RestlessMonkey

OH and one more thing? It's YOUR body and health and life; not your surgeon's, or your PCP's, or anyone else's. By all means listen to the surgeon, but YOU and only YOU should decide what surgery you want. It may be, once all the info is laid out before you, that bypass appeals to you. It may be that when all is said and done you prefer the lap band. YOU choose. If the surgeon trys to force or coerce you, find another surgeon. Both surgeries help with obesity and can prolong your life so they shouldn't foist one or the other on you. :wink_smile:

Whether it takes a while depends, unfortunately, mostly on insurance. Surgeons can have busy schedules too but insurance seems to be the major speed bump. For me, I went to a seminar 7/10 and had my first surgery 8/11 (same year LOL) so it wasn't tedious at all. However I was way over my healthy range, and that "helps" speed the process. At any rate, lots of people do have to do a 6-month diet etc so you won't be alone! Welcome! :wink_smile:

Your best bet is to contract Tricare. I agree with the others that I've NEVER heard of tricare requiring 6 mos diet, h. pylorii test, etc. I have Tricare standard and was approved in 2 days because of my initial high BMI. Tricare is the best source of info on tricare, not surgeons, no matter how nice or well-meaning they may be! :smile:

If you can, why not go to each seminar? I love Dr. Cavazos but I agree they both have true fans who post here. Since they are both good surgeons with good track records, pick the one you feel the best connection with! :eek:

You apparently weren't very well educated in your seminar... shame on your surgeon! Restriction helps you remain satisfied between meals, and that doesn't usually happen until your 3rd (or more!) fill. However it's very important that you follow your surgeon's post op diet because if you eat your stomach will churn to aid in digestion and you can pull free the sutures holding your band in place. It's tough but most all of us have suffered through it, and it gets better. Just hang in there!

That's great! But don't forget to walk walk walk to keep those blood clots at bay, and to help clear your lungs and body of the anesthesia! Your mouth is dry from the anticholinergic they gave you before surgery to dry up your secretions; as the drug clears your system you'll be more normal. Water and exercise will both help flush you out! Glad you're banded!

10% of your weight is 34.5, not 45. Did they mess up?

I agree w/slim-n-tn! You should add a teaspoon or two (not much!) of good oil like olive, flax or canola into your diet...and make sure you get at least 64 oz of water a day. It will take it a while (few weeks) to work.

Dustilee! You KNOW the band doesn't make food choices for you. In fact, many people gain with super restriction because what goes down easy are foods like milkshakes, mashed potatoes and gravy, and so on! which they choose because the healthier options hurt. Of course you have willpower and control. You chose the surgery, didn't you? Of course you want restriction, but if you get too much too fast it can cause esophageal spasms and other bad effects. There's a reason you didn't select bypass surgery and I assume it's partly because you were willing to USE the band. It doesn't STOP you from making bad choices. BUT it can help keep you full longer if you eat the right foods. You know this; you're just frustrated! Hang in there. It'll happen.

There are way more women looking for men for relationships than there are men looking for women! Once you start to regain your health you'll feel better, women will be drawn like flies to honey, and your absconding wife will be a dim dim memory! :biggrin:

Call your doctor again. Tell his nurse that you've been to the ER 3 times and still have infections at your wound sites. Tell her if the doctor can't see you, you'll want your medical records so you can find a physician who is more responsive. That should shake them up. I assume the staph is at your wound sites?

It's not really that difficult if you know it's coming and can mentally prepare for it! Sounds like you have the right mindset already. And when you lose weight, any problem you have that is weight related will resolve, and that will encourage you too! I'm sure you'll be another very successful bandster. :biggrin:

I had liquids week one, week 2 liquids with Protein shakes, then on to mushies, then soft, then regular food. Each doc is different. Sure it's hard, but it beats the alternative. I'm not going to pretend it's a breeze but if you can't get through it you probably won't be successful with the band. Not because they are the same; they aren't. But because the band does take work, as I"m sure you know from your research. You have to change how you eat, how long, no drinking with meals, chew chew chew, etc etc. And WL is usually slow, 1-2 pounds a week. (Lots of people seem flabbergasted that they get the band and don't drop a ton of weight in the first month or two. This isn't bypass! LOL) And I'm not picking on bypass patients. IT's scary. They just do lose faster, but I know they have to work at it too So my bottom line at 7 weeks out is that for me personally, none of it has been even one iota as hard as when I felt huge and hopeless. Period. It's worth every minute of willpower, hunger, and forbearance. The band is my safety net. I'm so darn glad I have it now!

