pennreporter

Your doctor/surgeon probably has a plan for what he recommends. My surgeon/hospital had a whole 3-stage food plan which took about 2-3 weeks to progress through. My daughter, however, it was just a few days and then it was whatever she felt she could eat. But like Jay Tee, initially you don't really want much anyway. So I would also to make sure what he wants you to do. I did Isopure drinks. Little on the expensive side and not every flavor is a keeper. If you have a GNC around that sells them by individual bottles where you can test out the flavors, but they have 40 grams of Protein. I like the fruit punch and then the apple-something one. They're pretty good sized bottles so it would take me the whole day to get it down. Now I still buy the EAS Edge that you can get at Wal-Mart or BJ's Good luck and congratulations! trisha

My daughter flies all over and she's never had a problem. Now she does take a lazix but that's just because she's always been prone to retain fluids and swell up. so other than that, never a problem. But she did that before banding trisha

Jay Tee, I'm at 7ccs, and I won't lie. I struggled horribly with it the first three months. This past month it finally seems to have come together...My bad days are few and far between. But it's been a learning process. Before this I had 5cc and I could eat anything and almost any amount and almost any speed. My biggest battle was giving up having fluids with my meals. Once I got over that hurdle, it was finally accepted that it had to be smaller portions. I still don't do well with chicken and obsolutely no steak. But I did have lilke a 3x3 piece of pizza a few days ago and that was a first. But that's not one of my favorite foods. I can eat 99 percent no bread, which is good because hotdogs are my favorite. So it saves me from that. Good luck. For the first 3 months I threw up a lot and I know I should have removed some but I liked having the reminder that, okay, you're done, stop eating...and now it's just fine. Trisha

John, my daughter goes to Dr. Kurin who used to be or still is with NYU and you're absolutely right. She can go in and get just .25 cc if that's all she feels she needs or the one time that she overfilled, they didn't go crazy and then take out too much but again, took out just a very small amount. She let me go in with her one time for a fill, just so I could see what I was in for...what a difference between them and my doctor. it was such an absolutely breeze on doing the fill. Guess that's the difference in a doctor who has done a gazillion procedures as compared to mine who had done five...yes, five ...did I feel like the guinea pig or what. But I'm also 8 months out and still learning what foods work or don't and exactly how frigging slow i must eat. So my iphone is always with me and I read the USA today while eating and it tends to slow me down. Good luck to all. Trisha

I wouldn't beat myself up too much. It took a while for the weight to get there and it will take some time to lose. Eating the frozen dinners I would also watch sodium intake. I know for me, that's an issue as I will retain fluids very easily. And also watch how much you drop below 1,000 calories. If I drop too much below 1,000, like in the 800 range and not getting my 60 grams of Protein, then I don't lose anything at all. For me protein has been a significant issue...you wouldn't think it would make that much difference in losing but it does. So while you're counting your calories, count your protein ...i don't always get the 60 in but I try to always always get between 40-60. Trisha

I love the Chobani also. But I will say, if you don't like yogurt to begin with, Greek yogurt isn't going to change your opinion probably. But for those who do, I like it because it's a little thicker, GREAT for Protein and you get more in a container than the other types of yogurt. If you watch for sales...BJ's will have a 16-container box of it every once in a while. I usually can find it on sale for a dollar each. Trisha

best wishes to you all having surgery today!! Trisha

new-nette, hopefully all went well for you yesterday and when you're feeling better will let us know how you're doing. Congratulations!! You now have a place on the loser's bench!! Trisha

Good luck jay Tee, but boy have you lost a lot since your surgery...so I wouldn't worry. Trisha

The worst pain you'll have will be from the expansion gas they use. My doctor had a technique where he sucked back out as much of the gas as he could. So I had no gas pains at all. My daughter's lasted about a day and really it varies...some people it's not so great, others it's okay. I also had to stay overnight because of sleep apnea, which was okay because I was able to get some anti-nausea meds right away. So you might ask your doc about that. But they give you some pretty decent pain medication. As far as your stomach, it will feel like you've done about a hundred situps and were only in shape for one. For me, at least, it wasn't really pain, but just sore. I had surgery on Monday, came home on Tuesday and went back to work the following Monday. I probably could have gone back sooner. My daughter had to fly down to Houston from NYC on a Sunday, watch a silly little film on Monday, surgery on Tuesday, flew back to NYC on Friday and worked Saturday and she's a hair colorist. So she was up on her feet all day. So recovery is no big deal. You'll be surprised. But I would either get some anti-nausea over the counter med or ask doc. I was also given a script for Zantac in case I needed it. You'll do fine. trisha

oh, geez your doctor is really conservative. My three stages total were only 3 weeks. I'm sure they're doing that to keep you from eating because once swelling goes down, you really can eat just about anything...so that's their way of keeping you from going off the deep end.. :cursing: My daughter went and had mexican food the day before surgery for lunch...I never liked her anyway...lol. I think I slipped a few times pre-op and had a small salad..but, otherwise, stuck to it pretty close. Good luck!! Trisha

I see my NUT this next Friday and will talk it over with her also. My biggest problem on getting some taken out, it takes almost 3 weeks to get an appointment. I've canceled four times already. Where I had procedure done is almost 2 hours away and I have to take off a whole day of work to make the appointment. I'm going to try to see if I can get transferred to the faciliy that is only 45 mins away. Had a horrible day yesterday but today is good. It is so frustrating as to why it can be so different from day to day. But I think you're probably right. Just a little less would make life a lot easier. Would be nice to eat a salad. I don't really miss not eating chicken but even fish can be tricky. I don't really get hungry but still have to depend on protein drinks to make sure I'm getting enough protein in. Trisha

Also, just as an afterthought...your doctor is probably doing the .5 ccs because he can hit your insurance company up that many more times. I've only done three fills and haven't been back since September. Doctors are horrible about trying to bill for more. Even with mine, the surgeon's office charges the ins. co. 500 bucks and then the discounted rate is $100 and my co pay is 35. So the overcharge to get the rate they really want. $100 is a very common charge. Trisha

I'd find a different doctor. .5 cc at a time will take your forever. My daughter from NYC had her surgery in houston by Dr. Spivak. Now, I don't think he does fills on banders that he didn't do the surgery on just because he's so incredibly busy, but I'd be willing to bet the office could refer you to another clinic. I know when my daughter went back to Houston for plastic surgery, she tried to get into Dr. Spivak because she had to have her band completely drained before surgery. They couldn't take her but sent her to a different clinic. I would try that avenue also. The Fill Centers USA are popping up all over the place, too, which was going to be an option if my doctor wasn't very aggressive on the fills. I'm at 7cc but I'm in a Realize band which is a little bigger than the Lap-Band. Good luck and find yourself another doctor!!. Trisha (Poconos, Pennsylvania)

Curliecue, I'm so sorry that you don't have the support. But know that what you are doing will be the best thing you could ever do for weight loss. Maybe try to find a local support group in your area. Online is great but not the same as being in a room of folks going through the same thing. It will be tough because you will still have to cook for your husband. So it will take some discipline on your part. The band still requires work and dieting. But it's an incredible tool once you start getting fills. I can't begin to tell you how many times...and I'm 58...that my mother told me the exact same thing..you would be so pretty if you just lost weight. And I was a size 10..go figure. And it does sound like the issues with your husband is just his insecurity. If your insurance will pay for counseling, I'm a firm believer in it. It may help you keep your sanity. Maybe your hospital has a list of counselors that have worked with bariatric patients which would be great. Again, congratulations on your decision. I've never regretted being banded (6/09) but I had an incredible support behind me. My daughter was banded a year before me. My whole family knows but no one lives close enough to really have any input and I'm bull-headed enough that they didn't dare question my decision...I proudly tell people I've had it and find that most people find it intesting enough to ask questions...you will get the negative comments but you're doing this for you and your quality of life. Any questions or if you just need to vent, this site can be very helpful. Trisha

Congratulations!! and Good luck and have a speedy recovery. I had to do two weeks before and two weeks after and a three-stage food plan, going from Clear Liquids to soft foods. My daughter's doctor in Houston, Dr. Spivak, who has done thousands of bands, ...well, she didn't have to do anything before, just the day before, and nothing before a certain time. After, she was on soft foods for 2-3 days. But his philosophy was, why would I put you on a diet that clearly you're not going to stick to. He also believes in getting back to regular food as quickly as possible to start learning to live with your new band. My surgeon had only done five bands before me, lots of bypasses, but not bands. So I wasn't gonna give him any room to screw up. The diet before surgery is to reduce the size of your liver. So I was making mine as small as possible..:cursing: So good luck and speedy recovery!! Trisha

Congratulations! I was banded June of last year and it's been the best decision I've ever made. It's amazing how a simple 45 minute or so procedure and so incredibly change your life. Good luck on your journey. There's probably a January group on here for 2010 that you can join. Good luck on recovery. It won't be bad. Unfortunately if you're like a lot of us, you'll have to do the 1-2 weeks of soft foods. I did fairly well on the weight loss the first two weeks but then after that, you really won't have any restriction unless your surgeon leaves some fill in the band from surgery. So don't get discourage if after the first few weeks you aren't losing and can still eat. Thta's normal until you start getting your fills. That can vary widely from surgeon to surgeon. I had to wait like 4-6 weeks before first fill and then he did 3 ccs which is fairly common. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask but you can find a wealth of information on here...some not so needed and some greatly helpful. If you have a local support group, that's really not a bad idea either. I don't have one close. So I had to rely on online groups. Again, congratulations. You'll be surprised at how quickly it all goes. Trisha

