parisshel

Here's what I stay out of: -Discussions about religion -Discussions about how to raise your kids and -Discussions about which diet is the "best" So, when a sleever told me that she'd "never choose a lapband", I just said "Hmmm." No reason to try and have her see why and how I made my choice. Like religion and child-rearing---my choice. You don't have to agree with me; I'm the one who lives with the results of my choice.

I was not told to discontinue caffeine; in fact coffee was served to me in the hospital post-op. What I have found, however, is a big POW from the caffeine in my morning coffee. I suspect it is due to how little food I have in there in the morning. Really, my one cup was giving me the shakes. So I switched to a decaf...and, no shakes!

Could it be that you are craving this because you are thinking you will have to avoid sugar post-band? Kind of like a food funeral? I know prior to getting banded I ate a lot of sweets--out of nervousness over what I was getting into, as well as just thinking "OMG I'll never be able to eat these again?" (Crazy, I know.) I didn't fight it because that last thing I wanted to be doing before getting my lapband was indulging in my old diet mentality--swapping something that I perceived as "light" for what I really wanted.

Are you taking any new medications or vitamines--even natural stuff? You could be having a reaction to a new substance.

I'm 3.5 weeks post op and cleared to eat most things, as long as I take small bites and chew chew chew. But still, I was apprehensive about going out to eat. I'd read so many posts about people getting stuck when in a restaurant, or always scoping out where the restroom was in case they had to leave the table to bring something up. But we had lunch out today and everything went really well! I'm so pleased! My restaurant experience was fantastic, notably because with my band, I don't have to be counting points or agonizing over the choice of restaurant (do they have low-cal options, big salads, a fruit plate, etc?) I so thrilled to be out of this "special diet" mentality (all while making band-appropriate choices, of course). The biggest and greatest difference between eating out with a band and eating out while following a "traditional calorie-limiting diet" is I had no sense of deprivation before, during or after the meal. I ordered chicken breast with a balsamic vinegar reduction sauce, and a baked potato. I cut up my chicken into little pieces, swirled them around in the lovely sauce, and spooned out a bit of the potato from its skin. I could only eat 1/2 the portion (and portions where I live--in France--are small to begin with compared restaurant servings in the States) and it was perfect. (I gave the other half to my BF to avoid comments from the chef. This is not a good longterm strategy, however, because my BF does not need to be eating both his meal and 1/2 of mine.) I left the table feeling completely satisfied and, more importantly, I really enjoyed what I ate. I didn't have to order the "lowest calorie option", nor pester the chef with a million requests ("no oil, no butter, just poach the chicken breast in Water for me please "). If I ever had any doubt that I made the right choice for myself when I chose Lapband surgery, today's experience proved that this decision I made was a positive, life-enhancing one. How wonderful to eat a small amount, feel satisfied, and not leave the table saying to myself "Why can't I eat like everybody else?" Because with the band, I can. Just smaller portions.

My feelings exactly. My very first blog post speaks to this....WW is what got me to my Lapband. Last fall, when rejoining WW for the zillionth time, I just stepped back and said I cannot do this anymore. Sure, WW got me to lose weight but never to keep it off. I was also very turned off by their lipservice to good nutrition but at the same time pushing all their packaged goods and fake foods filled with sodium and so very processed. Message to WW: you can't be all about healthy eating and good nutrition and at the same time sell your fake plastic foods. That's a real conflict of interest. I did however benefit from the group support. Which is why I love this site; it is my group support. But I was delighted to get banded, come home and through out all my WW materials. Never again!

I'm sorry to read you've had a postop complication. I hope they can resolve it easily and you get through this quickly...and on to a happy banded life!

Agree with all the above commentors, and would add that holding a pillow against your incisions will help if/when you cough. In fact, you'll want to be coughing up stuff (anesthetia, etc) after your surgery so don't suppress the urge. Just hold onto that pillow to keep your tummy "in" when you are jiggling it by coughing.

Oh, I'd hate to not be able to tolerate chicken. Pre-band, I ate so much chicken I risked sprouting feathers. I'm now cleared for regular foods (in small pieces, of course) and happily have been fine with moist chicken and fluffy, wet scrambled eggs. That said, I have no fill yet so this may change, but I hope not.

I feel so bad for you. I'm sorry you had to go through this, it is additional trauma over the surgery trauma. And the irony of you being a cattle rancher! I hope you are feeling better today.

I was banded 3/20 and I eat every 2-3 hours, but very small "meals." This is what my surgeon prescribes and I find it necessary to keep my blood sugar stable and hunger at bay. I don't think I could've adhered to three meals/day! My lunch and dinner are Protein heavy (either fish, chicken, ground beef--I won't dare try regular red meat--or beans). I have a small side of vegetables with that. For my Snacks, I eat applesauce or I make a small smoothie with strawberries and a couple of spoonfuls of milk. Or I have a bit of cheese...in any case I take in my Calcium with my snack allowance. I have found some "portion creep" since I was first banded so I really need to watch this and stick to 1/2 c. food max at mealtimes.

Thank you for this thorough description of what we can expect. What size lapband do you have?

I understand this completely. Before my surgery, I had a film crew following me around doing a show on my WLS story. I chose to do it, but once they wrapped this initial part, I realized that I don't want to watch it once it broadcasts...I think seeing myself "live" will be extremely painful. On the other hand, I know I'll be happy to have the footage when I get to my goal. Maybe I'll look at the show then. It really is this feeling of "How did I let this happen?", isn't it?

My post op literature gives huge warnings about red meat...especially grainy, tough, dry red meat. Thankfully I'm not a fan of red meat so I'm not frustrated about giving this up. When I've had the meat urge, I've eaten ground beef which goes down fine. Sorry you got stuck and esp. with no restriction in your band...because it's not like they can unfill you...you are already unfilled! I hope you feel better soon.

That's scary! This alone would prevent me from ever trying it!

Great thread and an important one for the newly-banded to read. I am also among those who, once I was cleared for mushies, saw my rapid post-op loss stall. It's all good....it's not important what I weigh today; what is important is what I'll weigh next year, and the year after, and the year after....

Congratulations! You deserve to feel full of hope and power, because your decision is empowering! Yes, as the poster above states, take your pain meds BEFORE you start hurting. It's much easier to prevent pain than to bring it down once it has climbed.

The "small meals spaced throughout the day" is my life-saver. It was, in fact, my surgeon's directives that I eat every 2 hours, and now I see why. (And by "eat", I mean small...my snack is a couple of TBLSP applesauce, or non fat yogurt, small amount). This does prevent me from coming to the table too hungry and eating too fast/eating too much/eating the wrong thing at this point in my recovery. And yes, my meal is protein-heavy and that helps so much in keeping my blood sugar stable = keeping me from getting too hungry as I wait this period out.

Great thread for us March bandsters who are waiting for that first fill. Thanks, everybody.

Congratulations! You are almost there! Everybody is different, but here's an account of my surgery: http://thelapbandchronicles.wordpress.com/2013/03/23/the-surgery/

Rosie---you are too energetic! Slow down! You probably stressed the site a little too much with all the activity that you do. Believe me, I've got my kids waiting on me hand and foot.

I also was very tired after the surgery. I greatly admire those lapbanders who got surgery, went home and then walked around the mall (or something like that) the next day. I could barely get from the hospital bed to the bathroom the morning after my surgery. It wiped me out for a couple of days. One week post op I was indeed walking around the mall, but it did make me very tired the next day. For me, I did not get my normal energy level back until about 10 days post op. And now I'm feeling completely normal, aside from a residual bit of pain around my port. Our bodies really are miracles, aren't they? They just do their healing thing in their own time, but they do recover.

I feel ya! I'm 12 days post-op and the stabby pain just receded as of yesterday. I still feel it if I roll over on that side of my stomach without being careful (I've got a roll a certain way to avoid triggering the pain) but I can tell things are getting better. This is my last incision to still be reddish, which makes sense. Everyday it will be a little bit better!

My sense is that we should always follow our surgeon's directives. With that out of the way, I will tell you that my directives had me on pureed foods from 2 days post-op, graduating to mushy foods this week (one week post-op). I never had a liquid only stage, nor even a pre-op diet. At 11 days post-op I'm eating what you describe as "cheating" (flaked fish, potatoes mashed with a fork, veggies mashed with a fork, ground beef) but for my surgeon, this is his prescribed progression. His research shows that the stomach needs to work, to "grind", if you will, to get back in the game, and that liquids are not to be used as a meal since they don't provide the feeling of fullness. I was reading a blog (I think it was Lapband Gal) who met the inventor of the Lapband (he's not a surgeon) and talked with him. He said that actually there never were any eating rules set in stone, but surgeons make up their own according to what they were seeing as patients recovered, and what worked best for a good recovery and success down the line.

I hear ya! Banded March 20th and my hunger is just now waking up. I was banded empty and won't get a fill for a month. I'll make it thru the next four week alright---I know I can do this---but I am ready for that hunger switch to be turned to "dim" as it was right after being banded.