ParrotheadCathy

I had surgery on 2/10. I lost 23 pounds pre-op. I have had 2 fills and have lost 28 more pounds since surgery. I haven't lost anything in over a week. My next fill is this coming Tuesday and I think I need it to get going again. I presently have 4.1cc in a 10cc band. I have a Slim Fast Low Carb for breakfast (because I like the taste and it's easy when I'm getting ready for work). For lunch I usually have a salad, a can of soup and some low fat cheese and a couple of crackers. Late afternoon I have some fruit because otherwise I have to wait way too long between lunch and dinner. Then at dinner, I cook a lean meat (steak, pork tenderloin, chicken, fish), a steamed vegetable and sometimes a small portion of carbs. Tonight I went out to dinner at a seafood restaurant and had steamed shrimp and a small salad and a baked potato. Hope that helps.

I was told no carbonation because to consume it regularly can stretch your pouch out. Now, I dearly love Belikin beer (national beer of Belize) and when I was in Belize last month, I ordered a Belikin and over the period of about an hour drank about half of it. I didn't want any more after than AND I was belching like crazy. Not worth it.

I played with a BMI calculator to set my "mini goals"....i.e., the weight that would give me a BMI in the next range down. I started as morbidly obese, figured out the weight for "severely obese" and "obese: (which is where i am at the moment), and then the pounds to equal where my BMI became "overweight" and then, finally, "healthy". And I set my ultimate goal at a weight a few pounds below where I would cross over in the the "healthy" category.

You're right! Protein takes longer to digest so it will stave off hunger longer. Post surgery, I've been drinking Slim Fast LOW CARB. It has 20 grams of protein per can and only 2 grams of carbs. Don't mistake it for the "high protein" version, which has only 15 grams of protein. I really like the chocolate. The vanilla is just okay to me, but I never liked vanilla ice cream either. Other than that, I think you're doing fantastic!

Heartburn doesn't necessarily equal gastro-esophageal reflux disease. HOWEVER, heartburn that last for more than a couple of days is potentially a problem regardless of whether you've had lap band surgery or not. Call your surgeon's office and tell them about the heartburn. You don't say how much saline is in your band, so I would pretend to guess whether or not you're overfilled. Some doctors are very aggressive with the first fill or two to get you closer to your sweet spot. Others are very conservative. I can tell you that if you are too tight, sometimes as little as a .2cc unfill can make all the difference in the world.

There is a lot of variety in what the pre-op diet should be ... just as Monkey says, it could be none to 4 weeks. Average is 2 weeks immediately before surgery. What pre-op diets consist of varies dramatically as well. I can tell you what I did (2 whey protein shakes a day and 2 meals consisting of 3 oz of lean protein and a steamed veggie) but Monkey can tell you what hers was and I guarantee they are different from each other! Call your surgeon's office. Ask them what the pre-op diet is and when you should start. If you feel you need an excuse to call and ask questions, tell them you're just trying to have everything on hand that you'll need. And ask when you are supposed to start. I am a big believer in asking LOTS of questions. I always do best if I know the whys and wherefores, LOL, so I'm always asking "why this", "when" and such.

No, absolutely not! Lap band surgery (or gastric bypass or any of the other procedures out there for weight loss) are strictly for the improvement of the health of the individual. The fact that your appearance is improved as a result is a beneficial "side effect". Kind of like when they reduced the speed limit on the freeway to 55 to save gave ... and they discovered that fewer people were dying in car crashes on the freeway because of the reduced speed. So you have lap band surgery to get rid of the weight before it kills you ... maybe to resolve Type II Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, pain in your knees and ankles. And you start to feel better so quickly! And, as a wonderful side effect you start looking better, wearing smaller and theremore morelikely more stylish clothes. Your friends are part of a very large percent of people who are totally ignorant about weight loss surgery.

Gas is the sneakiest stuff! You're only 5 days out from surgery and if you haven't already experienced some gas, now's definitely the time for you to start. It moves around, it gets trapped, it flutters, it hurts ... and it will make you crazy. As the nurse if you can have some gas medicine (they can call the doctor and get approval for it and I see no reason why they would now allow it). Be sure to tell them that you had laprascopic surgery on 4/21 and that gas is an extremely common (pretty much universal) problem and that you are starting to feel it.

I haven't experienced that myself, BUT I have read several other posts on here where people have. It wasn't anything to worry about as I recall.

Only PB'd once. I stopped eating completely until the sliming stopped and waited a little longer and then got something to eat. Normal food, and had no other problem.

My first fill was 4cc and there was .6cc in the band left from the doctor testing it when he placed it. I was fine in the office but within a half hour, I couldn't swallow water or my own spit. Had to go right back and have 1cc removed. It felt like there was this huge chunk of ice in my chest that melted even while the NP was removing that little bit of saline! I've since had .5cc put back in and go for another fill on Tuesday morning. And I'm hoping for somewhere around 1cc, which would take me to 5.1 hopefully without it being too much. 5ccs was a big enough fill that I can imagine it was a bit of a shock to your system. If the excess saliva continues or if you have any other problems, call the doctor!

I agree. I do dislike that whole "diet police" thing that some people get into. I guess if it had been me, I might have bought a low carb sugar free ice cream but then again, maybe not, LOL. I do think I would have told your sister than the choice was yours and that you thought it was rude of her to try to be the diet police, but I don't know your sister and it might have started an argument. My sister, thankfully, has been nothing but supportive. And for what it's worth, I cheat once a month. We have a birthday cake in my office once a month, and I'm the one the orders it. I get them from a bakery that makes fabulous cakes and every month, I cut a thin slice and I enjoy those few bites like what they are -- a very special treat. It hasn't made a difference in my weight loss. I'm down 51 pounds since surgery on February 10. In the end, if you deny yourself the occasional bit of something like that, you'll end up "falling off the wagon" big time eventually and eating a bunch of something you shouldn't have.

Unfortunately, the pre-op diet differs dramatically from surgeon to surgeon. My doctor's pre-op diet is two WHEY PROTEIN shakes per day and two meals consisting of 3 oz of lean protein and a steamed veggie each. I've read on here of doctors with OptiFast liquid for the two weeks; others who do another protein shake 3 times a day and 1 lean meal. Wish I could be of more help, but only your doctor's office can tell you what your doctor wants. I will tell you that the purpose of the pre-op diet is to get fat out of your liver so that it takes up a little less space so the surgeon has a little more room to work in and to lessen the risk of him scratching or nicking your liver and making it bleed. Weight loss is not really a concern for the doctor's office. I was so concerned that nobody had said they wanted to see me lose at least x number of pounds and when I asked, it was explained to me that however much you lose pre-op is great but that really isn't a goal. You could do the pre-op diet I did starting now but it might not be what your doctor wants, so I would say call and ask specifically.

After 2 fillls, I'm only at 4.1 .... so you've got more restriction than I do. But I know that each fill will put me close. Nobody makes it to their sweet spot after 1 fill, or 2, so far as I know. At 4.9, you should be feeling some restriction though you probably have a fill or two to get to your sweet spot. There's a certain amount of patience involved and I don't like that either. BUT, on my first fill there was .6cc in the band. They NP added 4ccs .... and within 30 minutes I couldn't swallow water or even spit. I had to go back and get 1 cc taken out. And that was SUCH a relief. As much as I'd love my upcoming fill this Tuesday to take me straight to my sweet spot, I don't want to have that other problem. It's a fine line, and you'll get there soon enough.

Call them back and tell them that this cannot wait another 24 hours. If they can't do it, demand they help you find someone else. In 24 hours, you will be seriously dehydrated, your electrolytes will be out of whack from behing dehydrated AND you will be miserable from all that. They are abandoning the standard of care which is owed to you. Be your own advocate here. Don't ask. Demand (politely). If you don't feel you can do that, call your PCP and ask him/her to make the call for you. You need immediate assistance and the surgeon's office should always be able to contact your doctor or his back up for emergencies.

