I am still in the process of weighing all options but am leaning heavily towards banding due to my insurance covers 100% with little complications.

I have questions...my friend had banding and did AWESOME but died two years ago (unrelated to surgery) so i can't talk to her and need somebody to give me some answers! going to my seminar in a week but would like some thoughts to consider before then. so here goes...

1. what was YOUR pre-op diet/fast like? one doc here does 10 days, one does only 3 days! i'm curious as to WHAT the pre-op diet looks like also

2. how long were you on liquids, softs, etc post-op?

3. do you eat any of the 'regular' foods you ate pre-op or have you overhauled your entire diet? there are truly some things that i can deal with eating very limited portions of, no problem, and even eating just a couple times a year, but a couple of things specifically that i can't imagine having to give up completely.

4. how bad will my hair get, really? my hair is one of my very best features (really...i've been a hair model in the past!) and i don't want to lose it all or get so thin that i have to shave it or something!

5. what AREN'T they telling me? i've seen the burp issues, the throwing up (from my friend), the over-fill problems, and an incisional infection. but what else, do i have to worry about (gall stones not an issue, lost that years ago)...

I currently am diagnosed with PCOS, and the hypertension, high cholesterol and rapid heart rates that go along with it, the Insulin resistance that goes along with it, Fatty Liver disease, Barrett's Esophagus and take four meds daily related to these things. I'm SICK of this, and not even 40 yet. if I don't do something, i truly believe i won't see 45...i know that a band isn't a magic pill. i have to do the work too, but I need something to help with portion control, something to teach me 'fullness', and I believe that this is my answer.

thanks in advance for advice, answers and help!

HI ...Good for you for gatering the info to make a wise educated decision. I will answer your questions but the best advise I can give you is ... if you do exactly as your Dr says you will be successful with the band. If not you run the risk of failing. The band is a tool and will do 70% of the owrk for you. You must be willing to do the other 30%.

1. My pre op diet was 5 Optifast shakes a day. I was allowed Water, broth and 2 sugar free popsicles in addition to the shakes. My diet lasted 2 weeks pre op. I lost 22 lbs. It taught me I can live without food. I can function on 800 calories each day and it shrunk my liver for a successful surgery.

2. Post Op I was on clear liquid for 1 week. The 2nd week I was on creamy liquids and the 3rd week I was on mushies.

3. I do not eat like I did pre op. SOme of the foods might be the same but I only eat 3-4 oz of protien, 1/2 c veggies and 1/4 c starch at each meal so I cannot even compare the two. If I have a hamburger it isnt from McDonalds and I only eat 2-3 bites of it without the bun.

4. No one can tell you how bad it will or wont get. Mine didnt get thin at all. My friend was banded and hers didnt fall out either. So if you have nice hair I wouldnt worry. And should it thin out the odds are it will regrow. I did take Biotin however just in case.

5. I have had zero complicaitons and I have lost 208 lbs since being banded 22 months ago. I believe that if you follow your Drs orders, eath the roper portions, track your calories and view the way you think you need food... you will be successfull.

All the best to you. I hope you make an informed decision

1. what was YOUR pre-op diet/fast like? one doc here does 10 days, one does only 3 days! i'm curious as to WHAT the pre-op diet looks like also I didn't have to do a pre-op diet. My surgeon typically did 2 weeks of skim milk and Water only. My BMI was 36 at the start of surgery and he didn't feel my liver would be at risk of being too fatty for surgery. I opted to do a modified verson of the diet, drinking only milk and water during the day and having a high protein/low cal dinner. I lost 13 lbs in the 10 days before surgery.

2. how long were you on liquids, softs, etc post-op? Two days of either Protein shake or water, two weeks of full liquids, two weeks of "mushies", two weeks of soft food, then regular. After each fill, I have to do 24 hours of liquids then 24 hours of mushies.

3. do you eat any of the 'regular' foods you ate pre-op or have you overhauled your entire diet? there are truly some things that i can deal with eating very limited portions of, no problem, and even eating just a couple times a year, but a couple of things specifically that i can't imagine having to give up completely. The only thing I completely avoid is carbonation. I do follow a high protein/low cal diet most of the time. I have had on a few occasions chicken strips, grabbed a few french fries, etc. It's not something I have a habit of, mostly I eat very good, but it's much easier to satisfy the craving on a much smaller level than eat around my craving - - instead of just having a few french fries, eating 10 other salty things.

4. how bad will my hair get, really? my hair is one of my very best features (really...i've been a hair model in the past!) and i don't want to lose it all or get so thin that i have to shave it or something! I had surgery May 18th and just started noticing extra shedding about three weeks ago. My diet has not been the greatest - - over the past few weeks I've struggled to get in my Protein requirements. I started taking Biotin to help my nails and hair grow better. I have fine hair but a LOT of it - - my hair is very thick and the small loss is not noticable at all. By loss I mean, I used to get about 5 strands after shampooing. Now I have about 20. It's not big at all, and if you focus on your nutrition and take supplements the thinning may not even happen.

5. what AREN'T they telling me? i've seen the burp issues, the throwing up (from my friend), the over-fill problems, and an incisional infection. but what else, do i have to worry about (gall stones not an issue, lost that years ago)...

Hmmm...I don't have the burping issue. I have never thrown up but I'm very in tune with my body and when I feel full, I stop. I'm still working up to a good fill level and have not experienced an over-fill. My incisions healed like a dream.

I struggle with eating slow enough to get full without getting stuck. I've always been a fast eater and took big bites so it's work every time I eat to stop, FOCUS, slow down, and chew. My port shows now that I've lost over 50 lbs. It's just a slight bump in my side, and I don't think anyone notices except me so far, but it's there. Doesn't bother me, I'm proud that I've lost enough for it to show, but still. Also - losing weight is kind of hard to deal with mentally. I look in the mirror and still see the 243 lb girl staring back at me. Yes, my original clothes hang off me, I've lost two shirt sizes and four pant sizes, but mentally I still see the same girl. So that's been a challange.

Overall, being banded is the best decision I've ever made. There have been good days and bad days, but overall, I don't regret one day.

1. what was YOUR pre-op diet/fast like? one doc here does 10 days, one does only 3 days! i'm curious as to WHAT the pre-op diet looks like also I was so geared up for the surgery to happen that I was willing it to happen. I started the pre-op diet the day after my free consultation. So, I was on/off for two weeks and then steady for 2 weeks leading up to the surgery. The "norm" for my doctor is 2 weeks prior to surgery to be on this diet and lose at least 10 lbs. I lost 10 then gained 5 because I stopped, then lost another 7lbs so total preop loss was only 12lbs, but had i done it to the T ... I would have lost more. I am my own worst enemy with following diets.

2. how long were you on liquids, softs, etc post-op? .I too was like the previous poster where it was two days of Protein shakes/clear fluids and then two weeks of liquids (broths, tea, Protein shakes .. what i call the easy stuff) then 1 week of mushy foods (oatmeal, mashed potatoes, yogurt, Jello ... what i call sliders) and then easing in to soft foods. I didn't exactly follow the diet, as I was hungry so I had those campbell Soup at hand once a day 1 1/2 weeks post op. I drank the protein shakes, but it took me a while to find the one that wouldn't make me loathe drinking it and wouldn't make me gag. I am happy with muscle milk or premium protein shakes.

3. do you eat any of the 'regular' foods you ate pre-op or have you overhauled your entire diet? there are truly some things that i can deal with eating very limited portions of, no problem, and even eating just a couple times a year, but a couple of things specifically that i can't imagine having to give up completely. I have cut back on my Dr. Pepper habit. I was a large DP girl. Me and McDonalds were on a first name basis. They knew when I pulled up I was getting a large DP and 2 sausage Breakfast tacos. Now, I can only eat one, and that is eating the inside, not the tortilla. Tortilla is now my foe. I used to be able to eat chicken, but now at 6cc I am unable to eat it successfully because it is just too dry and gets stuck. I haven't tried a hamburger. It scares me since I am to the point now where one of those Chobani Greek yogurt cups fills me up. I used to go to my favorite mexican restaurant and get the #1 and chips and queso. Now that I have braved eating out, I can go and eat a few chips with queso and 1 taco (inside of taco mostly). It is amazing to see all the food you used to eat and how you can't even eat 1/4 of that now! I love it though!

4. how bad will my hair get, really? my hair is one of my very best features (really...i've been a hair model in the past!) and i don't want to lose it all or get so thin that i have to shave it or something! I really think the hair loss thing is based on nutrition. I take Biotin on and off, but I haven't noticed a significant loss in hair volume or weight. I just recently cut my below the shoulders hair to a cute bob and went blondish so I am not a good example since my hair is healthier since getting trimmed up twice now since surgery and I don't notice hair loss like I did with longer hair since I don't have to fuss with it as much.

5. what AREN'T they telling me? i've seen the burp issues, the throwing up (from my friend), the over-fill problems, and an incisional infection. but what else, do i have to worry about (gall stones not an issue, lost that years ago)...

I am able to burp like a champ. Not all the time, but my body seems to burp on its own. If I don't burp, I fart. Just giving it to you real. I lost the ability to regurgitate, meaning I really can't throw up anymore. I spit up thick spit. Sometimes I would consider it slime-ing but no food comes back up. Mostly this is due to my eating too fast or drinking while eating and then the pressure pushes the liquid up like a burp. I didn't have incision problems.

Honestly, the one thing that they didn't prepare me for was the hunger. It is purely mental. Before I got my first fill, I called them Stomach #1 and Stomach #2. # 2 being below the band, was grumbling and seemingly hungry. #1 wasn't. I thought I was starving. I thought OMG what did I do and how in the world am I supposed to function on just a protein shake when I could down 2 breakfast tacos for breakfast easy! Mind over matter. Take it slow. Reach out to others. Go to a support meeting. You ARE NOT alone. ASK ASK ASK and if you don't get an answer, ask again. Don't give up and most of all, believe in yourself!

I agree with the person above. The hardest part is retraining yourself to eat. It is like learning to eat all over again. My biggest struggle is still that I can hear my mom in my head saying "there are kids in africa that are starving. don't get up from the table until you eat everything on that plate" .. solution .. eat from a smaller plate. i eat from my son's kiddie plates now. he thinks it is cool that we use the same dishes now anyway. i haven't gotten the measuring down yet, but it will be helpful to measure your food until you get a good sense of what 4oz of food looks like, because that is essentially what they want you to be eating 3 times a day with no Snacks. Find the protein shake that falls within guidelines and that you like, because otherwise you will hate those things. Take your multi-vitamin. Drink plenty of Water. For some reason I don't get thirsty for water or crystal light, so I didn't drink much, but would be hungry, so I have learned to drink 8-16oz of water before the meal and BAM I really was just thirsty not hungry.

Best advice I can give you ... Take it slow. Everyone will experience this journey differently. You CAN do this! Be honest in your answers to the questions they ask you about your eating habits between follow up visits. Voice your concerns to the Nurse Practitioner and ask ask ask. This is your body, your band, your journey.

My biggest lesson so far. I needed to own up to my feelings/emotions. I need to stop swallowing my hurt/angst/stress figuratively and physically.

Message me any time you want! Good luck and congrats on making the decision to take the step to a new you!