Sarah.R

I agree with restless, every doc is different, mine never told me to have protein first so I'm not too bothered about that, the big one that they all push though is waiting a certain period before eating and then after before you drink. Mine is 15 minutes before, 30 minutes after but I've noticed some doctors push 30 before and 1 hour after, it just depends, overall though the major thing is so that you don't push the food you just ate down and get hungry again. And yes - Excercise lol

Walk around a little bit, I was done on the 12th and I've been getting a little pain this week near my port which I didn't have last week at all. If the walking doesn't help try a heat pack. But if it still persists maybe contact your doctor.

Lol, yeah the optifast is nasty, first one I had I projectile vomitted over the kitchen sink - Woops lol. Congrats =)

Hey bottle, yes you shouldn't have had it but don't worry too much - I'm also on day 8 so yay us lol and my instructions are mushy food on day 14 which is ages away . When I do go on those tho I was told to put whatever it is in a blender and if it's still too thick then thin it out with stock or milk depending on what it is - If the food is soft enough then theres no reason to blend it, like if it was a really soft poached egg. So if you want something again just try thinning it out with liquid. Good luck =)

I was banded on the 12th as well and the soap is just antiseptic so that your clean before surgery and after so that your incisions don't get infected. As for vomitting, felt like I was going to as soon as I woke up, they gave me the drugs to stop it but still felt like I was going to so they gave me a vomit bag, stomach muscles where painful because I kept convulsing them I guess and they where tightening - Gagged like I was going to throw up but all that came up was the gas that I burped up thank god lol. A week later today and I feel great. How about the rest of you?

The point of the preop diet is to shrink your liver, if your liver is fatty they can go in and say "No we can't do it, there's too much risk" and if your liver is fatty then theres a risk of it bleeding when they move it to get to your stomach which means longer recovery and possibly a blood transfusion - Preop diets are definitely worth it, at least you only have to do yours for 2 weeks, I was screwed around and was on mine for over a month, then I got a call and had to do the 2 weeks again but actually only did 8 days and when I came out from surgery they said my liver was a little fatty. Yes they totally suck, yes it sucks that some surgeons don't have a diet like that but if my doctor hadn't required me to do a 2 week diet before hand I would have been worried. If you can't follow it though only have protein foods like Ange said, I had maybe 2 boiled eggs and it definitely helped. The shakes aren't easy to stomach at all - First one I ever had I projectile vomitted over the kitchen sink lol, since then I just learnt to plug my nose, thankfully you can have low kj drinks - I had about 2 1.25 litre bottles of pepsi max on my preop and it really helped.

Honestly, I don't know why the insurance companies want you to do those surgeries before, yes it might give them insight into how you will handle this entire thing but getting the band isn't about dieting, it's more about a lifestyle change. It definitely doesn't mean your going to fail at your weight loss. Good luck with everything

There's another woman on here that has had it done that's usually in the chat room, although technically it wasn't a sils operation as there was more than one incision. I'm sorry I don't know the name but if your in the chat you can always ask around and someone will probably know her. Good luck

Well actually I've been going thru this process well over a year, I don't have insurance and the hospital I go to was willing to fund it for me. (thank god) In october 07 my doctor said that I would possibly need a transplant in 5-10 years and that I should consider the band - Hadn't even occured to me that I would ever need the band, next thing I knew I had an appointment with dieticians and the endocrine part at my hospital, then in may 08 I saw the surgeon, signed the papers to have surgery and he told me I was on the category 2 list (which is 3-6 months) still hadn't heard anything, then in december was supposed to get done, then the whole march part is just this year so yeah it sucks being pushed around but I couldn't do alot about it. As for counselling - I'm required to do it eventually and I'm glad they're doing it, not everyone is given that option mainly because the lap band isn't as invasive as the gastric bypass where counselling is a requirement before they even approve you. It sucks you can't go to your cousin but sometimes it's like that, you could always ask your surgeon if he can refer you to a counsellor just for your piece of mind. As for after, I went in about 2.30pm on the 12th this month, came out dunno when but didn't really feel great, stomach was horrible actually (not trying to put you off at all but this is what I went thru) around 7 went to a ward. Before that when I woke up my stomach muscles where convulsing so that was pretty painful, and then I thought I needed to vomit but they gave me something all I did was burp up the gas thankfully. Umm the next day was way better, wasn't as bad but still pretty sore. Went home that afternoon and had anap cuz I was pretty tired. The pain has been easing every day, I was taking some pain killers/aspirin in the morning, lunch and then before bed for days 2-4 and then just the past 3 I've taken one before bed and last night didn't take any. Haven't had any shoulder tip pain at all which is great. I think I answered all your questions, just message me if you need any more info =)

Pb is productive burp, basically where the small amount that is in your pouch you mini vomit back up. As for the others I know them but not sure on the meanings

If you read it again you'll see that I didn't say that everyone is like that, I realise there are people out there that are generally helpful and amazing when you tell them about the surgery - This is for the people that do get jealous or have a negative reaction to it.

I've read numerous threads about people that have told others and if it doesn't go the way they imagined it, it's because the other person is jealous. Usually the person getting banded tells they're friends/family and if they themselves are big then they retalliate saying that it probably isn't the right thing for them. Then if the family member or friend is skinny the usual response I've heard is "Well why don't you just eat less and exercise more?" And it's so annoying, I can't believe some people are that small minded that they would even use that as an excuse. So why do you think they react that way? Because they don't want the person to be happy or the probably better option is that they are jealous because they themselves want the surgery? (the bigger family member/friend that is)

You know it sucks, I have no clue what band I have, before I went into the op theatre I asked my surgeon what size it would be and he just said they're all basically the same and it's the biggest one - Yeah right, I know there are like 5 different types so it's kinda hard to know which one but if I had to guess probably the 14cc, he sticks with the actual manufacturer brand so probably the actual lap band as well but I could be wrong - Hopefully I'll find out next month when I go for my first fill =)

I was supposed to do shakes for 2 weeks but I only got the call that I was having surgery 2 days after I was supposed to start them so I actually didn't start the diet until day 4 - Yes preop diets suck and alot of surgeons have different methods but overall it's the same end result - A shrunk liver which results in an easier surgery. I wish I had your preop diet though, would've been nice to have frozen yoghurt.

I choose not to tell people mainly because of the exact reason you gave, some will be jealous - At the time I started this entire thing only my mum knew as she came with me to appointments, then we went to a family bbq and she told my aunt so for a while only those 2 knew (plus my dad) then my aunt being who she is got drunk and blurted it to my cousins, had no clue about that until they rang me for my birthday and said "So mum told me your surgery was cancelled." Didn't really know how to respond to that so I just mmm. But the thing is, they've been great, my cousin's husband who I thought would be the last person I would tell actually rang me and said that he knew I'd gone thru alot and this was going to help me, so it was great hearing that from him - It's amazing when you get a positive reaction from someone you didn't think would. So now alot of my family know and alot don't. As for friends, I probably won't tell them, I have health problems and they know that but they don't know the extent and although I wish I could share it with them, I don't want to loose a great friendship over that (petty I know) so for now I'm not telling them - Eventually when I'm comfortable with everything I will but who knows when that will be, as for when we go out for dinner or whatever and they say "wow you've lost weight, what are you doing" I'll just give them an honest answer - I've cut out most carbs which is the truth, with the band you cut out alot of bread, rice and Pasta and that's exactly what will be happening so really I'm telling them some of the truth. I'm sorry to hear that your friends weren't helpful but there are alot of supportive people on here that always make up for it.

Not sure about the girdle part and everything but theres a product available here in aus called bio-oil, it helps reduce scarring and stretch marks, I use it after every surgery I've had and have only just started putting it on my band scars and it's definitely helping. This is the website. http://www.bio-oil.com/en/global_availability/usa.html Then just click where you shop and it'll come up! Good luck

Hey neesh, understandably alot of people won't be supportive but if you think it's the right thing for you then thats all that matters. For me I'm young so it was one of my only options - loose weight or be dead in 10 years - horrible but true. As for the counselling it's normally to make sure that you won't try to sabotage your weight loss (stupid but true) you hear about people that have the band and they say they never lost anything all the while they where really eating the bad foods that just slip right thru, counselling helps because you realise the reason you want it and why you need it. As for vomitting - I was under the impression that bypass patients usually vomit if they have high sugar or greasy foods - Yes you can vomit with the band if you don't chew something well or eat something to fast or eat too much. Maybe try talking to your cousin, tell her you realise she doesn't want other people to know that she has it but you need help in deciding for the band. Good luck

To the family members that are against it maybe just explain that you don't want to let it get any further and if you do then there probably won't be any turning back at that point, you want to take control of your life now and this is how you can do it. As for when they say they've heard of complications occuring and stuff like that just ask them who the person was that it happened to and where they even heard that information? Most of them will be quiet once you say that because they can't back themselves up.

I'm 6 days out and I feel like I could easily start mushies as well but personally I would prefer to wait the 2 weeks, your body needs time to heal and I would be worried about starting at 7 days but that's just me - If your worried maybe stay on liquids for 10 days and then try some foods, if your still worried call your doctor, there always interested inyour well being and he'd probably be more informative than anyone on here. Good Luck

Actually sprite isnt even included in the clear fluids as it's a soft drink, and the bubbles will be extremely painful - usually it says to make it flat but who really likes flat soft drink? Some thing I had that have helped are also apple juice - tastes great but don't have it first up cuz it tends to dehydrate you.

I just wore sweat pants and a tank top - pretty comfy as they weren't tight at all and I could pull them under my stomach if I was uncomfortable - One thing to add though - Take a pillow of yours in the car for when you go home and place it against your stomach it'll really help, my mum picked me up after surgery in my car which is like 25 years old so pretty bumpy and although it was painful it would of been worse if I didn't have a pillow

Five reasons for me are 1. My hospital paid every single thing, only thing I had to pay for was the preop diet which was around $200 as I was postponed twice - They pay for all my fills as well 2. Health - this should actually be number one but oh well, I'm 21 and looking a transplant in 5-10 years and the weight I am now I wouldnt be able to go on the list. 3. Bypass is to invasive I think - I don't like the fact that my organs are going to be rearranged. 4. How quick you loose the weight after bypass - Yes I want to loose the weight but I think it's for extremely big people - I'm 125kgs which is 275lbs and I think I'm too small for it and I don't think that loosing 100lbs in a month is very healthy. As for 5 I dunno, the benefits of health and a better life overall overweigh any of the negatives for me personally. Good luck =)

It's definitely different, I was banded on tuesday and I've had to gradually up my liquids and they havent kept me entirely full yet last night I had thinned out tomato soup and I only put one ladle in a bowl and I had about 3/4 of it and was full, I was actually full to the point where your stomach pokes out and you feel it's hard to breathe so I definitely had a couple of spoon fulls to much but yeah it's way different, hard to explain until you get it I guess

Lucky, I would of been happy if I could have just yoghurt, be careful with the lables tho, I notice when I go even tho it says sugar free yoghurt it's pretty high in fat.

You know, I had my surgery on tuesday and I distinctly recall not being able to breathe when I woke up and the sensation that they were taking the tube out. Yes you have one in when you're having surgery to help you breathe, overall it's a safety precaution, they do it with any surgery so don't be too worried