JLynn288

Everyone here can give you a list of Vitamins & ideas of what to take but we are not YOUR doctor. Always ask YOUR doctor. Every doctor has their own way of doing things as we have all found out throughout our journeys. Some doctors have diets after surgery and some dont. My suggestion to you is ASK. My doctor only suggested 2 -Flinstones Multi-Vit & 3 -Viactiv per day. Again this is what MY doctor suggested. YOUR doctor will add items based on your individual problems.

Every year I have made the same resolution...LOSE Weight!! Well this year I will make it again but also add...CONTINUE to LOSE Weight & CONTINUE to Exercise 5 days a week. NEW YEAR = NEW ME!!

Tomorrow will be 1 month since I was banded too. I didn't lose any weight until recently after my first fill. I actually gained some weight after surgery which is okay and normal. My doctor says no other exercises except walking right now. Especially crunches and stuff like that. After your fist fill you will see a difference. I still can eat almost everything but choose not too. I have to start getting more exercise incorporated. Dont get too discouraged we are only at the beginning of the journey to a SMALLER & HEALTHIER US!! I have looked at a lot of labels to and it is hard to figure out. Its something we all need more education about.

I had surgery on Oct. 13th and I know what your talking about. But my doctor would not allow any Protein Shakes until week 2 (which is where I am at now). I found drinking more flavored water or juices helped get rid of that HUNGER. It really is a mental thing I think. We are all still learning the difference between HEAD hunger and real hunger. We usually just eat because of a smell or even a commercial and dont really think about what we are doing. Now that we have to be mindful of what we are eating we tend to want to eat more. I find it hard just to eat the amount of food that they suggest you eat in a day. I went through a bout of diarreah from the Protein shakes. If you ever get in a phase of having diarreah drink lots of gatorade(low calorie) or pedialite. Right now we arent focused on losing weight but just healing. I too had to go to the local chinese restraunt to get different types of Soups to drain and have on hand because it tasted so much better than chicken and beef broth. I still struggle to get in all the recommended Water and protein shakes. Soupy cream of wheat and cream soups will be a great change when you get there. I am only now being able to sleep better without gas pains or feeling like I have something on my chest. Gas X strips are an awesome relief. My scars are ITCHY and my port area is not as tender any more. Time....seems to make all the symptoms go away.

I have just recently been banded Oct. 13th. We all go through the scared phase. Your nerves and your worries can get the best of you. I have been researching and going to support group meetings through my doctors office to educate myself and to get info from those who have had the proceedure. The best thing for you is just like so many other comments is for YOU to educate yourself so that you feel better about what your getting yourself into. For me surgery was a breeze. You do have a slight discomfort for about a week with some pain and gas. But it all gets better. Its not so bad because you do get medications to relieve these symptoms. You have a diet usually to follow but take from me it is very easy to stick to because your just not hungry any more. Just like another persons post you will soon learn the difference between HEAD hunger and REAL hunger. Your lap band will let you know that you can only eat small portions. Just that small bit of change helps you lose the weight. Only YOU can make the right decisions for YOU. Write down the PROS and CONS of getting the surgery and just remember: WHO, WHAT & WHY ARE YOU GETTING THIS DONE? I have been very happy with all that I have accomplished in such a short time for myself and I can't wait to reach my goal weight. Please feel free to reach out to any and all of us for any HELP that is what we are all here for.GOOD LUCK!!

I will be starting on my week 2 and my doctor allows only Protein Shakes and plain yogurt with sweetner. Along with all my Clear Liquids. On week 3 I can have all blended foods or soft mushy foods. My doctor said not to worry during this time about carbs and losing weight so much it is all about healing. When in doubt call your doctor. Its better to get the information straight from your doctors mouth then anything else. Good Luck!!

Doctor said to drink gatorade or pedialyte (baby dept) and the carbs and sugar didnt matter. Right now its all about healing. Hope this helps get past the diarreah period. Juices will cause you to have diarreah sometimes.

Could be the type of Protein Shake or you could be lactose intolerant right now. It happens! Protein Shakes can either go through you or plug you up. Are you mixing your shakes or are they ready to drink type? Might need to switch to Soy/Silk type milk or change your Protein shake/powder.

I think all of us that are or used to be addicted to DIET sodas can tell you it is like our form of DRUG. I to slowed decreased the amount of soda I drank and then completely stop drinking it. It didnt take me long about a month or less. I substituted the soda with flavored Water packets and plain Water. CAFFEINE is the DEMON in getting off the diet sodas. Its not neccessary the SODA. Now I have been told by my doctor that you can enjoy a soda later just a FLAT SODA!! YUKE!! I'll pass....besides my skin looks great with all the water I have been drinking and you cant argue with that.

Surgery in a week...Oct. 13th. Can't wait to really get the weight loss going.

Did your doctor not give you a step by step food diet for after your surgery? You shouldnt eat anything solid right now. You should be on a soft diet at this stage. Your still healing and should still be easing your way to solids.

My doctor has all of his patients go to a nutritionist and attend his monthly support group meetings. You actually learn more from going to the support group meetings cause you get first hand knowledge from other patients that are either going through the process or have already had the lap band done and all at different stages. The doctor and his staff also go to answer any questions you might have too. You can learn the good and bad things that other patients have done and leran from their mistakes. It helps to know what people mean when they talk about the stuck feeling you get when you eat the wrong food or too quickly. This forum also is a great tool for learn and knowledge. I have a IPhone and there is a free App called My Lap Band now available and it is great too. You can also go to the web page and get recipes and all kids of stuff on there too. I keep track of my weight on it and it has a spot to morph your picture to give you a idea of what you can look like. It's a great motivator.

A friend told me about it too. It is great! Love the morphed picture you can do to give yourself a help and reminder that this is what you can look like if you do lose your weight. Just had to giggle at the fact the head doesnt shrink with the body. I have been keeping up with my weight loss too. It also has great recipes. I would suggest to everyone with an IPhone to get it.

Evey doctors office is different. First talk to your base doctor. They will let you know if you even would qualify. Some information I found out through the process is you must have documented 3 year history of weight problems. Tricare and your doctor may have other problems they are looking to see if you have them before you could even be considered. My only suggestion is to talk to your base doctor first and then go from there.

I live in Alabama and I started my journey with my referral from base in May 2011. I got my first doctors appointment to go through the information/seminar 2 weeks later and attended my first of three mandatory support group meeting in May. I had to go to heart doctor, sleep doctor, nutrionist, and psych doctor. Plus my surgeon did a test to check esophigus The others you are at the mercy of the doctors office. Then its the staying on top of the doctors offices to get paperwork turned in. Tricare will give you a decision almost immediately. Mine took 1 day. Tricare just needs surgery date to give you okay. I have my surgery scheduled for Oct. 13th. Good Luck and hope this information helps.

Oct. 13th is my day!! So excited and cant wait....Pre-op diet I'm on is shake for Breakfast and lunch and lite dinner. It's hard to follow but I am trying hard. Cut out all caffeine and only drink Water and water with Crystal Light type of flavor packets. Hardest part of dieting is fitting it into life. Adding light exercises into routine this week. Will work my way up by surgery to doing a lot more exercises. Surgery will so be worth it in the end and I look forward to a LIGHTER ME!! Good Luck EVERYONE!!

My Pre-op diet is about the same as yours. I was told to do the slim fast diet. I didn't know what is in appetite suppressants and that was my biggest concern. It's not on my list of meds that I'm not allowed so I was curious. It probably does contain things that we shouldn't have before surgery. I have no idea why I am so hungry today. Maybe it's because of lack of sleep and my body may be trying to compensate for that with food?

Thanks for your response.

I just saw your profile and that you live in Prattville...so do I. I too am being seen by Dr. Mora. I have been to some of the support group meetings. I haven't gotten a surgery date yet but was told to start diet because as soon as I get approved from my insurance company (Tricare) it could take a matter of a day they can get me in so to be ready. They didn't tell me slim fast or Atkins diet. Other patienents at support group meetings told me. My new thought process is BABY STEPS not leaps and bounds!Good Luck and I will watch for you.

I'm on the pre-op diet (getting banded July 28th) and I was curious if anyone took appetite supressants while on theirs to curb the hunger pains? I am starving! This is day 3 for me and the first 2 days were fine but today I am sooo hungry! So I was curious if anyone had tried this and if it worked.

I am doing the pre-op diet too. I've been doing good. NOT STARVING!! What is your diet plan. Mine is: Protein shake for Breakfast and lunch & dinner is 1 portion meat and 2 veggies or 1 veggie 1 fruit. What I was told it is like doing Atkins. You can eat 1 lean meat and 2 veggies ( all you can eat on veggies) But NO : starches, potato, peas, corn.....all the NO FOODS. No sugar, caffein. I don't over eat I eat about 1-1 1/2 cups veggies. Drink tons of Water through out the day to help feel the void of you eating. Need a little something more than plain Water add lemon or crystal light packets.

As far as an appetitie suppressant? I would think no because most appetite suppressants contain caffein.

What my doctor has told his patients is that he is looking at the liver when he goes in. If he sees that you haven't stuck to the diet he will stop surgery. So I think it is a matter or changing the way we eat before the surgery.

I am in tricare region South. I hope that it helps. I think it helps if your doctor basically builds a case for you. I am hopeful that I can get surgery during the schools spring break so I wont be out too long. One step at a time and it seems to be coming together nicely. Have faith you will get it.

Thanks for the information. I too am in the South Region. I have been doing everything for my doctor. and on the 15th I will have done everything he requires. I will start my pre-op diet on the 11th. To be ready to have surgery in August. NO DATE YET But I was already told that TriCare is one of the easiest insurance companies. If you get a referral to see a surgeon your pretty much approved. After all we all know we had to jump through a lot of hoops just to get the refferal.

Sorry guy's I need to vent,I am do to have my op on July 25th . I have told a few people that I work with that I am going to get the band.

Now they are all the food POLICE!! They tell me what I can and cannot have. Funny how they think they know more then me. I had a coffee with no sugar some low fat cheese and low fat dressing and greens.

Funny how when I had not told them about the Lap Band they would try to feed me all the time. Lol they all said to me that I do not look big and that I was crazy to get the op. What gives??

Sorry just had to vent.

Believe me.....EVERYONE thinks they know everything. You learn real fast who your true friends are. I haven't had surgery yet but I am hoping for August. But I just talked to a few people about the possiblity of getting LapBand and started getting judged and lectured. So now I have decided "IT'S NOBODIES BUSINESS". People just don't understand that we Banders get educated and have support groups and forums for all our questions and help. We don't need our friends, loved ones, or co-workers to POLICE us. Be strong. WE ALL WILL GO THROUGH SOME TYPE OF PREJUDICE OR POLICEING!!

hello im new here . im just getting started on researching for the lap band didnt know much about the coverage and other things that you have to have before even being able to get qualified

Welcome to the forums.....I am in the process of getting all my testing done for the doctor. But I will give you as much info as I can. First what kind of insurance do you have? Check what your insurance qualifiers are before anything. Every insurance is different.

Here are some qualifiers that insurance companies ask for:

3 year history of weight(showing you have been struggling with weight)

BMI of ? (again depends on ins,)

3 - 6 mo. nutrietional supervised diet with weigh ins

Your Gastric Doctor will have other test required:(depends on doctor)

sleep study

esophigus test

psych

heart

also if you smoke or drink you have to quit at least 7 weeks prior to surgery.

Thanks so much everybody! Right now my insurance covers 100% of the surgery since I am considered morbidly obese. However our insurance re-news on Aug. 1. I have already sent an e-mail to my HR department to make sure that it is still covered now I just have to wait and see before I take any more steps. I am so beyond scared but so ready to start the process also!

Most insurance have decided to keep LapBand and Gastric because in the end it saves them tons of money. So if I were you I'd start the process now and continue on your journey. Just get the information on what your insurance requires to be approved. Some require a 6 month monitored diet others don't. Other insurance companies require 2 morbid factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.. But now that you have decided to take the leap.....go for it.

