RestlessMonkey

I may be the "gal" Desert Rose heard about. Doc put me on a VERY similar pre-surgery diet for 3 weeks. Since I am a "professionial" dieter, I did what I thought instead of what he told me. I DID lose 15 pounds. However, my liver was too fatty and although he tried, he couldn't get it out of the way to place the band. I came to in recovery only to be told I wasn't banded. NOW I'm on the diet like he said, have lost another 12, and will get banded Aug 29.

Apparentlly a low-carb, low to no fat diet causes your body to go first to your liver to pull glycogen and it gets that from the stored fat, so it can shrink a fatty liver. Who knew! Well, my surgeon. LOL

SO Let me be a horrible warning. DO what your surgeon says. You may squeak by, but if you don't, it's a pretty miserable feeling.

Of course I haven't had a fill yet; LOL Just trying to think what it would like to be banded, ready for fill (our doc does 1st at 6 weeks) and then going on vacation 2 weeks after! :cursing:

Kathryn, how have you been doing post op? If you are doing well, I agree get the fill. You have time to see how you're going to react!

Enjoy your vacation!

Per insurance tables, aren't you 100 pounds overweight? Old rule of thumb was 100 pounds for 5' and then 5 pounds for each inch over ...

so you "should" weigh 115.

Did Tricare SAY you needed more comorbidities or are you just worried?

I'd call them and ask...not that you can always get the info you need.

It matters too if you are tricare prime or tricare standard.

Mimilou, hasn't your surgeon given you info? They are all different...

After I ignored my surgeon's preop orders and had a fatty liver and couldn't get banded on 8/11 like I thought, I realize it is WAY important to do what your surgeon says..

Carrie I'm a nursing student and besides the school. I have clinicals where I am in the hospital giving care. I'm getting banded 8/29 and returning to school 9/2. (my 1st surgery couldn't be completed...don't know if I posted that...liver too fat)

Of course you may take as much time off as you want! After sitting home after my 1st attempt, I think I'm going to find the liquid diet much easier if I'm busy away from the house.

Sorry you're having such a tough time. Does your surgical center offer any counseling? Many have psychologists trained to help us because of our specific issues. Otherwise I agree...turn off the commercials, don't watch them. The odds are that in the future you actually CAN have McDonalds if you want some; you'll just be satisfied with less. For now, you need to let your insides heal. Hang in there!

Momto5--I'm jealous of you small liver!

Mine was too fatty!

Thanks for all the tips; I appreciate the honesty. I do understand it's a life change yada yada but I don't need shots any more than i need beer LOL...I LIKE beer and usually just did shots to get drunk, whereas a beer is a social thing for me! And I actually hate wine. SIGH. But Strangeratx...(are in in Texas?) I will, maybe one day many months post op, in private, try to slowly sip a beer.

My aim (any more) isn't to get drunk. I know as I lose (and when I'm not eating) I'll get drunk more quickly; that's not worrying me. I just wanted a beer next summer! :smile2:

My wild party days are in the past, but I do like an occasional (very occasional) beer . Can we let it go flat? Why is some carbonation so bad? Does anyone know?

Wow you sound like a "take charge" woman. I'm impressed!

I know the weight will come off....but I know how frustrated you are.

:smile2:

Call your doc and ask. It varies from doctor to doctor. For example, the 1st week post op we don't even GET Protein Shakes.< /p>

Why are you nervous about that specifically? I'm not banded but I had the surgery 8/11 and my liver was still too fatty, so I'm doing liquids (and 3 oz of Protein ... chicken, turkey or fish) until 8/29, then will have 2 weeks of liquids. Maybe I can help explain or allay your fears?

For starters, it depends on what you do, and do you usually recover quickly from surgery/anesthesia, or not?

I was back up and around in 3 days and never needed post op pain meds except some tylenol; just read about a poster who was nauseated, stayed in bed and got blood clots.

Your best bet is to ask your surgeon or his staff what is average for his practice!

Did your surgeon tell you which one to buy? Mine was very exacting about exactly which brand and which one within the brands...and it is VERY low carb. The low carb part, I think, is what helps your body pull glycogen from your liver and helps to shrink it preop.

Best bet is to get exactly what your surgeon has told you to buy.

I feel your pain big time. I've been meaner than a hornet. LOL

BUT...it's worth it, like you said.

I think that's very smart! You may need more fill, or maybe just adjust your diet. We were also told to not eat for more than 30 minutes....that while we need to chew chew chew and eat slow slow, we can graze our way through too much food.< /p>

AND no liquids during the meal (you know all that I'm sure!)

Jennifer, I was told the lap band would aid SLOW weight loss of 1-2 pounds a week, and 3.5 in 2 weeks is right in that groove. PLUS...just because you CAN eat cheese with abandon doesn't mean you should! They warned us we could "eat around the band" by doing liquids, shakes, soft foods, etc.

Did you have a consult with a nutritionist? If you do have restriction with many foods, I'd think that you need to look at what you're eating. I was told that some day I wouldn't have to be as picky but initially to eat lean Proteins, then some veggies and to take great care with my nutrition.

Are you doing that and still hungry?

Good grief your stomach just had something wrapped around it, then the doc took part of your stomach, brought it up around the band, and sewed it into place! It needs to heal!

I know you are suffering. I've been doing a "mostly" preop liquid diet (I get 3 oz of chicken a day and let me tell you, it is not a bacon cheeseburger) for 4 weeks, have a week to go, and then my doc requires 2 weeks of liquid post op! BUT it is worth it. Hang in there and give your body a time to heal and get ready for your new lifestyle!

Each doc is different. Mine doesn't add Protein Shakes until week 2. Rather than listening to all this conflicting advice (it's interesting, just not professional LOL) call your doc and ask what to do.

Hi! I"m in NW San Antonio, A Tricare Standard Patient, and am fortunate to have found Dr. Sonny Cavazos at Texas Bariatric at Northeast Baptist Hospital. They really worked with me to rush me though because of school obligations, but I don't feel my care was compromised. And Northeast Baptist has a coordinator that took care of getting the insurance approve. All I did was give her my ID card info!

I'm on a preop diet now to shrink my liver (he tried to band me on 8/11 but my liver was too fatty, shame on me for not doing what he told me the first time) so he's going to place it on 8/29/2008.

Any more San Antonio area bandsters around?

OH and it has lots of anecdotal stories from various people who have gotten the band, spread all throughout the book. I don't read nonfiction much but this is informative.

After having a "bandster" on this site recommend one, I went to Amazon and searched for "Weight loss gastric band" in books and a bunch popped up. Right now I"m reading 'Weight Loss Surgery with the Adjustable Gastric Band" by Robert W Sewell and Linda Rohrbough. It's an easy read and VERY informative. I am truly enjoying it and wish I'd read it before I ever went to my surgeon. It covers lots of territory. You might want to try that and find some to your taste...even if you don't want to buy from amazon you can get some reviews etc and buy some used....

I'm so glad to find this post! Tomorrow I'm on the prowl for baby oil!

Debski's probably right, but call your surgeon anyway, to be sure, ok?