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I posted about this in the October Bandsters thread and thought I would post about it here as well... My wife and I had our first fills today. The process was interesting. The PA injected the needle and asked me to stand up with the needle still in my stomach. He completely filled my band with fluid and asked me to take sips of water. I could feel the water fill up in my chest. He then took fluid out until I could consistently swallow water comfortably. The amount of the fluid that was left in the band at this point was 3.8cc. He said I'd feel restriction for about 6-10 days. I'm scheduled for my second fill in 3 1/2 weeks. I was unaware of this as a process. Has anyone else experienced this method? The logic of it makes a lot of sense to me. I'm cleared to keep getting fills this way every four weeks until I find my green zone.

Hi all!!! I am from denison,tx and was banded on 10-29-2008 . I'm still on liquids for two more weeks.i'm also 5"3' and weigh 229lbs i'm down 10lbs from the fourteen day liquid pre-op. I'm looking for a buddy to share our progress and trade recipes.

I was sleeved yesterday (10/19). Got home around noon today. All I can say is, I never expected to be in this much pain. You can't find a comfortable position to rest in either. Sucking down the pain meds though. Excited to be a part of this group! Where is everybody from?

My husband and I both had our surgeries on Dec 8 2011 with Dr. Ramos-Kelly at the Hospital MI in Tijuana. We went together, with no one else. We called it a "date-surgery" and had a great time over the course of 5 days. No issues, we thought the hospital was just fine (though small), the staff were great and Dr. Kelly was the best. No complications, we were well taken care of medically, and had no problems in the hotel (Pueblo Amigo). We also went shopping on our own on our last day there. We have talked about this issue many times over the past 7 weeks and feel that having the surgery done at the same time was the best decision for us. Your body, diet and mind are going to go through great changes and it is great to have someone who can relate directly. We understand exactly how each other feels, and the changes have already greatly impacted our entire family (3 kids, ages 10, 12, 15) in several positive ways. Hubby has lost around 65 pounds, and I have lost 43. I cannot speak for the safety of the Monterrey area, but hope you will have your inlaws brings lots of things to do during your stay. Pre-surgery, we were both kept very busy with pre-op tests, labs, MD visits, etc. Post-op, it was meds, sleep, pee, walk for 2 days. Hope the inlaws won't be expecting good company from you and your wife because you will be busy recuperating. Maybe you could research some touristy things for them to do during your post op period. Personally, it would have driven me crazy to have someone there 'watching me sleep'. Unfortunately, no long term advise, but so far so good. I really feel like the lady from Seattle posted the totally negative post did Dr. Garcia/Hospital Mi no favors. I can't believe that her and I went to the same facility...maybe her expectations were too high? Not sure where she has received care anywhere in the US, but our medical care in TJ was far superior to any I have had here in the US...guess she was having a bad day? Good luck on your journey.

Think I am more worried about loosing 10 lbs in 2 weeks then the actual surgery. Is the 2 week diet super hard to do?

I'm in the same place! Twenty gone immediately post op (March 20th), then nothing. Have lost 10 inches, nothing to sneeze at though. BUT I cut out the protein shakes yesterday - dropped a pound today. The first pound in 4 weeks. I have read confliciting reports about OVER-doing protien - your body uses that, not fat stores for energy and to meet BMR. I also gave myself permission to eat like a real person. Healthy protein and veggies, good fats. So, we'll see. I have been feeling like a failure too. Hope that this direction is the right course and good luck!!

I was like you in the beginning. I thought I'd be losing 10-15 lbs a month. Then I did the math. First, if you have a lot of weight to lose, you can lose 50. 60, even 70 lbs the first 3 months if you follow the rules. Most of us only lose 10-25 lbs the first few months. And the weight we lose in the first month is mostly Water. Here's the math: One pound equals 3500 calories burned! Our bodies need about 2000 calories a day to maintain the weight we now enjoy. If you can pump up your exercise routine, that figure could go up 200-600 more calories per day. If you consume 1500 calories a day and burn 2000 you will burn 500 more than you consumed. 500 X a 7 day week= 3500 calories burned or you just lost 1 lb. Burn an extra 500 calories per day through exercise and there's another 1 lb. It's not an exact science and so many things can affect your weight such as sodium intake, medications, menstrual cycles, high carb intake and so on. These can cause you to retain water and it's not hard to retain 2-4 lbs of extra water. So, it's easy to plateau(I do have a great plateau buster program). Here's a great link to a calorie calculator which will tell you how many calories you need per day to lose weight. http://nutrition.about.com/od/changeyourdiet/a/calguide.htm tmf

I also have Anthem and live in VA. I would suggest seeing if ypur doctor's office has any better luck with getting coverage. You are close on your BMI. Do you have things like sleep apena, high cholestrol, heart issues, etc. These are some of the things the insurance company is looking for. The doctor's office has lots of experience working with insurance companies. Some thoughts to consider. During the past general assembly session, I received a call my by Doctor's office saying that there was legislation being brought forth to take coverage of gastric bypass surgery out of insurance coverage. What my doctor's office told me was that for lap band fills, I would end of paying about $600.00 per fill ($100.00 for the doctor's office and $500.00 for use of the hospital radiology department equipment. This scared the heebee geebeeies out of me. I was banded in 10/08 and have had 3 fills since then. I knew if this insurance legislation passed, I'd be up one long, bad creek with no paddle! PS I don't think the legislation passed based on information in the newspaper but open enrollment for our insurance is just around the corner and I'll know for sure then. I would suggest that before you make a decision about going to Mexico, that you read through some of the threads on this website from folks who have gone to Mexico and some of the difficulties finding a doctor where they live to do fills. You may want to check with the doctors in your area to see if they will do fills if you go elsewhere for the surgery. Good luck with your insurance and your decision.

I'll be having surgery in 8 days!!! I'm 6 days into my pre-op diet and I've lost 10 pounds. I feel really good about that, because I've been sticking to the diet really well. Four protein shakes during the day and one healthy choice dinner. Add veggie or healthy choice dessert if I'm still hungry but no more than 1100-1200 calories per day. Some of the 10 pounds is probably water weight and I'm counting from weight that I just gained from having "last meals". The first two days are pure hell, but after that, I have gotten used to drinking my meals instead of eating them. I really haven't been hungry much at all. My boss took me to lunch on Friday, and he knows I'm having surgery, but I didn't tell him what for. I ate 1/3 of a grilled chicken sandwich really slowly and he didn't seem to notice. Then, I just drank a protein drink for dinner. I've been meaning to get to the gym but it is COLD. I mean really COLD for Florida. It's been in freezing temperatures the past few days. When I get off work it's dark and cold and I just want to stay inside and be warm and not go back out. I will definitely start going to the gym after my surgery. I think I can do cardio fairly soon after and weights after 6 weeks or so. I'm really looking forward to losing this weight and starting the new year off right!! I've only told two people at work that I'm doing it and only a few friends and my family. I actually am going to have a month off work counting the Christmas vacation I already scheduled, so I hope to come back to work much lighter. Let the rumors begin!!!

I haven't. My insurance is BCBS of Illinois. My paperwork was submitted 8/10/11 and I have yet to hear back which has me really nervous. I'm afraid since it's taking so long that I will be denied. I've already been denied once for not having a long enough doctor supervised diet. They had changed the requirement in the middle of my process and I had to start all over. I'm patiently waiting to hear something either from my insurance or my surgeon.

I've been waiting since July for this surgery. I finally have a consultation appointment at the end of this month, but can you believe I gained at least 10 pounds in the last three weeks?? I'll be so embarrassed to go into the consultation and have the doctor see how much I gained since seeing the nutritionist...

Welcome to "banderland"! You will find lots of info here and many nice and knowledgeable people . Dont hesitate to ask any questions you may have. I was sore for about 10 days after surgery but each day was definitely better than the one before! May I make one suggestion? Be extremely careful in bed! I turned over a few times and felt like I ripped my port completely out! Not a good feeling to say the least. Good luck to you on your journey! Marina

I was banded 3/19. Between the pre-op diet and post-op, I've lost 31 lbs. as of today (130 more to go). I feel completely confused on planning meals/menus, keeping portions small, and getting the 80-90 g of protein my dietician wants me to have. If you are not supposed to drink 1/2 hour before your meal, during your meal, and 30-60 minutes after you meal, how do you get 64 oz of liquid down in a day? I'd like to hear from anyone who is 3-4 weeks post-op, and how they are doing. Semper fi

Hi all, I was banded on 3/25 and am down 45 pds (20 pre op). Really other than minor issues it really didn't feel like I had much restriction. Well yesterday i got my 3rd fill and am now at 5.5 in a 10 cc band. Well I got real hungry today and ate too fast and didn't chew.... well had my 1st PB. and hopefully it will be my last.

At 10 days post-op your body is in a major heal mode. You should not be eating chicken nuggets at your stage. For RNY gastric bypass patients the Weight Loss phase is very short. You want to maximize your weight loss during this phase because soon you will slide into the Maintenance phase. So it is very very important to follow the program guidelines. Right after surgery, some individuals will lose weight quickly and effortlessly. But as time goes on, your weight loss will dramatically slow down. So make the most of it and follow the doctor's orders.

I've managed great on my liquids and protein, I'm up to almost 80oz liquids per day and close to 60g protein. I've tried creamed soups (always strained), gelatin, Gatorade Zero, the only dairy I've tried comes in the Premiere protein shakes. We're invited to some friends today for Thanksgiving who know I've had DS surgery. I'm curious how well I might manage some extra-super-blended and strained foods today. I'm only day 10 so I'm not going to push it, but I'm really close to my week 3 pureed stage. Sent from my Pixel 3 using BariatricPal mobile app

Just a quick venting moment... I'm on Day 5467 of the preop diet... okay fine- day 10/14, it just feels like forever. My preop diet is all liquid Protein ONLY. No solids for 14 days. I am ALMOST there, and my surgeon actually advances your diet quickly, so there is an end in sight. BUT I JUST WANT TO CHEW. I've chewed gum and spit it out. I want to crunch something. I miss pickles. Okay I sound crazy, just needed to share!

Hello! I am new to the forum and I am so glad that I can talk with others who are making this incredible journey! I had my surgery on October 10, 2010, and I have lost 50 pounds. My weight the day of surgery was 230 and I now weigh 179. I'm still a work in progress!!

I, too, wanted the band when meeting with my doctor initially. He was willing to go with that, but strongly recommended the sleeve for my situation. I'm so glad I followed his lead, as this experience has been life-changing for me. Met my goal in 10 months (down 145 pounds) and am still very close to goal at 21 months out.

I was banded on oct 16th too and felt the exact same way in my oirt area. Doctor put it in a spot where my waistband is and I felt very irritated in that spot-went to doctor yesterday for 2 week followup and he said it is normal.. I can resume exercise, like walking, weights as long as they are not over 10 lbs. Today I can start having one meal of protein. I'm so excited to be ating real food now. I lost 12 lbs so far. Good luck to you.

Congratulations on your surgery date. I know you are excited. I was ecstatic when I got mine. I am now 5 days post surgery and loving every minute of it. As for your hospital stay and time off of work, it is depending on your insurance. Some will allow you to stay longer and some MD's programs require you to stay longer. As for me, had my surgery had difficulties and if my surgeon would have had to open me rather than the Lap method I would have had to stay longer. My best friend and I had our surgeries together and our surgeon said he would approve us for up to 23hr stay for lap method if needed. We didn't need it. My surgery was at 6:00am and hers was at 7:00am. She went home @ 3:30pm that afternoon. I had a little more trouble waking up from anesthesia and I left that afternoon @ 5:30pm. Our surgery was 02/07/2008 and I am returning to work on 2/16 and she is on 02/19, just because she doesn't work weekends and gets Monday off for holiday. I think your time you take off all depends on you and how you feel and how demanding physically your job is. Our jobs are not too bad in that department. We are both nurses. Take your time. If your job is hard on you physically you need the time to heal. You don't want to risk a hernia. Best of luck. I am sooo happy you have your date!

Thank you for comments. So it sounds like I shouldn't be able to eat a whole pizza. I'll have to get on their case and get them to give me another fill. In the mean time, my high glycaemic index approach should bear some fruit. I will add some veg now you mentioned it! My consultant recommended Dolmio (tomato-based Pasta sauce) with chicken lumps (and not minced beef, which would be a slider). So I diced up a pound of chicken, cooked it in 10 calories of oil, added a pepper and then half a jar of low-fat pasta sauce, and cooked some wholewheat spaghetti - and it made a really great meal - filling for a long time, and low in Weightwatchers Points overall!

I am new to this forum so I figured I would post a topic. I had lap band surgery in Jan of 2011, lost 30 pounds and now have gained it all back. I never had restriction with my band even with all the fills I had. I will be having the RNY on Sept 10th and am worried that the same thing will happen. I fallowed the guidelines for the first 4-5 months after the lap band but after gaining weight back I went back to old habits. I am worried I will do the same with this surgery. I was wondering how I can keep with the good habits after surgery and what you guys have done to stay focused and eating right? Especially with all the dieting I have done and failed at I am worried I will do the same with this surgery. I haven't had to do anything for my RNY surgery that I had to do with my lap band. I meet with the surgeon on Aug 27th and then 14 days later have surgery. I don't know what kind of diet I will need to follow up to surgery. I am an ER nurse and will be out of work for 4 weeks, and have no short-term disability, which is going to suck, but I know I need this surgery to live a healthier life and be there for my kids. I have a 10 and 3 year old boys who I never have enough energy to do anything with, and I don't cook so they loose out on healthy meals because I'm to lazy and I never really learned how to cook anything that didn't come in a box.

Hey Seattle, I'm sorry things are not going well for you. I agree that full liquids is tough, but please hang in there. I too had issues with losing. My problem was constipation, once that got under control the losing began. Keep us posted on how your doing. You may not be drinking enough calories to lose weight. I was told that by people here, so I just made sure I was drinking my slim at shakes. Can you have the Protein shakes? SD: 10/10/12, Converted from Lapband to RNY, HW (before band) 263, HW (RNY) 230, Preop 219, after surgery 223, current 203

If it is helpful, my NUT at Swedish recommended eating like the induction phase on Atkins for the pre op diet. I did not have any trouble with that as lots of practice there. it is essentially a very low carb diet, no breads, starches, etc. You eat Proteins as much as possible with some low glycemic vegetables. This kind of diet actually works remarkably well post op to drop lbs until you are able to add back in good carbs. The surgeon stated that I had a super healthy and small liver because of doing this when he opened me up. Most people will end up losing 10 lb in a week by eating low carb before surgery. For example, I switched my diet one month before surgery to be like Atkins induction phase and lost about 30 lbs, probably reducing complications that might have been present had I been 30 lb heavier and still eating junk. I felt it also gave me a good kick start on learning to eat better *before* post op physical and mental struggles. Really important!! Maybe this simple suggestion will help you or others. I also like the idea from space dust regarding drinking Protein shakes before surgery. That will help you get used to the post op drinking of Protein Shakes. All we drink are protein shakes for up to 3 weeks post op, so the more you prepare yourself for this, the better. However, I do have to warn you that your favorite protein shake flavor pre op may no longer be your favorite protein shake flavor post op. Our tastes often change going over to the other side. For this reason, it is not a good idea to load up on tubs of Protein powder pre op thinking you will be also drinking that post op. MyBariatricPantry.com and other sites like this let you buy sample packets of protein shake flavors. Try some or all until you pick one or more that you do not mind drinking. Again, do this post op as your tastes may have changed after your stomach is removed. I happen to like nectar sweets (several flavors) both pre op and post op, but did not like Nectar fruits post op where others really like Nectar fruit flavors post op. i used to be big on Peach and banana flavors pre op, but hated them post op. Everyone will have different tastes. Water and milk will taste different post op, maybe even gross. I could not drink milk again due to lactose issues until month 5 post op and plain water again until month 6 post op. You may find an alternative like light soy or almond milk will work just as well as nonfat/low fat milk post op. it will be smoother on your stomach. Everyone is different. As for water, I could taste all the minerals and it sat heavy in my stomach post op. I am still flavoring my water today at month 9 post op, but can drink bottled and tap water again without flavor if the need arises.