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For six weeks no bending, no lifting over 5-10 lbs., no strenuous exercise other than walking, and no swimming whatsoever (jacuzzi, pool, ocean). The more you get moving the better you'll recoup; just stick to those rules so you don't have problems with healing the sutures or infections. Good luck!

My surgeon gave me a script to go get a sleep study, his office gave me the info for several clinics and hospitals that I could use. I just picked one at the nearest hospital and I called to schedule myself. I didn't need a referral from my PCP. I'd rather have my band surgery 10 more times and go through the gas pass over and over again than go through another sleep study. It was hell, the wires and gross jelly were making me so itchy, the position I had to lay in , voices in the hallway, my neighbor getting up to pee every hour (we shared a bathroom) my hair in my face, the thought of the creepy tech watching me in his little booth all night, all made me crazy! I didn't feel like I slept at all. In the morning the tech said he thought at one point I was gonna get up and leave because he saw how annoyed I was getting. NEVER AGAIN!

im the same way ive only had one fill and i stalled for four weeks with no loss but my sizes went down i was a 24/26 when i started now im 18/20 but ive lost 40 pounds total i was banded june 30th but this week ive lost 4 pounds yahoo i go for a fill 10/21

My name is Rebecca and this is all so new to me. I will be having the sleeve done in about a month, but my journey started about 10 mths ago witht the nutritionist, PT, psycologist, primary care and surgeon. I am ready, but very nervous. Anyone out there with regrets?

I had stitches, staples and tape. When I would change the dressing and remove the old tape, it felt like I was taking a layer of skin off too! It got very red and irritated. I only covered it because I was afraid the staples would catch on my clothing or sheets in bed. I begged my doctor to remove the staples after 10 days and the tape irritation areas went away after a few days.

Welcome to the forum, Hunnydew. Don't freak out again. I watched my daughter succeed and was sleeved 10 months later. The only way this doesn't work is if you really don't follow instructions. You will be amazed at how easy it is once you start the journey. My daughter and I are both RN's also. It seems like there are a lot of us here. Just keep coming around for all the help and encouragement you can handle. Onward!! Kathe

So I am now 4 weeks post-op (surgery was 02/05). I am a low-BMI bandster; paid for the surgery myself because my insurance would not. Most of my pain from the surgery is gone. It really took me about two weeks to be able to "do" for myself (getting out of bed, driving to work, etc.) I can do most things now; just still sore around my port incision. I go for my first fill on 03/12! I can tell I already have some restriction; not everything goes down easy. I had a piece of sausage two days ago that I thought was going to be the end of me! Ha! It got "stuck"- - it hurt so bad! All I could do was to wait for it to pass, which took about 10-15 min. OMG! I'm learning what I can and cannot eat!

Hiya I am 19 days post op on a full smooth liquid diet. My problem is that I don't seem to have any restriction with liquids. I have not gulped down a full glass of anything in one go or anything like that, but I can drink a full glass of milk at a pace I would usually do pre-sleeve with no problems. I have had no problems with liquid since I was allowed them on day 2?? Is this normal? I'm worried that I am stretching the sleeve by drinking normally. I have just been reading that people are supposed to take small sips 5 minutes apart to avoid rupturing the staple line! The nurse at the hospital said I can't drink to much when I asked because it would come back up. But it never has! I don't want to be doing myself any damage but I have felt quite hungry so I don't think I could hold out for one sip every 5 minutes! I also saw a lady on YouTube who had literally 2 sips of Apple juice and said she was stuffed! I really wish I was stuffed on 2 sips but it's just not happening! I have not cheated or anything like that as I am determined that this sleeve will work for me. But I was just wondering what other people's liquid restriction was over their liquid phase. Thanks in advance xx

My 14 day pre-op diet is required by my doctor, and consists of 4 Protein shakes or bars each day and one Lien Cuisine meal. They must all total no more than 1200 calories. The Protein shakes must have more than 10% protein versus calories (I use Ensure High Protein Milk chocolate - very, very yummy. They have 210 calories and 25 grams of protein. So, the calorie/protein ratio is good with the requirement). I've lost 8.5 pounds so far in my pre-op and I'm in day 10. Have 4 more days till surgery. Good luck!

To me the most daunting part of this whole experience was going to be the 2 week pre-op diet. Here's the scary part. My surgery is August 26th. That means as of this morning I am starting the anxiety invoking, terrifying, I hope I can do it, I have to do it 2 week diet. In these 2 weeks I am going to wean myself off of coffee (my taste of heaven every morning, noon and night). I plan on making it weaker and weaker by adding more fat free milk. Until it is more like milk with a splash of coffee vs. the other way around. I do self medicate in the sense that I use caffine to prevent my migraines. For those that don't have migraines, just imagine a headache 10 times worse than a caffine withrawl headache with a sinus infection during a very stressful time on top of allergies. I am afraid to be hungry. I get headaches when I am hungry. I have prepared my self for this diet for weeks now. I have tried practically every bariatric Protein drink available and have purchased the ones I like (yes, there are a few that are really, really yummy). I have stocked up on diet pop-cycles, diet fudge-cycles, crystal light, diet gatorade, fat free milk, cream of wheat, cream of rice, diet syrup for the cream of rice and wheat, diet Jello, diet pudding, cream of tomato Soup, cream of chicken soup, I even bought yogurt (which I detest but gonna try anyways). This is probably gonna be one of the hardest hurdles I'll have to jump in my life. I've got the CAN-DO attitude, I need to do this. I would appreciate as many words of encouragement that I can get.

I made a similar recipe for lunch today and thought I would share, it was very tasty. Ingredients -1 Roma tomato -salt & pepper to taste -2 wedges of light laughing cow garlic & herb cheese (you could probably get away with using just one wedge, but I love, love, love cheese!) -Balsamic Breeze salad spritzers (practically no calories packed with flavor) Preheat oven to 350. Rinse tomato and dry. Slice tomato into about 1/4 inch slices. Place them on a baking sheet lined with foil. Spray each tomato slice with the Balsamic spritzer (about 2 sprays per slice). Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Spread a thick layer of cheese over each slice with a butter knife and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!

My 6 mth is August 28th, which is 6 weeks from tomorrow (Thursday). I have 19 lbs to go. It seems like a stretch, but I tend to average around 15 lbs per month so I think I can do it. Ezma, I think you can totally lose 10 lbs in a month! You're doing awesome!

Me too Jaime. I really, really want to hit 100 total gone by my 6 month with is 8-18. Have 10 to go and I think it's do-able. Yippee!!

Last night I had a bad experience with a sugar free orange Popsicle. I had one of the types on a stick (all the others had been in the clear skinny plastic tubes) anyway about 10 min later I told my husband I felt sick. And OMG was I sick. I retched & dry heaved for over 5 minutes straight. I would try to catch my breath and another wave of gut wrenching dry heaves would hit me. I had no control at all. I finally threw up a thick, slimy glob of foamy mucus. My entire body hurts today from straining so much. What causes those dry heaves and why?

I am having my surg on May 22, 2014 I have made my list of what to take to the Hospital and what to have on hand at home. I also have made a list of house hold chores that im going to do before surg. Im trying not to take to much to the hospital so here is my list 1)Gas x strips 2) Listering strips 3) Phone and charger 4) 2 pillows one to sleep with and one to hold onto my stomach for deep breathing and coughing 5)Chap stick 6) deodorant 7) Baby wipes 8) Pen and Paper 9) tooth paste and brush 10) Nail file 11) eye drops 12) Lotion with Vit E and Keratin 13) Book to read 14) wearing the same clothes home that I came to the hospital in 15) slip on shoes If anyone else have anything else I might need please let me know Thank you

Thanks for well written advice. I was banded March 19, 2008 and although I have lost a healthy amount of weight. I still feel that I make poor food choices and over eat at times because I am emotionally triggered to stuff myself. I have decided to see a therapist who deals with food addictions to help me through this journey. Your advice really made my day. I have been feeling frustrated lately....................Jennifer

I just had surgery on Monday. I have 10 BMI points to drop. I'm 5'10" High weight 254lbs Current weight 230 Goal weight 165

Today is day 10 post op. I have lost 26 lbs since the surgery. This is my third day adding protein to my diet. Yesterday was the first day with no weight loss, but, I had to break our a pair of suspenders to keep my pants up. Walking more each day. Gonna stay away from the scale a couple of days.

Okay, first let me say that the WISH center in Phoeninx has NO CLUE what they are doing based on my 15 minute phone conversation!! This is how it went.(warning: gonna be a bit long).... I got a call at about 10 am. I got another call seconds later and I went to answer the other line and accidentally hung up on the WISH center call. AAARGH! So I got to caller ID and call them back (local #). I talk to the receptionist and tell her I was "just talking to someone about the Lap Band fill program" and would like to speak to them again. She has NO IDEA what I am talking about and says "we don't do anything like that here". I tell her that I was just talking to someone about it. She puts me on hold and asks the 'office manager' and comes back to confirm that she "even confirmed with the office manager that we don't do anything like that and that I must have the wrong #". I tell her that I dialed this # by caller ID and confirm that it is the WISH center. She acknowledges but says, "but I am sorry, we don't have any fill program here, you might want to call corporate." I tell her that I have already started to speak to someone in that office about the program just 2 minutes ago and just want to speak to them again. She says "well ma'am, if our office manager doesn't know anything about it I am sure that she knows what she is saying". Just before I start to COMPLETELY boil over she says "hold on" and transfers me to the woman I had talked to first. Geez!! I ask.... your operator and your office manager don't know you have a LapBand fill program??? She says that "no one really uses it and we don't have anyone in the program". What??? I ask.. how long have you had the program? She says, "1 year". Huh??? Okay, whatever, on to the information. She asks me if I have an Inamed band with a band ID card. I say yes... it is a BioEcentrics LB ID with a 9.75/10 cm band with a max fill volume of 4cc. She then tells me.. "oh we can't help you because we only take Inamed patients". Huh again? It ISSSSSSSS an Inamed band. She has to confirm with someone else (don't know who). Thennnnnn, she tells me ok we can accept that. (uhhh, I would think SOOOO dummy!). In any case she continues to tell me that their 'requirements' are strict. They have 'requirements' online and I have seen them. Well... seems that their pre requirements aren't listed all that accurately!! Before you can get into their "program" you have to go pay for yourself and have an Upper GI done. (uh, no thanks). Thennnnnnnnnn, you have to go through some nutritionalist to 'learn to eat with the band' and support groups. (ummm, I ALREADY have the band remember? it is one of your requirements to be 6 weeks out!!). THEN she tells me the price of fills. She tells me that it is $500 for the first fill, then $100 every fill after that. BUT.... (there is always one of those) the fills are never under flouro (she didn't know what flouro meant when I asked she thought it was something like laproscopic) and you must also attend monthly support group meetings to stay current. (unreal) She says they have had the program but no one has joined it yet (as I picture some blonde bobbing her head from one shoulder to another at this point). I tell her I won't be interested in her program or the WISH center and that if someone isn't knowledgable to answer the SIMPLIST of questions (without having me explain it and have her go 'ohhhhh') there is no way I will go to them for fills. They would probably make me into a pin cushion! SOOOOOOO, after 4 messages of trying trying trying to get ahold of them, my escapade with the operator and office manager, my trials with the fill program rep, my explaining to her what a lap band is basically, finding out about their secret requirements (upper GI ick! support groups mandatory ho hum!).... my opinion is this.... THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD EVER GO TO THEM. Geez. why would I need to go to another support group and be FORCED to participate when I have all of you fine people here???? I now know why they have NO ONE in their "out of county/mexico fill program". Uhhhh, DUH! ohhhhh, and I did call back just to ask the receptionist about the 10,500 band price in Chicago that is floating around... she says to me "oh honey that was the problem, you are calling Phoenix. ((I am going to tear out hair here!!)) After I have to explain that I knowwwww where I am calling and that I am IN phoenix and KNOW i called a local number I tell her I was just curious about the price of installing the band in the first place. She then says... are you ready for this???? "ohhhhh, so you want another band?" That is it, I was done. I am exhausted! So here was my one and only conversation with WISH center staff(after trying for over a month to get ahold of them). You deduct your own opinions please. As for me.... I am sticking with Mexico for the fills. It is cheaper, less hassle and they know the answers to basic questions even in an accent!

I really like the attitude that you are taking. I havent even started mushies and Im already stressing over how much liquid I am drinking at one sitting. I think it would be safe to say 8-10 oz in an hour, when I was told 4 oz would be max. I think I will spare myself the headache about worrying how much is too much. As long as it is somewhat within the range given by the dr, not in the extreme, I feel satisfied, I stay active and Im losing then I will (try to) not worry about it. Maybe easier said than done?

So I was really looking fwd to starting puree food today. I'm 10 days out and sick of shakes. Anyway... I sat down with my little 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese with a little spaghetti sauce and ate it over the 20 min time frame as instructed. I'm still hungry. I didn't even feel hungry after my Protein shakes! But I was drinking 8 oz of those over 1 hour. But I'm scared I didn't feel any restriction..maybe because I was eating so slowly? is this normal?

OOPS! How am I coping? I try to stay busy, I know that sometimes that is so hard to do. I read books, take short walks, I really like to do Beachbody's Shaun T's Hip hop abs, and Rockin Body. I do that for 10-15 mins. I'm to tired to think about eating.

Hi everyone, I just had a question that you guys may know the answer to. Or maybe someone is dealing with this too? I was sleeved 11/30. My surgery went great and I am losing weight well. However, on Monday I ate a piece of soft tofu and steamed broccoli. (I have been eating soft foods since week 3- per my Surgeons orders.) 10 minutes later, I had severe abdominal pain that radiated to my back. I vomited just a little and had to go to the ER. The pain went away after 40 minutes. Had a CT and labs done. Everything was normal. No gallstones, no leak, no elected liver enzymes. Potassium was a little low. The doctors just called it gastritis. I saw my surgeon the day after and he said it was very hard to get gastritis while taking nexium or any PPI. Got an ultrasound done which really didn't show anything. So since then, I've been eating fine (miso Soup, soft seafood, Protein shakes, yogurt, light cheese). Until today... I had 1 scrambled egg (which I usually eat). 10 minutes later, I had the same attack. Severe pain, nausea... No vomiting though. The pain went away within 15 minutes. Does anyone have any idea what this could be? My sleeve is great, no leak, healed staple line. Gallbladder is fine- no stones. And each time this happened, I did not overeat.

Lap band time line. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p> Feb 1, 2008 489 lbs All Time High Very Depressed:unsure: <o:p> </o:p> Started low carb diet and researched tools to keep the weight off. <o:p> </o:p> April 29, I went to Lapband presentation last night with wife Michelle. <o:p> </o:p> April 30, I decided to have the LapBand after office consult with Dr. X Weight 469 <o:p> </o:p> May 19, I saw the Phyc today and that went good no problems, started opti-fast today.:thumbup: Weight 464 <o:p> </o:p> May 22, I saw the Nutritionalist today and that went good with no problems. <o:p> </o:p> May 23, Still on OPTIFAST it SUUUUUUCKS:cursing: Weight 456 <o:p> </o:p> May 27, Pre-op testing at the Hospital it was a cluster cause they could not find orders from Dr. X but got it straight finally all went well. Had final consult before surgery with Dr. X all is a go for Monday AM. Filled scripts for pain and nausea meds. Wrote all the checks $17Kish. Weight 449 <o:p> </o:p> May 30, Last day here at work before operation and still on liquid and optifast. Optifast is getting easier. Have a big weekend planned with wife Michelle baseball game and Trace Atkins concert out of town. Weight 446:thumbup: <o:p> </o:p> Next time I post I’ll be banded.:tt2: