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Wasa--Thanks so much for sharing the information with us!

I've had enough of political ads--not a particular "who" I'm sick of, but an entire genre....:angry

Hi there! Things will improve once you start getting fills done. Once your stomach heals and the swelling goes down after surgery, you do get the hungry horrors--no fun! If you got a post-op diet from your doctor, make sure you are following it well. If you take in enough Protein it might help you not feel as hungry. My doctor advised us to aim for about 90 grams per day in three "meals." Drink Water in between to get in 64 ounces per day. I hope you are feeling better soon!!!

Hi there! I drank Champion Nutrition Whey Protein shakes (26g protein per 10 oz. liquid) and various protein-fortified mixes made for bariatric patients (Soups, fruit drink mixes, hot cocoa, etc.). I lost about 14 pounds by my first post-op appointment if I remember correctly. The doctor had told me that the time right after surgery was for healing, not for weight loss so I didn't have high expectations. I have lost weight from the time I was banded through my third fill (sometimes just a little, sometimes more). It took three fills before I had good restriction. Your amount of weight loss will depend on what you're eating and how much exercise you are getting (calories in vs. calories out). Good luck!!!

My doctor said to focus on Protein first such as bariatric Protein shakes or other protein fortified liquids for bariatric patients. Our goal was to ingest 90 grams of protein per day in three "meals." It really helped me not to feel hungry all the time. To meet the 64 ounces of Water per day requirement, I could have clear broth, sugar free popsicles, Jello, yogurt, Crystal Light, and plain water. We weren't encouraged to drink sugary fruit juices. My doctor forbids carbonated beverages at any time after banding. Even though I was a Diet Coke-a-holic before banding, this has not been a problem for me at all since the surgery. I don't miss soda one bit (mainly because I like my smaller butt so much)! As always, follow whatever your doctor has advised and be sure to ask questions if you need clarification. Keep up the good work!

Hi there! The great thing about being banded is that you no longer have to resort to wacky diets to lose weight (once you have proper restriction)! I'm very glad I got banded and would do it all over again if I had the choice! Good luck on your weight loss journey--no matter what method you choose!

Welcome! Pre-op diets really suck, but do your best to stick with it! You're on your way to weight loss success! Hooray! :clap2: Good luck with your surgery!

Welcome! What a great way to start your new year! I'm looking forward to hearing about all of your successes! Good luck with your surgery!

Welcome! I haven't regretted having this surgery for a moment! I no longer crave food every waking moment of the day and night. It's wonderful not to have food in control--now I am! I chose to tell very few people about the surgery. It's no one's business but mine! As long as you have someone you can trust to be a support system, you will be fine. If you don't want to tell obnoxious family members about it, then you don't have to. When you start losing, just smile like the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland and just nod in agreement that you look great! You will see many benefits to your health even after losing some of the weight you need to lose. It's a great feeling to start being more energetic and to be able to reduce or eliminate medications! Good luck on your journey!!!

Welcome! Don't worry if you don't feel a ton of restriction with only your first fill. It can take several fills before you start approaching the optimal restriction! In my case, I really felt a difference after my third fill. Congratulations on getting banded!

Hi Heather! The insurance company and your doctor would probably want you to lose some weight before surgery so it is safer to operate on you. Use a BMI calculator on-line and calculate what your BMI would be at 290--if it's 57 now, I'd bet it would still be well over 40 even if you lost 50 pounds so you would still qualify for surgery. Someone else with a medical background wrote in to this forum before saying that a pre-op diet is required to help detox the liver and shrink it so the surgery is easier to do laprascopically(would allow more room for the instruments to move around in your abdomen). I'm a self-payer, so I can't help you navigate the insurance qualifications unfortunately! Good luck on your journey!!! You can do this!!!

Hi! Congratulations on being banded! I'm so excited for you--losing 29 pounds is fantastic! Way to go! Have you had your first fill yet? If not, 5-6 ounces of food doesn't sound weird to me, but I would check back with your doctor again if you remain concerned about it. Good luck!

Welcome! Congratulations on being banded! I hope all goes smoothly for you!!!!

Hi there! I'm not sure what part of Virginia you live in, but I am in the Hampton Roads area. Dr. Terracina and Dr. Clark perform gastric bypass and lapband procedures at Sentara Hospital in Hampton, VA. Their office, Weight Loss Surgery Center (WLSC), is in Newport News, VA. They have an excellent reputation and provide a comprehensive education program before surgery and fantastic post-surgery follow-up. I am very pleased with the services that have been provided at WLSC so far! The office staff, psychologist, and nutritionist are wonderful as well. Everyone really cares about each and every patient and it shows! Good luck as you embark on your journey!

Hi! I know that my doctor said to avoid all carbonated beverages after banding, so I'm assuming that includes beer. I chose not to drink alcohol before I was banded (pretty much none since my 20s), so this hasn't been an issue for me post-banding. Besides, I really don't need to sabotage my weight loss by drinking high-calorie liquids like alcohol anyway. I've read many posts about people drinking alcohol post-banding on this site, so I know some folks are able to. I would say that the best advice I can give you is to follow whatever your doctor advises so your surgical procedure goes well and you can achieve the weight-loss results you want! Good luck with your surgery!

Welcome! I was a self-payer so I can't help you with navigating the insurance maze. I just wanted to wish you well on your journey--I hope it works out for you! I can say that I haven't regretted having the surgery for a minute! I feel very fortunate that the band has been a good solution to help me control my eating habits. Good luck!

I don't know anything about getting lapband surgery in Mexico, but I wanted to take the time to wish you luck!!! I hope you are able to find a good surgeon and make your lapband dreams come true!

Hi! What I love the most since being banded is not having an insatiable appetite any more. I no longer have a desire to eat mass quantities of pizza or anythign else--hooray! Now that I've had several fills, I no longer obsess over what I'm going to eat at the next meal. I can pretty much eat three times a day without a desire to snack (except before my TOM--I still get some cravings I have to battle then)! I do have trouble eating some foods although it is usually my own dumb fault for not chewing enough before I swallow. I still go out to lunch with my coworkers sometimes (only a couple of my closest colleagues, my ex, and my son know about the surgery). I typically order an appetizer and I still often have leftovers to take with me! Although I could eat anything on the menu, I choose to select items that are tasty but not the most fattening, fried, smothered in sauce food I can find. I think that's one difference between banding and gastric bypass. A gastric bypass patient can't eat anything they want because it could lead to "dumping syndrome." Since I have more freedom as a bandster, I think it's important for me to make good food choices whenever I can. If I've just had a fill and have to drink liquids, I just tell them that I need to stop at home or go do an errand at lunch and I can't join them this time. Not a big deal! I don't know a whole lot about what it takes to sing professionally, but weight loss in general would bring you a lot of health benefits. Doctors say that even losing as little as 10% of your current weight will lessen your risk of developing diabetes. If you weigh less, you'll be able to move and breathe better. Perhaps breathing better might actually improve your singing? As far as recovery is concerned, I agree with everyone else that after a week or so you'll probably start feeling like your old self. You will be able to sleep however you like once you've healed enough. Just think--if you have this surgery, work to change those life-long eating habits, and move more, you'll be well on your way to being a "delectable diva" on the stage! Good luck!!!

Welcome, Bandpal! I hope all goes well with your surgery! You've taken a big step toward becoming a healthier you! Keep us posted on how things go for you!

Welcome to all of you new bandsters! I'm sending positive thoughts to all of you! Good luck with your procedure! Be sure to follow all of your doctor's orders. Don't hesitate to call him/her if you have any questions or if anything seems unusual. Best wishes on your journey to becoming bootylicious! LOL

I'm learning how to give myself a great big kick in the butt when I start falling apart! One thing that helped me was to pull out all of the materials I got from my doctor's office, reread all of it, and make sure I the foods I'm supposed to eat are in the house. I also made sure I went home for lunch or packed a lunch to bring to work. Keeping a food journal is another good idea. A lot of people on this forum use websites to track their food intake, but I went the low-tech route and chose to write in a journal. Planning ahead will help you avoid having to make a mad dash to Mickey D's. As everyone else said, things will get easier once your restriction is better! Hang in there--we all have hard times!

Stupid question of the day: How do you know who is a patient coordinator and who isn't?

I am quite grossed-out now. First the fried cranberry sauce, now we're going on about people who can't even find a person not related to them to marry. Or someone of a legal age for marriage. Oh so icky! Geez--even I managed to do that! LOL

Since I started the thread, do I have the power to veto the addition of green's "Newbies have the right to ask what PB and NSV mean" statement? LOL Sorry, green! I think that it should read "Newbies have to right to research information about their new band on Lapbandtalk.com." Get thee to the abbreviations thread! LOL Hee, hee!

I don't have a problem with people immigrating to the U.S. as long as the people coming in follow the laws of our country. It would also be nifty if immigrants could make some attempt to assimilate into our wacky American culture like they used to in the "old days". If I moved to Russia, for example, I wouldn't expect everyone else to feel sorry for me and learn English. I would learn Russian (or whatever dialect is spoken where I am going). But, I digress from the topic at hand. Does anyone know how the "socialized" medical systems in other countries work? Do they really take care of everyone or is that just some noble ideal?