cckcsharp

Awesome, Cathy. So happy to see your success. Thanks for sharing your whoo hoo moment with us.

Welcome Tara. And congrats on your decision. I just got back from the OCC. I did enjoy a nice meal the night before my surgery and this included a few bites of cake and ice cream. My husband got some and I had a few tastes. So if you are arriving on the 11th and not having surgery until the next morning you can enjoy a nice "last meal" but just go light. Don't binge and stuff yourself. But a small delicious meal is okay. I also ate it early in the day around 4 pm. This way I new it had plenty of time to work it's way through before my surgery the next morning.

I have heard that cookies turn to mush in your mouth and go right through the band. Just got banded and still on liquids, so I haven't tested this, but I did hear it somewhere that cookies were bad because you can eat and eat and eat them.

Thanks for sharing Stormy.

hey all, Just thought I would share with you that I leave tomorrow. I don't fly out until Tuesday but I drive to Omaha (2.5 hours away, for cheap tickets) stay the night there and then fly out early tues morning. I am hoping i can find a hotel with a computer to keep in touch but I am not counting on it. I am really excited but beginning to get nervous. AM I READY FOR THIS??? I think I love food too much. Will I be able to do this? I am miserable on the preop, starving!!! Does the hunger go away a little more with the post op? I sure hope so. Well just wanted to let you all know what was going on. I will talk to you on the other side!!

Heidi, by the time you read this, you will probably already have your surgery. I just got to feeling good enough(after my surgery) to post this morning when I saw that you were GONE!!! I am sorry that I missed wishing you good luck and safe trip. Please keep us posted on how you are doing after your surgery. I am anxious to hear how things go for you. I am thinking of you and hoping the best. Can't wait to hear from you.

Hey Vix,

I am glad to hear that you are doing well. I left the OCC after surgery and didn't see you again. I wasn't sure if you had been able to go back to your hotel room the same night or not, until I read your post on here. I am jealous that you have a good nights sleep after surgery. I didn't. We did go shopping the next day on revolution and it wasn't that bad. But we went early in the morning so I think it was much calmer than your visit in the afternoon. We were only there a few hours before I was ready to go back to our room. We left early sunday morning at 6 AM and I thought I would see you then, but didn't. When did you guys leave TJ? Anyway, glad to hear that your doing well and home safe. I am finally feeling better myself this morning. I hope those other people that had surgery will join the group. I would love to keep update on how they are doing too. I guess will see.

I love the humor in this whole experience. I was just banded and yes, it is scary and nerve racking. But you guys that are band pros, help those of us newbies see the light at the end of the tunnel. The humor really helps us get through it. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks everyone. I wasn't on for a couple of days because I really felt yucky. But today I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The burning acidy feeling in my stomach is starting to settle and disappear. I still have the gas pains but I think even they are getting better. I think it really was do to lack of food in my stomach. I was not even interested in anything, but made myself drink something every few hours to help. Today, I ate yogurt, since the paperwork says I can have yogurt on day 4. But I am nervous even about that, not wanting to screw up the band. So I ate it very very slowly. So I am confidant that each day I will feel better and better. Thanks a bunch

Hey everyone, I just arrived home from Tj and I just have one major question to start. I feel like my stomach is on fire. Just that acidy burning feeling. Is this normal? I keep getting random feelings of pressure like something is stuck and I assume this is the gas. But I seem to have constant burning. Please tell me this gets better. What can I do to help the burning feeling?

Hi everyone. We arrived yesterday for pre-op and then today, I got to be the first person to have surgery today. It went fast and smooth. I do feel a little bad right now about 4-5 hours after my surgery. I am having bad pain in my left shoulder and the back on my left shoulder blade. It also hurts when I take deep breaths and I feel pressure in my chest. Almost like something is stuck or too full. I hope this goes away soon. I take regular walks trying to work it out and feel better. Vix just came out of surgery a few minutes ago, she was last. So I am sure she will be on in a while and tell you all about her surgery. I will check back in a while hopefully feeling better

I totally agree with Phoenix on this. Have the new fill doctor check the amount of fluid to confirm if there is a leak. I honestly think the first doc missed the port and put nothing in your band. So the second fill really was your first fill. Based on all that you have told us, this honestly seems like the mostly scenerio. More likely than a leaky band. Not to say that's not a possibilty, but the first scenerio is more likely the issue. I would definetly kick up a major stink if you can confirm that there is no leak and the first doctor just missed the port. I would demand your money back and also report him to whoever or whatever you can. Your experience was so horrible, that even if he did get your port, he may have also punctured the tubing causing a leak, in which case I would be contacting a lawyer. I am so sorry that this has happened to you. But think positive. It is just likely that the second fill was your first "real" fill and that you are totally normal right now. You are in my prayers sweetie and I am hoping for the best outcome in your situation.

