Rogue

Definitely check with your doctor or his office. Everyone's different. My dietician gave me post-op rules that had me 1wk on liquid diet; 2nd & 3rd wks mushy; wks 4+ regular food (high in protein, low in carbs). Good luck with your journey :tt1:

Had my surgery on Apr 1! Hurray. And am recovering well. Except that I was concerned about two bumps that were appearing almost opposite of each other right at the bottom of my rib cage. I figured one was my port and the other a mystery...which was concerning me because it hurts when I press on it. Wish I would have asked my dr. or a nurse where my port was located right after surgery but I was dazed. Hindsight is 20-20 :laugh: During my post op visit today, the dr. told me that the bump on the right (which I thought was my port) was simply a large bruise & scar tissue. It would disappear quickly...I was really surprised because it's the redder of my incisions so I thought for sure it was my port. Turns out the lump right above the biggest scar on my left is my port and is no longer my mystery lump. Whew! My imagination had started running wild on what it could be. I should have known better and remembered that lots of posts have said that the longest scar is usually assoc. with the port. :drool: 1st fill is 5/12. Now on to the mushy phase...I'm thrilled!!! Thanks for listening.

Yeah, I think your right. I'll have to keep an eye on my glucose levels. I really think that's what kicking my butt. I'm not on meds, but I've been borderline diabetic. I have hypertension so I've been monitoring that closely. I also tried a different protein drink today, Slim Fast Optima, and it was pretty tasty (not yucky at all!) Thanks to all of you for your input - it makes a difference!

Okay, so today is my 9th day on the liquid pre-op diet and just when I thought I was doing well....I start feeling like I got off a major roller-coaster. You know the kind...the one that shakes your body and makes you feel like your head weighs a ton. Getting a major headache and feeling queasy. Has this happened to you? This may be too much info, but to top it off my "aunt flo" decides to visit me today. I'm getting enough fluids so I just hope Wed, 4/1, rolls around soon. Thanks for listening!

Thanks for replying. My doctor's name is Dr. Vitello with UIC. He's been great so far! I'm with you....I am starving - in the meantime, broth isn't cutting it but it never tasted so good : ) Good luck with your surgery!

In preparation for my lapband surgery, I was asked to have a barium swallow test (aka Upper GI). Boy, I didn't know what to expect. :crying: Well, I found a really informative site that describes exactly what happens during this test. I tell you, I felt like I was on a sci-fi episode. I drank crystals that reminded me of pop-rocks to create gas in the stomach, then a milkshake-like substance which was barium , and finally drank a thin liquid (had to drink it almost lying down from a straw). Overall, the actual test took no more than 15-20 mins. The doctor took pictures of my stomach as I swallowed the thick barium, more pics when she gave me a 2nd dose of gas inducing crystals & again as I drank the thin liquid. Pretty cool to see how the stomach looks and how liquids run from the mouth to stomach to intestines! Our bodies are truly amazing miracles. Just wanted to share my experiece as I'm learning so much from all of you. Now back to trying to calm my nerves as my surgery date approaches. :scared2:

I know exactly how you feel. Earlier this week I received a call from my doctor saying that one set of blood tests was missed, so I needed to come back in for my blood to be drawn one more time. I could have screamed! But, like you -I have faith that it will all come together. Hang in there! Your surgery date will be set before you know it. :scared2:

I'd recommend finding out if your particular policy covers the lapband procedure first. Call the member number on your insurance card, and they should be able to answer that question. Depending on how the insurance policy is written, bariatric surgery can be excluded from coverage. Hopefully, it is covered and you can get started by talking to your primary care physician. She or he could recommend a specialist (bariatric surgeon) or you can check out docFinder on Aetna's website to see what bariatric doctors are near you. Good luck on your journey!

Hi, Oceannites, I recently had my psych evaluation, and I didn't know what to expect. For me, the evaluation lasted approx. 60 mins. I was asked to complete the MMPI as dan2001xj mentioned. Once I completed the survey, the psych doctor interviewed me based on my responses to the questions. She asked lots of questions about my understanding of the lapband...what is it? how does it work "mechanically"? my expectations of the lapband? possible complications? support system at home? She explained that these questions would tell her if I had received enough information on the lapband procedure and whether I understood it. At the end of our session, she informed me that she considered me "ready" for the lapband. Hurray! I could have told her that :crying:...but, really - it was helpful to sit down and have that discussion with a doctor that focused on the emotional and mental adjustments that need to occur & will continue once banded. Good luck!