Search the Community

My first three days (plus day of surgery) I was on clear liquids only, and that was fine because I was not hungry at all. I sipped on flavored water and apple juice, that's it. No protein. My dr. and NUT actually didn't mention protein at all for those first few days - all they cared about was me keeping myself hydrated. After a few days the swelling went down and I was able to get more water in. I started on protein drinks with the full liquid phase, and I've been having 2-3 per day, plus my water. Every once in a while I'll have some chicken broth, Greek yogurt or jello to vary things.

I also had trouble with liquids the first two weeks. I found flavored Water and sugar free Jello went down much easier. Now at four weeks I prefer just plain water. I add a little extra water to my Protein shakes. Thinner consistency is better for me.

TWO QUESTIONS that I did ask between July 17th and October 9th ... Q. How long until I'm off hypertension medication(s)? A. Between a week and 13 weeks depending on the level of your blood pressure to begin with. - - - Q. As a morbidly obese person, how does the risk of stroke change after WLS? [I asked when my mass was 174.6kg and my BMI was 55+ and I was 61.2 years old.] A. You are currently at a 0.0003 (three-hundredths of one percent) daily risk of a stroke on any given day. Just by losing 20kg and getting your BMI under 50, you will reduce your daily risk level by about 1/5 to 1/4 ... i.e. 0.00024 to 0.000225 And by the time you near your goal [under 85kg], your daily risk will likely be 0.00015 to 0.00008 until you pass 69-71 years of age. The healthier your eventual diet and lifestyle, the lesser your risk will stay.

How are you feeling now? I'm going through the same thing except I'm not sick, just have no energy due to lack of nutrients. I too have all fluid taken out 5 months ago and still having a hard time eating anything with substance. I have an appointment next week to get to the bottom of this. It's so frustrating because for a year and 1/4 I was doing fantastic, weight loss was perfect, eating was awesome, energy was excellent, I was so happy. But then after one stuck episode it all changed and now I am actually regretting this surgery. Can't eat without feeling achy in the throat and stomach. I get stuck EVERYIME I eat, which is causing back pain. I don't know how much of this I can take.

I'll be one week post op tomorrow. I still have pain here and there if I try to do too much. I would take it easy and if it's bothering you, I'd call your call doctor just to be on the safe side. Hope you feel better soon

I called my surgeon today to see if they had heard from the insurance company, not yet but everything has been submitted and she said it normally takes 1 to 4 weeks to hear from them I was busy at work so didn't have time to stew over it. Went to prayer meeting tonight and talked with my friends. I got an encouraging word from Teresa - I said pray that it happens fast and she said maybe its not happening fast for a reason. Maybe theres things you need to deal with or take care of before you schedule it... maybe. Made me think all in God's time. This is going to happen I feel very at peace with having the surgery. Its good to have friends who are behind you during this.

I am 32 and just got banded, but like you I have been overweight my entire life. I did every diet there was and took some diet pills as well. I had a Dr. once tell me that until there was a cure, I would be fat and to deal with it. NOW I know that sounds harsh (I was 23 at the time) but that got me through the last 9 years and made me love myself for me. I am the smallest in my family and the first to have surgery. When I first talked to my Dr. she said no. I spent time doing research and went back to her with a packet of information. I had attended an orientation at CMC (Manchester NH) for surgery. ( I looked in your profile and saw you were in MA, but I do not know how far from NH or Boston you are. ) I gaver her facts about how long I had been morbidly obese and what the research has proven about loosing weight and maintaining it. I had my information packet filled out and the entire orientation packet with me. She filled out my referral on the spot. She was impressed with all the information I had about the options that were available. I am also 5'4 and at my highest I weighed 291. Good luck and let me know if I can help in any way. Just don't give up. I am only a few weeks out and I feel great!!!!

