Cynsayshun

Thank you all for your responses.. I have been having a yogurt or sugar free Jello or applesauce in between my meals.. I was doing that to try to get in the 1000 calories I was told to try to shoot for by the nutritionist. I can't seem to get that amount of calories in. I can't see how it's possible when all we can eat is 1 cup of food 3 times a day. I'm still a teeny bit confused.. That would mean each 1 cup of food (meal) would have to consist of at least 350+ calories each. Hopefully I'll find something that works for me LBT, can you tell me what MIO in your Water bottles means??

It's almost 3 weeks since my surgery (October 4) and it doesn't take much food for me to feel full. (I'm still on mushies at this stage) Honestly I have to force myself to eat. I do not have any restriction (my surgeon prefers to wait & see if it is needed) However, I'm confused about the volume of food, when I was told by the nutritionist no more than 1 cup of food, does that mean if you are having a vegetable and a Protein, or if you have 3 items should the volume of all items total 1 cup? Or should I have 1 cup of each item three times a day. The other problem is trying to get in 6-8 glasses of Water during the day between my meals and Snacks especially having to wait 1 hour after each meal? Last but not least, if I drink a Protein shake for Breakfast, should I have to wait 1 hour after that to drink water as well? Does the Protein Drink count toward the water intake? Some clarity and/or suggestions would be appreciated.

Well said, Nurse Shay!!! You gave her all the steps to a "T".. Congrats on your journey..

]I have BCBSL and I work for a County government. Once the surgeon's office submitted all the required documentation that included my previous records from 2 weght mangement programs, and all my tests for sleep Apnea, psychological exam, exercise evaluation, prior medical conditions etc, my approval was completed and sent to the surgeons in 2weeks!! You can find all requirements on the BCBSIL webpage or they will send it to you that way you will know if you meet all criteria.. It also depends on the policy they established with your employer. Good luck with your results & upcoming surgery.

Hi, I was "Banded" on Oct 4, 2011. I admit it took a lot out of me energy wise & that gas pain was absolutely awful for approx 4 days. I started feeling stronger and back to my normal self by Sun Oct 9. Had my follow up with the surgeon this past Tues. I have this pain that comes and goes in my left shoulder. My surgeon says it will id how the body defers pain from one section to another.. He said its due to the repair of the "hiatal hernia" I had. The DR advised me to move on the next food intake I was happy about that.!!! Even though my scale weight is not accurate, today I put on a a pair of "scrubs" I use for just wearing around the home and they were so big & loose I laughed out lout !! I then proceeded to create a Video to sendt o my children to show them how weight I had lost. I hope this helps and remember i"Never accept 100% of others postings in this Forum, about pain, exercising..etc as each of our bodies will respond differently while healing Hoping your journey is a "successful one.. Cynthia

Butterfly Queen, you are on the money with your posting we have to not allow ourselves to not "freak out" when the weight doesn't instantly drop off. It didn't get there instantly and we sure can't expect it to go away instantly. I love your explanation, I had to stop mentally setting myself up for failure looking for immediate results and my weight is coming off slowly. I'm only 9 days out from my surgery date, and my surgeon said this period is for healing.. At least we know we will lose and if we do our part and utilize the band as it should be used.. We won't get back to where we were before..Six months to a year and being down to my goal of 75 lbs off, believe me I can wait!!! I have been overweight for 17 years 6 months of being a place on the chart that doesn't say "overweight or obese" is all I want...

Great Advice, ( people should really stick to the phases as directed, for their own benefit..)

Thanks to you both. Yeah my partner said ask the doctor but I was too embarrassed to do so. @Screeden. No fluid in the band I asked that upfront. My surgeon placed a standard size LapBand but it his practice not to put any fluids in until 6 weeks after. But he clearly said some patients never need a fill the band itself will give enough restrictions for some. So time will tell. I'm hoping I can be one of those patients. Now I can tell my partner that six weeks isn't the norm. He will be happy. Me too Lol

Was anyone else told to wait 6 weeks before returning to sexual activity? The nutritionist told me that while I was in the hospital. I had my first follow-up appointment with the surgeon but I was reluctant/ embarrassed to ask him.. I don't see him again for one month but I'm still uncertain if there is a waiting period. It doesn't seem like sexual activity would affect the band, however I had to put this question to the Forum to see what time frame if any was given to some of you after your Lap Band was placed. I was also told by my surgeon (when I asked would my next visit be for a fill) "that everyone doesn't have to have a fill." The band being there alone works for some and we would see over time how it will work for me.. I was only down 1 pound on his scale (late afternoon weigh in) since my surgery last week, (my home scale has me down 4 lbs in the mornings). But I'm not complaining I'm down 26 pounds since I started my surgery process. He said he could see my weight loss in my face and for now I should just focus on healing and following the suggestion diet. I was able to move to the "mushies" Yeah!!! I am to return to work on Oct 17, so I will have been off work 8 business days and 4 weekend days. I originally thought I'd be back in a week, but no way, I didn't start feeling up to snuff until 5 days after my surgery. I still have this occasional left shoulder pain, he said that should go away in a couple of weeks, (some sort of body nerve transference of pain, from the Hiatal hernia repair) So in a nutshell, my two questions are "When were you able to return to sexual activity?" " Are people really successful if they never get a fill? On a funny note, I don't understand why regular sexual activity would hurt me, I'm definitely going to be protecting my stomach area with a pillow or something, so why would it cause a problem?? I'm glad this site is available for questions of this nature

I was given a Patient Information card while in the hospital by the Nutritionist it comes from lapband.com with my surgery date, dr & my name. I was told to carry it for medical reasons and for restaurants to allow this person to order smaller portions.. Is this a standard procedure, has anyone used them at a restaurant and what type of response did you get?

I can certainly agree with Dawn, I had unrealistic expectations on how I was going to bounce back too, because of reading some of the postings in the forum. I was banded Tuesday and I haven't had a lot of energy, I remember reading that people went right back to work and some were out shopping, etc. etc. I had to make myself get up and move around when my body was telling me to lay down, then I had to take a look at a lot of different reasons, my age, along with the banding, I had two hernia repairs, I have a Vitamin D deficiency (can't take the pills right now). Living in the Midwest we have had some beautiful temperatures this week and I couldn't get up enough energy to go out to take a walk to enjoy it...My brother picked me up yesterday and took me out for a drive to visit our Dad in No. Chicago, and today I feel much better, though not 100% myself.. Now reading Dawns posting confirms, we are all different and I reiterate that to you, I thought I would be back to work in 1 week, however my surgeon put on my FMLA papers 2-3 weeks.. I now know I will take advantage of at least 2 full weeks off.. I'm not experiencing any pain, it's just my energy level and each day it's minutely better than the day before. Hang it there, we will all get there, but at different paces..

I had them on my shopping list before i went to the hospital. However at my Wal-Mart they only had the chewable kind & I bought those. But they sure didn't help, eventually it passed. The heating pad helped tremendously I was so relieved when it started coming out Lol. Good luck with your surgery. Now the challenge is continuing with the liquid diet until my followup appt with my surgeon on Tues the 11th.

I will definitely try that position. Thanks for sharing that information

OMG I've read about it over & over but until you experience you cannot believe it!! Th pain from GAS!!!. I banded Tuesday and I was discharged late Wednesday evening. I had do the barium swallow test in the morning and they kept me until I had the liquid lunch & dinner to see if things would stay down. I had to ask for another form of pain medicine because the first type they gave me was too strong, I hated the side effects. They sent me home after my meals & a couple of doses of Liquid Vicodin.. But the real issue is the bloating & my inablility to pass the GAS fast enough. I mean it hurts all up in my chest my shoulders etc. I have never wanted to expel gas as badly as I do now.. I've took some Gas-X around 1 a.m and walked around the inside of my condo, trying to MOVE this stuff out.. I got on the scale and I weigh more than when I went in!! It has to be the bloatedness and the gas. Gee I' want to just fire farts out in a machine gun like way to ease some of this discomfort.. I know this post op stuff is the toughest from what I've read, so I will just fight through it. I have no regrets, but I will definitely be glad when this stage is over. I see the doctor for a follow up on Oct 11 and hope he releases me to go by to work no later than Monday OCT 17TH.. That's almost 2 weeks off work, I can't do anymore than that. Well I got to keep moving, (walking around) just wanted to update all the October Bandsters and any others that are getting ready to be banded!!! I know everyone is differentso if you don't experience the GAS issue, Kudos to you LOL..

I'm Banded!! Still in the hospital from Tuesday morning I had to ask for pain meds twice. So far my pain level is about a 4 now. My surgeon knew i had one small hiatal hernia but he discovered a belly button hernia as well and repaired that too. I have stay at least thru this evening they have to check the band placement later this morning and after that see if I can hold down a liquid meal. I have only two issues. My mouth is like a desert. All I can do is swab it out with this green swab stick. I can't have ice chips or nothing. The other is the roomate who snores like crazy!' she talks loudly in her sleep & she whines constantly about everything the nurses fondue her. If I have to stay another night ll ask for another room. My stomach area is a little tender. I was feeling it and said to the nurse where are my bandages. She showed me! They are called Derma Blend it's thin covering that will dissolve!! I've moved from my bed to this huge comfy recliner at 4 am. It's much better than lying in the bed. Im feeling the gas issues but it's nike coming out yet. The nurse walked me down the hallway before i went to bed last night. Hopefully this morning I can take another stroll to help my digestive system move. I'm not hungry yet. My big desire is to swallow some Water to wet my mouth !! Thank you all for support and a place for updates. Who's next ?

Wow, since April I've been preparing for this surgery I've had very insightful & some very challenging moments. I'm a pretty "detailed" person, so I did my "Living Will" paperwork and emailed it to my children today as they all live out of town.. I'm experiencing a gamut of emotions this evening, but for the most part I'm excited to finally be on a road to real Weight Loss. I've had my moments of weakness and I've learned very helpful information from this site, overall I'm pretty happy to have made it through the 2 week pre-op, with one minor slip-up.. I appreciate everyone here that shares their stories and advice.. Keep me in your thoughts & prayers.. My surgery is at 9 a.m., I report to the hospital at 7 a.m.,.One of my sisters and my Father will be there with me. The minimum I will be in the hospital will be overnight, the nurse said because I'm having a small hiatal hernia repaired as well, my stay may be 2 days, we will have to take it day by day. Based on my level of pain & comfort will determine if I go home Wednesday or Thursday. I'm going to turn in early tonight, so I can wake up and be on my way to a better & healthier ME!!! Again Thanks for the being best support team EVER!!!! I will post when I'm home and up to it... Lap Band Forum ROCKS!!!!

I just finished my 2 week liquid diet and was told to try for 800 - 1000 calories and with the shakes, broth, and sugar free jell-0 I could hardly get to the 800 calories.. I lost 14 lbs during this period. I was averaging 3 shakes a day.. I couldn't drink 4 of them..Tomorrow morning I report to the hospital at 7 a.m, and I'm scheduled for my band procedure at 9:00. I hope this information helps you.. I found myself feigning for some food Saturday, with only 3days to go before my surgery date, and I ate about 10 potato chips.. (I wouldn't advise this) no problem, but really beat myself up about it.. I know look back to see what happened and I think I waited way to late in the morning to drink my shake and my hunger got out of control... Best to you on your journey...

Thanks to you both for responding.. I made it through today without any slip-ups!!. I will be fine tomorrow while at work and after I come home tomorrow evening.. I will have my dinner protein drink & later water & get ready for my surgery on Tues.. I can see the finish line for the surgery and that feels awesome.. The Ensure High Protein Shake has 25g of Protein, which is more than the Unjury which only has 20 gr per 1 cup then I mix it with skim milk.. I'm glad this weekend has come to an end

I have 48 hours!!! to go before my Lap Band surgery, I'd been doing so well on the liquid diet but for the last two days I've been battling to eat some real food!!! I don't know if it is mental hunger or physical hunger. Yesterday I slipped and ate about 10 potato chips, then felt so bad I've been doing all the liquids & shakes I can to stay full this weekend and its not working. I determined to fight through it, but wondered if this happened to anyone else??? I have stocked my cabinet with all the necessary items for my post op recovery and was previously doing well on the liquids since Sept 19, why oh why is this happening?. I ''m wondering if it may be the different Protein shake. I had been using unjury and my next shipment isn't due to arrive until Wednesday when I expected to be released from the hospital. I ran out on Friday and I've been drinking the Ensure High Protein Shake, could this have made the difference? I had to go to Wal-Mart this morning to stock up on items and it took everything I had in me NOT to pick up something I could chew on.. Any suggestions on how I can make it through and stay focused??? I have to go into my office to work tomorrow, I almost just want to shut myself up in my condo until Tuesday to make it.. This is almost sad, I feel like a "recovering" addict or something fighting off the need for a "fix"!!! "Cynsayshun"

I'm 3 days away from my surgery and had been doing well with my pre-op today I had my Protein shake for Breakfast (way later than usual because I got caught up with company) and then I found myself ravenously hungry.. The shake didn't fill me today as usual and all these ads kept coming on television about foods I love, cheese, & chicken & on& on.. I needed something to take the edge off and I went into my kitchen and at about 10 potato chips, then made me a bowl of broth.. Now, I'm feeling a bit discouraged because I feel I messed up with only 3 days away from my surgery. Will this cause a problem? I feel bad, I had been doing so well and was so happy watching the scale go down daily.. Will someone pleaeeeease tell me this wont affect my surgery.. I'm going to fill up on my diluted juice and sugar free jell-o to take this "hunger edge" off today. Why oh Why is this happening when I'm so close... to being "Banded" I hope this doesn't mean I WONT be successful with the band.. This week has been a roller coaster of emotions..I thought I had a handle on it all.. Will this cause any complications???? Feeling I've set my self back...I truly need some advice and want to know if anyone else has had this slip up while nearing the end of the 2 week liquid diet if so how was it handled??? Looking for some upfront feedback... Thanks "Cynsayshun"

It makes a lot of sense, Shirley.. Yes he would be proud .. The Lord has "Opened the Window" and I'm going to go through it.. Thank you for 'sharing"

This site has wonderful support and it never fails someone can relate to almost everything we go through. Bromo you have definitely walked in my shoes. My husband loved me through small weight years and when I ballooned the year he was dying. He was my "go to" person my Bff. My children have there children and spouses and seemingly think I'm the strongest woman they know, so they won't travel here to be by my side. My sisters & my father are here and will be with me that day. Sassy K. Such wise and comforting words. I thank u both for your thoughtfulness I'm hoping after I get banded and my spirits lift I can Pay It Forward!! Big ((((((. )))))) hug to you both.

Going through the pre-op diet, has been really emotional, this time of year is always emotional for me as my husband passed away on Sept 29, 2003. Now it seems exacerbated I had been excited about my surgery date on October 4, 2011 and then this weekend, it hit me that day was the date of my husbands funeral. :sad: Then this Monday morning while driving to work with all the thoughts of our love, my missing him, the surgery date, etc., over the radio, comes our wedding song!! "Always & Forever" I lost it!!! I had to call my son as I was bawling like crazy.. It was a moment I had to let it all out..So now my mind is playing tricks on me, as I had been saying my surgery date was a "new beginning" for me, when previously it was a date I buried my husband. Of course the crazy thoughts of ...when they put you to sleep on Oct 4th for your procedure, it's going to be the day you join Rob (my husbands name). I know I have to "turn off" the crazy thinking, as I am not going to change the date. I'm just going to "forge" on and make it through this week and through Monday Oct 3. On a positive note,the weight loss during this 2 week pre-op diet, has kept me from filling my face while going through this jumbled mess of emotions, so that may be my "saving grace" I just needed to put my feelings out there, thanks for being a place I can do so..

Thank you all, yes my physician ended up prescribing the 50,000 IU once weekly for 8 weeks then getting over the counter D3 1000 IU and taking them daily and coming back for another lab test in 3 months.. The more I have researched this it seems more & more people have the deficiency and it can lead to a lot of other illnesses. Seems like doctors would check for it more.. I appreciate your comments..