I know you were suppose to be going now and I am sorry. I can't imagine having looked so forward to this and then having it pass you up. I am so glad you are still here. Hope to hear a date soon.

Donna, I agree. I will come back with amazing stories for you to tell your husband so he can see how beneficial this can be for you. I am hoping that you can get a surgery date soon and get what you need and deserve

Good luck to you Jessica! I scheduled my band for Oct 10 so I'm not too far behind. I know what you mean about starting your new life. With my big day scheduled I do sort of feel like my life's in a holding pattern.

It will come soon!

Sending good thoughts your way!!

Hugs,

Jessica in Draper

I feel the same way about that holding pattern thing. Even though I have lost 25 pounds pre-op and I measured and I have even lost inches too!!! Yeah!!! But I still feel like I am waiting for the band to be able to really start this new life. I leave tomorrow early morning. I will check in when I get back.

I wish you too an AWESOME time in TJ - and know that you are in the "hottest" hands

Good Luck

Thanks so much. I am excited to come back and get started on my new life.

I am leaving for surgery on Thursday and getting banded on Friday. I am so excited and a little nervous. I lost another 6 pounds, so I am now down 25 pounds pre-op.

Thanks for everyone's help to get me to this point.

Vix, our flights are close. I arrive in San Diego at 10:40 A.M. I bet that we will end up riding to Tijuana together. What airline are you going to be on. I will be on Delta. I am excited to meet you. See you there.

The Gastric bypass is a two part surgery. One is restriction in the new smaller stomach pouch, the second part is lack of absorption due to the re-routing of the intestines. When a GB patient eats, there food is in and out of the body much faster because it skips the large intestines and goes straight to the small ones. Therefore, less calories can be absorbed. We only get the restriction part. But with much much less complications. Our surgery is revearsable, theirs is not. My friend had the gastric bypass and it turned into 6 sugeries over 1 year due to all the complications. The gastric bypass in so much more invasive and they are permantly changing your "guts" around. And those patients can eat "around" there surgery too. My same friend started at 325 and lost down to 150. But at about 2 years post op, she weighed 215 again. That is why I did not want to do the Gastric bypass. I thought, screw that. 6 surgeries and she's back to being in the Obese catagory. Not worth it. If you take a lapband patient and a GB patient and look at them one year post op, usually the GB patient will have lost more, but look at them again at the 2 year mark and research says they are about the same. We just lose weight slower, but with less complications and side effects.

Well, folks, Fay is just now starting to leave my area, but we got almost 20 inches of rain and I can't leave my townhouse. The lake behind me flooded and came out into the streets and you can't drive. Looks like I'll probably be here the rest of the day from the amount of water. My electricity came back on around 3am and has stayed on, so at least there's that. And I have plenty of band-friendly food to tide me over. It's gonna be a long day...

Hope anyone else affected by the storm is doing well!

That stinks, but on a good note, your here talking to us.

Where in Utah do you live. I am the other Jessica and I live in Layton. There are a few choices here for fills. We have a fills center, USA in SLC. But I have heard mixed reviews about the doc there. I am being banded in 5 days, so I have not yet used any fill docs. Also, there is a bariatric doc in SLC named Dr. Cottam. He will do fills for $100, but he does them blind, no flouro. He is the only actual bariatric doc in the wasatch front that will do fills on mexican banded patients. Also, if you live more north, there is another fill center in Pocatello. It's 2 hours from where I am. I have heard better things about this doc, then the SLC fill center. But then you have to add gas money to cost of the fill if you go to Pocatello. I have priced flights from SLC to San deigo for same day fills, and it's about the same as if you stay here and the fill done in SLC. However, if you return to Tijuana and stay the night, you will pay more to return. I honestly have not yet decided what I am going to do. I know it's one of those options, and I know your suppose to set up aftercare before you have the surgery, but I just don't know which route to take. I haven't been able to find a lot of other banded patients here in Utah that I get feed back from. There other thing you could consider is this. Say you have a good friend or family member in another state. You could see if there is a good fill doctor near where that person lives, and make it a fill and visit trip. Many people on this group live all over and can recommend great fill docs. Maybe you would have a friend or family member near that doc. Plus, you wouldn't have to pay for hotel if you could stay at that person's house.

I only have 5 days to go before banding, and I'm getting through the preop diet fine and have only 4 pounds to lose of the goal that Dr. Miranda gave me so I think I will make it. But, my original fears have started to creep back to the back of my mind. I'm starting to worry about pain and this is really getting to me. I am trying really hard to be strong around my husband since that was one of his concerns about my doing this, that I would be in pain...so I guess you guys get to hear my worries. I'm just so worried about being in pain the day after and then flying home. I know some people have said that they didn't have pain at all and then I just read on here where another person was in pain for several days. I know pain is subjective, but I know the power of the mind and I am just concerned that maybe I am talking myself in to pain. One of my unusual problems is that I am allergic to almost all pain medications. I can't take oxycontin, percodan, vicodin, codeine, darvon or darvocet. The only pain medications I can take are morphine (which I KNOW is too strong for this surgery), toradol (which is really hard on your kidneys I guess) and tramadol (but since tramadol is the only thing that I can use easily, I am almost immune to it). I'm just starting to let the fear get to me I guess...;(

Vix, you can do this. I don't think there will be a lot of pain based on what everyone says. Don't worry.

I am feeling better about myself than I ever have in my life. I feel like I am accomplishing a goal and looking better everyday.

I got a new blonder, shorter hairdo yesterday and feel sexy..oh and lost 43 lbs, that too!!LOL!!

Tell me what makes you feel sexy and amazing??

I can't say that I feel sexy yet, wait until I get banded though. But your pictures get more and more beautiful. Your a hot sexy chick now, and you should feel sexy. Hope your husband is enjoying this too. Congrats.

I was just banded August 18th and every night when I go to sleep I kind of "panic" about having something foreign in my body!! Is this normal? Will I get over it?

Francie, have you ever been pregnant? I ask this question, because when I became pregnant with my first child, this is exactly what I felt. Panic that not only something was in there, but it was GROWING!!! I cried and freaked for a few days and then got over it. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to have a baby, but my first pregnancy sort of freaked me out once I really understood that something was growing inside my body. It just took some time to wrap my brain around it and then I was okay. It's not weird at all to feel this way. Your totally normal.

Heidi,

I have been in your exact shoes for the past 6 1/2 weeks. And that first week it total hell in my opinion. But it does get better. Especially when you see results on the scale and it motivates you. And the hunger part does get better. I am now dealing with head aches and foggy brain, but not hungry anymore. Your BMI isn't over 50, so you will not be required to lose weight as much as those of us with the higher BMI. You must be tall by the way, because I weigh about the same as you right now and my BMI is like 51. I am short if you hadn't guessed. Anyway, they will want to see some weight loss though. Honestly, when I was doing the two shakes and one lean cuisine, I really couldn't lose. So I cut out the lean cuisine. Now I am just having mostly protein shakes, and then I will eat a very small amount of protein, such as some chicken or turkey that I have cooked for my family for dinner. I just eat the meat before I add it to whatever recipe I am making, and I certainly don't eat the other things that I am serving my kids with the meat. I keep the serving of meat to about 2 OZ. I just have had to count calories and make sure that I stay at 800 or lower. That is very low, but this was the only way I could get that scale to move. Before that, I was losing like 1 pound a week. And this was not enough to meet the goal they set for me for surgery. You are so close to surgery that I would totally suggest at least going all protein shakes at least for the last week before your surgery. This will help you lose 3-5 pounds, but more importantly will help shrink your liver for the surgery. That's what's important. Overweight people have very large and fatty livers. They actually have to hold the liver out of the way while the perform the surgery. This is difficult if your liver is too enlarged. Doing this pre-op diet will rapidly reduce the size and fat around your liver, helping the surgery to go better, with less risk of complication. So focus on that. You want the doctor to have the best chance possible and getting your surgery perfect. Eating, low fat and low carb will help your liver shrink. And yes, you can have a smart one. I would suggest reading the labels on each particular meal you buy. I think some are too high in calories, and some are too high in carbs. (thats lean cuisine too) Try to choose the ones that are more protein based. And drink lots and lots and lots of water. This helps so many ways. It will help the weight to come off and it will help with the hunger. Also, after avoiding restaurants for a period of time, they will almost begin to seem like an enemy or bad thing. We haven't done fast food in this past 6 weeks, and now it almost seems absurd to go eat at a fast food place, although we used to do it all the time. So after eating healthy for a while, your tastes and desires will change. At least it has for me. Also, if you are a diet soda drinker, stop. This was soooooo hard for me. I was addicted to diet mountain dew and diet pepsi. But here's something cool. After I quit drinking them for over a week, I decided to have one as a "reward" for that weeks weight loss. And it tasted so disgusting to me. I couldn't drink it. So I tried again a few weeks later and it tasted even worse the second time. After being off diet soda for just weeks, I no longer like it. I know for a fact that this helped me lose some weight. It is said that the artificial sweetners in diet soda can actually cause food cravings and higher appetite. I can't say for sure, but after getting rid of diet soda, I feel less hungry. Okay, I think I have talked too much. Anymore questions, just ask. I know it's hard, but you can do it.

This is my third day of preparation for lap band on September 4. The first day was torture; second bearable and third day stinks. I probably ate too much although only 1/2 of what I usually eat.

I've been told I can have two protien shakes a day, powder provided by Dr. Luttrell and one meal. Total 1000 calories.

One person in the office told me I needed to lose five pounds, the other said ten then changed it to 14 when I had gained weight since my first weigh in....

What is the safe amount of loss?

i know I'm doing what's right even in the weak, headache, shaky moments.

Would love some feedback. I've read much of this forum and am totally impressed.

The safe amount to lose depends on what your starting weight is and how much time you have before surgery. It sounds like you don't have very much time. And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I couldn't get the weight loss going until I dropped down to about 800 calories per day for my pre-op. And yes, I have DAILY headaches and what I call foggy brain. It's weird because I don' actually feel hunger so much anymore (6 1/2 weeks on the pre-op diet) But I even though I don't feel hungry, I feel the effects of not eating a healthy amount of nutrition. I am so lathargic and seriously, I think my brain has turned to mush. And the headaches really get me. Make sure you drink tons of water, this helps with the headaches and the weight loss. Sometimes the headaches are from dehydration. With such a short time before surgery, I would say you should be drinking just the protein shakes for all three meals. But this is just my opinion. This is how it works for those doing the pre-op diet with dr. Ortiz. If you only have one week before surgery, you just drink the shakes 3 times daily. You have just a little more time than that. Hope this helps.

Im disappointed, I was banded on 7/29 and I have no restriction. I don't eat near as much as I did and find that eating 3 times a day is hard I almost have to force the 3rd meal. I also gained 2 pounds and now constipated, YEAH! I want my fill!!

Do something about that constipation and you will probably lose the 2 pounds that you gained. That 2 pounds is probably all in the poop, girl. Get yourself some magnesium citrate and within a few hours will be poopin those 2 pounds out. Hang on, your short time away from getting a fill. You can do this.

Hello everyone!

I just thought I'd stop lurking and come out and say hello to everyone. I'm Jessica from Utah and I found this forum through a link on the Obesity Control Center site. I've been researching Lap Band surgery for a month now and just today discussed the idea with my husband of 13 years. He was for it and what it would mean for my health and I couldn't be more happy.

I'm a bit scared about this decision, but more than that I'm super excited for the future.

Looking forward to getting to know more of you!

HEY, I'm Jessica from UTAH too!!!! How cool is that?? What part of Utah? I live in Davis county. I am being banded in 5 days. Are you thinking of going to Mexico, or trying to get it done in Utah. I know there are good surgeons in Utah who do it, but the surgey costs about double what it would be to go to Mexico. My insurance would cover it if I was wiling to wait TWO years for it. We just got new insurance and they have this clause that gives limited coverage for the first 2 years. I didn't want to wait, so I decided to pay for it myself and go to Mexico. Anyway, well, welcome to a fellow Utahn and to a fellow Jessica