How far post op are you? Sent from my SM-G935P using the BariatricPal App My last reply was auto-corrected...my apologies...5 weeks post-op today. Sent from my Z936L using the BariatricPal App

Hey Everybody, Any bandsters in Bakersfield, Calif. Will be there Wed. thru Sat. next week. Was wondering if anyone would like to have lunch or dinner. Let me know I am free at any time while there.

So I got my approval letter in the mail on August 5th. My nurse received hers electronically along with my precert number. I was sleeved on Sept. 14th and sent home after 4 days in the hospital due to some complications. Today at my 3 week follow up, my nurse tells me that she has been arguing with my insurance company for 2 weeks now saying that they called her while I was in the hospital saying that my surgery was never approved due to no record of precertification. How can they say that when we have approval letters and a precert number and all forms regarding that are filled out and were submitted and approved? She showed them to me today and all the papers and emails that Aetna has sent her and all say approved on them. I am wondering if because the total of my surgery including dr fee, anesthesia, hospital room, drugs, ct scan, etc comes to a little over $70,000??? are they trying to buy time to see how much they actually will pay??

I"m also taking the week of surgery off and have blocked off the following week. Although I'm committed to a conference call. I have a desk job and can work from home quite a bit. I'll probably start having some business trips about 4 weeks post-surgery. As to telling people, I've only told a few people. Some had a similar initial reaction but then I explained all the pros/cons etc. After that I just told people that I'd hope they would be supportive but that I was doing this for me. One friend I know is leery but she's still supportive.

My friends had their yearly big bash yesterday. Energy wise I did great, but I was so afraid to eat. I ended up drinking my tea and a ton of Water, and waited till I got home to eat. I wish I could have salad, my doc said not till I am at least six weeks out. Sent from my VS920 4G using RNYTalk

I see my regular doctor this week, but I see Dr Vaughn next week. I'm beyond excited and hope something can be done. I'm only 28, standing 5'3", and weighing in at 300+lbs! My doctor and I have done everything, and I still can't lose weight!

Thanks, I wont know until later this week what Gastro dr has to say-- maybe nothing! :DI did see in OPM that the prices will go up a bit in our 2012 premiums, but that the benefits would be about the same.

And I feel lika big, fat sausage. I have gained 10 lbs since my band unfill the first of march, and I am worried about what might happen before I get the surgery. The doc has to remove my band(maybe week after next) wait 1-2 months for my stomach to heal, then i will get sleeved. I dont want to put on another 10 or 20 lbs! Maybe I should get some appetite supressants or something. Blech, Lisa

It is super frustrating. When I was waiting on my revision, I gained 16lbs pounds over 3 months. Totally frustrating, I still had my band, but no restriction, so I just ate more protein than carbs until I had my food funeral then I eat anything and everything I wanted for about a week.

Can anyone please help me with finding a doctor to adjust my band in the New Orleans area? I'm nervous of regaining my weight and since I've relocated I'm 4 weeks passed getting adjusted. I eat a lot if healthy food

I'm starting my 7th week post op. Should I focus more on calories or carbs? I know to focus on Protein, but didn't know about the others. Thnx for any info... Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using the BariatricPal App

HI I scheduled my surgery today for 2/24 with Dr. Rumbaut in Monterrey, Mexico. I am having the lap band done. I have three close family friends that used him for gastric bypass. I have been super excited till I started receiving all my emails from the doctor to prepare me for surgery. Now I am getting very nervous! I have a million questions it seems like. Is it safe to travel to Mexico for surgery? How bad are the scars? I don't guess it's just the jitters. If someone could please help me calm my nerves before surgery I would greatly appreciate it. There are 2 people scheduled ahead of me that day, I wish I knew who they were so maybe we could stay in contact thru this thing!! Any words of advice or words of encouragement??? Hope to hear from ya'll!! Laken :scared2:

Yesterday I had to have all of my fluid removed due to dehydration complications. I had a fill on 8-6 and it was really really tight, much tighter than ever before and I kind of suspected it was too much for me, but I had been plateaued for over a month and was impatient and restless to get back to losing, so even though drinking water in the dr.s office didn't go down as easily as I said to him it did, I felt like I could use the extra restriction. And the weight melted off quickly, 10 lbs in a week and I was thrilled. Sure I wasn't able to keep hardly anything down, but fluids went down fine and I ignored my body freaking out. I ignored my near constant dizziness and the fact that it is unsafe to live on 200-400 calories per day. Told myself I was fine and did not incerase my fluid intake or take my vitamins. Saturday we went hiking and it was a tough hike, Dh kept pressing me to drink more water and I ignored him, I didn't feel thirsty. Sunday I was wiped out and told myself it was just from the hike and rested most of the day, Monday I could not keep anything down, not even fluids. I'd sip and PB, water, juice, everyhing came back up- and I started to be a little concerned. SO Tuesday I took it easy and PB'd a little when I ate solids, but kept fluids down mostly- told myself I was good to go. Wednesday I could not keep fluids down again and admitted to myself that I was probably overfilled but rested Thursday and kept fluids down fine. I did not drink more than I normally would or attempt to really re-hydrate myself. Yesterday was Friday and I realized I was in trouble. I had dropped 15 lbs in less than 2 weeks and my lips were cracking and dry, my head throbbing and I realized I had no kept down a bit of solid food in about a solid week. I sipped water, it came up, I sipped warm juice, it came up, even my saliva was coming up. I called fillcenters that morning and asked to schedule the unfill, told them I was kind of in trouble. My dr was off yesterday and they had trouble scheduling to get me in. By 4pm I was throwing up saliva every 10 minutes and realized if I didn't get an unfill I was going to be in the hospital by the end of the weekend. So I called the dr's office directly and my dr found out the shape I was in and told me to get to his office immediately for an unfill and he came in just for me (nicest guy, I tell you) He advised a complete unfill for the next 2 weeks. I about started to cry but I knew I needed a break and to slow down. We talked about symptoms of dehydration, what I need to do differently and about the negatives of losing the weight too fast. He said for where i am at (close to goal) if I lose more than 3 1/2 lbs a week, I am losing too fast and need to change my eating or get some unfill. He said my body was spazming due to the severe dehydration and we removed all 2.5ccs of my fluid. So here I am, I have a game plan to maintain and stay on track during the next few weeks, going to work at not allowing all those carbs to get me addicted in the next few weeks and after I am hydrated, I have a weight loss goal of 2 lbs to lose on my own without the band. But it's kind of scary to fly solo right now. My body does need a break, but ugh-- if I had taken care of myself and not been so stubborn and high on the rapid loss, I would still have my trusty filled band right now for weak moments. SO DRINK YOUR FLUIDS, FOLKS!!!

After 2 week post-op I no longer needed protien suppliments. Dont spend to much on them. Pnce you can eat eggs, any type of meats and dairy protien is easy to get in.

I wouldn't stress about it, same thing happened to me shortly after surgery. I lost alot in that first week, and then it pretty much stopped and I gained back like three or four pounds. I was upset but just kept doing what I was supposed to and lo and behold, the scale started its quick move downward again. :laugh: I gather from seeing folks talk about it, that this is a usual and normal occurrence.

Thanks, I have the cherry flavor. It was either that or grape (ugh) my hubby picked up a few packs of protein shakes for me today at wal mart. He said he saw them and thought of me, he bought Adkins choc, eas protein shakes in vanilla and choc latte. I'll let you all know next week how I like them.m

I still do enjoy food but it's different now. I enjoy quality healthy food. I no longer eat the greasy fast food and fried things. I still enjoy a sweet treat here and there but I limit that to maybe one small treat every week or two and I didn't allow that till I was about a year out. I make sure that I don't allow trigger foods to stay in my home or I will want to pick at it too much. I am currently 15 months out. HW 376 in 2011 SW 319 9/28/15 CW 146.8 today 172.2 lost since surgery and 229.2 overall.