PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

The question about sliming made me wonder, when you throw up from having your pouch too full, is what comes up really acidic? I know that's gross, but does it have that awful burning that you get from regular vomiting? Seems that it wouldn't since it's coming up from the upper section and hasn't been in there very long, but if it is... blech I hate that!

I saw my surgeon for the initial evaluation on June 2. I called his office yesterday as I had heard nothing from him. His secretary put me on hold and then came back and said my blue cross had approved the surgery. I asked her what was the next step and she said to wait for my "packet" to come in the mail. She was very abrubt with me and I was too timid to ask what the heck was in the packet. I did ask her how long to wait for it until I should call the office and she basically said don't call the office, just wait for the packet. I am assuming this "packet" contains my pre op visits/ appointments? I really don't know. Does anyone have a clue? (I had attended the informat…

Hello, I am new to this website but have really enjoyed and have been encouraged by what I've read. I have been aprroved for my surgery and I am currently doing my pre op test. Did anyone have to have a EGD test done before surgery? If so how was it and were you completely out?

They said I need to have my esophogas tested since I have GERD. I have already booked my blood work, psych, nutritonal and pulmonary.... They gave me a lot of information and I've called the office back about a million times so I am hoping one of you can help tell me what the name of this test is or the type of DR that administers this test so I can book it, thanks.

Well, I went to the seminar today.:thumbup: I must say I am really excited to get this thing going. They said it will take about 2 weeks to hear something from the insurance, but there were a lot of people there, so I am sure it could take longer if they are checking with the insurance. They said the quickest would be about 4 weeks that is if everything is smooth sailing with the insurance and they approve. My only thing is some of it is going to be expensive. The psych eval will be 200.00, the dietician will be 200. I will have to buy THEIR supplements and Protein foods for the preop will be 150.00, for the postop part it will be 200.00. The 400 dollars for the p…

I am SOO HAPPY I found this site!! I have never been to a forum where there are soo many supportive people!! Thank you so much for answering my questions. I know with you guys I can do this and it makes me want to do it even more! Thank you so much! :eek:

I was wondering if anyone has heard of the bariatric group based out of monterrey mexico? They apparently have hospitals in the US for those who aren't comfortable going to mexico for their surgery. I'm not comfortable going to mexico. The main reason I'm asking about them is that they have an advertisement on this website and they advertise lap-band surgery for $5500. I was denied by my insurance once and my husband is trying to get his h.r department to change their exclusion on the insurance, but if they don't I still want to have it done but can't afford the 12000-15000 they are charging here in wisconsin. My husbnad is thinking this may be a little sketchy and I am t…

:biggrin:Hey there I've been considering getting the Band for some time now. I have an appt with my PCM to get a referral. So I'm wondering if some of you bandsters could help me: What's the BEST thing about being banded? What's the WORST thing about being banded? Thanks!

Did you plan ahead for your post-op diet? I mean the mushy part where you have to puree your foods. Did you puree it in advance and freeze it? Also, could you post what were some of your "favorite" mushy meals? I used to make my own baby food for my kids when they were babies, but I'm not sure if I would want to eat that stuff as a grown up (pureed chicken and carrots, etc.) I'm hoping you guys will have better suggestions. Thanks! :thumbup:

Hello I am newly banded just 4 days ago, I am just trying to figure out if the pain I have is hunger or from the band. I had severe gas pain which is now comming out thank goodness. I have a wrenching pain right just below my rib cage, it is hard to explain, I am thinking it must be from the band settling into place. Sometimes I feel very nausiated when the feeling comes almost like severe hunger pains but yet I dont have much appitite just protein shakes and liquids. Just wondered if anyone else has experienced this pain that I am talking about ? I guess its hard to explain, it feels kind of like major hunger but different. I appreciate your posts it helps me so much …

My dr's don't do the whole liquids diet. But I have to loose 5% of my weight. I'm nearly there, but that last few pounds are STUCK! How did you do it? teri

I have had diverticulosis since I was a very young.. My mother and some of my siblings also. Because of it I have had to eat a high fiber diet and wondered if the lap band will make a difference. The IBS is pretty constant too if I don't eat right.. I know I can ask these questions at the doctors but would like to hear some personal responses.. It would be great to be rid of those episodes of pain and nausea and lose weight.

Hey All! Okay so my schedule operation date is Aug 8th.. I go for my pre-test tomorrow... I have been pigging out like no tomorrow because I know that after this band.. No more hold habits.. Anyways.. I hate how I feel.. blah.. I feel like i gained like 20 pounds... So my question to everyone is... what is the liquid pre-diet that they put you onw prior to the surgery..? Help~~~ LOL..

I am considering the band. I just had my 2nd child 11 weeks ago and don't plan on anymore children. I have always been a bit overweight and want to be thin! I was 140 at my wedding and that is my goal, I am currently 185. I think my biggest fear is how to hide it. I would not tell anyone if I do have the surgery. How do you hide only eating 2 bites of food??? I workout 4-5 days a week and I quit soda about 7 years ago, along with french fries. Please give me an example of what you can eat after all the post surgery stuff is done. Will I be able to hide this from everyone? thanks.

I went to get my referral to the bariatric surgeon for the lap band and the dr. was and @$$hole! He said I don't meet the requirements and probably won't have the surgery cause the surgeon won't do it!! I'm soo frustrated for some reason some BMI calculators say my BMI is 38 and some say 36.8!? I'm so upset he was such a jerk! He said I have NO co-morbidities and that my BP which is 133/86 wasn't high because there is a curve they go by to determine whether or not someone has high BP!! I have PCOS (insulin resistant on metformin), high chol., had gall bladder removed, and I'm 105lbs over ideal weight! Also have Extreme family history of heart disease. I'm only 30lbs away…

I have heard different stories from people I know who have had WLS, some continue to have food issues, while others eat what they want just a lot less.. I was wondering if it is because they were picky eaters before surgery? The ones I know that have trouble eating were picky eaters, who only ate meat and junk. I'm not being judgemental just wondering what the concensus is on the subject.. I am not a picky eater and am hoping I won't become one.:thumbup:

OK so I just went to my dietician appt yesterday, things are ok there. But I get back to work today and find out I still have one more dietician visit and 2 more PCP visits to go before they will submit my PA to insurance. I provided a ton of documentation stating I have been working with a health coach and that I joined a support group and this forum and many other things. I guess all that extra work means nothing......so what have I been doing all this time....I guess just wasting my time. So frustrating!! Any encouragment would be helpful right now. :thumbup:

Hello im shceduled for surgery on the 29th. My problem is I have a boil on the underneath side of my breast, had it there before. I am prone to getting boils alot! I heard that a boil is actually an infection...anybody know? If this is true than should I be calling my surgeon to find out if I should be on any antibiotics before surgery or not? I am diabetic..Started taking impact recovery shakes today...Trying to quit smoking as of today also...Grrrrr.... any advice or knowledge would be sooo appreciated. I just thought that maybe it is not that big of a deal I would n ot want them to prolong my surgery, since boils are nothing new to me. :confused2:

Hi, I have a strange question, but I am freaked out about it. When you went into surgery and they have to intubate you, were you aware of it? And when getting out and they had to pull it out? Out of everything with getting this surgery, the technical parts are what I am most scared of. Will I breathe ok? Are they going to find anythign wrong with me? Thanks Michaele

Has anyone breastfed in the process of getting the band? my daughter is 10 months old and a great eater, so its not imparative that I continue but I would like to finish the last 2 months out like the American Academy of Peds suggests.. Heres my issue.. for the 2 week pre-op diet I was allowed to be on a diet of regular foods, low carb 1600 cal. becuase all the breast feeding studies say not to drop below that. then today (3 days before my surgery) my Nutritionist said she wants me to do liquids for 2 days before (I know nice warning!) I know its susposed to be low-carb but the low carb liquid diet I have has only 800 cal. you can see my delimma.. does anyone know how …

I am not handling this well at all! It's supposed to be one week of nothing but Water, broth, skim milk and Protein shakes (sugar free Jello counts as water apparently) but I haven't been doing the Protein Shakes that much because they are just terrible, which of course has left me hungry and I cheated and had creamy Soup with corn and rice in it! I'm SO upset with myself for doing this, I told myself time and time again, for weeks that this was the most important thing for me to do and STILL.... I was just so starving and just didn't know what I was doing. I'm now SO scared that my liver won't be small enough (only 4 days to go!) and they'll convert to open or just n…

Do anyBODY take byetta after surgery?i take it right now while i am doing my pre-op and it making me very nausea. With all the liquid i have to drink.so if it make me nausea now should i use it after my surgery so i won't feel so nausea.so have anybody stop taking their byetta?

Hi guys! I started my pre-op diet today. I'll be banded 7/29/08 and I'm scared as the dickens! I had a question about shakes. I found one that I really like... tastes like chocolate milk to me (woohoo!!) Its EAS AdvantEDGE Carb Control. The Dr. recommended adkins advantage shakes... and I simply can't stomach them. I can't tell if there is any real difference in nutritional value etc, and got a non answer when I called and spoke to the nurse, so I thought that I would ask the Veterans for advice. Thanks all! ~Folk

Hi :scared2: I have been feverishly researching all of this since I deciding to get the Lap Band. Learning more from all of you each and every day. The more I read, the more I feel this is definitely the best possible thing for me. I do have to ask though, after surgery the band has nothing in it, correct? How long after surgery do they fill your band? Also, how is it decided what size of band the doctor will place? Thank you all, and Wednesday is the seminar. So, hopefully things will go quickly from there! :biggrin:

Hello all! I am considering getting lapband surgery but don't know if my insurance will cover it. Do any of you have Blue Cross?

My insurance does not require a psyc evaluation,but the Doctor does. So I have to go and get my own. I was wondering how long they take hours, days exct... does any one ever get turned down? Any one have a Dr. they saw in the Austin,tx area they can recommend? Thanks for any input.

Ok, so I went to my Pre-Op class and talk with my surgeon today. Now I am totally discouraged. It's not that me surgeon isn't nice or anything but I guess I should fill you in on the whole story. So since my BMI is 60 I needed to be on a longer pre-op diet which is totally understandable. So I started on July 9th like they told me and today is the 17th so its pretty much been a bit over a week. Well I have only lost like 3 pounds. Pretty depressing. I was told to drink 2-3 Atkins shakes a day, and have two meals with 4-6oz of lean meat (chicken, turkey, extra lean ground beef, or fish) and green veggies only! If I I feel I need more I can have a cup of fruit...like pea…

I'm on the all liquid diet. I'm on antibiotics (I have a history of staph infection with surgeries) I am very anxious about this. I am second guessing myself. I HAVE to lose weight. I weigh 240 and am 5'7". I played college ball and at my most fit I was 160# and skinny. So I would like to lose 80#. I am a very motivated person but after 3 preg. back to back I have put on wt :blushing: I've been reading and doing alot of research. Anyone else have horrible last minute jitters??? How do I mentally get through this?? My sis and mom both have a band so I'm very familiar with everything....just SCARED!!!!!!:ohmy:

Has anyone had their lapband done in Sacramento at the Slim Life Center or Oakland at the Alta Bates Summit?..those are my 2 choices and I don't know anyone who has gone there...:thumbdown:

I have been told to do a 30 day liquid diet before surgery. I have gained wieght since my initial consult in November but that is because I waited before going any further and seriously started doing the classes this past April. I was told to do the liquid diet and try to lose as much weight as possible. Has anyone else had this same dilema? I can't imagine lasting a month doing this...maybe 2 weeks is possible but not a month.

<p>i am to start my pre-op diet on the 9-24. i have to do clear liquids the first 5 and then liquids the second 5. so my question is, can you take diet pills during this time? you know, something to help squash the hunger? do you get terribly hungry? i dont even know...i am so excited to get started, but also kinda nervous, like, what if i cant do it? but i can, i know i can, i want this so bad and have waited SO long to be thin! like my whole life! thanks for the help.</p>

My surgery is August 1st. I am wanting to measure my body so I can follow inches as well as weight. Does anyone know the correct way to do this?:eek:

So I got my approval from UHC today. :scared2::biggrin::smile: I called to see if they had my file and she said it had been approved. I was shocked because every day last week they told me they did not have it. But that was the good news. My doc's office had a tenative date of 8/1 but the insurance company gave a date of 7/30 for the surgery.:w00t: How can they do that? I now have to try to scramble to get pre-op workup done before then. I also have to wait until either me or the doc's office get the approval letter to schedule Pre-op visits as they will not schedule me until they have an approval. I wanted this and it went quick but now I am getting a bit nerved up about…

Hello all! Ready_2_live here again. I haven't come back for a while. Back in May I think it was, I went to the seminar where they weighed me, and my BMI was 39. I didn't qualify. Now, I have gained weight though and know my BMI is more now. I did not gain weight on purpose at all, but this is my cycle. I am a food addict and need help. I am back at the point of wanting to cry my eyes out. I was devastated when I wasn't approved, and didn't want to come back on the board due to embarrassment. I do have a question though. Will they always go by that first initial weight, or if I have gained now, can I go back in and try at my current weight??? I am so tire…

I went to my regular dietician today because I am still waiting for my first appointment date. We talked a lot about what to do when hunger strikes and you know you shouldn't really be hungry.. She said I needed to have a "basket full" of things to sidetrack my thoughts. Things that make ME calm and happy, reading, walking, scrapbooking etc.. We also talked about the EGO part of the brain,, the voice in your head that makes you worry or overthink things, obsess about food and diet to a point where you just give in.. She said when you are in a relaxed mood, doing something calming that makes you happy that voice stays quiet and in the back of your mind. I have come to rec…

I know that everyone's case is different. But, on average, how long should I stay out of work? I work in a group home with 6 mentally, physically, and behaviorally challenged individuals. I do work latenights, so they are asleep most of the time. I also help them out in the morning with getting ready for day programs. (Bathing, medications, Breakfast, etc). <a href="Weight Loss - Diet Ticker"> <img border="0" src="http://tickers.TickerFactory.com/ezt/t/whS9Vvm/weight.png"></a>

Ok, so here's my current situation. I have been taking Phentermine for about a year now and have managed to take off just over 35 lbs. I am however still over 100 lbs overweight. Just yesterday my primary doctor Recommended that I seriously look into the LapBand. So, I've been on line virtually reading everything I can; and pretty much everything I've read talks about overeating. Well, what if you’re not an overeater? Let me explain before I go any further. Before I had my boys, I was already 20 lbs overweight, but never more than that. After having two gestational diabetic pregnancies with insulin and 2 c-sections, I went from being 175 all the way to 2 lbs shy of…

Ok so I have been on liquids now for 7 days and I have bad bad pain in my stomach.. I have followed my liquid diet 100 % so today the pain in my stomach was so bad I thought I should try to eat something.. well when I did I threw up and there was alot of slime? mucus? I dont know is this normal to have this pain from not eating? Is it normal to throw up when you try to eat something? I have never went without eating for this long before. I get my band on the 16th. Its not a hunger pain or an acid pain its an actual hurting pain. Thanks for any info

Like many overweight/obese people I have a LOVE affair with food. Mostly the "bad" stuff. How hard is it REALLY to change your habits and your love for food? Does it come naturally because of the restriction or is it something you really have to work hard at like other diets as far as willpower? That is why I failed so many diets I didn't have the willpower to stick with them. I am ready to change my life and eating habits, I guess I'm just afraid that I fail at this too. Secondly, my mom's best friend had the band placed late 2006. She has lost maybe 30 lbs. But she may have gained some back. How is this possible? Because I don't want that to happen to me. I …

Hi everyone. I was banded this past Monday the 14th and I am feeling pretty good. The worst pain is the air pocket in my shoulder which comes and goes. I am trying to walk as much as possible and are following the liquid diet. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks..:cool2:

Does anyone know if a person that has had a heart attack can have this procedure done?

Hi again all :mad: I thought of a question I needed to ask. I am wondering what the actual proper steps are as far as from insurance to the initial surgery. I called the doctor's office to see if they accepted my insurance, which is Blue Shield of California. I live in Oklahoma, but I work from home for a company in California so I have their insurance. I was advised to call the insurance, which I have and was told it is covered, but there were some things they required. I have to have a BMI of a certain amount, which I know won't be a problem, because my BMI is greater than 45. The lady at the doctor's office told me they have a seminar scheduled for the 23rd, w…

how do u get your "ticker" on your posts???

I will be seeing a dietician tomorrow and am wondering what kind of questions I should ask her. Like where to find viatmins...what kind of vitamins (chewable?) Can I eat cottage cheese or yogurt while on the liquid diet? Can anyone give me a few more questions to ask? Am I missing anything that I should know about for the liquid diet stuff? thanks! :crying:

I have a real real hard stomach, kind of like the type when your pregnant. I often think (in a kidding way of course) if I just poke it the air will deflate and I will be good to go... Is your stomach a hard or mushy stomach? Is it harder to lose a hard stomach? Finally I wonder if my stomach skin will be gross after the surgery..:ohmy:

I notice that some of you went to Mexico for surgery. I am self pay and I because of it, chose Mexico. My surgery is set for July 23rd. DId you worry about crossing the border for surgery...where do you get fills when you need them?:cursing:

I am on day 3 of my clear liquid diet I have to lose a bunch of wieght before my dr will do the sleeve. Anyway so far I have done really well with it and have not hit the place of being able to not do it. I am also doing an hour of water aerobics each day. My question is this today I had almost uncontrollable diarhea a few times. I did a search on here about it and found that liquids in means liquids out. So glad that you all can talk about this stuff. So evidently I am right were i should be but....... I have to work on tuesday will it be gone I have anohter week and a half of liquids will it continue the whole time. ?? Can I take imodium or something?? thanks so much i…

Hi everyone! I'm new to this site, although I have been lurking for about a week. I have had my initial consultation and have my surgery scheduled for Sept 11. I have about 100 pounds to lose. Maybe I'm getting cold feet, but I really got to thinking about something. I need to know how this is going to be different from every other time I've lost weight, only to turn around and gain it all back. :thumbup: I lost 60 pounds doing Atkins about 1 1/2 years ago. I kept it off for 2 years, and then gained 80 pounds back in less than a year. :eek:I know that I need to change my lifestyle, and I am 100% committed to doing that. However, I was committed all the other times wh…

Howdy :scared2: I've been reading about all the things I have to do with the band, no soda, no soft bread, no drinking and eating at the same time etc. and I can live with them while I'm losing, the benefit will be well worth it. What I'm wondering is, after I reach my goal will I be able to have the band emptied to a point where I can let go of some of these and just have it as an aid to help me control my portions? I'd like to go back to "normal" eating with the band telling me when to stop since I don't seem to have the little voice in my head that's supposed to tell me. Will I be able to? Or will I always have pain from soda or throw up from drinking right after I …

My doctor mentioned to me at my appt this week that I should consider lapband. I went to the library to find more information and was disappointed to find that most books focused on gastric bypass, and there was very little on lapband. Anyone have suggestions on reliable books to peruse before I pursue this? FYI..I attended an orientation about 3 years ago for gastric bypass, when I decided that it really wasn't an option for me.