isaviolinist

Hi everyone, just an update. I went in for my fill on July 28th and we did it under fluoro. Everything looked good on the x-ray - everything was in place and where it should have been. No band slips or port flips or anything else I was panicking about lol. And the fill went smoothly. I don't have enough restriction right now and I go for my next fill on August 25th. Thanks for all of the replies!

I basically just got all of my records from the past 5 years from my primary doctor. He also wrote me a referral for a bariatric consult and that was it. I didn't need to prove that I had tried diets or anything like that. I sent in my history from my PCP, did all my pre-op testing, and was approved probably a day or 2 after that (and insurance covered the whole thing). I have BCBS and my hospital is an approved center of excellence by BCBS, so that may have helped (my surgeon seemed to imply that they work most closely with BCBS). I do believe some patients that have Aetna or some other insurance like that had to do a supervised diet. But it seemed specific for that insurance only. Good luck!

I eat Curry Mee Soup (without noodles) and Tom Yum Soup on a regular basis. And I go to a Thai/Malay place in chinatown. It is really strong flavors and VERY spicy (its not 'watered down' food for the general population lol). I have never had a problem. I hope I never do because I LOVE Tom Yum. I also make soon dubu (Korean soft tofu stew) and that is even way spicier than tom yum or Thai curry and have never had an issue. Good luck and enjoy your soup broth!!

Firstly, congratulations on being in the category of 'normal weight' and losing almost all of your excess weight! That is great and you should congratulate yourself too!! Can't wait to be in your shoes! Like everyone said, I think the last few pounds are the hardest. My good friend who is thin wanted to lose a few pounds (she probably had 10 pounds to lose if she wanted, although she looked great either way) and it took her over 4 months to lose just 5 pounds. But thats because she only has that little bit to lose. It will come off, slowly but surely. But in the meantime (while its taking its sweet time) just give yourself a pat on the back for all of your successes already!!

I'm glad you got that worked out! I hope you feel good as new soon!

Hey congratulations! Thats wonderful! You are starting with about the same amount to lose as me. Are you doing a pre-op diet? That really kick started the weight loss for me and made me feel so good about the start to my process of becoming healthier and much happier! If you are doing the 2 week pre-op diet, I guess you'll have to start in a week or so! Good luck and keep us posted!

Hi Jodi - I had a 3 week pre-op diet (originally it was supposed to be 2 weeks, but my surgery was postponed for a week, so it ended up being 3). I cheated once but I just had a piece of broiled salmon. My fiancee had just taken the LSAT (admission test for law school) and he REALLY wanted a steak so we went to Ruth Chris' and I felt awkward sitting there in an expensive restaurant without ordering. My original plan was just to have some Soup, but of course I caved and got the salmon. But it was plain (originally it was broiled with butter, but they left it off for me). The night that I found my surgery would be postponed I also went out to dinner and had a salad with about 3 oz. of grilled salmon and then a full piece of grilled salmon for dinner with veggies (I don't eat chicken or red meat, thats why so much salmon lol :scared2:) - but my surgeon told me I could do this because he wasn't sure how long my surgery would need to be postponed for (it could've been 5 days or as long as 6 weeks). But I found out the next day that my surgery would only be pushed back a week and went back on my pre-op diet then. I lost 20 pounds in total on my pre-op diet. I would say try to stick to your pre-op diet as much as possible. There are definitely people on this site who have not been able to get their band because of a thick liver. And I agree - it would be devastating to wake up from surgery and find out you were not able to get your band. When you want to cheat, think of some of your motivators (your health, your kids, etc.) before you go for the food. Good luck with your surgery!

I wasn't brave enough to try to sleep on my stomach until probably a month after my surgery lol. But when I did there was no discomfort at all :wink2:

Congrats on your surgery and your choice to have a new healthy life! Good luck and keep us posted!

Congrats!! I can't WAIIITTT to be under 200. I just can't wait! You should feel very good about yourself!!

Hm, that is not a lot. 4 tablespoons is only a quarter of a cup. I think I was told at least 1/2 a cup for meals but I think for me it will probably (once I get good restriction) end up being between 1/2 and 3/4 of a cup.

Tish - This is what I do to try and make my head (because its not my body...its all in my head) not feel as though I am depriving it (and maybe it will help you with eating too many carbs): Every 2 weeks, I give myself one treat. And its a good one, like my favorite ice cream or something. I don't go crazy with it (like I don't get 10 scoops with extra hot fudge plus an extra bowl of whipped cream on the side or something) but its enough to satisfy me and give me something to look forward to next time. Additionally, I work out 6-7 days a week for 30 minutes and I keep my calories at or under 1000 or so (calorie intake varies by person, but thats where mine is at). So if I spend an extra 500-600 calories splurging on ice cream once every 2 weeks, I don't feel too bad about it and I can work at least half of those calories, if not more, off at the gym. That works much better than eating carbs everyday. Also, however, during this time a lot of people gain weight. I really didn't eat very many carbs at all before my first fill, and during "bandster hell" but I know a lot of people eat mashed potatoes and such on the mushy phase and most doctor's think thats fine. So I wouldn't worry too much about it at this time. Good luck!

There are a lot of hoops to jump through, but if your surgeon's office is organized and experienced, they should be able to guide you through everything you need to do to satisfy their requirements, as well as the insurance company. Good luck!

Here is my recipe for delicious, very quick Beans and tofu (if you don't like tofu or you don't want to mush it with the fork then just leave it out): Ingredients: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Onions, Tomatoes (or substitute the onions and tomatoes for a finely chopped salsa...better for mushy stage), Tofu (Nasoya Cubed Tofu is great for this), Canned Black Beans (fat free), Canned Refried Beans, Low-fat cheese. Directions: Chop the onions and dice the tomatoes. Sauté these, along with the tofu, in a frying pan with a little EVOO. (For mushies, the onions should be soft and limp...you may even want to leave them out along with the tomatoes...if you keep them in just chop the finely to begin with and mush them very well before you eat them). After the onions, tomatoes, and tofu are sauteed (you can cook them as much or as little as you like), add the black and refried beans. Let this cook until all the ingredients are mixed well and nice and hot. You can add some salsa and low-fat cheese if you want as well. For mushies, finely chopped salsa would be good for taking the place of fresh onions and tomatoes. Serve hot and enjoy! I also sometimes eat this with half of an avocado on the side which is DELICIOUS (and can also be mushed, of course)!

Congrats on your surgery!! Don't worry about your weightloss right now, just take care of yourself. Also, it takes a few days for all of the fluids from the hospital (from your IV) to get out of your system. You may also be swollen and hanging on to excess water weight. When I came back from the hospital I was probably 4-6 pounds heavier than when I went. But at around day 5, I had lost all of the 5 pounds (almost at once, it seemed), and then continued losing from there on out. Good luck and get lots of rest and fluids!

Im a side and stomach sleeper. I think I waited at least 2 weeks to try and sleep on my right side. Then I slept on my back and right side for probably another 2 weeks. At 4 weeks I was brave enough to sleep on my left side and it was fine. I'm a little under 2 months out and I have no problem sleeping on my stomach at this point. For the first week after surgery I took pain meds before I went to bed to help me be able to sleep a little more comfortably. It helped a lot.

Its a Spanish soup, and its served cold: Gazpacho - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Try it!

You can start drinking Protein shakes (important!). Gazpacho is a good full liquid soup (just make sure its the smooth type, and not the one with lots of chunks...if it has big chunks just puree it). I love Gazpacho!

I do this sometimes (although Im not a big breakfast eater): I just spray the inside of a cup (usually a throw away) with non-stick spray (butter flavored) and pour 1/4 cup of egg beaters in and then microwave until its cooked. Sometimes I throw some low fat cheese in there or I dip it in thai peanut sauce (I dip everything in peanut sauce...I'm a big peanut sauce person). This way you can have eggs but you can take it with you on the go. Its fast and the clean up isn't messy. You can also make a Protein shake. I make mine in the magic bullet and its a very quick process. And if you do make them in the bullet or something like it, you can use one of the cups with a handle and just bring it with you.

Thank you, LA277! :ohmy: I am excited to have a little bit more restriction and to see the pounds really start to melt off!! Yay for June 18th bandsters! Any other June 18th-ers out there?

Welcome and congrats on your surgery! Take it easy and give yourself time to heal! Good luck and stick around - theres a lot of great people and information on these boards!

Thanks for asking that question. I also have been wondering about that. I have a little restriction, but not enough. I am eating proteins only (with some vegetables now and again) but I am definitely eating more than a cup at time (sometimes 1.5-2 cups of food). I am going in for another fill on Aug. 25th. I think the primary reason why I have less restriction is because I don't eat red meat or chicken. The main staples of my diet are fish and tofu which are very soft. So I think it will take a little more fill for me than some others who do eat tough meats.

I eat a lot of spicy Korean and Malaysian food. I agree with the issue about drinking - if you think you'll need to use some water to help with the burning sensation then make sure the spiciness is mild enough to not need that. But I have a pretty high tolerance to spicy foods so it hasn't been a problem (thank goodness). But I love spicy food and would have been sad if I had to give it up. I am actually planning another trip to Korea and I am SO excited to have authentic spicy Korean food again!! YAY!

My surgery was at 7AM and I got to the hospital are 5:45AM. I was VERY nervous. When I got there I had to check in, pee in a cup (pregnancy test), fill out some papers, etc. They took me back - my mom came with me. Both of my parents and my fiancee came to the hospital but they only allowed one person to come back to the prep area with me. I put on a gown, got into the bed etc. I also went to the bathroom a few times because my surgeon said that I would not need to be catheterized if I felt like I had emptied my bladder adequately. I then said goodbye to my mom, and they wheeled me in the bed into the waiting room. Her I had my IV placed. My surgeon came to say hi to me and to see how I was doing. Eventually they wheeled me into the OR. This was the most freaky part. Its freezing in there and I had to just move myself onto the operating table from the bed. There were SO many people in there. The experience was interesting. My surgeon asked me what kind of music I liked :tongue2: I think he then put something close to what I said on in the OR. They strapped my arms down (for safety) and then they told me they were going to give me something to relax myself. The next thing I remember was waking up in recovery. I actually stayed in recovery for a couple of hours. I was sleeping primarily. My surgeon came to visit me, along with my family. My surgeon secured a private room for me, and I chose to stay overnight. I wanted to be sure I was getting enough liquids (achieved by the IV fluids) and I wanted to be sure there would be no complications. The last thing I wanted was to go home, and then have to come back for something. I didn't really feel like reading or anything. I slept a lot and when I was up I was walking around in the halls and sometimes I moved to a chair and sat there for awhile. I also watched tv a lot. 2nd or 3rd day post-op I went for 7-8 block walk. I wasn't in too much pain. I took liquid tylenol with codeine before bed for about the 1st week (it just helped me get to sleep since I was still pretty uncomfortable lying in my flat bed). My doctor got most of the gas out of me before closing me up, so I had hardly any gas pains (I had some pains in my neck 2nd day post-op, but it went away after a day). All-in-all this was a pretty easy surgery and I am so pleased with my results and the way I feel so far!! Good luck!

3 days after surgery I felt some restriction when drinking clear liquid. Days 0-2, I was just sipping my liquids (having about 60cc of liquid an hour). On day 3 I drank probably 2 cups of broth at once. It was WAY too much and I felt full for quite sometime and a little uncomfortable as well (I think I was just not used to having that amount at once). However, after that, and when I moved on to mushy and soft foods I didn't feel any restriction and could eat the same amount as I always had been able to. I just had my first fill about a week ago and I have some restriction but I'd like a little more. I'm hoping that will happen at my next fill on Aug. 25th. Good luck and congrats on your surgery!