RestlessMonkey

Seriously once you've healed (no more swelling) even with good restriction you should be able to drink the prep, and do that much more easily than taking a ton of pills. It isn't FUN, but you've most likely been through a lot worse. If you had to drink something before your surgery (for example I had to drink magnesium citrate) the colonoscopy prep is similar...just more of it. I didn't LOVE it but it was do-able.

I honestly think the contrary is true; most insurance policies do not cover any type of "cosmetic" surgery, if it is an elective. Unless you have some other medical issues that require the brest reduction (or tummy tuck or whatever) insurance will not pay for it.

If you aren't going to tell the truth (especially to someone with whom you are going to be that intimate) then just don't say anything. If asked, just say its not important now.

My post fill diet is similar...liquids 1-2 days, then mushie, then food. The x-ray technician (what I think you called the radiographer) would have NO IDEA how I should eat etc. Call your surgeon or nutritionist to confirm. Ten days seems fairly severe for a fill. I will say, though, that Aug 1 to November also seems very long to wait for a first fill (in my very limited experience) so maybe your doctor is just VERY conservative.

My surgeon chose. He uses the lap band because it's what he's familiar with. I have absolutely no complaints! I have the newest AP style.

My breasts are larger and I didn't have those issues...I'd check with my surgeon to be sure. They shouldn't have handled you so roughly. Sorry I can't help you with the pain; I was lucky and liquid tylenol the first 2 days took care of it. If you're still taking your prescription pain killer, make sure you don't get constipated! Good luck; it gets better.

I agree; ask your banding surgeon.

The bands are pretty comparable. Here's a link to a comparison chart: Compare Adjustable Gastric Bands - LAP-BAND vs. REALIZE Band And here's a link to a ticker tutorial http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f5/ticker-tutorial-pictures-41782/

My 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fills were all 1.5 cc each, and no restriction at all with any of them. I finally felt a little with my 4th fill of 1 cc! I go back march 5 and think I'll maybe finally "feel the love". I sure hope so!

POST-Operation Lap-band Surgery Questions & Answers (NEW) - Lap Band Surgery and Lap Band Discussion Forum At the top of that forum is a thread entitled "Surgery Day Stories" and there are PAGES of people's experiences! Mine was easy and quick. Good luck!

Thank goodness my husband did the shopping for my preop diet...and bless the man, never ate in front of me. And still it was nightmarish hard! You deserve a reward!

My doc usually keeps patients overnight but let me go...even for my 2nd surgery in under 3 weeks! I had delays with my barium xray too but all told it was pretty quick....6-7 hours or so.

Wow that's awful. I'm tricare and my seminar was 7/10, surgery 8/11. same year. I don't know why it's taking you so long! My surgeon operates out of a bariatric center and the nutrition and psych consults were taken care of in one morning. Preop stuff all done at once, too. And I didn't need a sleep apnea test....Maybe where you live and/or the surgeon you picked is just busier? Anyway, good luck!

Tex Mexie I LOVE Dr. Cavazos! Does your friend like him? Good luck, by the way!

Honestly, I don't think you have to do liquids for 5 days, unless it will make you feel better. My doc (not nutritionist, but the doc) gave me a very specific diet to follow and I didn't. I did atkins instead of what he told me to do. Different people have different blood values and so on...and require different preop diets. I think the odds are if it was important for you, they'd have made sure you were told. My surgeon said in all his 1000 ++ patients I was the first that couldn't be banded laparoscopically because of my liver. (and understand he could've "opened me up" but decided not to, thank God) So it is RARE, and it DID happen to me, but I think if you are worried to call them tomorrow and just ask. If you are one of the "iffy" ones, they'll just delay your surgery a little so you can diet. If they say don't worry about it, DONT. OK? :hurray: Good luck!

Make sure you're getting enough water!

Walking must help because I didn't use Gas X and had minimal gas pain. (You know good surgeons remove a good bit of it for you...maybe my surgeon's just an angel in disguise!) If it's trapped gas from surgery gas x won't touch it (that only works on gas in the stomach).

Since her doctor won't do it, I guess there's her answer. And I wasn't discussing plastic surgeons. Most of their procedures are elective (as is banding) and they have a whole different MO. Please understand I am not attacking her nor do I think she's wrong in her desire to lose weight, nor do I think she shouldn't get surgery because she isn't as fat as I am or was (lots of people aren't as fat as I am or was) But she is obviously having a hard time finding a surgeon to band her. I offered a reason. If she wants it that badly, I'm sure she can find a surgeon to perform the surgery at her lower BMI. I wished her well. That's it. I'll reiterate, however, that just because you can find a surgeon who WILL do it doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.

once a week. It goes down each time, now that I have restriction. Weighing daily is just frustrating...as long as that one morning each week is lower than the week before, i find I'm happy.

Get an unfill. The point of the band isnt' to force you to keep on a liquid diet. ... you'll lose your health and do yourself a disservice!

I think they can get a sense of your liver size from all the preop tests...for example my surgeon has different preop diets (and he has some diet longer than others) so you can't just go on starting weight (although mine was very high). If he hadn't been worried about your liver, he probably wouldn't have given you a specific diet but, like spud.mama, just told you to lose. I just honestly don't wish what I went through on anyone. I read on here about so many people who "cheated" and were banded I figured that would be me, too, and it wasn't. Trust me, nothing I ate in that preop phase was worth that feeling in recovery. Nothing. So call your doc (that's our concensus I think! ) and do whatever s/he says! Good luck; I'll cross my fingers that you are in great shape! You probably are; what happened to me is rare. But if you're that "lucky" one in a thousand, it really sucks.

There are SO MANY MORE potential bad side effects with bypass. I don't mean to be negative or harsh, but it is just a fact. People down the road have many more GI problems. Realize the stomach is closed off and left inside to sit there and make acid. And because it's closed off (sewn shut) drugs can't get in there, cameras can't get in there...that's just one small area of problem. The lap band does require work, but it is a great weight loss tool. It is EASIER to lose with the band than on your own, but you are still doing the work. Bypass does seem more passive, but it has it's toll, too. In the end, it is a personal decision. Just remember neither is a 100% sure thing. Bypass patients can gain it back if they don't change what and how they eat, just as surely as band patients or dieters. Bypass patients can stretch their stomachs (the small part left to process food) and then they are stuck with it or face more surgery; we have other options. If you want an "easy" 100 % guarantee, get the duodenal switch operation. Of course, you'll have diarrhea 5-7 times a day but you'll lose, no matter what you do or how you eat! It is a hard choice; you're right to explore all the options. Just make sure you look at the downside to each surgery (they all have them) not just how fast you lose.

No. This is elective; choose one with all the experience you can get. More is better.

I posted to you on your preop thread. I hope it works out for you.

I'm afraid you may be harming yourself. I did a low carb-ish diet preop...not the one my doc prescribed. I was an atkins pro and so did my own thing for 3 weeks, lost 15 pounds and (drumroll please) did NOT get the band. Came to in recovery to be told by the nice recovery nurse "You don't have the band, dear; your liver was still too large". That was vile. I did my doc's diet, lost 17 more pounds (in 2 1/2 weeks) and GOT the band. Low fat is vital...because the point is to make your body pull fat from your liver. If you eat too much fat, that doesn't happen. Low cal doesn't do it, low carb doesn't...it's the unique combo of low carb (no quick easy energy for the body) and low fat (no handy fat to store) that does the trick. I'd get on his program ASAP and let him know how long you did eat too much fat and make the call. It may delay your surgery a little...(or not) but trust me; that's better than going through it and NOT getting banded, then having to go through it all AGAIN in just a few weeks.