PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

I'm in the home stretch...I get my band Tues. April 1. I have been on 3 protein shakes and one meal (consisting of 4 oz chicken breast and 1/2 green veggies) a day for almost two weeks. This head hunger is killing me! I feel like putting a slice of cheese on my hand and pretending it's a cheeseburger! HELP! Is this normal? I thought once I made it through the first few days of liquid I would be fine but this head hunger is putting up quite a fight!

I am so excited! The doc has me on a high protein low carb diet pre-op diet and I have lost 6 lbs since Tuesday with 2 slips!! I have tried LOTS of diets but never tried the low carb thing. I am really making it work and I am not hungry. Of course I know all this motivation is coming from by the time I am ready to quit and getting weary it will be SURGERY TIME!! P.S. Can someone tell me how to put a ticker at the bottom???

I had labwork done and my carbon leves were elevated. What does that mean? I am of course a 3 week ex smoker....and now im scared..:confused2:. Hugs Betsy

Hi all, I'm paying for my surgery myself but I just found out that my insurance company will NOT cover any complications from my Lap-Band surgery. Has anyone else had to make this decision? I'm freaking. I'm finally ready to do this but having to pay for emergency treatment could ruin us financially. Please give me some input. Thanks!

Hi! I just finally recieved the phone call from the clinic saying that my surgery is going to be on April 29th. I have a pre-op appointment with the dietician, and then a pre-op appointment with my doctor soon. She figured within the next week or so. So, my question is is this. When I met with the surgeon in January, he said that I'd need to be on a 4 week liquid diet. Soooo, the woman that I talked to today said that I need to just wait and meet with the dietician. Sooo, should I start the 4 week liquid diet, or do I wait?

4 medifast shakes a day, and one 400 calorie meal. Ugh. I sub one shake for a 16 oz nonfat sugarfree latte- aka a "why bother". My stomach is eating itself and Im SO HUNGRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! help!:biggrin::cursing::cursing:

It's almost here! Anyone sharing a date with me? I can't stop thinking about it. Goodbye size 20! Hello anything remotely smaller!!!!

I AM A SLAVE TO FOOD AND IT IS KILLING ME. There is not other way for me to look at it. I am 5'2" and weigh 317 pounds, 44 years old. I have been dieting since I was a very young girl. I could not be embarrased, shamed, bought, ignored, insulted, praised, loved, hated, laughted at, begged, counseled or physically restricted enough to loose the weight or even more challenging... KEEP IT OFF. I barely have enough energy to clean my house or go to work. I have stopped going to church because I can barely walk throught the pews and my clothes don't fit. My once very erotic sex life is gone as is my ability to go slow dancing with my husband. I can't even sit in a restaurant b…

Hello All- Well, I am on my way to becoming a real bandster too - I got my insurance approval (see previous post- Harvard Pilgrim ROCKS!) and now my surgery date- May 13th, 2008! :thumbup: My surgery nurse (who is soooo nice) said that I was approved for a 3 day hospital stay. I understood that lap band surgery only required an overnight stay, but she said that she puts in for as many days stay as possible (3 for lap and 4 for bypass) and if the insurance approves it, then you can use it. I must admit that an extra day in the hospital sounds great- but 3 days sounds excessive. So, the question for all is - How many days (nights) did you stay in the hospital? How…

I am being banded on the 14th. Can any of you tell me what I should have at home before I go in for surgery? For example, blender or Magic Bullet? Anything that you wish you had had in the house when you were recovering? I know that I will be back on my feet, hopefully, within a day or so, but just so I can avoid being bothered.

Hello All, I'm new to this and I am soooo excited to begin the process for the lap-band and begin a better, healthier life! I found a surgeon and my appointment for a consultation is April 18. I began my 6 mo. weight program/monitoring with my doctor back in Dec 07 so I should be complete in May. Are there any words of wisdom? I would like to lose about 165 lbs. Is this realistic? I am not sure what the timeline is, but one of the nurses said that I should be in before the end of the summer. Why so long? Is insurance that much of a hassle? How do the appointments work with the nutritionist, psyc eval, etc..? Any suggestions are gladly accepted, Thanks!!

Well, long story short. I started my diet in October. I also started Lexapro in October. As of yesterday, I have officially gained 20 pounds since October. Anyone see a connection?? Unfortunately, I cannot even credit the Lexapro with making me feel better as it is not...I am SO depressed right now. Is it even possible insurance will think about approving me with weight gain on the 6-month supervised diet??? :scared2:

I have been working with my insurance for 7 months now on this to get approved....and for some reason now that my operation date is only 2 weeks away, it feels like its going so slow!!!!!! I feel too exhausted to get excited about it, and now, I just want it to be over!!! I really thought I'd be so much more thrilled at this point but, the insurance company sucked all the give a sh** out of me. Dont get me wrong I DO want this more than ever....I just am not as excited as I thought I'd be, its kind of a dissapointing feeling. Anyone else feel this way??

