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We can be the 'almost to onederland' support group. LOL I stalled out at around 205-207... just kinda went back and forth between those numbers for about a month. Yikes! I think my body is quite happy right there. But, I decided I just wasn't gonna accept that. I didn't get surgery just to get halfway to goal. So, I recently stepped things up a bit, cut out alcohol completely, and upped my exercise so I am taking 7 exercise classes a week now (and added strength training). Sure enough, the scale started moving again and I'm back to losing at a good clip. I am really hoping to see 199 by the end of this month! Woohoo!!!

I was banded on June 15, and have been feeling (and healing) pretty well. My surgeon moved me to pureed/mushies ahead of schedule at my post-op visit on Tuesday, so I'm experimenting a bit with those. My incision seems to be healing well, but man I do not like swabbing out my belly button with rubbing alcohol 3-4 times per day, hehe! I am becoming a bit concerned about a mild cough that I've had since 2-3 days post-op. It's not all the time, but it is worse in the mornings, when I bring up anywhere from 1/2-1 tsp of green/yellow phlegm. I don't know if this is just my lungs healing up from irritation from the oxygen tube down my throat during surgery or what. If it was constant throughout the day, I would have already contacted my surgeon's office about it, but it's just here and there, mostly in the morning. I don't want to make a mountain out of a molehill, and my surgeon is out of town until sometime next week. Does this sound like something I should be concerned about? I don't have any sort of fever, and am otherwise feeling pretty perky! :thumbup:

Welcome to the forum. Lots of good questions ... I will do my best to answer based on my experience. 1. Who was your surgeon and why would you (or wouldn't you) recommend him- please don't bash other people's choices, forum drama makes me SAD I went through Medical Tourism and met Dr. Thomas Umbach in Las Vegas. He is an awesome surgeon & I would recommend him without reservation. The office staff is a little "forgetful" sometimes, so you have to be on your toes & follow-up. But, Dr. U is top notch. 2. How do I get the ball rolling- how do I approach my doctor, what do I need to ask for? I started with my own personal research and went to a local surgeon for a seminar. From there, I found Medical Tourism and they guided me through the process. My PCP just had to send a letter of surgery recommendation and run labs for me. 3. I have never had "major" surgery before- like I've been put under for a leep-cone procedure before, and I've done natural child birth, but what do I expect physically? How bad does it hurt after and for how long? Some people have no to little pain. Unfortunately, I wasn't that lucky. My pain in the first few days was more than I expected. The good news is that I was given pain meds to manage it and it only lasted a few days. Definitely worth a few days of pain. 4. I've read that recovery is quite exhausting, and that it's hard to cope with so few calories (energy wise). I'm already tired all the time- When does the energy come back? By week 4, I was pretty much back to normal. I took 1 week off from work and worked 1/2 days for 1.5 weeks. 5. What about all the EXTRA SKIN? Is there a way to help that without more surgery later? I have some loose skin (thighs, tummy, and arms) but mostly things are coming back nicely. 6. What about hair LOSS!? I like to pretend I'm not vain, but that might be a bit hard to take, how do I cope with the inevitable hair loss? It's not inevitable. I've had some, but not gobs and gobs. Others, have had no loss. 7. Beer? Can I have beer? It's my FAVORITE summertime treat, but it's fizzy and I haven't been able to find much on alcohol consumption... This is certainly not a "deal breaker", but I'm curious I have had a few beers. There is a definite odd feeling with the bubbles, but it does not hurt - just takes a while to get one down. 8. I've seen several posts and responses about how to cope with eating out and in public, does it ever "feel" normal again? I mean, will it stop feeling strange that I can barely eat half a slice of pizza? (that's assuming I can tolerate the cheese and the pepperoni and the sauce...) At 5 months out, I can pretty well tolerate anything - just small amounts. I have found that people don't really pay as much attention as we think they do. I share a lot of meals with my husband which means we get to go out twice as much - no cooking for me!!!! He laughs and says that I am a cheap date. 9. The puking and dehydration.... Um, does EVERYBODY struggle with that? Is it FOREVER? I only puked once since surgery and it was due to a stomach bug, not at all related to my surgery. Getting in fluids the first few days is hard, but you will find a way around that. If not, you can always get IV fluids from your surgeon. 10. Finally, is there anything else I should know? I've read PAGES and PAGES of stats and medical info, so I understand the basics of the procedure and the risks and the possibility of complications etc... But is there anything else? Any Super Top Secret Inside info that I'm not going to learn anywhere else? No secrets. Just remember that everyone is different and all of our journeys are different. Do your research, find a surgeon that you trust, and enjoy your journey. Come back and ask as many questions as you want. Again, welcome.

It is exciting! I would absolutely do it again! I still dislike it that I had to take such drastic measures, but being thin again is wonderful! I will post a link to my entire experience at the end. Feel free to private message any other questions you might want to ask : ) 1. Who was your surgeon .... see below. I had a great experience. I also went down with another gal two months later for her surgery. Nothing to complain about. 2. How do I get the ball rolling- how do I approach my doctor, what do I need to ask for? If you have insurance, check that first. See if you have coverage. If not, then decide if you will do it locally or in Mexico. In my area, it is about $25k cash. I spent $6k counting airfare, hotels, etc. My insurance would not cover because my BMI was 33, not 35 - even tho I had back issues and sleep apnea. I needed to gain 40 pounds (LOL) and do a one year dr supervised diet/exercise program. I was too old for that! : ) 3. I have never had "major" surgery before- like I've been put under for a leep-cone procedure before, and I've done natural child birth, but what do I expect physically? How bad does it hurt after and for how long? This was my 9th surgery. The first day or two was lousy (nausea, pain from being intubated). Pretty typical. By late the 2nd day I was much better. On day 3, I flew home. Walked thru the airport, no problem. Went grocery shopping when I got home. Never took another pain med. I have a high pain tolerance apparently; delivered three 9lb babies without meds. Stay positive, get up, move around. 4. I've read that recovery is quite exhausting, and that it's hard to cope with so few calories (energy wise). I'm already tired all the time- When does the energy come back? I moved to mushies and full liguids early - in the first week. Wasn't so much hunger as weak. Once I started eating, I was good. Went back to work on day 4. I was back to a regular schedule and feeling great within the first two weeks. 5. What about all the EXTRA SKIN? Is there a way to help that without more surgery later? You can certainly have cosmetic surgery when you are done losing weight for most parts of your body. I think the upper arms is the most difficult surgery wise. There is a gal here tho that just posted her photos and her arms look great!! Someone will remember her name; I will try to find it too. 6. What about hair LOSS!? I like to pretend I'm not vain, but that might be a bit hard to take, how do I cope with the inevitable hair loss? Yep. It happened at 3.5 months. Fortunately, I started with very thick hair so will probably survive. It is annoying tho. If your hair starts out thinner, I can see it being very frustrating. Supposedly it will grow back. I even took prenatals thinking that would give me lots of extra vitamins! LOL Kinda embarrassing to be in the store buying prenatals at 49 tho ..... 7. Beer? Can I have beer? It's my FAVORITE summertime treat, but it's fizzy and I haven't been able to find much on alcohol consumption... This is certainly not a "deal breaker", but I'm curious :scared0: Yes!! It will take a little while but I was having sips and small drinks around a month or so. 8. I've seen several posts and responses about how to cope with eating out and in public, does it ever "feel" normal again? I mean, will it stop feeling strange that I can barely eat half a slice of pizza? (that's assuming I can tolerate the cheese and the pepperoni and the sauce...) Eating out stinks. Well, for me at this point it still does. Depends on what I am eating but I am still very limited quantity wise. I get full but still want more. It is getting easier tho and just means I get 3 or 4 meals out of each dining out plate. I can eat pretty much anything I want tho. 9. The puking and dehydration.... Um, does EVERYBODY struggle with that? Is it FOREVER? Haven't had either issue at all. I had a difficult time getting in the fluids in the beginning - trying to schedule between meals. Not on a strict schedule now just back to "normal". Just had labs checked with primary dr and all was good except Vit D. Of course, I live in the PNW and the sun hasn't been out forever!! haha! 10. Finally, is there anything else I should know? Do your research. Make your own decision. Don't tell too many family and friends. You will get tired of explaining yourself. I told 3 people before surgery. And many totally don't get it. So many people only know about the bypass and the bad stuff. It is an amazing tool! Good Luck! Here is my experience link: http://verticalsleevetalk.com/tell-your-story/3651-mexico-bust.html

I got a birthday call from my wonderful MIL the other day. She was really excited and wanted me to look up Vertical Sleeve surgery. A co-worker of hers had just returned from Mexico and Dr Joya's clinic with a spring in her step and 20LBs down. I have been STRUGGLING with my weight for, well, EVER. I've put on 10lb a year for the last 10 years, and there's no sign of it stopping. Even THINKING about losing weight makes me gain more. I am SO done. So, ever hungry for knowledge (and cookies), I opened up the laptop and started reading. I read til my eyes bled. My goodness, there is SO MUCH INFORMATION! Then I searched for "real people information" and found you guys! I read THROUGH the bloody eyes, and WOW! You are all so inspiring! I'd like so much if some of you could take the time to answer a few questions about your experiences; there are just soooo many great posts I'll never get through them all. 1. Who was your surgeon and why would you (or wouldn't you) recommend him- please don't bash other people's choices, forum drama makes me SAD :sad0: 2. How do I get the ball rolling- how do I approach my doctor, what do I need to ask for? 3. I have never had "major" surgery before- like I've been put under for a leep-cone procedure before, and I've done natural child birth, but what do I expect physically? How bad does it hurt after and for how long? 4. I've read that recovery is quite exhausting, and that it's hard to cope with so few calories (energy wise). I'm already tired all the time- When does the energy come back? 5. What about all the EXTRA SKIN? Is there a way to help that without more surgery later? 6. What about hair LOSS!? I like to pretend I'm not vain, but that might be a bit hard to take, how do I cope with the inevitable hair loss? 7. Beer? Can I have beer? It's my FAVORITE summertime treat, but it's fizzy and I haven't been able to find much on alcohol consumption... This is certainly not a "deal breaker", but I'm curious :001_huh: 8. I've seen several posts and responses about how to cope with eating out and in public, does it ever "feel" normal again? I mean, will it stop feeling strange that I can barely eat half a slice of pizza? (that's assuming I can tolerate the cheese and the pepperoni and the sauce...) 9. The puking and dehydration.... Um, does EVERYBODY struggle with that? Is it FOREVER? 10. Finally, is there anything else I should know? I've read PAGES and PAGES of stats and medical info, so I understand the basics of the procedure and the risks and the possibility of complications etc... But is there anything else? Any Super Top Secret Inside info that I'm not going to learn anywhere else? Thanks in advance, this forum has already been a great help to me and I welcome any support you are willing to lend. :scared0:

