Sarah8807

Wow this is very inspirational!! Way to go!!! That is truely amazing. I've seen a few people online lose weight that fast but its not common. I'm down 20 in two weeks. Hope I can be as successful as you!!!

There are a FEW good lapband books out there. I would start by looking on Amazon or Ebay under "Lapband book" I know there is one lady that I use to talk to that wrote a book about her lapband journey and I think it had some recipes in it...Sorry dont remember what it was called lol. You may also look outside the Lapband genre. I myself really like the Mayo clinic recipe book. Its a huge book full of great recipes (and most are lapband friendly) and they have all the calories and things of that sort in them. Hope that helps..

Hang in there!!! I know how you feel. I had to quit smoking before surgery too...I must admit....I did cheat a little lol. But nothing for the week before surgery...I somehow justified to myself that if I didnt smoke for a week before surgery I would be OK...lol. I am now one week post op and STILL trying not to smoke...but man its hard. Especially when your on a pureed diet!! So just hang in there and try to keep yourself busy This online communtiy is really helpful and sometimes you can just lose yourself in all the conversations, pictures, and so on, and that really helps!!!! Feel free to blog as much as you need to!

I went to the surgeon today for my one week follow up. Everything is looking good. I had to have the fluid taken out of my band (about 1cc a day after surgery) so I really dont have any restriction that I can notice yet. I have been on a liquid and pureed diet for about two weeks now (one week prior to surgery to now) and was really excited because for some silly reason I really thought I was going to be told to move on to the "mushies" food stage....WRONG! lol I am on "pureed" foods for another week and a half!!! Ugh....Trying to stay positive. I am also trying to tell myself that I will not be on pureed foods FOREVER. ...So I was mainly doing soups with nothing in them such as tomato soup but got a little creative and was told as long as I puree my food to the consistancy of baby food i'm good! So I thought I'd share with you ..... Today I made homemade chili...very simple and it's actually still really good when you blend it to the point of no return! I prefer homemade chili verses canned chili. It tastes A LOT better. I also put a little skim milk in when I blend it because my chili is pretty thick...I would be happy to share the recipe if you want it. Yesterday I made homemade butternut squash soup...Also another pretty easy recipe that is pretty satisfying...again, if you want the recipe just ask I also REALLY like Amy's Organic soups... My fav 3 are the split pea, lentil, spanish rice and red bean. All of the soups are delish but these three are still very good pureed. I buy these soups at Wal Mart, but I would think you can buy them at almost any groccery store... These are a few of the things that I really like (as much as you can like a pureed diet )...Please feel free to share your recipes or things that you like that are pureed!!

Thank you ladies for your support! I really love this online community. Who knew that you could feel so close with people you have never met in person!!

I will be one week post operation tomorrow!! The first few days were hard but nothing impossible. I stayed in the hospital 24 hours (for my insurance) and then went home the next morning. I did great in the hospital. I had some nausea right after surgery because I started moving around a little too quick. . They gave me something for the nausea and it made me sleep for about 2 hours and then after that I was great. No problems started until early the next morning after leaving the hospital. I started getting really sick. Trying to drink water and couldnt keep anything down. My surgeon leaves a little in the band (about 1cc) when he puts it in so I thought that it was that. So I went into the hospital at about 6 am to get checked out. They made me do the x ray/barrium (sp?) swallow. I could see were the fluid would sit on top of my band and then SLOWLY go into my stomach. The nurse didnt think it was the band but still did an unfil just in case. After that I was given some liquid loritab. And thats when I realized that the medication was defianetly making me sick! I quit taking the loritab and got some liquid tylenol. Much better Im still on a liquid diet. Pretty much all liquids. I've been eating soup, popsicles, yogurt, protein shakes, and jello. I'm somewhat satisfied. There are times though that I am defianetly still hungry. I've been trying to stay hydrated as I know that does help some with hunger. I really can't complain though. I've been on this liquid diet for about two weeks (one week prior to surgery to now) and Im down about 20lbs!!! I go to see my surgeon tomorrow so I am curious to see when I can go up to mushies! I am craving some cottage cheese. My biggest advice to anyone not banded yet and doing the pre-op diet is learn to LOVE IT! lol....Its hard....and you will be very hungry...but it's worth it!! Why are we all here???? To lose weight!!! Good luck to everyone

Thank you!

Glad you are doing well!! I hope I am at that point soon too!

I got banded early Wednesday morning and other than having to get an unfil everything has been good. Im not really in a lot of pain, only when I sit down or get up the wrong way. Last night I got really sick though and was throwing up everything, including water! It was horrible. I called the Weight Loss Surgical Center and they told me to come in. So I went in and then had to wait 2 hours for someone to come in and look at my band. I did the barium swollow thing and It showed that a lot of the fluids were just sitting at the top of my band and taking forever to go through. I guess by surgeon puts about 1cc in his bands during surgery to excellerate weight loss...the only problem is that my stomach is so swollen from the surgery that I defianetly can not tolerate anything in my band yet. I've been good since they took the 1cc out but im scared to go back to sleep. It seems like everytime I sleep my band gets tighter ...Im on clear liquids and have been drinking some warm green tea. I honestly cannot tell the difference between too much air in my stomach or the band being too tight. Im just hoping and praying that I heal faster and I dont have to go through another last night....The doctor said today that if this unfil doesnt work i will have to take steriods to shrink the swelling.....ugh...wish me luck!! lol

The hospital stay for me was great. I went to Weight Loss Surgical Center in Overland Park KS, which only does lapband. So it's a small hospital, but all the nurses and doctors specialize in lapband so they knew all the ins and outs. I stayed in my gown for the most part of the time I was there. I've had some gas pain but walking really does the trick with that. I havent had any gas medicine and I've been ok. The most pain is where the incesions are. Sitting really hurts and getting up sucks!! My throat is also a little sore from the breathing tube during surgery. I will keep udating. I hope tomorrow is better, but I really cant complain too much! This was NOTHING compared to my C Section!!

Just got home from the hospital. Surgery was yesterday. It really has not been too bad. The next day (today) has been a little more painful. Mainly my port area. It doesnt hurt at all when I walk or when Im standing...But omg when I sit down its a sharp pain. I have the liquid pain meds which seem to be helping. I've lost 14lbs as of yesterday when I was weighed at the hospital. I stayed 24 hours and that was great. So far so good. Other than the port pain. I walked A LOT after surgery so I havent really had any of the dreaded gas pain

wow...i cant believe that im going to be banded tomorrow (If everything goes smooth)!!!! I've lost about 10lbs so far on this pre-op diet and have been following it (almost) to a T. lol...Ok so I cheated a LITTLE yesterday. My fiance brought home all this Red Lobster stuff and I had a salad with vinigerette dressing and a little clam chowder...I know horrible....Im supposed to be having just clear liquids but wow Im really starving!!! I was about to pass out yesterday. Today ive had broth, sugar free tea, and some squah soup (with hardly any spices in it). I hope I havent ruined it for myself...lol...surely after losing 10lbs in a week ive shrunk my liver some!! Im curious to know what you all had to do for your pre-op diet? I've heard all sorts of things. Like just protein shakes, just clear liquids, other things like oatmeal...I wonder why it verys so much from surgeon to surgeon?? I will TRY to get on here tomorrow and let everyone know how surgery went...Hoping it's not horrible...I labored for 10 hours with my son (with no pain meds) so I feel like NOTHING can be that bad...lol Good luck to everyone pre and post op!!!

lol pooh!! I agree. I am so tired of these people...

Im really sick of all the negativity about lapband around me. I do have about a handful of people (immediate family and a few friends) that support me in this journey, but it seems like everyone I work with has something negative to say about lapband. Today someone told me that lapband is being sewed because people are choking and not able to breathe and then dying! wtf?? I have not heard ANYTHING like this. Then to top it off all of my coworkers comment on EVERYTHING i eat (or drink I should say since still on pre op diet). People have just been flat out rude about lapband to me. I don't get it. I would never sit and discourage someone from something they are working so hard towards. My friends and family say to just ignore them, which is what I try to do, but why would grown adults act this way? All of the people that are being so discouraging are overweight. So it makes me wonder if maybe they are just scared to do lapband themselves so they want to pick on the person that IS doing it?? I dont know...I know I need to just stop caring but it's annoying.............. I do have some good news though. Im 4 days into my pre-op diet and im down 8lbs!!!! whoooot whoot!

Im going on day 4 of my pre-op diet. Which consists of broth, sugar free jello, soup with nothing in it, and protein shakes. Im starving at times! I wrote a post earlier about things going good, which for the most part they are, but omg there are moments when I want to attack some food! lol. Any tips on trying to stay hunger free while on the pre-op diet?

Good luck girl!! You can do it! Let us know how it goes...I have less than a week now. My nerves are shot!

Tan ya, Is this the whole pre op diet you had to do? The two days before surgery? Just wondering. I know a lot of doctors are different in what they require. My doctor has me on liquids for a week until surgery! It sucks! lol. Well good luck!!! Let me know how it goes for you!!

I'm on day 3 of my pre-op diet. So far so good. The first two days were very hard but day three has gotten easier. You really learn a lot about yourself when all you can eat is protein shakes, tomatoe soup, chicken broth, and sugar free jello... I never realized how much mindless eating I did. Last night was really hard because I cooked dinner for my fiance and then ate some chicken broth. After dinner we were sitting watching TV and I just had the urge to get up and eat something. I thought about it for a minute and realized that I wasnt hungry...just bored. I guess that's how I've got to be this weight. Bordem, stress, and loving food a little too much I did all my measurments when I started my pre-op diet and will be posting those on my page soon. I think that measurments are more accurate than pounds lost and Im going to try not to become completely obsessed with the scale. I absolutely love my surgeon (Dr. Hitchcock in Overland Park KS). He's really made me feel comfortable going into this surgery. The first thing he said to me was, "You have to stop beating yourself up about being obese and realize that obesity is a desease. Just like any other desease, sometimes you need help. And there is nothing wrong with that". All of our lives we've been looked at different because we're overweight. People treat you different, clothes don't fit right, and sometimes you just feel uncomfortable in your own skin. I am so blessed and grateful that I am getting this surgery. I know its going to be hard and anyone that says this is the "easy way out" has lost their minds! I hope the best to everyone one here!! Whether your pre-op or post or just thinking about lapband. This is trruely a great place to start your journey and there are so many supportive people!! I am also thinking about making some youtube video blogs...if and when I do this I will put a link on here if anyone is interested in watching... Have a great day!!!!

I am beyond words! Very excited and grateful that I am being approved for lapband and will be able to get my life back! I start my pre-op diet tomorrow which consists of... water protein shakes one healthy choice meal a day Then the day before surgery all clear liquids...I went and bought my protein shakes (which is acutally this morning stuff that the doctor suggested) healthy choice meals, (chicken broth and some sugar free jello if I really am needing something different). My surgeon said that most people try to do just the protein shakes for the pre-op but I can do one healthy choice meal a day too if I want...So I think I will for the first few days and then try to stick with just liquids the last days leading up to surgery. I'm super anxious and getting my EKG and bloodwork today was sureal...I just cant believe this is acutally going to happen after waiting for it for SO long. I hope everyone on here the best of luck whether pre-op or post op!

Hey does anyone know if you are approved for lapband (which my insurance with aetna has the same requirments for lapband, RNY, and sleeve) and you change your mind before surgery and decide that you do want RNY, can you get RNY? In my insurance bulletin requiremtents it has all the same requirements for surgery for all three surgeries...so does this mean you can decide RNY with your surgeon if thats a better choice for you? I havent been banded yet but I am approved for lapband...meeting with surgeon tomorrow... I am still pretty sure (about 90%) that I want lapband...the only thing(s) that scare me are the erosion and slippage rate of lapband...I mean in this economy what happens if you lose your job and have no insurance and then god forbid something happens with your band and you need surgery?.....Sorry I dont mean to be Debbie downer...but I am realistic... Would apprieciate any and all feedback

Thank you very much! I still think lapband is the best of the bariatric surgeries...It just scares me that 1/3 of all people that get lapband are going to have a problem. And I know that it's not been out long enough to have real concrete evidence. All I can do is hope and pray that I am not one of those people.

Ok so I was on the Obesity Help website earlier just reading through different blogs and it seems like there are A LOT of blogs on people having to get their lapbands removed because of erosion, slippage, etc...This really scared me...Some of these people were only two years out of surgery and their bands had already eroded (sp?)....One person on there (who has the sleeve) kept talking about what a lousy product lap band and realize band's are....I am not yet banded (surg date oct 5) and I know that these things do happen...but does anyone know of the rate at which this happens? When I asked my surgeon how long lapband will last he said it would outlast me! If that's the case why are so many people having to get their lapbands removed?...

Thank you everyone!! I AM VERY EXCITED. roeroe-- I agree with you that they SHOULD do the testing before just like they make you do all the other stuff for insurance approval, but the way it's been explained to me is that the EKG and blood work is the last step before surgery. And if something doesnt work out with either of those (such as irregular heart beat or something like that) you might have to go to a cardiologist to be cleared for surgery. I'm a pretty healthy person (other than being obese!). So HOPEFULLY all my tests come back good!! I am so ready for this and I feel like I have been waiting forever!!

I AM ON TOP OF THE WORLD RIGHT NOW!!! I got a call from the lady at the weight loss surgical center saying that I am officially approved for surgery through my insurance!!!! SOOOOOOOOOOO happy!!!! I've waited 9 LONG months for this!!! I'm meeting with my surgeon Monday to start doing lab work for surgery!!! Possibly surgery date Oct 5th!