mymacksy

My awesome surgeon and his dietition recommend clear liquids for 3 days post op, then full liquids for 10 more days, then advancing the diet slowly on a specific schedule. I was too uncomfortable to move to a full liquid diet after 3 days, so I stayed on clear liquids for over a week post-op. You will not starve, I promise!! Yes, this is hard on your body, but you will not suffer long term effects from the liquid diet. To increase your calories and protein, you can try sipping "protein bullets", which are clear liquid and found at GNC and even Wal Mart. Take it slow, because increasing your protein too quickly can be very painful to the bowels. With full liquids you can drink protein shakes, 52 gms protein and over 250+ cal per shake, plus the nutrition from the milk you mix it with. You can make one shake and it'll last several hours if you're taking 2 oz at a time. Protein powder can be found almost anywhere in the nutritional supplement aisle. Good luck, you can do it! Make sure you're not a band orphan, find follow up and support ASAP.

I called my doctor that night, after all, and he mentioned that when you're taking tiny sips from small containers, you can swallow more air. He also suggested going back to just water for a day or so. I started drinking out of a larger cup, not sipping, being careful not to swallow so much air. It's so much better! So here I am, day 5 post op, still on clear liquids. I can't wait til things normalize a little! Strangely, I still have energy for walking and doing all my normal activities, as long as I can get a nap in.

I was banded Aug 20th, and was wondering the same thing! These sensations are not at all what I was expecting. Sore, yes, like someone punched me in the stomach, yes.....but I also feel extremely bloated and am not able to tolerate the 1-2 oz fluid every 15 mins that my dr. advises. It's a little worrisome because I don't want to become dehydrated. I tried upping my liquid protein to keep from feeling poorly, but that gave me GI distress big time. So, back to clear liquids, slowly. I'm very uncomfortable, but will contact the dr. office tomorrow for reassurance.