PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

Today is day 4 for my preop diet... I am on 3 -4 shakes a day and can have 2 cups of steamed or raw vegtables - -- Last night though... I had a slice of turkey, a slice of ham, and...1 glass of champagne. I am mad at myself, yet, also sort of amazed that, that was my only slip up! I will tell my surgeon, but am hoping that since I still have over 10 days of the preop diet I will be ok for surgery. How did others do last night?

Hi everyone! Thanks for taking the time to read this. I have a stupid question. I just started the whole process of trying to get a LAP-BAND, and Im not quite sure the order that things need to be done in. I know my insurance covers the proceedure, and I know that my insurance covers the surgeon that i have chosen. Bascially all i have done so far is go to my PCP and tell her that I want the proceedure done, and she told me that she believes I am a great canidate. I know that I need to meet with my surgeon, and I know that the surgeon requires a psych consult, but after that Im not sure what needs to be done. Im also not sure when the letter gets submitted to my insurance…

I am being banded Oct 29 and I would like to "emotionally" hold hands with someone that morning who is having surgery that day.

OK, so today, I completed all of my pre-op requirements with attending my psych eval.:frown: The psychologist has decided that I am sane, so now it's time to hurry up and wait for my one-on-one with the surgeon. I really think the number of hoops we're required to jump through prior to surgery is a bit much; however, I have had it a lot easier than some of the posters on this site: no 6-month supervised diet and no pre-op diet required, and for that I am truly thankful. So all of the post-op folks: how long did it take for you to get an actual surgery date after getting as far as I have thus far? I have had my chest x-ray, EKG, nutrition consult, group suppoer meeting, gr…

ok, im not to this point yet, im in the shrink-your-liver phase, but since my town has nothing, im planning ahead. i know you have to do a liquid diet pre and post op, and ive got some questions 1- what is usually recommended? like diet shakes or something? 2- im breastfeeding my 15 month old, so how will the requirements differ from someone who isnt? 3- i cant do artificial sweenters (aspertame, splenda, etc) they literally make me sick. what are some good options that dont have any of that stuff in them? 4- baby has a dairy allergy, so because im nursing, that makes me dairy free as well. any good dairy free stuff? thanks!!

What do I need for after surgery? I have heard that Gas-X is good but what what else would you recommend, food, medicine or anything that you wish you knew or worked for you! My insurance company finally approved me yesterday!!:laugh: My date is January 13, 2009. THANK YOU!!!

Just found this site. My first visit to see about lap band was in April 2008. I :crying:Was ready to be wheeled to O.R. on Nov 25 and my surgery was cancelled due to my white count being elivated.....No one caught it til the doctor came in and looked at the chart.

I attended my seminar in August, had my pre-op surgical consult in November, had my conoloscopy and treadmeill test done just before I decided to do this. Have started changing my diet so I am doing 1 liquid meal a day. Called the office and the lab slip and chest x-ray were to be done right away. I didn't understand that then. I thought they wanted them done closer to the surgery date. Then the psychologist finished my report early in November, asked me for the address and never sent in my report saying she didn't know for sure if I was going through with it. Nothing I ever told her should have led her to belive that. It makes me wonder. Even if that all gets turne…

I'm thinking seriously about getting banded, but I have questions about the procedure itself. All the literature states that it's minimally invasive, requires no hospital stay, and is reversible. My questions are: Is it painful? How long do I need to be off work? and How long til I'm 100% healed? If anyone can help, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks

Is PCOS considered a co-morbid condition? My insurance will cover the LAP-BAND® surgery 100% if I have a BMI over 40, or 35 with a co-morbid condition. I have PCOS and my BMI is 35.4. Does anyone have any experience with this? I have United Health Care.

Hi, I have been doing a lot of research on these boards and have decided that because I don't have any health problems form my excess weight and there are many complications due to banding further down the road,I am giving natural weight loss one more shot.I am looking to lose about 60- 70 pds.Anyone out there who would lliketo buddy up with me????...Let's give it our all before we decide to do a surgery.

Dr. Vuong is giving away a free lap band. Here is the link to get the application. www.morefrommyband.com

i'm absolutely terrified, my surgery is today and it JUST HIT ME that i have a negative relationship with food. it JUST HIT ME that this whole time i've been lying to myself. I'm sitting here thinking about the diet coke i can't sneak in before surgery, no pizza sweedish fish AH its just like i have no :sad:idea what i'm feeling or going through, which is what lead me here..anyyyyy ideas?

Hi, anyone else here using Tricare Prime? I am interested in the lap band surgery and my PCM is onboard. I'm only waiting until my 9 m.o. reaches a year and is weaned from breastfeeding. In the meantime I am trying to get all my requirements meet..i.e. nutrition appt etc. My doc said she wouldn't do the blood work until I am closer to ready. However, I am having trouble finding a psych here that does the evaluation. I am not near a military hospital (I'm in eastern CT). I did find one but she said I need authorization from Tricare but I was told this was a self referred appt. Does anyone have any experience with a civilian psych? Do I need to call Tricare for …

Hi to all~ As a professional singer with special demands placed on my abdominal and diaphragmatic and lower back muscles, I am especially interested in possibly hearing from other singers here who have had lap band surgery and how it affected them and recovery time needed before they were able to get back to performing. Thanks for reading and good luck to all in your journey through this. pc

Are you all up to dateon this before surgery? I talked to my step mom and she said she hasnt had it since she was a minor.. My dr has no record of it, and i dont remember when i got it.. So are you all up to date, and i should just get it to be safe or??

Hello all, I will be banded tomorrow and I want to express my heartfelt thanks to all who have offered their support on this site. It has helped to relax my worries, which is no easy feat! I suffer from terrible anxiety to begin with! Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow! I am lucky- I have to be at the hospital at 6AM and surgery is at 8AM- not too much time to worry. :tongue2: Thank you all! ~Stephanie:thumbup:

I have not had my surgery yet but hope to be scheduled shortly after the new year. I am trying to get a handle on what and how much you can actually eat after four weeks or once you have adjusted to the band. I am scared but know that I need to get on with my life and start living. Just had a huge Christmas dinner last night and during the night I kept thinking about never being able to eat with my family again. Is this how it will be? I need inspiration. Thanks

All I can think about is, 'How am I going to make it for 13 more days?" It has only been 4 hours since I woke up! I am off work this week, so I have more time on my hands than usual! :tongue2: I need to get moving and do something to get my mind off of this ! I know it is purely psychological, as there are many days that I don't have anything to eat until lunch time, and already today, I;ve had a shake, a cup of tea and some crystal light! I have a question - has anyone begun a mild workout program during the preop diet? I have a membership at a gym ( pay everymonth but never use) and am thinking it might be a good distraction to do some light cardio. O…

I am going in tomorrow to have an IVC filter done before surgery on Tuesday. It sounds painful, and I am not looking forward to it, but it might help if someone else has had it done and could tell me that it is no big deal.

Hello, I'm Steph in Minnesota and I will be banded on December 30th. I'm looking for other people who will be banded the same day to keep in touch with and to support each other. I would love to hear your story! Thanks and Good Luck! ~Stephanie:thumbup:

Hi All, Just wondering how long it took to hear from the insurance company... I live in MA with Harvard Ins. but would like to hear from everyone... Anxious.

OH MY GOSH!!! I'm on the 2nd day of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. I'm feeling hungry most of the time and I feel stressed out. I've been "snapping" at my husband too. HELP!!!

I am one of the many having surgery on the 23rd, let's join together and encourage each other through the process. I'm in southern Colorado, where are you? Happy Life Change to us all. Nicci:thumbup:

First of all, just want to say hi to everyone. This website is amazing. I've been doing research most of this year and I'm on this site a lot but this is my first post. Everyone seems really supportive. I'm having my surgery in Mexico by Dr. Ortiz next Friday and I'm freaking out. I think it's partially because I haven't told anyone yet. I am also younger than most of the people I see posting here. I've never had any type of surgery and I'm just praying this one goes well with no complications. The complications that are possible have almost scared me out of taking this HUGE step in my life. I mostly want to say hi because I'm sure I'll be coming here with more questions …

How long should I expect to be off work after banding? I was hoping for 2-3 weeks. I don't want to go back to work on liquids. I am a nurse who works on a very busy unit and don"t always get breaks on a regular schedule.

So I have gotten my referral from tricare approving me to see a doctor for the lap band. I had to attend their seminar first, fill out information papers and now I am waiting on them to contact me to set up an appointment to see the doctor. If the doctor says I need it do I have to get another referral or will this suffice? I have a BMI of about 35.5 but I have high blood pressure, diabetes, acid reflux, chronic back pain, etc..... What was your process through tricare?? I am in Savannah, GA.

Ive been given my letter from the hospital & it says i have to go on on a diet 14 days prior to my operation, but its not a liquid one..my diet consists of : Think the liquid one starts After the op ? Breakfast = 1 weetabix or shredded wheat with milk lunch = 1 medium sliced bread or 2 crisp bread, 1 egg sized potato, or 2 tablespons of Pasta or rice with vegetables or salad - 1 ceral bowl approx 100g with small portion meat or fish 100g cooked weight or cheese - 50g or 2 eggs - boiled or poached or tofu And more a less the same for evening meal Miscellaneous allowance per day 1/2 pint semi skimmed milk 2 portion of fruit 1 light yoghurt Wat…

Well all I have been dying to get this process started and I finally got my amunition to get started. I got my authorization from tricare and attended the seminar on 12/17/2008. I am waiting on the call from the surgeon's off ice to meet with doctor. My husband is currently in Iraq and I wanted to have this new body for him when her returns in May. Well he came home for R&R during the Thanksgiving holiday's and left me with a big Christmas Gift. I found out today; I AM PREGNANT!!! We have been trying for over 2 years with no luck. I have been seeing an infertility specialist from time to time and taking injections but that has not worked. I do not ovulate. …

After many, many months of trying to just accept that I can't do anything about this weight that i have become, I have started to entertain (seriously enough to end up on this site) that lap banding may be relevant for me. Can anyone tell me; if there was one thing that pushed/decided you to seriously consider this for yourself? how do u rationalize in your mind (or to family friends) that you are willing to undergo significant health risks (up to and including death) from surgery/anaesthesia/complications, but u can't do the simple things that the rest of humanity does to not over eat and excercise properly? has anyone considered the Mexican dr's/locations has …

I was banded on May 4,2007 and have had horrible horrible left shoulder pain. When will this go away? And what can I do to help it?

I have a couple of curious questions. I am being banded on Dec 30 and have a trip planned to Disneyworld in June. Can you ride extreme roller coasters with the band, and has anyone tried it. The second is about straws I know we are not supposed to use them because of getting air into the stomach. Has anyone drank from a straw and what happened? Thanks

Well I finally got my approval for band surgery. It's been a long road but I'm on my way.

Can anyone tell me what the process is going to be when we PCS? I am in the beginning process of getting the lap band but we are schedule to PCS in October/November of 2009. Don't know where we will be going but has anyone spoken with or know anything about how it will work in seeing a new doctor for the checkups and adding solutions, etc...... Thanks

i have to go to the doctor on base ...so i am affraid they will be cheap and not want to refer me... well i hate to use the word cheap... i guess what i mean.. is they might not refer me because they will feel that maybe i dont need it as bad as someone else... anyone have to fight for a referal???:smile:

Okay just some last minute questions. 1. When can I life over 10 pounds? 2. When can I get back to a full workout instead of just walking on the tread mill? Thanks,

Has anyone gotten banded while they were still smoking/using tobacco?

When will the 2009 monthly support groups be created? My roomie and I are targeting April 2009 and want to get some support but there aren't any 2009 groups yet. Advice anyone?

I am being banded on the 30th and have a huge job interview 8 days after being banded where I would have to drive 3.5-4 hours. My doctors info says you can drive as soon as you are up to it. Can anyone give me any insight on what you felt like. I have read so many different things on the internet. One guy said he flew a day after surgery where some people take 3 or 4 weeks. I have had 5 previous knee surgeries and if weren't for it being the knee I could have drove the next day or two. Looking for some help. By the way my wife is working and cannot take me.

How did you do it? I'm not required to do some specific pre op liquid diet or anything but they would like me to loose 10lbs - 15lbs to be safer before surgery. Any tips on how to do that in a good amount of time?

HI, I started the ball rolling with getting the lap band this past September. In November I started my testing. I have had most of it done, with the exception of the sleep study, an EGD, and attending a support group meeting. I was hoping to have the surgery sometime in January. Well, for starters, my primary care physician has not gotten my letter supporting the surgery sent to the surgeon. I found out 3 weeks ago my employer was changing all the benefits and now I have to choose from Aetna PPO or Health Net PPO. I have no idea which one to choose. I had Blue shield of CA and all they required was my psych eval and that dang letter from my primary care physician…

I am scheduled for surgery on Thursday and started my preop 4 day clear liquid only plan on Sunday. I came down with a cold on Saturday - congestion, cough - no fever. When I went in today for my pre-op, the said I might have to have my date postponed!! They did blood work to see if my white count is elevated - will get the results tomorrow. Anyone experience a cold/sinusitis at the time of their surgery?

Hi I am thinking about lap band surgery. I will attend the seminar Jan 6, 2009. I have mix feelings about this. I live in the Groves Texas area.

I can walk through an amusment park with my kids without running out of breath. I can shop in the "misses" section and not have to search for the "women's" section, usually in the back corners of the stores. I can learn to eat to live and not live to eat. My list can go on and on but I'l stop at three.

Hi, Does anyone know if the small stomach pouch above the band can or will stretch out like people with the gastric bypass? One of the reasons I chose the band was because it was adjustable. I know a few people with the bypass who have stretched out their pouches and can now eat as much as they did before. Any insight on this?

I had a doctor's appt yesterday to get some of my pre-requirements done. I had an EKG and it showed a small problem with one of the readings. I don't know more than that. She doctor was going to let it go until I told her my father had a heart attack when he was 40. Now I'm scheduled for a stress test early Jan and she wouldn't give me a referral for the nutrition appt I need. I'm going to try to get her to refer me after the 1st of the year. There is nothing wrong with getting these requirements done, right. I just hope this stress test turns out ok. I have high cholesterol and I can't take any medications right now because I am breastfeedin my son. He turns 1 …

Well, I am in the process of getting Cigna to approved. Have not send it all the document yet since I need a sleep study too. I am just wonder though, after surgery, how soon can I hold my baby. My 12 month old is about 20 lbs, he is very attached to me. If insurance approve me, my mom will be taking care of him for me both day and night. My baby sleeps with me and my husband; however, he will not let his daddy hold him. When can I resume my normal activities? Thank you so much, Alisa

HI EVERYONE, I'M EXCITED AND NERVOUS AT THE SAME TIME..........I'M HAVING MY LAP BAND SURGERY JAN 15TH. ITS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. I WILL START MY PRE-OP DIET DEC 29TH,ATLEAST I WILL GET TO ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS:smile:. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ADVICE........... WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT AFTERWARDS............ ANY FEEDBACK WOULD BE APPRECIATED............ LILI:thumbup:

Hi Everyone, Just wanted to give you an update. I had checked online this morning on tricare website and I was at pending status, just check a few minutes ago and now I am at approved status for surgery. So hopefully I will be a January Bandster. Merry Christmas to me! Merry Christmas to everyone and good luck!:smile:

Hi, I was banded back in August and from then up to my first fill I was able to loose over 50 lbs. mainly through excessive exercising and the liquid diet. Since the filling began I have been back 6 times for adjustments and at $200 a visit is money I can not afford. Anyhow, we increased the filling until food was getting stuck and was quite painful and caused me to bring the food back up. A little reduction last week an one would think it should have been perfect. I still get food stuck sometimes but am able to put up with the pain and inconvenience. My problem now is that I can still eat anything I wish. My poor eating habits are still there. I can still eat too …