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Hello all, My journey began last October, while in nursing school(LVN Nursing) I realized that if I am going to do the job I plan for, I needed to lose a lot of weight. At the end of a 10 hour clinical day my back and hips hurt! So I contacted Kaiser, and they signed me up for the Bariatric program. After 12 weeks of attending their night classes during my lunch break from school, I finally completed the program last March. I scheduled my surgery for the first available date, April 14th. I took my NCLEX test while on the liquid pre-op diet required for surgery. I'm glad to say that I was still able to pass my test, even with the tummy distraction:) Anyways, the week before surgery I began to get sick, and woke up the day before with a temperature of 102. So I had to call my surgeon, and he cancelled my surgery. I took some time to think the surgery over and try to lose weight on my own like my family begged me to do. Then I saw the pictures of the girl had her surgery a few days before mine was scheduled to be. She had lost 50 lbs. and looked amazing, healthy, and happy. As I looked at her pictures, I was reminded of why I want this for myself. So I called my surgeon and met with him. Set my surgery for the soonest available date (Sept. 8). Well, my husband's birthday is September 4th, and he wanted a Harley. We went to pick it up August 28th, so we could go on one Harley ride before surgery. Well, I wanted to get on and take a picture with it, and burned my leg. I didn't think anything of it for a few days. August 30th I woke up because of a pain in my leg. The blister from my burn had come off, and it was a painful red mess. I just put a bandaid on it and went back to bed. The next morning, I could tell it was infected. I cleaned and bandaged it, and yesterday(Sept. 1) it was finally starting to look better. Went to my obgyn today, and she noticed my bandage, so she asked to take a look. She said it still looked like a very slight infection. She notified my surgeon, and now he is thinking of cancelling my surgery. I am so disappointed. I will not know until next Wednesday if I'm having surgery or not. I have an appointment scheduled then so he can take another look at it. If this is cancelled, it will be my second surgery cancelled for unrelated acute medical conditions. LAME!! Praying that it heals up well by Wednesday. Thanks for letting me vent. Sarah

Hi all I'm new to this blog stuff so please cut my a little slack. I've been searching for a solution to weight issues all my life and have done and tried almost all things out there About 10 years ago a good friend and business associate had a bypass he is 6'7" and was 450 or so. His was a forced issue as his family history of heart attacks was catching up to him. Results were mixed 150 plus loss but plenty of complications along the way. So while considering and studying this I decided it was not for me. Another friend had lapband and results were fantastic BUT after a year or so weight came creeping back along with the out of control feeling and helplessness. I remembered these feelings well as I lost 109 lbs in 90 days on pills and shots That was back in the 80's I could watch a commercial on TV and gain 5 lbs devastating feeling. I also learned that this procedure had its fair share of complications and weight gain was not insignificant. So here I am 61 years old retired since 04 going to do something for myself. Type A guy intense all the attributes. Gastric sleeve is for me. Starting weight about 2 wks ago was 362 not my highest but up there started th 1200 calorie about 9 days ago and will go until surgery march 6. Dr Nicholson out of Dallas is my guy. My regular drs partners wife (got that) had hers done there and I've since found a lot of drs send themselves their family members to him that shortened my search a lot These forums have truly been a blessing to me and I am going to try to contribute in a meaningful way as I travel along Thanks to all

I have a friend who is participating in a "biggest loser" contest at work, she is trying to lose 10 llbs in 2 weeks. :eek:I have seen preop post where isopure drinks were mentioned, and I want to get an idea on how much wt was lost. She works out approx 1hr--4 days a wk and daily caloric intake is approx. 1000. I know this is not a healthy idea but....any help in appreciated

I had the same problem again today, but not as bad. I even had a hard boiled egg for dinner almost 3 hours ago and didn't feel this full until about an hour after dinner. Jalomum, I had one fill about 6 weeks ago, of 2 cc's in my 10 cc band. That is the only fill I've had. I haven't had a problem with any food getting stuck or anything, so I hadn't thought it would come up now. Thanks for your advice. It was nice to eat some carbs, but it looks like I'll have to go back to a more Protein focused diet.

