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I suspect they charge more because they can. Have you ever seen the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car? It certainly looks like George Bush did (and....I'm pretty politically conservative. I'm not just saying that as a "Bush hater"). Nah, I'm still here! Even though I am very reluctant to share personal info of any kind on here (for the obvious reasons), here's the inside deal: I usually only access LBT from work, since in my extremely rual home, my internet is pretty slow (and LBT in particular seems to be a slow loader for me). I am usually at work in the sleep lab Mon-Thurs night, so that's when I jump on LBT. Very recently, I've had a change in work. I"m being cross-trained in another area (I know that kind of change appeals to you, tap). Basically, I'm splitting my week.....Mon - Tues, I'm on days and Wed - Thurs, I'm on nights. Long story to say that I'll basically only be on LBT on Wednesday and Thursday nights :thumbup:. What game did you see?? I <heart> college football. Sicko. I'll never be able to retire. I've already signed up for a corpse / work program to continue working after I'm deceased.

It's all about the healing. The docs want your stomach to be healing, not working on digesting (even liquid protein has to be broken down). Also, there is probably a question of nausea.....they want to be very careful not to do anything that might trigger that. Seems like all docs have a different schedule for advancing the diet, but almost everybody has to do clear liquids for a time.

Hi Deliah! Welcome to lapbandtalk. It sounds like you're doing a great job. Keep it up!!

That's great, Jess. Sounds like you are plowing right on through all that red tape, lol!

Cool Mel! How exciting!

Hang in there neesh! Eating real food too soon can interfere with your band healing in properly. Like 20zmom said, Protein shakes help with the hunger. You can do it!

Well....there's carbs and there's carbs. Like several have said, bananas are good for you. Don't sweat 'em. If you're feeling guilty about the carb count, cut back elsewhere, but not in the fruits and veg department.

So wise, grasshopper. It seems you have snatched the virtual stone from my palm. Now, the student has truly become the teacher. Well done. Uh, are you actually apologizing for coming to a support site for some support? That's why we're here. You might get some flack, or some tough love, or cyberhugs. The range of both the statements and the responses is part of the beauty.

Interesting question. I guess it comes down to "what do you consider a diet". Like some others in this thread, I wouldn't say that I'm a diet, per se, but I do try to eat low fat, high Protein, and squeeze in some fruit and veggies. Considering how I used to eat pre-band, you could argue that I am kind of on a diet. Like I said, interesting question....

Hi Mya, welcome to lapbandtalk! When it comes to kids, you will be restricted in how much weight you can lift right after surgery (so as not to dislodge the stitches). So if your kids are very young and require physical picking up and holding, you might want to start thinking about people that can help with that. Other than that, the only other issue you might have is preparing meals for the kids. There may be times pre and post op when you'll be on liquids, and preparing real food can be torture, lol. Also, (and I don't know if this is applicable in your situation) once you're banded, you'll need to eat healthier food.....so there could be a change in diet for the whole family. That's all I can think of right now.

The whole reason that you're not supposed to eat real food soon after your surgery is because digesting that food causes your stomach to move and contract. This stomach movement can possibly interfere with your band healing in correct position. So, it's better if you closely follow your doc's post-op dietary guidelines.

Ok Irish, my fingers are officially crossed for you.

I believe that it refers to high blood pressure that is resistant to meds (I could easily be wrong, though).

Hey cent, welcome to lapbandtalk. Hopefully insurance will approve you quickly. Good luck!

PJTP: Ebony, that soy protein powder is called "Naturade". They have it in vanilla and chocolate (I prefer vanilla for my 'berry' smoothies). I get it at Sam's Club

Hi shamale, welcome to lapbandtalk. Snoop around a bit and I'm sure you'll find lots of topics to bring up w/ your doc.

gim, this is not what you want to hear, but you REALLY need to ask your doctor most of these questions. If the doc's office gets tired of your questions (they shouldn't, because it's kind of their responsibility to field these questions), then they should at least be able to refer you to somebody that can answer your questions. Having said that, here are some generalized answers: The reason for the restricted diet is because your band is still healing. When you eat real food, it makes your stomach move. This movement can be bad for the healing process.....thus, the restricted diet. A lot of doctors have different specific schedules on when the diet can be advanced, so you should ask your doc what he wants you to do. You may not feel like you need an adjustment yet due to your stomach still being swolen, or you might feel some restriction just from having the band placed (I know a few folks in that situation). Regarding foods that can be tolerated, everybody is different. It will take some time to learn which <nutritious> foods your band seems to like best. Regarding the aspirin, that really needs to be adressed by your doc.

Hi Sweet. Welcome to Lapbandtalk! Congrats on the recent banding. It sounds like you have the determination to do well. Good luck!

But tap...it was soooooooo good and creepy. It built tension well and was not excessively bloody or sexy. It was an old school haunted house story re-tooled for the suburbs. I give it a big thumbs up! Thanks. I saw the update lower in the thread. I know I have meant to drop g4e a note but I'm a horrible procrastinator. I resolve to remedy that. That may turn out to be the best thing that's happened to you, V.

Hi bristlecone. This thread is so long and cumbersome that most of us are now posting on the PJTP: Again in the rants and raves section. Of course you can post here as much as you want, but this thread is essentially dead. Please join us on the new one!

It may be cliche' but the thing that helped me the most was getting up and walking. It really took the gas pains away.

Woah! You are kicking some serious ass! The best part is that you can use this loss to "slingshot" you through the healing phase. By the time you get to your fills, you'll be sitting pretty! Good luck.

I'm not trying to rain on anybody's parade, Dragonfly, because I love, love, love my band......but my advice is that if you are unsure about the band, then don't get it. Do more research on all weightloss surgeries before you decide on one (if you even decide on surgery at all).

Hey Cindy, you might find better results if you post this question in the "local support" subforum on the main page. That section breaks areas down geographically. Good luck!

Well, the bright side of this is that basically they're asking for your opinion of why you think you should have the surgery....and if it's your opinion, then they can't ever tell you you're wrong!! I'd throw everthing but the kitchen sink in a letter like that: improved quality of life, improved general health, improved self esteem. Throw it all in!! Nobody can dispute your opinion.