starfish n coffee

I am 1 week 3 days post-op. I am having a hard time getting in calories. Who knew this would be an chore? I'm at 600 calories per day and I need a 1000. I'm still on liquids with the allowance of one egg and one piece of fish. I need some suggestions please?

Hi everyone,

My date is March 11! I am super excited, but today as I studied notes from the doctor's office and what I need to do to prepare myself, I started getting jittery. I have some questions, and please if any and all could answer (honestly, of course), I would appreciate it. Knowing beforehand would really help:

1. What were your initial feelings when you woke up from surgery?

2. If you experienced pain/soreness/gas cramps, how long did it last? Was there anything that relieved it?

3. Were you hungry? Were you nauseous?

4. When could you go back to work? When could you travel (an hour drive to a friend's house)?

.5. Could you feel the band in there?

Thanks! I so appreciate any and all info!

Jaybro

Congrats on your surgery date!! Now I can only speak for me cuz everyone's pain threshold is different.

1. I woke up with incredible gas pain.

2. The gas pain lasted for 2 days. I took Miralax and Gripe Water. The Gripe Water did the trick.

3. No hunger no nausea.

4. My Sx was on a Wednesday I thought I could go back to work Monday. That was a no go. Went to work the following Friday. Another no go. I will be working from home next week. Still sore at the port area.

5. I felt my band tighten for the first time today when I got upset at my teenager. Stress does affect the band.

I hope that helps. I can't wait to hear what other Bandsters experienced. :-)

Good so far. I had my surgery a week ago and am still doing liquids. My body really wants regular food though. I ate a bowl of soggy cereal and have had some oatmeal to help with that. My gas pain has subsided quite a bit. I don't feel bloated anymore. The past two days have been the hardest in terms of hunger. As my body recovers from surgery, the swelling in my stomach goes down.

I am still having issues sleeping well. I can only sleep on my back because if I try and lay on either side, I feel pressure around my port incision.

I am so glad you mentioned port pressure!! I thought it was just me!! Do you think that will ever go away?!

Wow! You sound like you have a great aftercare crew? fluoroscopic fills are rare but are the best.

Thanks TMF. I think they are great too. That's the only time I have to the "Fluoroscopic" fill. (I didn't love the proper name. Thanks. Lol) after that they are at the Docs office.

My post-op was yesterday. My incisions are healing quite nicely. I'm down 21lbs. from Pre-op weight. Yaaay! Surgeon says I can eat eggs and fish now. However I still don't have an appetite yet. First fill is on 3/19 which will be done using X-ray. I have to drink barium so he can see the tightness or loseness.

I'm excited about my journey and on eating like a "bandster" for life!!!

Scheduled for 2/27! It's almost here!!!! I've been on a liquid diet for almost two weeks I can tell I've lost weight cause my pants feel loose but I don't want to weight myself till surgery day! Exited and scared but mostly exited!

Congrats!!! We know how you feel.

Hilarious!!!

LyceeB,

Please don't be offended when I say this but it sounds like you weren't properly informed at all prior to your surgery? Poor thing.

This is what my nutrition team told me as far as what I could eat again. (and this is MY team some may vary)

Apples no skin

Stay away from doughy breads

(toasted if you just have to have it. I choose not to)

Pasta - same as bread. It swell's and could get stuck.

Make sure you chew your foods slowly at least 30 times or until mushy. And only 1 cup of food per serving.

I hope this helps. There are more variations as more people will post.

You get lots of help here.

It is interesting that you note "note sure what the restriction feels like". Regardless of whether you have Fluid in your band or not, it is exciting to see that the Lap Band has already kicked and begun to work for you because you are not really feeling hungry. The reason for this is that the Lap Band itself and swelling that may have occurred at surgery is placing a nice amount of pressure onto the receptor sites that tricks your brain into feeling satisfied for a longer period of time.

Good luck

Helen Bauzon

Dietitian

Thanks Helen. I'm pretty sure it's the swelling as well. I'm just glad it's working. I'm going to treat my band like I still treat my daughter. Like a new born baby. Lol! Don't want to start any bad habits with it. I'm going to make this tool work for me.

LyceeB,

I was banded on Wednesday and I was asking the same thing. I've used Miralax which helped tremendously. I also took a long walk to at Wally World and that was a HUGE help. Each day gets better. Also my after band diet allows creamy Soups. So the fact that I can actually put something in my belly may be helping with combating the gas as well. It's not GONE but it's tolerable.

Wow..I am dumbfounded. No concern for the potential problems....telling me to "go away"... I'm blown away. I don't need this. Just trying to spare someone else.

Bye-Bye now.

Awesome!!! I'll follow you!

Bandarella, What is your motive here? Are you so against WLS that all you do is it look for open opportunity to speak against it? All surgeries come with a risk, breast surgery, tonsil surgery, thyroid surgery..... Are you over there warning those people of their risks?

You are wearing me out.... I think I speak for everyone when I say please go away. Just stop and go stand on a corner and preach your doubt elsewhere.

Thanks everyone. I did find a Rx for Diflucan in my discharge packet. So I will need getting that filled tomorrow. I did the Listerine Skywalker and that did give me some relief as well as brush the crap out of my tongue. Lol!

Did you see him on New Girl? I wonder if they really filmed it at Paisley Park.

I've seen him twice in concert...in 2009 he performed inside one of Paris' museums and it was fantastic! Then in 2010 he did a concert in a huge stadium in Paris...Maceo Parker was one of the surprises of that evening. Man I love Maceo...and Maceo AND Prince? Gett off!

Yes!!! I was so excited!! Loving that fro!! Wow!! Macro?!? That must've been awesome!!

Cheers to neggie on being banded tomorrow!!

My incisions are glued and barely noticeable. I been showering daily since I've been home and might I add that the warm Water is helping with the soreness that the gas pains caused. And the Miralax is working VERY well! Thankful for that!!

I concur with 2muchfun. Really!?!? This is not the forum for your negative rants.

My doctors has done over 1000 lap band procedures. He will ONLY do lap bands which makes him an expert in his field. He's admitted to having 2 errosions and 1 port flip. The errosions came from from non-compliant patients. The port flip he admitted to not securing properly. I can tell you from feeling where my port is there will be no flipping! I an honest doctor.

I think that there's nothing wrong with apprehension prior to any surgery that's a normal human reaction. But for you to come here and put out that much negativity is too much. I'm sorry your method of WLS didn't work out.

By the way, what are you doing to reach your weight loss goals other than hanging out here scaring the crap out of people?

I noticed that you mentioned hypothyroidism (I have this as well)....does anyone know the answer to this question--does hypothyroidism cause obesity, or does obesity cause hypothyroidism?

I had thought this was something I'd have to live with the rest of my life, but my friend (a nurse who had the lap band done) said I might be able to get off both my thyroid meds and my cholesterol meds when this was all done.

Hypothyroidism slows the metabolism making it difficult for the body to burn the neccessary calories for energy and weight loss.

My plan is to only have to ingest a Vitamin and that's it! No more meds is my goal. By the way since the little bit of weight lost prior to surgery my husband says that I don't snore as bad as before. Good sign.

Hmmm...could be the post-op diet, which doesn't offer much in the way of taste. Or some residual medications used during the banding that have a side effect which you are tasting. I know some medications can make your mouth taste like tin.

BTW; love that Prince song. Now that's going to be my earworm for today!

I think the taste is an oral yeast infection from the penicillin. After I looked at my tounge and saw how coated it was.

Yes! I Loooooovveee Prince! <3

Hi I'm 4 days post-op. Started having this funny taste in my mouth. Can't really taste anything. Anyone experience this and if so, what is it and how long did it last?

That's how I was and I felt so weak and sick. That's when the doctor told me to take the miralax. That helped me out a lot. I have been able to drink all day and finish a bowl of cream of wheat. It took me all day but I did. And i didn't get full off of liquids today and felt so much better. The pressure is also gone too :-)

I'm drinking hot tea with Miralax as I type. I pray I get some relief by morning. I'm glad you feeling tons better.

Post surgery updates:

I couldn't sleep hardly at all last night. These pain meds don't knock me out unfortunately. I have been drinking Water today. I feel so dehydrated. I am not feeling much gas pain. I had some yesterday in my back and I have had a heating pad on it. I took a gasx strip yesterday but don't think it did much. I ate a few teaspoons of greek yogurt and felt full. I need to have some of my Protein Shake. I just feel like I am obsessed with putting food and drink in my mouth, more than I ever did before I was banded. Is this normal? It feels like a full time job.

Banded on 2/19/14. All I can say is day by day the pain will become more tolerable. Continue to sip water. Try and get in some Protein. Suck on ice or sugar-free Popsicle's. I actually have ZERO appetite. Was able to get down 3 +ea spoons of Soup today and a whole 8 oz of water.

Skywalker, maybe a different perspective will shed some light for you as well. I have always been a physically fit person. I've never struggled with weight until my daughter was three years old. She is now 16. I've tried WW, Atkins, South beach, you name it. My doctor suggested lap band surgery a year ago. I was appalled! I was really taken aback! So tried my hand again at losing on my own. One year later I visit my doc again and this time when he brought up WLS I listened. I realized that this food industry had me caught up. Portion sizes out of control. Driving for miles to work, sitting for hours only to drive those same miles and then eat a high calorie meal while watching TV.

Let's not mention the, pcos I was diagnosed with, along with hypothyroidism, acid reflux, stomach bacteria, bad knees and back from carrying 289lbs. I'm 5'10" and weight is weight! Heavy as hell! I was tired of being "tired". I consider myself a bit of an exhibitionist. Can't do that it you're fat an unattractive feeling (speaking for myself only)

So.... I was banded Thursday 2/19/14. Day of surgery I weighed in at 275lbs. I can't wait for what the future holds regarding my weight loss. I plan to follow this by the letter. Nothing will hold me back.

Good luck to you on your decision.

I'm on day 3 post op. I can consume liquids, Water, diluted juice. I purchased some Unjury Protein supplements which are excellent. www.Unjury.com So im getting in my protein via liquid. I'm not hungry at all. Not sure if liquid is in my band or not. I don't know what the restriction feels like yet. I just know that I'm not really hungry right now. I have a lot of gas movement still and I'm guessing it's because I need to take in a little more substantial liquid such as pureed stuff.

I'm so happy for all of us!!! We are on our way to becoming or revisiting the people we want to be. We got this folk!!! Yaaaaaaayyyyy!!!