Elisabethsew

I've been warned that you have to be careful on a soft diet not to take in too many calories. Soft calories can add up. I've finally gotten myself rehydrated so I have to make sure I stay that way and keep drinking. So far, the full feeling definitely keeps me from eating too much.

Congratulations! You're only a little more than a week before you're surgery.

Yes, we did miss you and I'm sorry to hear that you're having trouble with your gallbladder, diarrhea, and dehydration. Thankfully, I never had to deal with the diarrhea. Actigall (also called Urso) is a medication that is used to dissove gallbladder sludge and prevent gallstones and crystals. I had my gallbladder out a few years ago and landed in the ER several months post-op with the exact same pain. I thought they forgot to take the damn thing out but, as it turned out, I was suffering from small gallstones and crystals. When they take your gallbladder out, the common bile duct is preserved so you can still have gallstone problems. Most surgeons will NOT take out a functioning gallbladder (assessed on a DISIDA/HIDA scan). See if you can get an MD to Rx Urso 250-500 mg 3 x day with meals. Enjoy your first day of soft foods and keep us posted on your progress.

Now that I think about it more, bending would actually assist in getting rid of the CO2 gas post-op.

I find that people either have problems right away with the band or a few years out. It's considered the safest weight loss surgery and is the least invasive in terms of procedures. All weight loss surgeries require learning to eat healthier and adopting an exercise plan so none are guaranteed. I guess the big decision for you to make is waiting for sleeve procedures to gain approval versus not waiting and having the band placed. When the band failed me, the U.S. surgeons wanted to place another band or see about getting me approved for the bypass. I don't absorb Iron and get intravenous iron treatments when my ferritin is low. Malabsorptive procedures are not in my best interest. Self pay in the U.S. for sleeve surgery was quoted at $25,000 for the surgery and a one night hospital stay. I used saving and borrowed money from my sister to have surgery in Mexico. A virgin sleeve is $9000.00 and a revision is $12,500 with Dr. Aceves. That included the transportation to and from the airport, the hotel stay, the transportation to the hospital, pre-op testing, the surgery, medications, and a three night stay in the hospital. It was a big expense for me and it was hard for me to spend that money on myself but I deserved a better quality of life. I don't regret my decision.

I went back to work 7 days after surgery and had no problem bending. Two weeks post-op and I was out planting flowers for over 3 hours. The next day, my thighs hurt but my stomach/abdominal areas were just fine. LOL.

You can have anything that is not a solid food. Dry chicken is a solid but chicken salad is soft. Toast and bagels are not allowed but soft bread is. Soft fishes are allowed but lobster and shrimp are not. A meatball, the inside of a baked potato, mashed potatoes, textured soups, soft cheeses, oatmeal, etc. are all part of a soft diet. For dinner last night, I made some mashed potatoes and a piece of talapia that was about 3" x 3". I took one teaspoon of the potatoes and then went to the talapia. I slowly ate the talapia over about 30 minutes but could not eat more of the potatoes. Protein first is definitely the rule and my body is craving it.

Keep in mind that this is a sleeve/revision to sleeve thread but there are plenty of people who have done well with the band and continue to be successful with it.

The one thing you have going for you is that you had good restriction with the band so you know how to listen to your body and adjust your eating. I had the band for 3 years and one day and could always eat as much as I wanted to. This is a brand new experience for me... a positive one.

Did what she say to you make you think twice about your decision to have the revision?

Do you have a lot of weight to lose? If you have the sleeve, 60 to 80% of your stomach is removed. THAT gives you restriction as the amount of food you can consume is markedly reduced. If you have gastric bypass, the size of your stomach is reduced (restriction), the pyloric sphincter at the bottom of your stomach is removed so food dumps into the intestine, and some of your intestines are cut out resulting in malabsorption. The amount of malabsorption depends on how much intestine is removed. I did not want the dumping syndrome or the malabsorption but some people need both.

What strikes me is that someone can mourn the loss of food to the point of being sad and depressed. I love to cook and bake and what I enjoy most is watching the enjoyment OTHERS have consuming it. Sure, it's nice to sit down with guests and share the meal but it's really the social occasion and being with people that makes it memorable.

Do you have a lot of weight to lose? Are you a volume eater or a junk food eater or both? The sleeve is a restrictive weight loss surgery (as is the band). The bypass is a restrictive AND a malabsorptive procedure and requires some life long changes. Have you decided which is best for you? Once you decide, it will be easier to make a choice concerning what surgeon is best for you.

It sounds like that lady needs to seek some psychiatric help for clinical depression. If I were to make a list and put down the pros and cons of getting revised to a sleeve the pros would win over by a land slide. I've never been at a normal weight. Given the choice of only eating a 1/2 cup of food at a sitting in exchange for a healthy life and ALL that goes along with being at a goal weight, is a win-win situation for me.

Today, I was able to advance my diet from full fluids to soft. My body is craving real food and I decided on tuna fish salad for lunch. Knowing I get full fast, I opted for coffee only for breakfast. I was able to enjoy 1/3 cup of tuna salad with no bread or lettuce. I have not been getting in the needed daily protein so I wanted to maximize the good calories and did not feel ready to try soft bread. I ate slowly and enjoyed lunch and the amount filled me up. With a lot more opportunities for adequate protein intake on a soft diet, I am VERY glad to be done with the full fluid phase. As per post-op instructions, I will not advance to solids until 30 days out from surgery... May 2.

What type of surgery are you planning on having? I had a revision from the band to the sleeve a little over 2 weeks in Mexico with Dr. Aceves. I can attest to the fact that the care was excellent, the hospital was clean and modern, and the surgery was a success.

Bumping this up... moved to this forum as requested.

In New York, the sleeve is an approved surgery by several insurance companies as long as you meet the requirements. What is frustrating is that gaining approval to have the band removed is not easy. If you don't have a slip or an erosion, you have to start a "paper" trail of problems. I was told that the acid regurg. and inability to sleep lying down would require about 9 months of MD documented visits before insurance would "consider" paying for the band to be removed and revising to another surgery.

I can relate to fluid filling you up. My breakfast is an 8 oz soy slender drink and a cup of coffee. If I drink the soy, I am too full to drink all the coffee.

Are you recovered from the surgery? Was the necrosis due to ulceration? I hope all is well now and that you're feeling better.

For dinner tonight, I diluted 4 oz of part skim ricotta cheese with a little skim milk to make it a cream soup consistency. I could only eat 3/4 of it because I felt full. It dawned on me that this is the first time I have experienced a feeling of "natural" fullness since being banded over 3 years ago. The only thing I felt with the band was heart burn and acid reflux. It's strange getting that natural feeling back and wonderful that it's happening after a small amount of food intake.

Thank you, Ruth. I have a Costco not too far from me and I'm always willing to try something new. Chocolate is my favorite flavor so I'll look for it and give it a try.

I had my band surgery in the U.S. and then, 3 years later, started researching my options as far as revising to the sleeve was concerned. I'm an RN and knew what I wanted as well as what I didn't. On 4/1, I had my revision to VSG with Dr. Aceves in Mexico and have nothing but positive things to say about the experience.

I am now 15 days post-op and I think I have felt physical hunger twice in that time. It's strange not to feel hungry because it's a first for me. I was always hungry with the band.

I really believe your body craves what it needs and I am craving healthy food. I don't eat pork, beef, or lamb (just because I don't care for it) but I love fish and poultry and I NEED more protein. I think I'm going to make a small piece of tilapia. It's flaky and moist and easy to eat in tiny pieces. My other choice is tuna salad which might be easier to get down. Can you tell I've been thinking about this? LOL. For a breakfast choice, I like part skim ricotta cheese. A 1/4 cup is 90 calories and 9 g protein and is quite filling. Does anyone know what type of food lettuce is considered to be?