Of all the surgical risks that are disclosed that is not one I've ever read or heard of. Yes, the band can slip, but from what I've heard and read when that happens, no food will go down at all. My daughter was banded before me and really did all the research...I just relied heavily on her and knowing how thorough she was. I was 58 when I had mine last year. I surprisingly wasn't nervous at all. I was excited because I had seen my daughter's incredible success. That's not to downplay the risks because there's risk with any surgery but I felt the risks of continual high blood pressure and horribly high cholesterol was just as high a risk considering that strokes are prevalent in my family and that's family members that didn't have the obesity factor tied in. It has been the best decision I've made in many many years and would do it again in a heartbeat. Good luck on your decision and your journey!! Just don't expect the same results as bypassers...they lose big time quick but also have lots of complications. Banding will be slower but incredibly consistent. Trisha

I still have caffeine but not much. It's hard to find decaf diet iced tea. But I usually only have one cup of caff coffee or tea a day. Otherwise, it's decaf, but that's way way down from pre-band. So I don't worry about it too much. Trisha

I was having lots of problems with drinking fluids too close or while I was eating. I try to not drink anything for at least an hour before, although usually it's a half hour. The fluid after you eat is really to prevent your food from liquifying too much and going through the band too quickly. The longer you wait to drink anything after, the longer you feel full. For me that's not an issue because I don't get hungry hardly ever. So I don't wait very long after I eat but I do sip, sip, sip and then only if I feel like nothing is getting stuck. Trust me, when you get to the right level of ccs you'll know it...:) Trisha

I don't have a huge problem with it. But my daughter had quite a bit of problem with it when she was tighter. Had some taken out and hasn't really had a problem and then within the past month it's reared it's ugly head again. But hers is a problem only at night. She has to be really careful about not eating anything for at least 3 hours before she goes to bed. Now, when she visited recently I gave her my prescription for Zantac...(I know I know about not sharing prescriptions)...and she's been taking one at nighttime and a teaspoon of Maalox Advanced and that seems to allow her to sleep. She's very close to goal and when her band is looser she doesn't have a problem with it at all. She just felt it was strange that all of a sudden it started again. good luck trisha

I canceled my appointment to have some fill taken out. I'm doing better at adjusting to the tightness. Instead of every day, it seems like about 1 or 2 days out of the week I have issues. It also seems like if I have a bad day, if I just take it easy, stay on fluids and soft foods for that day and possibly the next day, it resolves itself. But I'm not sure why I'll have four or five really good days and then out of the blue...maybe I'm just getting overconfident and forget to slow down, who knows...food that I've eaten before will not agree. Yesterday was not a good day, stayed on soups and Protein drinks for the balance of the day. By the evening things were good and today is going fine. But I'm hoping to stay at this level for a couple more months if I can continue to manage it. It's been a good losing weight level and I'm within 20 lbs of goal. Assuming I don't just get horribly sick of chili for lunch...lol trish

Every facility is different on the cpap machine. With my hospital I had to stay overnight, but they never told me this until I showed up for surgery, of course, without cpap machine because I was told I wouldn't need to bring it. But I live almost two hours from the hospital and truly didn't mind staying overnight. I was able to get some anti-nausea medication right away. But your facility will let you know how they handle cpap patients. If not, be sure and ask if you're still having surgery as an outpatient or if you will stay overnight. I think because it was all kind of sprung on the surgeon by the anesthesiologist at the last minute, they were all kind of thrown for a loop. Plus nurses on the floor were also thrown off because they didn't have band patients stay overnight. And it's not like they gave me oxygen or anything overnight...so go figure. 48 times an hour is quite a bit. I was only at about 19. So you are super sleep deprived. As much as you won't like sleeping with the mask, you'll be amazed at how much better, once you get used to it, you'll feel. There are all different kind of masks. Some are better if you're a side sleeper and others for back sleepers. Good luck!! And as you lose weight, hopefully that blasted machine will go away for you :biggrin: Trisha

cream of wheat, with a teaspoon of light cream and a teaspoon of french butter (my splurges) and an EAS Protein drink and if I have time, coffee. Sometimes I'll skip the Protein Drink and have some turkey bacon...but eggs do me dirty. Other times I'll have some greek yogurt which is great for protein. trisha

isn't it a shame that people just can't be supportive or if not, just keep their comments to themselves!! I've been extremely open about mine. My daughter had hers a year before I. Since I have no other family close by I didn't have to deal with that. My daughter was my biggest support. The most common comment I get from people is "I like to eat too much to do that." My comment back is usually something on the order of I do, too, but I also want to live longer and healthier." First time in years BP and cholesterol or normal. But I do have a friend that she's also had to keep hers secret from her family because they're so judgmental. What a shame. It's such an incredible (albeit tough at times) journey that you should be able to do it without negative input. Trisha