RestlessMonkey

pebbles...yes a "fill" is an adjustment to add saline to the band. an "unfill" takes some out.

OH and the fat is WAY more than I was allowed. i got about 10 grams a day, max.

My doc required a specific protein drink for his preop diet and my cals were only about 600 a day, not 1080. Is this for preop or postop? If preop I'd say you really have to ask your doc.

Sounds like you had a rough time; makes me even happier that mine was so smooth! BUT you're home and recovering now! Happy band day! I hope you love yours as much as I (already!) love mine!

Shame on that surgeon...but then, the other docs should've guessed that, surgeons cut! That's what they do! Sorry you had issues but it's good that you are doing well now! :wink_smile:

Sounds to me like you guys had surgeons and PCM's who didn't do their due diligence. I had an ultrasound and the doc showed me my one very large stone....so there was no doubt. But again, luckily I've had no issues post op. Maybe because I DID need mine removed. You don't "cure" IBS by removing a gall bladder. And one that has sludge..I think could be treated with drugs and diet.

rst from what I've been told you may need more restriction. Are you eating no more than 1 cup of food, no longer than 30 minutes, chewing well...but get hungry sooner than about 4 to 5 hours? OR are you just picking the wrong kind of foods? Actually 20 pounds since june isn't that bad....remember, we're supposed to lose 1-2 pounds a week. If you're losing that much, you're perfect!

good luck to you. We're all different but if my husband felt he had to undermine me that way, we'd be in therapy. I'm serious, too. I don't know if just an online support group will help you when you have an enemy who wants you to fail at home.

Skysmom I'm not sure since I didn't know I had it until I came to in recovery! However I've heard that the fatter you are, the more likely it is an issue, and people with a BMI of 50 or over (and I was WAY over, if you'll check my stats) are more at risk! However following an austere "atkins" type diet causes you to lose visceral fat first, so after 2 1/2 more weeks of preop, following my surgeon's diet 100% (instead of my own "modified" version) I lost another 17 pounds. That 32 pounds down did the trick for me.

My husband and I will eat the same foods...healthier choices than before, but the same stuff. I'll just eat WAY WAY less than I used to. Of course, I'm anticipating that from what my surgeon told me and what I've read on this board, but I can't imagine why it would be any different! If he has steak and a baked potato, I'll have 3-4 ounces of steak and a part of a baked potato, either dry or with light butter (for example) They say most of us can eat "anything" so that's what I'm thinking will happen to me!

wintobethin...how long in hospital depends on how fast you recover and your surgeon's requirements. Mine usually keeps people overnight but let me go home the same day, once I'd done a thin barium swallow and he knew everything was working right and going where it is supposed to.

IMHO your partner deserves what he gets since he's being intentionally cruel to you. My husband, when at home, ate what I could, God bless him.

If I can help, then it was worth it. OK not even close but glad I can help keep some others on the straight and narrow! :wink_smile:

You need to educate yourself about insurance. PPO means "preferred Provider Organization" You use docs, hospitals from the "preferred provider list" (which your husband should've gotten, or access to it, from his HR dept) and they agree to charge your ins a set fee. The "copay" (ie paying one fee for each doc visit) varies with insurance companies; it is an option an employer must select. Out of pocket is the maximum you would have to pay in a year, so long as you use an "in network" facility. You should check around on this site; many with UHC have had problems getting the band.

SIGH! For goodness sake! QUIT watching! LOL IF you have your fill too tight (which you'll understand if you read around on this site) then only liquids (like broth, or milkshakes) go down. SOME people prefer to have a LOT of restriction but most don't recommend it. The point is to have adequate restriction to be able to eat a small amount (of just about any food, just no carbonation) and remain "full" or satiated for up to 5-6 hours. Too tight and you vomit food back. Too loose and you lose the feeling of fullness sooner. That "happy medium" is referred to here as the "sweet spot". Do you really think so many people would get the band just to vomit all the time and eat milkshakes and gain weight? If you have proper restrition (not too tight or too loose but just right) and food doesn't go down, it's because they did not take small bites and chew chew chew! That person on you tube was at best uneducated about the band. She didn't use it properly, so it didn't help her. Tools have to be used, you know, or they don't do you any good.

I dont' know about you but for me, once I was firm with myself and realized..."I'm going to do this, I'm sticking to it, quit whining and move on. Other people have done it and you can, too. It won't kill you for goodness sake!" (and I really talked to myself and told myself that) then i just put it out of my mind. To me it was "just life" for the required time. No questions, no bounce room. Once I did that, it got way way easier. If I even started my internal whining for food etc I thought about the surgery, wanting the band, getting rid of my new clothes, etc and that shut the "minime" up who wanted to indulge. Honestly! I followed "my own" preop diet the 1st 3 weeks, and lost 15 pounds! SO PLEASED! But it didn't shrink my liver, so I went thru surgery for nothing the 1st time. I used that as my final trump card....remembering how crappy I felt to come to in recovery and be told "Dr Cavazos couldn't place the band because your liver was too fatty". There is NO FOOD that tasted good enough for me to go through that embarassment again! Use me as a horrible warning!

Hmm...I know my love of carbs didn't go away when I did atkins. I don't know that I craved them, per se, but I still LIKED them. So I have to say I agree...sweets (like candy, Cookies, ice cream) go down fast and easy. They are called "slider" foods. At least with the band you CAN have them IN MODERATION as part of a healthy diet. With GBS you may NEVER be able to eat them because they can give you diahrrea and what sounds like a panic attack...racy heart, sweating, etc. So you have to decide...would you rather give them up except for special occasions? OR never have them? I'd rather have cake only on my birthday than never, or a few cookies at Christmas than never, but that's just me. It is a serious question and only you know your self control.

Yes... it goes away. You may want to nose around this site a little. Yours is a common post topic. Until you have restriction (fills) the band is wide open. So, logically, it's as if you never had anything done. It will take several fills, most likely, until you DO have restriction! Until then, just relax, practice chewing small bites really well, and heal!

I'm Lori explained it very well! So NO you don't need it. And I think people who follow the post op recommendations of their surgeon (Ie slowly reintroducing food to give the stomach a chance to adapt...) don't have the problems with diahrrea. I know I never did! :wink_smile: If you have to lose an organ, the gall bladder and/or the appendix are top contenders for "who cares?" LOL

Chacha...both your answers are "yes" :wink_smile: hang in there it's worth it

Speck I'm like you...only calcium citrate, and no protein for week 1!!

Sanblubber your doc surely left someone to cover his patients while he's gone. That's SOP...if you can't even eat ice you need attention fast. Call your docs office and see if there is an emergency number. You MIGHT try something warm first...see if a few sips of warm whatever (water? tea?) will go down. Sometimes the warmth relaxes things. If not, you need medical attention.

Hey loulou! Another poster (like me) on "band day"!! Pillows really help if you are going to sleep in your bed from the 1st day(and its good...helps prevent adhesions!) WTG!

great to know they can be 'overfilled" Thanks! :wink_smile:

I didn't know that you COULD put 3/4 cc over the maximum. That's illogical! Why don't they call it a 5cc band, then? very curious