RestlessMonkey

Ask your surgeon. If you truly can't, it will be for a valid, good reason, ie erosion of your stomach. In that case, you'll be informed and can choose. It's possible that losing weight will help immensely with your arthritis and you'll only need tylenol later. But DO talk to your surgeon. He needs all the information about your health and what drugs you're taking. To intentionally lie or omit that info (assuming he's asked you what meds you are taking, and he should. They ask me EVERY time I go) is unfair to him and to you. Give him a chance to work something out with you!

I feel you should ask your doctor. He may have special guidelines for you to follow so you can take it safely.

You REALLY need to ask your surgeon about this. For example, mine won't even clear us for PROTEIN drinks until week 2, and he has his reasons. Rather than do what people here tell you (and we are all different, as are our bands, doctors, bodies, recoveries etc, so not that anyone would ever intentionally steer you wrong!!) do what your doctor says. It's possible he'll say no big deal! I hope so! But its not just the alcohol; how will you get around not eating in front of the other couple?

I don't know about GEHA. I Know tricare required a "Center of Excellence" surgeon and it was easy to find one. I'd suggest finding a center of excellence per your insurance requirement....

I would call tricare and ask what that means. ASAP.

She's a grown up. It's her body. If it were me, the more you bugged me, the less likely I'd be to do something. You know her best; you probably know what's best to do for her, whether it be bug her or leave her alone about it.

My surgeon says it happens to all his patients, it's apparently a reaction to the trauma of surgery, that it hits at 3-6 months, and then resolves, and that none of his patients ever needed a wig. Mine's been thinning but I know it will pass. He also told us not to bother with supplements, excess protein, biotin etc...just take our vitamins, get "enough" protein and water, and wait it out. Some swear by protein bullets, biotin etc but I am trusting my surgeon.

Actually with my APL lap band I could drink Water normally from as soon as they'd let me have it in recovery. It didn't hurt my band because I had no restriction yet (no fills...just "prime" that they have in there for surgery) and wasn't swollen, or at least not enough to restrict my drinking. Make sure you get 64 oz a day in at least. If you don't feel restriction or "full" with sips, try maybe one regular sized "swallow" and see if that goes down. If in doubt, always call your doctor! I too was told to sip but my surgeon told them to go ahead and give me a nice big glass of iced water in post op and let me drink it at my pace, which I did....I was so thirsty it was like nectar or something!

Just follow your doctor's guidelines. If you have the new lap band you may not have restriction post op, or not as much as people had in the past, so liquid will go through much more easily because the stomach isn't as traumatized and therefore not as swollen immediately post op. Do NOT advance to mushies or solids or full liquids faster than YOUR surgeon recommends, regardless of what others on here may do, per THEIR surgeons! But as to how much clear liquid? I don't think you'll hurt things yet because you aren't restricted until you get fills and the band begins to be tightened. Safest bet is to ask your doc.

Why would you not? By next summer you'll weigh less so you should be healthier and enjoy it more; that's the only change I can imagine. I don't golf, but people do things like skydive with the band. I can't imagine that golfing would be more grueling! :laugh:

I had to attend a seminar before my first visit. You need to know some background before you know what to ask! If you have the time and are the research type, in lieu of a seminar, buy a book on gastric lap band and read up. Then you'll have an info base and will know what is important to you! Half price book stores etc should have an array, as well as places like Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

You need to follow your doctor's prescribed diet, not anecdotal advice received here. When we eat "food" our stomachs churn to digest it. If you have a band that is sutured or sewn in you run the risk of ripping out your stitches. Or you may loosen them and run the risk of slippage and erosion later. There is a reason docs put us on specific pre- and post- op diets. I KNOW its hard. I sat and held a can of refried beans and CRIED for goodness' sake. But, I didn't eat them. You need to do what your doc says.

Although there is no surefire way to tell if your surgery will go well, I personally prefer a surgeon who has done a LOT of a type of surgery. For example, I'd rather a surgeon who had done over 1000 Lap band procedures, but still also does RNY bypass, than a surgeon who only does lap band and has done 250 of them. A good surgeon will have done the procedure over and over and hopefully encountered all the "exceptions" so that when it's your turn, there won't be any surprises. My general surgeon who removed my gall bladder had done thousands of such surgery, but he also repaired hernias, removed appendixes, etc. So just because a surgeon does more than one type of surgery isn't as important as how many he's done. Ask what his success rate is. Ask if anyone has ever died during or after surgery, and if so, why. Find out about what complications you may expect. Ask about after care. (most of that you can get from a good seminar) Then decide. In the final analysis, you need to feel that the surgeon is approachable and knowledgable. The surgery is just a small part of the whole lap band experience. Without fills and follow up, it is almost useless. The surgery, in other words, is just another step along the way. You need an accessible surgeon or center who will be there when you need them, and a surgeon who has the experience to successfully place your band and guide you through healing and learning your new way of eating. Go to the bariatric center near you; attend a lap band seminar, and see how you feel.

You might get more answers if you post this in the "Food and Nutrition" area...I'd give you "tips" but I'm just eating normally.

OK I know about ventral hernia LOL I have a big one. Doc told me I needed to lose weight before repairing it or it would just come back. SO I have band...once I'm smaller I'll get it fixed.

Then do that. "Kick" the habits. Seriously.

I agree, do what your doctor tells you. Carbonation can cause big problems. If you truly have to have diet mountain dew or diet pepsi, don't get the band. Period. Caffeine...in a non-carbonated form, may fit back into your life if it doesn't stimulate your appetite, but carbonation hurts and can cause damage. By the time you may be able to safely drink carbonated beverages (if ever) you'll be over the addiction. And I'm not being facetious or mean about giving it up and if you can't, don't get the band. It's a big decision that requires a lot of lifestyle changes and is not the right choice for everyone! I only drink beer about twice a year but it was "important" to me; I had to decide if giving up those holiday times was worth it. It was dicey for a while but the band won. You need to think it through carefully! Good luck to you!

When were you banded? If you are suffering through a post op diet, that's one thing. Once you've healed and are getting fills, that's something else. If you've healed and are more than 6 weeks post op, try going to a different support group meeting. If your brother is in the same city, can you go to one of his? Why did you pick the surgeon you did? Do you trust him? Have you talked to him about your concerns? You have to decide what's right for you. I will say personally I'm with the bandsters who want to QUIT thinking about food. I don't weigh and count and journal and fret. That would drive me (and did drive me!) nuts. I plan to eat way way less of "normal" food.

Discuss this with your surgeon. Do you have ADHD? If not, stop taking the adderall. You may not think you have a problem, but popping pills and binge drinking every weekend aren't "normal". I was 23 once, too. Trust me. You're headed down the wrong road, Dude.

I've been told (and it's been my experience) that loose skin depends on many factors: your health, age, skin texture, skin health, how heavy you started, how LONG your skin has been stretched, etc etc. Working out tones the muscle UNDER the skin; it doesn't tighten skin. Skin is an organ and will shrink some on it's own, but depending, you may or may not have loose skin after losing 100 pounds. Thinking that losing "slowly" will impact that is fallacious; think of it this way. Imagine 2 balloons that have had air in them for 2 days. Let the air out of one really fast (symbolizing quick weight loss) let the air out of one really slow. (don't pop either LOL) at the end, they will both be stretched out. Just eat healthy, take your Vitamins, drink your Water, and do what you need to to keep your own overall health up. Once you've lost, give it a year, and then see what is still "saggy', and how much it bothers you. I always felt I'd rather have plastic surgery to remove extra skin, than open heart surgery because I'd been so fat I damaged my heart. Not everyone has extreme skin issues. Don't borrow trouble, just wait and see where YOU land.

I honestly think that, if you've maintained your weight and given it about a year to "firm up" on it's own, what's left will have to be surgically removed. Many factors impact saggy skin...age, skin type, skin moisture, skin health, personal health, how heavy you were (how much it was stretched) how LONG it was stretched, genetics, and so on. Think of blowing up a balloon...after a while, it stays stretched out even after you let the air out of it. Skin, although alive, is kind of like that. It can only recover so much.

I actually got out my phone book and called each doctor who said he/she did the lap band until I found one who accepted my insurance (Tricare Standard). I went to his seminar and was impressed; if I hadn't liked him I'd have started back with the C's and kept calling.

I was told I MUST NEVER have caffeine. I love iced tea (no sugar) and have read a lot of research about the pros (and cons) of caffeine so I asked why. I kept asking until finally I was told "because it is an appetite stimulant for some". Well poo! It doesn't have that effect on me. So I went without preop and post op for the first 3 weeks or so, but now am back to drinking my caffeinated tea. I do NOT recommend going against your doctor's advice just because of what is posted here. BUT I do recommend pinning down your doctor on exactly WHY you can't have caffeine. If it is a reason that you feel doesn't apply to you, you can make up your own mind about it. I will say I apparently am not "addicted" in that no tea/coffee doesn't mean I get headaches or am any meaner than usual LOL AND I do make sure that I get 64 oz of Water in each day, in addition to my tea (caffeine can be a mild diuretic .... it doesn't "count" as water) but otherwise, I'm fine. You need to make your own determination about whether it can fit in a healthy lifestyle for you, however!

I did! I put campbells split pea with ham (or bacon? whichever it is!) and 1 can of water into the food processor and diced the dickens out of it until it was creamy (I added the water gradually) then heated and ate. It was DELICIOUS! Kept me sane!

Do what your doctor tells you, not anecdotal info you read here. Every surgeon is different. You'll be safest and get the best results if you do what your doctor prescribes! :eek: Hang in there; it will get better.