PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

Hello all! I've got my surgery date! Looks like I'll be an April bandster!!!!!! I am the first case on April 24th! I cannot believe it!!!! I was expecting something to slow things up. But, I guess not! Now, I've got to set my sites on the preop diet two weeks out (Good Friday - I guess no chocolate bunnies for me!:sad:). Who CARES! I'm gonna get healthy and lose weight!!!! :biggrin: :biggrin: :w00t::woot::crying: YIPEEEEEEE!!!!!!

If you are getting banded this week, i would love to keep in touch with you... hopefully we can help support each other through the weekly/monthly milestones... please join in to this thread and we can send each other messages. Talk to you soon!

I finally got my surgery date, did all my pre opt appoinment and now the pre op liquid diet. This is my first day and all I can think about it FOOD!! Does anyone have any sugestions on what I can eat? I have to do the protein drinks and vegetables for two weeks. But I can tell that green beans will get OLD!! So any suggestions will be very much appreciated. Teresa Surgrey date: April 10th

Can anyone tell with whats the pre-op class about

Anyone getting there band in March??? I just found out today I'm getting it done either the 3rd or 10th of March and I am so excited I screamed for like 10 minutes:w00t: I switched from the gastric bypass to the band and he called he to tell me they could get me in the 24th of this month for the bypass And I said I wanted the band and i called 3 times last week and he was like oh ok well I can get you in either the 3ed or 10th of March!!!!!!!!!!!!! So thrilled and excited and nervous all at once ya know. OMG i cna't believe this is happening finally after over a year waiting. It's happening. I had to wait to so long b.c the Army moved us to texas and i had i start the p…

hi, have a quick question. how much weight did you loss in the first 6 weeks to 2 months after surgery? i have family reunion June 6 having surgery april 20th....last time alot of the people saw me i was 80 lbs less. know i will not loss that much, but i was hoping for at least 20 to 30. thanks everyone

I am on day #5 of my pre-op liquid protein diet. I am keeping a log of what I am drinking, grams of protein, fat, carbs and sugars. Yesterday, I had 198 grams of protein! i think what did it was the physician's weight loss center nuritional supplements that i sip throughout the day that total 36 grams of protein in 24oz. imagine if crystal light had 12 grams of protein in every 8oz. what happens when we consume too much protein?

ok, this is going to sound weird, and please don't hate me because these are thoughts I'VE had about myself, but i've got to get this out to those of you who know way more than me. i am here i'm doing extensive research about lap band surgery and this board has been incredibly enlightening. so thank you in advance for allowing me to indulge. i have read about the 2 week all liquid pre op diet and the 2 week post op all liquid diet (and i do realize it varies from dr. to dr.) and it sounds incredibly difficult to do -- pre op especially. so here is my question: how do you have the will power to do all liquid pre op and post op but not the will power to stay on a d…

Okay, so today is my 9th day on the liquid pre-op diet and just when I thought I was doing well....I start feeling like I got off a major roller-coaster. You know the kind...the one that shakes your body and makes you feel like your head weighs a ton. Getting a major headache and feeling queasy. Has this happened to you? This may be too much info, but to top it off my "aunt flo" decides to visit me today. I'm getting enough fluids so I just hope Wed, 4/1, rolls around soon. Thanks for listening!

I don't know about you, but with my surgery date coming up on April 17th, I can't stop thinking about how much fun SHOPPING will actually be once I get to my goal weight. I am so done with Lane Bryant, Torrid, Cato PLUS, and any other XXL type clothes with tacky prints and outrageous prices. I can't WAIT to shop at the outlet malls and actually spend $100 and walk away with SEVERAL outfits. I even am so excited to be able to share clothes with my sister, which I've NEVER been able to do. It brings tears to my eyes. Woo... Now I'm sure you each have shopping dreams of your own, what are they? What store can you not wait to shop? What is your dream outfit that y…

Hi. I'm getting banded 4-1. Been on liquid diet since the 19th. I have done really well, much better than I expected but I am wanting to EAT something even if it's a veggie burger. I have lost about 18 pounds in the last week...has anyone eaten something good for you or not during your preop diet the week before surgery and did it mess anything up?

I will be scheduling my psych evaluation with Dr. Massong very soon. Can anyone who has been to him for preop weight loss evaluation tell me what I can expect? This scares me more than the surgery!

Hello... I'm 26 years old, 5'8", and weigh 380 pounds. I've been heavy ALL MY LIFE. I've always been told by everyone I meet that I'm facially beautiful. I've always had friends, always had a huge social life, and was always happy. I decided to get a lapband because I need to lose weight to be a more healthy person and live a more active life...the older I've gotten the more out of shape I've become since my days as a fastpitch softball player. I also want to lose weight to just see what life would be like as a thin person. How would my body look? How would my face change? Would my love life improve (PLEASE GOD YES!). At any rate, my mother--who was also overweight and…

This is my first time here. I went for my physc eval., met with dietician, and nurse. Have to have bloodwork, barium swallow, within the six month wait ..have the pre-op diet to follow, going to my family doc tomorrow, but afraid he won't support my lap-band dission. I don't know if I will make it until Sept., anyone else waiting on Sept? :huh2:

I’m about 6 weeks away from my pre-op class so I’m trying to put together some lists so I’ll know what to buy now, or what I need to ask/gain approval about from my surgeon. Is there anything I’ve forgotten? Here’s the list I’ve compiled from everyone’s suggestions for taking to the Hospital (this does not include my post-op at home list). I’m a Mary Poppins (I’d rather have it and not use it, then to be wanting it and not have it) so taking a lot doesn’t bother me a bit (and we’re only 30 min. from the hospital)…so add away! I should note that I’m allergic to most soaps, thus the reason to take my own nighty and sheets for the bed- just take 2 top sheets to san…

So I had a Dr appt yesterday to get the results of an ultrasound of my liver. As it turns out I have a severly fatty liver and gall stones. Now I am waiting to find out if I need to have my gallbladder out prior to being banded or if the banding Dr will do both at once. Has anyone here had to deal with gall stones just before their procedure? If so what was your result? I thank you for any input you may have.

I just need to post something to say how frustrated I am with my doctor's office right now. I'm the type of person that when I make a decision to do something I try to put everything I have behind it. I went to my first seminar on February 24th to meet with the doctor. The very next day I made an appt with the office and was given the packet of all the test and procedures that needed to be done. I have a very understanding boss and with some negotiating I was able to have all of my test done within two weeks. I have had both my first and second evaluations and was told two weeks ago it would take about two weeks to get my insurane approval. Today would mark two weeks…

I am about to be banded (date set tentatively for May 6, 09) and I am sooo confused as to which band to pick. I have read several threads here and I am now more confused than ever. What research do you trust..how can I be sure my Dr isn't biased one way or the other etc.. I am about to pick something that will stay in my body..hopefully forever..and I want to make the best decision but I can't seem to decide. Has anyone else felt as paralyzed as I do about making this decision???

Hey y'all I just got done with my consult and they have set the date of April 15th!!! Yeah!!! And my post op is on the 7th! :rolleyes2:

Hi All-- I was banded February 16 and have lost 22 pounds. Surprisingly, I'm still retaining a lot of Fluid, which causes swelling in my fingers and ankles. I drink between 64-80 oz of clear liquid daily, am not eating a diet high in sodium and take a diuretic every day. I admit I don't have a regular exercise routine. One of the reasons I had the surgery was to relieve some of the pressure off of my severly damaged back. Is anyone else experiencing this? I tend to retain Water, but I thought with a bit of weight loss the problem would lessen. If anything I'm more aware of it. Thanks for any insights, BeautyLocs

hello everyone, I'm new at this so just want to introduce myself and ask a few question about the lap band. i had my lap-band surgery on Nov. 3, 2008 i had weighed 215lbs. I have had 3 adjustment and I i have only lost 23 lbs and now i feel stuck. I just had my 3rd adjustment on Tuesday when i weight in it shown that i gain 2lbs is that normal? i can eat anything except bread and rice, and i don't feel any restriction what so ever. I still throw-up a lot when i do eat bread and rice. so is anyone having this same problem? am I doing something wrong? i see the Dr. every 6 weeks instead of 4, by the time i see him again i'm so discourage that i think i made a mistak…

Hi All Im posting on behalf of my mother..after being on medibank for a year and being eligible in January 09 for the procedure my mother has been delayed her surgery. She has undergone all the tests,etc and all she was waiting for was the to get the lapband done by the surgeon.To cut a long story short, the surgeon has unfortunatly fallen ill and has asked my mother to wait until May and then he maybe able to do it then but no gaurantee..you can imagine how desperate my mother is after waiting over a year to get this done. She wants to get it done within the next month with the costs kept to a minumin with a good surgeon in Western Australia. Has anyone got any similiar…

I've seen my dietician 4 times since Dec and still have not lost anything. She said Thursday (tomorrow) she will meet with the surgeon to see if he will fore-cast a date for me, she said he may want to see me again to see if there is enough room in my stomach ect.....I'm really nervous... I was just wondering if there was anyone else who was required to loose weight, didn't and still had the surgery? Thanks!

