Elisabethsew

My MD wants 2 parts protein to one part carb so that would translate to 2 ounces of protein and one ounce of carbs. It's helpful if you learn to read food labels. Make sure that the protein content is highest.

I'm glad to see that there are "others" like me here. My all time high was 440 pounds. When I saw the surgeon for the first time in mid-December, 2005, I was 351 with a BMI of 64. I went into surgery on 3/30/06 at a weight of 333.6 with a BMI of 60 (5' 2.5"). This Friday, 4/14/06, I have my 2 week post-op appointment and weigh-in. I'm looking forward to starting the soft diet on Thursday and plan to ask when I will get my first fill. For the first 5 days after surgery I could barely get in all the fluids because I felt so full. As the swelling went down, the restricted feeling ended so that now I only know I have a band because I see the incisions and feel sore @ the port area. I really was under the impression that just being banded created a feeling of fullness and am surprised that mine doesn't. Until I get a fill, I am trying to ignore cravings and stick to the diet.

Have you taken your measurements lately? One of the reasons you might not be seeing a weight loss on the scale might be a gain in muscle mass. If you notice your clothes fitting more loosely it is likely muscle gain (you mentioned your gym workouts). Since my starting weight was more than yours, I can share what the dietician told me. For 2 weeks post-op, a full fluid diet of 650 cals a day, for weeks 3-5 post-op, a soft diet of 850 cals a day. Starting week 6, a solid diet of 1000-1200 cals a day. It sounds like you need to be at the 1000-1200 cal a day range but were only taking in half that amount. The only way to truly know if your body is in starvation mode is via bloodwork (acetone level, total protein level, nitrogen balance, etc.). Since you're exercising, you most likely need the 1200 cals a day. A "rule of thumb" is it takes 10 cal to maintain a pound. So, for a 300 pound person to continue to weigh 300 pounds they would need to consume 3000 cals a day. Since a pound is 3,500 cals, you would need to eliminate 500 cals a day to lose a pound that week.

Hi Babs I wanted to congratulate you on your wonderful weight loss. My starting weight was just 0.4 pounds less than yours and it's very inspiring for me to see how well you've done. I am only 11 days post-op and feel no restriction so I'm sticking to the diet plan until I am able to have a fill. I suppose I will find out when that will occur on Friday when I have my first post-op appointment. Once again, congratulations!

Corn, popcorn and nuts are on my "avoid" list but I have heard many people here say they do fine with those foods. I'm sure your band will tell you if corn is a no-no for you. As stated my another person, corn is not the healthiest choice... high sugar content and a poor carbohydrate choice.

I hope all went well and that you're on the road to recovery. Princess Fat Slayer comes to mind for a name. LOL.

Most surgeons will reschedule your surgery if you catch a cold. In the United States, it is now routine to receive an intravenous antibiotic just prior to the surgeon making the first incision. Some people will get the antibiotic as they are being wheeled to the OR while others get it in the OR.

Hi Teresa, Is the lack of weight loss causing your despair or are other things going on in your life? You mention you have a boyfriend. Are things good between you or has something changed? You say you wait for your boyfriend to come home. Do you have a job or attend school? Perhaps you need to look deep inside yourself and give a fair evaluation of where you're at, where you want to be, and what measures can be taken to get you there. I would never talk you out of having RNY surgery if that is truly what you think you need. I don't have enough experience with the lapband to advise you but many people on this board do. When I "lost" the feeling of being full after only a week of being banded, I learned from people here that my experience is not uncommon and to wait for my first fill. I accept that and am determined to stay on the prescribed diet. Some people have had 4-5 fills before they experience "band satisfaction" so perhaps that's all you need as well. Stay strong, evaluate ALL your options, and keep posting.

For anyone who has ever had a successful weight loss (and I am one of many) you'll hear it said that something "clicks" and when that happens, the person is able to follow WHATEVER weight loss plan they opt for. The MOTIVATING factor (s) that lead to the "click" experience vary from person to person. For some it's health related, for some it's a painfully embarrassing situation... I'm sure we would have an unending list if we listed all the motivating factors. Fortunately or unfortunately, we are never really able to relive past experiences. If you could experience the pain of childbirth everyday would you ever have a second child? You mind remembers the pain but it also protects you from being able to relive and actually experience that same pain. It seems to be the same with weight loss. We are motivated to lose and the program works. We get a significant amount of weight off and people start noticing and we feel great and our self-esteem increases. For many of us, celebration is associated with favorite foods. We "treat" or "allow" ourselves to have one forbidden food. For some that's enough. For others it's a trigger that results in a downward weight loss spiral. Obesity has genetic, social, physical, and psychological components. Because we are all unique individuals, no one really can ever have the same exact experience as another person. So, we do what we can do. We make choices, we decide on a weight loss plan, we form support groups, we share and we learn. Hopefully, we don't judge. That's my 2 cents having been obese since childhood

I would caution anyone contemplating phentermine to read ALL of the side-effects. It is NOT for anyone with high blood pressure or cardiac arrhythmias. Also, this drug interacts with many others so make sure you carefully evaluate adding this medication to your regime. It's best to talk with your MD and pharmacist.

I was told that fudge pops were fine post-op as long as they were fat-free and no sugar added. The shoulder pain is from the operation. When you have lap surgery, CO2 (carbon dioxide) is pumped into the abdominal cavity to allow the surgeon better visualization and room to operate. Most surgeons try to aspirate as much of the CO2 as possible before they close but it's impossible to get it all out. Try hot showers, walking, and bending down as if you're picking something up from the floor.

Fiveholts, You're not alone in your experience. Once my swelling went down, the full feeling disappeared and I was only banded on 3/30/06. I was surprised when I read that many people did not feel full until 1-3 fills were done on them. I was under the impression that just having the band would result in a full feeling. I'll ask these questions of my surgeon on Friday when I see him for the 2 week post-op check. Elisabeth

I'll keep you in my prayers and look forward to hearing how the surgery went. Best of luck to you.

Welcome and best of luck getting the surgery approved. You're on your way to a new you!

You're going to need the psych person and the nutrition person to each write a letter or an addendum to their reports and send it to the insurance company. You're also going to need a letter from your diet program stating that nobody is 100% compliant put that you were in the top 5% of people who "work the program as designed and intended." Insurance companies are in the business of making money and will do anything they can NOT to have to pay. Call the company and ask to speak to your case manager so you deal with the SAME person throughout this difficult and trying time. Stay strong.

You look absolutely gorgeous and you're going to look wonderful in a bikini. Congratulations on your success and fabulous PS results. Enjoy! You EARNED it.

Yes, I could access my own port because I have the medical training to do it and it's part of my job as a health care professional. That said, WOULD I ever even think about accessing my own port? Not in a million years!

For my insurance to pay I needed to have a BMI of > 40 and tons of pre-surgery evaluations such as cardiac consult, cardiac stress test, cardiac echocardiogram, pulmonary consult, pulmonary function tests, sleep apnea evaluation (mine was negative), GI consult and an EGD, nutrition consult, psych consult, surgical consult, medical clearance consult, thyroid function tests, computer based patient education program, and a general WLS meeting. The insurance company also wanted a 10 year diet history with evidence of a 6 month medically supervised diet plan. My advice it to call your insurance company and see what they will and will not cover.

Hi Yoda, I was banded 10 days ago and I told only 2 people, my boyfriend and my closest friend at work. My last attempt at weight loss was through diet and exercise and resulted in a 2OO+ pound weight loss. Over the past 4 years I have regained all but 110 pounds. Rather then deal with comments, I chose to keep this surgery to myself. I did the surgery for me to afford me a healthy life. The band is a tool that will assist me to achieve a healthy life and I see no need to share that with anyone at this point. The exception to this would be somewhere down the line. If an overweight or morbidly obese person noticed my weight loss and asked for help for him/herself, I would gladly share my surgery and subsequent experiences. Having been overweight/morbidly obese my ENTIRE life, I prefer to keep my current surgery private. Of course, it goes without saying that each person needs to weigh (no pun intended) the pros and cons of going public vs remaining private and make his/her own "right" decision.

Welcome and congratulations on your upcoming surgery.

Jamie, Chinese restaurants add a lot of oil to their Soups. This could explain why you react badly to their version of the egg drop soup. Since the recipes offered here are Water based, you might have better luck trying them.

I had my surgery 10 days ago and just checked what was billed to the insurance company... 20,500 for hosp and overnight stay, 2,800 for the surgeon and the anesthesiologists bill has not been submitted yet. I was also denied surgery for lack of a medically supervised 6 month diet but had all my MDs write letters. I also faxed parts of my medical record to the insurance company. It was a fight but I finally won the appeal.

I am 10 days post-op and noticed a big difference about 2 days ago. As the swelling and soreness subside, food goes down much easier. I am counting the days (4 more) until I can advance off the full fluids to the soft diet. Hang in there, you'll feel better in a few days.

Hi Michelle I am an RN also and only know one other person who was banded. He lost nearly 100 pounds since his banding in July of last year and started out at 350 pounds. Although I can't comment on your surgeon first hand, I can tell you I had read a ton of posts and not one was never concerning him or his skill. Like you, I am very familiar with patients undergoing RNY bypass. Best of luck to you.

Welcome Yoda. I am 10 days post-op and wish I would have found this site prior to my surgery. The people here are very willing to share experiences and give helpful advice. Discuss all your concerns with your MD and also the anesthesiologist when you meet with them.