gotmyeyeontheprize

Way to go! I hope to follow in your footsteps.

I am having the same exact problem and my surgery was 2 weeks ago today. My pain is directly behind the incision for my port. So, I have just assumed that the doc did a lot of tugging and pulling in that area.

As we venture into the holiday season, we are going to be faced with parties and temptations. Even so, if we plan ahead, we might handle things better. My family has a holiday get together planned that will involve finger foods. I am trying to make sure I bring something low fat and full of protein so that I have something to eat as well. I am thinking about making turkey meatballs. Has anyone ever made or tried these? If so, do you have a good recipe? Also, does anyone have any other suggestions for finger foods?

I wouldn't stress over this too much. Like you, I was banded on 11/22. I have been on solids since Friday and was on mushies the Friday following my surgery. As kbuttrey stated, it is another example of how all doctor's are different. You should be fine!

I was banded on 11/22 and am in love with my band! Let me tell you why. Today, I went out to eat for the first time since being banded. Like all new banders, I was extremely nervous. My before band meal at this restaraunt was 5 pieces of bread, a bowl of Soup, and an entire plate of fettucini alfredo. Today, my meal consisted of NO bread, the broth from a CUP of soup, half a piece of grilled salmon, and about 5 bites of green beans!! Yeah, I am so loving the band!! Oh, and I was stuffed.

Oh my goodness! Neglect is completely unacceptable for any patient! As soon as you feel up to it, march yourself right into the head administrator's office and set him or her straight. Then, demand that ALL nurses, transporters, radiologists, etc. that refused to help you, or just plain ignored you, be reprimanded immediately. Actually, demand that they be called in to personally apologize to you for their behavior. Then, if you feel like it is necessary, hire yourself a good attorney and file suit against them!

Yes, it sure does! I experienced this last night right after I finished supper. Hubby and I got in a little spat and boy did that band tighten up!! It made me feel like I could up chuck my dinner. Terrible feeling and I am only 12 days post-op!!

That sounds reasonable enough to me. It makes perfect sense! Oh, and congrats on the wonderful weight loss. I started my pre-op journey on 11/8 weighing 343 lbs. I am now at 311 lbs. and can't wait to be under 300 lbs.!!

I have a yummy breakfast suggestion that I tried for the first time today. I cooked 2 pieces of turkey sausage, covered them with 1/4 cup of scrambled egg beaters, and topped it with a slice of 2% cheese. Yummy, very filling, and full of protein!

Awesome! So glad you are seeing and feeling positive results!!

@ stateofzen It looks like you have a similar food list to mine. Thanks for letting me know that I am not alone with such strict restrictions. @ honk Your thoughts sound right on target. A lack of self-control is what got me to the weight I am at and resulted in me getting banded. If my surgeon was to allow me to have those things, it would probably lead to me eating the various foods you stated. That makes me feel better now knowing that he is looking out for me and my lack of self-control..lol!

Thanks! I am sure I will eventually get tired of the same old same old and move onto to some of my "No" foods. I'm not sure of the reasoning behind such a strict diet. The only thing I can think of is that my surgeon wants his patients to see quicker results, but I am not even sure that is the case. I will ask on my next visit in three weeks.

Isaviolinist, my list of "No" items aren't only for the 10 days post-op. The red meat and pork are for the first year. The starches are until I loose 75% of my excess body weight.

Msbandtastic, I have somewhat "cheated" on his restrictions when it comes to seasonings and things like that for cooking. Also, I have used regular shredded cheese on my food because I can not stand the fat free stuff. In my opinion, I am going to see a weight loss simply from changing to 4 oz. per meal versus the two plates full I could once eat! So, I want the little bit of food that I eat to be tasty.

I can have dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. I just can not drink milk. Isn't that crazy?!?!

I am 10 days post-op and get to go to solid foods tomorrow. I have been eating mushy/semi-solid foods since last Friday. The majority of my meals are different types of chicken in the crockpot, yogurt, and canned chicken. The issue is that I am EXTREMELY limited on what I am allowed to eat per my surgeon. Let me give you the rundown of NO's: NO RED meat NO PORK NO Beans NO POTATOES NO Pasta NO RICE NO BREAD NO CRACKERS NO MILK I am limited to 3 meals a day at 20 grams of Protein per meal and no more than 5 carbs per meal. So, does anyone have any suggestions on foods that you eat that would fall into the category of what I can eat?

Like Dizzy, I am so proud of us all too! We have all traveled a long road just to begin this journey, so we all deserve a big pat on the back. It is nice to see that everyone is doing well and feeling much better now. Yesterday was my first day back to work, and I have to say that it wore me out! I was ready to go back home by 9:30..lol! For some reason, I was hot, dizzy, light headed, and a bit nauseated all day long. This morning, I feel better. Maybe it was the shock of going back to work, or work anxiety as my husband says. Too bad there's not a pill for that! I wish everyone a great day today!!

Ok, I am a new bandster 11/22 and am freaking out a bit by reading about a few of you having slipped bands. What caused your band to slip? What do they do if the band slips?

I had mine on 11/22 and didn't have much pain or gas. I simply found myself uncomfortable. I find it interesting that you all can feel your band. Maybe that is what I have felt and seen. My largest incision is about 8 inches under my right breast. I know that is where my port is located, but I also feel something else that is larger. Would that be my band?

Hello bandsters. How are you doing on your weight loss journey? Have you gone back to work and gotten back into a routine? I went for my post-op visit yesterday and have lost 29 lbs. since my journey began the first of November.(I can't remember my pin number to update my ticker.) I had dropped 8 lbs. since surgery day, so that was very exciting! My nutritionist told me I could move on to solid foods on Friday. Today, I am heading back to work. It is exciting and a bit dreadful at the same time in that I am ready to get back to my routine, but I am not sure that I am ready for the 20 questions I am going to get from people! Have a wonderful day my friends!

I had surgery Nov. 22nd and I go back to the doctor today for my post-op appt. I am assuming he will set up my fill appointment. The day of surgery, he said my first fill would be around New Years. I think 6 weeks out is the norm.

Good morning bandsters! What are you having for breakfast? I find this to be the most difficult meal of the day for me as I usually do not have much of an appetite early in the morning. Also, I am not a big fan of protein powders and drinks. So, this morning, I am having left over chicken from last night. What about you?

First, let me say congratulations to you for your new band! I had my surgery on 11/22 and feel much better now. Like you, I thought maybe I had made the biggest mistake of my life, but I am now past that. To be honest, yesterday was my crossover day. It was the first day that I got out of the house by myself, the first day to drive, the first day to go to the store, and the first day to cook a meal for my hubby and kids. I felt so much better by actually getting out and doing something. Before yesterday, I had sat around the house watching TV and hanging out on the laptop. It made a huge difference to get out and about in the real world. It took my mind off of everything. So, as soon as you feel up to it, get out and see the world! Like you, I also had trouble with getting my fluids in during the first few days. Don't stress over this. Your body is in a healing process and you will eventually want to drink something. Also, I got nauseated a bit during those first few days which my surgeon said was very normal. Not only have you been exposed to anesthesia, which is known to cause nausea, but your stomach has been poked and prodded at. So, nauseau is expected. I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck. You are at the best forum for information and advice.

I have another yummy recipe to share. I put 3 frozen chicken breasts in the slow cooker and covered them with a can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup, a can on Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup, and a can of Campbell's Cheese Soup. I cooked it on low for about 7 hours and it was delicious!!! The chicken was supper tender....so tender I could shred it with my fork so it was considered "mushy". I know a lot of us aren't suppose to eat rice, but I think it would be yummy to eat on top of white rice covered with the soup. I plan on trying that for my hubby and kids the next time I make it!

My surgery was on November 22nd. I arrived at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. for early admission. They took me to a room around 6:15 a.m. and the nurse gave me a shot of lovenox (blood thinner), a patch behind my ear for nausea, and a nausea pill. She took all of my vital sounds and had me change into the lovely hospital gown and slipper socks. My husband was allowed to come in the room and hang out during surgery. By 6:45, a nice young man came to wheel me back to pre-op. Let me just say that the pre-op area was like a complete zoo, organized, yet chaotic! There were patients everywhere being prepped for various surgeries. I had never seen such. Next, the anesthesiologist came over to speak with me and go over my chart. Then, I know 10 other nurses came by to check on me and go over my chart. Over and over again, I had to repeat my name, birthdate, what procedure I was having done, when the last time I ate was, etc. Then, a sweet female anesthesiologist came to start my IV. She was wonderful! She gave me a nice numbing shot before she did the routine dig for a vein. I was very dehydrated and she said my veins were flat. Even so, she got me on the first stick. Impressive! I was warned that my IV may need to be moved if that vein didn't cooperate, but they would move it during surgery. (They moved it two more times during surgery!) I hung out with the sweet anesthesiologist and her cohort for what seemed like a good twenty minutes. We all chatted and had a great time. My surgeon came by to see if I had any questions before we started the surgery. Then, he went on to prep himself for the operation. Next thing I knew, the anesthesiologist was giving me a nice cocktail to calm me as she rolled me into the OR. I was in the OR for what seemed to be about 5 minutes before they applied the mask and told me I would start to feel sleepy. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in recovery. I felt good, but very groggy. They gave me a nice injection of morphine. So, pain was the least of my concerns! The recovery area was just as much of a zoo as the pre-op area. Maybe that is the norm with a large hospital in a big city. Finally, I arrived back in my room where my wonderful husband was waiting. The nurse came in and brought me some ice chips and water to sip. That was the best thing in the world as I felt as dry as a camel in the middle of the sandy, hot desert! The anesthesiologist had ran an entire bag of fluid through me during pre-op and the surgery. Then, I went through another entire bag after surgery. Yes, I was that dehydrated! My surgeon came in to check on me and said I did great in surgery. I had a lot of scar tissue from a previous gallbladded removal and he removed it all. He also informed me of some massive scar tissue in my pelvic area from my three previous C-Sections. He didn't clean that area out. I also received a visit from the Hospital Pharmacist. He wanted to discuss my medications and how to take them. He also went over the meds I was already taking and informed me that all of them could be crushed. Let me just say that there is a reason they make medicine in pill form and not powder....NASTY!!!! I continued the day by getting an IV of antibiotics, walking the hallways, and trying a zillion times to pee! My surgeon requires you to be able to hold down liquid, walk, and pee before you are allowed to be discharged. You would think that with ALL of that fluid, I would have to pee. Nope, not me! It was around 4:30 p.m. before I was finally able to use the restroom. Once again....that dehydrated! Once that was over, my nurse had me sign all of the discharge papers. Then, I asked for some pain medicine for the ride home as it was an hour away. So, I went from around 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. without any pain meds. To be honest, I really didn't need them. Overall, I had a wonderful experience. My surgeon, the nurses, anesthesiologist, etc. were great!