RestlessMonkey

You need to check with your doctor. Mine said no alcohol at first as we are healing and adapting... then to limit because it is empty calories. Not all of us count "sugar" and in fact many don't.

I too have given it to a few people (nursing student). I'll ask my husband (he's out running around right now) to be sure...he's been a nurse 25+ years and worked in a GI lab for a long time so will know the good AND the bad about it. I know it is just for short term...and many drugs that would have bad effects LONG term are ok for a short while. I'm totally NOT a doctor (although I will be a nurse in a month YAY :laugh: so that's why I suggested you discuss it with your surgeon (who is familiar with the lap band and complications thereof) and your primary (who is familiar with YOU and how you handle meds etc). They can help you decide. OK husband just came in He said "It's pretty benign. EVERYTHING has side effects. It doesn't help with nausea like some claim but it does speed gastric emptying. I'd take it if it were prescribed to me"... So ..you decide. I told him they wanted you to sign a release and he made the "raspberry" sound (if you know what i mean) and said again...everything has side effects. With the caveat that he is not a doc either and neither of us know you or your whole medical picture...I think you may be safe to take it. Ask your docs, think it over.

Jennifer, you need to consider the nature of a site like this. Most people need info before they get the band (research etc). THEN they want confirmation that they are "doing it right". After that learning curve? They are gone leading happy, healthy, "thinner" lives. Why would they come back? If something goes wrong, or if they just like to help "newbies", and the helpers are more scarce than not, for whatever reason. If you think of the thousands of procedures performed each year, you can see the "problems" are low. I've not had mine a year but don't regret it. There are some posters here who've had theirs longer and are happy, but again, I can't imagine having the band for 3 years and STILL posting the same stuff here...I love it, don't eat what your doc doesn't approve, yes you can cause a slip if you cheat post op, yes the gas they pump in during surgery hurts but it will abate over time and no gas x won't help that type, yes you need a fill yes you are too tight if you have sudden onset GERD or can't swallow your own saliva! Not running ANYONE down, but those are the common issues posted here. Then some poor unfortunates who have worse problems. Those questions, and newbies researching various docs, are most of the posts. See my drift? Some satisfied customers come back every so often, do a hit and run "I LOVE MY BAND" post and are gone again. Most of them...don't bother. So take everything on here as information but not gospel. It's just "a" picture, not the big picture.

Did you get your blood tested or are you due? I know my doc requires a "bariatric" set of tests about 3 months post op and much to my surprise even with a great multi, I was short thiamine and Vitamin D!! You should get checked out...it's hard to balance your electrolytes (potassium, magnesium, Calcium, sodium) on your own. Any one of those (too much or too little) could be causing trouble, or it could be something else altogether! Have your doc check you out; insurance should pay for the testing! Good luck!

Wow where are you getting the surgery that the surgeon will do it with you still smoking? That's really really rare! Good luck

Ask your doc.

Do rethink the Reglan thing...all drugs have side effects. I don't mean to endorse it or minimize the risks, but either your surgeon or your primary provider can discuss the pros and cons with you. It is commonly prescribed for that issue and can help you. (band or no) Good luck!

It depends on what your preop diet requires. For me, no way. Odds are if you have a 2-week long diet, alcohol will be forbidden. Usually the diet is used to shrink the liver and alcohol is contraindicated in that situation. You can ask your surgeon but odds are you'll either need to not drink, miss drinking this one cookout, or reschedule your surgery. Some may tell you that you can "cheat" and you'll be fine but let me tell you that isn't a given, either (in case it comes up). I read that and cheated and wasn't fine. Not worth it. Just check w/your doc and follow his lead! :thumbup:

Probably you are too tight. Best to check witgh your surgeon. Untreated, GERD can erode your esophagus and cause other issues, so it's best to follow a physician's guidance.

If you haven't been compliant with your post op diet, please call your surgeon on Monday. Depending on what you have eaten, you MAY have done some damage. When we eat food, our stomach churns to help digest food. Since, for many of us, our bands are lightly sewn into place, pending healing if you "churn" too soon you can rip it loose, or just rip loose some stitches, setting yourself up for a slip or erosion down the line. Your surgeon will be the best one to tell you if you've hurt yourself or not.

If it will make you feel better, call Monday and ask if there's a preop diet you need to be on. Please realize their lengths vary (from none to 4 weeks and beyond!) depending on surgeon and patient needs, and the actual DIET varies for the same reasons. As my granny would say, don't borrow trouble! :smile2: Call and ask, but I'm sure they will tell you if/when you need one. (Unless you are with a surgeon who has only done a few surgeries?)

I'm sorry your wife is in such a vile situation. I know in these economic times we're all greatful to be working, but I hope things improve for her. With her experience and good work ethic, maybe something "better" (read nicer, kinder, more pro-employee) will happen for her. I'm glad she stuck it out for her sake; good luck to both of you!

If your lap band is healed and you are sufficiently post op smoking will have the same deleterious effect on a "lap bander" that it does on a non-lapbander.

