PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

I have been super depressed lately, to the point I am feeling suicidal. It scares me bcuz I have no good reason for that! I need my hormones checked. Somethings wrong with me. Has anybody experienced this post-op?

Hi everyone, I was banded on 11/1/07. I've lost 10lbs since then but not for reasons to be proud of. I have had excruciating gas pains everyday. Sometimes in my gut, shoulder, and jaw. Othertimes in my hips and down my legs. Drinking makes it worse. My surgeon is very strict about what we are allowed to have after 5 days. He is insistent on liquid shakes for the next 2 weeks. The shakes in his office sent me into the bathroom for hours. Waited 24 hours and tried again. Same thing. Yesterday the gas was so bad that I could barely sip water. I spent a few hours last night in the ER on an IV. They x-rayed the band and found a huge gas bubble. Tried Mylanta and Gas-X but thi…

Ok...I am one who does not want to complain about pain. I am having a hard time figuring something out. The top portion of stomach just below the breasts really hurts and its almost like a full feeling. The full feeling really does not interfere with my ability to eat because I can without problems but I am not sure what it is. My first reaction is that it is still gas pains. Also, my shoulder still has pain on the left side. The pain doesn't really show up until I have moved around alot more than usual but really hurt yesterday enough to take my pain killers; as Tylenol would not cut it. Has anyone else out there had this issue 6 days post op. I keep reading that…

Hey Guys! how do i put on the tickler?

I had my psysocical evl today. She just kept asking me if I was depresed. That I looked depressed to her. That it is ok to be depressed. Any one else get this? Since Im overweight I am depressed?

Hi Gang, Thanks for all the great advice re: being so hungry, you're right, I sure won't starve and a little suffering never hurt anyone and best of all, the weight I'm losing on the post-op liquid diet will stay off with the help of the band. My question is, I'm going in for my first fill in about two weeks. I don't know the size of my band but am wondering how much I should get it filled in terms of fractions (half filled etc.) I guess I want to be able to consume about a half cup of food per meal. I don' want the most restricted option but also not the most liberal. The middle road so to speak. I want to be able to eat somewhat normally (just much smaller portio…

Ok, I've been working on this since June....and FINALLY I have a date... Dec. 18th. Woohooo!!! However, I am supposed to travel to Chicago on a business trip in the middle of my pre-op liquid diet. Do I go or not go!? Any suggestions? I don't want this to hold me back, but there is a Christmas dinner involved.. I obviously won't be able to eat it. I'm not sure what to do.?!!? My husband said we should cancel, b/c he didn't think he could eat all those goodies in front of me, bless his heart... But we were looking so forward to this trip for months. I'm afraid I'll look out of place in front of all my peers. Any Advice!? :faint:

Hi there. I'm in week 1 of two weeks on "mushies" or pureed foods. I'm just curious as to what everyone else is eating. I'm looking for some variety and just to compare, I'm really curious. This is what I've been eating: Morning - 8oz Protein shake Snack - 1/4 c. low fat ricotta lunch - 1/2 c. bean/veggie Soup with mashed chicken added Snack - 1/2 c. tomato or other low fat creamy soup (squash, mushroom) dinner - 1/2 c. bean/veggie soup with 1/4 c. meat, Beans, or potatoes Snack - 1/4 c. sugar free puddings or popsicle 600-700 calories 60-70 grams of protien I also drink about 3-4 bottles of Water a day I space out the 1/2 c. portions over 30 min or so Th…

Hi, Maybe this is somewhere else, but I was wondering what people's favorite brands are for broths and such while on Clear liquids. I'm having my band done tomorrow. I've been on clear liquids yesterday and today and I can tell this is going to be tough. I haven't liked any of the brands of chicken broth that I've bought so far. Swanson's was ok. They're all so high in sodium, too, and I'm on a low-sodium diet for heart stuff. They don't even taste good to me because they're so salty. Today all I've really wanted is Water and tea. I like the broth idea because I like warm drinks (I've had to give up my beloved coffee for now) and it's flavorfull, but so far, it's not…

I'm on my pre-op diet and my surgery is scheduled for Monday Nov 19, however I'm struggling with when to eat. I will have a good Breakfast (oatmeal, 1 egg, glass of milk) and that will hold me (suprisingly) to the point that I forget about lunch. Then when I realize I'm hungry .. I'm STARVING (which COULD cause me to over-eat) So far this week my days have gone as follows : I wake up at 6am Breakfast (7:30am) - every morning at work mid morning snack - skipped because I'm not hungry Lunch - if I remember at 11ish I'll have a slimfast shake. Afternoon snack - nothing because I'm driving home - I'm STARVING dinner (3/4pm) - Soup, or whatever Bedtime snack (…

Well, I had a visit to my primary doctor today and got the results of my blood work. Total cholesterol down from 210 to 95, and no more chol meds. BP down to 116/62 so no more BP meds. Man am I a happy camper :bounce::bounce::bounce:

Did anyone else do a Barium Swallow before Surgery?? I after only 15 weeks with the band I had it removed on Tuesday the 13th November due to two things, my oesphagus was contracting and the band had slipped. I am not sure if they are related but I was not eating at all and throwing all the time. Can anyone help with this question as I am very disappointed in the band process and now the doc is looking at more severe options. Not once was I asked to do a Xray before surgery I was asked if I got reflux. Any Ideas????? Jo

Does any one have that constant restriction around their voice box/throat and is contantly feeling like throwing up or is throwing up after meals? I had 4.5ml put in my first fill and suffered for 5 weeks with not eating or drinking much before I had 2ml removed. but I feel I may need all of it removed. I again can't eat much without that constant nausea feeling, funny noises in my throat and the throwing up. A couple of weeks ago I was so thirsty that I drank 600ml of Water to quickly on an empty stomoch and threw it up while driving in my work 4WD about 1/2 later. GROSS. I dont eat at all during the day now other than a biccky or two but even thats hard to swallow w…

Hello to all you banders. I am happy to have found this site. I have read a little and already found lots of information. I was banded on Sept. 25th. Cancelled first appt. because I was afraid I wouldnt wake up after surgery. I have diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Now, I am glad I did. I am down 22 lbs. Had first fill and cannot tell it. She put in 4.9 cc's but I am not restricted enough. Trying to maintain before next fill next week. My doctor does not use fluro. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can help the doc give me the right fill? Does fluro work everytime. Thanks, Suesue PS I am new at this so do not know how to do some of the n…

I am on the surgical schedule in December. I wanted to ask the people here if they had any particular things that if they were doing again they would have done from day one. One thing I am concerned about is how to minimize excess skin. I have heard swimming is a good way to fix this (unfortunately those who normally need this fixed are too self-conscious to swim!). Any thoughts on this issue? Any thing else? Thanks and I am sorry to post such a new person post, I have done research, watched surgical videos on youtube (I could probably perform this procedure myself by now), and read every article I can get my hands on. I am in the Boston area if that is helpful fo…

I was banded 2 weeks ago and feel little resriction now. I can eat anything soft with no adverse effects. I'm gaining weight. I think the issue is I need a fill. Just a little scared. :paranoid

Hello Friends: I just posted this in Dr. Kirshenbaum's thread but thought to share it with you all. I just got back from Colorado where I had a fill and a good consultation where the article below came up. It helped me put FILLS into perspective. Once of the challenges I have had is going from thinking about food, being able to eat anything, to changing and the state of being where I am not able to eat whatever I want and do I THINK I am hungry or am I really hungry? and what about those of us who are emotional eaters or have some nasty habits to break? The article will make reference to colored zones, green, yellow and red. I think I am now sitting in GREEN wh…

My left leg is swollen, I went to a vascular doctor to find out why because it started during my pregnancy and never went away. The doctor advised me that it is because of the fat on my pelvis. It put pressure on the veins and the fluid can not flow through my body thus causing the "build up" of fluid. I have been told losing weight will cause the problem to go away. Has anyone else had this problem and did it go away once you lost weight?

I was banded on November 12th, I am wondering how long I should wait before I try to sleep on my side or stomach?:help:

I am going to my first consult today and boy do I have questions! This site has given me a ton of information to go in with and was wondering if there is one specific question I should ask?? Thank you.:cry

I ate too much last night, and today my stomach still hurts....is that a normal thing? I am barely moving to solid foods and don't have a feel yet for how much to eat.

I was just banded yesterday afternoon and left the hospital by 10:30pm. I've been able to consistently walk :phanvan:phanvanand take in Water but I'm worried about using too much of my pain meds, even though they really work! I'm on liquid Vicadin and I see a lot of people here on Liquid Tylenol so I think I'm being a sissy about my incisions hurting/soreness. Without the full dose of meds, it hurts to breathe deeply and be in most sitting positions. Anyone else experienced this? My Dr. also told me that I did have a lot of abdominal fat, which meant that my port had to be placed deeply in the tissue and he'd have to use a long needle to fill me--eep! In pain and ne…

Okay, I am getting jittery about this whole thing. I know I need it. I know I want it. But all these messages read about pain, gas PB - it is scary. If you are over 400 lbs (like me) does that mean your port will be deeper than a person in the 200-300 lbs range? Is grape Jello considered clear jello (lol) Just call me dumb. Pat :whoo::help:

Hi everyone! I am banded a week today and am still feeling really bloated and some residual pain in my left shoulder. However, yesterday I tried to go to my business and do some paperwork and found that I could not sit without pain. The pain was directly under my breasts at the top of my stomach. However, after time the pain became concentrated on my right side. It was sort of like a sharp pain you get in your side and when you take a breath it is really uncomfortable. So last night I took pain meds put a heating pad on it and chocked it up to stubborn gas pain. I went to bed and had an uncomfortable night sleeping because the stabbing pain in on my right side. W…

Hi Everyone, I was scheduled for November 9th but had to cancel. My 3 year old son was hospitalized this past weekend. All last week he was rolling around the floor with unexplained abdominal pain. 4 ER visits, 2 Cat Scans, 2 ultra sounds and a 3 day hospital stay later, he was diagnosed with a hematoma on the right psoas muscle. The doctors thought it may have been something worse but he is better now. His condition needs to be checked by CAT scan every month for changes. I did manage to get to the pulmonologists office on Friday and he said my lungs were not in the greatest condition from bronchitis the week before last, and with all that was going on he sugges…

I'm going to start my liqiud diet tomorrow and I'm needing some advice on what exactly should I eat/ or should I say drink??

I've already had my evaluation with Dr. ,psych, so now I'm just waiting for ins. approval. I know that I'm making the best decision of my life by doing this, at this point I'm 28 and been overweight since I was 5. I have absolutely tried others ways to lose weight and of course no luck. I've been in my current relationshipfor 7 years and the other day we were discussing my operation, and of course he is very supportive I thought until he said to me that he doesn't think I've really committed myself enough to excersing in the past (like it's all about excersing) so he tells me is this just another thing that I'm going to start and forget about later. Well since he's said t…

3 weeks ago I had my first fill and was so excited as I thought this would be the extra help I needed to not overeat. well that is just not the case at all. I can still consume way to much food without any negative feelings such as tightness un the chest or a real sense of fullness. I have a 14cc band and initially had 3cc filled on my first fill. anyone out there with the same issues. and does a 2nd fill help??:help:

I keep hearing about people getting fills under flouro, what does that mean?

I'm set to be banded on Nov 19 and I'm nervous about the 'mental' changes that I will have to make. I'm wondering how one gets to the point where they don't NEED to eat everything on their plate - in other words, I often find that I am no longer hungry, but keep eating because it tastes good or because I don't want to 'leave' any. I'm worried that I won't be able to 'stop' myself .. and I'm hoping that THAT is where the band will step in and make me feel "SO FULL" that I won't want to finish. Does putting less food on your plate help? How do you get past the "memory" that even though there is a "serving" on your plate - there is still "more" on the stove ?

I'm sorry, I posted this in the incorrect forum!

:help:I work in route sales and am having surgery on 11/30/07. I work in and out of the back of a truck with a dolly and was wondering if anybody has a job similar to this? If so, how long did you have to be off of work? Were you able to go back to full duty? Thanks! Kim

Ok...chicken broth is quite boring and I am tiring of it. Can you season the broth with a little salt and a little pepper or other seasonings. Anyone have this issue out there?

any suggestions?

I had my surgery almost three weeks ago and I want to ask everyone about medications? I take anti-depression meds and have just been crushing them with no apparent problem.........is that okay? Has anyone had trouble taking their meds? Any kind of meds?

How much did you pay out of pocket after insurance paid their bit. I am trying to figure out if I can afford to have it done as quickly as I want. I am not looking at total expence from those that didnt go thru insurance but from those that did. Help please.:phanvan

Hi all, Well tomorrow is the big day, and I am nervous as all hell. Ive been on practically not eating at all for a week, because i find not eating is less horrible than eating Optifast. Another question i thought of, for those that have been recently banded, how long after surgery is it likely i will be able to lie on my stomach again? I tend to sleep on my stomach and will probably find it very difficult to get to sleep on my back. thanks for any insights

Hi. I just got banded last Wednesday, 11/7. Came home from the hospital after a rough first night. The worst pain I feel is where the port is placed, is that normal? How long with that take to subside. My stomach is making some funky noises, and i'm tyring to stick to the post op diet they gave me. I dont have much of an appetite, but am drinking what they tell me to. Two weeks of full liquids and than on to mushies. I hear you get hungry once you heal and am not looking forward to that part. Anyway, figured I would say hi to all!!

Hi, Well, nearly 2 weeks since I was banded, and so far I have lost 14Kg all up (9kg was the pre-op diet). Tonight i went out with my girlfriend and had a entree size gnocchi. I only ate half of it, and had no pain or discomfort. I took extra time to chew and ate it as slowly as I am able (something very difficult for me to do, as i normally would just wolf it down.) Now the weird part. To be absolutely honest, I havent been feeling terribly hungry at all since I have been banded. But, when eating this meal tonight, I had no sence of fullness either. I stopped eating mainly because I am feeling guilt over "cheating" rather than any feeling of satiation. Is this…

Hi - I am new. My Dad and are getting banded on Dec. 5th, 2007. I have been reading everyones threads and it is great to see such support!

PORT REPLACED as tubing 'blown' & HANGING in PELVIS I have just returned from Bruge where I had a second operation (general) to replace my port and reconnect it to the tubing after it Blew apart. I was losing FABULOUSLY (28pounds in 3 months) and then in May 2007 I suffered EXCRUCIATING PAIN where I was hospitalised (check my other posts) and they did all kinds of tests but found nothing. I have regained all the weight I lost bar 2 pounds. I have literally just got home from Bruge and am writing to WARN people about a BAD BATCH OF BANDS that were in circulation across the world between DECEMBER 2006 and FEBRUARY 2007. The bands are 10ml bands made by HEL…

I could not stick with the liquid diet for 2 weeks. I lasted 6 days then started eating solid food that I'd chew at least 20times to compensate. My doctor told me I didnt have much stomach fat, so my band was a bit loose. I guess this is why I was not satisfied with the liquid. Now at night I feel muscular cramps in the chest area. Sometimes it feels like it extends to my upper back. Wakes me up at night. Tossing and turning to get comfortable. I somehow fall back to sleep. I am mostly fine during the day. I also lost the antibiotics travelling back from surgery. Has anyone experienced this? Does this sound like an infection?:sick Can anyone describe the pain of h…

Hi, Getting banded on Monday, and I can't find Liqued tylenol. Nayone know where to buy it??? Thanks, Kelly :help:

Hi guys!! I am sooo excited, I am having my surgery this Friday ( the 16th). I just started teaching first grade last week, and I am only allowed that Friday day of surgery off. Do you guys think that by Monday I should be able to go back to work? I feel that I will, anyways, I am beyond excited, and am also wondering how should I expect to feel after surgery? All the tips and advise is greatly appreciated!

I am on day 11 of the pre-op with Thursday being surgery............. This has to be the worst diet to stick to in the universe. Just needed to vent...................

Well, It's done and I am sore but glad it's over. Everything went OK but 2 of my holes are more like incisions. 2&3 inches long. Those really hurt. Hope to feel better soon. Good luck to all coming up surgeries.

Well I am officially a bandster as of yesterday. I had to stay over in the hospital though because he nicked my spleen. I am doing very well I think although I am very sore. No major pain from gas at all, thank god, I have been able to walk alot and I think I am sore from that. Also am coughing and that is not helping much. I have to say I am not hungry at all. I am thrilled to have this part over and to get on the road to healing. My throat is slightly sore from the tube down my throat. But other than that and my port sight I am not too bad. Hope everyone else is doing well that has been banded already this month and good luck to those still waiting.:clap2::c…

Hi. I just joined this board. I'm having lapband surgery on Nov. 16. I'm pretty nervous about it. I really want to do it, but it seems like there can be a lot of problems afterwards. Everyone I know who's had weight loss surgery is glad they did it, but it's still kinda scary. My doctor is very good and I'm sure it will be fine. I'm wondering if there's anyone on this board who has to take aspirin and/or Plavix? I have heart issues (which is partly why I'm having this surgery) and will need to be on both these medications after surgery. I stop the Plavix on Sunday, but I stay on the aspirin through surgery and afterwards (I have stents, so I need the asa to keep the ste…

Obesitylaw.com won my appeal so I got my date yesterday 12/20/07. My question(s) are these:clap2:: 1. What would you have done to prepare for coming home if you knew then what you know now? (Keep in mind I live alone) 2. What do wish would have known that didn't know before having the surgery? Thanks, Lisa:help:

PER MY DR I SHOULB BE TAKING IN AT LEAST 600-800 CAL, WITH MY PROTEIN DRINKS ALL I CAN TAKE IN IS 300, MAYBE 400. ANY TIPS? :help:I AM ON ALL LIQUIDS ONLY. THANKS