ThinAli

The day of for me sucked because I was told my surgery would be first and it was actually not until 10! So I was up very early 4:30 am to be exact since I was told to be there at 5:30! Beyond that it went without any problems. After the surgery I slept forever! I wasn't in a ton of pain but I did hit my pain button just in anticipation. In fact even if it was out of my hand I found it and was hitting it excessively the nurse kept coming in! I told her it wasn't in my hand and it was up by my head and I was totally knocked out. So I was in post op for a while because they ad to wait for a patient to leave in order to get me into a room. Luckily after that wait I got a private room! I would suggest to bring your own pillow whether you are staying over night or not. I slept with my pillow on my belly and continue to because I have animals who walk on me at night! And on the way home you can put the pillow between you and you seatbelt for cushion since it may rub on your sutures. I did nothing but watch tv had I brought anything else I wouldn't have used it. I found sitting up at a right angle was painful until the second day. Ask for your hand to be numbed when you get your IV it makes it more comfortable. But I slept in fact the first few days thats all I did. I got up and walked but beyond that I slept!

What a lovely healthcare system! Anyways I have heard others on this website have diets like this. And quite frankly you are lucky you won't go nuts without eating anything! From what I understand basically it is the low sugar they focus on because that is what they are trying to clear out of the liver. Of course I heard two things that it was sugar or fat. So either way your liver should shrink. I understand being somewhat disconcerted when you hear others diets are more strigent.

Call the doc to be on the safe side...it sounds like an infection! Don't chance it.

Fortunately for me everyone in my division knew and was supportive. However, I work in an environment of very healthy and fit people. Depending on what you are wearing they may not notice at first. As you lose weight don't wear baggy clothes it will make even more noticeable. If people ask me which it has already gotten out I will tell them. I will try to say at first I am doing it through diet and exercise because it is part of it. And really they aren't owed anything more. I won't hide but I am not going up to people saying guess what I'm getting lap band! I work with men so I would get a blank look from most of them. I will tell you in my division I didn't tell one person who I knew would be totally judgemental to my face. I know he knows but I don't want to hear it! So beyond anything that is me I don't want to hear it have your opinion just know I don't want to hear it! To each her own they will know but let them know on your terms whatever they are I get it. The fear of what others say to your face is what stops you especially when they have already told you to diet, etc. I would say try to find the person you think will be most supportive and tell them that way you are starting on a positive note and from there you probably won't be so bothered by it!

Congrats! Good for you! Measuring yourself is the smartest thing anyone can do because that way if you don't lose lbs that week at least you usually can say you lost an inch or two.

Maybe go back on to the protein shakes to kick start you losing since that did work for you! And if the shakes aren't tolerable do a modified shake diet whether it be Slimfast and other protein mixed in but make sure you are having 3 meals and no more than 2 snacks.(that is what my doc is going with) And always eat breakfast I know,not with the lap band, with any other diet if I didn't eat breakfast I didn't lose. So I say go back to basics to where you were losing weight! Good luck but it is only a bump in the road you lose those four and many more just be patient with yourself!

Parrothead, Sorry to have hit a nerve with you and set you off on a rant. I never claimed to be an expert! Evidently you are and have more experience! I know of people who generally consider their HMO crappy yet they have paid for everything so you hopefully can understand where my impression came from. So I bow to your superior knowledge on the subject. Just giving my perspective from my limited knowledge and from what I have been told.

For various reasons letss just hope that these proposals don't go through!! I don't think WLS has been mentioned but I don't know if it will be anything of great quality. You are better off finding a doctor now and your own insurance that will give you really good coverage. I have a PPO so I pay a decent part of things, which it sounds like you don't mind paying if you want to self pay, or can. But HMO's pay for everything including fills and all after care. I am not trying to be offensive but things don't come for free and one should take care of yourself first. We should not depend on the government for everything! And before people jump all over me in CA medi-cal pays for lap band and all the after care! So even those without insurance can get the surgery. Which is great that they have options!

Mine too is not as moving and what a wonderfully moving story and how wonderful you stepped up!! I was tired of tricking myself into thinking that I wasn't as big as that person or this person. I always knew I was big which is part of the reason for a lack of dating. Anyways when at work we started to compare weights to see who would be qualified I realized I was the only one that qualified! That kicked me into high gear and it took roughly three months for surgery. Among the health concerns and less than active lifestyle. I hate my clothes, my fat face(no one says at least your face is pretty), and my outlook on life! I want a new outlook and a new me! That was my motivation.

Ok so I had the band on the 27th, I know not too long ago. Tonight was the first time I have felt deprived. I am bored with what I can eat. Mind you I can have my shakes, blenderized bean soups, popsicles, and yogurt. So I know part of the reason I am feeling deprived is because my family is eatting pizza. So I need something to look forward to. When can I eat pizza again??? Oh and the other thing I finding it very hard to keep my liquids seperate from my soup which is basically a liquid. Since I have no restriction yet I can eat basically everything without stopping. I of course am not but it feels like I can. And I am eatting the recommended calories. I need to know when I can eat foods only because I am looking forward to them not because I want to pig out. This part of the banding makes me think I made the wrong choice...but I know I didn't but the deprivation could kill me!!!

Jennifer I will definitely try the new yogurts...no pudding yet...jello though and I have been doing those. Thanks for your suggestion of the wraps of course when allowed hadn't thought of that! Thanks! Linda I want to try to stay away from bread I of course don't yet know how I will react but the softness of fresh bread kind of scares me but I will definitely do the wraps! And I may just be hungry but I don't think so but you could be right I'll have to pay better attention! Thanks! So glad to hear that once I get use to the life I'll be fine and will be able to adjust!

HH Thanks for the different/better perspective! That is the prospective I need to work toward and away from the one I have now. I'll work on it. It'll take time like all things but I'll get there! Thanks again to you all!!

Thank you both! Although I am kind of jealous of Pixi since she feels restricted. But I still follow the amount of food I need to and I full just jealous of foods better than what I am having now! I am so happy to hear all the things you can eat all of those things are things I love and won't mind doing them in moderation one day. It gives me something to look forward to since so many people said a lot of those things I would never be able to eat again!! So that makes me feel so much better!

I had never had a surgery either so I know what you are going through. I was nervous and then incredibly calm waiting to go into pre op. Best advice in pre op would be ask for your hand to be numbed before they put in the IV. And remember very few...according to my surgeon...the odds of slippage are very low.(I don't if it is his stats or overall) But be positive you will make it through and you will be fine. I was dreding the pain afterwards but ya know it hasn't been that bad the first couple of days it is hard to move but it has gone away and I just got banded on the 27th. I am off pain meds. Everyone does heal differently but I kind of played through the pain. I knew the more I moved, albeit slowly and cautiously, the sooner my body would loosen up and be semi normal. I still have some port sensitivity but not bad, it does keep me from sleeping on my stomach:cursing:!! I was told to walk around the house when I got up even at night minimally to help with healing and keep down blood clots. You can do this I was nervous before too but I know it is the best decision of my life. It is going to be hard at times but all and all it isn't that hard. You'll have bumps along the way just like any diet. Once your healed you'll see it is totally worth it. Think of it this way...you remember how all the other diets failed tell yourself you have a constant partner to keep you on track and still going. You'll be fine!! oh and don't be surprised by the burps embrace them!! It will take away the pain of the gas they put in your body cavity. They take most of it out but some still stays!!

Oh and when can I eat regular sandwiches from Subway, etc???

My opinion would be to wait for the well respected surgeon with no co-pay. In the mean time I would read as many books to prepare for all the after effects(I liked the WLS for dummies). I can't say much about complications I had mine 3 days ago. I had very minor pain. I don't know if you have any children, I don't, but I would bet it isn't much worse than that. I had never had any surgeries so I had no idea what it would be like. My pain came and went getting up killed mainly because my nurse insisted on making the bed at a 90 degree angle to get me up! Which killed the abdomen. So movement was hard the first couple of days..other than that it has gotten better ever day. To the point where every once in a while I'll move funny and it gives me a twinge of pain and once i right myself its gone. I have been off pain meds since getting out of the hospital. Getting up and walking is the best piece of advice even when you don't want to it helps. Port pain has been the worst part but even then minor. I am a little more anal than most I won't go to a doc without a clean record I look up their license to see if they have ever had any malpractice claims. Also I would see if you could meet the dietician, social worker, and others that you will see that will have a direct hand in your case. That way you can see if you are comfortable with them...I talk more to them than my surgeon.

It is probably the fake sugar it is what did it for me. Luckily the dietician let me mix in milk and do slim fast. So what I did was get a vanilla protein powder with like 2 grams of sugar the lower the better because after surgery the sugar needs to be low. So anyways the chocolate slimfast over powers the other powder. I also got unflavered protein powder and mixed it with gatorade(G2) it is very low in calories and wasn't too bad not great but not bad either. See if any of this flies with your doc. Also with the vanilla powder(i can get the name if you want) I mixed it with OJ and it tasted like a creamiscle, I also put bannana with it and it over powers the powder and it is a bannana smoothie, as mix in frozen fruits(this one is only before after I couldn't because of the seeds). All of these I was able to mix with milk which was my saving grace I hated the water and protein powder mix. Yuck!

Even though I was ready it moved fast for me to I was thinking end of august. I went to the doctor on 7/9/09 and was told my surgery would be the 27th of july. My doc is pretty dry and it was as he walked out the door...he said see ya the 27th. I got approval next day and shakes the following monday. I will tell you the faster they move it may panic you but you are making the best decision of your life! Ok so the dietician...I see her everytime I go just how the program is set up. But she will probably go over the diet the 2 weeks before and the 8 weeks after. And will answer any questions and she'll probably go over the other no no's like carbonation, caffeine, and gum among other things. I suggest you pick up the book "weight loss surgery for dummies". I did it talks about diet menus for after and you could take that in and see if these menus are someyhing you can have or not. (it depends on her philosophy on the diet) Also it goes over the mental before and after it really has been good. Everytime I have a question I go to it and answer my question. Also I have Anthem BC so your in might be a little different but I was called by them for a free program to have a case manager who calls about once a month and 2 days after surgery to give you tips sees how you are doing etc. She is also there if questions come up. I think ins has finally realized this surgery is an investment for them as much as for you!

I was told by the psych eval to where spanx pretty soon after weight loss(as soon as could be tolerated) to allow skin not to sag and you would be less likely to have a huge apron. Which just isn't a good look especially since we are all still battling with our looks and increasing our self esteem!

You might as well stop the gasx strips they won't work...the gas is not in your digestive track. It is actually in your body cavity. Good news is it will work itself between gas, burping, and hiccups(oddly enough!). Mine has basically gone away at 3 days out but it also depends on how well your doc got the gas out of your body. I had the pain in my lower back and my neck. I still have gas but that is primarily because on my diet I can have blenderized soups that can cause gas! Come to think of it maybe thats why my gas left so soon...but I kind of doubt it!

I am really surprised that so many docs prescribe tylenol with codeine instead of vicodin. Anyway vicodin doesn't really do it for me so I asked for something else I got roxicet which is percaset(sp?) which works well. I luckily haven't had to use it the pain hasn't been that bad. However, try to sleep as much as possible even if it is a short time it will aid in healing which will clear up the pain. And walk as much as possible I was told ever time I got up to make laps around the house...sometimes I would just stand since the it felt like I was stretching my body. Even if the naps are only a short time do not let yourself get tired! Good luck and call the doc you may have a low grade infection or it may just be regular pain!

Everything is going really well I do not really have too much pain just pain around the port. My doctor only made one incision and then the port site. Anyways I have been burping alot! I have gas which I expected but burping? Is this possibly the release of the leftover gas in my abdomen. Just curious I like to know what others experienced so I can be on the lookout so I don't freak out!! And now I can sit up which is so nice and no pain meds heaven!!

I felt the same way except it was on monday! But as everything went and I go the IV (which ask for them to use liticain didn't know they were doing it!) And all the crap they tell you about what could go wrong. I kind of didn't listen since everyone had told me the same thing. When the drug doctor came in he asked if I had any requests I said all I ask is to be kept asleep and I was. Very little pain only around the port site...I only had one incision and that is next to my bellybutton. The only weird/odd thing is the amount of burps I have had I expected gas but not burps. And I have already lost 4 more pounds! :juggle:

July 27th here!!!