RestlessMonkey

Lauren87 !! With the different "RULES" out there for each surgeon, it's a wonder we all end up in the same place (smaller!) LOL BUT yes we all need to pick a surgeon and then follow his/her rules. Question authority!!! but don't take anecdotal "proof" on this chat board as evidence that you should contradict your surgeon's directions.

MissD...I think you're right...it's up to the doc. I confirmed I didn't have one for any of mine; I had urinated all I could prior to surgery and they wanted me to be able to go as soon afterward as possible... and yes it is a big risk for infection! :tongue_smilie:

chargerfan...you can't unring the bell, as it were.... please tell your doc what you ate and when so that he can either tell you it's ok or do some tests to see if you're allright. It's not like a DIET where you can starve and catch up; the point is while you were supposed to be healing you were eating and digesting. let your doc tell you it's ok (or no)

Snereb27 Some surgeons are pretty "hands on"...others not so much. Mine does all my fills (my port is tilted and the NP won't even try it; as she says...HE put it there! LOL) and follow up visits. I guess as his business grows this kind of personal care will be impractical but I enjoy it. I like getting my info from the source, as it were.

Wasa and Beth... So glad you call out these people! I don't have the snap you do, Wasa...but I sure appreciate you calling people out when they try to slip through the cracks. I sleep a little better knowing you're keeping an eye on things! :drool: I think I may have been one who reported her originally because I despise a thief.....and advertising here w/out paying for it is just that...thievery. Rock on, ladies!

Lauren87...my doc specifically forbade protein during the first week and there is a group here in town who say no protein for a month! So...we're all safest if we just follow our docs orders. I would've KILLED for one of those nasty protein shakes during the first week sigh but it was not to be!

Just remember all protein "shakes" aren't created equal. They vary widely in fat/protein/sugar/fiber content as well as other vitamins etc. My doc had a very specific range he wanted us to stay within...cals, protein, fat, carbs, etc. So you're safest to get direction from your doc; he may not care but odds are he does.

I am taking a diuretic too. I'm OLD too (LOL) I was 53 when i got banded. I expected SLOW WL on the preop diet my doc gave me. What happened? I "cheated" and did my own diet and lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks (great, huh?) Didn't get the band Because I cheated (liver too big still) so for 17 days I did exactly EXACTLY what my doc told me to do. In 17 days I lost 17 more pounds. I was astounded. Don't worry; if your doc feels you need to lose more on the preop diet, he can help you make it happen.

I didn't go into it thinking "diet". I went into it thinking "new life". I was desperate for the appetite control I expected I'd get (and finally did in May of this year). I'd already done the yes/no/yes/no/yes/no of it since I'd wanted the band essentially since 2002! (long wait) You CAN diet post op; or not. I was more like a kid at Christmas, anxious and over excited and READY!

I honestly don't know. I don't think so. I didn't have one. I suppose a surgeon "could" require it but they are invasive and for a short surgery (esp if you are NPO as ordered) then there isn't much need for it.

I was prepared to pay but wasn't required. As long as they aren't trying to overcharge you (like some bogus "admin fee" or some such!) then it's not uncommon for a surgeon or hospital to require your portion up front.

mpetterc...your body just may be in revolution (they do get petulant when we try to take control! LOL) or you may be allergic to something in the BMR shake. Just try over the weekend to hang in there and adapt and by Monday if they are still making you ill, call your surgeon. He should either have an alternate or be able to call you in something for your nausea. Don't give up now! It's frustrating but you'll get past this.

Yes, you are healing. Most of us are very hungry through the post op diet, at least until we get mushies. Just hang in there! For me, that was the worst part; but it's important you follow your post op diet to allow your surgical sites to heal and your band and stomach to settle in together. You can do it!

I got the implication that she may be reluctant from your post...but you know her! I don't know either of you. If she is interested, she should contact her insurance, find out their requirements, and take it from there, not rely on her PCP.

With a BMI of 33.8 her PCP is probably correct; although I am NOT familiar with the requirements Kaiser lists for WLS, most insurance companies (and many surgeons who accept self-pay) say that the BMI should be at least 35 w/co-morbidities. Perhaps in your enthusiasm for the band you've swept your friend along a little? If SHE wants it, she should research it; but you shouldn't pressure her. How we walk the "weight loss path" is something very individual; diet and exercise may still work for her at this point. Or maybe not, but let her decide.

Unfortunately the problem isn't restriction; it's that when we digest food (peristalsis) our stomach moves/churns. We don't feel it but it does happen. That movement occuring before we're healed can cause the sutures holding the band in place to slip or give way; setting one up for a slip NOW or LATER. That's why I suggest telling your doc; odds are you're ok but what if you aren't? Better to catch and fix it now than to have a slip or erosion down the road and wonder "Why me?".

No great secret (although i don't ever mind PM's) just that when I FINALLY got restriction (it has been a LONG process for me) It has made a world of difference. It is just so easy to forget about food. I just realized my stomach was growling; no wonder since I ate dinner about 7 hours ago! LOL Now I'll just go to bed. I NEVER would've done that pre-restriction. It has truly been miraculous for me.

I think you need to call your doc. My doc was quite explicit about what we were to eat, and when...stressing slipping or worse could occur if we cheated. All docs are slightly different; only your doctor can decide if you need tests to see if you've damaged yourself or not.

Hi Becky! Babe this is something my doc addressed in the seminar; he said almost all his patients (bypass and band) lose hair somewhere from 3-6 months out, that the only one who ever needed a wig owned a wig shop (LOL) and that supplements (protein, multis, biotin) and other products (rogaine, nioxin) didn't really seem to help. He said that it seems to be related to the trauma of the surgery and that it always grows back. In fact while I could tell I lost hair my hairdresser (who's been my hairdresser for 20 years now) said it never seemed noticeably thin to her. I'm past all that now; just hang in there and you'll be past it too.

ANY time you have trouble breathing you need to tell your doctor. Seriously; even if you feel it improves sometimes. Call your doc.

I know any surgery can be scary, let alone your first. The first time I had surgery I was petrified. I hated hospitals; people DIE in hospitals! But it was also fascinating (the OR looked nothing like I had imagined! LOL) and I came through great. Modern anaesthesia is a wonderful thing, and with all the info they'll have on you (from tests tests and more tests) you're probably safer there than taking a walk in your neighborhood! :thumbdown: But, it's still scary. PB happens usually when a bite/bolus of food won't go through your stoma (hole caused by the band), either because the bite you took was too large, or because it wasn't well chewed, or because you are already full. It usually happens as you get restriction, not when the band is unfilled. Your esophagus wants the food GONE, not sitting there at the top of your stomach. If it won't GO DOWN, it comes back up. That usually is accompanied by coughing, "slime" (mucus your body produces to coat the offending object, making it slick and easily transported) and some bouts of just liquid coming up. (everyone is different, this is just generally) There is no stomach bile involved and so recovery is usually quick, relief (having food stuck isn't comfortable) is quick, and so on. No horrid aftertaste, no erosion of enamel. It isn't "good" in that it causes your band to contort as you contract to expel the food, but it isn't as drastic as vomiting. Hope that helps! :laugh:

Welcome and good luck! :thumbdown:

Nausea is common after surgery. Just follow your surgeon's instructions; if you are worried about it call back and ask that they phone you in an anti-nausea prescription now rather than tomorrow.

I hope your new provider even covers WLS and lap band in particular. Any way you can get the surgery done before the change?

Cleo's Mom...I know you had a horrific experience. I THINK I was even one of the posters who encouraged you to get a 2nd opinion! What happened to you shouldn't happen to a dog! BUT All surgeons don't treat their patients like your first one did. You know this, right? They don't all treat patients like they are stupid (and honestly some ARE kind of behind the ball! No one here, but it happens). You're just so unhappy; I hope things look up for you soon!