Anxiety is pretty common before surgery of any kind, and I'm betting you've never had any surgery with general anesthesia and that is making the normal anxiety much worse. Just relax. Try very hard to pay attention to something else. Basically, you'll go to the surgery center. They will change you into a hospital gown, put a funky papery hairnet over your hair and give you some sock-like slippers for your feet. Either at this time or after you get to the operating room, they will be EKG leads on your chest for heart monitoring purposes. They will set up an IV. I walked to the operating room, but they might roll you there. I thought walking was reassuring. I laid down on the operating table, got comfortable, they gave me a warm blanket, and the anesthesiologist said "I'm going to give you something to calm you down"...and I was immediately out like a light. Woke up in recovery about an hour later. So, it's really not heinous. Everybody was just as nice as they could be and went out of their way to make me feel comfortable. If the panic attacks you are experiencing are really bad, call the doctor. He could prescribe something but I don't know if it's an acceptable pre-surgery drug. But just take a deep breath, breathe out and keep moving forward.

If you stopped, why would you want to start again? And, remember, smokers don't heal as well as nonsmokers so why risk your recovery?

My first was 4 weeks out and the second was 3 weeks after that.

The only protein shake I really like is Slim Fast LOW CARB in chocolate. This has 20 grams of protein per can and only 2 grams of carbs. And, it's ready-to-drink so it's not gritty or gross that way. I had to brave the whey protein shake powder before surgery but after, this is just fine! Just don't buy the "High Protein" version -- it has only 15 grams of protein. I didn't have any restrictions on how much mushy food I ate at a meal. Soft scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, that sort of thing. But remember, you aren't SUPPOSED to have any restriction yet. You haven't even had your first fill, and it takes several to reach your sweet spot. You're in bandster hell and it sucks. We've all been there. Other things are sugar free yogurt, cottage cheese (very high in protein), cream soups like tomato, some of that stuff is less than mushy food and should help to fill in the times between your meals.

Ask for a SMALL unfill. Maybe .5 cc. See if that makes a difference. It takes a lot to make a band slip, REALLY. But I did get filled too tight on my first fill and never even made it back to work. Turned around and went straight back to the doctor and had 1 cc removed and I actually could feel the pressure easing up, almost melting away.

Public broadcasting? LOL:lol: But actually, it does sort of apply. I've heard more than one person describe a PB happening in a restaurant. I've only PB'd once (in my car) but the food came out of my mouth like it was from a rocket launcher. SO, I guess if you have a PB out somewhere and it happens like mine did....it would be a public broadcast! I had waited 7 hours since eating last, ate way too fast and didn't chew well enough, and I paid for it. Here's hoping you never experience it first hand!

The past is over. Yeah, you should have gone to the doctor, gotten more fills but you didn't. It's a "whatever" thing. You ARE going to the doctor now. You really don't have to say anything but if you feel compelled, just admit that you know you haven't done your part so far but today is the day you start to take control and that coming in for a visit/fill is the first step. And go ahead and make the next appointment for a fill. You might find yourself at your sweet spot (probably not) but still plan on going in in 3-4 weeks, keep the appointment...and you know you will have to get on their scale and that adds a little accountability to your efforts. Good Luck with Day 1

You're in bandster hell....waiting on that first fill to give you a little restriction and more than a little inspiration to keep working hard. I won't lie, that first fill isn't going to take you to your sweet spot, but it's a start in the right direction. And, while you may not be approved for strenuous exercise, you can WALK to your heart's content. Get out there for at least 30 minutes a day and see if that helps. Good Luck

I've had 2 EGDs related to a bleeding ulcer a couple of years ago. They gave me a mile sedative, sprayed my throat, put a plastic "guide" between my teeth and slid the tube down to my stomach. I was pretty out of it so I don't remember too much about it, but the spray eliminated any gag reflex.

Sugar free pudding -- buy the ready-to-eat cups OR make it with skim milk and you have something really yummy. There is a cheesecake variety that I love. slice fresh strawberries and sweeten with Equal or Splend and put some on top of your serving of pudding. Excellent treat. Also, sugar free popsicles and sugar free fudgesicles are wonderful summertime treats.