Lynn B

I told everyone about my surgery - family, friends, strangers - but I still need to explain and correct them about the differences, retrictions, rules etc for the procedure. I don't mind doing that because even if it doesn't help them, it may make them more tolerant of others they meet that are taking the same journey. I feel that I am helping myself and others by being vocal about my choices. That being said - I know that other prefer not to be as vocal as I (can't keep me quiet) and you have every right to be mad. It was not fair for your Mom to discuss something that you asked her not to, but she is your Mom and you can't be mad at her for ever. I would sit her down at some point (don't wait to long) and explain why you felt she should know and your personal reasons for not wanting anyone else to know. Let her know that you are disappointed that she broke the trust you shared. As for your SIL, email her some info on the band with a note that you would prefer to keep your personal medical issues personal and ask that she read through the info so that in the very least if she must gossip that she be an informed gossip. Sorry your secret is out before you wished to be but maybe in the long run you will end up helping someone else with your knowledge of this procedure. Good luck,

Pre - op Blood draw (6 tubes, a little pinch) EKG (takes 5 min. they put these little stickers on you and hook the machine up to the stickers, get a reading and your done, no pain) Psych eval (1/2 hour with the psychologist to make sure you understand what changes this procedure will bring to your life) Gallbladder ultrasound (jelly on your belly, took about 1/2 hour, no pain) 2 support group meetings (kinda fun, very informative) Nutritionist visit (got to try some protien shakes) Depending on your medical history they may also request - Cardiac Echo (if you took Phen Phen this is a must), sleep study (if you have symptoms of sleep apnea), Pulmonary Function Test (I didn't need these three) Pre Admission testing for the hospital EKG (same as above) Blood Draw (4 tubes) Consult with anesthesiologist Surgery day Start an IV and your on your way. Post op Catheter (SP?) - hated it but it wasn't painful Barium swallow - I have eaten worse stuff but this is on the top 10 list (liquid amodium AD was worse) but it is over quick. There wasn't anything that I was required to do that involved pain or discomfort (no enemas!) but every doctor is different. Yours should give you a list up front of what will be required. Good luck,

Congratulations!

I've been calling it reverse body dysmorphia. I have always thought of myself as smaller than I am (yes it could be that I refuse to let reality into my party). When I catch my reflection in a store window I am shocked. I am not really that big???Am I?? It will be wonderful to catch my reflection in the future and say "Yup, thats me" Good luck to all,

Great I will keep an eye out for the wal mart ones (love saving money) Thanks!

Are your incisions covered with steri stips or glue? I have steri strip and was told not to remove them, the longer they stay on the smaller the scar (its not a big deal if they fall off on their own). No other care is needed, shower as usual and dry them off. Good luck

Pre-op: Eat sensibly, Low fat, Low sugar - No liquid diet requirement 3-4 weeks full liquids 4 weeks mushies Solid food added at tolerated after week 8

Here try these links for more info http://www.medicinenet.com/fatty_liver/index.htm http://my.webmd.com/hw/liver_disease/ut1397.asp Good luck,

I was lucky - My ins. is covering everything but my co-pay and program fees. Do you have a 401K that you can draw off? That way any interest you pay just goes back to yourself. Good luck,

Hi all, Tomorrow I will be 2 weeks out and I am finally comfy sleeping on my side and tummy (just this weekend I was able to). It creeps up on ya real quick. I am not on mushies yet - but I have never heard about a restriction on fresh fruit (a lot of people use banannas in their shakes). As long as it fits into you stage you should be fine. Good luck,

Alexandra, found it in my local stop & shop in the water isle next to the fruit2O. I have mixed berry and it is good - I haven't tried the others yet.

Hey all, I don't know if anyone else has seen this but I just found it in the grocery store today: Water Sensations - I love fruit 2 O but it is expensive and all those plastic bottles can't be recycled in my area. This stuff is like fruit 2 O concentrate in single servings - you add one packet of liquid to your 16oz water bottle and you have an instant fruit 2 O like beverage. Here are the details 1 box was $3.99 and contains 16 serving. Flavors available: Strawberry-Kiwi Mixed berry Orange Lemon Peach Grape Cal - 0, Carbs - 0 Ingredients: Filtered water, natural flavor, citric acid, potassium citrate, Sucralose. They have a web site www.watersensations.com Great to just throw in your purse (or glove box for you guys) Its funny - the other day I said that the crystal light individual packs were great but I wish they could do the same thing to Fruit2O. I didn't have to wait long. Enjoy,

Awww now I'm crying to. Good job!!!

Well I have been cheating in my dreams - I am missing real food so much that I dream that I am eating steak and chicken >>sigh<< just a week and a half til mushies.

Oh to be on mushies....I can't wait. I am at day 11 of a 23 day full liquid post op diet and I have had it up to here with drinking my meals!!!! I wont cheat though - this means to much to me. My doctors last words on my discharge from the hospital were "Dont cheat on the diet". If you are craving steak get some beef broth - its like drinking steak juice. The salty taste was sooooo good after all of the sweet I have been eating. Swansons makes a 98% fat free beef broth that is wonderful!! Good luck,

Welcome Hedwig, I have been banded for 10 days. Each day a feel a little more normal. Each day something happens like getting out of bed or getting in the car and you say "all right, that isn't as uncomfortable any more" I feel that I will be back to my old self within the next week. My pain was also about a 2 (the first few days that was dependant on the pain meds but I have been off of all pain meds since day 4) I went back to my office job on day 9 and my boss commented on the fact that she thought I would be hunched over and crabby but I was just myself only a little tired. You will be fine - so far I have no regrets. Good luck,

Hi Melissa, the band should be custom fit to your anatomy. Your doctor shouldn't be able to tell you what band you will get in advance as it depends on the size of your stomach and anatomy when he gets a peek inside. Your doctor should enter the OR with all three sizes in tow and band you with the one that is going to give you the best results - to big and you take the chance of slippage, to small and erosion is a possiblity. You may want to discuss this with him in depth (I was 275lb the day of surgery with a BMI of 52, I dropped 25 lbs before and my doctor was thrilled because I had reduced my fatty deposits enough for him to use the smaller band). There is one thread that comes to mind regarding the drug stress test - but I have been unable to find it. The woman was not prepared for what the drug can make you feel like and panic and they couldn't complete the test - after she talked with DR/nurse about the symtoms that she felt and found out they were normal she went through the test with no problems. I guess it really makes your heart race. Maybe someone who has had one will post. Good luck with your banding - cant wait to see you on the other side.

Raspberry Ice crystal light and vodka - the best almost 0 carbs!! Bandsters shouldn't have a problem with alcohol going to your head (unless it always has) because we are still conected to all of our intestines. RNY have trouble with it - just another reason to hang with the band!

Vanesa - I have heard that if you lay on your left side with your left leg straight and bend your right leg up toward your chest that you colon will untangle and release some of that gas - Just go gentle if you try as I am still having trouble laying on my side. (the gas-x didn't help me at all hopefully you have better luck with it) Keep tooting,

I stocked up on (enough for 2 weeks) Cream Soups, broth, SF Popsicles, 0 cal flavored water (this has been a life saver), yogurt, protien powder, carb countdown milk, SF Jello. Make sure you have liquid tylenol (I got adult strength at WalMart), a heating pad can also help with gas, Gas-x chewables. Set up a comfy place to sleep if you have a recliner bring your pillows and blankets down to it because it was really more comfortable during the first few days - especially if you wont have anyone home to help you out of bed when you finally wake up. I brought a book and magazine to the hospital but was to spacy to concentrate on it for long. When you get in your room if they don't provide you with mouth swabs ask for them - they were great to get rid of the dry mouth, lips and throat from the breathing tube. You might not be allowed to drink anything until day 2 (I wasn't). Good luck,

Vanesa, welcome to bandland. I'm at day 8 and my port site has gone from painful to just kinda uncomfortable. Coughing/Laughing day 2-6 were murder - I had the same burning pain you spoke of. Today I coughed 3 times and no pain just a pulling sensation. I could finally get out of bed on my own on day 5 but very carefully today I almost didn't even think about it. It only gets better from here on out. Good luck!

Sorry your not feeling well. Are you throwing up stuff that looks like coffee grounds? If so does you doctor know that this is happening - that would be blood - and I don't believe throwing up blood is a good thing. On my post - op release if I throw up anything that looks like coffee grounds I need to call my surgeon immediatly. Good luck,

Good luck Cat - soon you'll be a big loser. I also had no problem with the bra - all of my incisions are between my pant and my bra but that depends on where your doctor pokes. I will be going back to work tomorrow - 9 days out from surgery - I will be thinking about you.

Whoa... you doctor shouldn't have told you that IMO. I know that some people are bounding out of bed and off pain meds the next day but I don't think that is the majority. You will more often than not be on morphine after the surgery and then a liquid narcotic. Driving while on a narcotic is bad, bad, bad - especially with a 2 hour drive after major surgery. I live 40 min from the hospital and my DR tried to get me to stay an extra day just in case. For me personally, I was banded on 9/12 and did finally drive this weekend but the left hand turns were murder as everything is still a little sore (not painful but sore) on that side from the port. I would have someone pick you up for sure. On the brighter side - Congrats on your surgery date - I am so excited for you!! See you on the losing side!

Judy - stress eating is normal but you should try to stop as soon as possible. You will make the surgeons job so much easier if you actually drop some weight before your date. The liver of an obese person is larger that that of a normal person, I believe it has something to do with fat on the liver, and the liver covers the part of the stomach that they are working on. I had my gallbladder out on 8/18 (behind the liver) after losing 10 lbs, my doctor said that my liver was still large. I dropped another 10-15 lbs before my banding on 9/12 and my DR. was thrilled. The first thing he told my Mom after surgery (he didn't know how many lbs I had lost) was "She must have lost more weight because I had plenty of room in there this time and I was even able to fit her with the smaller band". If the DR has more room and a better view - I feel that lessens the chances of a complication during surgery. Although I must say that I only lost so much because I was told that if I gained any weight they would cancel the surgery until I had my eating under control....I was so scared they would cancel me that I watched every little thing I put in my mouth! Does your surgeon require a pre-op liquid diet? If not have the things you enjoy (but don't worry to much because you most likely will be able to have them again in the future) but in smaller amounts. Maybe replace one or two meals with protien shakes, have smart Snacks and them splurge for one meal. I am not sure how important shrinking the liver is really, to my DR it was important - some doctors don't seem to have a requirement and others seem to go overboard. You may want to contact the program nutritionist and find out what they suggest. Good luck on your band day!