Elisabethsew

It's very understandable to want to feel restriction ASAP after surgery. However, this is major abdominal surgery and allowing a healing period is very necessary for long term positive outcomes with the band. I would advise listening to the surgeon concerning the first fill policy. After that, I agree that the patient is the one who knows when a fill is needed and should be proactive in getting it.

Thank you for sharing your "finds" and opinions. I'm always looking for something new to try. I found 100 calorie bagels in the grocery store. I toast one half, save the other, and spread a little peanut butter on the toasted half. It's a great snack and tends to keep me full.

I know many of the people on this thread are not in the medical field. I am and have been for a long time. Please realize that it's VERY common for healthcare/pharmaceutical companies to offer incentives to MDs to use their products. These companies spend a fortune developing new products and drugs and ear mark huge advertising budgets to "sell" them. As an example, the staff in the cardiology cath. lab never spend a penny on buying Breakfast or lunch. We average 70 cardiac caths a day so you can imagine how many people work in this area. Everyday (M-F) breakfast and lunch is provided by one or more healthcare reps from a company seeking to get their product/drug in use/prescribed. We live in a capitalist society and this extends to the healthcare industry as well. Who cares if the MD is getting paid to use a new, FDA approved band? I have a friend who gets $1,500.00 to give a 45 minutes slide presentation to other MDs on the benefits of Guardacil and he's paid by the pharmaceutical company. He rated as one of the 10 top OB/GYN MDs, has authored a book, tests MDs who are applying for Board Certification, etc. The fact that he lectures for money on a product he believes in does nothing to lessen his abilities as an MD. Just a little offering on a different perspective...

Call your insurance carrier and ask for a written list of their requirements for covering weight loss surgery.

Call your insurance company and ask for a written list of their requirements to cover weight loss surgery. Many carriers will only pay for a BMI of 40 with no other medical problems or a BMI of 35 with one or more other medical problems (called co-morbidities).

I would highly advise that you look for another surgeon. MANY do the surgery on higher BMI patients. The pre-op diet usually lasts for a week and is for the purpose of shrinking the liver so that the surgery can be done via the lap approach.

Most MDs do not advise a diet below 1200 calories. Protein should be taken throughout the day and balanced with fats and carbs. Very high intakes of protein can damage the kidneys so it's not something to be taken lightly. For anyone doing strenuous exercise, a diet of only 1000 calories might be too little. Also, extra hydration is very important. On the show, The Biggest Loser, the participants are medically supervised and have a prepared diet.

That's a good question to ask your surgeon. Fertility is definitely increased with the surgery. Once you get pregnant, the band will be emptied. Some OB/GYN's want it emptied ASAP while others allow gradual emptying as the fetus grows.

Research studies show that people who have the lapband lose weight at a slower rate but that after 2 years post-op, weight loss is about equal for both surgeries. Go to a few different informational meetings offered by 2-3 different surgeons and ask lots of questions. My BMI was as high as yours and I'm glad I made the choice to have the lapband. I'm a registered nurse and did not want all that is involved with gastric bypass (malabsorption, pouch stretching, etc.).

Welcome! Many surgeon's office staff give the date before the approval. If your approval is delayed, they back the surgery date up so don't worry. Call your insurance company and ask for a written list of their requirements.

Welcome. I would advise you to read over the many posts. The best answer is to do whatever your surgeon tells you to. Your surgeon's office can give you a list of all of their requirements so that you can get started meeting them. Some people bounce back fast from the surgery and others require up to 2 weeks to start feeling human. LOL.

Call your surgeon's office and ask why you can't have caffeinated coffee or tea. My only restriction was no soda and it was advised to avoid alcohol. Welcome!

Welcome and good luck. I've got my fingers crossed for you.

Just a word of caution. Most sugar-free candies are sweetened with some form of mannitol. Look for "sol" at the end of the word. Mannitol, Sorbitol, etc. have a laxative effect. Also, you don't want to get into the habit of sucking on candy as it easily passes through the pouch to the stomach. The same goes for chocolate, ice-cream... all that good (bad) stuff.

Congratulations on your surgery and recovery. The FDA has approved a few different bands and they all do the same thing; restrict the flow of food into the stomach by creating a pouch above the stomach. This results in feeling full faster and with a smaller amount of food. The choice of what band to use is based on your anatomy and your surgeon's preference. I've got the same one as you do.

I doubt those symptoms are related to a band allergy. Being tired, feeling cold, and light-headedness are symptoms of hypothroidism. Your infection might be getting worse or you could also be anemic from not enough iron (very common in women). I would really urge you to see an MD and have bloodwork done to start ruling problems. Please keep us posted on what you discover and take care of yourself... hoping you'll soon be feeling better.

The purpose of the pre-op diet is to shrink fatty livers so low-fat is very important. Clear soups are lower in fat than creamed soups. One gram of fat has 9 calories. One gram of protein or a carb has 4 calories. One gram of alcohol has 7 calories. Try entering your food into FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal or another site to help you keep track.

Make sure you check the requirements of your insurance carrier. Most want a BMI of 40 without a co-morbidity or a BMI of 35 with one or more co-morbidities.

You'll find different strokes for different folks applies here. I can't eat spaghetti at ALL but can tolerate salads just fine.

Even though you're having a lap procedure, it's still abdominal surgery. Most surgeons recommend no heavy lifting or strenuous exercise for 6 weeks post-op. I would check with your surgeon but bowling one week post-op seems unrrealistic.

I only had one consult with the dietician and was not weighed. She went with the records from the surgeon.

Welcome and congratulations on the surgery dates. You'll find a wealth of information here so read a lot and ask questions.

Congratulations and welcome! I hope your recovery is going well and look forward to your posts.

It is highly uncommon to have an allergic reaction to the band... especially after so many months. What are your symptoms and have you notifed your surgeon. By the way, your weight loss is great.

Welcome ladies and congratulations on your upcoming surgeries. It sounds like the process is moving along well. Don't worry too much about the pre-op diet. We all manage to get through it and it does result in a better intra-operative and post-op. course.