pennreporter

my doctor sent me home with a binder, a wide elastic band that I wrapped around my middle section which helped a lot the first few nights of sleeping, kind of kept abdomen skin from moving if I wanted to sleep on side. I'm sure you might be able to get one at a pharmacy or medical supply company. Also helped for the 85 mile trip home. good luck all trisha

Thanks. Had my surgery with Geisinger and they have plenty of meetings around but almost no banders as they don't do a lot of bands period. Although I guess my biggest support group is my daughter who was banded last year. So she's my go-to person so far. Thanks Trisha

just realized hale and hearty is in NYC only but there are other chains of soup restaurants. Trisha

I didn't have any weight gain but I know I've stayed away from the broths/canned soup as much as possible. Calorie wise you think you're doing good and then, bam, you've taken in a million grams of sodium. If you're close to any soup restraurants, that would be great...a hale n hearty is wonderful...still have sodium but not as much as canned, just what they put in to cook with, not the preservative. I don't have one where I live, but next time in NYC, I will buy a bunch up and freeze. good luck!! Trisha

is the support group at Lehigh Valley for banders or all gastric surgery patients, if anyone knows? Thanks Trisha

I was banded June 1 and go for first fill July 6. A little nervous about first one, only because my surgeons don't do a lot of bands, mostly bypass, and they've just switched to Realize in November. The PA who usually does the fills says that the surgeons have been doing the fills on the Realize. Knowing how conservative they are, I'm sure it won't be much of a fill, 1cc if I'm lucky. But as long as I'm losing, I don't have a problem with a slower progression. If I become too frustrated at how slowly they do the fills, I will go to my daughter's doctor :confused: Once I get past the first one, I'm sure it will all be good. Trisha (pennreporter)

spud-mama, I'm sure you're already at the hospital by now. Good luck and let us know in a few days how you're doing!! trisha

Spud-mama, there is a god...I didn't have to do the bowel thing :ihih:. I had to do an endoscopy yesterday to make sure everything was moving like it should after the surgery. The barium they make you drink, well after almost three weeks (pre and post op) of protein drinks, it really didn't taste much different. Good luck all trisha

JazzyMom, think of the positive of this, at least you don't have two weeks of it!! :ihih: do you get anything besides your Protein drinks? I could at least of soup/jello/pudding/sf pops, but it was two weeks. I had a few slips, but not many...that was mainly a little more Soup and a few days I had a small plain salad with FF dressing and then the night before I had a small handful of chips. So hang in there!! The only other positive I can say it that so much of our bad eating habits are psychological...it's not because we really need as much food as we were eating. After surgery, you won't have much of an appetite or hunger (or at least most people don't). So by doing the pre-op diet it kind of sets you up psychologically for not eating food. (coming from someone who just got elevated to eggs and couldn't wait to have an eggbeater omelette ...lol) Again, hang in there. For me the 3rd and 4th day were my toughest, but it's different for everyone. Trisha (pennreporter)

ah shucks Julie, thanks...lol. Look forward to seeing you in a couple of days online letting us know how you're doing. it took me about 3 days before I wanted to open up laptop. Slept a lot. Assuming no bumps in the road, you will be surprised how quickly recovery is. I wish all surgeons did what mine did with the expansion gas. He sucks as much of it as possible back out with a little suction tube. Had none of that to deal with. For a guy who has not done many of the bands, I was impressed. GOOD LUCK!!!! Trisha

Good luck Julie and all the rest being banded e tomorrow!! Assuming you don't have much gas pain and barring any complications, it really is a pretty easy surgery. I'm thrilled. Got to actually make an omelette today out of eggbeaters. A half a cup of that scrambled with just a smidgeon of sour cream and I was done. You will all do great. I'm older than most of you on this section of the forum. But today was the first day in two years that I walked with no pain in my knee. Total loss through journey so far is 30 lbs. I'm a low BMI bander so for me this is great. But losing just the ten pounds since surgery has almost gotten rid of knee pain. We'll all be saving you guys tomorrow a place on the loser's bench. Just take it easy on yourselves, take your pain meds (mostly for the gas) and get lots of rest. Trisha

I will definitely be contacting you a little further down the road on arm surgery. I'm a low BMI bander. So hopefully will be during the winter months. I'm a court reporter in the Poconos and work gets pretty slow during that time. Daughter is doing wonderful. She actually went out for a walk today (drains and all) for a couple of blocks, which Dr. Lomonaco recommended). Last two drains will come out tomorrow and she showered today and started cutting down pain meds. She I'm thrilled for her. Thanks so much. You've been great on your input. I will be doing as much arm exercising between now and then...can't help to at least have the underlying muscles in better shape. Trisha (pennreporter)

Banded on June 1, last week. So far everything is wonderful. My surgeon hasn't done many bands, but lots of bypasses. So I was a little nervous about that. But he did something that a lot of drs don't do. He sucks most of the expansion gas back out. So I had no gas pains at all. Had an endoscopy today to make sure everything was flowing through with no problems. I good for about a half of cup of whatever it is I'm eating/drinking. So a loss of 10 pounds in a little over a week. Only think sore is still the incision for the port. All the others, if I didn't know they were there, I wouldn't. Will get first fill on July 7, can start exercising again now (exercise bike) and now can have cottage cheese and eggs. So all is good so far. I know things are probably still swollen inside, but if this is even an 50 percent inkling of the future, absolutely no regrets. Trisha

Whoo-Hoo!! 8 days post-op and doctor and nutritionist moved me up to next food stage. So I now can cottage cheese, ricotta, eggs as protein alternatives to protein shakes. Ten lb weight loss so far, which I know is not as much as some folks on here with post-op diet, but I'll take it. I also can get back on the stationary bike and start exercising again, which is sooner than I thought. He was basically of the mind, if it hurts don't do it. So tonite is an eggbeaters omelette with a little sour cream...gonna feel like a banquet. In two weeks I will actually start getting fish and moist chicken...I'm so on a roll :thumbup: The hospital, bariatric clinic I go to is very very conservative but, hey, they're footing the bill. So I'll play. First fill will be first week of July!! Good luck to all and if you have doubts or fears, it's so worth it, even if you have a few bumps in the road at first. That will pass. Good luck to all upcoming banders Trisha pennreporter

Dr. Schulman, my daughter went ahead with her surgery with LoMonaco and so far everything seems to be going per plan. Surgery was Thursday. She was able to remove breast drains today, possibly one of the lower drains tomorrow and able to shower tomorrow. But my question is actually for myself. I've seen where there's a procedure for the arms where instead of the long incision, they do the incision under the armpit. Assuming you do both kinds, what determines who can have the one just under the armpit? Also, back to my daughter, LoMonaco doesn't want her sitting up at a straight angle right away. How long does that usually continue? She was able to see her stitches finally and feeling a little Frankenzilla-like right about now. Thanks for your input earlier. I had my banding on June 1 and the only thing possibly for me will be my arms...we'll see. Going to try to do as much exercise as I can but not sure if that will get all of it. Trisha (pennreporter)

Melliecat, I was banded Monday, June 1. Still no appetite or hunger. Just at times, I know I need to get something in my system. I get the gurgling noises all the time. Learned big lesson today. I had a cup of Soup and drank it just a little too quickly. I felt like I had eaten a five course meal and had to go out for a walk. I'm actually good with a half of cup of whatever it is I'm eating. The soy in the Protein drinks was giving me gas. So switched to GNC, but really like the EAS Edge drinks. Congrats and glad to hear you're doing good. Trisha (pennreporter)

Glad to hear you're doing good, Pam. I go back to work on Wednesday. I have all day dr's stuff going on tomorrow (surgeon, some kind of barium test, nutritionist and a 160-mile round trip). But everything going good on my end. Wednesday will start being my test, once I get back to a normal schedule. Good luck Trisha

Sorry to hear it's a little slow going janet (childcare). Some people swell more and again, some doctors leave some fill in the band. My daughter had fill left in hers. I don't have much restriction but I haven't pushed it either. Half a cup of soup and I'm pretty full and it's takes me a half hour to eat that. I also have to do 60 grams, which I haven't met so far. I also buy soups and puree them. If I was a better cook I'd make them but that's another story...lol. I didn't have the gas pain because my surgeon sucks as much back out as he can. I'm sure within a few days you'll start feeling better. hang in there. Trisha (pennreporter)

Update on Naked Protein drinks...not having those anymore. Duh, it helps to read the silly label. it's 440 calories per bottle. You would think with all my dieting years I would have noticed that there were two servings per bottle. Yes, it is 30 grams. So no more of those!! :blushing: Trisha (pennreporter)

good luck on the 5 grams of sugar in the Protein...I guess maybe if you make them yourself and add maybe splenda. I like the Naked Protein drinks. Have fun Trisha

Another great PSM!! Keep them coming. I can't think of anything funny that happened during my 6-month pre-op journey. My only out of the ordinary is day of surgery, anesthesia all of a sudden told me I was staying overnight because of sleep apnea. I was like, fine, but which one of you is giving me a ride home. Needless to say, surgeon got on the phone himself and made arrangements for a cab to take me 85 miles home. My group counseling meetings were somewhat useless because there were never any banders there, only bypass people. Because I'm a low BMI patient, I would definitely get the evil eye, like, what are you doing here. L Keep the messages coming...always need a good laugh Trisha in da Poconos (Banded June 1, '09)

welcome home Pam. You're on the loser's bench now!! Trisha

Julie M, can't say I have any bad reports so far. So I can only wish you guys good luck and don't stress over it. I also had my daughter's experience to rely upon. I went in figuring if it didn't hurt any worse than having staples removed from a crushed ankle, it was all good. So far it's A-OK. I will say because my sleep pattern was distubed I'm taking a nap in the middle of the day. Stomach is still swollen but incisions look good. Can't quite get the etch-a-sketch marks off yet. Sneezes are real special. At least I know they're coming and kind of wrap arms around middle section. so it's all good y'all!! Will be waiting on the loser's bench for ya Trisha

Phenry, I'm sure your grandkids love you no matter what...kids are like that. But just think how much better it will be when you can do even more with them because you won't have the weight slowing you down. I was banded on Monday June 1. So far have lost about 10 lbs with pre-op diet and now but I really am able to get my yogurt and jello and soup down pretty good, just slow. And really only eat it because I know I need to. Just take it easy the first few days. You know us "older" patients aren't 21 anymore...lol. My daughter was banded last year in Feb on a Tuesday, flew back from Houston on Friday and worked Saturday. I'm taking off until next Wednesday. No pain, but still sore. Good luck next week Trisha

My daughter had to self-pay because even though insurance covered it, she had to have at least 'some' comorbidites, which she didn't have any. The cost has truly come down in the US so that you don't necessarily have to Mexico anymore. I've heard the 7k price coming out of Utah and Colorado. My daughter paid 13k but she also had one of the top surgeons in the US. Here in PA it's in the 25k range...so definitely do your homework. If you're self-pay at least you can also self-choose who you doctor will be. I'm in an HMO so I had no choice. Luckily I liked my surgeon but he hadn't done very many bands as compared to bypass. So that is the plus side and many many doctors when you're self pay don't require the six months jumping through the hoops. That is mostly an insurance thing. So good luck!! Trisha