Angelyco

Burping alllll the time now.

I was told I could keep getting my shots, the reason they want you to stop is because of blood clots, but my doctor gives everyone Heparin (sp?) to prevent clots, so the birth control didn't matter. It really varies depending on your doctor, just ask them at your appointment.

My surgeon doesn't require a pre-op diet, but since it seems to be the norm to do one for 2 weeks, I want to do it on my own, plus it will kick-start the weight loss. My question is what do other doctors normally give as the pre-op diet? I've heard a few different diets so as far as liquid diets go, what is more common: nothing but liquids, or liquids and a small dinner? Any advice would be great since my surgeon isn't going to give me any!

Just got my scale delivered yesterday, down 24 pounds now :biggrin2: I promised myself I would only weigh myself once a week, though. I refuse to torture myself like that

Just got weighed today. I lost 19 pounds since my surgery (I went from my original weight, in the hospital I had gained 2 pounds from all the IV fluid and didn't count that). I kind of wish it was more, but I'm just very thankful that it wasn't less.

I bought some baby food, but as of yet (4 days into mushies) I haven't touched them. I think I'm a little scared to.

The good thing about the Lap-Band is that you don't get the dumping thing Nothing bad happens when you have sugar, but that's why it's harder for some people to lose weight with the band, so it's just something to be careful with.

It seems like everyone is doing okay on Tylenol or just not having much pain at all after the surgery...so why do I feel like crap? Tylenol isn't helping and I can't seem to sit or lie down in any position to get comfortable, it's just constant. I don't normally sleep on my back so it hurts when I try to. I called my doctor earlier and he wouldn't prescribe any stronger pain meds because he said nothing will get rid of ALL the pain, and that I should expect to have pain after a surgery. Please tell me I'm not the only one in misery

Thanks for the replies, all--I'm still having problems getting comfortable, but it does seem to be easing up a little bit. I went for a walk this morning and I overdid it, because I hurt even worse after that, but it calmed back down. Just have to bear it, I guess. If I'm still in a lot of pain tomorrow, I'll call my regular doctor and ask for a prescription.

Hey all! I was banded yesterday :smile: Everything went really well for the surgery. We got there on time yesterday (6 AM) and everything went exactly as scheduled, no hold-ups at all. There was a little confusion with the anesthesiologist about whether or not I have a CPAP machine, but it didn't hold anything up. I wasn't nervous at all most of the morning while I was getting ready, but once they separated me and my fiance, Matt, and had him go wait while they took me to the holding area, THEN I got nervous. My anesthesiologist spoke a mile a minute and I could barely understand what he was saying, and I was praying none of it was important for me to know! My surgeon came and spoke to me for a very few minutes. They wheeled me in for surgery after hooking up my IV at 7:30 exactly, and after a few minutes of strapping me to the table and everyone running around, I just passed out, no warning at all. Hehe. When I woke up, it was after 9 AM and my stomach HURT. Not horribly, but enough that I kept asking when the pain meds would kick in. Morphine is so wonderful. I had to stay in the recovery room until about noon, and I kept fighting off sleepiness because I wanted them to move me up to my room ASAP so I could see Matt again. I slept most of the afternoon after they moved me and made sure everything was okay and sending Matt to go eat some lunch. He wasn't allowed to stay overnight with me since I had a roommate, and I was really lonely since I was only sleeping on and off during the night. The nurses kept forgetting about me when I needed things, like the IV bag changed or when I could have ice again. My mouth was soooo dry and they only let me have a medicine cup of ice every 4 hours. They wouldn't weigh me before my surgery yesterday, so I have no idea how much weight I lost with the pre-op diet. They only weighed me today, and according to that, I gained 2 pounds, but they said that it was because of the 4 bags of fluids that they kept pumping into me and that nobody says they lost weight when they are weighed at that point. Pfft. I need to order a scale this week so I can keep track myself. The sorest spot on my stomach is where I think my port is, and I think I was expecting it to be on my left side, but it's on my right? I dunno. My bandages are in a nice little row, 4 all next to each other, and then 1 is kind of under my breast. I went home around 1:30 today and they made me wean off of the morphine all this morning, so I'm very sore and the liquid Tylenol isn't helping. I tried to take a nap with Matt, but since I can't sleep well on my back and it hurts too much for my side or stomach, it didn't work very well. I might end up sleeping on the couch until the pain goes away so I can be propped up. They had to take blood from my artery in the wrist for blood gas levels and for the two samples they needed, yesterday and today, they poked me a total of NINE times. If you've ever had this done, you know how painful it is since they didn't numb me for it and they had to keep poking around. Ouch! I'm on my liquids today, and I thought I'd be hungry with only 2 oz. of liquid at a meal, but I just have more of a dry mouth than anything. I hope the soreness goes away before I have to go back to work Monday. I have to go see my surgeon again in 10 days for the check-up. So far, everything seems to be on track, though. My vitals have been really good everytime the nurse checked, they were impressed with my recovery, especially since they were expecting me not to be able to walk around very well because of my size. I don't have any problems walking and they were really surprised when I just got up, and the only problem I had was a little dizziness and nausea. They didn't make me do a swallow test, though, which seems strange when I read everyone else having to do it. Ah well. I don't really feel anything around my stomach area itself, is that normal? I only really feel the incisions and port.