For all the new pre-band people, be prepared for rude and inconsiderate comments. I went for my pre-anesthesia appt and the lady asked me "are you sure you want this? You don't look like you need it!" I was devistated! :thumbup:(My heart was crushed!) I looked her in the eyes and said "Yes, I have worked really hard to get to where I'm at." She said how much wait have you lost? I said I started at 247 and now 221.6. She said that's the hardest thing is just loosing the weight! I told her "No", for me it's keeping it off! I could clearly see that just because she was in the medical field, she did not know anything about obesity! I knew that me being on a liquid…

Anyone from this area that would like to get together for friendship, support or excercising???:cursing:

Hi Guys, I have surgery on 04-03-09..Does anyone have any suggestion for what type of soap to use that won't infect the incisions..:rolleyes2:

Hi guys, It is 8 days til my surgery and I am getting very nervous. How bad is the pain the first few hours after and next day after surgery:crying:

I am looking for answers, encouragement, discouragement, etc. I am seriously thinking of the surgery.:thumbup:

Ok..so I have been following this website for about a month now...and this is my first post...I started my pre lapband journey Feb 5, 2009 and I am glad to report that today I had my nutrition appt. and psych eval. Both appts went absolutely GREAT! I was really nervous about both...but my nutrition appt was awesome the dietitian was super nice, and she helped me set some pre-op goals and went over everything pre-op and post-op to expect with the band, diet wise; then my psych eval went really smooth, I was expecting to have to go in and cry and pled my case but she just wanted to know pretty much everything about my life, childhood, home life, and family; she was so easy …

Hi everyone. I've been wondering after Lap Band Surgery, How soon can you sleep on your stomach again??? Is there pressure??? Or you just avoid it???-Thanks :huh2:

I have just really begun talking about this and am looking at lap band surgery. I'm 48 and 5'6 and 235. I have four younger sisters, all very heavy.....I called my insurance and will have to go through a year of their program before I'm eligible for surgery. I'm not worried about that or the surgery really. I wonder what life will be like after. Ten years ago I got sick through blood poisoning and was on a respirator for 12 days - I got well and left the cigs alone after 25 years of smoking. I am so glad. I wonder if this surgery will be like that _ a tool that I can pick the ball up and run with it. I think going to the gym would be so much easier 50 pounds lighter..…

I've been sick with a bad cold for the last week (literally seven days). While it's gotten better, I am still very congested (head congestion). Im having a hard time breathing through my nose. Im taking mucinex extended release now to get rid of the congestion. Im getting nervous that I wont be rid of it by my surgery date next Thursday. It's only a week away. Will they put me under with all this head congestion? Of course, it's a very good possiblity I'll be totally over it by then, but I must say Im very anxious to get rid of it.

to everyone who has already ben banded, i have a question.... is there anything that you wish someone would have told you before your surgery that you didnt already know? im just looking to see if there is any advice that i can get from people who have already gone thru the procedure to see if i can get any helpful hints or tools. advice is greatly appreciated!! thank you!

I am hearing so much about this six month preop diet, it scares me. I know it is to make sure you can stick to this long term but I just can't imagine waiting so long to have surgery. Yes I have waited my whole life for this but now since things are really speeding up I don't know if I could handle another half a year. Also I know of people who had to do the six month diet and others who didn't. Is it something that insurance companies request or does it just depend on what the doctors think or what??? I'm soo confused. And very freakin nervous.

I am having my surgery tomorrow morning. Does anyone have any last minute advice or preperation suggestions???:lunch:

Hi, I have a date for my surgery; it will be on April 7th. I am starting my diet this Monday. The closer the surgery date gets, the more nervous I am. I was so scared that something is going to happen and I’ll die. I had a bad dream last night too, I dreamt that the surgery went well but I developed blood clots after that and was in a hurry to get to the hospital, so the doctor can save me. I did not know the outcome because I woke up first but my heart was racing so fast and it was so real. I told my husband about it and he said if you are scare that much then why doing it. Does anyone else scare or have bad dream like this? Alisa

Hi, I am scheduled to have lap band surgery in May. It would be great to get some information about what to expect. Also, what are the most difficult aspects of lap banding? How hard is it to adjust to eating only 2 ounces? :huh2:

Hi! I've read a lot of stuff on here and appreciate all of the information you've all shared! Thank you! I went to a seminar about bariatric surgery a couple of weeks ago and don't think I'll get it done there (they seemed too pushy) but I have a question. They said that you have to give up carbonated beverages for the rest of your life. Is this true? I've never seen anything on here about that. I know it seems trivial in the big picture but I really like having a diet coke every day. Will I have to give it up forever? Why? Just curious. Thanks for the help! :huh2:

Yeah! Just got off the phone with the surgeon's office and they had received my approval for surgery from the Insurance Co. I have Cigna and was worried. Thought I'd have a wait but the information was submitted last Thursday afternoon and we got the OK this morning..... My date has been set up for April 14...Now for the pre-op diet. Need to start it tomorrow but it is not full liquids. I can have a low-fat small dinner so I am confident it will be tolerable. SuzDavis

Has anyone had a Gastric Bypass or Lap-Band patient discourage you to have the surgery? I spoke to a lady this weekend that had Gastric Bypass and she totally discouraged me….She said to beware of the following: 1. Addiction Transference: She said that food is your addiction and that we can transfer that addiction to something else. Her examples where Sex and Drugs. And she admitted to having a drug addiction now. She blames it all on not being “ready” for the surgery…or being “supported” by her doctor. 2. Being a Self Pay: She said the doctors will take your money and run. As she put it. 3. Having a Psych evaluation: She said that even if you feel rea…

JUST GOT THE PHONE CALL!!!!! I HAVE NOW BECOME A APRIL BANDSTER, SO EXCITED, HAPPY, AND SCARED. WAITING FOR DOCTORS OFFICE TO CALL TO SCHEDULE DATE, SAID IT WILL BE WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS. ALL I CAN SAY IS WOOHOO!!!!:frown:

I am having lap band tomorrow. A little worried because my doctor appears to have more restrictions than what I have heard from other post band patients. He puts you on a strict no milk product diet post surgery so no things like ensure, etc What worked best for you post surgery for your liquid diet?

Hi there. I'm a newbie but have been lurking for several months. This site has been a blessing, even tho I had to learn to take positive and leave the negative. I've heard a lot of people say their surgery is like a new birth. My surgery was supposed to be on March 10th, but was postponed until March 24th. I was a little disappointed but soon became excited that I can finally start celebrating my birthday again. My original weight was 237, and after preop diet I've lost over 20 lbs. :rolleyes2: I am excited, and after I recover abit in a day or two I will return with more of my story. Again, I thank everyone and wish everyone good luck.

So my first appointment with my PCP was last monday. I was told id probably have to do a 6 month diet, but I am on WW so it would go back from the day I started WW. I left for a cruise on Thursday, and I already had a letter in the mail dated last Wednesday saying I was authorized to see the surgeon! Can you flippin believe that? I thought it would be late april or May that I could finally schedule an appointment with the surgeons office. Now my first orientation class is next Friday 4/3. Its 2 1/2 hours and they will by then be able to tell me what Ill have to do before seeing the actual surgeon! Im so happy I cant believe it. This is going so much faster then I expe…

My insurance company has approved my surgery so I am just waiting to get the surgery scheduled! :frown: There seems to be differing info. on whether or not we can drink regular coffee after the surgery. I was planning to have a tiny espresso cup of coffee in the mornings once I am a couple weeks post-surgery, but the dietician told me "No More Coffee After Surgery!" unless it is de-caf. I don't see this exclusion in any of the lap band info. I have read. Are you still drinking coffee? This might sound like a silly question, but how do you make sure that you get all your Water in every day when you can't take in a lot at one time and with the stop/start drinking arou…

My date is now 4 days away and I have a question. Can I take my birth contol on the day of the surgery? Or for that matter the day before?

april 20th!!!!:rolleyes2:

Does anyone know/suggest/disagree with me getting some of the beginning stages of the process of Lapband done while I am pregnant. I found out I was pregnant after getting the referral approved. The baby is not due until July so I am looking at having it done Sept/Oct. We are scheduled to PCS in December. If I wait until we get to our new duty station I will have to start the process over again. I have been seeing my PCM for 3 years so she knows my conditions. What if any can I get done at this stage? Consult, Psy eval, EKG?

This is my first post, so please be easy on me. I'm 24 years old and am 190 pounds. Most members on both sides of my family are obese and have struggled with their weight since adolescence. I was thin until around 16 and have gradually gained more and more weight over the years. I fight really hard to maintain a weight of 190 pounds. REALLY hard. I don't eat fast food, don't drink soda, exercise and somehow I still manage to slowly but surely gain weight. I don't eat or drink anymore than any of my friends. I've had blood tests and there's nothing wrong with my thyroid and no physical explanation for this. The only explanation I can find is in my genes. So, my que…

Hey all, just a quick question... I keep seeing these ads about having the Lap Band done in Mexico for like half the price of using an American surgeon. My question is... Have any of you taken the trip south of the border to have your surgery, and if so, what was the experience like? I currently do not have insurance and I am probably going to have to pay out of pocket for my procedure (hubby just started a new job, so I will see what the benefits are like before I buy a plane ticket). Do you think it would be safe to have it done in Mexico? Yes, I know that Mexico has good hospitals, but why is the price so cheap? Is this along the lines of "you get what you pay for"? …