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HI! I am going this week to apply for my passport and am hoping to get sleeve surgery scheduled either before June 4 or after June 14. (Hubby is going on a group camping trip with my 4 yr old son on June 9-13 and my 2 yr old son will be home with me). I am paying cash for my surgery but I won't have the money until May 15. I was wondering how soon can you get your surgery scheduled after putting down your deposit. How many days is the preop diet? Where do you get the preop diet from? Guess I'm wondering if I have enough time for preop after paying deposit if I want the surgery beginning of June. Obviously, the sooner the better since I can't wait to have it done. lol I don't want to go down there in the middle of a blazing hot summer...not that it would be much different for me here in AZ. But here, I know my a/c works.

I had my WLS on 5/5/2011. Since then I have been on the usual liquid post op diet. My typical routine is listed as such... I wake up, start my Protein drink (11FL. OZ. 30g Protein), take my chewable Multivitamin (1 in the morning and another at night), sip Water through out the day, have a sugar free Popsicle, and repeat the routine for lunch and dinner. Here is where I feel lost. I have no clue where my stomach capacity is... I AM NOT TRYING TO PUSH MY BOUNDARIES or GO AGAINST WHAT MY DOCTOR HAS INSTRUCTED. After reading different posts I am getting the feeling that either I am sipping wrong or my surgeon did my sleeve wrong (sarcastic undertone). When I sip, I take in around 1-2 tbsp(s) at a time. I never really timed myself but if I were to guesstimate, it takes me anywhere from 1 - 1.5 hours to finish my Protein Drink. I watched this youtube video of this individual being 2 weeks post op and finishing an 8FL. OZ protein drink would take them 3 hours. I would love to hear back from anyone in regards to their routines/techniques/etc. I would also like to ask anyone/everyone, "What signs/indicators does your body give you to let you know it's either time to slow down or time to quiet?" Thank you all in Advanced!

I had my group seminar on January 21st and I'm scheduled for April 22nd Surgery. Definitely doable! You just need to stay on top of your appointments. Be aware that the NUT may require two visits 30 days apart. That's the one thing I wasn't aware of and yet I made that my last appointment. I could have been done 2 weeks earlier.

Hi I been reading the posts for the last week & found it so helpful. I live in Western Australia & my surgery is next Tuesday 5 Feb. Feeling a little anxious but know it will be ok. I don't have do do the pre op shakes so guess I am lucky. Any WA people out ther

Yes, Veterans Day, a good thing to remember. I would drink as much as you want all the way up to your surgery, because afterwards you will have to let it go for at least three or four months and very little then. I would take the suggestion of Lissa to switch to decaffeinated the last week though, you won't need the headaches on top of every thing else.

Congratulations on taking the first step! I am a week away from my surgery and I can tell you the time does go fast. I started my journey 7 months ago. You may have requirements from your insurance carrier. Those are what make the time fly by. Good luck and keep us posted!

Hi, I was allowed sugar free puddings and skin milk during the full stage. Cottage cheese I could eat during the liquid stage if I blended it small curds. Like everyone has said each doctor has their preferences as far as the diets go. For me it was 4 days clear, one week full 1 week mushy 1 week soft and full diet at one month.

Hi, I'm waiting on my insurance to approve my band to RNY revision. They have approved my port revision (three months ago - which I had to wait on pre-existing condition clause) until now to have. I was banded April 11, 2008 by Dr. John Bagnato, Albany GA. Assessment day I was at 271, with a pre-op diet I went into Surgery at 259 pounds. By my first fill I was down about twenty pounds - or perhaps I should say attempt at a first fill - my port had flipped. So I had to schedule revision surgery, which I had in July. I think lost an average of 15 pounds a month. I found out right after my revision surgery my husband was having an affair - emotionally I was a wreck but I think it gave me a push. By November I was down to 214 (my lowest weight). I worked out, followed all the rules - strictly and even ran in a 5k. My marriage continued to deteriorate and by December I asked for a divorce. We separated in February. I ended up moving to my hometown in Florida (four hours away) in March. It never dawned on me the impact of moving to another state would have on my health due to my band. I ended up getting sick and had to get an unfill a few months after moving to Florida. I went back to Georgia for one fill which I had to have removed due to esophagous spasms. When my divorce was final in October 2009 I lost my benefits. I quit my job when I left and it took me four months to find a job (and it didn't offer benefits). But with two small children to feed I didn't feel I had much choice. So no doctor, no follow-up. I tried to find a doctor in Florida to see me, closer than four hours away. No one would take me. I tried everything. I finally found a doctor in Pensacola that would see me. He was able to put in 1cc (I have a 10cc band) in November 2010. I went back in March for my second fill and he couldn't access my port. By the way my port is in my chest, stitched to my left breast muscle). He said it has to be moved. We filed the insurance and they denied me due to pre-existing condition (June 2010 is when my insurance took effect, so I had to wait until June 2011 for anything related to my band). In May I started having port pains and reflux issued - I had an upper GI done. I have mobility issues in my esophogus and some erosion...so I'm told that the band has to come out. I had an appointment Wednesday of this week with him. He confirmed it and we discussed alternatives. I had been reseraching the RNY for a few weeks (once he told me bye bye band)...so now I'm waiting on insurance approval. I'm curious how many of us are out there? and if it is specific to the doctor or type of band? Is there a specific timeline when the failures/complications begins. For the longest time I blamed myself - thought I'd done something wrong. It appears after getting back on LBT (after a two year departure), I'm not the only one. I really hope this RNY site takes off...looking forward to talking to everyone...

I would say yes. I think they celery is hard to digest because its stringy, but if its cooked and pureed it should be fine. I ate some celery in soup at about 3 weeks post op. It was cooked really soft, and I didn't have any problems.

Every person who has a Lap-Band. This may help you in understanding the restrictive mechanism of a Lap-Band. The INAMED protocol for Lap-Band fills calls for a six-week delay after surgery, prior to any fills. The purpose for the six-week delay is for the patient’s stomach to heal from the surgery, as well as allowing time for the Lap-Band to “Seat” or “Nestle” into the fat pad between the stomach wall and the interior wall of the Lap-Band. Prior to receiving an EFFECTIVE fill, it is VERY uncommon to have any restriction from a Lap-Band. Some patients will NOT lose weight, or may even GAIN weight until they have received an effective fill in their Lap-Band. Normal weight loss with a properly restricted Lap-Band is between 1 and 2 pounds per week. The normal cycle of fills, restriction and weight loss is as follows: 1. The patient's Lap-Band constricts when the patient receives a fill. Swelling for a few days after receiving a fill is very common. Many doctors require a patient to go on a liquid diet for a day or two after receiving a fill. A fill may have a “Delayed Action” of up to two weeks. A “Delayed-Action” means that the fill may not become effective for up to two weeks after the fill. That is why the INAMED protocol states that fills should not be performed on patients who will not have access to medical care for at least two weeks after a fill. 2. The patient's stomach capacity is lessened as a result of the restriction caused by the Lap-Band. 3. The patient loses weight because they cannot eat as much food. 4. The residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the outside of the patient's stomach reduces in size because of the overall weight loss in the patient. 5. The reduction of the residual fat-pad causes the Lap-Band to become loose again. 6. At that point, the patient needs another fill, because the Lap-Band is loose, and the patient has a loss of restriction, which allows the patient to eat larger amounts of food. 7. The patient receives another fill and the process starts all over again. Most Lap-Band patients receive several fills to adjust the Lap-Band as their weight loss progresses, and there is less and less residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the exterior of the stomach wall. Once a patient has lost all of their residual fat-pad, fills become less common. As the Lap-Band patient progresses in their weight loss, the effect of very tiny fills (Less than .2ccs) becomes greater and greater. It is not uncommon for a late-stage Lap-Band patient to experience a significant difference in restriction with as little as .05cc of fill.

Stacey the lap band was a last resort for me! This will be my first baby. Once I got the lap band done, I was regular as anything from the first month. This has been such a blessing for me! Definitely keep the faith Stacey! I had given up and didn't think I would ever get pregnant....but I was 13 weeks when I found out I was!

I haven't had a baby yet, but I am pregnant now after being told for the last 6 years I couldn't have children. My doctor doesn't usually do an unfill, but he did have to take out 1.5 cc's because my band tightened so much I was unable to eat and lost about 10 pounds in a month period. Since having my band loosened I have gained back 5 pounds in the last 3 weeks, which is what I needed to do. Now I'm on course for the typical 1 pound a week. I feel my port no differently than I did before I was pregnant, but I'm only 15 1/2 weeks at the moment. I will be able to have a natural birth, barring any complications (that won't be band related). The band should not affect my pregnancy at all. Because I plan on breastfeeding, I will not get my band tightened up immediately because I will require an additional 500 calories a day. I can answer more questions the further along I get.

Thank you all. I work at the same hospital that my PCP works at so I emailed her personally on Friday demanding answers. I think up to that point her nurse was interceding my messages. I also got the Upper GI disc just in case. I tried calling the bariatric team where I work and none of them would take me on because "they don't fix other surgeon's messes." A friend of mine who was bypassed let me vent last week and then sent me a list of about 5 surgeons in my area who may be able to help. I am going to start calling their offices tomorrow to see if other people can take me on. My other problem though at this point I'm disregarding is because I work for a hospital my insurance is geared for that hospital so if I go to any other hospital in my area they will only pay a small portion of what I need. I'm hoping tomorrow I can get some answers tomorrow.

I want to thank you all for your advice and support. My surgeon's office called this afternoon (he apparently forgot) and saw me tonight. Instead of my band being at the usual 2 and 8 its at 1 and 7 so we aren't far off. He's going to double check my new gi with the initial post op one. He also removed some of the fill and said within 2 wks I should be ok. Thanks again, I really appreciate all the support. This last week was the most nerve wracking ever.

First of all congrats on your 34lbs. that is fantastic!! Every person and body type is different, so how do THEY know how much you should be losing? Right answer: THEY DON'T. It's easy to stand on the sidelines and be a critic. Obviously you're losing exactly what you should be losing for YOU. Keep in mind that you did this for you and not anyone else! In my opinion I think you're worrying too much about what other people are saying and thinking which is making you stress, which is what may be impacting as you said "getting into your old habits". Block those people out! Remember who you did this for and why. Get that motivation to prove them wrong and to yourself that you can and will do this. I don't know how far or what you mean by getting back into old habits so if you want to share what some of those are maybe I can give you some more specific pointers but if it were me and I knew that I had gotten way off course, then yes, I would reset from the beginning with pre-op, maybe not for 2 weeks but for a few days, then slowly progress to your mushies etc. You can do it, just get all of that negativity out of your head and get that determination and you WILL succeed!!!

Hello all, I have a few weeks before my final NUT appointment. My boys, ages 7 and 14 have no idea that I plan to do this surgery. My oldest son has watched me struggle for years with my weight, exercising, eating healthy, but I have never made a point to say that I am struggling, or make negative comments about my weight. I want their self images to be positive, and not focus only on a scale. How did you all decide to tell your kids? Your thoughts/experiences are welcomed! Heather

Hi, im Bob. Im having my surgery on March 3rd. Im getting pretty nervous, most of it is from surgery but im wondering if i can be back to work in 2 weeks(assuming everything will go ok). Im a self employed plumber, job usually involves heavy lifting. Could possibly do "lighter" duty for a week or two. My dr. told me she doesnt put a time frame on returning, she said if i feel up to it, its fine. She said everyone is different and she encourages getting into normal routine as soon as possible. She also does not require a liquid diet, just no solid food the day before. Im going to try to do liquid diet 1 week before on my own. Just wondering if its possible to return to physical job within 2 weeks? Thanks and good luck to all.

Down 50 lbs, do cardio and strength training at least 3-4 times a week but my inner arms and inner thighs are so flabby. Any ideas how to tighten them up a bit?

How far out are you? I didn't even attempt to exercise for 4 weeks post op. I have had no issues with endurance since that point. At first it was hard, but I have built up over time. I did a five mile bike ride today and six miles yesterday and meet with a trainer tomorrow. It will get easier.

Hi, I'm December 21 per op starts week after next. Getting excited NZ KIWI GIRL!!

Driving is a function of when you get off the pain meds. I used no pain meds after surgery and was able to drive around 4 days after surgery. Two objectives prior to surgery. 1. Walk around 30 minutes each day beginning now and walk every 2 hours after surgery. That will minimize the pain and make the recovery process smoother. 2. If you haven't given up caffeine and carbonated beverages, do that now. I went cold turkey on my 6 diet Coke a day habit and suffered a week of severe withdrawal syndrome of severe headaches and body aches. Better to get over that now than mix it up with the effects of surgery.

Tera, Congrats! This week will fly by for sure. I had my lap band on Feb 3rd and I also self paid. After three years of fighting with two different companies I said screw it and did what needed to be done. My surgeon says that the surgery will pay for itself in about two years. I just laughed and said if it makes all of my co-morbidities go away and lessens my back and hip pain it will be well worth the mula for sure. I think the day after surgery I was like "What did I just do to myself?" By day four it was all bueno though. I remember reading on this site about how people didn't crave soft drinks anymore and I was like bet me, but I swear I'm almost beginning week three on the 19th and I've not missed them at all. It's very strange lol. Anyway, look forward to seeing you around and pm me anytime you want to chat.. Good Luck and Happy Band Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :tongue2:

Hi Tera!! I had my surgery 2/2/09, and things are going great! I must admit, on the 2nd day, i was also thinking..."what have I done??" But...day 16 is here, and I am so glad I did it! It hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be. You will think...there's no way I'll be full...but you will be! It's pretty amazing!! I honestly don't miss the things I thought I would. I know it's only been 16 days, but this is when I would usually throw in the towel on any diet I was on!!!! Good luck to you tomorrow, and the weeks ahead!

Hi all, the ONE biggest mistake I made post op was not joining a gym and going hard core into gym life. I have regained a solid portion of my initial weight loss. I am struggling. New surgeon put me on Contrave for a few weeks to kick me in the butt. As part of this process, he also asked me to focus on eating 6-8 times a day, with dinner being the only 'meal' and all others being protein focused mini-meals such as a shake, a hunk of cheese, and a deviled egg, a quest bar, a few meatballs, etc. At the same time, I joined the local community center and had a trainer set up a program for me to get started. My ultimate goal is to get fiercely strong, buff and hopefully have enough muscle ratio that my metabolic burn will stay consistent and I can eat like a lifter. A little piece of my brain has a HUGE dream that someday, I'll be fit and buff enough to compete in a fitness competition....But for now, this is just a simple program to get my metabolism going. I'm a bit nervous that I could potentially drop my blood sugar while lifting and get that horrible hypoglycemic feeling. I've dropped before during times of great stress. I THINK if I eat half a quest before I lift, and half WHILE I lift that would help. I don't really have any access to somebody who can guide my process. The trainer at my gym is solely trained in basic exercise science. The NUT at my doc's office is looking at ONLY a bariatric approach. I really would love to find a trainer who could expertly design an eating plan AND a workout plan for me. I'd love input from those gym life folks who can recommend to me WHO to see, what to eat pre workout, intra workout and post workout, and any suggestions for getting myself going in the right direction, once and for all.

I'm not yet a week post-op but I can't wait to eat some hummus!!:confused: