A Fossil’s Answers to Banding
Q: I want to get
banded, what do I do now?
A: First, you
need to find a banding Doctor. There are lists everywhere of qualified
surgeons. Find one you like and go with him. If you would like
help finding one Bandlandia can assist you. You will need to attend an
informational meeting to make sure this is a choice for you. Then fill out
the paperwork required for that particular Doctor and send it to his
office/liaisons. After that, you make an appointment and go for it.
Q: It has been a
few days since my Doctor has filed and I keep calling the insurance company
and they say they don’t have any paperwork.
A: Chances are,
the group you are calling and the group that received the paperwork are not
the same group. Take a deep breath and relax. Give it a few weeks. Then
call your Doctor’s office. Proceed to call every 2 weeks until you have an
approval—not every day. You will drive them and yourself insane.
Q:I am approved,
but I must do a liquid diet before surgery. What if I can’t do it? What
does it do?
A: A Liquid diet
is required by some surgeons prior to surgery. It is believed to shrink the
liver and make the surgery easier on you and your surgeon (we want
everything easier on the surgeon—trust me). You CAN do it. If you can’t,
what the heck are you having surgery for? It is 1 week out of your
life—keep your eye on the prize and go for it!
Q:I had surgery,
what do I do now?
A: Most Doctors
give out some sort of meal plan to follow over the next month. If you are
not given one, then proceed that the first week is clear liquids 2 to 4
ounces at a time. The second week you can add protein drinks, soups—put
through a blender, or to be more specific cloudy liquids. The third and
fourth week is for soft foods. This does not give you a license to eat a
ton of ice cream! Mashed potatoes, oatmeal, malt-o-meal and thicker soups
are the order for the day. After 4 weeks, you can slowly go on solid
foods. Go slow and stick with juicy meats and not over cooked foods.
Q: What’s the
deal with drinking and meals?
A: Please don’t
drink with your meals. I know it sounds hard, but really it isn’t. Start
practicing before you are banded. Stop drinking 30 minutes before your meal
and wait until 30 minutes after your meal to start drinking again. There
are 2 things that happen when you drink with your meal. One is that you can
lube your tube and get more down—that defeats the band and if you are doing
this, then why did you get banded in the first place? The other is that the
liquid will cause your stomach to constrict and the food relaxes it and
therefore your band tightens up and causes you to spit up your meal. So,
keep a tiny glass of water on your table and try not to touch it!
Q:I have pain in
my shoulder after surgery. Why?
A: Well, you have
gas trapped in your body. Get up and walk—do not sit on the couch and lay
there. You will feel much better if you start moving as much as possible.
Do a lap around your house every hour that you are awake. Also, Gas-ex can
help too. Some people get this pain, others don’t. No clue as to why—just
happens. It will dissipate usually within 2 weeks. Hang in there!
Q:I am SO hungry,
but am still supposed to have liquids. What do I do? Is it ok to cheat?
A: No, it is NOT
ok to cheat! You are healing and you must be very careful to take this time
and heal. Some people get very hungry during this time, some don’t. If you
are one of the people who DO get hungry, hang on! This is a short period of
time in your life and it will get better. Just because you are hungry, does
not give you the approval to eat whatever you want. There is a reason you
are on liquids and you don’t want to cause something to happen where the
Doctor has to go back in and retrieve something you ate? As Melissa says:
“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” You decided to make a
change for a healthier life; this is one of the tough parts. It is for a
short while and anyone can do any thing for a limited amount of time. Know
that the clock is constantly moving, tick, tick, tick. Time passes
quickly. You can do this.
Q: When can I get
a fill?
A: A fill should
come at the 6-week mark. Please know that I personally feel that fills
should only be given under fluoroscopy with a barium (very liquidy and
tastes decent) swallow. That is my opinion and I am sticking to it.
Through fluoroscopy with barium swallow, we have caught leaks, port
disconnects, flipped ports, slippages, esophageal dilation, and pelican
pouches. I cannot guarantee that ANY of those could be caught without
fluoroscopy with barium swallow. All the previous situations that were
caught were also cured. Please plan on having 3-4 fills a year during your
weight loss period. I recommend that you have 2 fills a year to check your
band, once you are in maintenance mode. After all, it is an implant in your
body and you are responsible for it’s integrity. Be smart.
Q: I lost weight
at the first, but have stalled now or I am gaining (this could be after
surgery or a fill). My band is not working, what do I do?
A: The band
doesn’t do all the work. The band is a tool that you must use wisely. You
are doing the work. If you lost weight before, you were using your tool.
Have you added more protein to your meal plan? How about more water? And
are you really working out for 30 minutes a day? Remember, if you are
eating very little, your body goes into starvation mode and hangs onto
everything. If you choose to each soft food, again you will be getting more
calories than you should and will gain weight or not lose at all. Go
through that checklist first, before requesting a fill.
Q: I can’t get
down hard protein (chicken, fish, ground beef, turkey). I spit it all up.
What is wrong?
A: Chances are
you are eating too fast and getting air caught in your esophagus. Or you
aren’t chewing well and if you don’t break it down enough to go through the
band, it will come up. When you take a SMALL bite of food, first chew the
daylights out of it till it is in a completely liquid form. Then place your
tongue to the roof of your mouth and exhale. Then tip your head back and
allow the chewed up food to slide down your throat. That is Cynthia’s
swallowing technique! It should work.
Q: I am depressed
because my weight loss isn’t fast.
A: Keep your eye
on the prize and know that as long as the scale is going south, you are
moving in the right direction. Weigh yourself 1 time a week and if you find
that you are getting obsessed with the numbers, then put your scale on
vacation for a few months. Give it to a friend to hold onto. Ask your
significant other to hide it, whatever is needed!
Stay involved in
the online groups. There is your biggest support! There will be times that
you want to hide, because you know you have not eaten like you should.
Those are the times you should get the most involved. Be honest. Hold
yourself accountable to the online groups. It would also be good to find a
banded buddy. This buddy would not judge you, but encourage you. This
buddy would not ok bad behavior, but help you to see that your were
overeating, etc. I would be happy to be a buddy to anyone. Just ask!
Q: I am spitting
up a lot but am enjoying the weight loss. Is this wrong?
A: You bet that
is wrong. Call your Doc or me immediately. You should NOT be spitting up
during every meal. Listen to your body. You may be enjoying your weight
loss now, but you could pay the price with your band! Spitting up is a part
of having the band. You should NOT be spitting up after every meal. This
could be a sign of slippage. Always contact your Doctor over any sign your
body tells you that something isn’t right. Best to lose your weight slowly
and have a healthy life and band, than to lose quickly and lose your band
and get sick. Be smart! No weight loss is worth your health.
About the Band
(most commonly asked questions)