I am in the process of doing all my doctors test. My insurance doesn't require the dieting. But the test that the doctor requires take time and sometimes you are at the mercy of time. I am hoping I will have my surgery in August.

Good Luck!!

I've had LOTS of problems with Memorial Health Bariatrics in Savannah. I went to their seminar last Wednesday, and was told by their rep that I'm not big enough to qualify for the surgery. I'm 5'7, and currently weigh 218 pounds. The receptionist who was taking our paperwork told me that the doctor probably won't even call me back, because my BMI is too low. She didn't ask about my co-morbidities or history. She didn't ask me anything. The woman sitting next to her asked me if I was just doing this to get ready for bikini season. Another woman in their group told me she thought I was post lapband, and to go home. I don't need the surgery. I know that I'm not as big as a lot of people, and there are some who may need the surgery more than I do, but I'm still almost 80 pounds overweight, and have 2 comorbidities. Anyway, I called Mem Health a couple of days later, and the same woman from the seminar answered the phone, remembered who I was, and refused to make an appointment for me to see the doctor or let me speak with someone else. She told me that she considers me a self-pay patient, and asked me if I could afford to pay for the surgery our of pocket. If so, then she'd be willing to set up an appointment for me. I told her that I'm a tri-care standard patient, and that my current BMI is 34.1. I also explained that I have stopped taking the prescription phentermine that I'd been on for the past 3 months, and that in 3 weeks I've gained back 8 of the 25 pounds that I lost while on the diet pill. I also told her that my primary care physician faxed a letter to her practice explaining the reasons he feels I need this surgery. She told me that his letter didn't mean anything, and that she doesn't have it anymore (I guess that means she threw it away). She then told me that in her professional opinion, I do not need the surgery. I asked if I could speak to the office manager, and she wouldn't let me. She said that she'd discuss the matter with the appropriate people, including the doctor, and that they would make the decision together as to whether or not they would call me back. I just told her to throw my paperwork away.

Has anyone else dealt with these kinds of problems? I'm just so upset...

I have tricare prime and live in Alabama. Now for me just to be seen by the surgeon I had to get a referral from Tricare. This was based off the doctors recommendation. From there each surgeon has their standards. Lap band now has a BMI standard of I believe 34 and at least 2 co-morbities. But my doctor said that I was close at 41. So I'm sorry to hear its been hard for you to even be seen. My suggestion is to get a refferal and if that doctor doesn't want to work with you then they will help you find another. Good Luck!!

Thanks Jlynn!! Glad to hear that it wasn't bad. The only thing I'm worried about it my case, is that the dr doesn't just want to see my esophagus, he wants to see how I swallow. So during the test we are required to do a series of sips of Water. I don't hink i'll be able to do the test the way you did.

Either way I'm going to look on the bright side because horrible or not, this test is the final step before getting banded on July 5th!! I'm so excited to finally move forward that i'm not going to let the anxiety of this get in my way.

Thank again for the info!! When are you getting banded? (sorry if you already told me the date)

I don't have a date yet. I am still going through the series of requirements that my doctor wants done. I have a doctors appointment on the 27th and am hoping I will get some idea then. But I am staying positive and looking forward to a new and improved LIFE.

Thanks JLynn!

Good luck tomorrow and let us know how it goes

Okay....had the test done on the 17th. It was a breeze. I was rolled into the room, they had me lie on my side and put wedges on the front and back of me. They put this piece in my mouth and taped it in place. And thats all that I remember until I woke up in the recovery area. Throat is numb. But you have some gas pains in your stomache from them putting gas in you. You will have lots of burping and some tooting involved. But from what I have been told nothing compared to having a colonoscapy(?), Got up got dressed and went home. You are told to relax and do nothing for 24 hours.

Hope this helps to ease your mind!!

I'll let you know....having this done tomorrow 6/17 and I too have been told different things from different people. :0)

Some people (me included) have trouble digesting the whey Protein that is in many shakes which results in a lot of gas. You might want to try a lactose free shake (Muscle Milk Light or GNC Isopure) and see if that helps.

thanks for this information. I have been preparing for my pre-op and this is great information for someone like me that is lactose intolerant sometimes.