mnn2501

I had already added in easy solids the first week, mashed potatoes and gravy, scrambled eggs with cheese, even went to Taco Bell and had a MexiMelt (very slowly) on my 4th day since I was going out of my mind for 'real food'.

Not suggesting you do that, but it worked for me.

Why does your doctor have you on liquids so long?? - most docs have liquids for 1 week after if that long.

Why can't you go out and play? Just take it easier than normal -- not sure what you mean by play, but by day 9 you should be able to do most things that are not strenuous

Why is lap band surgery not counted as "real" surgery.

You wouldn't be expected to do this 3 weeks after a triple bypass surgery.

You wouldn't be expected to do this 3 weeks after a hysterectomy

You wouldn't be expected to do this 3 weeks after a knee replacement

But hey, its only lap banding -- no problem, its not "Real" surgery.

<<shaking head>>

Glad your Mom is helping you, but I wish your husband would stand up for you.

I'm 52 so not older but close and weigh a whole lot more than you do even after losing 50# in 6 months. I had not problems with being banded, bounced right back. Could have went back to work a day or 2 after, but took off 2 weeks cause my wife was being banded 10 days after me and cause I had the time off coming.

I used Dr Cribbins in Plano (North suburb of Dallas) he's great. offices near North Dallas Tollway and Parker and operates at a number of area hospitals. He does informational seminars every month or so. PM me if you want.

What part of the Metroplex are you in?

My wife has had 3 unfills before she could start eating properly, me I've had 3 fills and still have little restriction.

If caffine is all thats keeping you awake, I think there's other problems. Perhaps if you got enough sleep that wouldn't happen.

I gave up caffine a couple years ago, cold turkey, it was bad for a week or so, the headaches finally went away, I learned my body wanted more sleep than I had been giving it. Once I started listening to my own body it wasn't hard.

Perhaps tapering off would be better for you than cold turkey.

For the person saying they don't buy into caffine being bad. Even poison is good for something.

I would stay away from Jerky ones, I'm 6 months post op and just got back from Orlando. The Rock and Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM Studios - when did they change the name?) 0 - 60 in 3.2 seconds caused me no problems, then my wife wanted to go on Big Thunder Mountain at the M.K. - I hate that jerky old thing! But to please my wife we went on it. While I don't think it hurt anything I did feel some twinges and I sure felt worse afterwards than I ever did in the past when riding it.

Just to be safe call your doctors office and ask them.

Your port may have twisted(flipped on its side), mine has twice now. Not a big deal, they can flip it back (from the outside) in a couple of minutes. Annoying but not harmful. I sleep on that side and is probably why it keeps happening to me.

You're having surgery 21 days before these jerks expect you to fix them a full Thanksgiving dinner?

I'd tell them no way and your husband needs to stick up for you. In fact he should be the one who tells them off.

I'm the same, can eat anything and feel little restriction, going in for my 3rd fill. Doc says it can take 3 or 4 fills sometimes. Kinda discouraging though since my wife has had to have 2 Unfills!! At first she couldn't eat anything, so they took out part of what they put in at surgery time, then she was still having problems with blockage so they took all the fill in, shes doing fine now with just the band.

Happened to me too, my port hurt so bad I had to sleep in a recliner for about 10 days. It'll go away. Get up and walk

Believe it or not finding an abnormality with your heart now is a good thing. You're finding it out when you can do something about it rather than after a heart attack.

Prayers go out for you.

Mine says 1/2 hour. 2 hours seems really excessive.

My wife has lost 60# and I have lost 50# since being banded in late March and early April (10 days apart).

Having said that, the band is only a tool.

The band is not magic, it will make you cut down on the amount you eat, but we can choose to eat healthy or eat candy bars and chips. We can choose to workout or not.

Again the band is a tool, nothing more.

I am with you guys on the SF crap.

Ever notice that the only people that eat/drink that stuff are FAT?

All the skinny peeps I know eat/drink the REAL stuff. They eat it in moderation.

Since I want to be skinny NOT fat, I think I shall emulate the skinny folks!

You've hit the nail on the head. theres nothing wrong with sugar or any other food in mederation. Those sugar substitues are not only crap as you say but IMHO dangerous - straight out of a chemistry set.

Splenda puts me in the bathroom for most of the day.

However, Splenda seems to be everything it is cracked up to be . . . tastes great and no gastrointestinal distress. :0)

Maybe for you, but I'm in the bathroom all day long if I have splenda.

Never had a problem with a straw, never advised against one.

Help--I don't think I have any restriction at all. Have not had trouble eating anything so far. I am 16 days from surgery. --

That happens, I wouldn't do anything til you're 6 - 8 weeks out, then if you're still like this talk with your doctor, it'll be time for a fill. Sometimes people need a number of fills to get a restriction. I needed 3 fills before I felt any restriction at all.

Nobody ever said anything about that to me, I chew gum every so often. Have not swallowed any in at least 40 years --accidentally or on purpose , so thats kinda lame.

As far as air - never had any problems with that by chewing gum. as far as calories I've chewed sugarfree for years.

Been banded 6 months now, never had an issue with gum at all.

Many of us went on liquid or 'mushy' diets for 2 weeks before surgery, I lost a lot of weight on that.

I gotta leave for now but will post more on this later this weekend, or perhaps someone else will beat me to it.

I really had very little pain, but then my surgeon put in a pain pump that was in for 3 days and I didn't get on an airplane either. I was also up walking the minute I got up to my room -- didn't even lay down just got up and walked the halls.

I did sleep in a recliner for about 10 days as laying down was uncomfortable.

Different people react differently, to say we're lying would be the same as us saying you are lying about the pain.

And for the record, I am male so never had babies and I had not had surgery in the last 48 years (had my tonsils out when I was 4)

so no, thats not the difference.

Its entirely normal, everyone here has gone through it (and wondered why). They were pumping IV fluids into you and your body is healing, give it 2 - 3 weeks. From personal experience and everything I've read on these message boards I wouldn't even bother with the scale until 3 weeks have passed.

If you eat too few calories (which I assume is the case -- I couldn't get over 600 calories in 1 day for over a week after the surgery) then your body goes into starvation mode and you stop losing, believe it or not you need to eat in order to lose weight, when I got up to about 1000 calories a day I started losing.

I have never thrown up since surgery back in Feb and have lost 50#. my wife who was banded in March throws up often and has lost 60#

Personally, I think the difference is chewing, she disagree's but I have watched her while she eats, she gets distracted and falls into old habits of trying to swallow too big a bite. I'm NOT saying everyone who pukes does this, but its been my observation with my wife.

Walking works for me when I do this

Wow, I'm a guy and men that don't support their wives in something like this are total jerks. To not do anything and tell you that he'll not help out in the least -- is this a pattern with him? if so, why are you still married to him?

My wife and I had lap band surgery 10 days apart and we helped each other. She was at the hospital for me and I was for her, She did all household chores for a week after mine and then I did them all for a week after hers. Marriage is a partnership and its all part of the: "love, honor and cherish" bit.