I think the slowly sipping is just right after the surgery until you assess how restricted you are. I haven't ever had a problem and in fact drank a 10 ounce bottle of water in front of my doc in about 2 minutes after my first fill and he was pleased. Unless you're sealed shut (too tight) water just flows through the stoma so if you aren't chugging or drinking buckets, it isn't going to stretch your pouch. OF course do what YOUR doc tells you though, not what someone (even me LOL) posts here!!!

My doctor just recently (last 6 weeks) modified his to be no drinking 15 minutes before, during (meal to last 30 min or less) and then 15 minutes after. And yes, I do that. It's no big deal.

LOL to me the obvious...watch it, lose the 10 pounds, and d/c the C-pap machine! :biggrin: You can do it, assuming that is what's causing your gas? Otherwise, call your surgeon. You know you can lose it pretty quick if you set your mind to it; you probably went through a lot to get the band. Don't let some non-nutritious selections derail you!

Pillows to hold over your torso. Get your prescription (pain meds) filled and take them before you start. AND (very important) you do know, I'm sure, you'll need to stop and move around to prevent blood clots? I was told for 10 minutes every 40 but you can call your surgeon and find out exactly what he recommends. (Better to have a longer trip than a clot!) And bottled water to sip on (or drink if you are like me who never had a moment's restriction yet! LOL)

Since it's a prescription medication, defer to your prescribing doctor. If you need it, you need it. If s/he has no clue, call your surgeon and ask.

Good! I'm glad I wasn't prissy and I'm glad you're calling your doc. Strep isn't anything to fool around with and it is becoming more and more resistant to our antibiotics (could you guess I'm a nursing student? LOL) so you're safest to go to your doc. Hope you feel better really soon! :biggrin:

PLEASE PLEASE don't self medicate w/antibiotics. In the first place, you should've taken all of them for whatever they were originally prescribed. In the second place, if you don't have strep, they won't help. If you DO and don't really take enough drugs, it will just go "underground" and move to another part of your body. It CAN come back to make you very very sick. Furthermore you are helping to create more super bugs (like MRSA...methicillin-resistant staph aureaus). PLEASE go to your doc. AND NSAIDS are drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen and aleve. They aren't usually in traditional OTC "Cough" medicines but are in some cold medicines. Ask your doctor what you can take. Hope I don't sound prissy but it is honestly bad to not take all your antibiotics, and/or to take some old ones on the chance that you do have strep.

Lip balm! Shoes that are easy off/on (sandals or some slip on type) loose comfy clothes a clean pair of undies and of course your ID, CC, cell phone (if you have someone to watch your stuff for you while you're in surgery) A pillow to brace your torso on the ride home. Be sure to wear/take your glasses as I'm sure you know, no contacts (not even the kind you can sleep in) no jewelry at all...

I think you meant me by this? If not, please accept my apologies! :biggrin: If so...post op the first 2 weeks was pretty awful, at least for me. I didn't even get Protein the 1st week By the 2nd week we were allowed Protein shakes, Water, broth, SF Jello and popsicles, clear unsweetened decaf beverages. Let me tell you that's not much to live on. It was tough but I realized I had to stick to it to allow the sutures holding my band in place a chance to heal. Once I could have mushies I went wild. I "gained" 10 pounds in the 4 weeks of mushies, soft, and then regular foods. Once I got my first fill (not much, still no restriction) the doc who was unfazed by my gain said he wanted me to QUIT snacking...eat whatever but no Snacks, and now 1 week into that I've lost 9 of my 10 pounds gained. I don't have restriction but I'm not having a hard time...I know I will have it! I love my band. Dearly! :biggrin: Just hang in there during the tough post op times. It isn't easy, I won't pretend. BUT it gets better and it feels so good to lose weight!

I'm sure if you do what your doctor says, you'll be fine! :biggrin:

Congrats on the 50! not so much on the slime LOL I'm anxious to hit my first 50, myself. I stalled out for a few weeks (moving to mushies and solids) but am back on track. I need to lose .8 to match my ticker (refuse to adjust it up! LOL) which I'm working on now, then on down the road! YAY! Do you feel me back here behind you? LOL :biggrin:

I was on a 3 week liver shrink diet that was more austere...2-3 EAS Carb Control AdvantEDGE shakes a day, 3 oz of lean fish chicken or turkey, and 1 cup of green veggies. And 64 oz (at least) of Water. THATS it. no condiments. no butter. No fruit. It's hard, but do it because it is important to make sure your liver can be moved out of the way so the band can be properly placed! :biggrin: AND post op I felt great....little to no pain, etc. Walk a lot! I took 2 doses of darvocet on day 2 but otherwise liquid tylenol (or distracting myself) did the trick. Did I say walk a lot? move around! I hope you both have smooth sailing and love your bands!