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Lucky you have all that time!!! Wish I did too bc i thought ab that, what if i get sick at work!?!? How embarrassing. But oh well just gotta stay positive and push thru I'm sure

Monday i will have my endoscopy, tuesday is my gallblader ultrasound and wednesday is my second appt with the nutritionist. im getting so anxious i just want to get approved and get a date for my surgery already ...hate all this pre op approval proccess

I am not the OP. But oh how I wish I was a candidate for something like that. Regretfully I get blood clots from BC pills. I got them when I was only 19, was only about 15 pounds over weight and was never a smoker. I just can't take the chance with my history. OP- I have read that since the body stores all kinds of hormones in your fat cells that you can wind up with heavier periods during your rapid weight loss phases. I have read of people that were newly menopausal when they had WLS surgery getting Aunt Flo back for a bit.

The premier protein shakes are the best for me. They are 30 grams of protien each and packed with vitamins. In the beginning it took me over an hour to sip one down, but now it's about 40 minutes. I try to do 2 each day. I drink Gatorade G2, but I water it down. I like it better then the MIO drops (personally- so many friends love them). So I will pour the Gatorade into 3 different empty 16z bottles of water and then water it down. I do this bc the Gatorade still has calories and carbs and I'm trying to keep my carbs down as low as possible and don't want excess empty calories. I will drink plain water, but I find it hard too. I get my premier protein from COSTCO. Chocolate, vanilla and bananas and cream. They have strawberry and caramel on line. I've heard that Walmart may carry it too in 4 packs. It is WAY more paletable for me then any other protien shake so far. I just haven't found a powder that isn't gritty and gross - but again it's so personal, my friend will ONLY drink the powders. Vitamins are important too. I use patches (patchmd.com) and today was the first time since surgery I didn't wear them...and I felt like crap. Needed a nap and if I wasn't visiting family, I would have stayed asleep...so I think they are helping with my energy. The patches I love bc it's one less thing to factor into my day of "eating" and drinking. But get in you FLUID! Dehydration is one of the most frequent complications from surgery and it can be prevented (most of the time) with some effort. And believe me, I feel you, it was effort. I set alarms to remind myself to take sips and eat. lol. I hope you feel better. It takes some time, but focus on healing and the protien and fluids will help the healing.

what do u when ur band slips? this happened to meon valentines day n I noticed thgt I couldnt hold anything down not even water.... my chest was on fire n I thought tht maybe I had acid reflux or even heart burn. evrything that I put in my mouth came back up so Icalled my doctor n he advise me to go to the radiology department..... They told me tht my band had sliiped n theytook all of my fluid out of my band n sd hopefully the band will syke itself n recorrect itself.....I dnt see my doct until the 28th of feb however Iam able to eat like a normal person n keep fluids downs....I feel great bc Im nt straining myself n hurtin myself anymore....have anyone of u bandsters ever experienced this?

The dr told me to drink liquids after surgery and my first adjustment but liquids didn't satisfy me so I tried cottage cheese and then tuna. No problems. Do you feel like you saved enough money to make the extra effort to travel to Mexico worth while? Do you have to go back to Mexico for adjustments? My BC/BS wouldn't cover the lapband either but I figured it is an investment in the rest of my life.

I have Fed Blue and i was approved the same day my paperwork was submitted.

You did good-- ate and didnt feel left out... I have a friend who had the band last year and I'm amazed by how much (and what) she eats. She hasn't lost much and has been stalled for months. She's so discouraged. My heart feels so badly for her bc I know she isn't happy.

Yes and no. Yes bc I got my surgery for free and had an amazing team who I can contact for ANYTHING I need. No bc the criteria was very intense. If you messed up one time you had to start all over. I complied with everything exactly, but I watched some people who didn't and it was sad.

I almost reached that weight and I realize how fortunate I was to have a second chance. BMi is based on height and weight and at 5'6 488lbs my BMI was 78.8 the day I walked in and met my Surgeon. He told me if I could lose 5% of my weight and put the work in and if insurance approves it he would give me a tool to use to help turn my life around. It is unfortunate help is not easily as accessible for others as it was for me. I think all insurance companies should cover bariatrics but I agree with educational side of it. Blindly approving people for it without proper education would be a huge mistake. Fear of death is a huge motivator it is just unfortunate it came to that but it also taught me a life long lesson that there is no "fix" for obesity and it will forever be work in progress until the final day of my life. Edit: Not a complaint but rather an observation....I have lost 325+ pounds and I am still in the overweight category. I am sure if I had all the loose skin removed I would be in the norm but let's face it those BMI charts are a joke. My Surgeon even told me they're BS.

Best advice is that remember you don't eat as much so you get inebriated a lot quicker - Learned this the hard way! I can pretty much drink anything non-carbonated and can drink beer after the fizz calms down. I am almost 2 years post op though -- Take it slow and the lighter in color the better bc colors bother me but wine is fine and doesn't It is really trial and error

I had exactly this problem, my stomach stopped working (wouldn't take down anything including water) and was fed through a tube for 8 days, I am now prone to UTI infections, I hope the hospital help you out and get you fixed.. it's the worst feeling but stay strong! Sent from my SM-A500FU using the BariatricPal App

I have found that we eat out 2-3 times a week . We both work, so as much as we try not to eat out it just happens. Now with no fast food type food, wow, the food bills are high. So I decided to tackle how to eat out for less today. Today I ordered a bunch of gift certs online for gifts only at restaurants who give you back 20% in a bonus gift card. They seem to only offer this special at Christmas time, and last year I did the same thing but didn't get enough and ran out by March and really missed that 20% discount card. I did it in an organized fashion figuring how many times during the next 12 mos we could eat at that restaurant. I did it for Pappas (usually seafood), Outback Steakhouse, and Carrabbas Italian. I couldn't order some restaurants bc they didn't have a special, shame on them (no Red Lobster, TX Land & Cattle, etc). But then sort of by accident I found a website called restaurant.com that had discounted gift certs for so many restaurants. A lot of them were independent ones that we go to anyway, and others were new. But I bought like $300 of gift certs that will give me like $750 of free food at these restaurants. I don't know if this works in every area, but the norm was to pay $10 for a $25 gift cert and agree to spend $35 on food. Or like at a steak rest get a $50 gift cert for like $20 and agree to spend $100, which we could do at a nice steak restaurant if we had the whole family. I actually spent $120 at my favorite Chinese Restaurant and got $300 of food credit. It says you can't use more than once a month, so heh, I bought one for each month. Felt like a safe bet considering we've been eating there since my oldest son was born. I could use suggestions too on how to order at restaurants so that the family food bill is not as much, and wonder if anyone has suggestions. Between the cost of groceries and restaurants I feel like we spend too much of our take home pay on food, and I want to cut it down. I've never been a coupon shopper in grocery stores, but if anyone knows a good and easy way to do this I'd like that too. Please share your ideas.

I'm getting sick of liquids all the time! I want food and bc I can't I making me want more! And I can't eat! I feel like I'm going nuts.. Start puréed on the 17th n can't wait to have some other tastes , and something a lil thicker. Is it hard for other people too? Everyone says don't worry this is temporary and I know that it just sux. Just want to bite something!

That's so good you guys, I go in to sign my consents on the 18th and then I will get my surgery date. I'm ready Bc I just recently start having sugar diabetes issues and I am ready to start being more healthier

Congratulations to you. You will most likely need pulmonary clearance for surgery with your severe asthma. I had to have a sleep study done which was the most time consuming part. I had an EGD which my surgeon did and then found out that I had a small hiatal hernia so they were able to repair that at the same time as doing my sleeve. I had to have cardiology clearance bc of a blood clot in the past. I also had to have a psychological eval. I had a pre op class a week befor surgery that was very informative. The monthly nutriton meetings that I went to were very helpful. The dietician was vey knowledgeable about the whole process, the different insurance companies requirements, and what to expect. That really helped. But by having the sleep study and EGD I actually had 2 more co morbidities prior to submitting to the insurance.

I am still preop but I went back and forth for 2 years! At first I was going to get the bypass, but it made me feel extremely scared to have my insides re-arranged per say. I immediately went with the sleeve after looking more into it. Also, I like the sleeve bc I would lose weight a bit slower than the bypass. With slower weight loss you can control the amount of extra skin by working out in different areas. All I can say is do your research. Even look at the bad things that can happen so you are 100% fully prepared. You will be nervous, you will have doubts, I think I have them every other week!! Just keep in mind the end goal, happy, healthy, and able to live a normal life.

so... I've been saying I would stick with my doctor's office for the first year... but I am kind of at my breaking point with them again I think. I needed to cancel this up coming appointment. They called first, wanting to move the appointment to a day that I wouldn't have been available anyway. I asked if I could just cancel it and keep the appointment after. She said "hold on let me look at your file" ... I need to try and come in. To which I explain that I do not have the freedom in my schedule to just come in any day of the week, and that is why I scheduled all my appointments on the same day at the same time. It worked with all the conflicting schedules in my life. To which she replies that I should have gotten a different surgery then, because I knew when I got this surgery that I'd need to come in every month. To which I reply that as I am in school, will be traveling over the next month for family and work stuff, and working, I would rather not have to deal with the stress of trying to make it to a rescheduled appointment. She said some curt thing and said Fine but she was going to mark in my file that I CANCELLED the appointment. and then we got off the phone. I am so... like... really? REALLY!? This is so unprofessional. Between this and some of the comments I've received from the surgeon's assistant, and his refusal to give me information about my band (like how big it is and how much liquid is he's put in it), I am at the fed up point. I shouldn't have to deal with this type of stuff when it is health related. Has anyone switched surgeons within the first 3 months of surgery? Was it difficult?

I still have a psych eval and the medical clearance. My problem is I live abroad. I was hoping to get everything done while on vacation but I don't know if that is going to work. I have FED BC/BS. They do not require the 3 or 6 month dieting. The doctor's office told me they are easier to work with. I am just hoping my time line for returning to the US works. I really would like to be home by October so that I can have surgery by November........They did indicate the process should take me around 2.5 months.

My suggestion is to get a hold of either your primary doctor or surgeons office. How often do you check your bs? I check twice a day once in am which is a fasting result of like 80. And once before bed time. I was off metformin immediately after surgery. You diabetes should get better or disappear. I had surgery June 14th 16 and I had labs done from my primary doc to check the usual stuff and she wanted a A1c..my a1c before surgery was 6.4. Now it is 5.2. I do get worried sometimes cuz my blood pressure runs low now too. I have been off blood pressure meds for about 2 months and it's running normal. Example is 93/71. Anyways I better get off of this. Goodnight Sent from my Z959 using the BariatricPal App

I was banded about the same time as you and have been taking my regular Multivitamin each day since my six week checkup. I take it at night with my other meds (BC and Zoloft). I also take two Calcium citrate pills that are rather large. I split them in half. I take two halves in the AM and two halves in the PM. I currently have 4cc's in the standard AP (10cc) band. I don't have any trouble getting them down. And these were my doctors orders. Hope this helps. Sheila

Ok so I've been MIA for a minute, I needed some time to think about everything that I'm going through, is this what's really right for me. Two of the people I respect most in the world have voiced their opinions on my surgery. My mother has voiced the same and so forth. They all say the same thing "Do what you want to do, but you can do it on your own, so you don't really need to do this." I went from 430+ down to 287. The plus is because I couldn't weigh myself for a long time before that. So I lost that weight and have kept the bulk of it off. I got into a long distance relationship for 2 yrs and he was jealous of me going to the gym, hearing the guys make comments, saying, hi, flirting, etc...So I spent 2 yrs of my life on the phone, laying around.. and packed weight back on reaching back up to 330lbs. I started to diet and got fed up with the up and down losing the same 30-35lbs, especially when I can gain and lose 15lbs in just a weeks time. So I decided to make yet another appointment to go see about the lapband. I've been researching this for 5 yrs...on and off, back and forth. Listening to everyone else's opinions and thoughts on it, wait til you have kids, you can do it on your own, etc... Thing is, I'm tired of waiting. I've been a size 14 or bigger since I was 8 yrs old. Yes 8 as in eight, not a typo. And yes I know people look at me and they think "Oh you're not that big." fact is I am, the numbers don't lie. I'm mostly muscle and I'm solid, which is why most people guess me anywhere around 200-250lbs if they guess my weight. And I'm wide front to back, not side to side. At my pre-op visits people always comment on how they thought I was post-op and would say things like "wow I would like to have your shape/figure when I'm done." - Umm k that's great and I appreciate the compliment. However, I'm PRE-OP. So all of that being said, I had to take few days to get my mind right, and not be here and caught up in all of it. My Pastor voiced his concern and doesn't think I should do it. His wife (also my Pastor) said the same. My Mother, my friends, etc... So now I feel like I'm being forced to lie, well not lie, just not tell anyone. Which I wasn't really doing anyways. I think I told 5 or 6 people total and 4 out of those 5 or 6 have said something negative about it and tried persuade me not to do it. So I sat and thought, ok do I really want to do this? Less than a week from surgery, do I really want to walk away from this? I couldn't really bring it here until my mind was made up. I know there are so many people here who are waiting, trying to get approved, etc..and here I am approved, scheduled and thinking about walking away. My mind is made up, I'll be doing it on Friday. No more, no less and more importantly nobody's business. I'll have church on Thursday and see my Pastor, Friday is Surgery and then I'll see his wife on Sunday. I'll have friday and saturday to recoup and nobody will know the difference. I'll see my mom Friday after surgery. She knows I'm doing it, even though she thinks I should wait she's supporting whatever it is I think I need to do. But everybody else doesn't need to know. I'm sure some of you are like well just miss church or whatever...but I can't. I'm the church administrator and assistant to my Pastors so I have to be there. Be available to pick them up from the airport, check them into the hotel, etc..whatever needs to be done. I'm pretty sure I can pull it off without anyone noticing, the only issue I may have is luggage, I can't lift anything over 15lbs for the next 3-4 weeks. I think I'll be ok for this week, as the only trip before the end of the year is this Sunday and she'll be coming from San Diego with just a carry on...for an hour or two... By the time I see them after the new year, I'll be healed up for the most part. In the stress of this I ended up cheating on my pre-op diet 2 days in a row ok well more like 1.5.. sunday morning I had a bagel AND a cheese danish with a yoplait and some fruit. Then yesterday I had supreme croissant from jack in the box with the intent of just eating the egg and meat out of the center.. yeah no, ate it all oh and tacos.. I wanted to have those greasy best thing you ever at at 2am after you've been out drinking all night tacos. But oddly enough they don't taste as good when you're sober and it's it's 12 in the afternoon lol. Then I had the weirdest craving for chicken salad, which isn't too bad, but the box of wheat thins I ate the chicken salad on, umm yeah that was kinda bad. So anyways - that's that.. That's where I've been. But my mind is made up, I'm on track.. basically 2 more days, 3 more sleeps and it's here. WOW. Father I thank you for the opportunity of new life, best life. I thank you for rapid recovery and healing. I thank you for a solid mind and unwaivering spirit. I thank you for all you've done for me in the past and all that you will do for me in the future. You are Alpha and Omega and I give you all the Glory. Amen.

I am sorry to hear that. I too have Anthem BC insurance. My Dr. referred me for the gastric bypass surgery. You may need to have a referral. I would go that way first and see what happens. I got my approval to see a surgeon 3 days after the Dr submitted the referral. Hope this helps. Good luck!

I was a true Dr.Pepper addict. I got gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with Mazie in 2005. Because I was responsible for "her" health, I cut back to only one or less per day!! Amazing!! Then after having her- I got the all clear- breast fed her- and man was I thirsty!!! I was up to eight+ a day in no time!! When I decided to get the band... I though I will follow all the rules, except just this one!! As time got closer- I thought why go to all this effort, expense, and just blow it off for one desire? I can still have lots of indulgences, after, but can I not, for myself, my health, my life, give up soda? I slowly "weened" myself from Dr. Pepper to sweet tea/caff. to less sweet tea/half caff. (to avoid headaches, go slowly). Now, I just got my band, and don't even think about soda, and rarely have tea! I think I lost my first ten pounds just from no soda!! I also don't have to worry about finding a way to get my caff. fix!

I can't believe I'm almost 3 months post op. I've lost a total of 75 pounds and need to keep going. However, went on vaca and blew my normal routine and need to get back to where I wouldn't let sugar of any kind touch my lips. !! I'm think back to liquid diet for a couple weeks. I cook and then I'm bored with what I made so I don't eat. I drink my shakes no problem in the AM. I STOPPED tracking foods bc I never finish anything but I'm def grazing again. Help!