mrspopeye

It s called a liver retractor. I too watched the actual surgery on YouTube and I was glad I did. There was so much talk about the liver that I told my husband to ask the surgeon how my liver looked- was it fatty, etc. He actually took a picture of it for me and one of the Lap Band in place and it looked just like I thought it would. I think the others are right in that the pre-op diet is there to increase the safety of the surgery. Yes, it was hard to stay on it, but I did because what could be any more of motivator than decreasing your risk of surgery?

Congrats! That's awesome. Huge loss!

I was banded on a Monday and went back to a desk job on Thursday and I was fine.

Good for you! I start my day with a low carb protein shake (35gm) and it seems to keep me on track and I don't have to work too hard to get the remainder in by meals the rest of the day.

Well, I don't go for an official doctor's follow up unitl 2 weeks post-op, but I still go to Weight Watchers and at 1 week post op I had lost 2.6 lbs. I was ok with that.

I think absolutely everyone here was at least somewhat nervous. You are only human and this is a huge step. Of course you fell uncertainty- you don't know what its like on the other side. But you can read thousands of posts here that show its a good place and at whatever stage you are at in the process, a handful of other people are right there with you, many to the day. I got to the hospital at 7:30, went into the OR at 10am, and still beat my kids home from school by 3pm. It has been one of the easier surgeries I have ever had. I wishI had done this when my kids were just 7- I missed out on so much fun becasue I was too overweight to play. You will not regret this.

Cute. I like that. I guess I will turn into a chicken now.

Good luck to mollyb67 and Christine2126 tomorrow! Be sure to post about your experience when you feel up to it. There is a lot of good support here.

Glad to hear your doing well! I'm one week out and still have yet to get in my 64oz of fluids per day- I am determined to do it today. I agree that is one of the hardest parts.

I think we were banded the same day- May 14th and I also have this constant nagging pain in my back. It feels like gas but it just wont go away, It is ok when I get up in the morning but by the time I eat or drink, it is there the rest of the day. Right above the bra line in the center. Nothing at all helps! Is this what you are experiencing and does anything help you? I even called the doctor about it- just said hopefully it will pass.

I paid $12,000 in Nashville, TN. First 60 days of care is free, then $150 for each fill, or I can pay $500 for 1 year of unlimited fills. I went to my credit union and got a great interest rate, put my paid-for vehicle up as collateral, and I pay $350 a month for 36 mo. Best decision I ever made. No new car is gonna be better than this. Heck, I probably blew $350 a month in eating out.

Good luck to you! You will be surprised how well you do.

Thanks- I appreciate the pick-me-up. I lost quite a bit the week before on the pre-op diet (7 lbs), so you are right- I should take the high with the low.

Wow! Great job. Thanks for the inspirational post. Keeps me motivated 1 week out. Did you lose a lot right out of surgery, or did you really start to lose once you had restriction? I only lost 2 pounds this week so I was kind of bummed, but trying to think postive that any loss is a good thing.

I got mine from the vitaminshoppe.com. They have free shipping over $25 and the online prices are cheaper than their stores. They also have a rewards program where you can get points for $$ off future orders, and they give you 20% off your second order. I like the Pure Protein shakes- Chocolate, Strawberry and Banana- 35 gm protein and 2-4 carbs in each 11 oz can. It was delivered to my door in 2 days both time that I ordered.

Good luck to you today neece1 and daddyof4- check out the huge May Bandsters thread- you will find lots of support and friends there.

I am pretty much in the same boat with you- I was banded 1 week ago today and the gas pains were actually worse for me the last 2 days than any other day so far- especially on the left side. Today is the first day I have not noticed as much bloating. My official Weight Watcher meeting weigh-in is tonight and I think I will have lost about 2 pounds for the week. But any weight loss is a good thing. I hear others say that you don't see the scale go down as much until you have restriction.

Best wishes to you! Let us know how you are doing as soon as your feel like it. It will be easier than you think!

Great job! Hopefully I will be in your shoes someday.

Good luck to you! It will be easier than you think.

I know I'm full because it is uncomfortable- like Thanksgiving dinner full. I am still battling gas pains which occur after I eat still. I probably could not eat what's on my meal plan either. Pressure is a good way to describe it- so it sounds like you are right on track.

I know someone who had a gastric bypass several years ago who did this. She had been overweight all her life, had a husband who loved her unconditionally, 2 beautiful little girls and a great life. She lost 150lbs and it was like she relived her teenage years all over again- she started dressing provocatively, hanging out in bars, sleeping with younger men, all of which eventually caused her to lose her marriage and her children. Her husband got full custody, although the oldest one stayed with mom from about age 16 on and followed many of her patterns. That girl is now in jail and I 100% believe this would not have occurred had she not acted like that after her bypass. Her husband told me that his lawyer brought up some statistical information during their divorce hearing and he said the the divorce rate for gastric bypass patients is 70%, as opposed to 50% for the general population.

It is interesting how each doctor is different. I wonder if they have ever done any research to see which post-op diet is most effective? I would think that would be hard to measure because so much of the success is dependant on our use of the band as a tool. Some may want the band to do the work for them and lose less, whereas others work with the band and lose more and then there is the exercise factor. I was allowed to eat soft foods from day 3 on and regular consistancy on day 5, but I am heavily carb restricted for the first year- only 25-50 net carbs per day. So, no mashed potatoes for me. Beans did not sit well with me either. I had 1/2 cup of pinto beans Friday and I had gas pains the rest of the day. I do think I will try them again in a week or two. Seems like most everything gives me gas pains though. The most amt of food I have been able to get down at any one sitting is about 3/4 cup- and I was very full. I'm like you- I don't want to do anything to mess this up or stretch my pouch.

No, I did not vomit, although I thought I might. I got an intense pain in the center of my chest and I started salivating like I would vomit and my nose started running. Leaning over seems to help some, then I drank a few sips of Water and it went down. But I had gas pains the rest of the day. Never again. I am 6 days post-op and I do not have any fills. I thought the tenderloin would have been ok. It is juicy and you can cut it with a fork. Oh well. Did your roast pork go down?