GoingforGoal

Hi there and congrats on your decision to get the band. I empathize with your situation because having never undergone surgery before is certainly an additional anxiety to overcome. My first surgery was a cesarean section and it was nerve wrecking not knowing what was to come coupled with all the fears of hoping it all goes well. 5 surgeries later, I was much more prepared for the lapband. As a Registered Nurse, I'll give you a general walk through of the day of surgery. You will be admitted, information will be verified (ie insurance etc), you will be given an ID bracelet as well as an IV. IVs are your access line to administer fluids and meds. Some people find them uncomfortable, but it's more of a nuisance than actual pain. You will consult with the nurse, surgeon and anesthesiologist who will summarize their parts in the procedure and ask you questions (ie allergies, hgt/wgt etc) that helps them prepare for your surgery). You will than be rolled into surgery. Unfortunately this can feel very sterile. Everyone runs around doing their jobs at hand and you can feel slightly ignored. This can be anxiety provoking for patience because your mind drifts, you see equipment you are unaware of and in reality you are just reminded that you are going into surgery. There's nothing you are required to do at this point, so try to focus on something to distract you. Next they'll ask you to verify your name/dob/and procedure. Anesthesia will give you a sedative and than.. you are out. You will be intubated and monitored for all vitals. This is where you trust your staff to do their job. What is new to you is routine for them. Even in crisis, there is a plan and your staff will execute those steps readily. After surgery you will be transferred to a post op care section where you will be monitored. Here is where you wake up and slowly become less groggy. Pain meds are already on board so you may feel discomfort but should not feel pain. Once you are stable you go to a recovery room (your room). Your new nurse will want you walking as soon as possible. Depending on time of surgery/dr/facility/insurance you will be discharged once you are stable, urinating and consuming fluids without complication or staying overnight. Your dr will give you a specific guideline on what to consume (liquids, mushies etc) and for how long. ABIDE by this guide. Your body needs to heal and your priorities should be to hydrate, allow swelling to subside and manage pain. First week is a doozy. Keep on top of your pain meds. As a first time surgery patient, you will probably be more sensitive to pain/recovery. Remember, it takes 30 mins for meds to take effect. Don't take it when pain is peaking, but as soon as you feel discomfort (because it only gets worse). You will slowly wean off your meds as you heal. Everyone has different experiences with pain. Soreness, sometimes acute sharp pains (that are typically intermittent not constant and usually due to positioning/straining), referred pain (as in shoulder/rib pain). Fluids, Walking, Heat, Pain Meds will be the routine for the first week. Don't neglect any one of them. As for eating..you usually start clear liquids, to full liquids to mushies to solids. Your surgeon/nutritionist should give you a guide on what to eat/when and examples of each. Seems like most people are so swollen that they don't suffer the first few weeks..but there are exceptions. Come to LBT to share your experiences and get advice on what to do if you feel you are struggling. Some advice: get your meals, utencils etc in low easy to reach areas for easy access, have others do mundane chores, and bring a pillow to hospital for ab compression. If you have to cough, compression on the ab w/ a pillow makes the pain bareable. good luck hon

I just got my own consult for a tt, breast lift and augmentation and arm lift as well. I am getting all procedures done at the same time. My doc limits it to 8 hrs of operation for health/safety. So if you have a lot of work to be done in each area..that may require additional surgical time. But if not, than 3 separate procedures is money extortion if you ask me. Message me...I'd love to know more about your consult and what you are getting done

Just wanted to throw some thoughts in here....1) the fact that your doc is so pessimistic about the band and no longer does lb is a great indicator for you to find a new doc who is a little more enthused and knows how to manipulate the band properly to achieve YOUR goals. 2) I never understood this mentality the band doesn't make you lose weight... than why did we get it? The restriction of the band can grossly impact how/what and when we eat and that should be an understood. I noticed at 5cc was a great maintenance fill for 195. I couldn't gain on that fill for nothing (but had to work diligently to lose). After a 0.5cc fill I am now down to 155 and I consider this my maintenance fill for 155-160. Harder to gain but also having to work at losing.You have the right idea of taking out fluid to allow for weight gain, however, the key is how much. The quick (unassisted) release of saline does imply you were overfilled. You should meet slight resistance when putting saline in and not go beyond that. But if I were the doc, I'd of let the excess come out and not take any further. Also don't forget, position, menstruation can be correlative factors for why so much came out, so is it real? <shrugs> Didn't sound like you were having bad experiences/symptoms indicating overfill so who really knows. However, if I were you I'd get more put back in to find that happy 'maintenance' zone so you don't gain excessively.

Hi there. I'm not going to list restaurants but I wanted to share a tip. If you go online before dining out, you can find just about any restaurant has a nutritional menu so you can predetermine what to eat. Most restaurants will not have this menu on hand at the actual restaurant so look it up on your phone. I love this idea because what may 'seem' healthy on a menu may actually be the most unhealthy (you'll be very surprised). This way you feel confident that you are not splurging. After reading a nutr. menu it really deters you from free choosing because the high cal/fat etc is just that repulsive It also allows you to eat a wider variety if you are in the mood for something 'typical'. I will say Panera is a great go-to for lunch. They post their calories openly which makes ordering a cinch.

I assume you are pre-band. The band consists of two primary parts, the actual band that surrounds the esophageal/stomach pouch to cause restriction and than there's the port typically sutured to the abdominal wall. After the band is surgical placed, we go to doctor's periodically for fills. Fills are when the dr. accesses the port with a needle and injects saline into the band to create additional restriction as needed. We are attempting to achieve "green" status which is basically the right amount of restriction that allows for the least amount of symptoms, maximal satiety and assistance with portion control. Everyone's 'green' is different and your dr will help you find that zone through q&a at each of your assessments.

Hey Beth, I tried to view your profile to see how close (or not) to goal you were to see if your doc's comment was sensible or not. I figure by your post that you feel that indeed you have more to lose. I have encountered a wide spectrum of dr. philosophies here on LBT. As with any medical specialty, you will have conservative as well as aggressive docs, both have their +/-'s. However, you pointed out a couple key issues. Being at 3cc after a full year, as well as feeling like you are not in the 'green' (restricted) is not allowing the band to work to it's full potential. So let me pick in the doc for a second. Although it is 'thoughtful' of her to not want to overfill patients over the weekend (been there done that..it's not fun), she could always do fills on a more appropriate day. So I can't really buy the excuse. I'm not certain how much money she gets off of her fills, but that too can be a factor..more fills more money. But if your dr is making excuses to not give you your ideal fill opposed to her feeling nervous about overfills, you just might want to reconsider doctors. In the beginning fills are typically larger because there's much more room in the band and as you get nearer to green, 0.5cc fills are the norm. With that being said, I find it most inappropriate that your doc realizes you are not in the green,not losing etc and than wants to infer it may be all you lose. Red flags are flying for me. I personally would find a new doc as it is unlikely you'll change a MDs practice or philosophy.

Sounds like fun. I honestly want to take a pole dancing class. No Im not becoming a stripper hehehe but I love classes that allow you to express your sensuality as a woman and we should all embrace that

Hi NC I had 2 sons prior to the band and ended up getting pregnant approx 1 yr after the band. Doc was never concerned about loosening the band. However, be aware that the band restricts not only cals but nutrients. Stay on top of your vits, ensure adequate cals and loosen the band if you feel you are unable to do so. Despite my weigh ins and u/s exams, my 3rd was born very small compared to his bros and I often wonder if I lacked either cals, vits etc. I gained 20 lbs total (I was 200 lbs when I got pregnant so it was appropriate) and I lost the weight in less than 1 month post delivery. Balance can be achieved but work w/ your dr and figure out how to best support your and your baby's health

Hey there I disagree with some of the comments posted..so here goes. I don't comprehend the logic of 'banning' yourself from any food..even your temptations. What you actually need to do is learn how to subside those urges. I'll share how in a minute. I wanted to first comment on your overall situation. I have been banded now for 3.5 yrs. Sure I'm super close to goal, however, I also had some setbacks. First I got pregnant and than I suffered a severe accident that took 8 months to recover from. I was fortunate that my band was very much in the green and I didnt gain during these timeframes, but boy did I eat like garbage. I think it's safe to say that diet and stress don't go together for many of us. The stress becomes the priority and we cope the best we can. Many friends from the site have had the same setbacks (family, financial, death, etc) and have either gained or stalled. But they are back, stronger than ever. Life is Fluid, there's ups and downs and we cannot allow our setbacks to be actual failures, rather just temporary. Sure it prolongs our progress, sure it's disappointing/frustrating..but it will never go away. So put a positive spin on it... just say..ok that's done..now I'm ready again. And get going Now for the sweets. Oye! Sweets are my weakness too. Plus I have 3 kids at home and I can relate to the shopping for others not just yourself. However, I feel that a 100% clean diet is only going to sabotage your efforts and ultimately make you snack like crazy or worse-binge. I have a ton of q's for you..like how many cals do you eat (before snacks) and how many cals in 'snacking' do you consume. I ask this, because I typically eat 700 clean calories (my Proteins etc) but I always leave a reserve for a 100-200 cal snack and it can be whatever I want. OR if I know Im going to have a cheat meal for instance, I will deduct that throughout the day from my other meals to help compensate even if it still brings me over my normal daily caloric intake allowance. One of my recommendations is to build in cheat meals or days. When you eat 'clean' it is imperative that you have days that you 'shock' your body. You do this by having a high fat/calorie &/or sugar meal. This is when you bang out all those cravings. Not only does it help subside those urges (because typically when we crave something and than eat alot of it it's not as rewarding as we thought it woudl be and thus the craving subsides) but it also shocks the body into thinking you are not in starvation mode and it's a great way to avoid or overcome plateaus and maximize wl. This is an old bodybuilders trick...and we all know how great they look. Lastly, if you are snacking alot...one of the biggest things you need to do is get busy. I'm not implying this..but an example..if you are lounging about the house all day..you are restless, your mind thinks of things to pleasure itself. Food is a great substitute. So instead of raiding the pantry..take that time for a daily activity/hobby that will preoccupy your mind. I find that on my slow days I eat more because I can actually sit and listen to my body more or I just simply get head hungar more frequently out of boredom. On those busy days, I have to force my meals because many times I can forget to eat. I hope this helps >< a little. I know life is tough. We've all had our shares of obstacles and letdowns. But again, it's temporary. Don't let it define you, don't let it depress you. Simply..start again

Well I'm 30+, however, I got pregnant a year after my band. I just wanted to reassure you that the band will not interfere w/ your pregnancy. I did not require any unfills, but that is always an option if you or baby are not doing well/growing sufficiently. That's the beauty of the band-it's flexible. Good luck in your endeavors

I was BMI 40 and had no preop diet. My husband did however. Dr will assess your body/fat% and determine if it's necessary. However it never hurts to go on a healthy diet in the interim to give yourself a head start.