ParrotheadCathy

It's 1:30. I got to work at 9:00 AM. I've peed 5 times already. I've had about a cup of skim milk, and 96 ounces of Water. Make sure you're drinking at least 64 ounces of water a day.

My pre-op was 2 whey protein shakes and 2 lean meals (3 oz. lean protein and a vegetable). It wasn't the worst thing I've done but it wasn't the easiest either. But keep your eyes on the prize! The purpose of the pre-op diet is to shrink your liver to give your doc more room in which to maneuver. There have been a couple of posters on here who woke up from surgery with no band because they hadn't stuck with the diet and their livers were too big. Back to 2 more weeks of pre-op and then a second attempt at banding. You don't want that, so keep your eyes on the prize.

Never heard of someone's band causing pain as high up as you're describing. Pain in the port area? yeah, definitely. But above your breast? Maybe someone else knows more.

Another factor is that if you are working out hard, you may be storing lactic acid in your muscles (if there's of lot of it you'll be sore, a little and the muscle will feel a little tight). that has to be excreted by your body and takes a bit of time (think about how long it takes for soreness to go away).

Julians Mom....sometimes you don't feel it right away and then BAM! you know you've been filled. I don't understand why but it does happen quite often.

Someone will probably take me to task for my opinion, but I believe that PART of the recovery time is in your head. I have had a couple of major operations in the past and was up and walking within a matter of hours in spite of what everyone said would happen. I believed I could do it and I did. Having said that, lap band is almost always an outpatient procedure. The worst after effects are not even from the surgery itself but from the anesthesia and the gas they pump into your abdomen when they do the surgery. I had surgery on Tuesday and went back to work on Friday. I could have gone back on Thursday but I had already arranged for the 3 days so I stayed home that day. I took a nap when I got home, then I went outside and walked to the end of my street and back (movement is the #1 best thing for the gas issues). Later, I did it again. I drank PLENTY of Water to help with the anesthesia getting out of my system and to stay hydrated. And I drank about 80 grams of Protein a day. I am a legal assistant so I sit all day and that of course contributed to my ability to go back to work so soon....picking up a file folder is well below the weight limit on what you can pick up, LOL. That weekend, I was good to myself. I rested plenty, I walked twice a day. I did a load of laundry and I cooked a couple of meals for my family. This is the other important thing. Don't think that you can go back to work AND take on all your house duties at the same time. Clean your house really well now. After the surgery, someone can change your sheets for you and maybe vacuum. You can always catch up in a week or two.....DIRT IS PATIENT, LOL.

Ask if he would consider marriage counseling first. My thought is that something caused the initial issues and now, perhaps, he is intimidated by the changes you will be going through.

Care Credit charged me no fees, spread the payments over 7 years and, obviously, no penalty for prepayments. Interest rates will vary based on your credit score, by the way. Capital One also does surgical financing but I don't remember any of the terms etc.

I was a size 3X/26-28 I am a size L/14-16 Bra size went from 44D to 40 C. I'll probably continue to go down in band size but probably not cup size since I was ALWAYS a C in the past Still have 54 pounds to go....who knows where I'll end up!?!?

Actually, I gather that is a somewhat common reaction. Unfortunately, relationship DO fall apart after significant weight loss sometimes. But becauase it does happen to some certainly doesn't make it a given. He's afraid of change and probably like many family members just afraid of the potential problems related to surgery and anesthesia. Ask him to go to your visit with the surgeon pre-op so that he has a chance to voice his concerns to the profession who can truly answer his questions. And, just keep loving him and be thankful he loves you enough to worry!

Unfortunately, your boss is an idiot. He has violated some serious federal regulations regarding disclosure of medical information. Even though he meant well, you should talk to him in private and explain to him that he has done something he should not have done and that you expect a certain amount of fallout from it just because of the number of people who know what you've done. Tell him you'll have to deal with it but tell him to please not do that to anyone else ever again.

