patrickgd

I was banded on March 4th and have lost 75lbs! Which is awesome, I love it but about a week ago I developed a mildly discomfortable feeling down in my esophagus. I'ts hard to pinpoint a specific incident that brought it on but I think it developed after I took a bite of something that was too hot and instead of spitting it out I swallowed it without chewing. I called my docs office and they asked if I was having trouble keeping food down, I said no and they said then theres nothing to worry about. I have had a few random quick chest pains too but they are rare and I'm not discounting nerves and my worriesome thinking as the contributor to this. I go for a followup on Thursday but in the meantime thought I'd ask if anyone has any experience with this.

I was banded on 3/4. I did not have any nausea just lots of diahreeah. It just begun to stop a few days ago. The first week and half my stomach and digestive track made lots of strande noises. I still have this really green feces though. Not sure what to make of that but I've vowed not to return to the doctor til my post surgery date unless it's something urgent. To more directly answer your question I feel pretty normal now after 2 weeks.

I have a question about size and volume of the stomach pouch. I am now 10 days post-op and began eating mushy food a couple of days ago. My typical meal consists of about 1 cup worth of pureed consistencey food. Sometimes this might mean 1/2 cup of FF Yogurt and a 1/2 cup of pureed Banana as an example. Sometimes 1/3-1/2 cup mashed potato 1/4 cup Turkey and 1/4 cup apple sauce. I have had no problem at all keeping these meals down and no Nausea. One problem I do have is determining if I am "full" or not while eating. Hunger seems to come and go and has not been a big deal either. It seems like I went from being able to hold not even half of the amounts listed above for the first week and then all of the sudden it seems pretty normal. Does this sound like I am eating the right way?

Good Deal! Glad to hear you have nothing to worry about.

Oh yeah the've made that abundantly clear. But Thanks for chiming in.

Yeah they freaked me out too. All this don't drink an hour before you eat and don't drink for 90 minutes after and only 3-4 oz. of water per hour. That comes to like 8 oz. per day LOL, top that off with Diahreeah :w00t: A person any person should get 64 oz. per day minumum. Thanks for sharing Steph!

I am now 8 days post op. Yesterday I had to get a fluid IV because I've had Diahreeah everyday since surgery :w00t:. And yes I'm wondering will it ever stop ? Anyway, I am now drinking as much fluid as possible. When I'm drinking I take small drinks and it seems that the liquid goies straight thru the stoma. Am I correct in assuming this? I have been drinking quite a bit. I don't want to overdo it and cause my band to slip but since it seems I have neverending diahreeah I have to stay hydrated. Example I drank a 32 oz. Power zero (SF poweraid) in about an hour. Is this ok? So far I have'nt had a whole lot of responses to my questions, I hope that like the Diahreeah will change too.

Well I just returned from weighing in and lost 10 lbs. this first week following surgery. That combimed with the 14 I had lost the week and a half before surgery comes to a total of 24 lbs. total loss. I know I have to increase the activity to keep losing. So this week I will begin walking daily.

I don't think this post is a Q or an A but felt like posting anyway. I am now 8 days after-surgery. The only problematic thing I've got going on is Diahrea (scary I think I might actually know how to spell it right now). I went to the doctor yesterday and they gave me an IV of Fluids for rehydration, although I felt fine. They did blood tests which all seemed to be good except slightly low potassium levels. I was asked to provide a stool sample, but just could'nt do it "to order" so I am about to go make a delivery now (like you really cared or needed that info... sorry). Overall I have not had any of the "common" side effects such as, nausea, vomiting, cramps, etc. just the one mentioned above. I still have one more week of full liquid left :confused: JOY! :w00t: I'm not sure how much weight I've lost but plan to weigh today and find out. Thanks to all who have offered support.

I am sorry to post this, I know it is not a pleasant topic. Ever since I took the Magnesium citrate the day before surgery. All of my movements have been thin like Water. I realize I've been on a liquid diet and for the first couple of days figured it's because of that but have been a bit worried as it continues. Is this normal after surgery and being on liquids?

I am now 4 days post-op and have been chewing SF gum everyday. I am trying to be extra vigalante to not accidentally swallow it as I'm sure most have done before. I did read in one of the booklets given to me that it is not suggested because it can trigger hunger. I will have to stop once I return to work though because chewing gum is not allowed. speaking of work, thats going to be interesting... I work in foodservice

Well I just had my first meal of "Full Liquid" being a 1/2 cup of Strained Cream-o-chicken soup. It was actually delicious and seems to be staying down no problem :thumbup:. The sample menu consisted of a 1/2 cup strained cream soup, a 1/4 cup of milk or yogurt and 1/2 cup SF Dessert. It said stop when you feel full. I stopped after I finished the cream soup, I was'nt real sure if I "felt full" but I did feel somewhat full so I decided to stop. I'll chalk this up as a giant baby step. :laugh:

Thanks for the encouraging words. My binder says that after 2-3 days I can begin "full liquids". So I'm going into my 3rd day today. I haven't decided if I'll try it today or tomorrow. I have been doing some walking around. My sleeping has been thrown way out of wack. I feel pretty good one minute and then weak and tired the next. I'm just gonna hang in there and have hope it will get better. Thanks again, and of course anyone is more than welcome to respond to this thread not just folks from Memphis.

I had my LB surgery on the 4th of March (Wed.) and I am having a really tough time adjusting to this. My family is giving me allot of encouragement and they keep marveling at how "good and well" I'm doing but this really seems to be pushing me closer to the edge than I care to be. Anything from the incessant pain on the left upper side of my chest everytime I take a deep breath to seeing food commercials is making me want to burst into tears. I can't seem to find any kind of "face to face" support meetings in my area (except for the one that meets once a month) done by the surgeons office and that one is held toward the end of every month. As for the sipping of water and clear fluids, I am doing it exactly as I'm supposed to. I have no idea how much fluid I can take in a given 15 minute time period. I guess I just sip til I feel like stopping. Anyway if there is anyone in the Memphis area that might feel like offering some expercience, strength and hope for me I would really welcome it.

I am using "Liquacell" it is a Liquid Protein that has 16 grams of protein per 2 tbls. It comes in Grape and Orange flavor and I take it in raw form by the spoonful or mixed in some Water. It taste just like Koolaid. And unlike the powders which have to be mixed with several ounces of water I like the fact that I can just take it by the spoonful. Because consuming volumes of liquid with the band takes time. Sip by small sip. I also use it to crush and empty my other meds into and drink. Tried putting them in some Apple juice and it tasted like "Brass Monkey" LOL. Anyway, Good Luck!

Hi Shelley I was just banded this past Wednesday and I've been drinking a liquid protein supplement called "Liquacell" that I bought thru a company called "Square one Medical" prior to surgery. It is "clear liquid OK" and collagen based "no dairy". It tastes like Grape Koolaid and has 16 grams of protein and 70 calories per 2 tbsp and can be taken straight or added to water. Although I'm a newbie I have not had any bad reaction to it yet.

I was also banded on March 4th and have a pain in my chest (upper left) when I take a deep breath. It really SUCKS! I am taking 2 deep draws of breath through the breathing exersize apparatus. Can't express with words how good it will be when this goes away.

I am now going into my 2nd day post-op and it seems that everytime a take a sip of Water I feel and hear a faint gurgling sound of what I assume is the sip of water going through the little hole. It's not particulary a good feeling but not too bad. Has anyone else had this experience and if so does it stay like this?

I had my surgery yesterday (the 4th) the main pain I feel is in my upper left chest when I take a deep breath. Does anyone know about this?

Well...I finally got my band put in yesterday and heres the story. My arrival time at the hospital was 8:45. I filled out all the papers and was called to the admissions booth. The lady who was processing me said "your insurance is not gonna pay for this" to which I replied :eek:"they better, or I ain't getting it" but I knew that it was just some sort of error on her part because I had already received acceptance papers from them. So after a bit she called me again and said they were going to pay for it after all. So then I was given my room and started to wait (10:00am). I was informed that my surgeon had 4 surgeries scheduled and that I was #4 :ohmy:After an hour or so of nothing I decided to turn on the TV. I found a movie to watch "9 to 5" starring Dollie Parton which is a pretty darn funny flick. So finally at about 3ish I was called back for the pre-surgery prep. I met the Anesthiaologist and spoke briefly with my Surgeon Dr. George Woodman. He commented on the pre surgery weight loss progress I had made, asked if I had any questions (which I did'nt) and then reminded me that what I put into this as far as exercise goes is what I will get out of it on weight loss. I was then rolled into the surgery room, put on the table and positioned. A gas mask was then placed on my face which smelled a bit like Nitris Oxide , same stuff you get at the dentist. They hooked up a IV tube and placed massaging garments on my legs. The tech. told me that I would now fall asleep and I did. I then woke up a little while later feeling pretty weird. A nurse that looked allot like Jennifer Lopez :crying: was asking me how bad the pain was on a scale of 1-10. I said 6 or 7 and was given a dose of some powerful stuff Dalada I believe is what it was. Then a few of the guys in the recovery room started talking to me about college hoops (which really helped) and then I was wheeled to my holding room. I laid there for about an hour or so I'd guess and then got up (with the help of my nurse Laura) and started making some rounds up and down the halls. They told me I did much better than most and said most folks like to lay in bed and sleep for hours. I was just ready to get the recovery process underway. So finally after about another hour or so I was discharged. The ride home was tough. The interstate was blocked off due to a major traffic accident where a Gas Tanker had crashed and leaked Gas everywhere. Needless to say the alternate route was long and I could'nt emphasize enough the importance of taking off and stopping very slow. Bumps in the road made my fat belly shake which caused pain My next immediate thing I had to deal with was my dry mouth. I got a 20 oz. Btl of water and nursed on it all night long. Trying to follow the 3-4oz. per hour rule. Also, when I take a deep breath what seems to be my the top portion of my left lung hurts. I was also instructed to take 2 huge draws of air from this breathing excersize apparatus to avoid getting Pneumonia they said. Today I woke up at 5:00am and it felt like and Elephant stepped on me :ohmy: but I think I am doing good. I had 3 oz. of Campbells Chicken broth for breakfast and then an Orange SF popsicle. Aside from my nose being very dried out and stopped up everything seems ok. I am experiencing big hunger feeling which seems to come and go. I am very thankful for this opportunity and grateful to my mother who has taken great care of me thru this ordeal. I look forward to recovery and know that this is going to be a blessing. :thumbup:

Well on Feb. 20 I was given a surgery date of March 4th and weigh-in date of March 3 (10 days). well I started trying to lose immediately through eating 3 average sized meals a day. This worked but by Friday the 27th I had only lost 7 or 8 lbs. So I cut back even more and started walking allot. Since this past saturday I lost 7 more lbs at weight in this morning which put me over the 12 lb. requirment and a total loss of 14. Oh and one other thing I must add is that I only ate when I was truly hungry and even then I would put it off awhile and walk or do another activity. I'm on clear liquid all day today and although it's not too bad I'll probably dream about greasy fast food.

Well not only did I meet the 12 lb. goal today, I surpassed it with a total pre-surgery loss of 14lbs :tongue2:. I could'nt believe what I saw when I stepped on the scales. So tomorrow is the big day!

My insurance "Aetna" will be covering 90%. They required me to do a physician supervised diet for 6 months, fax my med. records from the past 3-5 years. Have my primary care physician write a letter stating that I would be a good candidate which contains all co-morbid conditions, see a nutritionist and a pschologist. All this took about 8 months to get completed. I was accepted to be covered and will be having my surgery on March 4th. I am so exicited!

Hello to everyone! This is my first post. First I'd like to thank everybody for all the great threads. I really enjoy hearing all of the "real life" experiences (especially the good ones). If all goes as planned I will have my LB surgery this coming Wed. I am a bit concerned about quite a few things but the one thing at the forefront is "will I meet my pre-surgery weight loss requirement?" On 2/20 I was given my surgery date and instructed to lose 12 lbs. 10 days have passed and I've managed to shed 9 lbs. I figure I can wear slippers instead on my shoes and "steal" 1 lb. which leaves me with 2 lbs. to go and 1 day to do it :hurray:. From what I've heard about my surgeons "no nonsense" attitude, there will be no room for leway. But as always I'm sure no matter what kind of worries I manage to conjure up or setbacks that I encounter, everything will be exactly as it should be. I look forward to using this forum as a tool to aid in my success. God bless you all! :party: