Real sugar after lapband surgery??

Hello!  I'm new and this is basically my first post.  I just found out my insurance company has begun covering the surgery and have an appointment to visit a surgeon on 8/8/07 and am attending a seminar next week.  I picked up the surgeon information packet and the book Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies.  I'm currently 255 and am right at the 40BMI needed to qualify.  Actually, on a good day, when I awake, I'm shy about 10 pounds to qualify. Anyway, one of the things I noticed over and over in the packet is the use of artificial sweeteners.  I don't know if I am allergic to them or not but I strongly suspect I am.  I get an instant headache to most of them and occasionally even throw up immediately after eating something with the fake stuff.  My mother has doubted me for years and has tried sneaking in sugar free candy or cookies and then when I'm stuck with my head in the toilet, tries to apologize.  OK, TMI, but you get the point. My question then is, can my body take in real sugar in low fat yogurts and stuff like that after the surgery or not?  The books mention dumping but usually in reference to bypass surgery.  I fully understand why someone would NOT want real sugar especially after surgery like this, but this is part of why I've not been able to do LA Weight Loss, Optifast, Nutri-System etc.  All of them are loaded with artificial sweeteners I can not handle. Any ideas?  I'm somewhat worried the doctor may not even want to do the surgery if I mention this ahead of time.  I mean it specifically says if he suspects you won't stick to the diet completely he won't operate.  I'm willing and want to do everything in the packet, except the artifical sweeteners.  I would want or need to use the protein bars with the real sugar, and eat yogurts and things like that in low-fat but not sugar free forms. Another question I have is about weight and insurance.  I have no comorbidities currently so I have to be the 40 BMI.  I'm that today, but if I know I'm going to be having surgery l might become pumped up to exercise. I also tend to flucuate by 10 - 15 pounds in a week depending on my activities etc.  Do they weigh you again the day before and of the surgery etc?  Does anyone know what will happen if I end up at 38 BMI or something like that right before surgery?  Once the insurance approves it, can they take it back if I lose weight, etc? or not pay out in the end if they get the surgery report with a lower BMI?  I've been walking lately and wish to continue but if it will mess up my chance for surgery..... I'll stop temporarily. Help and advice is greatly appreciated. Laurel

Hi Laurel, Welcome to the board and congrats on your decision to have WLS!  Because the lap band does not involve any re-routing you can eat sugar without getting sick after the band. Naturally a lot of sugar intake is not encouraged, but there is no dumping syndrome with the band like there is with the bypass.  As far as qualifying for insurance, normally our weight at your initial consult is what the Dr will send to the insurance in order to get the pre-approval. I'd check with the Drs office though to be sure. Since you are right on the border and have no co-morbiditied I wouldnt be dieting just yet.  I just received a book that I ordered from Amazon.com on the lapbad. I sure wish I'd had it before surgery to use as a reference along with the material the Drs office gave me. The name of it is  Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding and is written by Jessie H Ahroni Phd, ARNP. She is banded and gives some good insight. Let me know if I can help you in any way. 

Thank you for your response! After all the reading I've done in the past week that is what I thought but I was curious.  I'm sort of impatient.  I had checked into surgery several years back, was not heavy enough... whatever and they tried to put me on Optifast.  I couldn't handle even 2 days of it.  The only diet I've ever even been remotely successful at is Atkins, but even that was short lived.  I just found out my insurance would cover iWLS if I'm 40BMI, which I'm right at today.  I'm nervous about the doc appt.  I want to be completely honest but I'm afraid if I mention not tolerating the artificial sweeteners and hence not able to completely conform to the diet that he won't accept me as a patient. I bought the Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies book.  I'm not all the way through it, but so far every question I've come up with has been answered there, except the sugar one. Wish me luck as I start this process. Laurel