PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

My husband has been told that he needs to practice not drinking during his meals (which we understand why); but how long have you been told to wait? He was told by his dietician to wait 2 hours after eating before he drinks anything. Does that sound right???? By doing this, he'll not get much time to drink the water that he'll need to drink. Suggestions?

Do you have to have a "fill" by the doctor who did your lap band? I'm going to be attending a seminar to start the process the sugeon I chose requires, travel time will be appx. 45 min each way, I'm wondering if I should look into somebody closer??? Thanks, Kerrie:confused2:

Yesterday I received a call from the surgeon's office. The secretary received my echo-cardigram and wanted to know if dh and I "were still considering surgery because we haven't heard from you." I emailed her back (I'm a teacher and can't take calls or really make calls) and told her we were doing the "6 months documented weight loss" like our BCBS insurance states. She told me our primary hasn't sent any notes over and that the surgeon should be reviewing these monthly. WHAT? Nobody ever told me that. I've been in contact with the head bariatric nurse monthly and she never mentioned it! The surgeon is the one that SUGGESTED we go to this new primary doctor! The secretary…

If they require you to take this test. Does it hurt your chances of getting the surgery or not? Anyone know the answer?

I am confused about the difference between the Pre-Op diet and the liquid diet. Are they the same thing? If not, when do they start me on the Pre-op diet? I have my first meeting with the dietician next Tuesday. Is that when I start my Pre-Op Diet?

I bought the Body Fortress brand protein shakes at Wal-Mart and took the advice of another bandster on here and added one of the flavored Splenda packets that you can find in the coffee isle. I used: 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 1 packet of mocha flavored Spenda 1 cup of skim milk 1 cup of crushed ice I ran it all through my Magic Bullet and it was so awesome! :crying: 105 calories 1.75 grams fat 8.5 carbs 30 grams protein

Ok everyone....I had my sleep study a couple of weeks ago and was given the verdict today. The doctor that ordered my sleep study confirmed that I do have sleep apnea. :party: He wants me to go back for a sleep titration. The sleep lab is supposed to call me to set up an appointment. This is somewhat good news but also bad. It's good because it's a comorbidity that qualifies me with my insurance to get banded. However, I am sad to be diagnosed with this problem.:sad: My hubby has sleep apnea and hates his mask. He looks so uncomfortable sleeping with a huge mask on his face. I am just hoping that after I get banded and lose weight that I don't have to use the machine any …

hello! i was thinking, once i have the consulation and find out its very possible to get the operation. i should start buying things little by little to be prepaired for the liquid diets, Protein and other foods i will need. is there a grocery list post anywhere that i can print? like where to buy the protein bullets and powders. types of food. and is it possible not to have to buy this stuff on line? thanks susan

Hi: I'm brand new to the forum. I'm going in for surgery on Friday. I'm a bit scared. Any helpful words or suggestions? Thanks!

I also see the nurse. What should I expect from this appointment? I'm so excited!

Hello, I just finished reading Before and After by Susan Maria Leach and I was wondering if anyone has read anything regarding Lap-band surgery that they would reccomend? Thanks!

I have been on the Atkins Induction diet that my Dr requires for 1 1/2 weeks now! I have the weirdest taste in my mouth! :scared2:It is very metallic! Has anyone else had this? What I can I do about it? No matter how many times I brush my teeth or pieces of gum I chew it comes right back!:thumbup: Thanks! Becky

Woohoo! I am so excited! I got the green light to go ahead and get started on my pre-op diet today. I don't have an exact surgery date yet but they say it will be in the next few weeks. My surgeon's nurse said I can go ahead and begin my diet if I want to in order to get some extra weight off beforehand and get my liver in shape. My BMI is 40 and I needed to get everything approved before starting my diet. I am so tickled. Would be nice to get a nice number of pounds of before surgery. Less to worry about after. I am going shopping for everything I need after church tonight and hitting the dusty skinny trail bright and fresh in the morning. She said prote…

I work out with a personal trainer and also do pilates. How long after surgery will I be able to work out and do ab work? I really don't want to take too much time off.

I found out today...only 6 days after I sent in for the approval I was APPROVED!!! My surgery is Sept 18th!!! I am so excited and ready for this change....

I got my referral from my PCM and now I have to have an mental eval? What kind of questions do they ask? Also, I am 75 pounds from my ideal weight with 2 co-morbities-High blood pressure and thyroid problems. Has anyone been approved that is under 100 pound from their ideal weight? My BMI is 35. I want to have this procedure done so bad!! And afraid that I will not be approved! Any suggestions? Also, I have tricare for my insurance. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Teresa

Nearly a month ago, my surgeon's office faxed over 2 forms to my PCM. I know she got them because she showed them to me when she had a question for me. Today was my scheduling appt and they had still not received the forms back from my PCM. To make matters worse, they had even called her this morning and spoken with her and she said she hadn't gotten the forms, so they re-faxed them to her and she assured them that they would have the forms by my appt time this afternoon. She didn't. So they couldn't schedule my surgery (but they assure me I'll still have surgery in Oct). I go back Friday to try and schedule again and I'll be calling my PCM in the morning to make SURE she…

hi all im on day 2 of pre op diet which consists of 4 pints of milk a oxo drink and a bowl of jelly a day and im finding it starting to get harder i only have to be on it for another 4 days so why am i finding it so hard:sad:im determined not to cheat but its harder going than i thought it would be

Have read about the "sleep Lab" required for all pre-op considerations, what else do I have to look forward to...??....there is a letter from my Dr. that has to be written, justifying the need for the proceedure.....and what else...???.... question:: I am a lifelong skim milk drinker...is this going to become a problem..?? question:: am I going to be hungrey all the time..??... question:: how about eggs as a source of protein..?? question:: and how do I deal with social alcohol drinking...can I..??..no no..??? question:: how long a period of time between first Dr.'s consultation, and the actual proceedure..??...., as the holidays are approaching....... question::…

hi im tammy my question is what is the 6 month supervised diet ?:blushing:, i have the weight watchers papers where i went there for 6 months will they take that or will i have to start over again, with my doc and their dietian, their dietian is about 2 1/2 hours away,:biggrin: i have bcbs of michigan. can anyone help with this.:thumbup: thanks tammy

My biggest concern is that after the banding I won't feel normal. And by normal I mean anatomically. Right now I don't feel my stomach or esophagus. I sense swallowing but that's it. Just like everyone else. I fear that after the banding I will feel pressure, discomfort or otherwise not normal. Does that happen? Or do you feel that same as before banding both when not eating and when eating. I know all about the portion size, chewing, etc..I'm not talking about that. Can anyone enlighten me. Thanks.:biggrin:

Hi. First of all I want to thank all of you who have answered my previous questions. As my surgery gets closer (Sept. 12th) I feel much better having had many of my questions and concerns addressed. I keep reading about gas. Could someone please explain to me how and why gas is put in. Is it always used? Walking and Gas X seem to be the solutions - any other suggestions. My other question - I take care of my 4 year old granddaughter every day while my daughter and son-in-law work. I am taking a week off to go to Houston for my surgery. I am having my surgery done on Friday and I am supposed to be back to work on Tuesday. Is this totally unrealistic?? I don't h…

Alright...tomorrow is my "B-Day". I am nervous. I've been on an 800 calorie diet...2-3 EAS AdvantEdge drinks and 1 400 calorie meal. I don't seem to have lost any weight. I am so worried that my liver will be too fatty for them to do my surgery tomorrow...any tips or advice before I go under the knife...lol. Thank you...:party:

I just got off the phone with my insurance company and I was approved for the surgery. I just have to wait for the paperwork in the mail. I started my process in July but because of vacations of various consults I got held up. I am so excited right now. Just wanted to share with someone!!!!! Maranda

I need help im on a 10 day clear liquid diet and im struggling..ive found myself eating a small meal at dinner because i cant function im hungry and weak...i hope this doesnt make them postpone my surgery ill be crushed ive made it this far and ill be so upset if this is my downfall....please help me!!!

My surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning and I am so incredibly nervous! To lessen the anxiety, I've been going over all the reasons why I elected to have this procedure done: I want to be able to fit into my clothes again(!); I want to be healthy; I want to be able to run without pain in my back and feet from all the excess weight; I want to be more confident; I want to LIVE instead of hiding from the embarassement of being heavy. For these reasons, I am excited and hopeful for my future... But at the same time, I am so scared. I have never had surgery before and I'm worried about what I will feel like after surgery. For those of you who have had surgery,…

Okay This is crazy so I got denied from BC/BS Alliance Select and they sent a letter saying it wasn't medically necessary I called the insurance company to get more details on why I was denied and the girl I talked to told me that my BMI wasn't documented on any of the papers that they recieved....Are you Freaking Kidding Me!?!?!?!?!?! It's on like every paper that was submitted to them on the PCP Papers on the 6 Month Diet Sheets (for EVERY month) and pretty much every other paper they got. I wonder if sometimes they just see people want to get Bariatric Surgery and they are like we'll just deny them.....ARGH so I called my Surgeon and had her circle and Highlight all th…

HELLO EVERYONE, I was just approved by my insurance company, everything is going so fast now, still can't decided on which band, very nervous now!!

I just got my surgery date and have decided that I want to try some protein shakes before I really need to be drinking them so I know what I like and don't like. I'm not really into milk and milkshakes, but I am willing to try whatever. Any suggestions? Thanks!

I just got my surgery date!! Nov 10!! All the testing and Drs seem so real now. I was going to take a break from all the testing , but now I can't wait to finish my tests. I am going to Dr Gabiel in Smithtown NY. :thumbup::tt2:

I am so excited, I have my consultation with Dr. Carroll on 10.8.08. I already went to the seminar back on 8.13.08. So now I can check two things off of my to do list. Now I am just wondering if the dietician and the psych will contact me themselves to make appts. or if I am supposed to contact them. I guess I should call the office and ask them. I'm on my way, I hope this isn't a long drawn out process to get banded.:tt2:

Hi everyone, I have a question. I have decided to get banded and I'm going to the seminar tomorrow night. My question is: How long after your consultation did the doctor schedule your surgery. I have BCBSNE, my primary has done a referral and the insurance stuff. The insurance doesnt have a 6 month diet period it will just pay because I have a BMI over 40. So I was just wondering how long you think I might have to wait for the surgery after my consultation. I am just so excited!! Thanks!

Is there anyone out there who was supposed to have surgery this week at Southern Surgical Hospital in Slidell, LA??? I am scheduled for Thursday and talked with someone at the hospital today who said they just got power back and were in the process of getting things up and running again, but they were not sure if surgeries were canceled or not yet. I can not get through to the Doctor's office so I have no clue what to do!! They said they would contact us to let us know but I'm supposed to go to Baton Rouge tomorrow to sign consents and pay the surgeon fees then surgery is the following day and still have not heard anything.

hello everyone i was banded on the 27th of aug and things could not have went any better im doing great so far but just kinda confused about how much im suppose to be eating i have about 5 ounces of protein shakes 3x aday plus half cup of grits maybe 1x a day that 6 ounces of yougert and 1 cup of cream soup with protein water im getting approx 40 to 50 protein grams a day and eatting about 700 to 750 calories aday am i over doing it i only eat when im hungary sumtimes im not hungary but i know its been way over 4 so ieat alill something iv lost 10 lbs since surgery does it sound like im getting enough? oh yea im drinking non cal liquiads when not eating any advice wou…

Well, I have been to my consultation with my surgeon. It was my first meeting with him. I had the meeting about 3 weeks ago, and I have started on my 6 month 1200 calorie diet. The first 2 weeks went really well. This last week I have struggled some. I have only eaten 2 meals on a couple of days and not had my Snacks and have been hungry. I have gotten frustrated and cried. A couple of times I have wanted to just say the heck with it and give up. I know that I can't give up but it is so frustrating. This has been the first time in a month or so that I have been back to the blogs. I have needed the support of this forum, so I have come back. As I write this I realize what …

I know the chances are SOOO slim... but thought I would ask if anyone on here works for Chase Bank??? That is who my insurance is through and I just wish I knew someone who had gotten it done with Chase Insurance! I am worried about being too young (21) and my BMI being right at 40... Guess you can just say I want this soooo bad and I am so scared I will be denied...

I wanted to find out the other side of the story...I want to know if you regretted getting the lap band and why? I would love to hear everyones stories. Thanks

i was in the store with my bf and he did a double take after he kissed me and then smelled his breath, and i said.. "was it me?" and he said "i don't know...breath on me" and i said..."are you SURE??? what if it IS ME? u wanna do that?" and he said "hurry up, someone is coming!" lol...so i did a huff and run and he SAID NOTHING. lol. he finally admitted that it was my breath and it smelled BAD. LOL woooooow. does this have to do with the liquid diet? losing weight???? LOL. i am so scared, i haven't done anything differently in my hygienic life!! lol. i even brushed my teeth before i came to see him! jeezuus. LOL. please...tell me its NOT me and this isn't goin…

I'm hopefully getting banded at NYU, where it can take four months from seminar till banding. So I might not get banded until late October/early November. I'm losing my mind a little trying to be patient and wait it out. :biggrin: It took me three years from when I thought of doing this to finally deciding. So why are four months such a big deal then? I guess that I finally have a vision of starting a new chapter of my life, and I'm anxious to get started already.

I have my first apt with my dr this Friday and I am super excited! However, I am a little worried, I dont really have any co morbs, maybe sleep apena I am not sure I do have joint pain but nothing medically noted. I have tricare which asks for co morbids does joint pain count?? I def meet the weight but not sure about the co morbids my insurance requires:confused:

Went to my doctor last week, after a year of hesitating and thinking about it, finally got my letter from my PCP and took it to surgeon. Was given op date of September 9. Just did upper GI last Saturday, psychologist and nutritionist next monday. After that all papers go to insurance for approval. IS it me or is this all moving too fast. I hope I am not disappointed and have my surgery pushed back. In two weeks start pre-op diet of 5 shakes per day, thats it thats all. Have to lose 5% body weight to shrink the liver. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, excited but cautious as of now regarding surgery.:wink2:

I have just begun my 6 month PS diet. I have cigna and was told that in many cases they require it, so I thought I would get started just in case. I was wondering if you have to wait until your six months are over before you can start with things like the nutritionist and training appts?? Thanks for any help...Kimberly

I was having a great time early this week reading all the stories about (peoples Surgery day at the hospital and Every thing that happened to them) Now I cant find it and am really bummed out. Does anybody know where that thread is located? Thanks for your help Jean

Hi everyone! This is my first time posting on here and I just wanted to introduce myself! My name is Kesha and I live in California. My surgery date is scheduled for Sept 16 and I couldnt be more excited! I go in on Sept 4 for my one on one with the doctor,etc. I was wondering if anyone had any tips for me when I meet with him? Any specific questions that I should ask him? Also, I have been reading about the dr's placing lots of you (if not all! =) on a liquid diet some time before your surgerys. Any info on that would be great as well. One more question... can some one please explain to me how fills work? How often, how do you know if you need one, etc? Im about 4 hours …

Okay. I'm on a pre-op diet and have to drink these EAS AdvantEdge drinks...they're awful...does anyone have any suggestions on how to make them a little easier to stomach? Please any help is greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone, I am new at this and not sure how it all works, but am hoping to find some others that are in the same place as I am, or have been through it already and can offer me some hope and help. I have been on the road to physical and emotional health for over 20 years...between diets, healthy eating, and lots of inner healing from counseling I have tried it all and have had little success. I am tired, weary and feeling quite hopeless to say the least. I went to a eating disorder program for 30 days 3 years ago, and have maintained a 60 lb weight loss, until about 3 months ago. Since then I have gained 10 back and see no end in sight. The 60 lbs was slow at co…

I'm at my wits end and am in need of some dieting advice. I have to loose 10 lbs in order to get my surgery done and I'm trying so hard with Diet and exercise. I meet with a nutrionist and workout 4-5 days a week at the gym. I'm ready to do Slimfast ...hydroxy cut ...whhtever I'm just soooooooo desperate I can't stand it!! I hate to start liquids because I know I have to do 2weeks of it before and after surgery!! ANY SUGGESTIONS on how to loose this 10?:smile2:

Hey everyone, I live in Lufkin Texas and I will be submitting all of my information to BCBS (I work for the school district) and waiting for approval. I hope to have my surgery over Christmas break so that I will have time off to recover without missing time off of work. Does anyone out there have this insurance? I was told that it paid if the procedure is medically necessary. I also wanted to know if anyone used Dr. Hambrick or Dr. Meyers in Lufkin Texas. This is who I am thinking of using, but I can't find anyone who has used them for the LapBand. Just wanted a little feedback. I would also love to talk to someone out there from my area for support. I need i…

I was just wondering about this?? I have read as well as heard about the Realize Band. Is it suppose to be better? I know it is the lastest band to come out. If u have one i would like to know how it is working?? I was told I will have a choice so I will go with that one. But I would love some feed back on it!! So any thoughts on it ?? If u have it were u given an option?? How does it feel?? Any info will be helpful!! :smile2:

Hey all, Well since news of my surgery date I have had dinners everynight and gained 12 pounds in 3 weeks!! YIKES! Today is day one on my pre-op shakes before surgery for 2 weeks. My question is - how much weight did you gain during Last Supper Syndrome and how much did you before surgery. I only have 2 weeks to lose this and hopefully more. Were you able to exercise? I was 255 and now 267. :cursing: