icebergslim

I'm scheduled to move to "regular band food" 1 month after surgery. Every doctor and nutritionist is different, but I bet you will be very close to a regular diet by the time your vacation rolls around. Definitely inform your nutritionist of your vacation plans and see what he/she says. Keep us posted!!

The first few days on liquid are tough, I'm not going to lie. You really have to get your head in the game and practice positive self talk. Keep your eye on the prize. After about day 4 it tends to become easier to follow the diet.

Also, try to avoid situations where you might feel tempted to eat. I went to work, came home every night and didn't socialize at all during my pre-op phase. I really needed to narrow my focus and eliminate the triggers that caused me to binge in the past. I also cleaned out my cupboards and threw out all the processed crap and sugary Snacks in my house.

Remember, it's just a couple of weeks. You can do ANYTHING if you put your mind to it. Hang in there!! Good luck!

Update... it's been 24hrs since surgery and I feel 10x better than yesterday. I have slight gas pains in my chest still, but they are so much better than yesterday. I feel like I've done 300 situps when I move, but it's really not very painful. I was able to sleep on my back and my non-port side with no issue... I even slept for 10 hours last night!

I'm on Clear Liquids (broth, Jello, sf popsicles, and calorie free drinks). I'm not hungry at all and I'm working to stay occupied while I'm at home.

I work 12 hour shifts and although my job isn't very physical, it is stressful. I took 2 weeks off from work just to be on the safe side. I really need to be 100% in order to do my job and since I have the available sick time, I decided to use it.

Thanks for all your kind words and encouragement!

You look fantastic! Congrats on your success. You are a great example of how following the "rules of the band" will get us where we want to be. Again, congratulations!!

You are so close.. I hope your surgery goes smoothly!

So, I was banded as an outpatient this morning at 8am. According to the Dr and nurses, I had an uneventful surgery, which I'm very thankful for. I think I got a small primer fill during the surgery and my post-op appt is scheduled for next week.

I did wake up with horrible gas pains in my chest. The guy next to me didn't have any gas pain, so it's different for everyone. I walked several laps in the surgery area and took gas-x, but there wasn't much relief. I stayed in the recovery area for 3 hours and then decided to suck it up and go home.

The ride home went well.... I totally recommend holding a pillow to your stomach while riding in the car.

Got home, took Tylenol and anti-nausea meds and napped on my couch. I have finally been able to burp a little and that has released so much of the pressure. I have horrible cotton mouth that started before the surgery.... I think it's from the anti-nausea patch behind my ear. But, I will take cotton mouth over throwing up any day of the week.

I'm very glad I went through with the surgery. I lost 20# in my 2-week pre-op, so I know I can do this. I just need to keep an eye on the prize and ignore the mind hunger if it crops up.

Good luck to everyone out there! Reading the threads on this board really helped me to get the full details ahead of time. If anyone has questions, feel free to ask.

You got my vote! Good luck!!!

I work 12's, was on midnights for 8 years and just moved to days this year. My head still thinks I need to eat at 11pm, so I'm training myself to eat at "normal" times again. Just do what works on the majority of the days in the week.... and wing it the other days

I found a great Protein shake at Target. It's called EAS AdvantEDGE. It's on the "approved Protein supplements" list at IBC (you'll get the list at your appointment... it's in the blue guideline book they give you) and I think it tastes really good. It is cheapest at Target, but in a pinch you can get it at Jewel or Walgreens, it's just overpriced there. I get the pre-made shakes cuz they are easy to grab and go, but I bought one container of powder to use in a pinch.

Also, the nutritionist at IBC said that since the EAS AdvantEDGE are only 110 calories, I can have an extra if I'm feeling really hungry after having just one. So far, I haven't needed a second, but it's nice knowing I can have one if I'm super hungry.

You look fantastic! Thanks for sharing!!

Also, like threekidsmom, I sometimes switch the order of my "meals". Today I did a shake, then my fruit/yogurt snack, then my dinner, and my 2nd shake in the evening. I just tried to treat them as meals, spaced them 3-4 hours apart, and did not snack throughout the day.

I have the same basic eating plan. I do a shake for Breakfast, a light juice (with Vitamin c) mid-morning, shake for lunch, a dinner of lean Protein and veggies, and a snack (I do Greek yogurt and fruit, but you can do cheese and fruit or even popcorn). It is an 800-1000 calorie diet.

I am used to eating crazy big portion sizes, hence my need for LapBand, so this 2-week diet hasn't been "fun", but I have to admit that I've gotten used to it.

Just keep your eye on the prize and fight through these pre-op days. I'm learning that I do have the willpower within me to follow the rules. I want to lose weight more than I want to eat unhealthy food. I just have to keep reminding myself.

Hi everyone! I'm on my countdown for surgery at IBC... 3 more days to go! I've been on the pre-op for 10 full days and it has been very doable. I've experienced the mind hunger several times and have really tried to keep myself busy so I don't think about eating.

Like many if you, I love the staff at IBC and I'm looking forward to working with them post-op. I go to the Champaign office and I'm very impressed with how smoothly things run there.

Congratulations! Everyone I've talked to stresses the importance of walking and gas-x for pain relief. My nurse said to keep up with the gas-x during the first week out, even when you don't feel the pain. Good luck!

No problem, jblitch How has your recovery been so far?

I have BCBS Illinois. My whole process took 2 months, from first visit to scheduled surgery day. My Dr. sent my info to Blue Cross on a Thursday and I had a verbal "approval" (over the phone) from BCBS the next day. My surgeon got the official approval letter the following week. Also, BCBS no longer has the 6 month supervision requirement, so as long as you meet the basic requirements, you should be on your way! Good luck!