I read somewhere else that she started over 400 pounds, and I've actually seen quite a few people who lost 100 pounds in 4 months on this board. When you weigh that much, it goes fast at first.

Hey guys I'm glad there is a higher BMI forum--50 still seems like a ways away for me yet. Right now I'm at 71.7--I should start my own forum :laugh: Kidding! My name is Angel and I'm doing my own liquid pre-op diet right now since my surgeon doesn't make me do it. My surgery is less than 2 weeks away! It's really hard though, now I understand "head hunger" perfectly clear. My stomach may not be rumbling, but DAMN, I want to eat! Anytime I see a commercial or my friends talk about food, I feel horrible. I know this will pass, and I've cheated a few times already in the 3 days, but I really want to lose some weight before the surgery, I was hoping for 20 pounds but I don't think I'll make it now.

My BMI is 71.7 or so, 444 lbs and 5'6". When I told my surgeon I wanted Lap-Band from the first time I met him, he never once mentioned bypass. My high BMI was never a concern to him either. He told me that surgeons who refuse to operate on people with a BMI over 50 are just trying to make the surgery easier for themselves to perform--it's not a matter of your own safety. If you run into a surgeon who won't band you, find someone else. You ARE a candidate, you just need to find a non-douche surgeon!

I soooo don't have any willpower yet... My doctor doesn't require a pre-op diet so I'm doing it on my own. At first, I was going to do 2 shakes and a small dinner, but then I wanted to go all out since a lot of people can have nothing but the shakes. Last night, I was so hungry after work on my first day of the diet that I begged my fiance to let me have dinner, and I caved again tonight. But at least today I feel so guilty that I think I'm going to try again. Besides, the hunger during the day wasn't as bad today as it was yesterday. I'm hoping I can get through this, I really want to lose a little weight before the surgery!

I start my liquid diet today...wish me luck! You're all troopers for hanging in there this long :wink2:

Your body can only process 30 grams of protein at a time...so you can take as much as you want, but you can only make use of 30 grams at a time (like at one meal, etc). So it's kind of silly to take more than that, but not everyone loses their hair, either

We'll be in surgery at the exact same time! I'll be thinking of you :biggrin: I moved to Yonkers, NY about a year ago from Dubuque, Iowa. I'm engaged to the best man I could ever ask for, we've been together 7 years now and plan to get married next April, but we'll probably elope before that . I work in Litigation Support, which is basically data management for law firms. It was just luck that I got into this industry, but I find it really interesting and I love my job. I have a total of 6 cats--3 live with me, and 3 are still at my mom's house in Iowa, but I plan to bring them here next time I go home to visit. I have my Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing and I love to write poetry. I'm also pretty good with computers, I wish I could do more in a career with them. I've been overweight ever since I was in 1st or 2nd grade, the most I've ever lost was 55 pounds 5 years ago, and I gained it all back, plus 100 pounds more. It kind of scares me to think that for the first time in my life, I might be a normal weight. Nice to meet you all!

Now that surgery is actually getting closer, I'm starting to get nervous. Not about the surgery itself, but because I'm actually going through with it--and the fear that even after all of this, it still might not work.

I just bought the chocolate and vanilla protein powders from Walmart--the brand is Fortress, I believe. I haven't tried them yet, but either way, it's what I'm stuck with. I'm officially a budget bandster, I can't really spend 40-50 bucks on a tub of protein powder. These were like $13 each for the same quantity of the more expensive ones.

I wanted to use Dr. Artuso because I've heard lots of good things about him and he's really close to both my job and home. He doesn't take my insurance, though, so I'm using Dr. Philip Weber in White Plains.

You're not alone! All my insurance required was that my BMI was above 40 if I had no co-morbidities. All the other appointments and clearances I needed were just for my surgeon. My insurance was sent for approval and approved within the same morning, so it frustrates me that I still have to wait so long until I get my band (June 12th!). Anyways, my name is Angel (Angelique) and I also live in the NYC area. I am 24 and engaged to a wonderful man and live with him and our 3 cats. I work in Litigation Support. I can't wait to be a bandster!

WOW! 100 pounds in 3.5 months...I can only hope to do that well! Congrats!

Hello all! I finally got a surgery date - June 12th! I have been bouncing around trying to get appointments with my doctors for about 2 months now and I can finally say what month I'm getting banded, so it looks like I'll be a Jazzy Junie! I'm getting banded with Dr. Philip Weber in White Plains, NY. I hope to get to know you all!

Wow, nobody with my program mentioned that and I never really thought about it. The only friends I have right now though are guys and they're actually my fiancee's friends, I just hang out with them all. One guy WILL get very pissy though, because right now he's bigger than me, not by much, and already when I brought up that I'm getting the Lap-Band, he was saying things like "Oh, I'm doing Weight Watchers with my mom" and then eat a whole large pizza...yeah...anyways, he's very competitive and has to be better than everyone around him, so I know he'll be a pain in the you-know-what when I start losing. All of my friends back in Iowa will probably be supportive, but I haven't seen them in so long that it's kind of a moot point.

Hello all! I have Oxford insurance and WOW! I just got my surgery date Friday and the surgery coordinator just called me (10:30 AM) to tell me I was approved! :wink2: No supervised diet, and all I have to pay is $250 for the entire surgery and one night in the hospital!