Katy517

I suggest donating them.

I take two per day of the Wal*Mart equivalent Flintstones children's chewable multi-vitamins plus two extra strength Tums for calcium.

My pre-op diet was clear liquids only for five days.

I've got six weeks of full liquids to look forward to so am pretty familiar with it and will be following this thread for new ideas to avoid it getting too monotonous. My basic full liquid diet prescribed by my surgeon includes: Water, Decaf tea and sugar-free non-carbonated beverages like Crystal Light and Diet Snapple. No sugar added apple, white grape and cranberry juice diluted by 1/2 with water. Sugar-free Jello. Sugar-free popsicles. Sodium-free and fat-free chicken, turkey, beef and vegetable broth. Sodium-free and fat-free cream of tomato and cream of broccoli soups - store bought only. Blended fat-free yogurt. Skim milk. Apple sauce. My nutritionist added: Greek yogurt. Whey Protein powder. Other cream soups including homemade as long as the chunks are either removed or blended completely.

Wow! I can't even imagine going to regular food yet and I'm three days post-surgery now. That had to be tough.

My doc is all about quickening the weight loss. He also doesn't include Protein in the clear liquid pre-op diet, which I'm told is also an effort to speed weight loss. The six weeks post-op full liquids is purportedly to allow the stomach to heal completely after banding. My guess though is that it's for rapid weight loss.

Thanks everybody. I'm now three days post-op and really happy that I did this. The wait for surgery was just ridiculous. My arrival time was noon and they didn't even take me down for surgical prep until 2:45. I think that I finally went under at about 4:15 and was in recovery by 5:30. It was a heckuva long wait. My biggest complaint was being so dry mouthed. I think that was almost worse than the pain. The dryness was just crazy bad. I convinced the nurse to trust me with Water and those little mouth sponges on a stick so that I could get some moisture in my mouth without swallowing and that made it much better. I was up walking by 8:30 pm that night and am still doing pretty well now. Trying to rest, get plenty of liquids and Protein and of course walk, walk, walk. The gas is still pretty bad and the pain at the port site is bad too.

I'm three days post-op and in the western Chicago suburbs. Am interested in a local support group.

I was told to take the outer bandages off two days post-surgery and then to let the strips come off on their own from the water while showering.

My surgeon recommends six weeks full liquids post-op followed immediately by regular food. No mushy stage at all. Anybody else have a similar diet recommendation?

My surgeon told me that I could never drink anything carbonated again - ever.

I'm using the Ultimate Nutrition ProStar 100% Whey Protein. I like the Natural flavor, but they have lots of other varieties too. 25 grams protein, 120 calories, 30 mg sodium, 20 mg cholesterol and 2 grams total carbs in each serving. It mixes very well with everything I've tried so far.

I lost 12 pounds on my five day pre-op clear liquid diet with two Protein drinks each day. I didn't cheat, but then gained four pounds back after surgery. Didn't expect that at all. My post-op diet is full liquids for six weeks, which is basically the clear liquid plus cream Soup and yogurt.

My pre-op diet was five days clear liquids and I didn't cheat on it at all. Am very glad that I didn't too as my surgeon has been known to refuse to do surgery if he believes differently based on stomach contents and liver size.

It really depends on the insurance company. I have PHCS managed by PBA and it was six plus months for me to get the approval. I was required to have a 40+ BMI. I also had to get a psych eval, GI series, sleep study & ultrasound. My insurance also required six monthly visits with a nutritionist and the recommendation of my primary car physician.

I'm being banded today and feeling kind of strange about it. A bit apprehensive, but anxious and excited at the same time. I wish it were an early appointment, but I'm not even supposed to arrive at the hospital until noon. Wish me luck.

Great idea for a thread Hal. My goals are similar to yours and more health related. I want to feel good again primarily and I know that is really vague, but it encompasses so much. I want to be free of the aches and pains so that I actually feel good enough to take part in physical activity. I want to be able to take long walks with my golden retrievers without shortness of breath. I want to learn to eat to live rather than the other way around. I'm a miserly sort and have been a chronic saver all my life. I want to live to enjoy old age. I just don't see too many active senior citizens that are obese.

I began the journey in Sept. '09. Got approvals and finished the six months of nutritional counseling in March '09. Started my 5-day liquid pre-op diet today. Will have the final PCP doctor's complete check-up plus EKG and chest xrays on Tuesday 4/13 (my birthday) and am scheduled for banding on Thursday 4/15. I think this is the greatest birthday present I could possibly give myself. Katy