gentylwind

I am on day 5...it gets better rapidly, so hang in there. If you are still nauseated, call for some liquid phenargan from your surgeon. I did...helped me sleep and really got rid of the nausea. The more up and around you are, truly the better you will feel the next day, so do try to move around, even if it hurts. Don't worry too much yet about intake I think. It will come in good time. It WILL get better. :hug:

I am so sorry. It happens. Unfortunately a lot of those tests are very accurate and can reveal things about ourselves that are hard to look at or admit. Rather than get angry, perhaps you could consider investing in his (or another weight specialist's) services...if you don't really need it, you'll get cleared for surgery faster, and if you do, you'll be getting the resources you need to be ready to make this incredibly difficult change. I know its hard to hear, but the band really isn't a fresh start. You have to start before its in place...the results afterward can be disasterous if you discover you can't make the necessary changes. You sound SO motivated hon. Hang in there, get some help doing this and you will be on your way to being banded before you know it. If your surgery does get delayed, its only for a little while. :hug: You can do this. The other option of course is to start over with a different surgeon. But I would encourage you to see this as a way to get you ready for the band, not a way to keep you from it. We are all here to help you.

I have no idea...my doc is the opposite. He wants us in there at four weeks on the dot for the first fill due to the advantage the first year after banding gives for losing weight. He is very focused on getting off most or all of the weight in the first year. He has said after that four week mark, I can be filled every week if that is what is needed. So far though I have restriction just from the surgery. I know most of it is swelling, but he does put some in the band when he places it as well.

I am five days postop...hunger really returned with a vengeance for me yesterday, but I am still satisfied with a very small amount of liquids, three to four times a day. I just do need to get them in now, where before yesterday I could take it or leave it.

A brave and wonderful post...thank you. Those of us just starting out can learn from what you have said as well as join in cheering you onward. You sound to be grounded in reality and ready to face your demons. Way to go!

I didn't know this, but apparently estrogen is stored in large amounts in body fat, so losing weight quickly releases it into the blood stream and can play all kinds of havoc with one's cycle. I have not missed a period yet, but would not mind if I did! ha! Zero chance of pregnancy here, so a missed period is just a vacation from it.

I am not there yet, but have heard also it depends on what kind of solid. Some people just can't tolerate chicken no matter what or when. Definitely do wait until you are cleared for solids by your physician, then start with softer stuff, as suggested above....soft white fish is a good place to start I would think, maybe tenderloin or dark meats (moister) in very small bites...

I am 38 and never had surgery before either going into this. I am five days postop now and had alllll the anxiety you are having. I was petrified! I can only reassure you, its a piece of cake. Really not at all bad. I was home just four hours from start to finish! We are relatively young, which helps a lot with pain, mobility and healing. It was nowhere near as bad as I built it up in my head. Don't hesitate to ask for anxiety meds and own up to the nurses that you are scared. They are very sympathetic and will help you through. Good luck and congratulations on taking charge of your life! Remember, the definition of courage is not an absence of fear, but rather taking action despite the presence of fear. This is a very courageous step you are taking.

Lap band is placed laparoscopically on the vast majority of people. Some do have to be opened up, but its rare. I was home four hours after my lap band surgery. I was back to work four days later. Some people need more time than that. The most I have seen someone take was two weeks to return to work. Some docs keep their lap band patients overnight at the hospital, some don't. Gastric bypass is, from what I understand, much more invasive and does require more down time...about six weeks on average I think before returning to work from what I read. Its also, again, from what I read, several days in the hospital.

No worries, everything I am eating is in the food list my surgeon gave me for the first two weeks after surgery. I am on full liquids until a week from this Friday, then two weeks of mushies, then on to a normal diet. Full liquids on his list include FF pudding, FF creamed soups (thinned and strained), FF yogurt with no fruit pieces, thin oatmeal, thin cream of wheat, thin applesauce, skim milk, plus all the Clear Liquids and probably other stuff I am not remembering at the moment due to not having chosen to eat them thus far.

I have to confess, I can't bring myself to drink the protein shakes now. I am sticking to broth, creamed soups made with skim milk or FF yogurt and vitamins. I probably am not getting quite enough protein right now, but hope I will be able to pick that up when I can blend down meats.

That really is vague, isn't it? I think sistasassy is probably right, that it means stopping when satisfied but not "full" feeling. Probably if you feel uncomfortable you went too far. That's my best guess too.

Day four here. I am pretty bruised up, bit it is getting better, starting to turn that ugly yellow that signals healing. I think three of my incision are already healed, including the one in my navel. I am back at work today, a little worn out but nothing too bad. Apparently my colon has woke up though...been in the potty four times since getting here. Lovely. The scale continues to move downward and I am happy with my progress. I am starting to definitely get HUNGRY, but all it takes is something with some protein in it to fill me up for a nice long time, even though its still just liquids. I have my postop the Monday after Thanksgiving and my first fill three weeks after that.

I wish you nothing but the best my dear. You misread me entirely.

The damage does not happen immediately. If you pop a stitch or two, you won't even know it, until something strains your band down the line, pops a couple of more and suddenly you have a slip that you won't even attribute to eating solids earlier than you should have...that if you had followed the rules and done it correctly, your band would still be secure, but because of the damage done early, a strain later on is more catastrophic than it would have been. I personally just shelled out 10K out of my own savings to have this done and have a very hard time understanding why anyone would go against doctor advise. It was by not listening to medical advice that we got fat in the first place. It makes no sense to rationalized it by saying we know our bodies better than anyone. If that were true, we would not have been morbidly obese to begin with. You have this chance. Use it.

Princess, I think first you need to chill and just concentrate on learning to do what you are told will work. The issues with your shape and body morphology are not going to be solved this quickly, and going from a 24 to a 6 isn't going to happen overnight. Before you can look at a size 6, just look at the plate in front of you and ask if what you are contemplating eating is going to push you toward your goal...or away from it. There's no in between. Focus right now on healing your body and learning to do what you are supposed to do. The rest will come later on.

The gas people speak of is not in the stomach. Whatever you are belching out is air in your stomach from other things, but the gas pains that come (mine didn't come until day 3) is gas trapped in the abdominal cavity between organs from where they puffed it in there to help separate things for surgery. That takes a while to go away, as the body has to reabsorp it and then dispose of it. That takes time. It can't be passed via mouth or the other end...its not in the digestive tract. I am glad you are feeling good! I am on day four and feel fantastic, but did start finally having the gas pain yesterday. I thought I had escaped it. I didnt' want you to be alarmed if you still get it. Hopefully you won't.

A little fatty?! Nice. You're this child's mother and you call it a little fatty? I'll pray for your kids.

Frankly, you can still utilize some of his methods after having the band. You will still have to diet, still have to exercise. The band just increases your likelihood of success. Have another talk with him, find out what his worries are, but ultimately do what is best for YOU.

I had some diarrhea yesterday (day 2, I was banded on the 21st). Not too bad since then. Definitely not having to make any mad dashes for the bathroom. I went to the mall for three hours today, got me walking, did a little Christmas shopping. I have been tired, but not overly so. I will probably go back to work tomorow for a half day. I have not needed my narcotics today until I got back from the mall, having some shoulder pain from the abdominal gas. All in all I feel like I have really done amazing compared to most I read about here, and I am grateful. I even had a sneeze attack this morning and it didn't hurt any of my incisions. I am on full liquids for two weeks, then on to mushies. I can barely get anything in..I do okay sipping clear fluids, but if I go to creamed soup or FF pudding, two or three bites is all I can handle before I get uncomfortable. The scale is moving downward nicely.

1. Shrinks the liver to make surgery safer. 2. Gets weight loss started, making surgery safer. 3. Helps you and your doctor determine if you are committed enough to change the way you eat after the band is in place, which will be necessary for the band to be a success. 4. Gets your stomach used to much smaller meals.

Yep, it sucks, but its just a few days. Don't deviate from your postop instructions. You could screw things up big time and end up with complications down the road that you won't even realize are because of what you are doing now (such as popping any sutures that adhere your band to your stomach, that doesnt' hurt anything until a slipped band down the road). Hang in there. You have come this far. Dont' screw yourself out of a healthier future.

I have been doing well too. I can tell the band is there...I have restriction, whether they put fluid in or its just swelling I am not sure. I definitely can't eat much. I have a little bit of gas pressure. But nothing major. And my incision pain is almost all the way gone, as is the soreness. I too am a relatively young patient and I do think that helps with a quicker recovery. *knocks wood*

My friends keep suggesting knitting. I guess it can be a real passion and definitely keeps the hands busy! I am not as far out as you, so it may very well change, but right now, I am finding anything more than two to three tablespoons every four or five hours and I am in MISERY. I am okay with that for now, but hope I won't always be this full-feeling!

Yep, you definitely need to do more research and realize this is NOT a temporary thing. Its meant to stay there forevermore. It also is not a quick or easy way to weight loss. You still have to diet and exercise. It makes eating less easier, but plenty of people can and do fail on the band. You will not lose weight anywhere near as quickly as people who have had gastric bypass. And yes, most people who get the band taken off (usually due to complications and/or not following diet and eating restrictions) regain the weight very quickly. I hope you take time to look around this site and get very educated about what you are about to do. Good luck!