Cocoabean

I had my surgery on a Friday, was Clear Liquids thru Sunday and could go full liquids Monday. After one week I was allowed to eat mushies and added more solid foods depending on how I felt. Denise

Hi Linda, I am experiencing the same thing. I got banded Feb. 15 so am almost 6 weeks post-op. I should have had my first fill today but am going on a 2-week trip out of the country in two weeks, so I decided to postpone my fill until after I return, and add insult to injury, it is a cruise! :tongue_smilie: My hubby wanted me to postpone for fear that something would happen and I'd have to be flown home from Central America. And knowing my hubby, even if I broke my leg through no fault of my own, it would be my fault because I got the fill! So, to keep the peace, I decided to wait an additional 4 weeks is this horrible banded place. I can eat all types of foods, but some "feel" better than others. I can eat quite a bit, but not as much as before banding. I am losing, but very slowly. Not nearly as quick as I'd like, but then again, 50 lbs a week would be too slow! On my home scale, I am down 2 lbs since about 1 week after surgery. I did not feel up to getting on the scale right away, so unfortunately I am not sure what I weighed right around my surgery date on my home scale. But, my clothes are fitting looser and my measurements are showing steady loss. These are other ways to measure losses. Kat who posts here once compared an unfilled band to a new car that has no gas...it is great to have, but doesn't do anything for you--I love that comparison. I keep telling myself that I need my gas, I need my gas! That helps me to keep it in perspective. I see alot of people here posting that they have lost boodles of weight shortly after surgery. Try not to compare yourself to them, it only adds to the frustration. I am looking forward to starting on fills--mine is now scheduled for May 1. Know that you are not alone in what you are going through. Your fill is coming, but from what I understand it often takes more than one fill to reach the "sweet spot." Don't beat yourself up because you are not losing much now. It is willpower taking you along at this point, and if "willpower"--whatever that is--worked, we would not have needed the band in the first place. Thanks for posting, it is nice to know I am not alone in this pergatory! Denise

My doc allowed me to go full liquid 3 days after surgery. I see this is not what your doctor ordered, but I did fine with mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs during that time--I even added some peas and steamed spinach which went down fine. I think if you are not hurting, you are OK, if things don't feel right, by all means, call your doc. Or if you'll feel better, call your doc and talk with his/her nurse about it. Denise

I did left over medifast for my 2 weeks pre-op. Doc said my liver was great. I did the 5 packages and the "lean and green." Denise

I was not required to lose weight, but if I gained I'd be canceled. I was required to do a fasting program for two weeks pre-op to shrink my liver. My doc sells one of the liquid programs, the name is escaping me right now. I chose Medifast. I already had the food from a previous "diet attempt." My doc said it would be fine. I cannot say that I like the food, in fact, the shakes taste horrible to me. Some of their soups are decent, and their bars are pretty good. I like that they have food you can chew, plus you add a "lean and green" meal daily, so I did not feel as deprived. It was not a fun two weeks, but I managed it without too much cheating. I did Medifast at work all day and hubby and I would have a lean and green for dinner. Some people actually loose quite a bit of weight using this program long-term, more power to them! I could not. The worst part was going to a friend's surprise b-day parting and not being able to partake. There I was with my vanilla shake while others enjoyed the bounty. But, as my surgery was so close, I was able to keep my eye on the prize. It is not easy mixing a special diet with family and friends. This is another reason I chose the band over bypass, being able to eat regular foods in smaller portions. Anyway, after my surgery my doc told my hubby that my liver looked great and he could tell that I had done very well on the program. Of course, instead of telling the doc I was a stellar patient, he said, "oh, whew, she was so worried about how much she cheated!" :biggrin: What a guy!!! Of course, DH was the one who made me fess up to eating peas with my mashed potatoes after I went on full liquids. To this my doc said that I could add other soft foods since I tolerated that fine. Yay! Denise

My BMI was 38 when I started with my surgeon. He was willing to do either surgery on me, it was my choice. If I had been diabetic vs. pre-diabetic, this would not have been the case. But with my BMI and health history, he said either procedure would be fine for me. My reasons for choosing the lapband are listed below. There is a list of reasons to pick bypass and also lists of reasons to not choose either. You have to decide which list is more powerful. 1. Hubby did not support gastric bypass, was much more comfy with the idea of the band. 2. That rubbed off on me as well. The bypass re-routes your innards and totally scrambles things up. Lapband doesn't. 3. If food gets stuck, band can be unfilled and food passes. With bypass, they must go down the throat and remove it. 4. Should I become ill and need more nutrition, band can be unfilled. 5. Weight loss is slower at first than bypass. I think this lessens the questions from people about your weight loss. Slow and steady is the way I want it. 6. I am in control of my restriction, if there is too much, I ask for an unfill, too litte, I ask for a fill. With bypass, what you have is what you have. I did not do any research into the Sleeve procedure, thus cannot speak to that. Denise

(((Tater)))) I can soooo totally relate to what you are saying! My weight yesterday was the same as my weight 4 days post-op. I keep reminding myself of the great wisdom I have read here, that this is a marathon, not a sprint. That having a non-filled band is like having a new car, but you have no gas in it---thus it just sits there doing nothing for you. I am eating mostly normal foods, but smaller portions. I have also "felt the joy" of eating too fast or eating huge bites without thinking about it. Eventhough I have no fill, these things already affect me. They are uncomfortable enough to make me think twice at the next meal. So, these are the things I am trying to focus on. The fact that the scale is not going down will change with fills and if I keep learning about this tool inside of me and how to best use it to my advantage. Thank you for posting, I have been feeling down about the scale myself. Glad to know we are not alone in our results so far or our feelings. Keep up the faith that our upcoming fills will have the desired effect! Denise

Hi Shannon, It's a couple of months after your post, but Dr. Callery placed my band on 2-15-2008. My PCP really trusts and respects him. I have nothing but positives to say so far, but I am only a month post-op Hope this helps. Denise

My doc schedules 1st fill at 6 weeks post-op. Your doc did not discuss this with you? Denise

The nutritionist probably would frown, but hey, it is our own program, we have to find what works for us in the long run, it will not work. With all the opinions of doctors shown on this thread, it seems to be much more opinion than science about coffee/caffeine and the lap-band. Denise

Hi Chrissie! I am hungry, too! Especially the last week or so. I think my stomach is healed from the surgery and ready to move on to fills. I am only down a few pounds post-op, and am really looking forward to getting some restriction. It will be nice to be able to use this tool I have inside of me!! My first fill is scheduled for March 27, but I am thinking of postponing as I am going on a 2 week vacation leaving April 12 and will be on a cruise. I am reluctant because I'll be out of the country, not because I want to EAT on the cruise. I'd hate to re-gain the few pounds I have lost, but I am afraid I'll have a problem and be thousands of miles away from home with no easy way to reach my doctor.

I fessed up to my surgeon at 1-week post-op that I had had some peas and steamed spinach with my mashed potatoes--I was allowed to go full liquid 3-days post-op. He was unconcerned and said to take it slow and chew well but that I could add foods back in, starting with softer stuff. Two weeks later, I could add raw veggies. My only true rules are no doughy breads, sticky rice, or corn. So far, I am tolerating everything very well, unless I eat too quickly or too much. Denise

The bad gas pains lasted about 2 weeks for me, my shoulders were Okay, but the GAS was terrible!! Keep up the faith, it DOES get better! Denise

Hi Suzle, I was wanting the r-n-y myself but my hubby was not supportive of that at all. He felt it is too drastic a step for me (my BMI was 38 when I started researching). When I went to my first info seminar I heard that insurance companies would soon cover the lap-band (which mine does now). My surgeon said either procedure would work for me. He doesn't do lap-bands on diabetics, but as I was pre-diabetic he felt I would do well with the band. He said a 40-60 lb loss over the course of a year would do wonders for my health as opposed to someone with a higher starting weight--40 or so lbs would mean very little. So for a higher BMI he recommends the r-n-y to lose the weight more quickly. This is what my surgeon said, I am sure other surgeons have differing ideas. As my DH was supportive of the band and not the r-n-y that did influence my decision, but only from the stand-point that I looked into the band more. I came to realize that I prefer the idea of the band for many of the reason listed earlier, my innards were not totally scrambled, weight-loss is more gradual, the pouch does grind with the band, it doesn't with the r-n-y. If food gets stuck, they can release the band instead of doing endoscopy to go retrieve it. If I become ill and need more nutrition the band can be released. I am a very fast eater and learning to slow down and chew-chew-chew has been a huge challenge for me. It seems the band is more forgiving. I am one month post-op with no fill yet. Today I ate very quickly and felt like I had a knot in my stomach for a while. It passed, but if I had had r-n-y, maybe it wouldn't have...and maybe I'd have learned to eat slowly by now! Don't get me wrong, the r-n-y is a very effective procedure and has alot of pro's. I did a lot of pro and con weighing in my decision. For me the pro's of the band were stronger than the cons and were stronger than the pro's of r-n-y. Just my 2 cents worth... Denise

My doc said coffee can be harsh on the stomach, he recommends quitting, but did not say I -have- to give it up. I have one travel mug's worth per day, I sip it on the way to work. Sometimes now, post-op, I can't even finish it. I gave up the diet-soda with no arguments, but decided to keep on the coffee and would give it up if it bothered me. So far, so good. Tomorrow is 4 weeks post-op. Denise

I was denied a consult with my surgeon due to lack of a 6 month supervised program. I appealed due to the fact that the National Institues of Health does not recommend a 6 month program as a requirment for bariatric surgery. I quoted info from the following: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Development Program: Gastrointestinal Surgery for Severe Obesity I also included diary entries from previous attempts and Weight Watchers attendance records from past tries. I won the appeal :drool: However, the rest of the hoops I needed to jump through for my insurance took about 6 months, but I didn't have the "supervised program" to contend with. My surgeon has a dietician on staff that I met with monthly after my consult so that if the insurance went back and required it, I'd have it started. But if not for my appeal, I'd not have been able to see my surgeon until AFTER the 6 months. Denise

Jaque, My doc in the US let me switch to soft, easy to chew foods after my first week. My only restrictions are doughy breads, sticky rice, corn, and stuff I think would be very sticky and could sit like a rock in the stomach. He said to slowly introduce new foods and take small bites and small portions. He said he bases his post-op diet on how the patient is doing, nothing is set in stone for him. My portions are about half what they used to be and I am tolerating them well. It seems odd how different docs do different post-op instruction. I keep reading here what people who were banded around the same time as I are eating and feel guilty. I have asked my DH over and over if I heard the doc wrong because it is so different from others here. He assures me I did not, so I'll stay with what I am doing and continue to heal. Everyday I feel more myself! Denise

I'd hope it would take a BIG cough to rip a stitch. My port site was VERY sore for a couple of weeks. It still reminds me it is there (3 weeks post-op). I caught a chest cold right after my surgery and was a coughing fool. It hurt like heck, but all seems OK now. The hospital told me to cough for several days post-op to help clear the anesthesia gunk. So, I'd think it is not too dangerous a thing to do. But, if you feel something is not right, don't hesitate to call your doc. I saw my surgeon just as the cough was kicking into high gear, he was not concerned. I was given a stuffed moose at the hospital to hold against my abdomen when I coughed. It was a huge help. Now when I cough or sneeze it doesn't feel as though my innards are going to spill out through the incision. Denise

Banded 2-15. Today was weigh in day (once a week) UP 2 lbs! So, I was 202 the morning of my surgery at the hospital. Now on my scale I am 193. Was down to 191. I know I am constipated, hopefully when that resolves, I'll be back down. BUT---I do measurements when I weigh in and I am down in the upper abs and upper arms. My lower abs are up, further evidence of the intestinal back up. So, I am happy with the measurements. Doing measurements gives me another tool to gauge success. We cannot control what the scale says due to unforseen factors like Water retention and poo retention I am hungry often, first fill not for a while yet. I love Kat's reference in another thread to an unfilled band being like getting a new car but not having gas, so you can't go anywhere! Best wishes to all Victorious Valentines!!! Keep up a good attitude. Denise

I have gone up and down a little in post-op. I think it is fairly normal. As someone here said to me, this is the time for healing, not so much for weight loss. I have chosen Saturday as my weigh and measure day. I am taking measurements as often our inches change when our weight does not. You are down 22 lbs! That is fantastic, something to be very pleased about!! Take care of you!! Denise

My 2 cents worth: I scheduled 2 weeks off. Had surgery on a Friday. Caught a cold somewhere around the time of my surgery. Cold symptoms were just kicking into high gear at my 1 week post-op. Doc said I could return to work the following Monday. I returned part-time and wish I had taken the second week off. This week (week 3) I am back full-time and felt ready to return. I have a desk job and found it uncomfortable to sit last week. I had to remember to get up and move and stretch often or I'd pay when I tried to stand up. My back is very sore every day by the time I get off work, but it is bearable and I use a heating pad when I get home. Denise

Hi again Crystal! Wow..to be told I have a low weight! (grin) Yes, my lower starting weight enters into the speed of my losses, I am sure. It is sort of mathematical--but not totally, I know! Funny story, I went to lunch yesterday with a slim friend who really watches her diet. She looked at my plate, looked at her plate and said she felt like a "pig" because she had so much more than I did! I am trying not to focus on the scale (ok, not really winning that battle!) because we all know that you can be doing everything right and still not see a loss. So, we should reward ourselves for doing things right. I bet you will "catch up" with me pretty quickly and we'll both be lookin' and feelin' fabulous!! Denise

Thanks for that input! All opinions are welcome! Today I have felt the most "normal" (and hungry) since my surgery. I am not going to cancel the appointment just yet. It is still a ways away. I am playing it by ear, but will talk with the nurse before I go in. Such a decision! I want to take the next step, but at the same time I don't want to ruin a very expensive vacation!! Denise

The flu? Poor you! I thought I had it bad by bringing home a cold from the hospital. I just had a cough...but vomitting after surgery? eeek! Glad you are feeling better. Denise

Hi LadyDee and welcome! I finally reached the point in my life that I knew I needed surgery or would be obese for the rest of my life. I am nearing 3 weeks post-op, so cannot speak to the long-term. But here is my experience: Surgery is never to be taken lightly, but we have to weigh the benefits against the risks. I have been under anesthesia several times, so I was not too worried about that--yes, I know there are inherent risks, always. Each person recovers at a different rate. The only other abdominal surgery I have had is getting my appendix removed. I can say that this recovery has not been as easy as that one, but I was 14 years younger, and 50 pounds lighter when that surgery happened! I have seen some folks here write of returning to work within a few days of being banded. For me, I was not that quick to recover. I had two weeks scheduled off, but my doc said I could return to work after one week off. A few days after my surgery, I came down with a cold--perhaps this is why I was "slow" in recovery. I returned to work after a week, but should have taken that week off. I only worked half-time, but very much regretted my decision to return. That said, I am now in my 3rd week of recovery and am feeling much better. The cold is gone, I am back full-time, and feel that I am getting back in the swing of things. So far, I do not regret my decision and I am looking forward to getting back to 100%. Only you can make the determination if this route is worth the risks. For me, it was. I was tired of fighting obesity without a full aresenal of weapons. Now I feel as though I have pulled out the big guns and will win this war! Take care of you and do loads of reading and asking questions. It is a big decision! Denise