RestlessMonkey

I'm thinking they want you to have the protein. I'd suggest calling to ask if it would ruin things if you only drink four instead of the six. As long as you don't get hungry and the 4 shakes have enough protein, I'd think you would be ok, but that's a decision best left to your doc.

Actually as a native Texan and one who grew up on the border I can tell you the cure to hot salsa is salt! No kidding. Of course, not so good if you retain Water and are supposed to watch your salt, but it works. My surgeon used to say no drinking during or 1 hour after but has since revised that to 15 minutes before, all during, and 15 minutes after. Meals are to take no longer than 30 minutes. I've tried eating without drinking and it isn't really bad. I agree with the poster who said you taste your food more!

Christafell some bands come with a slight fill to begin with, often 3 cc's That's how people can have 10.5 cc's in a 10 cc band, for example. The new Lap Band AP series were formulated to prevent "sticking" before a fill, and I have that kind and have absolutely no issues whatsoever. If I didn't have the surgical sites and could feel my port, I would wonder if I really had the band. So it depends on your body, your surgeon, the brand of your band, etc. AND how well you chew when you can finally have "food".

Oh and does your preferred surgeon have a waiting list so that if someone cancels, you can "jump in" and if so would that work for you? People cancel bariatric surgery more often than other kinds; they get cold feet at the last minute, decide to give their favorite old diet another try, etc etc. That might be an option for you, too.

How MANY surgeries has the new surgeon done? Will he be using a seasoned team...familiar with bariatric patients? Those are two big questions to ask yourself.

You don't want metal on you if for some reason you need an MRI either...and no x-rays with metal and yes remove acrylic nails. Nurses need to check your capillary refill (fingers and toes) so no polish is best..

Just wanted to add yes watch the lifting and follow guidelines provided by your doc about that...but walking? WALK! the more you walk, the faster you heal, you dissipate gas more efficiently, the "plumbing" works better, and you feel normal way more quickly. They have you up and walking in the hospital for a good reason, not to torture you. So walk walk walk...as far as you can, as often as you can. It is all good for you...well, protect from sunburn etc LOL but it is healthy and a wonderful thing to do postop.

nope no gum it causes you to swallow air and that means gas...and even if you NEVER EVER swallow it, all it takes is once and you can have big trouble. Just not worth the risk...use sugar free breath mints.

Polder and Escali make good digital kitchen scales that do the basics...ounces/pounds and/or grams. I bought mine from Amazon but I'm sure they are available elsewhere. I can also highly recommend any "Tanita" branded digital scale. They make good quality digital scales. In fact, that brand is one most frequently used at WW centers, and my surgeon's office also uses "Tanita". The price range varies depending on your required "upper capacity" and what other bells and whistles (Water percentage, body fat ?? etc) you might want besides just weight. DON'T buy the WW branded scales at Bed Bath and Beyond...I'm a frequent poster at WW and the WW branded scales are inaccurate and useless. A very few lucky people like theirs but most just trash them. If you can't find or don't want "Tanita", Health-o-Meter also makes a line of good reliable scales.

Bridgette...they would of course prefer you don't have them because checking capillary refill is one way to assess circulation, oxygenation etc. They made me even remove my toe polish! But not all hospitals and surgeons require this; you might call the office and ask. I'm sure the nurses would prefer you not have them, but it's a pain to remove them if you don't have to!

Be careful using a heating pad; clear it with your surgeon. Depending on what he uses to close your surgical sites, a heating pad may be contraindicated. The surgeon will be able to advise you! (some stitches dissolve because of heat, and if you "cook" them you may speed that process up. You don't want your sutures, if they are that type, to dissolve too quickly!)

I wanted to add....it's ALWAYS good to quit. The earlier, the better. BUT it is not true that if you are 40 or over you face emphysema. Just wanted to make sure any smokers of that age don't get disheartened. Not all smokers develop emphysema, any more than all develop lung cancer. It's a roll of the dice, as far as medicine goes; they can't yet predict who will get what disease. But it is better to quit, and the sooner you quit, the sooner you will get healthy.

Raitsky, apparently, you lucky person, your preop diet wasn't as necessary as mine was for my success. I did reduce fat etc....but didn't do what the surgeon said. I didn't (and don't) have liver disease, but it's possible I weighed more, or was heavier for longer, or was just unlucky that way, but my liver WAS too big and it did shrink after I did what my surgeon said. So I guess the point is to do what your surgeon tells you. Since yours said it didn't matter, apparently for you it didn't! WTG! For me, it did. I had blood tests, abdominal ultrasound etc and things looked fine but weren't once my (over 1000 surgeries) got "in there"...so do what your doc says and you'll be fine!

Hmmm...food? I couldn't have even protein shake until day 8. And if you were (are?) sutured at your surgical sites, heating them really isn't a good idea...they could actually dissolve before doing their jobs! (sorry to be a downer!) Otherwise try to get up and walk around a little every 30 minutes or so (assuming you have a desk job). I'd suggest liquid tylenol for pain. And that pillow would probably feel better across your tummy than behind your back...at least that's where it helped me the most! Good luck; if you can, check with your surgeon about the heating pad and follow his recommendation.

Metamucil isn't a prescription drug...it's a fiber supplement, not unlike benefiber (but it's way more gross). Never heard of the other thing.

Welcome! Just follow any instructions your surgeon gives you and you'll be fine! Be sure, if you will be recovering in a hotel for a few days, to take comfy clothing, get a room with a refrigerator for your water and any postop liquids the surgeon allows, houseshoes or slippers so you can move around the room (walking walking is very good for your recovery) lip balm because your lips will be chapped, a comfortable bra, and loose clothing for the trip home. A good book to read is also helpful! Once you get home, many sleep upright in a reclining chair. I didn't, but I found a pillow to brace or support my torso was very helpful. (I sleep on my left side) Good luck, I hope your recovery is speedy and easy like mine was! and congratulations on getting your band!

I got my band 8/29 and have experienced no restriction whatsover. I was told that's common with the new AP lap band. I had probably 32 ounces of Water in the hospital while I was waiting for them to do my thin barium swallow and release me. I haven't ever CHUGGED but I take up to 4 good swallows at a time with no ill effect. I can drink normally. Because I have no restriction and because what I drink is thin liquid, I am not risking hurting my stomach or dislodging the band. I think unless you feel restriction when you drink that it's safe for you to go ahead and drink fairly normally. My doc's office was pleased that I could and said that was one "improvement" with the newer bands....not as much worry about keeping hydrated. So try it.

I found the "petites" at my local grocer and will try to remember to take them...They should work, and they are "citrate". Thanks for all the tips; I bet, like other things I'm finding out about my surgeon nutritionists recommendations, that the citrate is more important for by pass patients than we bandsters. I hate being lumped in with bypass patients....we each have our own set of issues etc. I'm sure they don't want to follow "band rules" anymore than I want to be treated like a bypass recipient! But the petites look like a great solution for now and I'll follow up with my doc when I get my first fill 10/9 (YAY) Thanks to every one of you for your answers, insights, and humor!

You need to do whatever the surgeon you pick tells you. I assumed my preop diet was just a "suggestion" or a "guideline" and modified it to suit me. I lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks and was ecstatic! HOWEVER I didn't realize my liver was fatty and my surgeon's diet was formulated to help shrink it so that surgery could be performed. Imagine my horror when I came to in recovery and was told I didn't get the band because my liver was "too thick". You may bet I did exactly what my surgeon told me for the next 2 1/2 weeks and WAS banded on 8/29, with a total of 32 pounds down. So whichever surgeon you pick, do precisely what s/he says. They know their styles and their patients best; they know what you need to do. You (or your insurance) are paying a large sum for that knowledge and expertise; use it!

Luluc I could diet too and did. repeatedly. Lost more than my body weight. And I didn't mean to insult you, either, but in fact to say that if you can drink and eat, you are achieving loss etc WITHOUT using the band. It's like owning a hammer...you seem to be building your house without ever picking it up. Good for you! But for many of us, that super full feeling isn't promoted by liquids. Many stomachs don't recognize liquid as "food"...no matter if it's nutrient rich. And if liquid pushes my "real" food through my stomach faster, then it won't help me. I have the band and no restriction and I might just as well have not gone through the process at all, for how "full" I DONT feel. Many of us are that way. If you can feel full on 1/2 cup of food and drink with your meal, then I applaud your willpower! That's all! for most of us it doesn't work that way. They don't understand satiety and hunger yet so it's possble that full pouch does something for many but not all of us. It's possible that just having the band triggers something in you that it doesn't in me. Who knows? If it works for you, good. I can just say the band BETTER work the way I said, for me, Or I just wasted a bunch of money and time.

Another caveat...a common side effect of vicodin is constipation. I never had that problem and recovered VERY fast. I know a reason is because I didn't take the narcotic pain killer, but just used the liquid tylenol. If you really are in PAIN, use the high test stuff. But if you can position yourself or distract yourself so that it isn't too bad, choose that option first. You'll bounce back quicker and feel better faster.

I had a "thin swallow" test before I was released from the hospital to make sure I wasn't aspirating etc. My doc does that with ALL his patients, regardless of the surgery (bypass or band) and whether or not they "think" they are fine (i had finished 36 ounces of water before my test)

My Internist recommended a surgical group that did NOT take my insurance. So I called around and found a group that did. From there I fulfilled what my surgeon needed. His office scheduled my preop tests etc. So you need to find a surgeon (or surgeons if you want to pick from a group) who accept your insurance and proceed from there.

It is important once you are restriction. Before you have fills, it doesn't matter. It DOES help flush food through. You don't want to do that because it prevents the long satiety that most of us got the band to achieve. Food being present in the upper pouch signals hormone production etc which says "I AM FULL" You want that...it's the miracle of the band. It is not just calories in and out; if it were, why bother with the band? We can eat less and are not "starving", once we hit the "sweet spot" because of that satiety. So don't worry about it until you start getting fills, and then remember if you don't follow the rule,you might just have well decided to "diet" without getting the band, because it is incapable of truly providing satiety if that top tummy is empty.

liquid tylenol! You want to get up and walk walk walk as much as possible. It is amazing how much better it can make you feel. I took 1 dose of my pain med but didn't want to feel groggy and fuzzy and the liquid tylenol did the trick for me. And make sure you have enough pillows so that you can use one to brace your tummy...helps if you need to cough ( helps keep those lungs clear!) and also helps if you sleep on your side. Also even if you never have chapped lips, you might post op because they give you an anticholinergic to dry up secretions etc so make sure you have a lip balm. Have something fun for you two to do...like some good movies to watch together etc! And did I say walk walk walk? LOL Good luck.