BDS_Geologist

I just got back from a 4 hour training session with my Bariatric Nurse, Exercise Physiologist, and Nutritionist. Out of 8 people in the class, I was the only one NOT getting a gastric bypass. I was also the only man in the class. Of course I had different classroom materials with different instructions, timeframes, etc. I asked about a pre-op diet, and was told that they want me to be on my weight loss diet, but didn't insist on all liquids. They stressed the idea that a "last supper" mentality can cause problems with swollen liver and more waste to pass leading to constipation. I'm still going to stick to my 2 Protein shakes per day routine and make the best of it. Getting banded next Tuesday August 26. Only 6 days left. Bryan

It's good to wean yourself off caffiene during the pre-op diet. You won't get any on the morning after your surgery. And you will have a splitting headache in addition to any surgery pain that you have. Bryan Getting banded next Tuesday August 26!

The only difference was that my post surgical diet won't be just Clear Liquids for 1 week. I can go straight into Protein shakes on the day of the surgery and maintain that for 2 weeks.

I made the decision to only discuss it with my Wife, brother, sister, and parents. I needed to find out whether, and to what degree they were supportive of my decision. Every one of my family has been very supportive from the start. The only problem was that my wife felt like she needed to provide specific information about my lapband surgery to her boss to get approval for the time off that she needed for my surgery. Now it's a topic of conversation in her office. I'm not happy about it:cursing:, but it's too late to change it. I informed my boss that I'd be taking time off for surgery, but didn't offer an explanation, and when asked I said "If you really need to know, I'll tell you, but it's personal and I rather not discuss it." I may feel more comfortable talking about it after the procedure and when I'm showing some success at weight loss. Until then, it's nobody's business but mine and the people who love and support me. Bryan Scheduled for banding on August 26. 1 week from today!!!!:thumbup:

Looks like its just T minus 8 days for both of us. I'm going to meet with the nutritionist at Dr. Boyce's office on Wednesday, so I'll get any additional info that I need then. I've been sticking to 2 Protein shakes per day with on regular light meal (low fat and carbs). I figure that it couldn't hurt, in the absence of any official instructions. Bryan

sassmama, Dr. Boyce is banding you one week before my operation. The folks in the Knoxville Lapband support group say he is great and one of the most experienced bariatric surgeons in the country. I'm sure that we picked the best possible surgeon for this. Let me know how your's went. Bryan

Hey ftcitylady, I hope that you were encouraged by your seminar at Parkwest. I've just scheduled my lap band with Dr. Boyce at Parkwest on August 26th. I attended my seminar on May 13, had my consultation 2 days later, then went through the psych evaluation and diet counseling. It took almost 2 months for me to get all of the correct medical records from my PCP. Then, my insurance company (UHC) used the wrong criteria to evaluate my approval and denied coverage. I was able to figure out where they screwed up and got an approval about 2 weeks later. I was lucky to schedule my procedure just 2 weeks out, because of a cancellation, otherwise I would have had to wait until October!! I've been to a couple of the support group meetings in Knoxville, and it was really helpful to talk with people who have had the surgery, and those in the preliminary stages. No Doctor or Nurse can give you the range of personal experiences with the lap band like someone who is living with it. Hope to see you at one of the meetings. Bryan

I have a $3,000 program fee, of which my insurance company picked up $1,500. It covers having a year's worth of diet consultation, 24-hour bariatric nurse support, 12 months of personal training by an exercise physiologist, and my first band fill. I feel like I'm being overcharged for this, but I had to pay it to get into the program. Professional support is absolutely necessary, but this seems pretty much like piracy to me. I think that a reasonable cost for this service would be $700-$1,000.

After many administrative hassles, I'm finally approved by my Insurance company and have scheduled my procedure for Tuesday August 26. I haven't received any preop diet instructions, but I can see that personal experiences on this topic cover the whole spectrum.