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I am going for a consultation for the band tomorrow. I have been reading all I can find about the band on the internet and recently came across this forum which has loads of info. I have read today a reference to "eating around the band". Can you tell me what that means?? Also, if I have the surgery, how long after should I wait to take a long trip out of the country where it would be difficult to eat a particular specified diet or liquid diet? Thanks in advance and if I go for this, you will see me a lot as you guys I can see are a ton of resources i cannot find elsewhere!! And, congrats to all of you in your successes I see here!! You are a great motivation!!

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Eating around the band means not following the rules. Or eating too much even after you are full and then stretching the band. Or not staying on liquids for the full 21 days. Basically means you are not following the rules.

Once you are over the 21 days liquid phase post op, you are free to eat anything within the rules. So if you are worried about eating in different countries, just wait the 21 days. You would be able to find something appropriate after that. Whatever it is you eat, will just be a lot less of it.

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I think of eating around the band as eating stuff that goes through the band easily... like cheetos and ice cream. Certain foods go right through and sabotage your weight loss. Also, as a previous poster mentioned, drinking while eating. This will wash everything through, also sabotaging...

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The other ladies have said it all...if you eat around the band or drink while eating, it defeats the purpose of having it at all!!

I avoid soft foods, they don't fill me up or last long. I rarely eat pasta unless there is protein on it or in it to eat first.

Good Luck to you!!!

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Thanks for the info. I have also been scared by the "getting stuck" info. I see the importance of eating plenty of protein. What kinds of meats are best to eat and how should they be prepared so that does not happen? Also, what causes "slime" (yikes!) and what exactly does that mean? I am not one to vomit, it would be very rare. I really would not like to go around in pain like I read about. How can it be avoided? I have severe spinal disease needing surgery and severe arthritis in the knees so my activity is very limited. Standing and walking is extremely painful. I am wondering if inactivity will be a real hinderance to the lapband in the beginning.

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Guest CaraMBA09
Thanks for the info. I have also been scared by the "getting stuck" info. I see the importance of eating plenty of protein. What kinds of meats are best to eat and how should they be prepared so that does not happen? Also, what causes "slime" (yikes!) and what exactly does that mean? I am not one to vomit, it would be very rare. I really would not like to go around in pain like I read about. How can it be avoided? I have severe spinal disease needing surgery and severe arthritis in the knees so my activity is very limited. Standing and walking is extremely painful. I am wondering if inactivity will be a real hinderance to the lapband in the beginning.

Dr. Ortiz wrote a book called Lap-Band for Life. In it he states that it is expected that you do 30 minutes of exercise per day. I am now 6 weeks post-op and the largest amount of exercise I have done SO FAR is lifting a remote control and lots of walking. The walking is detrimental to getting the gas out of your belly, especially after the surgery is completed.

I do not know where you plan to go for your surgery, but if you have some type of spinal disease as you state, you may have a difficult time getting anyone to agree to doing it unless you pay for it out of pocket and go OUT of the US.

I was told I was not fat enough and to gain more weight, so I went to OCC...screw the US doctors

Good luck

C

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I'm going to a clinic here in Phx that specializes in it. My BMI is I think 37. It was my Orthopedic Dr who actually suggested it as I need knee replacement surgery due to the severe arthritis and he does not want to do it because I am only 54 and because my weight would make me too high risk and it probably would not end up with a good result anyway. The knees did not cause me pain and swelling until my spinal pain management Dr put me on lyrica (a nerve pain med) which causes weight gain and I gained 40 pounds very quickly. Weight has been a problem all my life. This was a year ago and since then my pain is unreal and I cannot lose the weight even though I quit the drug. Well, now it is pointless for me to get the spinal surgery because I would not be able to go through the rehab necessary for a successful recovery since walking is a must. I need a spinal fusion and some other work done. So, I hope they will approve me for it as losing a lot of weight is really my only hope of getting out of this pain and getting my life back. I do physical therapy in bed daily that I learned when going to PT and I can ride an exercise bike some. I just cannot stand or walk for more than a few minutes and not at all without pain. I hope it is possible. Thanks

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Dr. Ortiz wrote a book called Lap-Band for Life. In it he states that it is expected that you do 30 minutes of exercise per day. I am now 6 weeks post-op and the largest amount of exercise I have done SO FAR is lifting a remote control and lots of walking. The walking is detrimental to getting the gas out of your belly, especially after the surgery is completed.

I do not know where you plan to go for your surgery, but if you have some type of spinal disease as you state, you may have a difficult time getting anyone to agree to doing it unless you pay for it out of pocket and go OUT of the US.

I was told I was not fat enough and to gain more weight, so I went to OCC...screw the US doctors

Good luck

C

How much does it cost at the OCC? And what sort of financing is available? I doubt that my insurance will cover it and I think the cost here is close to 20K.

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Dr. Ortiz wrote a book called Lap-Band for Life. In it he states that it is expected that you do 30 minutes of exercise per day. I am now 6 weeks post-op and the largest amount of exercise I have done SO FAR is lifting a remote control and lots of walking. The walking is detrimental to getting the gas out of your belly, especially after the surgery is completed.

I do not know where you plan to go for your surgery, but if you have some type of spinal disease as you state, you may have a difficult time getting anyone to agree to doing it unless you pay for it out of pocket and go OUT of the US.

I was told I was not fat enough and to gain more weight, so I went to OCC...screw the US doctors

Good luck

C

Not to be picky, but walking is not detrimental, it is necessary. Just didn't want anyone thinking they would get hurt by walking.

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Guest CaraMBA09
Not to be picky, but walking is not detrimental, it is necessary. Just didn't want anyone thinking they would get hurt by walking.

Me bad, you can tell I am in Mid-Terms

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Guest CaraMBA09
How much does it cost at the OCC? And what sort of financing is available? I doubt that my insurance will cover it and I think the cost here is close to 20K.

I paid $7950 at OCC

$500 deposit is required at time of scheduling surgery

go to the website if you want financing

I paid for it out of pocket

insurance (from my understanding) will not cover it out of the states

I have a co-worker who is trying to get approved for it and the hospital requires a 1-year timeframe of working with a dietician to assist with getting approved in the states. If you pay out of pocket in the states, it ranges from 18k-21k depending on dr/facility

From what I have understood in listening to my co-worker, insurance companies are making it VERY difficult to get approved for it

Good luck

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I think it really depends on what insurance you have. I have Capital Blue Cross in Pennsylvania, and there were no coverage hurdles to speak of. Now, this was not a light decision for me, but, honestly I had no issue whatsoever with getting insurance to approve. No pre-op hurdles, no lengthy waiting period.

I am 34 and have no health conditions other than "morbid obesity." While you may end up out-of-pocket, don't write off your insurance without checking with your doctor/surgeon to see if they will submit as medically necessary. If your surgeon does a lot of lap band surgeries, they know the routine...

Whether out-of-pocket or not, best of luck on your weight loss journey!!

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Definitely try your insurance. Mine would cover me, but the only criteria I didn't fall under was I hadn't worked here for 3 years. Stupidest guildeline i've ever heard, but whatever! :P It's worth talking to them, but know that they do everything in thier power not to pay for it unfortunately.

Be careful with the financing folks too. I applied but my interest rate was off the charts! I ended up taking out a small loan through my bank for a lot less.

Good luck!!

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Well, unfortunately my insurance has an exclusion. They will cover all the pre-testing that needs to be done, lab work and some of the costs other than the actual procedure. I have to figure out how I am going to finance it if I don't go with the center's finance co., but I spent almost 4 hours there today and I am scheduled for November 24th!!!!!!!! I wanted to do it as soon as possible to get it over with and not change my mind. That is how I am about things and it works best for me. This is something I need to do. I now need to get lots of tests done before then. I am scheduled for a psych exam on Tues night and have to go to a hospital next Fri to have the scope test that checks for hernias, ulcers, etc. That does not sound fun! I see my primary tomorrow for blood work, ekg, urine, etc, and they will call me with app with cardiologist. Geez, did you guys have to get all this done?? Oh, and I have to get my gall bladder ultra sound, go have my annual mammogram, and I just hope my pap has been less than a yr!! Thank God I had a colonoscopy 2 yrs ago or I'd be going for that too!

I am excited and a little scared. I hope you guys will not mind me hanging around here for support and help with my questions. I need to keep reading more posts!

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Good luck on making your decision of a lifetime!!! Probably one of the best if you decide to go for it. I don't know what "eating around the band" means, but it sounds like cheating---which I don't want to know about at all! With all the money, time and energy I have invested in this surgery I am not about to try to cheat or find out how! IT"S NOT WORTH IT

As for travel time, I had my surgery in Mexico and traveled two days later back to the US, and did very well. So it depends on you and your body and committement because you will be on a liquid diet for at least 7-12 days, then work your way to cream soups, mushy foods and so on through solids - which averages a minimum of 21-30 cycle depending on you and your doctor and your body.

During this stage all you need is water and soups and then pretty much want to start with soft foods before going into the "tougher" foods like red meat and bread.

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I will be so happy if I weigh 50 pounds less 6 months after surgery. I cannot get much exercise, have a slow metabolism anyway so I do not expect some of the miraculous results I have read about here from some of the younger, more active members. I was asked at the center what I wanted to do in a year when all the weight is gone. I said I just want to move without pain, walk, and get a life back and be able to do some things!! I do not want to "cheat" either!!!!!!! I am assuming they will start me on the pre-surgery diet soon since I am scheduled for the 24th. I have not talked to the nutritionist yet. I think they do not require a liquid only diet so it might not be as restrictive, or did you all not have a liquid diet pre-op? I went to my primary for some pre-op tests today and weighed 9 pounds less than my Sept visit so I guess just thinking about the band is working for me a bit!! LOL

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Congratulations on starting your journey. Your road will be rough with your limitations but you can do this. I too have chronic pain, doesn't sound as bad as yours however but it's there. I think these limitation or hurdles we all have are added to our lives for a reason, I know not why but it is for the better of us. you CAN do this and you will if you set your heart to it. Your plan on how everything will go may not be how it actually turns out but as long as you lose some weight consistently that's a winner!!

Many of us on this forum were banded at the OCC in Mexico and did not have the rigorous pre-op testing you are having. Just some blood work and an EKG, meeting with dietician the day of surgery and that's it. (If I forgot something sorry) but it was all done the day before or the day of surgery. The states really have you jump through the hoops in various quantities.

So you are on your way. Our pre-op for most was 2 protein shakes a day and a lean cuisine type frozen dinner. You could have lettuce and ministrone soup if you were hungry.

Congrats on the 9 pounds down already, You can do this!!

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Thanks Julie. I wish I didn't have to have quite so many tests as it turns out, none are covered by ins. Even my primary thinks they are excessive.

Pain is pain. If you have it, you know how I feel. I often wonder why God would want to allow anyone to go through so much pain. I really do not understand. But hopefully, this is a step in the right direction to ease it up a bit. To be honest, I have not wanted to live this way too long. I'm optimistic now. I am going to give it all I've got and do the best I can. I will follow all the instructions. I am already a very healthy eater so portions and lack of exercise has been my problem along with the medications I take. This gives me an advantage over the people who have to overcome sugar addictions, etc. I can do this!!!!!!!!!

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