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Hi there...I just found this app and I've already spent a couple of hours reading great personal stories, smiling in amazement at the before/after pics, and nodding my head in agreement with everyone who is struggling (like me) on the two week pre-op diet (ugh!). Anyone else new or getting sleeved this month? I'd love to have a buddy. Sent from my SM-G935T using the BariatricPal App

My doc is aggressive with fills, has an excellent success rate and an A+ reputation here in Dallas. He has said once we start the fill process, I can see him every week if need be to get to good restriction. You'll hear all kinds of stories here. Since you presumably researched your physician beforehand, trust his judgement and do what feels right to you.

I was banded by Dr. Spivak on 8/2/06. I first met him in 2001 when I was considering the surgery then, but I didn't have the financial means and insurance wouldn't pay. I liked him then, so I didn't even shop around this time. Both Dr. Spiegel and Dr. Spivak do surgery in the same center (I assume they probably both have an ownership interest). Anyway, Dr. Spivak's pre-op and post-op diet are more liberal than other doctors'. He has a great bedside manner which really isn't that big of a deal because you don't see your surgeon that much. His staff has been helpful and accommodating. I have had no problems at all. I had my first fill last week and perhaps I would have wanted a little bit more restriction, but his approach is conservative and to "sneak" up on the sweet spot. I haven't had any throwing up, PB's, nausea. All in all, my experience so far has been excellent. I haven't updated my ticker yet, but I have lost a few more pounds, but I want to be solidly at -15 lbs before I update it. Feel free to PM me if you have other questions. There are lots of other Spivak patients around. I was surprised at the wide variations among doctors regarding pre and post-op diet, fill philosophy, etc.

WOW how strange was it to see this at this site?? hehe well I know my husband used to eat chicken and potatoes and bananas when he was working out and trying to bulk up. He had a protien sorce with EVERY meal. I try to do this as well, but he also did the potatoes. Hope that helps. Unfotunately I didnt gain my weight with chicken and potatoes so the way I did it wouldnt be helpful for you. I supose you came to the right place though. lol Every one here could tell you their worst fat culprit. Mine is probably pasta! If you dont care if your gaining fat or muscle just eat fetichini alfraido everynight for a few weeks..................mmmmmmmmmmm fetichini **sighs**

Just started liquid 2 week pre-op myself. Today! If today is any indication of what it's going to be like, I would rather starve! I have to drink 5 HMR shakes a day - and water - that's it. They are making me gag - they are too thick and foamy. I just had fat free can of chicken broth, because I can't drink the shakes anymore. I don't know how I'm going to get through thirteen more days - seriously! I have already lost about 10lbs on my own and I would much rather continue with what I have been doing and then do clear liquids for a couple of days before surgery (11/12) but nope, not in their plan. Oh well, just bitching about it I guess. I'll have to get over it and keep my eye on the "prize" Good luck everyone

You could have been talking about me. I go for my 2nd fill this week. Hopefully we will both get some restriction and relief from the hunger. Hang in there!:thumbup:

