RestlessMonkey

MissBS gave you some great tips (as usual!) but... be careful using a heating pad. Some surgeons use a material for internal stitches that dissolves w/heat and depending on where and how much you use the pad you can accellerate your stitches dissolving. (it's always something, huh?) so check with your surgeon before you use a heating pad over an area that had surgery. IE you can use it on your shoulder if it hurts (we have referred pain there from the gas, or rather many of us do) but not over an op. site.

Welcome Steve! I'm in San Antonio too, but husband is retired army. I got my band 8/29 and get my 1st fill on 10/9, your "band day!" I'll send good thoughts your way. So far I pretty much am pleased as punch with my decision....hope you will be too.

No don't weigh daily you'll just be disappointed! Especially post op while you are healing. Walk walk walk walk that's the best thing for bloating and gas. And make sure you get 64 oz of pure plain water each day. You'll feel better soon. We're all different, time table-wise but we all eventually come through and feel good!

Actually, burning when you are empty sounds to me like an ulcer. Have you been checked for one? My stomach pretty much never burns, and burning isn't "normal", ever. You may have acid reflux but seems like that isn't what you describe. And yes once you have restriction the food stays longer in the top pouch and slowly falls through to your lower stomach, but only once you are restricted. Post op before you get fills, there's no real "pouch" yet. (think of wearing a loose flowy dress...then putting a belt around your waist and cinching it up. Until you have fills your belt isn't cinched yet)

Not a similar situation, but wanted to welcome you and say take your pain meds! Just take it easy and I'm sure you'll heal marvelously! :tt2:

I agree w/meschultz. You are a grown woman and paying that doc (or your ins is) a LOT of money for your surgery. THere's NOTHING wrong with wanting to have dinner with your father, especially given the fact that is is a rare treat! So don't be shy or embarassed and no reason to do something kind of, um, shady? like exlax. Just call the doc tell him you plan to go out to dinner with your father and what can you eat that is in line with his plans for you. Period. You don't have to be ashamed or hide it. Just get direction and advice from the professional who's doing your surgery! :tt2:

No it won't help. Ex lax doesn't stop things from being absorbed, and it's actually quite harsh and not good for you. I'd call the doc, if I were you, and ask.

Depends on your situation. I didn't do my preop diet exactly but I lost 15 pounds. HOWEVER my fatty liver didn't shrink and I came to in the recovery room to the news that the band had NOT been placed. So ask your doc and do what s/he says.

I have Tricare (south) Standard. It took 48 hours.

You should be fine; you may tell your surgeon just to be sure but you'll be ok. Doesn't he have you doing a special preop diet of some sort? I had to drink magnesium citrate, for example...

Froggi It's good that you checked with the pharmacist but it's best if each person checks for his or her own meds. Some may need to be changed, some discontinued, some a different amount, etc. So start with the prescribing doc and take it from there. It's possible that she'll eventually be able to discontinue some of those, anyway. For me, my doc needed and wanted to change a couple of them.

Not all pills are safely crushable; that's why I suggested starting w/her prescribing doctor.

I say attend a seminar by each one and pick the one you feel will do the best all around job for you. Who cares if the support group is superb it you can't attend? Aftercare is just almost as important as the surgery itself. Experience in a surgeon is great! But that's not the only indicator. 400 surgeries is nothing to sneeze at. What types of "issues" do the "negatives" have?

I checked with my prescribing doctor and got different prescriptions and my surgeon told us to take chewable vitamins and calcium.

I think though that her employer can require some sort of proof...letter from the doctor or whatever. Otherwise unscrupulous people could say "I'm not well" and get light duty...?

I agree you will not be able to lift anything over 15 pounds for a while....and heavy stuff takes 6 weeks or more (your surgeon can advise you.) You may need to tell your HR department whether you tell your coworkers or not. Lifting before you're ready can do damage. I think you'll need to do some research before you proceed.

I thought if you are tricare standard, a referral is not needed. I'm Tricare standard in Texas and I just found a surgeon who accepted tricare and went to his seminar etc. No referral needed at all. That's just tricare Prime, I think?

Call the office of the surgeon (for me, that's a "bariatric diet center" and ask them what they recommend their patients do to fulfill that 6-month requirement. They may know a physician, or tell you to go to WW and check in w/your PCP, or some such. I didn't have to fulfill a 6-month preop diet requirement but I'd think your surgeon's staff can give you some tips on what YOUR insurance company will accept.

Yes I had to go to the seminar before I could schedule an appt. And yes you are right about what all you have to do preop! The tests aren't bad; nothing really hurts etc. The blood draw was the worst and if you look away that's nothing! :crying:

I think it also matters how well you're losing! If you're losing 1-2 pounds a week like you are, then hang in there and wait a few weeks!

Call the diet center and ask them what they recommend. A 6-month preop diet isn't an uncommon requirement for many ins companies. Good luck!

NO Please don't! When you digest food (anything but liquids) your stomach churns like a little washing machine. It helps break down the food for transport to the intestines. Since your band is lightly sutured into place, (skin from your stomach is actually pulled up or down over it and tacked down) you can see how a stomach churning before things heal can easily pull out some or all of your stitches. Then you have slippage and/or erosion and worst case may be back in the OR. It's great you feel well, but do what your doc says when he says to do it and you'll heal and position yourself for a worry free band experience!

LOL I'm meeting up with EMilie on 10/9 (we hope anyway) since I'll be there at 9:45 for my 1st fill! :crying: I was on a 3-week preop diet (as you can see I was VERY overweight...still am...and apparently I had a very fatty liver) I lost 15 pounds but did my own "modified" diet instead of doing what Dr. C told me and he couldn't place my band on 8/11 because my liver was STILL too fatty. So I did what he told me for 2 1/2 MORE weeks and VOILA! I lost 17 more pounds and he successfully banded me on 8/29! I LOVE him and his staff; so do what he tells you and you'll sail through! Maybe we'll get to meet you, too! :smile2:

sure! I was banded 8/29 by Dr. Sonny Cavazos at NE Baptist...and go for my first fill 10/9! I am too excited! Who's doing your surgery, and where?

I slept in my bed from the first night. Honestly, I used pillows to prop me up and cushion my surgical sites, took the pain med nite #2 and slept on my tummy. I know this sounds wild but I think it helped keep me from getting adhesions where my surgical sites healed. Can you try a pain med and some spare pillows around your torso?