PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

Hi---I got my insurance approval (Cigna) in 6 days (!!!!!) and am scheduled for January 15. I have a few questions for those of you who have already gone through surgery and weight loss: For those "older" people (I'm 56) how bad is the skin after a loss of 100+ lbs? I ask because my mother (ever the optimist) said when I told her I was approved,"Then you'll have all that saggy skin". I mean really, is it THAT bad? And I have no bikini or beauty pageant aspirations, so..... Did your wrists get smaller? Did your shoe size/width decrease? Tea with sweet and low and 1/2&1/2 is my beverage of choice. Can I drink this right after surgery without bad effect? (I do know…

Hi Just banded on Tuesday, when do the bandages fall off? Do we take them off? Should we re bandage them? Do we put any ointment on them? Thanks :help:

hey all... i don't know how many out there resorted to banding because of polyptic ovaries but that's just one of my reasons. did your menstruation become regular after banding? also my mom asked this question and i thought i was sure i knew the answer but i thought it wouldn't hurt to ask... will banding affect your voice? specifically singing voice? my mom wondered if it affects the diaphragm.

Hi, Im getting banded on December 11th. My Dr. has suggested I follow the clear liquid diet that Ive been on for the past 10 days, for about 4 weeks after the surgery. This is including the Protein shakes.... My question is..how do you get your protein in, (my dr wants 60g/day) from the shakes, if all you can drink is an ounce or two at a time? how do you get your shakes in when you cant drink as much?

Well, I have no idea WHY this worked so well today, but since it did, I wanted to pass it along. I am having a bad "stuck" day today, where almost nothing I try is going down right. It's a month since I was banded, so I'm still on soft foods, but still have some issues. These days have been a frequent ongoing problem since the surgery, and I've found that by the end of the day I'm near tears from the frustration, hunger, and inability to fix the problem. This afternoon I made myself a cup of tea when I started to notice some low blood sugar signals. I had a few bites of applesauce while the tea was steeping, and then sat down to sip the tea. Well, it's about an hour…

My hospital stay wasn't too bad except for the over-night nurse that kept unplugging me and getting wires mixed up. At one point she came in and told me the monitoring people told her I was dead (jokingly I hope). I spent the night with wires and hoses criss-crossed all over me. They gave me breakfast of chicken broth, tea and crystal light on Thursday morning before going home. That was more breakfast than I expected!! The rest of the nurses etc were great! I developed lots of abdominal cramps and called on Friday night (surgery was on a Wendsday). The on call doctor (not my surgeon) said to call back Saturday AM if it did not go away. I was up all night Friday nigh…

How much water did everyone drink the first few days after surgery. They said to sip water all day long, but today is day one at home at I can't get much down.

Hey guys. So I was browing lap band results and found this website on google. I am getting pretty anxious for my surgery! I am going to be banded on 12/17/07. They moved it up from the 27th. I had a friend who had it done and she had to follow some special diet a week before she went in. My dr just told me to be NPO after midnight. Do you guys have any words of advice or and recommendations for me? I am getting real antsy, but yet so excited. I have alot to lose but I am ready for this. Brittany:scared:

Hi I was banded on Tuesday and the gas is worse then ever. When will it go away and stop hurting? What can you do for it? Thanks

Hey guys... I'm still a newbie to the site and am at the very beginning of this process. Although I'm learning a lot, I've never had surgery before so I'm a little nervous. My big question right now is about the breathing tube. Does it hurt? Any input you guys can give would be great! Congrats to you all!

I am a little over 2 weeks out (banded 11/19) and had been feeling great until this morning I'm nauseous and dizzy - and just all around feeling crappy. Yesterday I didn't eat much (just didn't "want" food - as amazing as that sounds) and I'm thinking THAT may be why .. Today I've had oatmeal for Breakfast and it didn't help. Anyone have this issue ???:sick

The MMPI-II personality test is the last pre-op test result I am waiting for. I have been cleared from every other doctor. I took the test Mon. (that is one crazy test!), and it was being scored on Tues. Does it just get scored, or does a report have to be written on the results? Did anyone else have to take it?:eek:

i have been experiencing extreme pain in my port area after i walk. this usually happens if i walk too fast on the treadmill.. if i keep it a bit slower its alrite.. i was banded on 3 nov n it has been a month since.. is this normal? shouldnt i be able to exercise normally now? i do not have any infection/redness etc and the wounds have been healing well.. so im a bit concerned.. is anyone else going through something similar?