How do i make my story short and not so sweet? Anyway I had my sleeve done August 15th and was oh so happy and was dropping pounds like bombs and my doc was like you can exercise after 2 weeks. So what does Tashara do after 2 weeks? I went for a nice little bike-ride around DC, 2miles tops. Anyways, I came back and collapsed at my desk and had a high fever. (this was last Tuesday 8/30). So I go to kaiser urgent care who checks my blood and sends me home with Tylenol and says I have a bug. OK. Wednesday I call my surgeons office (Dr. Salemah and Dr. Mayes) and go in to have a UGI to make sure my sleeve is in good condition. So my sleeve is great, and then I suddenly get sharp pains in my left side along with my 102+ fever. But they too send me home and say follow up with PCP. Now its Thursday and I'm about to die and so I see my primary who puts me on an IV, antibiotics (Invans) and liquid Tylenol for my fever. They check my blood pressure and it has dropped to 88\48! Usually I have to take Lisinopril for my pressure but I haven't even taken it since my surgery, so that is some very low numbers. So my doc puts me on another bag of fluid and sends me home when my fever drops to 99 and my pressure is up to 95\56. I woke up early Friday morning shivering like no other and a temp of 104.3. I called an ambulance and was rushed to the ER. So they gave me a CT scan and come to find out..my spleen has an abscess of liquid on it. So now i'm being transported to Virginia Hospital Center (where I had my surgery) and of course Dr. Mayes comes to meet me and he is rushing me to their CT scan so they can take out my infected spleen and place a drain tube through my back to get all of the excess fluid. Pain Pain Pain Pain. Saturday, the infectious disease doc comes in and totally freaks me out saying that the spleen and the stomach are basically connected by some blood vessels. When they cut my stomach they had to remove the cells connected to the spleen which usually dies off and grows back. But instead mines picked up salmonella. SALMONELLA!!!! Has any body ever heard of a crazy thing like that. I caught salmonella during surgery on my friggin spleen. Like of all the times I have eaten somewhere that might not have been the cleanest or pigged out on some nasty fast food, I catch salmonella poisoning on my spleen during surgery. So my labor day weekend was spent in the hospital and I came home finally today with a taped up back and a drain with yucky stuff dripping out. Would i be wrong to ask my surgeon to foot my hospital bill, I mean c'mon son!

I also have Aenta and Drs. office told me anywhere from 2-3wks, but most the time 2wks. Good Luck! I'll be sending in my paper work end of next week.

I have Aetna as well. My paperwork was submitted this Wednesday and I called them today. They told me it may be up to 3 weeks.

Hello y'all, I'm considering getting the band the first week of Dec. with Dr. Kuri. I joined the group today hoping to get some feed back. I have lots of questions and I need some experience and support.

Yikes..1 month post-op and on solids, no fill yet and using strictly will-power because I have no restriction. :wink2: 1st fill in in 2 weeks. but can't seem get any urge for the potty. I am always constipated and have had to take gentile laxatives 3 times in the month. I have tried Milk of Mag 3 days in a row but may as well be drinking pink liquid chalk, tried prunes, benefiber (gave me major cramps), and activia., I AM drinking 60 oz of Water a day in addition to other fluids. Nothing is working. I went to the health food store today and bought some smooth move tea to try, And starting taking omega-3 fish oil because someone told me that helps and they are good for you..Any other help? Thanks

so it has been a week anda half since my fill andtoday is the first day that i can honstly eat!!! is it normal totake this longfor the fill andband to relax? i am up to about 3.5 to 4 cc....does this sound normal..today i can eat mashed potatoes crackers with some cream cheese, etc...i am so happy thati can eat and drinkb.c since the fill i have barely eaten!!! now of ocurse im paranoid that something is wrong b.c i can eat,lol:biggrin::smile:

I had my surgery on Nov 30th, I went in for a fill 2 weeks later, and when the PA put in my first fill, aparently my stomach swolle up, and I couldnt get water down, we had to remove the fluid to let the swelling go down. Trying to find my port has been just a crazy game, I get so sick to my stomach..cant find it. I went in for a refill this last Monday she dug around unable to find the port again OMG. I couldnt belive it not again. I am scheduled for a floroscopy Thursday. I guess I have been eating acting as I did before I decided to get the lapband or as I have always eaten my whole life...feeling like a failure. I have gained some weight back..I need something to happen soon. The PA told me we would have to add fluid to the band slow at first. What a crazy begining to a new year, and lap banding.

OMG, all that talk about needles, I think I'm gonna be sick....I hate needles. I may never get a fill, plus my doc said no fluro. He said he use to treat cancer patients and had to inject meds into implanted device s/a port. Said it was nothing to it, well I guess we'll see. Why does it take weeks to see if it's working, seems you'd know pdq. Good luck Blossom

Betty, makes sense to me that I would have gotten a larger fill for a larger band. But then, I still can't figure out why I would have gotten the larger band in the first place... Michelle, 2 weeks sounds a lot better than 3, LOL!! Plus, I will still be off work for the holidays. Thanks for the suggestion! Kim, the swallow was something else I was expecting and did not get. Seems to me, testing the fill should be a given!! Pat, I hate needles, too. But honestly, the needles were the not that bad. Besides, one of my bosses is a RN, not to mention the Director of Health Services in our school district, and she says that your tummy has fewer nerves so you don't feel as much pain there as in other areas of your body. I kept telling myself that as I was looking at all those needles, LOL!!!

Well, I am back from my appointment. No Fill. My doctor's guidelines are weight loss of less than 5 lbs in one month before he will consider any further adjusting. I've lost 10 lbs in the last 5 weeks. I explained that I did not think that the band talks to me and he laughed. He said I am obviously working the system the way it should be worked and if I want to feel food in my band, I am looking for it to be too tight! I'm only 2.5 months out and have 5cc's in a 10cc band. He is afraid that I will max out if I look to have a fill too soon. Thanks for the feedback but I will follow the doctor's orders and whether it is because of the band or in spite of it, I don't plan on losing less than 5 lbs a month! Alice Banded April 8, 2008 271/243/150

If you buy them from the manufacturer, make sure to search for online coupons. I found one that gave me three free bottles. The bottles are 25.4 oz or 750 ml so they last a long time.

You were told not to exercise for six weeks? Wow. I was told to get up and moving as soon as possible. I asked how soon I could use treadmill etc. they said as soon as I felt comfortable. It is not vigorous, just moderate activity. However, I was told NO abdominal specific exercises until 6 weeks minimum (cruches, ball work)

Hello all! I got my surgery date! I got a call on Friday and the scheduler said that they have either April 25th or May 23rd. I picked April 25th! Am I crazy? That is less than 2 weeks away! Started my pre-op diet today. I am excited but also very nervous. Am I doing the right thing? Was there any other way that I could have done this?

Hello! I was sleeved on 7/28 and everything went well. After coming home from the hospital, I developed a nasty sinus infection that has thrown me totally off. Since Sunday, I have had three different liquid meds to take to knock this thing out but I know I am not even close to getting the protein and vitamins I need. So now I'm in panic mode and don't even know what to do. I don't want to eat anything or get out of bed. Any advice/tips to get in as much protein as possible? Also, what vitamins seem to be doing well for everyone? Thanks so much!

Hi, and welcome. I haven't been banded yet but hope to be in the next few weeks. From what I'm told by my nutritionist, when one reaches their proper restriction they should be full after eating 2 ounces of food. One doctor I was considering going to charged $1000 for their consultation fee which included informational materials as well as supplements.

Going on 4 weeks post op and I have been good to follow all directions thus far. Not advancing my diet yet, still staying off caffeine, etc. I've been a good girl. Really. But today, I was offered a piece of gum and I nonchalantly accepted without even thinking. As a matter of fact, it never once crossed my mind until an hour later when I accidentally sucked that bad boy down! Damnit. So, I'm a little over an hour out and still drinking Water with no problem. I absolutely refuse to contact my surgeon's after hour coverage unless I begin to vomit or feel discomfort. Just curious...anyone else experienced this little mishap? How did you rid yourself of the gum? Run its course or surgical removal? (Lesson learned....NO more gum so please no lectures) Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App

Chewing gum post op is frowned upon by most surgeon's. At least as early as I am. Those that don't condone it forever, still require you to wait around 12+ weeks. It can cause blockages and require surgical removal depending on the situation. Can cause you to swallow more air than usual. And a few other things.. Sent from my SM-N910V using the BariatricPal App Most surgeon's what? This is the first i am EVER hearing about not having gum. Is swallowing gum really that common? I chew a lot of gum, never even stopped when i had my sleeve. Was chewing a few days post op

Alex, Thank you so much for the new ipod. I just love it. When I got home from getting my sleeve surgery, it was waiting for me. :thumbup: Again, thank you. I will post a picture of me and my new pink ipod sometime this week. Judy

Finally, I get to have my first fill tomorrow. My doctor called me yesterday checking to see how I was doing. I told him I was hungry alot of the time and he said that shouldn't be so he scheduled me to come in a week early. Now I am alittle nervous about the actual procedure. He explained it all to me but I am still chicken.:paranoid