turquoisekaty

I got my Lap-Band on Tuesday, so it's been 3-ish days now.
I don't have any pain at all (thought I'm still taking Tylenol as recommended), I do have some discomfort around the incisions but it's not painful at all.
Sorry if this is a dumb question... but right where I perceive my band to be it feels really really tight. Basically like something is squeezing my stomach.... (which it is.) Does this tightness go away after a few more days, or is this super tight feeling what the band is always going to feel like?
I'm done my 24hrs of clear fluids and am on to full liquids, but I'm having trouble with anything thicker than water/tea. I have no problem with water/tea/juice, I can take good sized sips and everything, but Soup or thinned yogurt I can only take a bite or two of and then it feels really tight again. And I get really burpy in between bites/sips of anything.
Any advice on the tightness? Thanks!

Thanks everyone for the input.
I had some lump-less Soup tonight and it went down pretty well, so I'm just going to keep up the Clear Liquids and the other liquids that go down well.
My surgeon did only have me on 24 hours of clear fluids and then move to full fluids, but the papers I have from him also say to eat what's tolerated, call if there's a problem, and otherwise, enjoy getting to know my new band So for now, Tomato Soup and Decaf tea are my friends

Thanks everyone for the input.
I had some lump-less Soup tonight and it went down pretty well, so I'm just going to keep up the Clear Liquids and the other liquids that go down well.
My surgeon did only have me on 24 hours of clear fluids and then move to full fluids, but the papers I have from him also say to eat what's tolerated, call if there's a problem, and otherwise, enjoy getting to know my new band So for now, Tomato Soup and Decaf tea are my friends

I got my Lap-Band on Tuesday, so it's been 3-ish days now.
I don't have any pain at all (thought I'm still taking Tylenol as recommended), I do have some discomfort around the incisions but it's not painful at all.
Sorry if this is a dumb question... but right where I perceive my band to be it feels really really tight. Basically like something is squeezing my stomach.... (which it is.) Does this tightness go away after a few more days, or is this super tight feeling what the band is always going to feel like?
I'm done my 24hrs of clear fluids and am on to full liquids, but I'm having trouble with anything thicker than water/tea. I have no problem with water/tea/juice, I can take good sized sips and everything, but Soup or thinned yogurt I can only take a bite or two of and then it feels really tight again. And I get really burpy in between bites/sips of anything.
Any advice on the tightness? Thanks!

I got my Lap-Band on Tuesday, so it's been 3-ish days now.
I don't have any pain at all (thought I'm still taking Tylenol as recommended), I do have some discomfort around the incisions but it's not painful at all.
Sorry if this is a dumb question... but right where I perceive my band to be it feels really really tight. Basically like something is squeezing my stomach.... (which it is.) Does this tightness go away after a few more days, or is this super tight feeling what the band is always going to feel like?
I'm done my 24hrs of clear fluids and am on to full liquids, but I'm having trouble with anything thicker than water/tea. I have no problem with water/tea/juice, I can take good sized sips and everything, but Soup or thinned yogurt I can only take a bite or two of and then it feels really tight again. And I get really burpy in between bites/sips of anything.
Any advice on the tightness? Thanks!

I see a lot of post here about being discouraged, the scale wont move, I want to give up. Weight loss with or without surgery is a process. Some will lose fast others will lose slowly. If you have an ugly attitude towards your scale, you are setting yourself up for failure. Lap band patients can expect to lose 1 to 2 lbs a week. If you lose more then that is a plus. You did not get to 300lbs over night but over years. It is work. Having a positive attitude in this process is everything. If you are constantly disappointed because the scale goes up or stays the same, then you will be the one who will give up and say to hell with it. Stop weighing yourself every day, get rid of your scale and get weighed on your post op visits. You will be surprised. Some of you that are starting out you will find that after a time your weight will stall. It may stall for a few weeks or a few months and these times you have to keep doing what you are doing. Everyone is not going to lose 100lbs in their first year. Some do but most don't. It took me three years to lose 120lbs. Stop cheating yourself by being upset about the scale. Get rid of it, have your husband hide it but in any case stop weighing yourself constantly. The scale is the root of all evil for us. I can weigh myself twice a day but not get upset about it. I know when I am retaining Water. There are things that keep you from losing weight. Not sleeping, not moving your bowels daily, Water retention, stress are just to name a few and if you are stressing over the scale then guess what? You are making your self at risk for slower weight loss. Do the right thing and in time you will get to where you want to be.

This is a loaded subject on here LOL. But my doctor says the reason you do not drink while you eat is because it washes the food down without slowing it enough to trigger the nerves it needs to trigger.
However, he says that any food bites you take should take approx 45 seconds to pass through the band. Once your bite is through the band (approx 45 seconds), you can have a sip if you wish and it will not affect the workings of the band.
There is some stuff on line about this from a man named Dr. Obrien. The reason things have changed (for some doctors - not all) is because they are still learning how the band really works. Who knows, with time they may change their minds again.
The best person to listen to is your doctor because he is the one you have to answer to if things go wrong with the band or you have problems. You should ask him straight up about the drinking issue and see what he says.

Does anyone notice a difference between eating warm/hot foods and cold foods? I'm only one day post-surgery and am on lump-free liquids, and I'm noticing that the Soup and broth go down a lot easier than the Protein shake and the attempt at thinned pudding. Warm Water is way easier to get down than cold Water.< /p>
Is this common after surgery? Common later down the road? Just curious mostly - obviously I'm going to eat (drink) the foods that feel the nicest on my new tummy

I was banded yesterday!
I wasn't nervous until I was in the pre-op room, but all the nurses, my surgeon, and the anesthesiologist are so nice that any jitters went away. They pumped me full of saline through an IV, gave me an antibiotic, and then propped me up for surgery and that's the last thing I remember.
Upon waking there was quite a bit of pain, but they gave me some pain killers through the IV and about an hour later I was doing well, sipping watered down apple juice. I went home at 3pm, so 5 hours after my surgery started.
Last night was a bit uncomfortable. I had a hard time sleeping laying down, so I mostly sat up on the couch and snoozed. I'm taking the Ovol (gas reducers) which help a lot, and I have some Tylenol III, but I'm finding it hard to swallow the pills (it's taking me an hour just to get down my regular meds), so my boyfriend went out for some liquid children's tylenol. I'm not in very much pain so I think that should do the trick.
I'm happy to be on this side of the forum now! I'm on full liquids starting at noon today (yay!) and I am SO looking forward to a bit of Tomato or strained mushroom soup!
Thanks everyone for your support - looking forward to continuing this journey here!

@ RSifers - I also feel like this is going to be the challenge of a lifetime! I'm nervous, but excited and hopeful also.
Have you January bandsters been telling people? I've been telling lots of friends and family about the procedure. The more people that know about my surgery, the more people I have in my "army" to support me.
I'm going on vacation in a couple days, and at the end of my vacation I start the pre-op diet. What a start to the new year!

Thanks everyone!
I'm off to the surgical centre now to become a "Bandster." Nervous and excited.
TTYL

I'm personally ignoring all the people, and there have been a lot, who tell me not to get the band or suggest that I can lose a few pounds on my own.
As others have said, do your research, listen to your doctor, and know what's what. I'm 5'9" and just under 300lbs one day before surgery, and I wish I had gotten a band a year ago when everyone said "you don't look obese... maybe a bit overweight" even when my BMI was pushing 40.

Yay blueturtle! Glad to hear that you're doing well.
I'm tomorrow morning at 10am, and I'm finally feeling a bit nervous. Excited, and I can't wait, but a wee bit nervous!

I'm personally ignoring all the people, and there have been a lot, who tell me not to get the band or suggest that I can lose a few pounds on my own.
As others have said, do your research, listen to your doctor, and know what's what. I'm 5'9" and just under 300lbs one day before surgery, and I wish I had gotten a band a year ago when everyone said "you don't look obese... maybe a bit overweight" even when my BMI was pushing 40.

I'm personally ignoring all the people, and there have been a lot, who tell me not to get the band or suggest that I can lose a few pounds on my own.
As others have said, do your research, listen to your doctor, and know what's what. I'm 5'9" and just under 300lbs one day before surgery, and I wish I had gotten a band a year ago when everyone said "you don't look obese... maybe a bit overweight" even when my BMI was pushing 40.

I'm personally ignoring all the people, and there have been a lot, who tell me not to get the band or suggest that I can lose a few pounds on my own.
As others have said, do your research, listen to your doctor, and know what's what. I'm 5'9" and just under 300lbs one day before surgery, and I wish I had gotten a band a year ago when everyone said "you don't look obese... maybe a bit overweight" even when my BMI was pushing 40.

I'm personally ignoring all the people, and there have been a lot, who tell me not to get the band or suggest that I can lose a few pounds on my own.
As others have said, do your research, listen to your doctor, and know what's what. I'm 5'9" and just under 300lbs one day before surgery, and I wish I had gotten a band a year ago when everyone said "you don't look obese... maybe a bit overweight" even when my BMI was pushing 40.

I'm personally ignoring all the people, and there have been a lot, who tell me not to get the band or suggest that I can lose a few pounds on my own.
As others have said, do your research, listen to your doctor, and know what's what. I'm 5'9" and just under 300lbs one day before surgery, and I wish I had gotten a band a year ago when everyone said "you don't look obese... maybe a bit overweight" even when my BMI was pushing 40.

I'm personally ignoring all the people, and there have been a lot, who tell me not to get the band or suggest that I can lose a few pounds on my own.
As others have said, do your research, listen to your doctor, and know what's what. I'm 5'9" and just under 300lbs one day before surgery, and I wish I had gotten a band a year ago when everyone said "you don't look obese... maybe a bit overweight" even when my BMI was pushing 40.

Yay blueturtle! Glad to hear that you're doing well.
I'm tomorrow morning at 10am, and I'm finally feeling a bit nervous. Excited, and I can't wait, but a wee bit nervous!

Well I have to say as far as I can tell right now everything went really well. I was in at 630 and out by noon. A nausea and soreness at the incision site, but beyond that I am doing pretty well. I haven't drank much, so I'm going to focus on that this evening. Thank you for all the well wishes and thoughts. It so nice to know there are people on your side!

Cutlass, all above mentions are true. Having said that, I hear the fear of failure in your question, and I have to say: I was so scared that I would not be successful at this that I told only my husband and one close friend that I was having the band placed. I felt it was very possible that I would be the only person who did not lose 1 pound after surgery.
I'm basically at goal (a few pounds to go), and I have loved this journey. Simply because it is NOT another diet. You will understand after surgery, and it wish you all the success in the world! You can do it!

You can do this! Go hardcore, now. Keep reminding yourself what is at the end of this very temporary pre op diet is! My pre op was three weeks and I thought it would. Never. End. Then, all of a sudden, it was my surgery day and it was over. Trust me, this too shall pass and sooner than you can believe, when you look back on it.
Do you have sugar free Torani syrups? Maybe you can add some to your milk, give it some flavor and make it more interesting? Can you have coffee? You could blend milk, instant coffee, ice and Torani and have a frozen latte type thing... Ummm, blend ice, milk, yoghurt, Torani, to make a smoothie kind of thing... Get as creative as you can within the parameters of what you are allowed to have to make it a little less boring than just slugging down glasses of plain milk and a dish of yoghurt, every day.
Hang in there. You can make this pre-op diet your b*tch! And then the band will be yours.

Ugh! The pre op diet was the worst! I hit it hard core. Mine was two Protein Shakes and a lean and green meal a day. I was allowed frozen fruit for my shakes if I wanted it. Pretty liberal. My only "cheats" were the occasional handful of raw almonds on my salad and one day, for some reason I was hungrier than a horse and I chowed down on a pile of deli pepper turkey. Those two small deviations didn't affect my outcome. I think that the pre op has that built into it. As long as we hit the pre op hard a small bump in the road isn't going to wreck us.

Congrats to everyone who's been banded already! I'm scheduled for the 14th - one week away and I am READY!
I've lost just over 5 pounds on my pre-op diet. Hope that's a good number for me!