I was banded on Monday the 19th of November. I guess it went pretty good. I was in surgery about 2.25 hours. But that night when I was fully awake and the morphine was wearing off, I noticed my arm was sore. I looked and my hand looked like a rubber glove filled with air. :eek:I called the nurse immediately. My IV had punctured my vien and the Fluid was dripping directly into my arm. I was somewhat alarmed as this was the second bag after surgery. they moved it to my hand. No luck. The vien blew. Third try on my opposite forearm. It finally worked. Well, it's now 9 days post op and my arm still hurts as bad as it did in the hospital. About 90% of the swelling is now gone,…

Anyone else having major fluctuations from one day to the next regarding what you can eat, and how much you can eat? One day I'm able to eat just about anything on my list, and can eat quite a bit, and the next day everything I try to eat gets stuck. Yesterday was one of my "stuck" days, and today, I can eat much more than I would have thought possible, and don't feel full at all. Not that I'm feeling starved, but I don't feel that "full" sensation either. This seems to happen every few days, and I want to know if others are having the same issues. Also, I would like to know how everyone else seems to be able to make the title of their post in large, bold letters. …

i had an sf instant carnation breakfast for breakfast. mid morning i had an boiled egg, for lunch i had about 2oz of chicken, mid afternoon i had 4 oz of light yogurt and for supper i had about 2oz of chicken with fat free gravy and one sf free pudding. i then realized that i had some sf ice cream in the freezer and had about 1 cup of that, i am really full. im disappointed that i ate all of that today. i was really hungry today. i feel like today for the first time in 2 weeks that i went back to some of my bad habits. why did i have ice cream in the house, when i bought it i thought that it would be ok because it was sugar free but eating a whole cup is alot especially a…

I was banded on 11-30-07. last Friday. not even a week ago. yesterday i thought i was okay to drive and to go to the store. i got in the store and started having cold sweats , felt real weak and panicky. mind you i suffer from panic attacks. this morning i woke up , running around the house gettign little ones ready for school and had the same cold sweats. i don't feel as though i have a cold or anything. did any of you have this happen. thank you. by the way, so far, i have lost 10 pounds. :clap2:

Hi everyone I was banded on Monday Nov 19 and subsequently discharged on Tuesday. My doctor told me that I could pretty much start back on the same diet I was on for the week before surgery (high Protein low fiber) So I'm eating oatmeal, mashed potatoes, etc. I was afraid to start eating those things because of what I've read here - but I figured he "saw" what he was working with and only HE knows how he positioned my band... Now onto my problem ... If not for the pain I'm having at my port site (which is about 3 inches above my belly button) and at one of my insicions on the left .. I don't feel any different. I got up a few hours after surgery and star…

Did you have to send your surgeon the test results or a clearance letter from the sleep Dr.?

I have been really struggling with this for about a week or so now. I went to the Dr. for my follow up (I had to go a week later cause he was out of town) so it had been 3 weeks since I have seen them. Well I had gained 2 lbs. and the nurse was just SHOCKED! She asked me what I had been eating, if I was excercising, how much Protein and such. I told her that I am alot more hungry than I thought I would be. Then she was saying "is it head hunger or real hunger" (I think I know when I am hungry and my stomach is growling and I am a bear with a sore toe) I told her I had an omlet for Breakfast, she was so surprised when I told her I ate 3/4 of a 2 egg omlet!! So after her …

Can anyone tell me more about the visit with the psychologist? I know that they are looking for abusive/destructive habits, however, I know that some of the ways that you view or "deal with" food must weigh in on their decisions also. I just don't want to go in and say the wrong thing and find out that they don't approve me for surgery based on the psychological exam - so I was looking for some deeper insight into the questions or more so, are there "magic answers"? Help please - I am so close, but yet so far away! I guess I am just scared that since it is almost too good to be true (for me), that something has to come along and spoil it for me. :faint: Also - …

Hi Everyone - I'm having my surgery on December 17th. I'm scared! But I know I'll be okay. What did you all purchase for after surgery, when it comes to food and liquids. I like the slim fast drinks. Will that be enough to pass as a Protein Drink? Any ideas on foods would be great. Thanks!

