RestlessMonkey

I don't know what a GI Nutritionist is. Could you elaborate a little, maybe? I'd like to help you; just a little confused.

Bless you. WHile I was on my LONG preop diet I did not do the cooking for my family. Someone else stepped up to that task. No one died or suffered food poisoning, either!

My doctor doesn't do it exactly that way. He said he can tell when we approach the green zone by how hard it is to fill/unfill us. He always has us drink water AFTER the fill. Believe me; you'll know if it doesn't go down!

I was told pasta is fine as long as it's well done ... same with rice. You would be the best answer for this...IS it impacting you?

Honestly? If your doctor doesn't think you need one, trust him (or her). You are trusting them to cut into you (lap or not, that is what happens!) so trust them to know if you need a longer preop diet or not. If you've read here, you've read everyone seems to have slightly different preop instructions. Do what your doctor says.

I don't count calories. I've done that OVER and OVER in my 54 years and it got me to 405 pounds at age 53. I get obsessed with food and what can I eat and when and how much and what if I am hungry and have eaten it "all" for the day and on and on. So no counting for this broad. There's a danger in couting your activity unless you do it right.

I don't have delayed restriction but I DO have a very conservative surgeon. I was banded 8/29 and just got my 5th fill bringing me to 6.25 cc in a 14 cc band. There are two opposing ideas about this; some think aggressive fills are the way to go, some think they set you up for problems down the road. Either way, I think my surgeon (and his staff) is a great one, and I trust him, and I am FINALLY starting to lose again. Since I do NOT want to ever be so tight that I can't eat most foods, can't swallow my own saliva at times, etc, and since that has never happened to me (I can still eat bread...I don't usually because it's a pain but I can do it) I am pleased now that he's taken his time.

Caffeine CAN stimulate the appetite in some, suppress it in some, do nothing to some. My doc had it on the forbidden list, but when I asked and was told "because it stimulates the appetite", I knew it didn't do that to me. I added coffee and iced tea back in about 2-3 months post op. I went without it for the long preop diet I had, and post op until after my 1st fill. I always make sure to get in the required 64 oz (at least) water a day, though, in addition to my coffee and iced tea.

Ask your surgeon. I think you're probably safest to wait a few months to allow plenty of time to heal etc...but each doc is different in his/her guidelines for patients.

Here's the link to the travel advisory my school sent out to the students... I think the OP is probably telling the truth. If it didn't really happen to her, it likely has happened. Living here near the border it's possible our local stations cover more "Mexico" news. Don't know about that, don't know if OP is a troll or not, but I DO know what she said could happen (or worse) and things are dicey over there right now. MIG: Mexico Travel Alert

There IS a travel advisory for Mexico. Check it out if you don't think there really is...and border towns (like Juarez and TJ) are especially dangerous. I'm enrolled at nursing school in San Antonio Texas and we got an email to avoid Mexico during spring break. There are drug wars going on. Just be informed...that's the smartest thing.

I quit for about 3 months post op, but now use them again. I have really sensitive teeth (gum disease) and it hurt to drink without them. They don't seem to bother me.

Maybe as you lose weight you'll find a behavioral therapist who can help you stop them. The right therapist can do wonders for panic and anxiety attacks, as long as you're willing to do the work to get better! Good luck to you!

You know it's a byproduct of your diet and won't really get better until you start eating. It means fat cells are lysing...breaking down. The ketones (that make your breath so vile) are a byproduct. So just remind yourself you're literally "blowing off fat" and be secretly ecstatic that your breath is so bad! :wink: And my surgeon says no gum. Breath mints (sugar free) won't really mask it either, but it won't last much longer.

I can't see mine and don't mash around to feel it (and it isn't usually in the "stomach" area...mine is under my left breast, different docs place them differently) My doctor said in obese people often finding the port is a challenge but when I lose enough for it to show he'll gladly put a low profile port in for me! :wink:

Price varies. And a warning about having it done anywhere other than where you are (Mexico, Canada, 4 hours from your house, whatever).....make sure you line up handy aftercare, or plan on traveling back to your original banding surgeon multiple times during the first year. Aftercare is as important as the band itself. (And right now it's kind of dangerous to travel to mexico...there's a travel advisory) Having said that you can find the surgery for as little as 10K or thereabouts...but you need to shop. And for something this important, price can't be the only determining factor. Good luck!

At my surgeon's office it is stressed OVER AND OVER (even to me who was past all that!) not to get pregnant for at least 1 year post op. The other poster is right; it varies. Check with your surgeon. However, I'd say if you plan to get pregnant right away, wait and get the band later. The point of it is to lose weight (healthy etc of course but the goal is weight loss) and most people don't really aim for weight loss while pregnant...there are other more important things going on! I'd say either plan to wait at least a year (or more) post op, or put off the surgery.

Good! That will help with the gas, you poor thing! I know some people CAN drink carbonated beverages...I can't! It HURTS! If I imagine putting that pain on top of post op pain...owie! :wink: Hope you feel lots better soon!

I sleep WONDERFULLY since the band...and I accented that because I was just talking to my husband about it. It's truly amazing...I don't know why it's so, but it is. So at least on my part the band has only enhanced my sleep, not hurt it. I'd suggest if you have frequent heartburn going to a doc for a prescription med. It isn't worth playing around with....you can erode your esophagus and end up losing the band (or worse)

Can't you take anticoagulation drugs (coumadin, heparin, lovenox?) If you can....I'd really really really quiz the surgeon before I got the filter. It can save your life IF you have a clot and IF it catches it before it gets to your lungs....but that's a lot of IFs. It stays in your vena cava permanently... I might get it, but I'd have to have a LOT more info.

I just take my pills, including my HUGE potassium supplement. Have you tried that? I've NEVER had a problem taking a pill...even now with restriction.

Call and ask your surgeon. I was huge when banded and didn't have any nausea at all...it's very individual and depends on anesthesia used etc. (I've never been one to get nauseated and vomit...whereas my sister could conjure it up just by thinking about it. Weird) anyway... see what your surgeon says. I'd think that getting an unfill wouldn't be a requirement, depending on what type of surgery....but your surgeon will know for sure. IF she wants you to be unfilled, make sure she agrees to refill you to your current level quickly! :wink:

Gingerale is carbonated...are you sure you are supposed to be drinking it? It could very likely be making your gas worse.

Well, it isn't just the band you know. You have to eat less and exercise. If you don't want to tell about the band (I tell, but we're all different) just way "I've been eating healthy and exercising" or "eating less and exercising" or "the old fashioned way...I've been dieting and exercising"....whatever you want. If someone says "have you had surgery" say "why would you think that?" Answering a question with a question is usually a quick and easy way to gain control of the conversation.

Since often our bodies synthesize D from sunshine, living here in sunny south texas I think it's pretty uncommon. You do know that with insufficient D you also run the risk of Calcium problems because your body needs D to process calcium.... That being said, I think both weight loss and weight gain are complex issues with many many facets. Many things can cause rapid gain or slow loss; it isn't just "calories in vs energy used" like they used to think. Whether D was slowing your loss or not, it's good it's been found and you're "fixing" the problem. I take a supplement with TONS of D in it but even at that, without adequate sunshine the body can't process it properly...so it's good to be aware.