10 pounds is great! Keep up the good work.

Another update and a good one! I actually wrote pretty much the same thing on the Post Surgery Board. I went in to see the doc today about my incision, and found out that it has closed up enough (and is strong enough) not to need stitches. He did give me a script for antbiotics which i will take for 10 days along with 1 yogurt a day. I had my first yogurt today and it was awesome! I have been busy today and more active than the past few days....even went on a walk with pumpkin (our dog) and pain is tolerable now.....Things are now going in the right direction. Just a minor complication that apparently is now fixed

Hi, thanks! I am on a 10 day liquid high protein/low carb diet. I have started putting hot sauce in my V8 and it is now my daily treat.

You need to take a deep breath, and take every day as it comes. In the beginning post-surgery you have swelling that helps you to feel restriction without having any fill in the band. Will you NEED a fill at some point? Maybe, maybe not. But it's really not worth worrying over it now! You're only what, 10 days past surgery? You have a long time before you have to think about needing a fill!

So my phone rang at work and it was the doctor's office and I immediately got excited, hoping they were bringing news of insurance approval. I knew that I would be hearing back either today or tomorrow about it. Well it wasn't that. I guess the doctor was looking at my file and he doesn't feel I have lost enough weight to perform the surgery yet. The PA at the office said he wants to see me tomorrow morning and he will decide if it will be postponed. I have lost 8 lbs since the pre-op started 10 days ago. I thought I was doing okay on it. Never once during my 6 months of nutrition visits was I told I needed to reach a specific number in order to qualify. So I am heading in tomorrow and will get all of my paperwork signed, hopefully the insurance approval will be in but if I don't have the surgery Monday, then I will be waiting at minimum until the 26th since the doctor is on vacation the 3rd week of the month. I was really upset when I was told that and felt like I wasn't completely informed not being given what the expectation was to start with. I am hopeful he won't cancel but I want to be safe too, i don't want to take any unnecessary risks. I already had the time off with work, everyone but one person thought I was taking "vacation" time and now to cancel at the last minute is going to seem weird. Not to mention it's really hard for me to take the first and fourth week off in a month so the two weeks in middle were perfect, I would rather not wait until the 2nd week of May. Just frustrated.

I was sleeved 9/19 as well- went in at 234, was 223 yesterday. Happy with it! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Congrats on the stopping smoking. I quit 2 1/2 years ago. I agree it is hard to take that on and everything else. As far as soda goes I have drank diet sunkist for 10 years exclusively. I happen to like the taste carbonated or flat. So I am going to keep some bottles in which I have decarbonated them to fix my need for soda occassionally. Some folks think flat soda yuck I think yum better than nothing. M

I was 425lbs at 29 years old I had my 1st surgery and dropped down to 220lbs in 2 years. As far as looking at my body and not liking what I see, I never liked being naked. But now I had my 2nd surgery due to a fistula and started @ 275lbs today is day 10 of my post op and I am 230lbs. For me the 2nd surgery had nothing to do with my weight just not being sick. At 45 yrs old I can say nobody has ever said a naked chick loves their body.

Post Great Grains Protein Blend Cinnamon/Hazelnut 8grams protein per serving 230 calories for a full cup but I can only eat half a cup. Special K Protein 120 calories for 3/4 cup and 10 grams of protein. Again I can only eat half a cup. They both taste really good too.

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My surgery was 10-15 and staples are still in ...... They come out tomorrow but itch really bad..... Anything I can do?

Hi all, Wanted to drop an update on here. I've run in to some more complications post-op than I'd like. I'm that low percentage of patients who apparently have issues. When I actually had my operation, my stomach pouch leaked, so they did a revision on the spot, which basically just means they stapled more off. This resulted in an even smaller pouch than the standard RnY patient. It also meant some very deep stitches to keep everything from moving around. So, post-op, the stitches (which were sealed in place on the surface with staples) were the source of tremendous amounts of pain. I have a high pain tolerance, and hydrocodone wasn't even touching my pain. I ended up going back in, they ran some labs, gave me IV fluids, took the staples out, and told me to continue to lie low, it should heal on its own. After a few more days of my pain being at a 12 on a 10 scale, it did finally get better. Then, earlier this week, I started having an issue with the pureed food I was eating just sitting in my stomach. The only way I could move it was to throw it up. This was happening with food and liquid/water. So I went back in again, and after an upper GI, they determined my stomach was very, very slow to empty. Now I'm waiting for 2 weeks to have them go in with a scope and balloon open my connection from my pouch to my intestine. In the meantime, I'm back on a liquid diet. So, I guess my update isn't really that positive, but there it is. My weight continues to fall off. I'm down 36 pounds from surgery just over 4 weeks ago, and soooo close to being below 300 for the first time in I don't know how long. Those are positive. But I'd really like to be semi-normal now...

NJS: Don't worry, I started my journey in November 2011, I have bcbsil. Went through all the necessary steps, but always knew that my bmi was less than the criteria. When paperwork was denied, I devestated, but not for long. Went into plan (. When plan ( fell through I went to plan ©. Okay, plan © went through. My surgery is set for April 19, 2012!!! Finally. Just don't worry, you'll be find, help them get all your paper work in line, there is no reason for you to be denied.!! Keep the faith. Stevee

i can totally relate...i'm in a 12...probably could get in2 a 10/11...but i'm not at goal...i have been at 179 pounds for close to 3 weeks now...i had a awesome ride with my band...when i look at myself i'm all :thumbup:....when i look at the scale i'm :ohmy:...i posted a thread once asking if people think u lose more inches...not pounds ...inches when u have weight loss surgery vs. conventinal diets and everyone jumped down my throat...telling me a pound is a pound...when again i said inches...what do u think????????????

I am really glad to hear that you are doing ok. Thank you for adding me to your friends list. I am going to add you to mine now. Thank you! Wow, 16 pounds in 10 days is great.

Hello Everybody! It has been 10 days since I was sleeved. I'm doing pretty well. Looking forward to moving to mushies next week! :thumbup: YAY! I've lost 16lbs. so far. :lol0: When I went back to the doctor he told me that I was dehydrated and needed to drink more. They told me I need to drink like 3 20oz bottles of liquid everyday. I probably have been drinking 1... I guess I have been worried about drinking too much or taking too big of sips. HOW do I know if this happens? I really haven't had any problems since the surgery. I haven't felt like I was going to throw up or anything like that. Also when I drink soup, I am finally able to eat soup with chicken and vegetables if it is put through the blender! What happens if I put too much in my sleeve? I usually go with 1/2 cup, but sometimes I still feel hungry... Advice anyone? :001_smile:

With Aetna and I am speaking from eperience. They require a 3 month supervised diet with the supervision of a dietician/exercise therapist "usually dietician counts as both" and the supervision of your pcp and a pych eval. With the 6 months you are supervised by your pcp, you need 1 meeting/consult with the dietician and a pych eval. No matter if you do the 3 months or the 6 months they also require a 2 year weight history and mine requested a sleep study. Also for them to approve they require a bmi of 35 or higher with comorbidities or 40 or higher with out.. I did the 6 months charting as well as the sleep study and 2 year history and was approved within 10 days

It has been two weeks and five days since my surgery, and I am left in wonder and introspection. I have had my first post-op doctor's appointment and am scheduled to see him again in about two months. I am to lose 24 pounds by then. My scale and the scale at my doctor's are different by six pounds; I also weigh myself nude at home while I am fully clothed while at my doctor's (plus I think I had my car keys in my jeans pocket). I've realized I haven't been following the schedule that I am supposed to have set with my meals: 3 meals a day, 2oz each, and 2 protein shakes. I am still on a liquid diet; broths and protein shakes have been my meals. I've been nearly meeting my protein intake of 50g a day (I get around 46-50, depending on the kind of shake I drink). Along with my realization that I need to work on my food schedule, I also realized I need to be measuring my broth so I can get used to the 2 oz of food I am allowed, so when day 22 comes along, I will measure my soft foods out of habit. Instead of measuring my broth, I've been pouring them into my little toddler bowl and eating it slowly until I feel full. I believe that I was eating double of what I should, but then would not "eat" broth the rest of the day, but would focus on drinking my protein shakes. Even with the completion of my third week coming up and soft foods will soon be on my menu, I am still only allowed 500 calories. This is somewhat concerning to me in that a protein shake that I am loving automatically gives me 220 calories. I can reduce that by using just water to make my shake as opposed to a cup of soy milk and half a cup of water; though with the current way I make my shake, I get 33g of protein in. I'm considering having that shake as a "breakfast" and shake combo. I am also concerned about the 500 calories since I will be starting to exercise, besides the everyday walking that I do. I will start slow, but I also know that beforehand I could burn 400 calories with 30mins of cardio. I trust my doctor, so I just have to hold on to that while wrapping my head around the idea of small calorie intake and the addition of cardio and eventually strength training. With all these changes that I've been going through, I've realized that I've been focusing on the wrong numbers: instead of focusing on my number triad of 500/50/<40, I have been focusing on the number on the scale. and disappointed in that I see no difference in my body shape. Still, I know I am losing weight, and I tell/comfort myself with the idea that I may be losing slowly compared to others but that could be good for me skin wise and also, just adjustment wise. I've taken to keeping a food diary, and have set up a weight loss chart to remind myself that even if I cannot see a difference, I am losing weight and am on track. With all that being said, I am glad that I've taken this big step and am making progress on my journey. I've realized my mistakes and am seeking to correct them. I am working on my water intake, thought I do get my full amount of liquids in through the broth, shakes and bit of water I do drink. I know I need to get better at my water intake since I will be trying soft foods soon, so I will be including broth less and less in my liquid intake (and really, I am getting so freaking tired of chicken broth). I am making my way down this path and with each little step I'm realizing past mistakes in the way I ate and took care of myself, and I'm realizing the mistakes I was making now and am working on correcting those. Sometimes, things that are worthwhile must be worked for and earned so their enjoyment is that much sweeter. My life will be so much sweeter learning and meeting the new me. And for now, in the short term, the sweetness will come with my first scrambled egg!

I know you are eager to get started. however I would stick with the dr and nut suggestion. it sure cant hurt you to wait and it might hurt to push it. the tummy takes time to heal and we need to allow for that. just my option I am 10 years out and have never had a moments trouble with ulcers or pouch stretching and I truly believe it is because I follow the directions of my support team. best of luck to you. so glad you are doing so well. keep up the great progress

I am one week out from RNY and I am doing great. No pain in last 5 days. Tolerating all fluids well. Feel a little twinge of pain if I go above 3/4 cup. I was on full liquid pudding/soups etc.. the day after surgery before discharge. I have been on the full liquid diet for 7 days. Every hospital is different but the next step for me is soft diet in another week and then lifetime diet two weeks later. So here is the question. How fast did people advance to the soft diet (eggs, ground meats, seafood, canned fruit and veg etc...) I am thinking about starting at the 10 day mark (4 days early). As I said I am tolerating everything really well. I have lost 28lbs since pre-op diet (my pre-op diet was 1000 calorie diet of solid foods). 14 since surgery on 11/29.

Hello Lapband People: I will be joining the banders on July 12th 2006 and am very excited. I have a few weeks of regular food left before the last 10 days of a liquid diet, Oh My :huytsao I am not nervous about the surgery, But I am about what I will be able to eat for the rest of my life? I was told today, after the surgery, No more bread, Pizza, Shrimp, or Lobster,good thing I like Tuna :nervous I am down about 20 lbs so far this year just eating less crap, and stopped snacking. I will be having it done at Scripps in La Jolla California. I just want to loose about 80 lbs, They say it will take some time, But I hope to have it all off by year end, That may be unrealistic, but it's a good goal. Can't wait to say goodbye to my Diabetic Meds :clap2: