HelenC

LOL...You can always count on me to ask the tacky questions Thanks Dr. C and all for your input. I did get Dulcolax, and took ONE, thank goodness, because that did the trick. I'd still like to take these chewable fiber pills daily because I'll be the first to admit I'm not very good about fresh fruits and veggies. I've decided to drop one in a glass of Water tonight to see how it reacts and if it doesn't puff up on me, I'll start taking them tomorrow.

Hello from Quinlan! I was banded on 2/14 by Dr. Richard Benavides in Richardson. I have BCBS of Illinois and my surgery (and fills) are covered at 100% after deductible. But we have seen that the various Blues do pretty much what they want to Good luck to you!

There is a lot of information on these boards. Do a lot of browsing and you'll learn almost anything you ever wanted to know. There are some down sides to having a band - erosion, port infections, never again having some favorite foods/drinks (if they won't go down), but overall, the majoirty of the experiences you'll find are good ones.

But at 2 wks post op, what veggies can I have?

If it's any consolation, I had to jump through all of those same hoops for BCBSIL and they ended up covering the surgery at 100%, and same for the fills. Once they received my medical records, I had approval within 3 weeks, which is odd, since I'm low BMI and don't have any of the co-morbidities.

OK, I'm staring at a great big bottle of chewable Fiber Choice. Before I actually open it, is there any reason I shouldn't use this?

I think DH and I can make that. Just don't hate him cuz he only weighs 128 lbs.

Welcome from Quinlan (north of Terrell)! This place is wonderful and you can get any question answered here!

I know I sure did! I did have to do the pre-op diet and since I was banded on Valentine's Day, my DH took me for steak and lobster for my "last meal". And admittedly, before that, I did spend a lot of days going "I'll never get to eat ____ (fill in the blank) again" and ate it.

I was off work a total of 11 days, including weekends. My doctor said no lifting over 15 lbs for 4 weeks. I've been back at work 1 day, plus today, and it's not horrible, but far from great.

Am I ever going to have a normal bowel movement again? If I'm really lucky, I'll have a marble or two pass, but I haven't had any regularity at all. It's getting pretty uncomfortable! I'm on mushies...seems like something should be giving somewhere!!

I originally bought Flintstones Chewables, but can't stand them. So I just bought a bought of liquid Centrum, which I'm hoping is better.

It is a stitch - I cut mine off. To the person who needs a shower (smile), I was told to take one daily, immediately after surgery, just don't scrub the bandaids and steri-strips. No tub baths for a week.

Your list, with my comments in parentheses Caesar salad w/ grilled chicken (lettuce might be a little difficult) steak (make sure you get the tenderest cut you can, should be ok) asparagus (unless it's canned and very mushy, the fiber might be too much) broccoli (heard this can be a problem for some people) squash (also depends on fiber content) corn bread (it's bread which is a real problem for most) corn tortillas (some can, some can't) apples (might be ok without skins) bananas (my doc says NO - they tend to swell, but others say ok) oranges (might be ok, depends on how fibrous they are) grapes (might be a problem with the skins) chinese food w/ veggies and chicken (noodles may be a problem)

Does your DOCTOR know you're eating this kind of food?? French fries?? It honestly doesn't sound to me like you're trying to work with the band.

Careful....even male strippers need love

Have they looked for gallstones? Your symptoms sound exactly like mine before I had my gallbladder removed - except for the lipase levels (I don't know if mine were elevated).

Good luck!

I guess I should have been more clear :eek: I hate white bread. Always have, but I love the high grain breads, especially toasted! Not a big bagel fan, but love english muffins and croissants. I understand that people aren't saying you "can't" have these things, and that it's individual as to whether you can get get them down. I was seeking the experiences of the people here, simply to see which foods were universally problematic, because if there's a food that 90% of the bandsters have a problem with, believe me, I'm staying away from it! That said, thank you for your responses!

They need a fill? They've learned to manipulate the band, or have decided they don't care whether they expand their band or not? I sadly resigned myself to the loss of my beloved Diet Pepsi four months before my surgery. I went from 4 a day to one a month. I'll miss the one, but it's not worth it to me to try.

I decided to move this discussion over here, so as not to drift anyone's question thread too badly I'm trying to learn more about what I can try and what I definitely should stay away from. The questions I have are this: When one of you says you can't have bread, do you mean ALL bread? Or does the higher grained bread seem less evil? How about toasted vs. not? English muffins? Bagles? Flour tortillas vs. corn tortillas? On rice, is it just white rice that is a big problem, or is it ALL rice? Pasta - again, ALL pasta or are specific kinds a problem? I've seen lots of people say they eat spaghetti. Your experiences and opinions welcomed!

It is so strange how every doctor is different! I'm 5'6", medium frame, and my pre-surgery, pre-diet weight was 234.5. I was placed on two meals, and two Protein shakes a day for 2 wks before my surgery, and had no problems.

By ALL reports on this board, the hospitals are very clean and the service is great. There's also a doctor in Colorado that does it for $9500. You'd have to look around the board for the name. But call Dr. B. His office number is 972.331.8100. Make sure you tell them you need the total cost, including the surgery center.

I've heard that's the going rate around here. However, I'd call several of the doctors and get their self-pay rates. I used Dr. Benavides in Richardson, and I don't think they are quite that much. You may want to consider using some of that money and flying to Mexico to have it done for $8500. Lots of people on this board have done that and been very happy. Edit: I just caught the $28k total....yeah, that seems very high. I think Dr. B is about $15k TOTAL.

Congrats on your upcoming surgery! It's an exciting time. By the time my surgery rolled around, I was practically breathless all the time, and frequently questioned myself as to whether I really knew what I was in for! 10 days post banding, I have no regrets - even the night I cheated and ended up in severe pain and agony for 12 hours. I just counted it as a lesson learned