RestlessMonkey

Our stomach (and intestines if I recall my physiology) produces enzymes. Different ones aid in digestion of different foods. For example, papain (which is the enzyme in "papaya) aids in digestion of Protein. Cellulase digests vegetable matter etc. However foods in our pouch aren't where digestion can occur (and it only works on "dead" food, not on us, so you don't have to worry) So Papaya can help break down food that's stuck so it can go on through the pouch! Glad it helped you! :crying: Hope the rest of your vacation is worry free.

I don't see why not. I had 2 lap band surgeries in August about 19 days apart, and I was much older and heavier than you. As long as you don't have other issues that would preclude surgery, your gall bladder removal shouldn't stop your banding surgery.

Are you staying overnight or just "inpatient"? I got to go home the same day. My "must have" was my "softlips" (stuff for my lips) because they give you an anticholinergic that really dries you out. That stuff was a godsend.

Unfortunately chips, Cookies, candy, ice cream, cake...are SLIDERS. This means they go through the band. To stop them you have to be so tight that it is almost impossible to get Water or your own spit down. That's why they say you have to choose healthy foods, why they say the band is just a tool, not a "solution". You have to use the tool for it to work. Sad, but true. I just don't have candy, chips, ice cream, etc in the house. It's easier to make the healthy choices when that's all there is to choose from! I do occasionally indulge in them, though...usually as a treat when we are eating out, etc. If not, I get a serving and toss the rest. :crying:

WHY was it unfilled? (you said leave it unfilled....why was it unfilled to begin with? I am not just nosy; it may pertain!) and yes if the papaya enzyme is going to help (get one formulated with other enzymes...words like cellulase, ok?) it will help within about 10 minutes. Keep in mind if you've been stuck this long you will be sore and swollen.

Your doc is the one to clarify what he meant (we can't read his mind) but if you drink and eat the odds are that what has been stretched is your pouch. If you aren't ready to STOP drinking and eating, don't get refilled. Stretching the pouch, if caught early enough and before things are too dire, can usually be fixed by doing an unfill and letting it relax back down to it's old size (stomach material is VERY elastic) BUT if you don't quit "cheating" it will just stretch out again. If stretched out too much it can require band removal, I think. So chill out, quit drinking and eating, don't overeat, and you'll be great!

Have you tried papaya enzyme? (get it at a drugstore or large grocery store) If it helps then you know to just do liquids for 48 hours to allow the internal swelling to subside. If that doesn't help, I think a trip to the ER. And did you have problems with this type of thing before the vacation? I only ask because, at least as far as I know, it is uncommon to "unfill" a patient for vacation and usually unfilled people, especially 3 years post op, don't have any trouble eating. So if you had issues before, you may have a slip. Only your physician or an x-ray/barium swallow etc could tell; we aren't really the best ones to ask if you have a slip, and/or if you can make it for 4 weeks as you are. That being said; I hope the enzymes help you and you feel better and can continue your vacation safely.

I had my gallbladder removed in 2003. It was NBD. Better than the attacks. Rapid weight loss is often the culprit.

If you are in doubt and it isn't getting better, call your banding doc and ask. Probably it's just residual from the fill, but your doc is the authority.

I see. Then if it is excluded from your policy, fighting it won't do you any good. An exclusion means you aren't paying (or your employer or whomever) for that type of coverage. Fighting it will just waste your time. Good luck if you decide to finance it! :crying:

Then either you are not chewing things well...(It's a learning curve), or you're still swollen, or your doc is wrong. Mine usually nails it because he can tell by the resistance he feels when he instills the saline. I say just enjoy it while it lasts! :crying:

When was your fill? If it was within the last day or two odds are you're swollen. Otherwise, ???

Why will your insurance deny you?

But you stuck it out! You'll be ready for the post op diet too (It too is hard, but it is limited. It will pass) I love carbs too but with the band have found I tend to more dense foods now. Once I finally hit what my doc calls "the green zone" and what on here is called "the sweet spot" I've found dense protein can keep me full for up to 6 hours, where as more processed carb foods don't do that; I get hungry MUCH faster. Since there is such a direct link...cause and effect is VERY obvious...it's easier for me to pick healthier things. :crying: You'll do well!

I think you should probably call your doc and ask for his advice.

If you followed your preop diet, I'm sure you'll be fine. Surgery not performed because of a large liver does happen, but it's rare. AND I think it only happens when you, like I did, decide to do your "own" preop diet instead of the one the surgeon gives you! You'll be banded tomorrow!

I think you should call your surgeon and ask.

I think that just because a surgeon sticks to a fill schedule doesn't mean s/he is unsympathetic. Let's get real here. We are healing, they are they pros. My surgeon very patiently explained to me why he believed in smaller fills spaced at least 4 weeks, preferably 6, apart. In fact, my insurance will only pay for fills 12 weeks apart, but my surgeon did them at 6 anyway with only my copay. There are pros and cons to aggressive fills; I've read a lot of negative science about esophageal spasms and other issues. I think this falls under the "trust your surgeon" umbrella. I DID ask mine why he felt as he did, and he did explain it. I have to say I figured he knows what he's talking about. And now here I am almost 1 year out. I feel MARVELOUS. I am losing great. Since 5/7 I've lost just at 44 pounds. I can eat ANYTHING, in small amounts. I don't have GERD. I don't PB. It is as if I don't even have a band, I just eat less. I think he, in large part, gave me that because of his fill schedule. Don't toss away a happy future because you are suffering a little post op...that's my take on it.

Call and ask your surgeon if there are food restrictions for pre-filling....they all have their own spin on it As to the fill...I'm really big, and my doc doesn't use x-ray, and it was a snap. To be honest, my doc is a miracle worker; he has a great "touch"....but miserable painful fills are the exception, not the rule. I was so anxious to get going!

Careful about the gum...you may want to check with your surgeon. Some (not all!) say not to chew it because you swallow air (more "gas") and also, once you're restricted, because it can get stuck if you accidentally swallow it. Get the all clear from your doc before you indulge. :crying:

VQ do you feel any better today?

I was going to say "Tanita" but I think I may have been the one who said it was great in the other post! :crying: Just fyi when I bought it I was a frequent poster on the WW chat board for super obese people so used that resource to scan old posts about bath scales, plus asked on several forums for people's favorites, and Tanita won hands down for durability and functionality and accuracy. Plus I read reviews on Amazon about it. So I selected the one that worked best for me. You may not need a scale that will weigh up to 440 and if you don't, any Tanita branded scale is likely to be a good piece of equipment. :thumbup:

Approval depends mostly on your insurance company's requirements. You need to know what THEY want, and then try to fill those requirements. Good luck!

[quote=Libbyjane1976;1283706 Restless Monkey I'm right there with you as far as food goes. Except the only thing I am having a hard time with is rotisserie chicken and my doctor said that would be the easiest thing. huh! crazy how our bands work. for me the dryer my chicken is the better. Isn't that weird? My steak has to be really well done. Good for me I like it that way but if it's even just medium well it's hard for me to swallow it! :crying: Good thing I don't like tripe! :thumbup: It's a real trip!

Call and ask your surgeon if you still have saline in there. Unless he told you he was removing ALL of it...you said he removed 1cc, then 1cc. How do you know there isn't more in there? Depending on your band size you MAY still have a good amt of saline in there. Call your doc.