Sorry Merryn! You aren't an idiot! I'm just a brain fried senior who hopefully will be an RN in a month; I'm so immersed in the "lingo" right now that I forget. I do apologize...what's the use of trying to help if the post makes no sense?!! Glad you figured it out!

You can check the "doctors and hospitals" section. Honestlly because I live near the border, grew up on the border, and am (almost) an RN, if you shot me across the border I'd crawl to the US side to get help. And with the drug wars going on over there, travel is dicey! Not to say people don't have good experiences over there and bad ones over here; but I can't recommend any surgery in Mexico. I will say this though; as I posted, the aftercare (fills etc) are as important as the band itself. Truly. And many US Surgeons do not want to take on another surgeon's patient, whether that surgeon was from another country or another county. So if you DO decide to go to Mexico, have local aftercare lined up. The first year you will need multiple fills (I've had 6 and am not "there" yet) and you need access to good medical care in the case of some complication There are US Surgeons who also do the surgery fairly inexpensively but the aftercare issues apply to them as well. Good luck to you!

Most individual coverage won't cover it. If you think about it you can see why: they don't want you to buy the ins just for surgery then drop it. AND..the aftercare is as important as the surgery itself. You can call an independent agent and get his/her help (the insurance companies pay them, not you) or just wait until you graduate and get a job with coverage...or "self pay"

Sounds like you have a UTI. Call your doc or if he's closed for the weekend, go to a clinic

According the The American Board of Plastic Surgery’s website: “ Plastic surgery deals with the repair, reconstruction, or replacement of physical defects of form or function involving the skin, musculoskeletal system, craniomaxillofacial structures, hand, extremities, breast and trunk, external genitalia or cosmetic enhancement of these areas of the body… The plastic surgeon uses cosmetic surgical principles both to improve overall appearance and to optimize the outcome of reconstructive procedures. Special knowledge and skill in the design and surgery of grafts, flaps, free tissue transfer and replantation is necessary… Anatomy, physiology, pathology, and other basic sciences are fundamental to the specialty… Competency in plastic surgery implies an amalgam of basic medical and surgical knowledge, operative judgment, technical expertise, ethical behavior, and interpersonal skills to achieve problem resolution and patient satisfaction.” So no, it is not.

Call and ask your surgeon's assistant. The lenght of time varies, as does the diet. Some don't even have to do one; some have to do three (or more) weeks, etc. You won't be able to schedule surgery without the surgeon's input anyway....so call and ask!

Be careful going to Mexico MIG: Mexico Travel Alert

It's hard to quit. They always say "nicotine is gone after a day or two"...well yes, and then your body that was conditioned to operate with nicotine SCREAMS for it. Some suffer for a while before the body gives up. But if you've gone a month (or more) without it then the worst is over for you, whether you are a lucky one who doesn't miss it much, or an unlucky one who almost would kill for a cigarette. It is healthy for you...put the money from cigarettes into a "you" fund to pay for clothes, a makeover, whatever! Not all people smoke or eat (or do shots LOL) to "numb" themselves but whatever your reason, if you can quit for good you'll be doing a great thing for yourself and your family...think of what a great role model you'll be for your kids? Hang in there!

If you ate ahead of your post op plan you should call your doc. You may have messed the band placement up a little. Call to be safe, especially before the weekend. What "Solids" can you add? Most say soft foods first... I'd still call the doc to be sure!

I don't really understand why you are ashamed and emmbarassed. Why did you get the band in the first place; were you overweight? Did you struggle with overeating? And when you got the band did he do it for free if only you'd lose, or did YOU pay for it? (Or your insurance?) Maybe he should be ashamed that you haven't lost; he's the doctor. Hopefully you see my point. You have a debilitating medical condition and need help. You don't apologize if you get bronchitis or the flu; you don't need to apologize for this. Just go get the help you need.

You're safest to check with your surgeon. If you disregarded any lifting restrictions it's possible it is a hernia. Your doc will know for sure. It's NOT your band ... that is placed around the top of your stomach and is behind your liver. Hope it all works out ok for you!

Laws vary by state. What does your WIFE's boss say? Did she discuss with him/her before hand? Does she have the leave coming? Is her job in jeopardy or is she "solid"? In Texas it isn't illegal to veto time off for company "need", but employers should use that veto lightly. Besides the payroll, what reasons did they give? Politics are a sad fact of life in many corporate environments. Depending on your wife's situation (has she often had the person cover her? never? once in a blue moon? is she senior or junior to the person, or a peer?) I'd either suck it up and change OR...offer to give Employee X more training if she feels unsure, offer to do as much Pre-payroll work as i can, and stick by my guns. And unfortunately, while OH Juli has a point, lap band surgery (whether for our health or not!) is ELECTIVE. If your wife had a burst appendix they couldn't ask her to "keep working" (well, they shouldn't!) but for an elective, non-emergent surgery, they are most likely within their rights.