PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

Hey everyone, I have followed my doctor's orders of the pre-op diet. My surgery date is Thu 11-20, so 4 days away. I'm on the 11th day of the pre-op diet. I'm 6'5" and they said I can have 3-4 Protein shakes (mixed with 9oz of Water only), or substitute 2-3 cups of milk or a small lowfat yogurt instead of the 4th shake. I'm pretty hungry all the time, guess that's expected. But lately, I'm feeling extremely weak, lightheaded. I can't even stand up for more then 2-3 minutes before I feel like I'm going to faint / pass-out. I've lost almost 20 lbs in the last 10 days with the pre-op diet, but I think it's going a bit too fast. Has anyone else experienced this? …

my lapband is scheduled for nov 24th im having a hard time following the pre op two week diet any suggestions will they still operate if i cant folloe it closley

Ok, so I am currently 17, my 18th will be next Wednesday & my current doctor doesn't support the Lap band because she doesn't think it's very safe. But, how do I go about pursuing getting the procedure done. I know you have to do pre-op tests & such. Really, is it a long process to get approved & have a set-up surgery date? Like what's the average, was it hard, smooth, etc.? Please, just let me know about your personal experience. I am not a self-pay btw. My mom told me insurance would cover it.

Hello everyone! I have only had 1 band fill so far. I had the Relize Band in September. How many fills do I need to eat less? I still eat more than I think I should, and get hungry quicker. :wink2: My next fill is scheduled November 25. Help is needed!!! _______________ Gail Relized Band September 15 First Fill November 5

I've been doing the Preop diet since Oct 27th. My surgery is scheduled for Thursday and today I had pizza, not just 1 piece either. If I can't even suceed in the begining how can I expect to soar once I have the band?? Please no negative comments, I'm beating myself up enough. I'm so disappointed in myself that I want to cry.

Wow I don't understand why there is a preop diet....if I could be on a liquid diet I think I could lose weight without surgery.....I have a huge dilemma I have a 1st appt. 11-26-08....I am clueless on alot of this stuff but from what I am reading it requirs weightloss.....My problem is when I diet I maintain and when I don't I gain....this being said I am trying not to diet until I see the doc...however I am gaining until then.....any sugesstions....I can take off about 10 lbs. waterweight but I am trying to save my loss so it can count....Am I making any since???

I have mine on monday and I require 24 hours notice (and valium) if I have to take my clothes off. When you first met your surgeon did you have to?

Anyone getting nervous like me? I am excited and nervous. Have not done to well on my 5 day pre-op diet. Gonna really hit it hard the next few days. How is everyone else doing? Did any one go out and stock up on your liquids?

Hi All, I am in a dilemma as to which band to get. I keep leaning more toward the Realize band and just came from that area on the forum. However, I am concerned that if that band only holds 9 to 10 cc, and people are getting 6 cc and not getting good restriction yet, is there any chance it could be filled all the way and not have any restriction at all? I'm sorry this seems like a stupid question, but I don't have an appointment set up yet with my doc. I will see the coordinator on Friday though. In the seminar, my doc says he doesn't favor either of the bands, he likes both equally. He did state the port was smaller on the Realize, but he says it is basically ju…

Hi my name is Kirsty and I am getting banded on Nov. 28th in Victoria BC. I am getting very excited iand doing the happy dance at the same time.:wink2:

Well I`m about two months before surgery and I can`t make up my mind to go with lap band or Relize and the nurse said I need to make up my mind before I see the surgon so I have looked at all the coment`s and still have one question recovery time? I work in a docctors office and he needs me there its a small office so being out will make it hard:confused_smile:

Hello fellow bandsters, It is T minus 5 days and counting to my surgery date. I feel that i am mentally prepared for what is ahead of me, but have had the occasional nervous bouts about it as well. I suppose the nervousness just comes with the territory. I am half way through my 2-week pre-op diet and and after losing close to 10 pounds, a strange thought popped into my head. "Wow, 10 pounds, maybe I can do this without the band". But reason wins, and I realize that although I have lost pounds on diets before, they never seemed to stay away permanently. This just strengthens my resolve to succeeding with the band. Secondly, two things have really hit close to …

So I went to my orientation this past week end and have my appoint for the psyc December 30. Is this the time to start the diet? Or when should I start. I don't really remember them stating when we should start. Does anyone have an idea?

Hi everyone, I'm getting banded in December and from what I've read, I understand that different patients are fitted with different sized bands. Is this to do with make / model of band or amount of weight (and therefore restriction) people need to lose? Can anyone shed any more light on this for me? Thanks, Miss Flump x x x

HI, i have not gone on chat lines before but I was baby sitting last night and found a post by Sara who provided a very comprehensive list of things to get to prepare for the surgery and coming home. So I would like to ask how people are dealing with getting in all their fluid? I have started this past week on my pre-op eating program and being so busy have trouble getting in all my liquids. Suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks, Betsy in New Jersey Excited and a little nervous for lots of reasons that I am sure many of you can relate to.

Hi! I have a referal to Dr Martin, no insurance, public system. Has anyone been banded under this system in PA Hospital Brisbane? I have soooooo many questions, although they are lovely when I phone no one can give me even a ball park figure for waiting time.I have a letter saying I am on a waiting list, but have not been categorized yet, My referal was faxed to them 01/10/08, the letter recieved from PA is dated 13/10/08. I have'nt had my 1st consultation yet either? and no appointment date yet. After the 1st consultation how long do you wait to be banded?:thumbup: The other questions tha maybe someone can answer: Is there any doctors that will do the op on a paymen…

Can I have this surgery while taking Plavix? I have been taking it since April 1 after a heart attack.

I am in the appeal phase of my journey as my insurance denied me the first time. I am waiting for assistance from Obesitylaw and so I won't know for another week or two when my appeal goes in. Once I potentially have an approval, I am wondering how long is it before I can have surgery? I know I will be going to do the 2 week liver shrink... so that's two weeks, but I thought perhaps I had to have other tests before I can schedule the surgery. How long from approval to table did it take you?

I am getting banded on Nov. 24th and my doc only required a one week pre-op diet. Are ensure protien drinks okay? :cool:

This is my first post. I have decided on the lap band surgery and attended a seminar on weight loss surgery. I was so upset; the staff tried their best to persuade everyone toward the roux-en-y vs. the lap band. Can anyone tell me why? I have already contacted another bariatric center in my area (AtlantaGeorgia) - and will now need to attend yet another seminar before I can get the process started. I understand that with the lap band (per the seminar) the weight loss will be slower. I don't have a problem with that - does anyone know why some Dr's don't seem to like the lapband? Shouldn't it be my decision?

I want to know how does your body know when you have reached your goal weight and how do you stop losing weight at that point?

I just found out that my Idaho Medicaid will pay for my surgery. I can have the surgery even if my husband changes jobs. :thumbup:So it looks good for me. I'm so excited I can hardly stand up. :lol:Things are progressing nicely now. I should have the surgery by the end of Dec. While I am having bypass because of my gastroperisus I will continue to post and share my journey with you. Thank you for all of your support, it has meant so much to me. I cannot express how deeply I appreciate it, especially with this latest news about how I cannot have the band. I bless the day that the Lord led me to this site. Thank you.:cool::cool2:

I am a cop. I only get two weeks of vacation. Is that enough time for recovery? The problem is if this isn't enough I can't have the surgery.

Hi everyone, I need to know what you think of the below and whether or not I am over reacting. My doctor primarily works in a different city (about 5 hours away), although he flies in once a month for a few days to see patients and do surgery. Insurance has been approved. I was repeatedly assured, as recently as last Thursday, that he would be doing surgery in my city on Dec 21st, which was great because it would give me until Jan 2nd to recuperate. When the lady called officially today to schedule, she said he was doing it Dec 28th. How does that change between Thursday and Monday? That give me Friday-Tuesday (Jan 1st) to recuperate and I would have to be back…

Hi Everyone I went to my pre op appointment today, had my blood test all went well and then I got a phone call late this afternoon to say my surgery for Monday had to be cancelled as an emergency has come up. I'm so disappointed - I had just started to get prepared for everything. It's now scheduled for the 8th Dec which is a really bad time for me to take time off work. I was also hoping I'd be on solids for Christmas - not going to happen now. To top it off I had been told that I didn't need to do the pre-op diet and now it seems my specialist has changed his mind and I need to do it for the next 3 weeks. No longer a november bandster :thumbup:

I am on a very strict pre-op diet for my lap band. It consists of 500-700 calories a day of 5 Protein shakes and 2 cups of chicken broth. My Protein Shakes must be the muscle building kind and I cannot go over 20g of carbs a day... for 2 WEEKS. So I've been doing this pure liquid diet for 6 days now... I've been moody, mean, angry, irritated, etc. and I just feel horrible for my boyfriend (who really hates me right now)! Anyways, my BMI is 40.. I'm definiately overweight but before this pre-op diet I ate healthy... just my portions were too big. I would eat 2 salads a day, never ordered food or got fast food, etc. Anyways, i CHEATED tonight because I went crazy and fe…

Okay, I am so psyched! This is my first week of my pre-op diet and I've lost 6.6lbs!! That is crazy and wonderful and everything in between! Seeing such amazing results this first week, which was a little tough, is all the motivation I need to stay focused. I had to be out of town all week for work and I didn't have much of a support system so the first few days of the liquid/1200 calorie diet was not as easy as I had hoped. I did great though and couldn't be happier with the results. One week from tomorrow I will be officially banded!! I can't wait to get this party started! :thumbdown:

Hello everyone. I'm about 3 days away from surgery (Nov. 18th) and I'm really riding a roller coaster of emotions. THe over-riding thought is that everything will go fine and I won't have any regrets. However, part of me is afraid of the anesthesia, the pain, the gas...and afraid that it won't work. I know I'm not alone in these thoughts....I just wish I could wave my magic wand and be 4 weeks post-surgery and getting my first fill. Feeling good and dropping lbs. A friend-of-a-friend, who is my size, suffered a stroke last week. She is just 38 years old. Hearing that today really made me focus on the health benefits this band will bring. We all want to be ar…

Hey there fellow pre-op bandsters. I'm scheduled to get banded on the 26th, two weeks from today, and have been on a strict pre-op diet for two weeks already, due to the large amount of weight I need to lose to have my surgery. It's been a very difficult, emotional roller coaster experience. Immediately after starting the diet (two Meal Replacement shakes, a lean cuisine, and green veggies for hunger), I started feeling awful, headachy, and just downright miserable. I was also exercising intensely, because I wanted to prevent my body's metabolism from adjusting to the low calorie diet. My body went into starvation mode, and at one point, even gained a couple of pounds a w…

Hello. I went to the surgeon and got told some bad news and some okay news. The bad news: I'm not a candidate for the lapband because of my gastroperisus. The okay news: I am a candidate for bypass. I am sad because I love the people here and don't want to leave, but I will not be getting the lap band. I am also a little nervous about the bypass. It is more radical than anything I have had before. There are risks that I need to consider, and other things, before I do this. If the gastroperisus acts up really bad with the bypass they will have to take the unused portion of stomach out. If I get the lapband and it acts up my stomach could explode. My doctor will not put the…

I am not a Protein shake person. I think Slim fast is disgusting and anything milky makes me gag. I was told that Max Protein was good, and I was doubtful. I went yesterday to GNC and got some, and the guy let me try it. It was so good. The powder even smells good, it's great. He made it with Water and it was delicious. I know that the Protein shakes are one of the biggest pains in this whole thing, at least for me. And I cannot tell you how relieved I am that I found something I think I can stomach. I start them on Monday for 3 days, my surgery is on Thu. I bought some coconut and banana extract for the vanilla. Just wanted to throw that out there.

I'm new and scheduled for surgery on 11/13. My doctor did not really give me any specific instructions for a pre-op diet, just that I should try to lose 10 lbs before surgery. He suggested trying South Beach Diet. Right now, I am doing Atkins and have lost 3lbs. How many pounds did you lose before surgery and HOW?

Does everyone's port go on the same side? Which? Or do you have a choice-or maybe it's Dr's. preference? I'm asking because I HAVE to sleep on my right side (problems with both my left shoulder and my left side) and I have enough trouble getting to sleep without something else (seems like many can feel theirs). Just curious! ***UPDATE*** I found out at my AGH seminar yesterday that surgeons have the ability to put it ANYWHERE in your abdomen (and they use both types of bands)! A man, who has to wear a harness a lot as he works construction, asked the question before I could. Apparently the harness covers most of his abdomen. Dr. Uchal explained "Don't worry about it…

And I'm starting to get kinda nervous... :tongue2:

I received my surgery date today. It is November 24th. I keep reading how everyone is so excited for their surgery and also the declines that have made many so sad. So, why am I sooo blahhhh? Perhaps it hasnt hit me yet? Has anyone else felt this way?:thumbup:

Count down I have less than 15 hours to surgery…. :thumbdown: I have to go to the hospital @ 6:00 and my surgery is @ 8:00..:w00t: Gosh I’ve waited so long to post this I’m finally getting my day to shine.:w00t::wub: I have Pack everything I think I need (even shaved my legs again) and the most important thing will be a picture of my two angels my children..:wub::wub::wub:

Do I get the Optifast from my doctor or do I have to purchase it from a store? What your recommendations on flavors?

Count down I have less than 15 hours to surgery…. :thumbdown::tongue2:I have to go to the hospital @ 6:00 and my surgery is @ 8:00.. Gosh I’ve waited so long to post this I’m finally getting my day to shine.:w00t::w00t: I have Pack everything I think I need (even shaved my legs again) and the most important thing will be a picture of my two angels my children..:wub::wub::wub:

Hi there. I'm strongly considering Lap Band surgery and will attend an informational meeting this week. My BMI is at 41 currently. I have done many diets in the past 10 years, and was most successful with Optifast about 8 years ago. One of my doctors told me that my difficulty loosing weight has alot to do with my height. I'm 5'2''. I did some research and can't really find anything on this topic. I think my main problem is my PCOS and insulin resistance, and of course age. Are there any shorties out there with sucess stories? What about PCOS sufferers? I'm hoping the lap band will be the tool to finally help me overcome this problem. I am just sooo tired of t…

I just tried today for first time have surgery in 3 weeks, tastes good has 27 grms of protein and 11 of carbs per 14oz. On sale in S cal Albertsons this week 4 for $10. Anyone else used pre or post op? doesnt taste chalky or anything:tt2:

I am on Medifast trying to lose my 10%, so they will schedule me for surgery. I have lost about 9lbs. in a month and have about that to go. I feel like I have hit a plateau. Any advice or experience with the medifast diet?

I am going to the seminar on Dec. 8th at Lahey Clinic in Burlington Massachusetts. I'm just terrified that the surgeons will tell me that I am not a good candidate. I am female, 22 years old, BMI 42 and weigh 255 5'5 height I also have acid reflux and my PCP is sending me to a sleep specialist b/c he thinks i may be developing sleep apnea. To those of you who have had the lap band or have been approved, do you think I could be a good candidate? THANK YOU! BREANNE

Aetna called today and approved my surgery. My doctor sent them all my paperwork on Monday!!! I started Weight Watchers on June 23rd. I have lost 26 pounds. I went for my first doctor appt. at the end of Aug. and has been smooth sailing all the way. I did a 90 diet thing for insurance and I'm good to go. Pre-opt diet starts on the 19th and surgery on the 26th. I'm so excited I can hardly sit still.:thumbup:

Hi All-- Well, I'm getting closer with each passing week. I've attended my seminars, found and met with my surgeon, secured my letter of support from my PCP, gotten additional letters from the therapists I've worked with, attended support groups, passed and gotten my report from my psych eval and I will complete my 6-month medically-supervised program next week. I feel so victorious every time I complete a step. There are two things that make me nervous. I learned today that my insurance coordinator at my surgeon's office is no longer working there. I know that my surgeon is running a business and to date I've been impressed with his staff and the way the office i…

I gained 7 lbs since my initial consultation in June. I sort of had a feeling that was happening, because I have been so stressed and out of it through the whole approval process. Then again I weighed in the midst of PMS so that could be part of it. I'm worried that if I lose 10 lbs, the doctor will tell me I didn't lose enough. But if I lose it, then my liver will shrink anyway regardless won't it? I mean isn't the 10 days the same regardless of how much you weigh in? I don't know, I've lost 5.5 in the last 2 days. Again, part of that could be that as of tomorrow I won't have PMS anymore. (I know, TMI). I also feel as if I've hit the wall, and I'm not hungry anymor…

Well I did it. After talking in the chat room and reading a lot of threads I decided to start the process of getting the band. About a year ago my doctor wanted to set me up for a consult with a surgeon. I didn't want to be cut up and I was going to be gone for over 4 months for training so I told him no. I have been researching the procedure for about a year now and still didn't think it was for me. I found this website and started reading about everyones experiences and how the band changed their life. After reading real people talk about their real experiences I realized the band is the perfect option for me. I was to thank everyone for helping come to my decis…

I'm just curious, I'm on my pre-operation liquid protein diet, with 1 small high protein meal. I was wondering how many calories you consume in a day. I have been averaging about 600 to 750 calories a day. Is this average, low or high?

I'm getting banded on November 29th in Toronto by Dr. Yau and now reality is sinking it. I'm so excited and nervous. I don't know what to do! Is anyone else getting banded in November?:omg:

I'll be doing this for another 5 months 3 weeks, so I know most folks are farther along than I am. How much longer do you guys have to go?

Starting my 6 mo. diet on Monday with my PCP. They're not real supportive (sent me the "American Fare" 1200 & 1400 cal. diets with sample menus for a week, that's it). So I thought I'd put together a form for each visit to fill out (I've read that insurance doesn't just want a summary, they want to see that you've had education/dialogue about diet & exercise each time. Did you use a form or have suggestions on what needs to be documented besides my weight? Thanks all!