In one week I have lost 10 lbs. Is that average? probably a little above the average. just enjoy it while you can because once you transition to solid foods but have no fill, you may stop losing completely or just lose much smaller amounts Which are the best vitamins to take and what dosage? Vitamins are a matter of choice. I buy my vitamins in Canada -- Berocca Performance fizzes out in a large glass of water and I add Benefiber and stick pack of Crystal Light to the mixture. Quite a few people buy Gummy Flintstones and chew up 2 per day. Just look for what you think you can swallow or chew, and a dose that is a decent percentage of the RDA What are the best supplements (calcium citrate or the other, etc) Again, there are TONS to choose from. Just pick one that has 1000 mg calcium and Vitamin D added Best chocolate protein drinks or powder without chalky taste? Can't help you here. I was told as soon as I transitions from liquid diet I should EAT my protein because that will give you a feeling of satisfaction (that means hold off hunger) for a lot longer and liquids because liquids pass out of your pouch quite quickly. Best tasting clear liquids protein drinks? Never used one. Any lotions or tricks to prevent saggy skin? Heck, I'm 59 years old. There's no way I could avoid sagging skin. My doctor told me that even as long as a year after you reach goal weight, your skin can continue to contract....to catch up, so to speak. When will I feel normal again? You've turned the corner. Every day should be better now. Any good blogs or website that could be helpful now that I have the band? This website has it all, I think.

1. Do you FEEL the LAP-BAND® around your stomach? Does it feel tight or uncomfortable? No 2. I think giving up soda will be really hard. WHY must it be done? You may be able to drink sode at some time in the future, BUT in the beginning especially, the carbonation can build up in your pouch and cause you some discomfort. 3. What is the purpose of the liquid diet pre-surgery? And post? Pre-op is to shrink your liver so that your surgeon has a little more room in which to maneuver. Almost all obese people have fatty deposits in their livers, some more than others... Your doctor's pre-op and post-op diet may very dramatically from other docs. Just follow his instructions! Post-op is to facilitate healing. 4. Did your insurance company cover the procedure? How long did the pre-auth take? Did you have to do psych evals, etc? No, my insurance did not cover the surgery. Your doctor can likely tell you the average approval time for your insurance company. As to requirements, you can can always call your insurance company to see what they require. Bear in mind that some requirements are not the insurance company but the doctor. 5. The port - does it physically bother you? Can you see it initially, after losing, etc? My husband is kinda freaked out about it.... It's about the size of a quarter and not very thick. I can feel mine if I press down firmly. 6. Does getting a fill hurt? Or does it feel like getting a flu shot / giving blood? Mine have never hurt at all. The first time, they gave me a numbing shot and then did the fill, the second time, I had them just do the fill. Either way you get one little pinch but no pain. 7. Do you have restrictions with taking pills? I.e. is Tylenol still effective, does it digest regularly, etc. I now have to take absolutely NO medications. I have taken some Tylenol a few times and had no problem swallowing them. The medications are dissolved the same way but in the pouch. I was told not to take ibuprofen ever because it can inflame the smaller environment of the pouch versus your whole stomach. 8. What about drinking alcohol? Is it OK occassionally?' The only restriction on alcohol is the calories. A shot of rum has about 60 calories. Mixers are, of course loaded. I drink rum with Diet Coke. It seems like the alcohol kills the carbonation really quickly. But just remember that post op you will be eating about 1,000-1,200 calories per day and just 2 shots is 10% of that amount so it's easy to add a lot of extra calories quickly. So don't make a daily habit out of it, LOL.

deellio, at 5 days post-op, I know it's common to have "buyer's remorse" but the good news is that you should be turning the corner any day now and you will find that at that point every day is an improvement. I have had no side effects. None. Well, other than some belching when I am hungry. That doesn't matter to me one iota. I followed my pre-op diet religiously and I did post op what I was instructed to do. I've gotten stuck some but most of that was when I was too tight and a .2 unfill cured it. Now, if I do get stuck I can promise you that it was 100% my fault for eating too fast. I've lost just over half what I want to lose now. The holidays were hard becauase it was too easy to snack because it seemed like there was always food in my face. But I maintained. My November 15 weight and my weight on January 4 was the same. There was some up and down in between and now I back in the right mindset and am looking forward to losing more. Some people do have side effects but mostly they are mild. And many of us just don't have anything to complain about.

Shelly, I'm sorry your sister is such a butt! You're right when you say that your success has pushed all her insecurities and failures to the forefront and has made all that baggage very hard to ignore. In her heart, she may feel very different than what she's verbalizing. Be available to her if she reaches out to you because she may one day wake up and realize that her biggest concern is surgery itself and would it work for her. And with continued success, she will eventually see you and know the answer. As for your friend/partner?, you have the tools. You've learned how to eat. Ask her to exercise with you...make a social event for the two of you. Cook the healthy meals you're learning about -- even try going gourmet and make cooking some of those meals a time that you share. Of course she cries when you drop another size because she feels left behind. You don't have to say "Let me help you lose". Just say "let's take a walk together" and walk 3 miles. If you go to the gym, find out if you can get a guest pass for her and invite her to go with you and work the circuit (which is infinitely adjustable to any one person's ability and endurance). And you see what I'm saying, make her a part of what you're doing rather than a sad observer. Good luck!

My Doc's physician's assistant NEVER, EVER has used flouro on me or my friend...and she always hits the port. She told me once she'd been doing this for quite a while and never has a problem but that my surgeon and the doctor who is always in the office are not nearly as accurate as she is, LOL. I do truly believe that experience means a lot. Hope you have better luck!

Here's a little bit of information. Greek yogurt is usually more expensive than plain yogurt. You can buy cartons of plain yogurt. Then put a coffee filter in a strainer, dump in the yogurt, cover it and put it in the fridge. The water will drain out and if you can be patient and wait overnight, you will get really creamy Greek yogurt! Once you have your Greek yogurt, you can add lots of different things: Artificial sweetner Vanilla extract fresh fruit honey granola (but watch the fat and calorie count) There are other flavor extracts on the baking aisle besides vanilla. Experiment with adding vanilla and lemon or orange (and maybe adding some mandarin orange sections to the orange flavored yogurt). Walden Farms makes a calorie free chocolate syrup (I buy it where you buy the other ice cream toppings). It tastes okay, a bit cocoa-y, and I use it in several things. I haven't tried it but you might be able to add that to the Greek yogurt.

Minime, are you sure your insurance company actually PAID the $200,000? I long ago discovered that if you have insurance the surgeon in question will bill a higher amount in hopes recouping what he would get from a self-pay. For example, I have hand problems that requires finger surgeries. I had one finger repaired on insurance and the doc billed my insurance $4800. Then I had one finger fixed by the same doc while I was unemployed and uninsured and it cost me just under $1,000. Look at your EOB again just to see what was actually PAID OUT.

Well, with any of the three band sizes I'm aware of, 2.5cc isn't all that much. What I was told to do consistently until I reached my sweet spot was to eat three meals a day. 3 oz. of lean Protein (about the size of a deck of cards), a serving of vegetable and a whole grain carb serving. IF (which really meant "WHEN") I got hungry in less than four hours, I was to eat a protein snack of about 60-70 calories. The suggested Snacks were a boiled egg or an ounce of low fat cheese or a little deli sliced turkey. Once I got to my sweet spot (where you can go at least 4 hours between meals), then I was told to give up the snacks and only eat a snack when I knew I would have to go well beyond my time frame where I wasn't hungry. Hope that helps!

Depending on the size of the fills your doctor gives, it could take 4 or 5 fills or even more. Answer back, 1. What size band do you have? 9cc, 10cc, 14cc? 2. Total amount of fill you've received so far. Then we can better respond.

There is diversity across ALL the policies issued by any single insurance company. It's based on what any given employer is willing to pay for! So one Anthem policy won't cover weight loss surgery at all, another will cover it with the supervised and diet and another will cover it with a required minimum BMI for a specified period of time, etc. The only way to know what your policy covers and how is either read the booklet if you have one or call. There is a customer service phone number on your insurance card. Call them. They will need your policy number. Ask: 1. If your policy will pay for lap banding (some will cover gastric bypass but not banding so be specific). 2. What their requirements are for you to qualify. Some possibibilities are a minimum BMI of one number and perhaps a different number if you have 1 or 2 comorbidities. So, say a BMI of 37 with 2 comorbidities or a BMI of 40 or higher might be possible answers. 3. What surgeons in your area are on you policy. 4. Whether or not they have a requirement that the surgeon use a specific surgical center (I've read where some require the surgeon to use a "Center of Excellence"), or if they require an overnight stay. If they require an overnight stay, verify what hospitals are on your plan. 5. Ask if they require a supervised diet. If yes, then ask does Weight Watchers qualify or must it be doctor supervised. If it must be doctor supervised, ask if your primary caredoc can supervise or if the lap band surgeon's office can do it. 6. Finally, ask anything else you can think of. I've recently read on here where a couple of people discovered their insurance would pay for the surgery BUT NOT THEIR FILLS. Ask! And if they don'to cover fills, when you are interviewing surgeons, ask what their charge is for fills not covered by insurance (for example, mine charges $125). And ask the surgeon how many fills are included in the price of surgery (for example, mine included one year of follow-ups and all the fills and any unfills that would be done in that time period). Good luck!

As you may have already figured out, pre-op diets differ quite a bit from doctor to doctor. Mine was two shakes a day using a shake powder my doctor's office sold (at a very competitive price) and two lean meals a day. Others are on Optifast, others have as many variations as there are doctors. I would have to agree with the other posters who said to call your doctor's office and speak with the nutritionist. As for broth, canned broth is pretty much gross. If you like chicken Soup but just don't like the broth, try this. Buy a whole chicken (cut up is easier to get in the pot) and cover with Water. Add a little salt, a little pepper, a bay leaf, quarter an onion (peel and all) and add that. Chunk some carrots and celery and add. Simmer until the chicken is falling off the bones. Strain all the solids out. Wbhat you have left is stock, and it has a whole lot more flavor than a can of broth. You will want to refrigerate it and skim off the fat that collects at the surface. The vegetables will need to go in the trash because they are mush. But the chicken can be frozen and used to make chicken salad for you later or if you are having to cook for your family, you can make a casserole and some chicken salad for them. You can do the same thing with a cheap cut of beef roast but you didn't say that your doctor allows beef stock.

In many cases there is something coming into play that you guys haven't considered.....if you've been overweight for a long time, or maybe have always had a weight problem, then nobody really remembers what you looked like at that weight. If people tell you that you don't need to lose any more weight, they may just be saying that you look the best they've ever seen (or remember). There's no law that says you have to dispute their comment either. Take it with a grain of salt or give them the benefit of the doubt, say "thank you [for the compliment/your concern/whatever" and go on.

Can't really recommend anything inspirational but I can heartily endorse JOURNALING every bite of food you put in your mouth. Be brutally honest because you're the only one who is going to see this journal...and if you cheat, you are only cheating yourself. I've found that if I make a note of WHEN I eat, I can learn something from that. I figured out that my worst time of day was from the minute I walked in the door at home until I got dinner prepared. Then I figured out that I was going far too long between lunch and dinner. I talked to my doctor's office and they recommended that because I have about 7 hours between lunch and dinner I should ignore the "no snacks" rule and eat something in the range of about 60-70 calories and all Protein late in the afternoon so that I don't arrive home starving hungry. Then last week, I read something from Dr. Oz that said when you start to get hungry your body produces a hormone called ghrelein and if you don't eat, it produces more, and then more until you do finally eat. And if you postpone eating too long, then you are pretty much at the mercy of this hormone. It made a lot of sense for me. So, journaling helped me solve a nagging problem.

You tell the the obvious truth (and no more): You are eating MUCH less food, staying hydrated and exercising. Tell them "Yeah, it's been difficult at times but losing keeps me motivated". That IS the truth, with one omission and if you don't want them to know you had the surgery then don't tell them! In truth, the band is this big helper but just getting the band would not have achieved any weight loss. You've don't the work you needed to do.