aprildurham23

I would definetly suggest getting tested for Lupus. My mother has it, and I know that people who want to get the lap band who have lupus are sometimes not even allowed to get the band because of it. Some of the symptoms include inability to heal or randomly occuring rashes that won't go away. Also, a "butterfly" looking rash or redness on the face is common. I don't want to worry you, but I got rashes and I thought I had lupus so I looked into since my mother has it. I haven't gotten tested yet, but it sounds like you have the symptoms associated with it. At least bring it up to your doctor and look it up online.

I had to give 5 years of medical history too....actually I only HAD to give two but I gave five. I also made sure to list in detail all the diets I have ever tried, supervised by a doctor or not. It wasn't that difficult really.

My husband and I BOTH got banded on Monday Dec. 8th. All I can say is OWWW. The first night we spent in the hospital, and it was painful but we were medicated... now it's just unbearable. Now all we have is Tylenol with Codiene which barely touches the pain. My husband has debilitating nausea and gas pains. My stomach and incisions are the worst. I can barely stand or sit. We go on walks despite the pain, but it literally makes it all WORSE. I went to work the day after the surgery, so I have been pretty "active". My husband has been sitting around a lot, walking just with me. I went for a walk today and it actually INDUCED gas pains that I didn't even feel until then. Drinking isn't really a problem. Sometimes I drink a little to much and it hurts. The other most painful thing I've ever felt is the hunger pangs. It's like a regular hunger pang times ten that never goes away. It hurts SO bad. How long do these symptoms take to go away!!!???? Also, are the incisions supposed to itch so much? I was actually doing really well until tonight when I went to my neices recital. Afterwards I could barely make it home where I guzzled two teaspoons of medicine. :wink2::sleep::mad2::crying:

I am about five days post op. The first day I developed just a little itchy redness that wasn't that bothersome. I took off the white strips the first day, even though I shouldn't have, and ended up replacing them with band-aids, which have now caused horrendous itchy rashes around my incisions sites in the actual shape of the band-aid. I would assume this is just because of the band-aid itself, but I also have little rashes on my tummy that AREN'T in the shape of a band-aid. Also, every little skin irritation I've ever had is all coming back. Sometimes in the past my left eyelid will get an itchy rash, and I will get a mild rash on my neck. I am also allergic to things like tomatoes, which make my toungue break out in spots. My toungue has had those spots for a few days even though I haven't eaten anything.... Why is my skin SO sensitive? I have actually REALLY tough skin, and it's not considered "sensitive" by normal standards. What's wrong with me??

Hey! I am four days post op and I know exactly how you feel. I have been having the worst hunger pangs of my entire life! It really does feel like torture. But I hear it gets much better. What I would definetly suggest are PROTIEN SHAKES! DO NOT try to have all those carbs from mashed potatoes and crap like that. It will just make you gain weight. Although it's OKAY to have those things, it's just not as effective as having a low carb protien shake. If you can't handle that many protien shakes, mix it up with soups. But try not to go and liquify carbs or whatever, because that's how people gain the weight back. (Not that you ARE, just saying.) Protien shakes literally make the difference. But if you are on a CLEAR liquid diet like me right now, I would do lots of broth, Jello, and gatorade! Yummy!

Losing weight in the first week isn't really probable because YES, it IS a lot of Water weight and swelling. I have actually lost weight in the first four days! I've lost two pounds! And I can definetly feel the swelling in my stomach. I went from 209 to 207....so yeah.

Hey! I am 23 years old and got approved through Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. My BMI was right at 40 as well (I had to put on snow boots and a thick sweater at weigh in to MAKE sure I was above 40. I have no co-morbidities that counted though. So yeah....I got approved! I bet you will too!

Hey! I am four days post op and on a liquid diet. The first few days I was in kind of a lot of pain. With pain medication, it felt like the day after a rigorous ab workout. Just really sore. But then when the pain meds would wear off I'd get more of those "gas" pains in my shoulder (not much actually). I hear the gas pains are worse for larger people, like my husband, because they need more gas to fill them up. (We both had the surgery.) It hurt to get up and sit down, but when I am not moving it's fine. Today has been the best day so far. No pain meds at all and I just feel a little sore!!! For the clear liquids be sure to get things that are sugar free or low sugar in addition to sugared liquids. It's hard to have that many carbs without feeling sick, so we drank crystal light too. We also have been getting yummy slushies from sonic!! Be careful because the put Sprite in some of the slushes. Also, be sure to get plenty of NON sweet liquids like broth. After a few days of drinking gatorade, eating Jello, and having sugary stuff, my tounge is all gross and coating in like...sugar film. So make sure you have a variety of stuff available!

Everyone tells you that you need to use your own will power and have strength for the lap band to work. You CAN eat through it, and you CAN get fat again. But having the band in place honestly just helps in your weak moments. Say you're on a low carb diet. Sure you'll lose weight, until you have a "cheat" day and say "oh only one peice of pizza won't hurt." Then you end up gaining it all back because you never get back on the wagon again. With the band, you physically CAN'T do that. You can't have off days, you can't binge or you will become physically sick. I have had it for only a week, but honestly I thought I would have more cravings for stuff. I don't really at all. I feel full all the time, so I don't really want to "cheat." Plus, I WANT the band to work, so I am more likely to eat good things instead of crap.

Currently my husband and I are BOTH on the liquid diet. I would be sure to get the following: -Applejuice -Crystal light (or sugar free beverages) -Flintstones Vitamins -Instant (powdered or granuled) chicken and beef stock -Sugar Free Jell-o cups/boxes -Gatorade The thing we have found is that the hospital loads you up on all this sugary stuff like apple juice and sugary Jell-o right after surgery. Which is great for about a minute, then all those carbs start to make you feel sick. So we decided to get just a FEW sugary things, and mostly sugar free stuff is the best way to go. You DO need calories, but be sure to not have so much sugar on the clear liquid diet. It's really easy to do and your liver won't shrink properly if you have too many carbs. Good luck!

Honestly, yes it does suck being hungry. But I WILL tell you this - I got banded on Monday and did the pre-op diet obviously before that. The first three days were the worst - I was SO hungry, craving everything, I was miserable. After that when I was huungry I actually looked forward to a salad or a small peice of food to satiate me. Once the two weeks were ending, I was eating chicken and veggies like they were the most delicious things in the world, and just a little bit would satisfy me. So for me, I got over the hunger and cravings about the first week. Yes - it's going to suck for awhile. But it's not impossible.

I just got home a few hours ago My husband and I both got banded yesterday. Just thought I would share it with you all! Yesterday my appt was at 1pm, and my husband's was right after mine. I got there around 12:20 and they pretty much started with pre-op stuff right at 1pm. I have never had a surgery before, so I was really nervous! I got a shot in my tummy to thin my blood, and an IV obviously, both of which I didn't even feel at all. They wheeled me into the operating room where I lifted myself off of one bed and onto the operating table. They covered me in nice warm blankies. I asked the doctor when he would be putting me out, and that's the last thing I remember!!! I woke up to clouds on the ceiling, hee hee. I felt people pulling sticky things off me and talking to me. In the recovery room I felt a little groggy and my tummy was sore, so they gave me some pain meds. It felt like no time passed at all and I totally new what was going on the whole time. It was around 4:00. After making some embarassing small talk with the nurse, they finally wheeled me into my room where they immediatley gave me Jell-o and chicken broth. I have 5 little incisions, and one bigger one. They are all between my belly button and under my bustline in sort of a "row". The main thing that hurt was the larger incision where the port is. But after pain meds on a scale of 1-10 the pain was only at like a 3. Honestly it just felt like I did tons of crunches the day before!! I had absolutely NO shoulder pain. I slowly sipped broth and Jell-o. Just little sips I could feel the difference with. I got that "full feeling" all of a sudden, then it quickly subsided. My husband went in before I got out, so I didn't see him for about an hour and a half. He came in and was doing just as well as me, although he had more shoulder pain. They kept us overnight, and we stayed up pretty late. I walked around and it really made me feel better. Standing and walking are really what make it feel better. (It's the getting up part that sucks) I fell asleep around midnight, but woke up at 3am in agonizing pain. Well, that's an exaggeration. My pain scale was at an 8, and I must have shifted in my sleep because all the CO2 floated up to my shoulders and it was really hurting. I got dressed, took a massive walk around the hospital waving my arms around, and when I got back everything was great! But I didn't end up sleeping anymore, and we kept having to request pain meds every 4 hours. Ugh. We were able to leave at 10am this morning:D Now I am laying down and my meds are wearing off again, so my tummy hurts. No nausea though. Just incision pain. And I can drink just fine. Yay!

Alright, I had a standard size band put in, but of course it's not filled at all with anything yet. I am having the strangest sensations. I have very little shoulder pain...hardly any at all. The most pain occurs when my stomach grumbles. Like the most painful hunger I could possibly feel starts to creep up on me when the pain meds wear off. My stomach grumbles really loud and it HURTS. I am only on Clear liquids, which isn't bad at all. I feel really full, but at the exact same time I feel starving!!! It's so weird. Do you have this aLL the time? My incisions are hurting of course, and namely the one over the port. OUUUUCCCHHH.

So....both my husband and I are having the surgery on Monday Dec. 8th. Hooray! We've been on a 700 calorie per day diet for two weeks. Two protien servings, three veggie servings, a fruit, and a dairy per day. However, I am a little worried. I am so used to being on the Atkins diet that I've been sort of "cheating". I realize it's important to keep fat out of my diet as much as possible to shrink my liver, but I had some sugar free candy and a little peanut butter. What are the chances that my liver will be too fatty? We haven't been following the diet very well these past few days...because we've actually gone to liquids and protien shakes only to ensure we have small livers. So we've been doing really well. But I've still "cheated" with some fatty foods like shrimp, sugar free chocolate, and PB. Does anyone have any experience with this? Tomorrow I plan on drinking nothing but clear liquids to flush me out pretty much... I am just wondering if ONE day will flush me out....Thanks

I am going in tomorrow, and I can only have clear liquids after midnight, then absolutely NOTHING after 6am. No water, no gum - NOTHING. They said it's because the digestive juices need to stop flowing and everything should be totally cleared out. I would think TOAST is the LAST thing you should eat! Don't risk it. It's not about your liver at this point, it's about making sure your digestive tract is clear.

Hey! I am getting it done tomorrow at 1pm! I am 209.2 right now. Before the pre-op diet I was 224. I am also 5'2"... I am nervous actually for my husband, who is 6'5" and at initial weigh in a month ago he was 506lbs. Now he's down to 460. He has a condition called cerebral giganticism, and when he was 300 lbs in high school he had 15% body fat. So he's doing WELL!!! :sad_smile: I am just worried for him! Eeek!

Hey, don't worry. Just relax! I am having mine tomorrow and I am currently having a REALLY heavy flow. So yeah, it sucks in that way. But seriously, doctors are trianed to deal with that kind of stuff. Although I have never heard of the "in between the legs" thing. Personally, I don't care if I am naked and spread eagle as long as their doing their job. (And I am really modest too.) Since I haven't had it, I can't say if it's working for me or not yet. All I know is that in the pre-op diet so far, the first week was the most difficult. I was craving everything. Now that it's the end of the two week pre-op, I have lost over 10 pounds (without exercising sadly) and I am not craving things hardly at all. I know two very good friends who have had it, and they still can have their favorite foods, just in moderation. You just have to be VERY careful about what you eat for awhile you know? As we all know, the lap band is a TOOL not a solution. So if people are planning to have milkshakes and whatnot all the time, it's just not going to work. We have to change the way we see food, which believe it or not, isn't impossible. For the people who are't losing weight, it's probably because they aren't sticking to lean protien and veggies and good foods, and are trying to "eat what they want". You CAN eat what you want, it just depends on how bad you want to lose the weight. It's simple science. If you aren't following a good diet, you won't lose weight. Just because the band is in place it doesn't mean you SHOULD eat whatever you want. It means you physically CAN in moderation. Good luck!

The doctor put both my husband and I on a diet of two protien servings, three veggie servings, one dairy serving, and one fruit serving daily. However, we really want to ensure our livers will be tiny, tiny when we go in to get the surgery. We bought low carb Protein powder which we mix mostly with Water, but sometimes a little fat free milk. We been doing this for Meal Replacements. Do you think our livers will get smaller this way versus eating real food? The powder also doesn't have much fat. LOTS of protien though obviously.

I am having the lap-band surgery with my hubby on Dec.8th. We got it approved thru Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. We've been on a 700 calorie diet for a week now and we have a week to go. One diary, one fruit, two protien, and three veggie servings per day. My question is - what effect does cheating (say on a day like Thanksgiving) have on your liver? I mean...ONE day? Anyone actually know? I mean, I know the importance of the pre-op diet etc...etc... I just want to know if one day is going to make a difference.

Today both my husband and I got approval from Nevada's Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (we live in Idaho.) He's 6'5" and 475lbs I am 5'2" and 215 At our weigh ins we were 506 and 224, but since we've been on the 700 calorie diet we have lost some weight. (With cheat days!) Operation scheduled for 12/8/08!

I have Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and both my husband and mysef got approved for the surgery TODAY! Yay! BUT, we have an IN-NETWORK doctor, and both our BMI's are over 40. I am 5'2" and 215 (but I was 224 at weigh in). I have no co-morbidities, but I know you MUST have one if your BMI is under 40 to be eligible. You might check around to find an in-network doctor because I'm almost positive you'll have to pay more with him. We will each have to pay $1,500 out of pocket.

Be sure to keep on top of them. We called our insurance every single day, and called the hospital EVERY single day. Its a good thing too, because more than once the information wasn't received, the fax numbers were wrong, the information wasn't entered into the computer. Literally, annoy the crap outta them. We just got approved today! (Husband and I) with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.