I am hurting from gas so bad I can not stand it. Pain meds don't help the gas pain. Call my doc today, what I am having is normal. I am taking gas-x, (still on liquid phase), walking, burbing and farting up a storm, cut out dairy in case that is causing it. HELP! Need more suggestions

I was banded on last Friday, Nov.30, 2007. Is broth,coffee,water,jello,and popsicles all that you can eat. What about juices?

Hi Everyone, My surgery is scheduled for December 26, 2007. I am scheduled for my pre-op testing this coming Thursday, December 6. On my list for that day, they have me down to attend a Bariatric Pre-Op Class. I wanted to see if anyone had to attend a Bariatric Pre-Op Class prior to surgery? If so, what kind of information were you given during this class. Thanks for your help, Marie

Hello Everyone! I have been snooping around here for a little while and figured I should post something! I went to the informational seminar in September, had my first meeting with the Doc on 10/31, and finished most of my pre-op testing in one week! I scheduled my surgery for Dec. 10, and I just got the confirmation from insurance that I have been approved. (Only 70% though). I have a blood test today, and the pre-op seminar Weds, and I'm done! I was very nervous in the beginging, but now I'm only excited. I'm worried about missing work and I'm hoping I'll be back in the office on Thurs. (Surgery is Monday) 12/10. What are your thoughts? Does this seem possible? I'…

:help:Hi, I am seriously struggling with the Prep-Op diet, so I came online for some support. It's only day 2 for me, and I have already cheated today. I had some olives in addition to my Protein shake and chicken broth. Dont these dr's know theres a reason why im fat in the first place? No willpower??

Hi everyone. I am getting banded on Dec. 18 and I am quite nervous. Does anyone have any suggestions for protein powder. Which brand tastes the best? Thanks for your help. Kelly Fort Worth, Texas;-)

Just wondering.... I'm taking a long trip (about 500 miles) to my hometown for Christmas. I'll be 3 weeks post op by then. Anyone else done this yet? Any issues with the port site after being in a car for that long? Or stomach issues at all? Any info would be great!

OK, So I had surgery almost a week ago. The past two days I'm been dieing of pain. (Stabbing only on the right side) Just under my ribs. At first I was told, it was gas. So I walk. Tried to drink more. Used a heating pad when the pain was sever. Well, last night I didn't get much sleep because of the pain. Then when I did get up. It was so sever, I could barely walk. Thought I'd have to call 911. Went to the ER and had a cat scan, they made sure it wasn't a blood clot, or any of the other organs on that side. Come to find out it wasn't even gas. Now I'm home and still don't know what's wrong with me.........! ANYONE with ideas or similar situations please commit! …

Hello, I had my surgery October 24th, and I am not scheduled for my first fill on 12-27! My surgeon likes patients to wait about eight weeks until the first fill. I am getting hungrier each day. I lost 15 pounds since the surgery, and worried I am will gain the weight back before the fill. Anyone else waiting for the first fill and getting hungrier each day and able to eat larger quantities of food!:whoo:

right now i am on a soft protein diet and on tuesday it will be 2 weeks post op and i will advance to potato and veg and some fruits. i am worried that i will start gaining some of the weight that i just lost. my surgeon said that i shouldnt gain any weight back because my calorie intake is under 2000. andrea

Two weeks from today it will all be over.. I might even be home by this time....(I am first on the 17th) :faint:

In case anyone has questions about traveling & eating with the band I wanted to simply share my latest trip. 4 weeks after surgery I went to Thailand. I had already progressed to normal food (my doctor however wants us to avoid starches, rice, Pasta, potatoes, cereals, breads - etc for up to 6 months). However, it's Thailand and while there's lots of grilled meats & fish - there is a LOT of rice! Yes, I ate rice. No, I didn't have any problems with it. I did talk to my doctor about the trip - we decided that it would be OK to eat what I could. I would then focus on a "proper diet" when i got back. I packed some Protein shakes & protein snack chews in c…

i am on month 5 of my supervised wl program and im back to my "normal" eating and cant seem to stop. i hve gained a few pounds in the last few weks and im scared to go be weighed on wed with a gain! how do i explain that? someone help.....thank u

I am one week post op and I find that I keep having hot flashes. I'm only 27, so it is no like I am going through The Change or anything, so I was wondering if anyone else experienced this? Should I be worried?

:clap2:Hey, anyone out there being banded on Nov 13th, 2007?

I was banded on Monday 11/26/07. All went well, except I was nauseas from the anesthesia and dry heaved all day. I came home Tuesday. I am still in a lot of pain, particularly where my port site is. I'm wondering, about how long did this pain last for others? And how far/long did you walk in the weeks following surgery?

i have to say that overall i am following the post op diet fairly well, my doctor put me on a soft protein diet one day after surgery and everything seems to go down fine, except eating a boiled egg that has gotten stuck 2 times now so i probably wont eat that. anyway sometimes i eat a little more than im suppose to for example instead of one egg i sometimes eat 2 fried eggs. it definetely fills me up for a while. on the days that im really hungry i snack on jello or sf popsicles, i have cheated once on something that wasnt on the diet but other than that ive done well ive even lost 13 pounds in 2 weeks. i have read on some of these sites that people are hungry soon afte…

I had my surgery 9/19 and I recoved perfectly but all of a sudden the scar where my port area is a bit sore and itchy...and advice?

For all of you out there needing a little encouragement, I wanted to share something. I was banded on November 12, and I'll admit to having a lot of pain right at first, along with terrible nausea and vomiting for the first 36 hours. I got through that, though, and never needed even one pain pill after leaving the hospital. I took a couple advil once or twice, but that's it. The next phase for me was HUNGER. After the first week went by, I just felt like I was starving. No end to the growling, nagging hunger in my stomach. When I did eat, it seemed as though everything (other than clear liquids) got stuck, and hurt a lot. My abdomen was so distended that I looked 8 months…

was banded 11/27/07. I havesome redness in the area of my port. Has anybody had this?

:help: Hi there! I am scheduled for surgery on Dec. 20. I just found out that we are moving about a week or two later. I have made it public knowledge that I am having this surgery, and I don't think I plan to. Do you all think I'll be able to lift stuff by then, and if not, I wonder what I say to people who come and help us move? What a predicament! :omg:

I don't go to see my surgeon until the 17th of December (he lives a long drive away) so I thought I would check with my the band family to see if anyone can help in the meantime. My port scar looks great except for one little spot in the middle that is red and inflamed with a small scab (banded 23rd October) Of course I picked it today (I Couldn't help it) and low and behold out came a small twisted piece of "string" - obviously a surgical suture that hasn't yet dissolved. It broke and I have been left with a small hole in my scar with a piece of string hanging out of it. I am worried that I won't be able to get a fill on the 17th -(haven't had one yet) or that somethi…

I am six days post lap-band surgery. My chest hurts. Right where my bra would go? Is this normal? Has this happened to anyone else?

Good morning everyone. I usually take liquid Advil for the arthrities in my knees...switched to extra strength Tylenol and it isn't doing anything for me. My knees are killing me from the inflamation and the pain. :cry Any suggestions? Thanks!!! Allheart PS: How do you get all those cute pics under your name in your posts?

I was banded on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday I had to force down liquids. Today I'm getting hungry, my stomach growls, but it feels like there's a ball in m stomach. I'm on a semi-liquid diet, soups, yougurst, shakes etc. I have no intention of cheating but could i be drinking to ast? Also what does it really take to stretch a pouch. This is a fear I think I will have, that I will eat too much. Help:help:

My question is I have been extremely hungry and am dying for meat. I haven't ate any, don't even know if I could. But I'm soo hungry. I have been eating mashed potatoes dulited down with chicken broth. They told me anything that I can suck thru a straw is acceptable. But I did manage to eat a few crackers. I chewed extremely well and I didn't have a problem getting or keeping them down. But now I'm scared that I messed up something. I really need some advice about this. I have lost 20lbs. since Nov. 16th but I'm just soooooo hungry. Please help!!!!:help:

Hey, guys, I am on the mushy stage and am complete SICK of fish already. It's good and all, but I need something to break up the monotony. I am tired of canned Soup, oatmeal, etc. I want something that tastes GOOD! What I wouldn't give for a big bowl of Zuppa Toscana and a hot bread stick!!

Hi I'm getting banded on Tuesday and making my shopping list. Can anyone help me with the list so I don't forget anything. Thanks, Rosie