I have the 3 hour info session in April. I am hoping someone can tell me the time frame of how long you have to wait for a surgery date. I am hoping my insurance (BCBS) doesn't give me a problem. I have a bmi of 44 and have sleep apnea. I am 42 and been overweight all my life. Can someone give me some answers? I will be greatly appreciative.

:confused:I applaud those of you who have waited many months for insurance; I am now joining your ranks! I decided that I was too scared to wait 8 months (I, too, have BCBS...what if I was up another 50 pounds!) so I managed to wrangle $17,000 and was scheduled for surgery today. My LapBand center (TruReslts in Scottsdale) told me that I could easily schedule for 2 weeks out and get the necessary clearances. The last two weeks have been a crazy juggling of appointments around my already crazy work schedule, and yesterday at 3:00 I was still trying to get the cardiologist to fax the results from my NUCLEAR Stress testing. When I finally accomplished that and thought I was …

I am still waiting to be scheduled for my banding, but in the meantime, when I am scared I think about all the great things I will be able to do again: Cross my legs! Tie my shoe laces Walk a block without being winded Shop in a normal clothes store Wear a belt Wear boots up to my knees Look in a mirror Have my picture taken And many more. Just thought I'd share some of the things I think about when I start to worry or get nervous! Mary

:confused:I have my band date (04-09-08), The closer I get to my date the more I realize how much I rely on food. When I'm nervous, emotional, etc, I reach for food. I hurt my arm the other day and I can't believe how bad I wanted something to eat. Anyone else experience this?

:ohmy:I just found out that my insurance has been approved and all I have to do now is get this mask for my sleep apena which I should have by next week and then I can be scheduled for my band surgery, but I need to loose 5 to 10 pounds and I don't know how to start eating the right foods for this please someone give me ideas how to start my future as a banded woman with the right diet.

Lol...i just wanted to share something with some of you that don't have super active dieticians in your program. Or maybe they just didn't tell you. It takes the brain receptors 20 minutes to recognize that you have started eating and send the message to the body. So when you take less than 15 minutes to eat, this is why ten minutes later you are like OMG I am so full. Also the reason why most dr's and nuts tell you to take at LEAST 30 minutes to finish your meal... and anything left after 40 minutes gets left.

Yes...thank you to all who have been crossing their fingers and toes...I got my approval and date TODAY!!! :tongue: May 28th is MY NEW DAY!!!....whew...that took a bit of work...and yes, UHC is covering it!!! :thumbup:

I cannot believe it! I thought this day would never come. March 25th is the date for me! Of course, my insurance company won't pay for it, so I am self pay. I will be $17,500 in the hole, but I KNOW it will be worth it!!!!! I am excited beyond belief. I really was beginning to believe that this day would never come! I am SO VERY HAPPY!!!!

I'm going on a cruise 7 weeks after my lapband surgery. Can I eat any steak and lobster before my first fill?

As I sit here, (prebanded) eating a plateful of brownies...(I can't believe I'm admitting to this)(but I know we've all been here) and sobbing trying to type, I'm wondering....am I doing the right thing? My surgery date is 4-23-08, and I"m praying to God this is going to change my life. I don't want to eat this way anymore, but I DON"T KNOW ANY OTHER WAY OR COMFORT! I'm so tired of this!!!!!!!!!!! Will the band let me eat a pan of brownies??? I HOPE Not! I can't stop! I'm a HUGE emotional eater and I am in the process of getting a therapist to see once a week starting now, and to follow up with post op. I know I need help with some of the things inside me that make me wan…

This may seem like a dumb/obvious answer question, but I was wondering, lapband surgery are you put to sleep? I just want to make sure, because I started watching a webcast of the surgery and it freaked me out, so I just want to make sure that I'm not going to feel any of that at all. :thumbup:

Bea! I'm having surgery on 4/16 too! :thumbup: Good luck!

how long was your stay in the hospital? 1 night?

Got the date! Got the date! Surgery is scheduled on my 44th birthday next month on April 24th. Why not? Birthdays are no big deal NOW! :cheers2:

Ok, just had a random thought and didn't see anything pertaining to this question so I thought I'd throw it out there.:crying: Anyone out there that has been banded, and then got the stomach flu, I know it seems stupid, but does it feel the same? What has been your experience?? I know it's a gross one, but still wondering after seeing the video of the surgery it got me to thinking.....:thumbup:

Hi Everyone! I have been reading here on the forum for some time but just registered today as I have good news to share. My band date is 4-3-08. I am SO excited and scared. I am on the preop diet and am having limited success.:thumbup: I really am leary about the post op diet of 6 weeks all liquids too. Do you think I can make it? I am in a major self doubt session here.Thanks for any advice you can give.:crying:

:eek:i was not put on a pre-op diet. i keep telling myself that i will stop before though pigging out and try to practice eating slower. I have not had the willpower to do so yet and I am scared that I will not be able to conform to the band. All the dr's keep telling me is how strict you need to be with the band for it to work. AHH! I am scared!

I went for my first appointment with the nutritionist yesterday and quite frankly thought it was a big waste of my time. I don't think I left there with any new info, a food plan or anything. Basically, she said start eating smaller portions, like if I have a whole bagel for breakfast, only have 3/4 instead. She didn't give me any eating plan at all. I guess I thought she would have something else to offer me but nothing. Is this how everyone's appointment went? I have to schedule a visit in a month and i'm not sure what she expects to find since she didn't even tell me to quit eating junk.

Trying to create my own pre op diet. My surgeon is still relatively new in the lap band procedure, but I have trust in him and his team. Anyways, he still doesn't really have a pre op diet for his patients. I want to be prepared that way the "sudden" liquid stage doesn't shock me into submission and make me cry (ROFL). So far the only slim fast drink that doesn't make me want to gag is the Slim-Fast Optima Strawberries and cream. The vanilla and chocolate *shudders* yeah .. lets not go there .... I have been incorporating more and more Soups. Granted not full liquid broth type soups (stews and such) but since I am still "date free" (damnit) I figure one meal b…

My surgery was cancelled because I am sick. The Pulmonologist won't clear me for surgery till I am better. I am so upset & I already was on all liquids for nothing :ohmy: I spoke to the Surgery coordinator & they rescheduled me for April 21st. That is so far away. I want to ask if they can put me in sooner if they get another cancellation. Any suggestions on how to get rid of this cough & severe cold is appreciated.

Ok,I know this sound like a goofy question how long is the lap band good for once its in? I mean 10yrs? 20yrs? :ohmy:

Hi, could someone tell me what exactly erosion of the band is and how common is this to happen?? Thanks Stacey

Hello LBT Citizens.... I have been hanging out in LBT for a while now. I am not banded yet, but I'm working towards that. This site had helped me so much! I first came here asking for a recommendation on the doctors. I ended up with a lot of great advices and also good friends. Now, I have another question for you all to ponder. Who would you choose...between a young(er) doctor who had less than 10 years experience and an old(er) doctor who had 20+ years of experience? Grant it, that both doctors charge the same for Lapband procedures, operate at the same hospital, both include 1 year of fills, similar price for fills after one year. Some of my frie…

I am worried about the plateaus already! When I went on this liquid diet (11 days now) I lost 14 pounds in the first 5 days...since then, 1 more pound. I haven't had one bite of food. Just 3 protien shakes a day and lots of Water. My body seems to have shut down (protecting the fat stores from starvation). What if it does that forever, since the band food plan is eating practically nothing? Any ideas? Have anyone heard this from anyone who has been banded for a while? I am getting banded on Thursday and suddenly a little panicked!

am new here & i hope u treat me as sis am dosh,24 years old,weight 140kg:( ,hight170 will be banded this tuesday 253 ,done all the test & gon through pre op diet & i cheat little bit :"( i was exciting b4 but now am realy afriad to not scusses some frnd says it's no use ,don't imagen u'll lost 72 kg or more keep n ur mind around 20kg maximam coz i love sweets but am not eating alot , guys realy it can b only 20 kg, i went 2 another dr & he sugesst bypass will be better,but am not cofortable with t ,i think lapband will b more safe am v.depressed & confused wat 2 do 2 move on or 2 cancle :smile: plz help me 2 figure out :cheers2:

I have a question if anyone can answer it. How long did it take everyone to get back to work after the surgery. Mine isnt until the end of april and I am just wondering how many days do I need to take off work? I work in a corporate setting, however I do walk alot for meeting and etc. Otherwise I am cooped up in my office all day. Do you think I will be find if i only take like 4 days off or so. Can anyone let me know. I just want to make sure I am not rushing back to soon. Thanks Everyone -Elaine

I am a worrier by nature... so I had to go get labs drawn... My surgeon wants to test all kinds of stuff so he can give me "clearence" for surgery. If any thing is "abnormal" then that will have to be addressed prior to surgery. So today I get my labs results and to my horror my fasting gluclose and some other test they do for diabetes/insulin resistance PCOS were both HIGH! Not extremely, but still high. My Glucose was 112 (Normal is 65-99)and my HGB A1C is 6.1 (normal is 4.8-5.9). My Cholesterol is high, none too bad except my Triglycerides are really high. The SGPT was 50 (normal is 5-40) which I think is what they use to check your liver. The report said something abo…

I am cross posting this under here & April Avengers so hopefully someone can give me a good opinion on what is going on with me...so here it is..... The last few weeks have just crawled by, but now that this week is almost 1/2 over, I cant believe my 10 day preop diet starts 1 week from today!! Sunday thru Tuesday is Disney trip w/ my kids & Tuesday starts my preop diet!! It's really sinking in now that this is gonna happen! 17 more days & I will be sitting in the hospital waiting for it to be over. I am almost scared of what it will be like when its all over, I have spent so many months of researching and preparing and fighting w/ insurance, that I wond…

:ohmy:I feel so alone as if no one care.Family knows but not very helpful. Know one consider how i feel from day to day. But i,m strong and i will make it through this to.Alone but driven to get the weight off, cant wait to be banded. Anyone else alone. Signed alone:cursing::wink:

Hi everyone, just wanted to post to say that FINALLY my doctor's office got everything submitted to insurance today. I called my RN case manager at Empire BCBS and she confirmed that she had the fax of all documentation in hand. Hoping to hear by Wednesday on whether or not I'm approved from insurance. I think that I will be, but figured everyone's good thoughts could not hurt. Will keep everyone posted! PS-My doctor, Dr. Oh in Federal Way, WA, apparently is super busy and understaffed (which most of you probably know by now). If you are waiting on paperwork follow up with the girls in the office, they know they have a lot to handle and if you're nice they will r…

:help: It has been 7 days since my surgery. Every day I have been stuggling with major hunger issues due to the liquid diet. I was drinking something at least every 2 to 3 hours, yet I could not shake my growling stomach. Last night I broke down and had 2 Tsp of Creamy Lite Peanutbutter. I could not help myself. I licked it slowly off the spoon. It made me feel full all night and I don't seem to have any bad symptoms. But I am still worried. Does anyone know the effects of Peanutbutter during the liquid phase???? :eek:

I finally have my date scheduled, April 15th. I’ve been reading through posts though and I’m wondering why my doctor doesn’t have me on a liquid diet pre op? Is that normal? Everyone else seems to be one. Thanks…

Psych eval was a joke, she passed me easy as can be ... only paperwork I had to fill out was insurance stuff. She asked me a series of questions, had me count backwards from 100 by 7's. Dunno why but .. *shrugs* I passed, calling my coordinator now to make my one on one with the surgeon!! YAY!

I'm assuming since there is a camera inside you the surgeons also videotape the procedure. Do you know if they'd give you a copy if you asked? Did anyone ever ask? If so, what did they say? If they say no, I would think the reason they wouldn't would be for insurance purposes.

Well, I'm a bandster. The surgery was this morning, The dr. said it took 12 mins. from start to finish. Home by 12:30 (with a 2 hour drive) took the dog for a walk. I'm feeling a little discomfort but tylonal is doing fine. I woke up with alot of pain. but the recovery team gave me pain killers right away. When that wore off no problems. If I sip too fast my chest hurts so I need to be careful. Dr. says first fill is in 4 weeks but will move it to 3 weeks if I'm feeling hungry. He also said the ease of the operation was because of the small liver and me sticking to my pre op diet. I lost 20 pds during the 2 weeks of Optifast only pre op.

I work for Sentara Healthcare and in their explore health archives thay have a webcast of a Lap Band surgery. I already posted this on somone elses thread but figured it more might see it if I posted it seperately ExploreHealth with Sentara

I am currently in my 5th month of the pre-op weight loss program with my PCP. Unfortunately, I have struggled this entire process to lose weight. It's been a real emotional time in my life and obviously food was where I have always turned. Well... I had my 5th weigh-in today and I FINALLY LOST 12 LBS!!! I am so excited that finally something is going right. Of course, my first reaction was to go eat (again, I'm the dreaded emotional eater). I talked myself out of going to McD's... I don't want to gain those 12lbs back. My doctor was proud and my husband, for the first time during this process, seemed proud of me too. It means more to me than anything to finall…