Rachel412

82 pounds?!? You poor thing! What is your current weight?

I've never been there so I don't know their menu, but you should look for a grilled or broiled chicken, steak or fish dish, no Pasta, no bread. Salads topped with steak or chicken are a great choice and pretty common at most restaurants. Some people can eat bread and some can't. If once you're banded you're able to get bread down, you can always have a bite of dipping bread if you really want it. You'll have to decide if you can handle to eat "bad" foods in moderation, or if you're better off staying away from them altogether.

Hi Emme! I'm no longer in the 6 month wait, but I did have to do it. I just wanted to tell you that it'll pass quicker than you think, and in my case it really helped me learn a lot about what to expect once my surgery was over, which is a huge key to success. Good luck!

I was so lucky that my doctor doesn't require the liquid diet pre-op. I think I would have needed to be locked in a padded room. I think you should call your surgeon and ask if you can PLEASE take Tylenol for the headache.

Just sending you some support from someone who has also been through miscarriage. Take care of yourself, and try to remember that food isn't going to make you feel better! Hugs to you!

I am scheduled for my first fill on Thursday, May 19th. My husband and I area leaving for a cruise to Bermuda on Friday May 27th (one week later). Would you be cautious about going out of the country within a week of your first fill? Our cruise is 7 days. My concern is that since I haven't had a fill yet, and you have to wait for the swelling to go down to see where you're at- I don't know. I guess I'm just a little concerned that I won't know that something's "wrong" (i.e. too tight) until it's too late to fix the problem. I DO want the fill before the trip, I'm not at all concerned about not being able to pig out on the cruise I just wanted to check with all of you experts!

LOL- I bet! They probably don't take too kindly to random people on a message board saying they know more/better/different than professionals.

What do you mean you haven't lost a lot? 67 is a TON! Congratulations on getting off all of your meds, you must feel such freedom!!

Hi! It's fine to ask questions. You may get more replies if you start a new thread rather than posting them in the middle of a current thread- just an FYI 30 pounds is including my pre-op diet (which was 6 months and I didn't follow too well). I lost 11 before surgery, then didn't need to do a liquid diet for the 1 or 2 pre-surgery weeks (a lot of people do, to "shrink the liver") so I've lost 19 pounds since my surgery. I think my good loss since surgery is because I am eating much fewer carbs than I was, and my portions are smaller. I'm also not snacking. Lots of people have to do the liquid diet pre-surgery, so they drop a ton of pounds then. And all doctors are different, and give you different post-op diets to follow, so that affects your post-surgery weight loss too. I've heard so many people here say that the period right after surgery is just for healing so don't worry about losing weight, you might even gain. My doctor never said that- they didn't focus on possible loss in this period either, but I'm now following the diet I'll have to follow from here on out, even once I'm at a good fill. I just have to ignore the hunger I still feel when I feel it. Once I get to a good fill level, I'll feel satisfied after a small amount of food and that satisfaction should last 4-5 hours. Right now I do feel satisfied much sooner than I did pre-band, but I'm hungry again for 2 or 3 hours. How did I choose a doctor? I went by the recommendation of my primary care doctor, whose sister-in-law went to the same practice and loved the team there. My best advice is to pick a surgeon who makes you comfortable, and remember that once the surgery is over the HARD work begins. You'll be in their office a lot. Aftercare is so so important.

I was tired and sluggish and weak for two weeks post op. If you're sleeping that much, please make sure you're drinking enough so you don't get dehydrated!

DaveNW- that very long post you wrote about your surgery and your new way of eating was really, really good to read, THANK YOU! Dave601- are you feeling better about your choice to have the surgery?

awesome, congrats!!

I wish! Nope, 11 pounds before surgery, 19 since.

You CAN sleep on your side, it just might hurt. My port is on the right and it was too sore to sleep on for the first couple of weeks. Not a biggie.

Thank you all! Glad to see that I'm not crazy in hoping the pain will lessen once I weigh less. I do take glucosamine and chondroitin- they make a big difference for me. One of those things that you think is ridiculous but after a couple of weeks you notice you're not cracking and popping so much

My knees hurt a lot due to osteoarthritis. At this point I've lost 30 pounds. I was on Meloxicam before surgery, but it's an NSAID so I stopped taking it and haven't replaced it with anything else. When I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in the fall, my doctor talked to me about getting banded and was saying that every pound I lost was 6 pounds off my knees, so I really was thinking that once the weight started to come off my knees and joints would feel better. But... not so much! So. Anyone have any BTDT? I'm very happy with my weight loss, I was just hoping to be in less pain by now.

I would imagine the ER records would help... do you have any doctors records from before 2008? I mean I'd assume they realize if you were obese 3 or 4 years ago, you didn't get magically skinny in between then and now... but I'm just guessing.

huh?

Yes yes, all normal! Your stomach will be swollen for a while post-surgery so you'll be feeling some really weird pangs & twitches.

I LOVE that link Heather gave you. Love it. Another option is a book called Bandwagon- I haven't read it, but I've heard it's very good and I'm hoping to get it soon. http://www.amazon.com/Bandwagon-Strategies-Success-Adjustable-Gastric/dp/0578061236/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304627394&sr=1-1

If people aren't correctly educated before and after surgery and expect the band to do all the work, they fail. Also some people do work the band correctly but still fail. For the most part though I'd say those failures don't just happen- most of the time it's user error ETA: OR the band has a mechanical failure, a leak, a slip... but I mean for those who don't have any mechanical problem and just don't lose "much" weight.

I agree that offices have a financial stake in your decision, but there is a HUGE difference in surgical practices. I was involved with one practice 4 years ago and I always felt a little uncomfortable... I didn't feel like they knew me at all, it just seemed like they were making me jump through the hoops but didn't really care about my success. At that time my workplace's insurance covered the band, and I had a lot of co-workers who go it. They all decided after a year that "it doesn't work", I think because they weren't properly prepared for how much THEY were going to have to do. They seemed to eat anything they wanted and then complain that the surgery was a failure and a scam and nobody should ever get it. My practice now... it felt different from the first info meeting. The actual surgeons and nutritionists were there. The office does all different sorts of surgeries- bypass, LapBand, Realize Band, so they gave their ups & downs of each surgery. I got a big binder chock full of info about the pre-surgery process, and my post-surgery directions. They have free monthly support groups. I can call or email my nutritionist any time if I have questions. I feel like they KNOW me, and I am so comfortable there. My nutritionist came to the hospital to check on me on the day after surgery. I fully feel that they have my best interests at heart. So my advice is, if you begin to go down this road, trust your gut! If you go to a seminar and start to feel like something isn't clicking, or isn't right with the practice you're in, don't stay!

You had your first fill already? LUCKY! I'm having mine May 19th, 5 weeks out from surgery- and a week before DH and I head out on a cruise

I made this a couple of days ago. All veggies, so healthy (yes avocados are high in calories but they have lots of GOOD fat in them). I broiled chicken breasts and shredded them, then mixed the meat in with mine- my kids and husband ate it with tortilla chips, I just used a fork http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/pico_de_gallo_a/ Also when making tacos for my family, I'll make myself a bowl with 4 oz. of taco meat and a little refried Beans, with cheese, all mixed together. Looks disgusting but it's yummy.

What a good question! I remember weighing 200 pounds in 8th grade, so I've always felt this way too.