first time I didn't get the band!) You'll make it and it will be so worth it!

Good grief! It sounds a little odd, but maybe it's the surgeon's way of getting people to focus and really think through if they want the surgery and why, PLUS...lets him know if you have any misinformation. I say, just write from your heart and be honest! :thumbup:

Good luck! :thumbup: I'm excited for you! Do you have your bag packed, or will you be staying overnight?