PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

Hiya everyone, well I did it! Feeling quite good today but still need to get rid of this gas!! All went well but the surgeon put me on a course of blood thinners for the week following surgery, my OH has just inkected me with it-very nerve racking!! Kinda made me scared about developing blood clots! I am just starting to drink enough, I was worried I would ruin all the hard work the surgeons did but I seem to be getting there! I am analysing every little pain, is it the band, did I take too big a sip, is it gas??!! Can't wait to feel better and understand my new friend bella!!

Hello all, Well I just made it home earlier today from the hospital. I was banded yesterday morning with very little probs and no major complications. Because of my earlier tummy tuck from several years ago they had to cut through the muscle wall in places to get at thing properly so I'm extra sore. Last night was pretty rough but my hubs was there with me helping me like the wonderful guy he is. I feel utterly bloated and like I've been run over a few times by a big truck but I know you all are familiar with that one. Fairydust was banded later in the day by the same doctor and we got to hang out together talking quite alot. She's doing beautifully and was only two do…

Morning of Surgery. Woke up really really early. We were suppose to be at the hospital at 5:30 and the procedure would start at 7:30. We arrived a few minutes after like 5:35 and signed in. We sat there until 6:10 to be called back. I had a wonderful nurse, Laura, who was extremely funny. We cut up with each other and she basically calmed any fears I had at this point. She was great. She even asked my wife if she could give a married man a hug. I could have had any admitting nurse but I got Laura. Lucky me. By 7:00 I was moved to holding where there was some confusion as people were looking for Dr Dyer patient for a gastric bypass and kept asking me if I was that per…

GOOD MORNING TO ALL! iT'S MY FOURTH DAY ON MY PRE OP DIET AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH I CAN TAKE. I REALLY WISH THE DR. WOULD HAVE PUT ME ON A LOW-CALORIE DIET , INSTEAD OF THE SLIMFAST/CLEAR LIQUIDS DIET! I KNEW IT WOULD BE HARD BUT I DIDN'T EXPECT IT TO BE THIS HARD . BUT I'LL TRY TO HANG IN THERE AND (KEEP MY EYES ON THE PRIZE). YESTERDAY MY CO-WORKERS ORDERED PIZZA!! THEY KNOW IT'S MY FAVORITE, AND THEY ALL AGREE THAT (I DON'T NEED THE SURGERY), BUT I DIDN'T GIVE IN TO THEM, I KEPT RIGHT ON SIPPING MY SOUP!! I KNOW IN THE END THEY WILL BE ASKING ME FOR THE DR. PHONE # THAT DID MY LAPBAND!!

Hi all. I was banded on Aug 15th and I have not done as well as hoped on the thin liquid diet for this week. I have however not eaten anything that was not very very soft. The worst was mashed potatoes yesterday. So, I woke up last night with some pain and figured it was just gas, since let's face it... after surgery it pretty much rules your life. But, this morning I am trying to eat my sugar free Jell-O like a good girl and I have this painful sensation when it hits my new stomach. Any thoughts? I am worried I might have screwed up the formation of scar tissue or at worst, caused a distrubtion of the band. What do you guys think??? Thanks!!!!!! :help::faint:

Hi all, Ok I need input here. Im really NOT feeling well. oh the ways.. My huge issue is this searing pain i had posted ab. a few days ago.. It is still searing and i feell like my muscle is ripping. i know the dr. said som'g ab. cutting some nerve endings. but it is totally limiting and immobilizing me and i'm NOT happy... the pain is shooting to my back now... i dont' know.. Then, Whenver I drink I right away get a tightness in my chest area.. just by 1 or 2 sips of Water... I continue because that is it but the pain is still there... and stays... (oh get a load of this.. everytime I eat my husband pats my back and i very nicely burp.. and i'm HOW old???) I am c…

I have read a lot of threads recently. There have been a lot of complaints about arm pain. Who has had it? How long did it last? What did your MD state was the cause?

I am on week 4 post op and have not lost any weight since starting on stage 3 - - I go up and down but don't seem to loose anything :confused: Please advise. I am being good and don't think I am overeating - any suggestions? :help:

I am seriously considering the lab band procedure and know that my insurance does cover it but cannot find any seminars close to the Buffalo NY area. Anyone from around here that can point me in the right direction?

I was banded last week (Monday the 20th) and the recovery was OK. My doc has me on a three week liquid-only diet. My only problem is that whenever I drink anything, I get PAINFUL burping - not like "ow that hurt" but I have to stop what I'm doing because of the pain.:help: Why does this happen, and how do I make it stop? I'm taking my little sips, and waiting between sips...but the problem continues...

does anyone know if there is someone in ireland that does fills .the nurse that usually visits monthly isnt able to come anymore and to go to england from here can make a fill quite expensive

I was just recently looking through my list of labs I am going to have drawn on Thursday and I was wondering if it is normal for all of these things? Or if someone can tell me what they are? Thanks! Here is the list; CBC CMP Hemoglobin A1C TSH Fasting Lipid Panel Iron TIBC Ferritin Phosporus Magnesium Thiamin (Vitamin B-1) Vitamin B-12 Zinc RBC Folate 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D PTH Thanks! Please help me out. :huggie:

I had lap band on August 6th and everything was fine until yesterday morning. I felt nauseous in the morning after I had my slim fast, I didn't vomit but thought I was going to, that evening about 6 pm I got nauseous again, then again about midnight. I am feeling kind of sick today. I don't know if this is cause for concern. I had a little bit of applesauce, that my doctor said was ok. I took a couple of bites and felt nauseous. I stopped eating and it settled down and then after a few minutes I tried it again and I was ok. My stomach feels touchy today. I drank my protein shakes today and it seemed ok. I have not had my first fill yet. Has anyone ever experienced th…

I am sooooooo frustrated with myself!!! I have had my band for a little over 2 years now and have nothing but problems with acid reflux, vomiting, band being too tight and now I just had surgery Wednesday for a band slippage. I am torn between keeping my band or having it removed. I have had more bad than good times with my band and want your opinion guys and gals.:faint:

Good morning Everyone, Quick question? Is it OK to swim 3 weeks post op? I went swimming with my son yesterday and felt a little strange. I think it is probably in my head no pain, just felt like things where moving :embarassed:.

....:car: Okay, by now ya'll know I go for the dramatic titles. LOL I am curious to know -- from those who are months or more post-op, can you take pills/tablets/capsules/caplets/gelcaps. I'm by no means a junkie, and expect to be taking fewer and fewer prescriptions the more I lose. But just HATE those liquid Vitamins, etc. and want to know if and when I'll be able to handle something else. I mean -- HEY!! it got me off meds quickly -- if I was popping pain pills, I'd probably be still having a few and just spending some of this stage a little stoned....:eyebrows: But that disgusting syrup -- I really have to be hurting to be willing to take a dose of THAT gak…

Mine have been on for over 2 weeks, one fell off but the rest are just sort of hanging out there. Feels like a long, long time but don't know if I should do something about that.

I have a consult for August 29, 2007. I am sure I am doing this, but would like any suggestions from experienced Banders. Are there any questions I need to ask during my consult?? I feel like I am fairly prepared, but any suggestions are welcome. Thanks in advance. Thanks Lexanne

I know that liquid in=liquid out but the cramps are fierce. It's 4:30am and I have been up for an hour with bad cramps and diarrhea...sorry TMI! I have taken Pepto but I am really uncomfortable. Should I take Immodium? I haven't been perfect on the liquid diet, some ice cream in the Protein shakes and gazpacho Soup (bad, bad idea) but I was pretty good today so I don't get it. Will it get better once I'm on mushies? A cracker and ginger ale would be good right now. Feelin' yucky, at least the Red Sox won two games today! Amy

I reached my mini-goal of weighing 199 pounds today! I have lost 33 pounds since I started this journey a few months ago. I was banded on the 13th of August, and I am obviously doing great! I just wanted everyone to know! I am so excited to be out of the 200's!!!!!!!!!!! YeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

<p>Well, I guess I got just a wee bit too cocky. I had scrambled eggs with spinach this am. with no problems. I have had a Protein Bar, yesterday and some other solids. I am suppose to move toward solids slowly this week. Well, I tried tuna fish for lunch, I chewed well about 3 tiny bites, and I knew I was in trouble. Didn't take long til back it came. Hope I never BP again. I went back to full liquids for today and tomorrow. That must mean I am not as open as I thought!! (Gee really, duh!) and there really is a band down there.</p> <p> </p> <p>Hope no one else joins the club.</p> <p>Marilyn</p>

I was banded on 8/14/07, just a short week and a half ago. So yesterday evening I went with my sister and my niece to look at wedding dresses for my niece's wedding. I haven't lifted anything heavier than a gallon of milk (per my post-op instructions). I reached up to grab an empty hanger and felt a pinch in my left side just under my port incision. Granted, that incision is still a little sore after surgery, but the pinch kinda freaked me out. Now I've been paranoid all day that I may have lost one of my stitches and my port may have partially flipped. I still have the little bulge on that side of my belly, which I had before. Do you think I'm being paranoid or shoul…

I have only been banded for a week and I'm a little nervous because I keep getting this pain under my left breast and ribs I guess that feels almost like a cramp like I just ran a marathon. I don't know what it is. Has anyone else had it? should I be worried about it?

I am on day 14 post op. I have cheated a few times w/ bites of regular food. I know this is not good and have tried really hard to stay on Soups only. This is my question. Are there signs if you do have a slippage? Or is this something you find out when you meet for the first time with the DR? :omg: Thanks for your input!

What Can You Do For The Air Trapped In Chest And Arms After Lap Band Surgery

:help:hey guys ----I was banded w/hernia fix on monday the 13-----i am having really bad pain in my left shoulder ----it comes and goes---but seems worse after i eat--(liquids)----any ideas? i also am very itchy around my incisions---the strips are still on.:help:

First day out...about to take a shower but I can't bend over or anything, what do I do?

How do you get this much protein when you are on mushies?

I am a week post op exactly today, I am sticking to the menu like my doctor ordered but oh my gosh my stomach is growling all day and I mean violently. I am almost worried just the growling alone is going to cause it to slip, it is that bad :rolleyes Has anyone else experienced this and if so what did you do?

I had my surgery on Thursday afternoon August 16th, everything went great. I was sent home two hours later and had everything on hand thanks to the great suggestions on this site. I am kind of a baby with medical stuff so on Sunday when it was time to remove the bandages I had my husband remove them and low and behold I fainted (what a whimp huh) well we chalked it up to me being a baby but then on Tuesday morning when we were showering I fainted in the shower, came to and then fainted again so that was two more times. Well the husband decided this just wasnt right so we went to the doctor. Now I want to make sure I add I always have a water bottle by my side, I was eatin…

Hi, My mom is 52 and getting the lapband surgery within the month. We have a ton of questions, but don't really know who to ask. If you have a moment, and think you may be able to help, please do We are not planning on telling anyone about the surgery. This may seem odd, but there are some judgmental people in our lives -- namely my grandmother . Here are our questions... Will my mom be able to keep her lapband a secret when she's eating out with other people? Meaning, will those who eat w/ her often realize that something is odd about what she is eating? What can she eat, both post-op and permanently? I do all of the grocery shopping and live with her; w…

Dr's office just called - surgery set for Tuesday AM - CAN'T WAIT - I am so excited, scared, excited, scared, did I say EXCITED!!! Not to long of a wait till Tuesday - just have to make it thru the weekend and I'm sure I'll be cleaning house and doing all the things I won't feel like next week. Thanks for letting me read all the posts here - this is a wonderful source of first hand info and so now I have joined and I can post too :clap2:

I need help and advice. I was banded July 26,2007 which means I'm going on my fourth week with the band. I do not feel restriction at all!! Food is basically on a slip and slide right down my throat and through the band. What's happening?!! After my first 2 weeks, I lost only 6lbs :think. I weighed myself again and in one week I've gained 5 lbs back. AAAAAHHH!! Am I really that weak that I cannot stop myself from eating even with the band? or is the band just not working for me? Someone please help me.:omg:

PITTSBURGH Lap Band - Waiting Period? Hello All- I'm new to this board and excited to be here! I am in the Pittsburgh area... actually I live near Greensburg, about 30 miles east of the city, and I work downtown. I am interested in the lap band procedure and have tried a couple times to register for the informational seminar at AGH with Dr. Colella. No one ever answers the phone and no one calls me back. Oh well. Still trying. Not set on who I woudl want to go to either so recommendations are much appreciated. Anyhow.. I know I would like to have this done. I've done all the research, done the diet thing as we all have and been jealous of, but very happy for, the w…

I have my first appt. with my doc next week, and I am absolutely scared to death. I am terrified about going under general anesthesia..I'm an asthmatic. I think the surgery is the right thing for me, but I can't get over this sick feeling I get when I think about actually going through with it. I'm scared something will go wrong, and my kids will be without a mom...scared that I'll look terrible after the weight loss, and need plastic surgery to fix me....anybody else have these fears before their surgery??

:help: Hello everyone: I'm just starting the process .I've been to the seminar and consultation .now Ihave to do that darn 6 months of recorded diet even though I've been dieting for 20 yrs. and see the head doctor on aug. 30 .Anyone have any encouraging advice ? I'm kind of feeling down having to wait the 6 months. sue

I am new to all this, i just got my insurance approval and am waiting (not very patiently) for my surgery date. It took 8 months to get insurance approval. I have rheumatoid arthritis and do water aerobics to help my joints. Does anybody know how long after surgery i have to stay out of the pool. Thanks for all the great information on this site, i can't wait to be an "official" bandster.

Scared, not sure what I should have at home to eat afterwards. I have followed the pre-op diet and have lost 19 pounds but I am scared. Guess it is just the pre-op jitters. Is there still a group that is August banders?? I would like to join that thread so I have a few buddies to talk to about progress. Wish me luck.

I was banded on Friday and have been messing up ever since. I was in so much pain the first couple of days that I couldn't eat hardly anything. Today and yesterday I have truly F@#ked up. I have been eating everything but the kitchen sink. I still haven't been able to eat much, but I eating things that I know I am not suppose to have. I ate mashed up peas yesterday and 1/2 cup of fried rice from the Chinese rest. today. Can someone please help me !!!!!!!!!!!! I did not go through all of this for nothing. I have 60 lbs to lose and and my first 2wk follow up is Wed 8/29. I don't know what is wrong with me. HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHelp:help:

Hi all I hope someone else can tell me they started out like me. I have so much anxiety I am about 5 weeks out and until yesturday I could hardly eat anything. Now food is going down easy and I just over ate I had about 1 1/2 cup of chix, carrots, string Beans and squash that I made in the slow cooker. I don't feel terrible just really full and when I bent down to put dishes away I got a throat full. But the real problem is my fear that something will go wrong, that I will PB ect or slip. I am over focusing on everything going on inside me and am dying to drink Water to wash down this full feeling, I know I can't. Am I going to be able to do this? The thought of get…

GOOD MORNING ALL!! THIS IS MY SECOND DAY ON THE PRE-OP DIET. I'M SCEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 5TH FOR SURGERY. bUT MY HEAD IS KILLING ME!! HUNGRY I THINK. THE SLIMFAST DIET THE DR. HAS PUT ME ON IS HARD. DOES ANYONE HAVE A BETTER DIET PLAN THAT I WILL STILL LOSE THE WEIGHT? AND HAS ANYONE TRIED THE SMOOTHIE KING WITHOUT ANY SUGAR? PLEASE HELP, BEFORE I CHEAT!!:help: REDGIRL:whoo:

<p>I have just set up my first appt with the Surgeon for next Thursday and had a question for those of you in this forum.</p> <p>I am wondering if anyone else had a problem with being limited in the amount of exercise they were able to do.</p> <p>Besides the obesity, I have two things going against me. I have suffered from severe back pain since 2004. By definition my condition is called Lumbar stenosis, a bone build up along the spine. To make matters worse I was hospitalized in April with A-Fib and congestive heart failure.</p> <p>My Cardiologists has me limited to keep my heart rate down due to the A-Fib. I ride a stationary bi…

hi everybody i'm going to have the lapband surgery in a couple month i hope/// but i was wonder if any one has heart problem ???:help:.like a blockage or stent if so could you write a little about it. thank you judyann4

I'm getting banded tomorrow morning. I'm so excited. Does anyone have an advice or comment?

Hi! I am so excited to have this surgery, but I have no insurance. I need to see if anyone has any ideas as to how I go about applying for a loan for this surgery. :help: My mom had the lap band 2.5 years ago and has just done wonderfully. I just had a baby 8 weeks ago and I am told I have to wait until she is 6 months old to have the surgery. The funny part is before I got pregnant I had insurance that would pay for it. I did the 6 month dieting under dr supervision crap that the ins company required. I had already done my psych eval, pulmonary eval etc.. I was ready to go, and oops, found out I was preg! Oh well, I wouldnt trade my precious lil princess for anyth…

Hello All, Still new at this posting. I have PHP and i am going through the dreaded (you have to have 6 months of a monitored weight loss program) ordeal right now. I chose optifast. It's okay but i'm ready for it to be over with so i can have my surgery. Does anyone else have PHP and how long did it take for approval. I'm really excited about starting this new leg on my life. I'm 30 married with two boys 7 and 5 and weight at the beginning of optifast was 429 but just weighted in at 387. Will

Hello, I am four days post op and have a severe case of cottonmouth. I am drinking plenty of liquids and brushing my teeth often, but can't seem to get rid of it! Anyone else have problems with this?:help:

but what is PB'ing, and sliming? I know I must sound stupid. I must have missed this day in school or something. :mad: I'm getting banded on 9/4/07 and I need to pick up on the lingo here. Thanks all!

My husband was banded 08/15/07 and has not had much to eat/drink due to his nausea. He can sip a little bit a at time, but cannot drink much of the nutrients he needs. He as lost 24 lbs. since he started his pre-op liquid diet (two weeks) and wants to know how losing 24 lbs in two weeks can affect his body negatively. They say losing weight too fast is not healthy, but he has not had a choice. He is now taking prescribed anti-nausea meds and can start eating a little more, but is concerned about the effects of losing too much too fast. Any thoughts?

I was banded on 8/8/07 and did not suffer much. I am on my second week, and dr. said I could proceed with the next phase, eating creamy soups. I have not had problems swallowing and find it difficult to only eat 1/2 cup. I have eaten the whole can of soup - chunky soup. I process it fine, no problems there, but I am scared of what it might do to my pouch. Will eating a whole can of soup at two weeks post op expand my pouch? Is the expanding reversible by, let's say, eating only liquids again for a week? What can I do since 1/2 cup does not cut it for me?