h@rt*s mommy

All I have to say is that your so lucky.. my pre op diet is nothing but skim milk and crystal light and Water.. THATS IT! I would love to be able to eat something and not fall off the wagon like I have... but I have lost 13 pounds so far, so stick with it! Elaine

Im getting banded in September, and could use a band buddy. I live in Oregon as well. Just wondering the crazy pre-op diets that your being put on as well. Thanks and Good Luck Elaine

I got back from my pre-op visit with my surgeon on Friday. We were talking about I asked her how many bands had she placed already. Expecting her to say like hundreds, she told me 50... JUST 50. She explained to me that it was because when bands first came out, there wre people getting them taken back out due to complications. She JUST started implementing bands in HER office as of a year ago, and she only allows around 50 a year so that she is more personal, and can remember the patients she puts them in. She wanted everyone else to get the kinks fixed with the bands before she started putting them in. So with that reassurance I feel better about it, but now.. I wonder... would YOU be concerned? Thanks in advance for your answers.

I should also mention that her office DID recieve the center of excellence from the Lap Band people themselves. I know that means a lot.

All I have to say is I am SO GLAD I am done with that whole mess.. with them sticking stuff in my hair, and on my face.. I HARDLY would call it a sleep study, cause I didnt even sleep... I kept pulling the stuff off my face cause I like to sleep on my stomach. Good luck.... bring your own pillows. They didnt seem to have enough for me.

Hello... its 1:31 PST and I just realized that for the next 23 days, I will be drinking skim milk, and crystal light and water. Im so nervous, and excited at the same time. I havent been too hungry.. but then again, its just the first day, and its only 1. Although, Im watching tv, and when people are eating food, or buying groceries.. I am getting a little weak in the knees. Oh man... How am I going to make it through this.... Elaine

I feel so horrible. I was at a babysitters house today checking things out, and the daughter at the house was eating Burger King. And seriously... its like could the smell be any more horrible to me right now! I wanted to die.. and the fries were just smelling SO GREAT!!! I went to the drive thru and ordered a whopper jr. I feel so crappy! After I ate it, I cried, because I had gone ALMOST 2 days without eating anything! Now I am back on the wagon. Yes I take a vitamin everyday, and I drink only skim milk and crystal light and water. Its hell....

I feel so horrible. I was at a babysitters house today checking things out, and the daughter at the house was eating Burger King. And seriously... its like could the smell be any more horrible to me right now! I wanted to die.. and the fries were just smelling SO GREAT!!! I went to the drive thru and ordered a whopper jr. I feel so crappy! After I ate it, I cried, because I had gone ALMOST 2 days without eating anything! Now I am back on the wagon. Yes I take a vitamin everyday, and I drink only skim milk and crystal light and water. Its hell....

Hello, I am having surgery on the 24th of next month, and my surgeon is asking me to do a 3 week milk diet. Has anyone had to do this before, AND have you fallen off the wagon in those 3 weeks. For those of you that DONT know about that diet, its basically all I can drink is skim milk, 3 times a day, as much as I can in 5 minutes. I can drink water as well, and crystal light, but thats it. And my vitamins also. Im worried about falling off the wagon simply because next month, about 10 days after I start, I am heading to my high school reunion. I am discipling myself right now to be prepared for it, but with the drinking, and the eating with friends, Im worried I will fall off the wagon. Any advice on that? ALSO, Can anyone tell me what YOU ate after surgery. I hear protein shakes, yogurt, broth, those things are acceptable, just wanting to get a feel for what life was like for all of you weeks after your surgery. Thanks in advance! Elaine

Thank you so much for your support, in this post that I didnt even create. I just need to talk to my doc and see if she will allow me to eat anything at all, and if I can have a lean cuisine, then great, if not, then thats life, and I will get pumped like the other post said. Its just that feeling of my stomach pain is killing me.. but I know that by day 3 I will be fine, your right.

Hello, I started my milk diet today, and I am crying too.. I feel like my stomach is eating itself. LITERALLY!!! I have my surgery on the 24th of this month. My milk diet consists of skim milk, 3 times a day, Water, and crystal light.. AND THATS IT!!! I dont know what your diet consists of, but I feel weak, like in the sense that I am wanting to eat something.. ESPECIALLY when I feed my kids. I am starting 2 days early because I am going to my high school reunion next weekend, and in case I fall off the wagon you know. I would be more than happy to be a support to you too.. private message me. Elaine

Hello... its 1:31 PST and I just realized that for the next 23 days, I will be drinking skim milk, and crystal light and water. Im so nervous, and excited at the same time. I havent been too hungry.. but then again, its just the first day, and its only 1. Although, Im watching tv, and when people are eating food, or buying groceries.. I am getting a little weak in the knees. Oh man... How am I going to make it through this.... Elaine

I dont have the answer here, BUT I suggest you go to Yahoo Answers, BECAUSE sometimes, I have asked MY Cigna questions there, I have Cigna OAP, and there are Insurance company employees there that can answer your quick questions like that. I hope this helps.

Cigna has many different plans, like HMO PPO type, or like mine its OAP. Certain cigna plans will NOT cover it, but most insurance plans will ocver your surgery if its medically necessary. Mine says the same thing about WLS, but it DOES state that gastric surgeries are permitted as long as it is medically necessary. So thats something to think about. Good Luck Elaine

Hello... Welcome.. I also am getting banded on the 24th. We are band buddies.. lol Im so excited. Are you going to have a pre op diet as well?

Well, the milk diet is basically me drinking skim milk as much as I want, 3 times a day for at least 5 minutes. I can drink crystal light, and Water. AND THATS IT!!! I cant believe it. I am going to be starting a couple days early, because I have my pre op appointment next friday, a whole 2 weeks before my surgery. I want to lose a weeks worth of weight before I see the doc to see if she is able to let me eat even veggies or something. So, thats my diet.. I hope Im sticking to it... Elaine

This Monday I am about to start my liquid diet, and then Friday I have my pre-op appointment. Its weird, I am having my appointment WEEKS before my surgery, but thats the only opening she had for a pre-op appointment. So, She wants me on a skim milk diet only, no veggies, nothing but SKIM MILK, WATER and CRYSTAL LIGHT! I feel like I am going to die, and to make matters worse, I am going to my high school reunion 12 days after I start this liquid diet. Does beer count on this diet.. lol kidding. I am worried about falling off the wagon. I am going to have to talk to her and see if I am even allowed to eat veggies, cause if everyone is eating around me, I might keel over right there..

I have to be on this milk diet for 3 weeks. I want to know has anyone else needed to be on this diet as well? Im worried I will fall off the wagon because a week into this diet, I am going to my high school reunion, and with the food, the alcohol, and the party scene, well, I think anyone would be worried... Any suggestions, or advice for me? Elaine

I have the Cigna OAP, IF thats what you have, its very easy with them, it will take you 6 months, because they require the 6 months under doctors care, but then after that, if you have a great surgeons office, that will line up the sleep study, the nutritionalist appointsments, and all that great stuff that you do BEFORE you see the surgeon, it shouldnt take that long. Feel free to contact me personally, and I could give you my number, its very easy, really it is, I jumped through all the Cigna hoops for a lot of people at my Surgeons office. I personally got on the phone and called them many many times, because I was going to take control of what I have been dreaming about for years it seemed like. Now, my surgery in scheduled for next month, and I cant wait! Hope this helps

I have borrowed the Wii fit from my friend, and I love it! I love the new games that unlock as you work out more, and how ir does the progress on your weight loss and your BMI. I suggest it to everyone who HATES going to the gym. Whats the Ski Fit?

WOW.. well, I called them PERSONALLY and told them look, I have been waiting for this for a year and a half, and I have been screwed over by you, because my surgeons office didnt really get a clear answer for what needed to be done for approval in the first place. So with that said, literally, the next 3 business days, we had the approval letters in the mail. It was awesome. I was the one calling the surgeons office telling them I had the approval letter, they had to search through the mail first, then they found it before they could schedule my surgery date. Funny huh...

Cigna OAP took only 5 days, after seeing the surgeon, I got my surgery scheduled 4 weeks after my insurance approval letter was sent to me and the doctors office. AWESOME!

I agree, a prayer would be great! Im SO NERVOUS about starting my diet. Nervous about falling off the wagon, thats all.

Yeah, lets be band buddies.. I need a buddy... it seems like no one wants to be my buddy.. lol So how does it work. I have a myspace profile as well.. myspace.com/mom_of_2harts Lets see, have you lost weight so far, and how much are you hoping to lose?

Im getting banded on September 24th, in Vacouver, WA