bluefish62

Hey all! I am 12 days out from surgery and am still having quit a bit of pain at my incisions and in my back and left shoulder sometimes. I am still having to take pain meds every 10-12 hours or I can't move!! I went to my post op appointment last Wednesday and the doctor said it was unusual to have so much pain still, and to call him if it got worse. I also seem to have a lot of swelling(edema) in fingers and legs that I thought would go down by now. I am getting all my Water in and am still on the *damn* liquid diet!! Monday I get to start mushies, woo hooooo!!! I was a bit let down at the postop nutrition meeting, as most of the group are bypass and had lost in the double digits!!! Me, well it was 5 lbs!! But now I'm at 8 lbs lost, so I guess that's ain't bad for day 12, I just am so incredibly bored with staying around the house, but I tried to get out with my Mom for a bit yesterday, but was too tired after about 2 hours!! She reminded me that I had MAJOR surgery, even if there are only 5 incisions, plus I had a hernia repair and exploratory in my pelvis, DNC and ablation of my uterus; so I was out longer and on the table longer! I have loved getting to know some of you in the chat room, it has helped the weeks go by a bit better!! Thanks to all!! Darie(Bluefish62) Banded 6/16 San Antonio Dr. Cavazos

Hi there, Sorry it has taken me so long to respond, but things have been hectic for me. He's a great doctor who truly cares, I did have some issues with pain control at the hospital and would be glad to fill you in on the side. I've had one fill so far and it was no problem at all, how found it easily and it was not painful except for the novacaine or whatever they used to numb the skin. Feel free to email me for more info, as I don't have time to hang out on this sight much anymore!! darie62@yahoo.com Take care, Darie

Hi everyone! I am 24 days post op and was wondering why I'm not losing weight as fast as others!! I'm a bit frustrated to tell you the truth! I'm down about 10 lbs and I read others that are down like 20 by now!! I have done well on the diet, liquids for two weeks and last week only creamy Soups and this week barely starting solids, so what is up!!! I know I can't be eating more than 1000 or so calories a day, so why am I not losing? Yea yea yea, I know that everyone is different, but it just makes no sense. I haven't been able to really exercise yet, and seem to be retaining a lot of Fluid, as I can't even wear my rings and my watch is tight. Should I try a diuretic to get rid of the fluid? I am getting all my Water and stuff, so that's not an issue, plus I am having very little carbs. I'd like any help from others, and I guess just mainly support, as at this point I feel like this was a mistake, because I can't really eat and I'm not losing weight very fast. Thanks in advance for any help!! Darie San Antonio, Texas 6/16/08 260lbs now 250 goal 170

Hey all! Thanks so much for the encouragement! I really need it right now, and I am getting my Protein and Water in, and you're right, nurse, I do think I'm still retaining water from just the procedure. I also had a hernia repair, a DNC and ablation and an exploratory "look see" in my pelvic region, so I had a bit more done than normal!! I plan on getting some good walking shoes(I have severe planar fascitiis in my left foot, darn) today and also have a pool out back, so maybe more movement will get the Fluid off. Do you think a diuretic is a bad idea? I don't know that much about them really. Thanks again and good luck to us all!!! God bless, Darie San Antonio Banded 6/16/08

Hi There! I am 24 days post op and still a bit bloated too. For the first week or 10 days I could barely get my regular clothes buttoned either, so I think it's just from the trauma of the surgery and that blasted CO2 that they pumped us up with! I've only lost about 9-10 pounds and can feel it, but my stomach being bloated kind of makes it feel irrelevant!! Bummer!! I haven't really been able to exercise much yet, but I think that will help with the bloat, I seem to be retaining a lot of Fluid even though I am getting all my Water in! Good luck to you and to us all!! Darie Bluefish62 San Antonio, Tx banded 6/16/08

Hey there, I'm from San Antonio and was banded on 6/16 by Dr. Cavazos!! How's it going? Bluefish62 Darie

Hey French Vanilla, I'm 3 weeks and 3 days out and started creamy stuff this week, as my doc has 2 weeks Clear Liquids,,,it's frustrating cuz they are all different with the diets!! But the first 6 days are the hardest with the hunger, when you move into the second week, your hunger will abate quite a bit as u adjust to less food and the ups and downs of carbs that we are used to with a regular diet. I have not felt too hot either cuz I think I got into heavy ketosis on Monday, headaches, lightheaded, dizzy and grumpy!! But try to get the 60 grams of Protein in daily(with mootopia if your doc allows, it has extra protein and a little carbs), that will help a lot and when you get to creamy soups that should make you feel better too! Hang in there girl, I know it's hard, in fact, I was not prepared AT ALL for the amount of hunger I was going to feel afterwards, and it has been one of the hardest parts for me! Finding this forum and chatting during the day or whenever I felt weak has REALLY helped also, there are a lot of great folks on here that will help us! Let me know how you are doing! Take care, Bluefish62 Darie San Antonio

Hey all! I was banded on June 16th and have lost 10 lbs. since surgery and am counting from then, because I did not have to go on a preop diet, so that's the place to start!! Anyway,,,good luck to all!! Bluefish62 Darie

Hey Cathy, I was banded on 6/16 in San Antonio, Texas!! Thanks, Darie bluefish62

Duh! Someone clued me into the fact that there is a group for June "bandsters" with 300 people or so in it, I guess what I was looking for were people banded the same day, because one week either way, can make a difference! I started a group for just June 16'ers if anyone is interested! Just join up and we'll share amongst ourselves in a smaller mini forum! (It's the June 16th Banders) Thanks, Darie Bluefish62 San Antonio,Tx

Thanks Cathy, I wasn't aware of the June group, so I started one for June 16th folks, just might be neat to talk with those on the same day and compare experiences!! Thanks for the info! Darie

Hey June 16th Bandsters, I was reading a lot of posts today and notice quite a few were done on the 16th or 17th of June. It's interesting the differences in weight loss, water retention and post op diet. I guess we should form a little sub-group and talk together cuz we are all at the same point and it might be a little more pertinent than talking to those 1 or 2 years out plus we are in a hard phase I think,,,,STARVATION!!! LOL!! Get the point? I don't have any idea how to start a group for just us, anyone else know? Thanks, Bluefish62 Darie Banded 6/16 San Antonio, Texas

Hey Mi lady, I was banded on 6/16 so I'm pretty close to your date. I think 8 lbs is great!! I only lost 7 so far, and it's not supposed to be super fast, that way you are losing more fat and not lean muscle and just water! You should be proud of yourself! I don't really have much restriction either, and can drink just about as much as I want, I start mushies on Monday, so I 'm looking forward to that, but I was not allowed much the first two weeks,,,clear brother, sf Jello and water!! Well I started having some yogurt and creamy Soups yesterday, which has helped with my ravenous hunger!! What I hear from others is the same thing, the first six weeks is healing and you would think, as much as our food intake has gone down, that we would lose a million lbs by now, right? Well, the body does not work that way, in starvation mode, the metabolism actually slows down!! Get a good Protein supplement and start getting 60 grams a day and that will help with weight loss too!! Anyway, come in the chat room, there are lots of great folks in there that will encourage you, they sure have me the past 11 days!! Good luck girl, Darie(Bluefish62)

Hey There, I am 10 days post op and my doc prescribed two weeks, liquids only, clear broth, sugar free Jello and water! It's hard to do, but maybe the tomato juice is too acidy, I would hold off on that and just stick to Clear Liquids and then sip Water slowly!!! Let me know how u are getting on,,,,it gets better daily!! Darie

Oh and one more thing, my favorite protein is Designer Whey, even my boys love it and I make like milkshakes(with Mootopi and ice cubes)out of it and freeze them and when I'm needing it, just take one out and thaw it a bit, so you get the protein and the taste too(i even cheat a bit and add a little sugar free chocolate syrup or Agave sweetener). But the protein is actually pretty good, and I'm sorry that I called you a girl, for all I know, you might be a guy!!! Whoops!! Darie

Hey FletcherGirl, I'm 6 days post op and on liquids also, and it SUCKS to say the least, especially when I see that others can have soft foods at 4 DAYS post op!!! What's up with that? I've sneaked a few bites of like cooked soft carrot from my broth and even had two fritos one day!!! I think "cheating" is probably common because we ARE STARVING right now, to say the least, of course we want to EAT!!! Jello, broth and freaking popsicles? There's no way in hades that I will make it the two weeks, but I see my doc on Wednesday and hopefully he will let me go ahead and move on to soft stuff, or even blending my soups would be fine with me, just SOMETHING to get my stomach to stop growling!! Don't feel bad about it in the mean time, from what I read on here, the first six weeks is for healing and learning the diet, so don't be so darn hard on yourself!!! Did you get sick from the refried Beans, cuz I have SO been craving something like that!! Let me know how it's going and come into the chat room later or in the morning, there are a lot of kewl folks in there to talk with!!! TTYL, Darie (Bluefish62)

Hey Christine, I'm jealous, I'm 6 days out of surgery and have to be on liquids for two weeks!! How'd u get so lucky to get baby food or processed foods? Every doctor seems to have their own diet, it's irritating because I would kill for something even if it was pureed!! Best of luck you girl!! Darie

Hey Steve(or Amy), I'm about as far out as you are and my largest incision, under my left boob, is oozing some, I think I might have pulled a stick out by accident, but I do remember them saying they might ooze a little, but I would just call them tomorrow, unless you just start running blood out or something, then I would not hesitate to call them today!! Let me know how it's going.....are you hungry? My hunger has kind of diminished some now, thanks goodness..... Take care, Darie

Hey Girl, I am 6 days out also and the gas is killing me also and I've been active and drinking Water and all, I think it's just part of the anesthesia or the lack of any REAL food!! Are you are famished as I am? Today seems a bit better as far as the severe hunger goes, but I could still eat the stuffin out of a pillow!! Here's to you ,,,,toots!!! LOL Darie

Hi Everyone, I finally had my surgery on June 16th, and what an experience it was!! I had several procedures done at once, which included a DNC & ablation on my uterus, pelvic exploratory to look at my reproductive stuff and an unexpected hiatal hernia repair(so they could properly place the band). Well, the hernia repair, come to find out, is VERY painful to recover from(apparently the damn night nurse was oblivious to this) so the first 16 hours post op my pain was at at 10 PLUS due to this nurse who refused to give me morphine(so that I would not be sleepy and get up and walk, etc)!!! When the morning nurse came in, I was crying and in out of control pain and it took 6 morphine pushes along with other drugs to get it under control! Needless to say, she was ticked because she had left me the night before and had just begun to get the pain under control when there was a shift change. It was a living nightmare, to say the least! And to put it into perspective, I have given birth to four 9 lb sons(not all at the same time of course,,,,winks) without any drugs!! And this pain was about as bad!!! Apparently when they stich your diaphragm, it's don't like it!! Go figure!! I ended up staying an extra night just for pain control and have been home two nights now. I feel a lot better, but am STARVING!! This clear broth thing just is not cutting it and I know my blood sugar is freaked out. My doctor said I could start my Protein shakes this week if I want, so I am going to today, but man, I AM DREAMING OF food at night! Kinda funny, huh? LOL!! I'm still taking my pain meds, but I think most of the pain is just coming from the incisions and from the hernia repair. It hurts to take a big breath and I have gas out the *****,,,so to speak!! LOL!! It's great when it finally starts to break up and get out. My sister stayed with me in the hospital, THANK the LORD, so anyone who is going to have this done, needs to have someone with them in the hospital. Hospital care is not what it used to be 10 years ago trust me!! What I have noticed from this forum, is that the post op diet varies GREATLY between docs, what's the deal with that anyway? I would love to just have a little mashed taters or oatmeal or SOMETHING to take the edge off. I noticed some people are eating soft foods 4 days out, what's up with the two weeks liquids only diet my doc wants me to do? Yuk, to tell you the truth, there is so much cheating on this thing, because IMO, it's impossible to do, your body is STARVING, and I don't think that is good for weight loss either! Anyways, enough ranting and raving on my end, hope all is going well for everyone!! Have a super weekend all!!! Darie P.S. I have seen where people have gained weight during the surgery and just to let you know, they pumped me full of almost 11 LBS!!! of Fluid, just overnight, it was awful being that bloated and swollen, but it's all coming out now!!

Hey Julie, Good luck with your surgery, just please please have someone with you, hopefully someone familiar with the hospital bull crap and let your surgeon know ahead of time that you expect your pain to be kept in check!!! Be aggressive about it, because it is painful with the hernia repair, but if they do the medicines correctly, it does not have to be what I went through!! Let me know how it goes! Darie

Hey there, Thanks for the response, now I don't feel like such a woose over it all!! Because everyone else goes home the same day and the pain is minimal,,,etc., etc!! I am so hungry right now and I am only 5 days out, it's been really hard not to eat something!!! How did you handle it? Thanks, Darie

Thanks St Louis Gal,,,,and I was actually in there TWO nights because of the pain,,,,but I will stick to the diet,,thanks so much for the encouragement!!! Darie

To heck with other people girl, I get the same thing and just have to let it go. My surgery is tomorrow, and I'm excited about the new start but a little nervous also about the whole thing!! Hang in there!! Darie

:ohmy:My name is Darie, I'm 45 and I am scheduled for surgery on June 16th. I'm a little apprehensive, but excited about it also. My doctor is Dr. Cavazos, in San Antonio, Texas. I need to lose around 90-95 pounds and am hoping that this will be a helpful tool in accomplishing that. The main thing I am worried about is postop nausea, I hate nausea!! I'm also concerned about feeling the band in my stomach, what has anyone else experienced? Is it noticeable? Anyway, I look forward to talking with you all as we go along on our weight loss journey!! Darie:smile::thumbup: