saras422

Any great suggestions for band-friendly on the go snacks that don't require refrigeration? I need some ideas for hiking and days in Disneyland!

I was banded 4/23 and I am exhausted. I try telling myself that I'm only three weeks post op and that I just need to heal but I do not have the energy to do anything. I feel like a lump on a log with no motivation, energy or spirit. I just don't feel like myself. I'm trying to get in all 50 g of protein and am doing pretty well at that. I am also taking vitamins. I just don't know what to do! My life is just supposed to be getting started again and I feel like it's about to end. I know, a little dramatic, but I'm struggling. I just don't feel like myself. Is this common????

I've had two days now where I haven't lost anything and then I needed to remind myself that I've lost 21 lbs so far and to just relax. My body is still healing and those last 10 lbs were just me wasting away after surgery. It's not normal to lose a pound a day. A pound or two a week is much better. AND your body is now probably starting to hord calories since it though the end of the world was here when you stopped eating for so many days. Just chill. It will happen. Focus on healing and resting.

Just walk and walk and then remember you won't feel this way forever, I promise! The first week was terrible and I honestly thought I would always feel this way but I don't now. I'm 17 days post op. I didn't have a hernia repair but I felt like someone hit my chest with a softball. It will go away! Rest, walk, drink and then do it again.

Jean, THIS IS AWESOME! THANK YOU for posting this. There is NO way we can do this alone. At my church (don't be scared) we have accountability partners for our daily lives (we call them "running partners") and we do the same thing. We were not meant to do this journey alone and we need to be encouraging each other and cheering each other on! No one understands us like other people who have been banded. While I love this online forum, I do wish I could meet people face to face. I was banded on 4/23/12 and I'll be attending my first support group my surgeon's office offers next week. I am very excited. I had my first post-op appointment with my doctor yesterday and I swear I talked his ear off trying to get everything out. Poor guy. I had an awesome NSV this morning and no one to tell it to! I was sort of bummed. I have officially grown out of my first piece of clothing! YAY! Thanks again for posting.

I don't like just plain protein drinks. Yuck. I make a small shake every morning. Today I had a shake with 1 scoop GNC Lean 25, 1/4 banana, and a tablespoon of natural peanut butter and just added water to consistency. It isn't chalky at all.

I, too, was banded 4/23. I am on pureed foods although it seems like I'm really eating mushy foods. I just chew really well and if it hurts going down, I stop eating it. I have discovered the wonderful joys of avocado, scrambled eggs, and hummus (I eat it with tiny bites of cucumber). I think I'll try egg drop Soup tomorrow although it tends to have a lot of sodium. Since I can't eat very much (maybe 1/2 c at a time), I get hungry every 2-3 hours. I'm focusing more on getting quality nutrients into my body than I am calories. I was losing over a pound a day for a while and felt like I was wasting away. That has slowed and I feel more normal now that I am eating food. I have trouble keeping up with my Water, although I have always struggled with this. My incisions are sore but not too bad. They hurt by the end of the day in my work pants so I've been wearing a lot of loose dresses and skirts. If I could wear sweats to work I would. :-) My biggest issue is energy. I know I just had surgery and that I am healing but I am back at work (desk job) but I have very little energy and ability to concentrate. I'm an emotional wreck some days and fine others. Sometimes I just don't care much about anything (just being honest). I know, I know, this is a major life & physical change so I am being gentle with myself and resting often. I keep reminding myself to heal first and my body will get it's energy back. But it's hard when I feel so dull all day long.

@Pinky73 - Two liters of water a day??? OMG. I don't think I could do it. I'm trying so hard. In addition to my band, my doc also did an anterior plication on my "lower" stomach, which means he folded the stomach into itself and sewed it to make it smaller. So I now get fuller in both stomachs sooner. It's a great idea but it makes it hard to get enough nutrients and water into my body. I called my doctor's office today in tears because I'm feeling weak and don't have a lot of brain power, which makes work difficult. The nurse told me to just get anything I can into my body (that's safe for my stomach/band). I've been drinking with my meals to get the food down my upper stomach faster so I can eat more nutrients but then my lower stomach gets full as well. One hour I am stuffed and the next hour I am starving with my tummy grumbling. I eat all day long! Haha. I am technically supposed to be on pureed foods but I'm trying mushy food as well. I'm thinking of adding apple sauce and sweet potatoes and just eat slowly. I'm feeling better now but this morning I thought I would never have energy again. Three more weeks until solids

I know we aren't supposed to drink while eating when we start on solids but does anyone suggest drinking while on mushies/pureed foods? I am so scared of getting stuck (this is day 7 for me) and it's comforting to feel cold water make it's way down my stomachs (it feels like I have two, really). I'm not as worried about staying fuller longer. I am more concerned with getting actual nutrients into my body, having energy AND not getting stuck. Suggestions?

Find a doctor who will look at you immediately even if you have to travel. Start calling around. You could cause some real damage if you did have a slip. There has to be someone who will talk to you about options. Anyone who tells you that you can just take it out and put it back in is full of crap. It's true, but surgery shouldn't be taken lightly. Find someone who will evaluate you soon. Good luck.

Before I had my surgery, I met with a friend who had it done a few years ago. The first thing she told me was that she was really depressed after the surgery. I couldn't understand why. Then she told me that she has lost her best friend: FOOD. Like many of us, she was using food as a comfort in her life. The night before my surgery I had a fleeting moment where I thought my friend and I could stop for donuts on the way home. Funny, right? It was an automatic thought and then I had a mini panic attack because it was all of a sudden very real that I am now changing the way I relate to food. Yes, I still have choices; the band is only a tool for weight loss but I am consciously choosing to change the way I am relating to food. That is a HUGE deal. I swear this journey is about 20% physical and about 80% mental changes. Luckily, my friends are really nice about my emotional swings and support my choice but it's hard when you are hungry, uncomfortable, AND emotional! Hang in there!

Do you cover your port when you swim? That could be why it's infected. There are waterproof one-time use bandages you can get. Might help.

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Remember, we aren't giving up eating for life. We are just making sure our bands heal correctly. I'm on day 5. Still trying to distinguish between surgical pain and hunger pain. I had a 1/2 c of protein shake for breakfast and that helped. I go back and forth between being hungry and being full. Haha. Also, I didn't opt for sf pudding or jello. I need all the calories I can get to heal. I'm down 4 lbs since surgery but most important, I am keeping everything down. I had a dream about a chef salad with ranch last night. Three more weeks until solids!

I, too, was banded on April 23rd. I am just now beginning to know the difference between surgery pain and hunger pains. I think it's perfectly fine to feel hunger pains at this point. How could we not? We haven't really eaten anything in 5 days. The only thing I would worry about is a lot of sharp pain. I am also getting some pain when I take too big of a drink. But if it lasts more than a second or two, I just stand up and try to "walk it down". I also sometimes pat my upper chest and try to "burp" myself and that seems to help. I am going to see how I do today without Lortab and stick with just Ibuprofen (which is so nasty - what happened to bubblegum flavor??). I showered today and am working on walking more and getting my Water in. I need to make sure I am peeing more often. Still no BM but I'm not surprised. I haven't eaten anything to make a BM! I am definitely feeling better than I did on day two, which is when I thought "what the hell have I done?". I feel more like myself and have more energy. I ate a Jello cup last night and experienced my first feeling on being full! It was very weird. Hang in there! I've been told the worst is over.