PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

What is this pre-op diet talk? My surgery is Feb 25th Pre-op appt Feb 13th I never have heard of this pre-op diet thing:confused: What is it anyone>?????????

I'm really excited! a little nervous about the surgery, but have faith in my Dr., I have to be at the hospital at 5:45 am, so no time to get anxious in the morning. I'm just ready to get it done! My only problem right now is that I'm so hungry. I've only been on liquids for 5 days, and i'm weak and light-headed, probably taking in about 450-500 calories a day and really crabby. If I can just make it through the next 8 hours, I can go to bed, then it'll be time to go! I ate a handfull of goldfish (crackers) today in a moment of weakness, I hope it doesn't come back to haunt me. BTW, I forgot my PIN for my ticker, any advise? I'm down a total of 8 lbs.

Hey guys. Just checking in to see who else is getting banded tomorrow. I'm very excited about the beginning of a new life, a new me, but also pretty nervous now and need some encouragment. I'm hoping and praying that everything goes well, and no complications. OMG, if I can just get over the fear of being put to sleep I think I will be okay. This will be my last post until surgery is completed and I'm back home, although I may post from my Blackberry (if I can get my dad to sneak me my phone into the recovery room)...Lol. But, to my fellow January 23rd banders, good luck and best wishes to all of you. Tomorrow will be a day we will never forget. Love yall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! …

I am 2 days post op and dying for a glass of iced tea. Something tickles my memorie about caffiene being a no no either before or after surgery, but I can't remember which. Can anyone help me out here? Thanks

I have recently decided to get the lap band surgery and have my heart, mind, and soul, set on getting it, i will do whatever it takes no matter what to start my new life, i know im young (17) but i am REALLY overweight, im about 6'6 and 390 pounds, im scared that i will be turned down for surgery, ive been overweight my whole life, and would like to get it, so i can enjoy the life i have, what do you guys think?? would they turn me down???

I have an appointment today with my PCP and I'm going to ask about getting the lap band. I am sooo afraid he will tell me I'm not fat enough.....it seems weird to me to say that because I have been overweight my ENTIRE life, but my BMI is just over 35. I have always weighed over 200lbs but again I'm afraid he will tell me I'm not a good candidate for the surgery:confused: I do have diabetes type II and PCOS and knee problems and I've also been on 4 different prescription meds for weight loss with no success. I guess I'm just posting this to try to relieve some of my anxiety because I really, really want this surgery. I would love to hear from anyone who has a BMI of …

I was searching the net last night and found this: It could be an option...Secure Super Sampler

I believe I met the surgeon that was to perform the Lap-band on me back in October of 2008. Since then I have met with all kinds of specialists for approval of the surgery. I had a sleep test done at the hospital. My insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield IL - HMO had approved everything... I have/had an appointment scheduled with the surgeon for this coming Friday and I just called to confirm that they had all the evaluations needed so that when I met with the surgeon again we could take the next step which I understood was to schedule the surgery. Well the nurse informed me that due to contract negotiations the insurance has cancelled all surgeries. I have to wait AT …

Hi Im cindie and i am getting banded this coming wed,28th,and i have done so well on my optifast diet so far but unfortuatly broke it today with some wedges and sour cream at a kids party. i feel so bad and scared that they wont operate on wed now as i would be shattered. how could i have let my self down so bad??? current weight 110kg, current height 170cm desired weight 65kg

i have been jumping through hoops since july to have this surgery. 6 office visits, 2 nutrition visits, psychiatrist visit, upper gi, pulmonary function testing, surgery consult. im sure im forgetting some. so it is finally here and i am scared $hitless. i sure hope i am doing the right thing. i have lost and gained a total of 500 pounds over the last 25 years so i feel that i have no other option. thanks for all the encouragement from everyone here.

Hello All, I am new to this site. I will be having my band done on March 11 in order to address my sleep apnea and pain from spinal arthritis. My BMI is 36.5, and I wonder if the weight loss will be significant enough to help with some of my problems and to prevent other problems. Is there anyone here who started off below 40 who had similar goals? I will be flying from Washington State to Denver to have the procedure done because I am self-pay. I am wondering if anyone here has had his/her surgery done by Dr. Kirschenbaum. I have read several good things about him so far, and I am pleased with the process and his people up until now. I am apprehensive about the …

My surgery was supposed to be the 9th but my work was giving me a hard time so now its the 11th ill have 5 days to recover is this enough? Very excited:biggrin:

:confused:Hi all, does anyone know for sure how long do I have to go hungary before having the lap band surgery. I hear too many conflicting stories, I want the truth, how many days before the surgery do you have to stop eating? I keep putting off having the lap band done, due to the fact of being scared of dying from hunger prior to surgery. Please help!!!? Thank you so much!

Hello Lap Band world, Since I don't know any of you I feel comfortable in explaining my decision and expressing the nervousness I have. I am a big guy like a football player, however I am not excessly large. My BMI is only 35.3 and going up. I am 42 years old. Of course I know what to do to loose weight and have tried hundreds of diets, but it all seems to come back after 6 months. My problem is that I am not large enough for my insurance company to cover the expenses, besides I am tired of waiting and want this done now. So tomorrow I am on my way to Mexico. I have saved the money and I am doing it. Now I have not told my mother or father as both of them would either w…

Hello. I am scheduled to be banded on 2/3 and my husband says to me today that he wants to talk to me about the surgery. He wants me to cancel. He wants me to give dieting another try first. He has been doing research and is nervous about the hair loss, gallbladder, PB, etc. So that you can understand where his concerns stem from I have had 2 surgeries before and did not do very well. I have a hard time with being put out and infection and wound healing. (not weight loss surgeries) I am scheduled for 2/3 and REALLY want to go thru with it, but am torn, do I make a deal with him and delay 3 months or go against his request and go forward. How do I convince him I will …

What are some of your favorite staple foods? Quick meals? I start my pre-op diet on the 29th and plan on going through our freezer/fridge/pantry and giving all the stuff I won’t be able to eat to my skinny friend's. I'd like to stock up on quick meals and what I should just keep around in my pantry for when I’m actually able to eat. I bought the book "eating well after weight loss surgery" and she had some good staple foods to have around, but I’m curious to see what you all have around. Also, if you go out to dinner, where do you go? what do you get? I'm just trying to get some ideas! I appriciate it! :tongue:

WELL, THE TIME HAS COME... I'M JUST 2 DAYS AWAYS FROM GETTING MY LIFESAVER LAP-BAND. :tongue: I HAVE SO MANY MIXED EMOTIONS RIGHT NOW.:wink: I'M NOT REALLY SCARED, MORE LIKE ANXIOUS. AHHH, A DREAM COME TRUE FOR ME. I AM THOUGH A LITTLE ON THE APPREHENSIVE SIDE ABOUT THE PAIN AFTER SURGERY AS I HAVE NEVER BEEN ONE TO TOLERATE PAIN VERY WELL. I ALSO THINK A LOT ABOUT THE PRE OP DIET I'VE BEEN DOING, AND HOPING I HAVE DONE IT RIGHT AT LEAST ENOUGH THAT MY LIVER HAS SHRUNK SOME. MY ONLY FEAR IS BEING PUT TO SLEEP. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE BEGINNING OF A NEW LIFE AND ALL THE GOOD AND POSITIVE THINGS TO COME. GOOD LUCK AND BEST WISHES TO ALL WHO ARE BEING BANDED FRIDAY.

Hello, For the past (close to) a year now, I have been researching different clinics regarding having the lap band surgery. I have narrowed it down to 3 (2 clinics in the toronto and greater toronto area, and one inthe USA). I visited my doctor and she filled out the neccesary forms to requesting to have the government/OPHIP cover the cost of my surgery. My doctor informed me that she was succesful in having it paid for by OHIP for 6 of her paitents that requested it. However, she informed me that if it were to be covered by OHIP, the only place where I could go to have it done would be to the Barix clinic in the USA. My concern about this is regarding the 'fills' and fo…

I have to start my preop liquid diet tomorrow and i can not afford the medifast that the dr office wants me to do - i have to lose 30 poundsthe shakes has to be around 100 to 120 calories and i need to have 5 of them a day.please anyone that has any shakes i can use - please send. Don't care about taste at this point? I can't start the preop becuase i have no idea what to take.low fat, low calorie, high protein, low card shake...

What kind of salad dressing can you have on low carb?

I see that a couple of us are getting banded on January 12th! I just thought we could have a thred of our own :tongue2: Why not right, there are like 3 of us (probably more). I will start by saying a little about myself... I am 23, living in Modesto California. I am getting banded by dr. higa in Fresno at 9am. My current weight is 280 and my goal weight is 175 (for now anyways). I am married and have been for almost 4 years I can't wait to live a skinny life!!! Can't wait to meet the other 12thers...

I am being banded at the end of Feb and want to use it to the fullest. I was hoping that some of the more experienced bandsters out there would share there secrets to the success that they have had. What have you done to continue on a healthy path that allowed you to lose the most weight. Been reading a lot of negatives lately and want to hear some positives. :wink2: So Spill you guts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:Dancing_wub:

Hi everyone. I am so excited about my upcoming surgery. I am now on my 10 day liquid diet and I am doing fine but every once in a while I feel if I could just lick a spicey taco or something salty I would be okay. But then I stand up and feel the pain in my knees, think about the cpap machine I use, think about the high blood pressure I have and say to myself, this diet won't be forever but losing weigh will and I can survive this. Any support is appreciated. Thanks, Deb

Hi everyone, I am being banded this Sunday, 25th. My doc has only told me that I will be 2 weeks liquid and 2 weeks mushy post op but I am not sure what to buy now. Can someone tell me what the 'clear fluids' are and the 'liquids'? I want to buy the food I will need now so it will be in the cupboard for when I get home after my op. I guess my doc will tell me more when I am at the hospital but I won't want to go food shopping then! I'd be grateful if you could go into more detail about what liquids you can drink! I have some 'lighterlife' shakes an Soups in (like Cambridge diet). Will they be any good? Thanks.

Oh God, Okay, so first I suppose I should give a little background about me.... I decided on 11/4/08 that I would look into Lab Band per the request of my pcp. My aunt and I decided to do this together as her endo has been after her to have the surgery for a year. Had our first appt at NEMC in Boston 12/15/08. They said banding wouldn't be an issue and thought it was a good choice because of my weight and blossoming health issues (high BP, chlesterol, diabetes). I was 242 at that visit. They told my aunt to think about bypass, because of her age, the amount of meds she's on to regulate the same problems I have and she is a heart pt. too. I went in last weds 1/…

My surgery is scheduled for 1/26/09, so I'm starting my pre-op diet today. If anyone has any recommendations for Protein shakes that taste better than others, please let me know. Wish me luck!!

I am on Day 7 of the pre-op diet. My diet consists of two Atkins shakes, 4 oz protein and 1/2 cup non-starchy veggies as well as two servings each of broth, sugar-free jello and sugar-free popsicles. I've adhered strictly to the diet but haven't had any popsicles and not a lot of broth. My arms and legs are feeling weak. Before I started the diet, I would be able to walk and jog on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Today, I had to walk on a significantly slower speed and had to push myself to do 20 minutes. Has anyone else experienced this kind of weakness?

I am scheduled for lap ban on 1-29. My surgeon never mentioned a 2 week liquid diet. They set up my nutritionist meeting for the 23rd. Does evenyone have to do the two week liquid diet or do some surgeons require less?

Getting a little nervous and on pre op diet - any suggestions??

Anyone from Central New Jersey?

I don't know what to do at this point. I am scheduled for 2/23 banding. When I went for my initial appt with surgeon I was 250 - I am now 260 the girl at the office told me I need to weight 230 by surgery date for them to go through it - how can I lose 30 pounds in a month?I am so scared and nervous - I just keep eating - they want me to start my liquid diet 2/1 but that is not enough time.I told her the girl at the scheduling desk that I gained a little weight since my initital visit and she told me it goes by the weight of my first appointment? I want my liver to be fine and am going to try like hell to lose weight on the liquid diet, I just don't think it is realist…

I have an 11 year old son and I am a single parent...he doesnt want me to have the surgery because he is afraid something bad will happen...i have told him everything i can think of to make him feel better and suggestions.... also i have an iud merina is this ok to have or does it have to come out?

I am not banded yet but have started the process, well talking to my therapist she asked if I could still take my medication (capsules) when i am banded. She said i can't open them. Yikes i did not even think of this. Does anyone have the answer? :laugh:

I was banded on Wed 1/7/09 and was seen for my first post op appointment on Tues 1/13/09. The Dr. stated that I should continue full liquids for five days than progress to soft foods for five days and if I tolerate the soft foods than move on to a regular diet. This is different from the materials that they provided on the post op diet. Has anyone followed something similiar?

Well, I am pretty excited. I got my approval from Aetna today. Lorena @ Dr. Spiegal's office in Houston submitted my paper work on the 15th and they called back on the yesterday the 16th to tell me the good news. I must have screamed so loudly! My students were like Ms.? What's going on and when I told them, they were all like YEAAAH MS. B's gonna have her skinny surgery now!! It was cute. Needless to say, I was really happy to hear that. Does anyone know how much more time it takes to get the surgery date after your approval from your insurance?

:unsure:Hello all, I am very new at this. Doctor and I suggested bariatric surgery at my appt on Thursday. I've had friend who have done the lap band surgery and am intrigued. However, I know nothing and don't know where to start. I know basically nothing about this. Where do I start? I am eager and willing. I need to know what lap band is, time lost from work, how much loss will there be etc..... Any other sites would be helpful also. I want to know what I can before I go the bariatric doctor. Any help would be appreciated.

I was just wondering if anyone had ever heard of or tried ZOIC protein drinks. On a site I buy from regularly they have 30 five star reviews. They seem to be pretty good nutrition wise also. They have 110 calories, 1g fat, 5 carbs, 21g protein.

Looking for words of wisdom from everyone. Last night my DH :banghead: thought he was treating me and bought me a favorite frozen custard treat. I had been at work all day after having been home with the flu for 2 days and when I got home he was so proud of himself for getting me something he knows I love. Now I know he wasn't trying to sabotage me because he is so proud of how well I'm doing and tells me so all the time; he just thought I deserved it. I have to admit that I ate most of it, just because he was so proud of himself for thinking of me. From anyone else I could have probably said no thanks. I just don't know how to handle this in the future. I did ask …

I'm getting banded on Monday the 19th in Dallas, I've been on a pre-op diet for 10 days now, protein shakes only (less than 500 calories a day). I've been very good and haven't cheated at all, but now that I am getting close I want to have real food before starting the clear liquid phase, I am thinking of a chicken breast with some peas as I am starting to feel weak from lack of food. I have lost over 17 pounds and am loosing roughly a pound a day now. I'm feeling a little guilty about contemplating "fudging" my diet, my Doc says to have between 800 and 1000 calories a day (i.e. multiple protein shakes I guess) however they did mention you could add a little fruit to t…

Hi, I am gonna make a consult appt. here in s. florida for possibly lap band surgery. Do all doctors make you go for a psych appt.? If so what kind of questions do the psychs ask you? LOL . I am intimidated by the thought of this. Lisa

Hello Bandsters, I am in Nursing school and was able to schedule surgery during the later part of a break, but will only have a few days until I have to be back in school. We are not allowed to miss much. The nurse at the bariatric center says I am cutting it too close. I think I might be able to pull off one week of recovery time. Is this enough? I really don't want to put the surgery on hold and school is non-negotiable. Thanks, Nakniwa:wink:

:tongue_smilie:Hi!! I was wondering if anyone had CIGNA insurance and if it was hard getting approved. My plan covers wls so that is not and issue. Just need to follow the 6 month diet and go for tests, same as what the hospital requires. Thanks!!

(First posted in the diabetic forum but got no response) Hi everybody. All my insurance paperwork was submitted this week and I'm hopeful my surgery will be soon. I've been a non-insulin dependant diabetic for about 7 years now. I have never really educated myself on how to follow a diabetic diet, and lately I have occasional panicky low sugar episodes with the sweating and shaking and the whole nine yards until I get some sugar in me. So, I'm concerned about my one week of pre-op Clear liquids. Can I expect to get through that without going into a low-sugar coma? How did you all get through the pre-op diet? Thanks in advance.

Well just got home around 11am this morning. Anyone out there wondering about this topic. No problem! Calmed the nerves a bit just before I went in. Slept a little when I got home. Have been up and moving around no problem. Tried it, feeling GOOD !!! And my surgery # things was 420. NICE !!! Couldn't have scripted that any better. ABP, here I come! ( I know ABP stands for something, just can't remember. something about all bands pretty or something. lol Has anyone heard from the other guy who was getting surgery today? I can't seem to find the thread to see how it went.

Hi all, Well I've begun my pre-op diet which I can now understand why they call it the "hardest part":cursing: Anyway, somehow, I found a link to Youtube showing a lot of "failed" lap band patients that opted for the Mini Gastric Bypass. Many of them talk of fatigue, aches and constant vomitting. I have been nothing but super excited about this change, and have been getting ready for weeks, now this:crying: Please tell me these are rare occurences. And anyone who has been banded for several years, any relation to these symptoms? Thanks for any input!:yikes:

Hello, Well, I've got one more appointment with the psych, that 's it you know all of sudden the fear I had is melting away. I change doctors (Dr. Kuldeep Singh), just felt good about my decision. He really answered all of my questions without me having to ask also the Nutritionist is wonderful and his front office staff is the best. My sister went with me for the family representation. They weren't too happy about WLS well she'd call the family I've got the SEAL OF APPROVAL.:yikes: Heck I felt so good I went to the store a bought some of the things you guys said you'll for after surgery. LOL okay thanks for reading will keep you all posted. Have a great day! Peace,…

Hi Folks I am new to this site and very exited for all the informatin available on this wonderful site,i go in on the 6 Feb in Brugge Belgium with Dr Dillemens,so it's not to far away . Anyway is there any advice you knowledgable folks can give me on diet preporation at the moment i am cutting down on my food intake and drinking protien drinks also lots of soup with protien bars,has anyone got advise on what i should be doing 3week,two weeks and one week out. thank guys Bandicote:laugh:

This is the liquid diet I have decided to use to try and lose the weight before my lap band on 2/23 - am I able to add a bannana in it or something to give it some flavor?Also am I able to take my regular fiber plills that I normally take. They usually help keep me full when I do take them...I feel like I have so many questions and don't want to keep calling the dr office for every little question I have...Thanks for your help.Jackie

Hi everyone. Hope all are well. I had an exciting night last night. Thank god all involved are ok and alive. Not sure if anyone saw the news withthe US Airways crash into the Hudson River. My husband works for NY Waterway that was invovled in a lot of the rescue efforts for this. He is my little hero....Anyway, I have to lose 25 pounds by 2/20 - what if I am not able to do this will they reschedule my surgery? You see when I went for my first visit I was 250 and then through the 6 months process i gained another 10 pounds - so they need me to be at 230? How am I going to do that? I have no idea...I am just scared because my insurnace carrier changes effective mar…

My primary doctor called today and won't clear me for surgery until I see a cardiologist, my surgery was supposed to be Thursday! Has this happened to anyone else? :cursing: Melanie PS, I have been on my liver diet for 12 days and lost 12 lbs...I am going to stay on it!