It was hard, I wanted to quit, I had to condition my mind mentally, so I started the adding the shakes little by little in the months before surgery because I knew I was going to have to get used to them. I gagged and was in great resentment but I didn't want my surgeon to cancel my surgery so I wasn't going to risk that. I started the pre-op around Feb 3rd. I went out of town to a convention around Feb 10th. I forgot to pack my powder mixture so during the days of my convention, I found restaurant where I could order baked fish and lots of salads There was one restaurant that I always go to every year when I attend the convention. Do you think I went? Heck yes, and I ate therir delicious chili con queso with chips. I also ate half a sandwich one of those days. On Feb 14th, I ate at Saltgrass with my family. I resisted alcohol but I just had to have me a pitch of that bread (It was the last time I ate bread now that I think about it). I also ate crackers and rice cakes during the pre-op because I didn't know I wasn't supposed to. I don't really consider it cheating, but I did rely on this website and the people on here to keep me focused. The first week of the pre-op I was cranky and everything, but when I saw 8 pounds gone in like four days, it motivated me. Hang in there!!!!

I did some searching online about the smoking. Not too much other than the fact it makes for a slow healing process (like you mentioned) post surgery and you are more prone to infections and illnesses like pneumonia, since your lungs are compromised. I continued to look and this is what I found on one site: Lap Band erosion: The lap band erodes into the stomach and causes the stomach to leak. This leads to a failed lap band ineffective and the patient may not lose any more weight. The most telling symptom of lap band erosion is infection near the port and the patient may even vomit blood. An endoscopy may be required to diagnose lap band erosion. There are two types of erosion: early and late. Early erosion may happen within 1-6 months of the surgery, whereas late erosion may happen much later and may go unnoticed. Alcohol and smoking are known to increase the risk of lap band erosion. Lap band erosions happen in about 14% of patients. (Source: Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery by William B. Inabnet, Eric J. DeMaria, Sayeed Ikramuddin) Lap Band Revision Surgery Abroad | Medical Tourism Hope this helps! (Oh, and I think hubby and I actually resumed um, "activity" the week after I had the surgery LOL)

...I'm addicted to food. (but i already knew this) So I'm post op Day 10, and am on pureed foods, but I'm not having any problem digesting anything. This has kind of been a tough weekend for me, so excuse my lengthy stories. First, hung out with my friend Chris, and he was giving me a bit of a hard time about not even wanting to go to a restaurant with him, so he could eat. Saying "are you going to drop off the face of the planet now because you don't eat?" I laughed it off at the time, but this coming from a guy who was in AA for a bit (not an alcoholic, but wanted to better himself) and i didnt see him for the year he was in it! Some audacity! Then today, i went to friends BBQ, she's been good, really supportive. I put a thing of applesauce and a protein shake in my purse. I knew i might not be hungry, but I would want to eat, so I wanted to have good choices available. Pretty smart, i thought. It was soooooo hard. I had no idea. I ate my applesauce (although too fast, like i wanted to hide the fact that i brought my own food) and gulped down my protein shake. Those hotdogs and etc looked so good. I kinda pouted over at my friend, and she laughed and offered to let me have a bite of her hotdog. And I did it! And it was heaven. I also ate some other unmentionables :smile2:. So here I am, at the end of my night, feeling frustrated. I'm only post op day 10 and I'm cheating! Honestly, I did my research on this surgery, I KNOW it's only a tool, and I need to work with it. Am I being too hard on myself? Do I need to be like an alcoholic and keep myself away from those events, even though I love my friends, and I love my social life? An alcoholic wouldnt go to a bar, i shouldnt go to a restuarant, or a bbq. Maybe the more I abstain, the easier it will get. I'm not depressed, I still feel motivated. Advice?

The Word of Wisdom is the commandment that Mormons follow which talk about keeping our bodies healthy. This is why Mormons dont drink alcohol, coffee, do drugs, etc., but it also discusses that we should eat heathly grains and fruits and veggies while they're in season and that we should eat meat sparingly. The last point is why this has been discussed on this Latter-Day Saint (Mormon) sub-forum: that we should be eating meat sparingly per the Word of Wisdom, but with being banded there is a need to eat so much protien. I hope this helps.

I spent alot of time and money on the so called 'yo yo' diets in my life. Yes I did lose the weight but I gained it all back again. Lapband surgery actually DID save my life. I am a heart patient. Hence I owe it all to the doctor that put this thing inside of me that has been used as a tool but has helped me to lose more weight then I ever have, and keep the weight off so far. I do not beleive in following every single rule that the doctor says I should. Like eating all your veggies, or all your fruit, etc. Following every single rule is like being on a diet. This is not a diet, it's a life style change. You have to reward yourself once and awhile. What I won't do is NOT follow certain things that I have been told could do harm to me. Which include soda, coffee, and drinking from a straw. Soda and drinking from a straw could cause my band to slip. This didn't come from my surgeon. This came from my nutrionist. I see a nutrionist everytime that I go into the office to see the doctor (whether I get a fill or not). My nutrionist told me that we can have alcoholic beverages once and awhile. Red wine is the best because it doesn't have as many open calories and sugar that the other stuff does. I was told that you shouldn't drink that much because you can get drunk very fast. Occasionally I will have a wine cooler also. I do not drink beer anymore. I will on occasion have a hard drink once and awhile too. The key words being "ONCE AND AWHILE". So my point is, we are here to help each other. We aren't here to judge and we aren't here to criticize each other. You know the saying, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink"? Everyone is different. Some of us choose to follow the plan that was given to us. Some of us follow the plan that we want to follow. Either way, if it's working then let it be. I got 'FAT' for a reason. I am NOT going to be 'FAT' again. So my choice is to follow most of what I am supposed to follow. When the word danger comes in the same sentence as soda, caffine and straws, I choose to listen to those warnings. Caffine by the way is a natural Diuretic. It takes 2 glasses of water to replace the fluids that you lose from drinking one cup of coffee. THAT is why I choose to give up coffee 2 months before having surgery. And trust me I was a heavy coffee drinker.

Hey Billy. I was banded a little over a year ago, and I had the same concerns - Agh!! No beer!! No problems drinking anything - except somethings like dry white wine can make me feel a little acidic in my throat. Beer is sweet, you might have to drink at tiny bit slower (and definitely don't attempt it for the first month while you're healing!) the only problem I have found with beer and alcohol - is that it has really slowed my weightloss down. Doesn't mean that it's still not happening but I do like to get on the booze on the weekends, and if I compare to the rest of my bunny bandsters who were banded april 09 like I was, they are all quite a bit thinner than I am now, in saying that, I've lived my life and had fun and still lost weight. I cannot believe how happy I am that I made this choice, I love my life now, and I still have a BMI of 37 - but its coming off bit by bit each week and I feel like there is hope again for me :thumbup: Good luck - you won't know yourself a year from now! Enjoy the new life !!

Getting banded is one of the best decisions I've ever made. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I have not given up alcohol, though I don't ever have martinis anymore because my tolerance is so much lower at this weight that one would do me in for the night! Don't forget to take your measurements and before photos asap. You will want them later, I promise you! Yes -- this does become second nature. And, you can have a life, enjoy good food and wine with the band. In fact, I enjoy food more now because I don't have guilt feelings associated with it and have to feel bad about myself if I eat something that is high in calories. Check out my blog if you have a minute. It will give you a good idea of what it's like being banded, and I have some links in there to other bandster blogs that I really like. I hope that helps! :thumbup: Catherine

Haha Jane, yes to the alcohol - knock back a scotch, chin up, talley ho! There will definitely be some reconstructive surgery after all this, total body lift if possible but most definitely the tummy and girls, up up up! =)

Im all approved and going through the torture of all of these tests and classes - I will be so happy once this is done. With that said I am really nervous. Did you get a lapband? Are you glad you did? How fast did you start to lose? Do you drink alcohol? I'm not sure I am going to be able to stop that altogether. What are the main things I should not forget? Please tell me this becomes second nature. Thanks! Billy:thumbup:

My doc was very adamant about the soda thing, but like you, I like to know WHY. I guess after so many negative experiences with doctors, I'm not impressed by medical qualifications on the wall and the "Because I Said So" routine. Lucky for me, I found a doctor who I AM impressed by because he explains things to me instead of using the "because I'm the smart doctor and you are the idiot patient and you must do what I say," routine. He explained to me the reason for the No Soda rule, and showed me a bottle of coke with a balloon stretched over the mouth of the bottle. Without doing anything at all, the balloon started to fill with gas until it was pretty taunt. Then he shook the bottle (not hard, just like it would be if it were your stomach and you were walking around). The balloon started to stretch really wide, and he said that's exactly what will happen to your stomach pouch if you drink soda. It will cause your band to slip, and you will have to have another surgery to correct it, or remove it all together. As far as alcohol is concerned, my doc said as long as I budget the calories in my daily allowance and it's not carbonated, I can do what I want. I have found that I am not able to tolerate much at all anymore, and that I get full really quickly. I have to watch myself though, because I don't want to let the alcohol affect my judgement on when it's time to stop b/c I'm full. I think it's important for you to follow your dr.'s guidelines, but I think it's more important for you to find a doctor that you trust. If you trust him, follow his rules, but ask him to explain things to you. Hope this helps.

food -- particularly carbohydrates -- is a powerful mood-altering substance. This isn't just the case for people with food addictions, it's at least partially how the body works. Carbs, for instance, have been shown to have strong connections with serotonin levels, and other foods (notably chocolate, but there's more... just can't remember them all) have strong affinities for dopamine. The bottom line is that going to food for comfort is very normal. Without this crutch it can be very difficult to self-soothe. Again, this isn't just "addictive behavior" -- anyone who is low-serotonin will feel stressed and anxious and blue. Tiffykins' recommendation to get a massage is spot-on; you have to find other behaviors that help to soothe you without being unhealthy. A hot bath and a glass of milk is another method; the heat relaxes your muscles and lets metabolism byproducts like lactic acid get released, and the milk is full of tryptophan, which is a natural serotonin precursor. Exercise is also a good choice -- exercise ALWAYS makes me feel better -- but you have to be careful not to overdo it, because if you're feeling stressed and anxious because of "low reserves," then burning up the LAST of your reserves with exercise isn't going to help. The best medicine is a good night's sleep! Protect your sleep time fiercely, because consistent sleep deprivation is an almost sure way to lapse into low-grade depression and anxiety. Mild exercise is good as a sleep aid, as are the relaxing effects of a hot bath or shower. Also, milk and its tryptophan-explosion. So maybe the ideal thing is: exercise mildly to moderately (around midday when it won't affect your sleep time). In the evening, drink a tall glass of nonfat milk and take a long, hot shower or bath. And then, sleep like a baby. The odds are that you'll wake up feeling right as rain! The thing to NOT do is to "relax" with something like alcohol or marijuana -- these things will further deplete neurotransmitter levels, and while you may feel better in the short term, over the long run you're just digging yourself in deeper!

Yeppers, I actually 2 of them through the course of the night. I danced, jammed out, enjoyed the entire night. Alcohol doesn't really hit me hard anymore. If I just kind of nurse the drinks, I end up feeling just a little buzzed. Those pitchers were not full to the top, they were half full, and had a lot of ice. It literally took me 7 hours to drink 2 of them. I rarely get drunk off a few drinks. Plus, I ate before I left, and once I was there, I had some Snacks in my pockets LOL. I always carry some sort of snack with me, it helps keep things on an even kilter, and keeps my energy up. Carolyn - you should be so proud of yourself. . . I think you look fabulous ! ! !

Like Jachut (and also from Australia) I wasn't given a lot of rules to follow. I had a post-op diet, which I followed, after which I was told to eat healthily, exercise at least 20 mins 3 times a week, and only eat when I was hungry. I didn't do low carb, didn't count calories, ate a balanced diet from all food groups, I drink alcohol (always have) and I exercised. I started with a relatively low BMI too and I lost all the weight I needed to within 7 months, then lost more, and then have maintained for over a year now. I think following the post-op diet is important because that's when you're healing. But after that, how you lose is pretty much dependant on you, and how sensibly you eat. Mind you, I don't drink carbonated drinks coz they make me feel sick. If something doesn't 'sit well' with me, I don't eat/drink it. But I try everything at least once. Personally I think if I'd had too many rules to follow, I would have been more likely to fall off the wagon. Having few rules made it easier to 'follow' the rules I did have. I even drink with meals sometimes, when I'm out at a restaurant. Then again, I'm not very restricted anymore. :waytogo:

Well, I have had such a busy week this past week getting prepared for surgery. I'm mentally and physically exhausted, but excited about having everything out of the way. Now, I just have to continue my pre-op diet and make a few last preparations before my surgery on the 22nd. I thought it might be a good idea to post what I went through with pre-op appointments in case anyone out there is wondering about this aspect of things. I actually scheduled all of my own preop clearances. (The surgeon's office scheduled the preop appt I had with them and the hospital.) The surgeon's office has specific doctors they work with for the clearances and I went with those instead of trying to do something closer to home. I didn't want any delays with the results getting to my surgeon. This actually ended up being for the best because the surgeon's office and all of the doctors they use for clearances are tied into the hospital's computer network. They are all able to view most of the same info, reports, data, etc. about patients using the hospital's doctors. This should help prevent any delays if a piece of paper gets lost along the way. I actually had my first preop clearance last week, which was pulmonary. This appointment was quick and to the point and a total breeze. I guess that's because I don't have any pulmonary isses, but it felt somewhat like a waste of time. I wish I had scheduled this one on the same day as one of the other appointments and that would have been one less day of driving 45 minutes each way to the hospital offices. This past week, I had the Upper GI, cardiac clearance, phone intake with the hospital admissions department, pre-op appointment at the surgeon's office, and pre-op intake at the hospital. This was all done over 3 days. Wednesday morning I went in for my Upper GI. This required that I have nothing by mouth after midnight. I was allowed to take my meds that A.M. with a sip of water. As others have said, this test is not pleasant. It's not the one where they put you to sleep and put the camera down your throat. This is the one where you drink a ton of nasty stuff and roll around on a table like a beached whale while the GI doc looks at live action xrays of your stomach handling all the nasty stuff you drink. I got a quick look at my GI system in action at one point during the test. It was pretty cool to see the liquid running through my system on the screen as I drank, but I was too queasy to stare at it much. I managed to drink everything they threw at me, but I was SOOO sick to my stomach afterward. I had planned to run and eat immediately after, but I didn't feel like it. My stomach was full of chalky stuff! But, I decided that instead of walking around without any sustenance in my body, I would make myself eat something. I went and got a meat omelet from IHOP and immediately felt better. Lesson for me, go ahead and eat after the Upper GI even if you don't feel like it. The stuff seemed to move through my system fairly quickly after I ate. I learned a couple of days later that the results from this test were that I have significant GERD. Go figure. That explains all the recent burping - which I never did up until about 3 or 4 months ago. I did my phone intake with hospital admissions after the GI appointment. This was basic info gathering, a review of my current medications, and somewhat of a test of my understanding of what I was about to do to myself. Later that afternoon was my appointment for cardiac clearance. When I got to the back, I was given an EKG. Then, the cardiologist came in and reveiwed the EKG and my history information. He said that the EKG was normal and that I seemed to be in good health for my weight. He then said he wanted me to do the treadmill test. Now, I had thought this was automatically part of the cardiology clearance, but apparently it's not because they had not scheduled me for one. They couldn't fit me in that afternoon, so I had to come back the next day. GREAT! :cursing: But, I didn't balk because I am too determined to have this surgery to let an extra appointment get in the way. For the treadmill test the next day (which was Thursday), I had to have nothing to eat or drink - except small sips of water - 4 hours before the test. I was instructed to wear or bring something comfortable to wear during the test. Since I had to go in to work that morning, I took a gym bag with me. I changed in the private exam area and the tech swabbed off my chest area with alcohol and hooked me up to an EKG machine. I was allowed to keep on my bra, a hospital gown, and my bottoms and tennis shoes. She took my vitals and then had me get on the treadmill. I started off at a moderate paced walk and then the speed picked up. I never had to actually run but I did get sweaty and exhausted toward the end. The point was to assess how much exertion it took to increase my heart rate and how my body responded during the phase with a high heart rate. I was able to do this at a fast walk. I think the whole thing took about 30 minutes from the time I entered the room. The actual treadmill time was about 5 to 8 minutes. The next morning, Friday, I had my appointment with the surgeon. This went really well because my diligence with my preop diet paid off and I came in 1 pound under weight from my initial consultation.:thumbup1: Lord I was so worried about that because my weight had been up and down (mostly up) since that initial consult appointment and your surgery can be cancelled if you gain weight. I think I"m in the clear now because I don't expect to gain any weight on this low carb preop diet. I turned in all of my surgical clearance forms to the insurance coordinator and she put together the packet for me to take to my hospital appointment later that am. She had to get the GI clearance from the computer network through the hospital because they hadn't given me anything after my GI appointment like the other two had. I then spent some time with the nurse reviewing my preop and postop instructions and the progression of the diet. This was really interesting because my surgeon has changed his bariatric diet progression recently and it's much more liberal than it used to be. I plan to post it in another blog, but I'm thrilled to only have 2 days of clear liquids post op!! Yay!!! :thumbup: By day 7/8 postop, I'll be on pureed/soft foods. I'm really excited about that. After talking quite a while with the nurse (she also took some measurements for reference points), I got to meet with the doctor. I think I surprised him with my list of about 20 questions, but he took a seat and answered every one of them. I'm going to try to post that as a separate blog also for anyone who needs ideas of questions to ask. I thought of a couple more as we talked, so it was very informative. I'm very comfortable with getting the procedure done after our Q&A session. After that, I went over to the hospital and completed my preop admission. I met with the intake rep and handed over my ID and insurance card (for the umpteenth time) :scared0: and got a nice little armband for the remainder of my preop. Then, I went to the testing area to meet with the preop folks. First, I talked to the anesthesia nurse practitioner about my anesthesia history. Nothing significant there. Then, I met with the bariatric nurse specialist to review everything I would go through on the day of surgery, immediately post op, and long term post op issues. This aspect of the preop visit was unexpected and very helpful. I learned about the bariatric wing of the floor I would be on postop, some things to remember for the morning of testing (like to request an antinausea patch before surgery), got to review aspects of the diet progression, and got some tips and tricks for eating postop. The bariatric nurse specialist will be visiting me throughout my stay in the hospital and checking on me post op for quite awhile. It will be nice to have another point of contact when I have questions. The last leg of my hospital preop appointment was the general surgical nurse. She took some vitals and reviewed my chart and history briefly. She made sure that all clearances were in order and on file and made sure that my chart was complete. She then took a few vials of blood and took that hospital bracelet off my arm. I was so glad of that because I once had to wear that thing around for almost a week before a surgery because "that" hospital had to know that I was the same person who had given the blood during the preop - STUPID. The nurse reviewed the procedures for the morning of surgery with me and that was it. Anyway, I hope this "book" I just wrote about my preop tesitng helps someone get a better idea of what they might be in store for in the days before surgery. I'm sure it's done differently in many places, but I guess the overall point is the same - to make sure we're healthy and sane enough to go under the knife. If I had any advice, it would be to plan your appointments strategically and be clear about what's expected at each appointment. I'm not sure that I could have cut down on my driving any because there was so much to get done, but I might have been able to cut out at least one or two days of the back and forth with better planning. Now that I'm done with that, it's on to week 2 of my preop diet and just trying to keep my head on straight until surgery day. I'm still getting a case of the nerves here and there, but I'm going to see it through. :thumbup:

Well, that MIGHT be me. I'm not a rule breaker, I was into this 100% and the carbonation and drinking with meals and Protein stuff were NOT rules for me. So technically, I follow my doctor's advice and would advise anyone to do so. But patently, since we have such laxer rules and no rules at all a lot of the time in Australia (of course it depends on yoru doctor, like anywhere) then those things simply ARENT hard and fast rules. I really echo ada's sentiments above - most of the nutrient balance, drinking, alcohol, caffeine advice are recommendations, not rules. If you can lose weight drinking wine, well, wine in moderation is not an entirely bad thing, it has some health benefits. There's no rhyme or reason to the caffeine thing, thats nothing more than one doctor's personal views over anothers, there's no evidence at all that we shoudl avoid it. The drinking thing, well I could drink with meals for the longest time without discomfort, and I did. When it started to hurt beyond certain restriction, I stopped. If I'd stopped losing for any significant time, I might have tried low carb, certainly would have given up alchohol. For each of us, this is OUR body, our experience is unique to US, and any doctor that insists on a cookie cutter approach wouldnt be a doctor I'd choose. Carbonation hurts. Its very uncomfortable to drink a very bubbly drink with the band. They're also generally rubbish for you. Good enough reason as any not to drink them. Drinking with a meal with adequate restriction is likely to make you vomit. Great reason to avoid it. But does it wash food through and make me feel hungry sooner. Absolutely a resounding NO. It doesnt. So why would I need to obsess about finishing drinking exactly 30 minutes before my meal and WHY would I watch the clock obsessively for an hour after? I personally believe that the rules doctors set tell an awful lot about the doctors' attitude to fat people. Some seem to want to punish. "i wont do this surgery unless you do this", "you must follow this rule, that rule, avoid this list of foods, count this nutrient" shows quite a lack of understanding about what it is like to be fat, to be an overeater, and definitely shows no empathy for a person who has to live like this forever. I'm very comfortable with my doctor who emphasises finding our own groove with this thing, adapting a lifestyle you can live with, is not unhappy with slow loss (my personal view is slow loss is good, healthier and maintainable, high protein fast loss is unhealthy, consists of a lot of muscle tissue and long term ketosis will damage your eyes and kidneys, but hey, that's an entire different argement with compelling evidence on BOTH sides). If you love rules, you probably like a doctor who gives them to you black and white, but me, I'd probably tell him to get stuffed. I also dont think doctors are GOD and argue regularly with my GP but then, that's just me. And the simple truth is, you just dont strictly have to live with rules to be succesful. I lost 100lb in about 18 months, I've kept it off for nearly 3 years now, I have a low BMI and I did it simply by eating sensibly, from all food groups, allowing treats but keeping them to a minimum and excercising regularly and intensely. I can definitely live like this forever. Look, if you love rules and love being dedicated to a diet and love to count, journal and such, its not a bad thing. Its defintely not going to hurt you. But its not strictly necessary for everyone, it has some disadvantages for many and not wanting to live that way is NOT an indication that someone will fail, will suffer complications or will not keep their weight off. You can indeed treat the band as a tool to control portions, eat sensibly but more like a normal person and lose weight and keep it off. But I think the post op requirements are remarkably similar between doctors and are VITAL to stick to. You've just had major surgery on your stomach, you want this thing to work and last, you have to allow it to heal. Why you would f-ck with that, I have no idea. That is just not negotiable. If that's the hardest thing you ever have to do in your life, then you're lucky. I found it really easy to be honest. I was full of new joy and good resolutions about what I was going to achieve. This time it was going to work. That was all the motivation I needed.

I'm almost three months out and I don't take TINY bites any more, although I am taking much smaller bites than the giant ones I took pre-surgery. As for alcohol, I have had a small glass of wine or half a margarita a few times, but haven't had much alcohol because (a) the sweet drinks fill me up and take a long time to drink -- same as a Protein drink or any caloric drink would, (:scared0: I don't choose to ingest too many empty calories via alcohol, and © it does hit me a little harder and faster than it used to. For a couple of weeks I had a lot of social occasions where there was alcohol served and it seemed to stop my weight loss dead in its tracks. SO not worth it!!

1) I'm a year out, and take fairly normal sized bites and have been for a few months. I still chew well, but do not have to chew things to a mush. 2) I was released for alcohol at 3 months. I was advised to steer clear of red wines. I steered clear of it during my heavy losing because #1, it's wasted calories, #2 our livers are working double time when we are losing quickly, no reason to task our livers anymore by having to break down alcohol (I avoided Tylenol and a lot of other meds during that time as well for the same reasons). I would recommend drinking at home first so you can see how your body will react. When I first started having a glass of wine here and there, it hit me hard and fast. Now, my tolerance is the same as it was pre-op. I'm a social drinker only, and really only go out once maybe twice a month. I can catch a decent buzz and maintain it if I just kind of nurse my drinks. If I'm drinking heavy, I do get drunk. 3) Once I was released for regular food, the experimenting began. Some things worked, some things didn't, it really is trial and error. If you try something and it doesn't work. Log it, and try it again in a few weeks. I still stuck to my guidelines of Protein first, watched my carbs, and measured my food. I didn't start adding in extra calories/carbs until my surgeon advised me to do so to slow my loss down because I was losing so fast. Once you start adding stuff in, you'll see a difference in how you lose (at least that is my experience). I was able to get my loss to completely stop by adding carbs, and going from 600-800 calories to 1500-1800 calories per day.

You may not be having any adverse affects, but you may not be having optimal results. My experience has been that I have really tried to follow all of my doctor's rules (at least for some time) and then started experimenting w/only the rules that were problematic for me. Some of the rules that were hardest to follow (no carbonation, no artificial sweetener, and no caffeine) turned out to be the best for me. I very begrudgingly gave this all up for the first month after surgery wondering how I would ever satisfy my sweet tooth or have any energy without all of this. As it turns out, I no longer have a sweet tooth (the Diet Coke and artificial sweeteners were just driving my cravings for sweets) and I have more energy than ever (caffeine just had me on a horrible roller-coaster). So, I never went back to any of that. My doctor also says to go on Clear liquids for 72 hours after a fill. And, trust me, I have TRIED! In the beginning, I just did not have enough restriction to go 3 days w/no food at all. So, I would go as long as I could (usually 24 hours) and then work my way up. By my 3rd fill it got easier, and by my 4th fill (last one), I wasn't hungry at all after my fill so no problem at all. My doctor doesn't say you can't drink any alcohol, but she highly recommends against any liquid calories. Boy, this was the hardest for me. I love my wine and cocktails and have an active social life that always includes drinking. I was happy to find that as long as I was exercising and following all the other rules pretty well, I didn't have to give up my alcohol and I could still lose weight pretty well. That is until I plateaued the last three weeks. So, I finally had to slay my sacred cow and decided to commit myself to complete abstinence from alcohol until I reach goal. I didn't get this surgery just to make it halfway to goal. So, there you have it. I think we all end up experimenting w/the rules, but I say just try to give them your best shot to start out with. You just might find out your doctor and nutritionist are right.

1. I still have to take small bites and chew well. If I don't, especially with Protein, it'll come back up or i'll begin to feel discomfort. 2. I haven't attempted to have alcohol yet but I was advice to limit alcohol as it will hit me much harder now. My doctor said that I could try having 1 drink but must take an acid pill 45 minutes prior. 3. I am on solids and eat anything I want. I've tried different foods in small amounts and haven't had the greatest results. You don't want to introduce too many foods at once. I mainly focus on protein and some vegetables. I've had other foods like sushi rolls and even an egg roll. I really limited my portion and I took really small bites. Usually I would stuff the piece of sushi in my mouth but this time I had to use a knife and fork.

I was also banded this week, on Monday. Diarrhea started today, at first I thought it was from all the sugar free popsicles that I have eaten. Sugar free items have sugar alcohol which can cause diarrhea....I then looked at all my meds, my Potassium has diarrhea listed as a side effect...So I don't know!!! I see the nurse on Wednesday, at that time I can start the next phase of food....full liquids!! I still have days before I get solid food again:blink: