BetsyB

PS--Also, why not ask your doctor what his/her preop requirements are? You may find that your worry is for naught. Knowledge is power!

Don't try to imagine how you'll feel. Just focus on the result. Look, the preop diet isn't fun. But it's time-limited, and all of us have PLENTY of energy reserves on our bodies to withstand it without weakness and fogginess. The first couple of days are the hardest--but after that, the body starts kicking it its reserves, and it really is SO much easier. Preop diet aside, the band is really just the BEGINNING of this journey; depending on your doctor, your postop diet may be very limited too---and for a far longer time. You can choose to put a negative spin on this ("I just can't imagine...choking down"), or you can choose to accept it as part of a very positive process. The latter makes it WAAAAAY easier. As re: choking down protein, it's well worth the effort to try several, until you hit on one you actually LIKE. They're out there! I love the Inspire Proteins from Bariatric Eating. They mix well in a small volume of Water (so there's less to choke down if you really do wind up hating all proteins!), are reasonably priced, and taste great. I use them to bump up my protein intake, and have the dutch chocolate mixed with warm almond milk every morning. Honestly, even my kids (picky, picky kids) think it's as good as their usual Ghirardelli cocoa. You'll get through it---it's scary to contemplate, but so much easier when you've found a product or two you like and are actually DOING it.

I didn't have the other procedures done with my banding, but know from experience that liver biopsy is miserable. They always act as though it's no biggie, but it hurts like a mother.

Yep, we're totally on the same page. Only you are at the place I want to be!

If you visit bariatriceating.com, they have a section with really great information about postop eating. They also have really, really good recipes.

Weight LOSS can sometimes, perversely, exacerbate this kind of problem. We can engage our abs--and that does help a lot--but if there is increased skin laxity, it--combined with gravity--can increase the discomfort. Wearing something supportive---like Spanx---can really help. If you think you might be a candidate for reconstructive surgery at goal, it would be a good idea to start documenting this pain with your doctor for insurance purposes. All that said, I do have chronic back pain issues---thin or fat---and have found that, since surgery, most of mine turn out to be attributable to gas. It's odd that the pain is referred to my back, but I think the nerve connections are a bit confused postoperatively.

Inspire Protein powder from bariatriceating.com is really good. I esp. like the Dutch chocolate, PB Cookie, PURE unflavored (good in Soups and other foods), and Pom Razz Sangria (mixed with a little Crystal Light). Even my kids love the Dutch Chocolate with warm almond milk.

There isn't a real consensus on it, though the people who lose the least seem to be the ones with the higher Protein intake. Still, I know lots of people who get 100+ g protein/day, and lose a bit of hair. I think it's probably a combination of things. One of which is the sheer trauma of surgery. Hair is shed in weird patterns, sometimes. The body holds on to it during pregnancy, for example; the hairs normally shed on a day-to-day basis are not. Then there's a mass shedding postpartum. It seems like tons is being lost, but really---it's just the amount that would have been lost anyway. I kind of wonder whether surgery triggers a similar phenomenon. For those with good nutritional status, the loss really seems to be of this nature---alarming, but not resulting in any sort of visible change. (For those deficient in protein, it seems to continue.) Do make sure you get adequate protein (and by adequate, I mean, quite possibly, more than the amount required by some surgeons) and take a good Multivitamin. That's pretty good hair insurance.

It's not a crazy question at all. Most of the gas diffuses from your abdominal cavity into your intestines and is expelled via that route. It can rumble around in there for a while first, hence weird referral pains.

It depends on the doctor and your insurance. Mine (both) prefer an overnight stay. It was billed, however, as observation, because I was discharged within a 23-hour window. I was glad for the time to get my bearings, figure out how I responded to activities, and so on. Having an evening and night without anyone expecting anything of me, and no cats walking across my abdomen, was nice!

My doctor's in your surgeon's camp---and I've been following the regimen with no problem and great success so far. I don't feel obsessive; at this point it's easy for me because I'm very early in the game, and don't have a lot of desire to eat other things. So, I just play by the rules. I do sort of take the stance that eating what my body NEEDS most of the time leaves some leeway for minor indulgences now and then. My MIND is open to indulgence. At this point, my little stomach is not! I did eat quite healthily pre-op; my problem was quantity rather than food quality. As I get closer to my goal weight, I will return, gradually, to that way of eating & trust the band to do its job. This is my doctor's aim, as well. At goal, I will "eat what I want." But what I want does not really include commercially prepared foods or fast food or many other things others routinely eat. I have long been a clean-eating proponent---and will continue with that. The no sugar, no white flour rule? It's an easy one for me to abide by---except on Thanksgiving. I will always have pecan pie on Thanksgiving, just like I always have. Three bites of pecan pie is NOT what got me here!

I have a suggestion: STOP IT! Seriously---just stop it. I don't mean that as harshly as it sounds, but you have this amazing new tool, and jeopardizing it with foods that really should be off-limits, at least at this point, is foolish. I know you're hungry; I genuinely empathize. I'm hungry, too. But your new pouch and healing body need nutrients in the right amounts at the right intervals. Making wise choices will help reduce your hunger. Potato chip crumbs really WON'T. They will just fuel the fire, and make you want more. So, stop it. Nip it in the bud. Find something else to do---or even something else to eat.

Thanks! I just got back from my first workout, and while I'm not quite where I was preop, I was able to get a pretty darn good workout in! It actually felt really good---hopefully I'll think the same in the morning LOL

For me, it was a total no-biggie. He swabbed the site, stuck it, and injected a couple of ccs of saline. Then he left the needle in place, I slid over in front of the fluoroscope, and he checked out the restriction as I swallowed barium. He came back over, finished injecting the rest of the saline in the syringe (4 cc total), and removed the needle from my port. He then observed, again, with fluoro as I swallowed barium. Five minutes of pleasant banter, and I was out the door, feeling pretty much the same as I did going in. Only I do have some restriction now.

I think it's probably quite normal to grieve a former relationship--even it it's with food. But no, I don't miss eating. I still eat. I choose to eat differently--but it's definitely MY choice. And that makes it okay

Inspire Protein Powder from bariatriceating.com. It's THE BEST, hands down.

I'm so glad things are getting better!

I understand your fears. But really, if you're able to stick with the liquid Protein diet, you're more than capable of being compliant with the mushy/solid postop diet. I think you'll probably find that advancing your diet as recommended by your doctor will prove more satisfying than drinking protein. That said, I still use Protein shakes. I eat solid food, as well, but like the bolus of protein I get from a shake--it makes me feel better physically. So, I have a shake in the morning. "Real" food, however, has far better staying power. Not at first, though--if you don't have restriction, then you will, indeed be hungry. But then, protein shakes have the same drawback. It's scary to make the transition without restriction---but the whole point of this surgery is to form a different relationship with food. And there's no time like the present to begin to form that relationship.

Do check with your surgeon. Mine gave me a list of recommendations, but was totally fine with me choosing another, who was both in-plan and closer to home. If you go with someone else, be sure they contact the surgeon and/or your insurer to make sure that they gather the necessary information.

Yes, I totally empathize with your feelings. I, too, felt like a failure after so many cycles of the lose-and-gain game. It has helped me to remember that obesity is multifactorial--and that, furthermore, it's not a moral issue. Our weight really is not reflective of our worth--no matter what messages to the contrary we might receive. Really, seeking a REAL solution to the problem does not signal failure. It's brave. It's also scary--not just because it represents a more drastic approach than, say, Jenny Craig, but also because CHANGE is scary! But please--be kind to yourself. And try to view caring for yourself in this way as a kindness your body deserves.

Your liver will thank you! Truly, your surgery will be as uneventful as possible because of your dedication to your preop plan. But it SUCKS. Totally. The good news is that you will reach a point where food just becomes ...well, lots less interesting. You'll be hungry, but (dare I say?) defeated! It just won't have the same allure. And then--THEN---you get the band! The prize! So, there is a light at the end of the stomach-growling tunnel Truly, the preop diet is the hard part :hurray:

I (also an RN) agree. In certain circumstances, board-eligible is also acceptable. I would not choose ANY facility that was not a Bariatric Center of Excellence. I would not choose any doctor who had, as his phone number, some sort of gimmicky, reel-in-the-desperate-and-vulnerable message, either. I really don't know this group, but with an unlicensed doctor on staff (how do YOU know who does surgeries if you're anesthetized?!) and a surgeon with only 200 surgeries under his belt, I see red flags all over the place. It's not minor surgery. Yes, it is laparoscopic. It does not involve large, open incisions. But it DOES require great skill. My surgeon is very experienced, as is his partner. Know what? EACH AND EVERY SURGERY THEY DO is performed with BOTH in the room. Why? Because having two very skilled, very experienced surgeons present creates OUTSTANDING outcomes. Complications are not frequent, but they can and do arise--and you want to have the very best people caring for you. Not the ones with the catchy phone number on the side of a bus or the lowest fee. Do more research.

I totally understand your frustration--and I, too, would be very upset. It's good that you got what you expected from the psych consult, but really---the psych should have confirmed that s/he was providing what was required for clearance. Do you think s/he would be willing to work with you, since there clearly was a misunderstanding? You went to see him/her, expecting that all that was needed would be done. It wasn't. $800 for an MMPI is a LOT! I know the hoop-jumping is frustrating. But I agree with you that it's better to be with surgeons who are really thorough---even if the process is a bit prolonged---than to face the alternative. I hope you find a really good solution, FAST. Once you're banded, you will know how totally worth it this process has been. But when you're in the midst of it, it feels awful!

Have you tried journaling your food & activity someplace like fitday.com? It can really help you detect patterns and identify things that you can change--sometimes, little tweaks can make a big difference. I have a metabolism that's slower than molasses in January, so I really empathize!

Please try to relax. You are SO freshly banded that the things you describe are to be expected--even the slight temperature elevation. Re: pooping. Your intake is next to nil; while it's not unusual to experience frequent watery stools at first, it's also not uncommon for there to be little to NOTHING coming out via that route. Gas is a given; we all experience it postop, and it can be terribly painful. If your doctor okays it, Gas-X really helps. Walking is even more helpful---get up and walk as much as you possibly can. Focus on hydration. That is really the most important thing. Yes, Protein is important--but I promise you, you'll feel better and be able to tolerate things much better, before it becomes a health issue. There are FAR better protein sources (and ones that taste way better) than the CIB. Since my banding, I can't tolerate milk at all. Yogurt and cheese? Fine. But milk? Forget about it. I bet you can find a good alternative. I like Inspire protein powders from bariatriceating.com.