TopTier

That's great news, Tia! And so happy for you that the surgery went well! Now it begins, eh? Like you, the part I'm worried about the most is the anesthesia (I can spell it either!). I think that comes from the anesthesia I had when I was a kid getting my tonsils out. I think I was about 5 or 6. I remember the smell and I remember the horrible headache I had when I woke up. But I've had several surgeries in my adult life and they all went well. Don't know why it still scares me, though!

Yes, moderate alcohol consumption, specifically no more than one or two a night, has been shown to be beneficial. However, if you're trying to reduce carbs prior to surgery, you might be well advised to restrict or just temporarily cease alcohol consumption, since those carbs definitely count. But afterwards, once you heal and are on full liquids, have a toast on me!

RobinAnn, ditto. My "last meal" recommendation was also prior to starting my pre-op diet. As it turns out, my "last meal" ended up being a grilled shrimp salad at Cheesecake Factory -- and NO cheesecake! DOH! I was terrified to do too much damage!

Erick: With all due respect, if you are the husband of a woman who is less than 40 pounds over-weight, who is going to Mexico to get a lap-band for WEIGHT LOSS, and you are asking these basic questions, something tells me neither of you has appropriately investigated this procedure, its purpose and its risks. I'm afraid you may be supportive of your wife, who is no longer a "size 4" going to get weight loss surgery to be a "size 4" again, but, frankly, myself and probably a few others here are not quite as supportive. In my opinion, you would serve your wife better "supporting" her with a good therapist and a solid, healthy weight loss program for women who are moderately overweight.

Ibelieve, THIS POSTER IS NOT 50 POUNDS OVERWEIGHT! At BEST she is 30+. I am 5'1" and "petite" == quite frankly, this is a shame and this poster needs to deal with PROPER weight loss options before she goes the surgery route, simply because being a diet and incorporating exercise isn't going to be FAST enough.

So sorry to hear about your mom. That had to be tough losing her so early like that. I also understand your irony comment!

So, I have 3 more days of liquid pre-op before my surgery. My daughter is coming over tomorrow to grill steaks for her dad and her significant other. She'll be roasting some asparagus, so I'll be able to enjoy some of those (pre-roasting!). I'm starting to get very bored with this pre-op diet, but -- what the heck, it's only 3 more days! After my surgery I'm sure I'll be THRILLED that I'm only doing liquids!

So, I have 3 more days of liquid pre-op before my surgery. My daughter is coming over tomorrow to grill steaks for her dad and her significant other. She'll be roasting some asparagus, so I'll be able to enjoy some of those (pre-roasting!). I'm starting to get very bored with this pre-op diet, but -- what the heck, it's only 3 more days! After my surgery I'm sure I'll be THRILLED that I'm only doing liquids!

The biggest benefit of exercising in a swimming pool is the fact that it takes some of the pressure off the joints while working out. It's not necessarily the "best" option, but it is a very good option if you have issues with your knees or hips.

I'm probably going to regret saying this, but I think that getting a lap bad at 166 pounds, barely 40 overweight, is a little extreme. I think you seriously need some head work. I'm 5'1" so I know that 166 is not Weight Loss Surgery ready. I can appreciate your frustration and your disappointment at not being a SIZE 4 anymore, but you are not at an unhealthy weight yet, and can very much control and decrease your BMI without a lap band. You will need to exercise and work hard once you get the band in to begin with, so all that effort can be done without the added stress of lap band surgery on your body. But. It's your choice.

I am on my liquid pre-op diet, which has significantly bumped up my Protein intake. In the past I have been leery of consuming too much protein due to some kidney impairment a few years ago. But, for the operation pre-op, I figure it won't hurt, and if it starts to, I'll back off a bit. However, I am finding that I am laying in bed at night staring at the ceiling for possibly hours at a time. I have somewhat reduced my caffeine intake, which wasn't very significant anyway, and my carb intake is much much lower. What is preventing me from falling asleep?! Could it be the protein?! :tongue: PS: I'm on the fifth day of my liquid pre-op. This started after the second day.

My dad had the Realize band "installed" last month. I'm having the one with the pillows.

I have a question. Is "getting stuck" anything at all like what happens with a hiatal hernia? It sounds like it. There have been times when I have a bad time with it that I cannot swallow anything. At first, it feels like it's going down really really slow and then "sticks" in mid chest. It is incredibly painful and I can barely even breathe (probably because I start to panic). Then, I find if I get up and walk around and raise both my arms up over my head, that it subsides and I can -- sometimes -- finish my meal. On a very rare occasion, I will throw up everything I've eaten just prior to the point of it getting "stuck."

I wonder. . . . if one goes in for an umbilical hernia repair, can some of the excess ab skin be removed during that procedure???

Check! Thanks for the reminder to chew, chew, chew! Glad you're okay!

Welcome back! I've only recently joined, so it's like making a new friend anyway! Best of luck in your port surgery.

Daren, my surgeon will send me home with a prescription anti-nausea medication. I'm surprised yours didn't, or at least didn't recommend what you could take over-the-counter to address the nausea. Give his office a call. They probably have something they can recommend. And, yes, congratz!

Ask me this time next week, when I'll be 2 days post op! Just kidding. I am in my early 50s. I've always been "overweight," but, looking back, not really. I didn't get "obese" until my early 40s. After menopause, or rather, during early menopause, it just seemed to ramp up. So I can appreciate the life-long struggle to be "thin." In the end, I dieted myself into obesity. This lap-band procedure is the most important step I can take to stop that obesity trainwreck, which, now that I'm morbidly obese, will only result in a much shortened lifespan, and a miserable existence, at that. I just regret that I didn't mentally accept the idea of something like this 10 years ago. But, no point crying over something one can't change. I can change the future, though. And starting next Weds., I will take the most monumental step towards that change. There will be a point in your own mindset where you will know what road you want to take and what you need to do to reach the end of it. Do all the research you can, and, most of all, search your own heart. It was only when I made some painful and brutally honest assessments about myself that I knew what to do. Best of luck!

I wonder how you diagnose a fatty liver?

I'm so envious! I am still very hungry most of the time. But, granted, it's just "habitual" eating that I miss. What disappoints me is that after 5 days, I'm only down 2.5/3 pounds. Bummer. It feels like I should be down 20! LOL!

Oh my! Well, I don't smoke. I quit about 20 years ago. I have enough health issues to deal with without adding all the damage the toxins in cigarettes will add. It took me 3 tries to quit, but I did it. You can, too. Just make up your mind that you're a non-smoker. So as a non-smoker, why the heck would you want/need a cigarette?! It's a huge mind game. The addiction is strong, but it's easier to beat than a food addiction. Best of luck to you!

So, my husband took me to Carrabbas for our anniversary dinner. It's a fairly decent Italian restaurant. I think it's a chain. . .but don't know for sure. Anyway, I was very nervous about what to eat, or if it would be (emotionally) painful, given how much I love Italian (high carb) cooking! Of course they brought that fabulous Italian bread (fresh baked, warm and soft!) and a plate of olive oil with seasonings in which to dip it. I confess, I did scarf one tiny piece of the bread. But no oil. Then I scanned the menu to see if there was anything in a high carb Italian restaurant that I could consume, liquid or otherwise! To my surprise, yes there was! They have a tomato basil soup and a chicken broth/veggie soup. I ordered a cup of the tomato basil, my husband the chicken. I ate half my cup and he ate all the "good stuff" from the chicken soup, and then we switched! He's so sweet! For my entree I ordered a dinner salad that had three very thin slices of grilled eggplant, red pepper slices and a quartered artichoke heart. I had them leave off the vinaigrette and the goat cheese. My husband ate the eggplant. He ordered a dinner salad as well! I was so proud of him! He would usually order the steak marsala and the ravioli on the side, but he ordered a chicken caesar salad instead! He said to me, this dinner will be the beginning of our next 20 years, which will be healthier and even happier than our first 20 years! I ended up with a very romantic anniversary dinner after all! :thumbup:

So, my husband took me to Carrabbas for our anniversary dinner. It's a fairly decent Italian restaurant. I think it's a chain. . .but don't know for sure. Anyway, I was very nervous about what to eat, or if it would be (emotionally) painful, given how much I love Italian (high carb) cooking! Of course they brought that fabulous Italian bread (fresh baked, warm and soft!) and a plate of olive oil with seasonings in which to dip it. I confess, I did scarf one tiny piece of the bread. But no oil. Then I scanned the menu to see if there was anything in a high carb Italian restaurant that I could consume, liquid or otherwise! To my surprise, yes there was! They have a tomato basil soup and a chicken broth/veggie soup. I ordered a cup of the tomato basil, my husband the chicken. I ate half my cup and he ate all the "good stuff" from the chicken soup, and then we switched! He's so sweet! For my entree I ordered a dinner salad that had three very thin slices of grilled eggplant, red pepper slices and a quartered artichoke heart. I had them leave off the vinaigrette and the goat cheese. My husband ate the eggplant. He ordered a dinner salad as well! I was so proud of him! He would usually order the steak marsala and the ravioli on the side, but he ordered a chicken caesar salad instead! He said to me, this dinner will be the beginning of our next 20 years, which will be healthier and even happier than our first 20 years! I ended up with a very romantic anniversary dinner after all!

Yeah, UpperWestSide, I was pleasantly surprised at how good the

Hi, Ritalou! I'm due for my surgery next week, June 24! I'm excited. . . and already bored with the liquid pre-op diet! I spent 20 minutes in Dr. Olsofka's office trying to talk him into letting me do a low carb/low fat/high Protein Atkins diet instead! :thumbup: He wasn't buying any of it!