moonbeam

Hi SK, Good to hear it went well. I agree that pre op diet is crazy hard to do! Congrats on your surgery! I was there today to get my staples out..wonder if we crossed paths. Hope your recovery is swift and problem free.

Hang in there. That post opp diet sucks! I got very grumpy and angry. You can do this though. What's a few more days of feeling deprived and some hunger compaired to a successful surgery and the happiness and health you are on your way to. I cheated a bit too, I think almost everyone does, but it's best to try your hardest. Can you imagine going in for surgery and waking up to find out they didn't do it because of your liver? That thought kept me pretty much in line.

Well ok... I am eating less of everything (she grudgingly acknowledges) :-) I stepped on the scale today figuring with the eating I'm doing I've probably gained some weight back. I have not lost anything since i started to eat real food again, but I have not gained either. I totally agree with BG, patience is definitely needed and I would have paid extra if you could buy it.

hey lingling, thanks for that explination and the diagram! that makes a lot of sense. :laugh:

Hi mimi How often do they do the fills for you? I won't be getting my first one for another month yet. I go on tuesday to get the staples out. I'm very much looking forward to that. How are the docs when you go for fills? What do they say when you mention you don't have much restriction?

hey guys. I'm 2 weeks post opp. The staples aren't even out yet. I can eat whatever the heck I want. I have NO restriction. I'm scared that I can eat whatever I want. The dietician working with my doc said I could eat it if it didn't come up...ummm nothing is coming up. I knew about the 6 week waiting period but even having that knowledge didn't prepare me for the disappointment I feel right now. I paid this huge amount of money and did this surgery because I can't do it on my own. Telling myself to have patience, that it will happen doesn't make that piece of cake look any less inviting or my will power any stronger than it has been at any point in my life. aack.

Yikes that's terrible! You are in my thoughts.

Thanks BG. I think I may have had a bit of a panic attack yesterday and just started to freak out, feeling better today.

Thanks Too Fish! I actually am feeling lots better. I'm an impatient healer. When is your surgury date? Canadian Girl, welcome to the Manitoba forum. Doesn't seem to be too many of us active here, but I'm sure there are lots of Manitoba/Sask Bandsters out there. Have you started your pre op diet yet?

I got hungry this morning. My stomach made a large loud hungry noise. In a way it was a relief because I have been wondering what was going on in there. We are not restricted yet. A few days after surgery and when the swelling goes down some of us can start to eat the mushes much faster (ask you own specific doc or dietitian, this is what mine told me.) I got brave because it all seemed fine. I had a normal size portion of pasta today and it seems fine! So to answer your question, after your surgery and the swelling goes down and before your first fill you will start to feel like you did before you got banded. Able to eat and hungry as ever. This has been my experience gained after a whole 10 days post opp.

Hi Serenedeer I've been in recovery in AA for 5 year. Got the band not quiet 2 weeks ago myself. I'm worried about my ism's as well. What new and wonderful addictive and destructive behavour can I dream up to take the place of food... or even better.. will I dream up creative ways to beat and band and set myself up for failer. Oh yah,,the ism's are there. I went to an AA meeting tonight and although it was about alcohol, it applied to weight loss to me now. In an odd way, the band is my higher power right now. I have to accept it, use it as it should be used. I do have a real higher power but this twisted way of thinking kinda helped me make it work.

Hey. I'm in AA as well. Just passed my 5 year "birthday" I quit smoking 2 years ago, and quit the pot 3 years ago. Food is my last addiction and it's the hardest cause you can't go cold turkey. I got the band last Tuesday. There have been a few evening (my binging hours) where I had foods I should not be having so soon out of post op. I didn't get sick from them, but managed to stop before I brought on a world of hurt with a real binge. I believe the head games for us food addicts will be the real challenge. The band is a great tool that will allow us to really really rethink how and what we eat, but as my sponsor said, we all play whack a mole (the game where you hit a mole down and another one pops up) with our addictions. That empty, what do I do with this time that I would normally spend drinking, smoking, getting stones, or eating. Its created a void, or rather it's show us the void that brought us to these behaviors in the first place. I believe it's up to us to find a healthy way to fill that void. A new craft, exercise, a class of some sort. Any type of healthy passion. This is a rocky one for me too.

Hi All. Wondering if anyone can shed a little light on this for me. It has me up in the middle of the night worrying. :w00t: I am 10 days post opp. I can't tell which lump under my skin is the port. I have two very obvious lumps. I have one that is very tender and obviously lumpy and protrudes more after I have eaten. It's under the largest incision and more in the middle and slightly to my right side, the other one is bruised around the incision, definitely feels like there is something under the skin but it's not as tender. It's slightly more to the left side. I had a hiatus hernia fixed at the same time and I'm wondering if going back to work and lifting a few things has caused this? Or perhaps it was the less than really mushy food I've eaten? (Although my dietitian did say to go ahead and try stuff if it wasn't making me vomit) Could I be feeling the band and the port? Or is it the port and my hernia that i have now messed up by lifting too much, or was it when I had a coughing fit followed by a sneezing fit that brought me to my knees in pain. I thought I was going to pop the staples out and impale someone with them! You can see where my mind is going here! I'm going to call the clinic tomorrow but was hoping to gain some insight here as well, as I"m sure the surgeon's don't want to be paged in the middle of the night by an anxious new bandster.

Hi All. Wondering if anyone can shed a little light on this for me. It has me up in the middle of the night worrying. I am 10 days post opp. I can't tell which lump under my skin is the port. I have two very obvious lumps. I have one that is very tender and obviously lumpy and protrudes more after I have eaten. It's under the largest incision and more in the middle and slightly to my right side, the other one is bruised around the incision, definitely feels like there is something under the skin but it's not as tender. It's slightly more to the left side. I had a hiatus hernia fixed and I'm wondering if going back to work and lifting a few things has caused this? Or perhaps it was the less than really mushy food I've eaten? (Although my dietitian did say to go ahead and try stuff if it wasn't making me vomit) I'm going to call the clinic tomorrow but was hoping to gain some insight here as well, as I"m sure the surgeon's don't want to be paged in the middle of the night by an anxious new bandster.

I feel a tad bit better today as well. Still hurts like crazy when I cough or sneeze. I figured out yesterday why I was having those crazy pains... I was hungry! I guess the swelling is going down, and since I have no restriction yet my body is asking for food. Its hard to get it down though. I can't seem to drink much. I start to hiccup when I do. I'm slowly introducing "normal" food back into my life. A square inch of pizza yesterday chewed very well felt really good after I got over the fear of what it would feel like. I'm noticing everyone seems to be all over the map as to what they are allowed to eat, and when. Strange.

And I have the opposite problem! I'm thinking to myself "when will I get off the darn toilet!" :crying:

Hi Guys, I was banded on Tuesday as well. Currently I have the hiccups and they hurt! I've moved on to mushy things like yogurt and cottage cheese. I'm having trouble telling the difference between hungry and full. Am I too full and that's why I am feeling sick or am I hungry and that's why I am sick? Aaak so confusing! I'm still feeling a decent amount of pain but trying not to use the pain killers anymore. I had a hiatus hernia repaired as well and I can't tell which incision is for that and which is for the port! I look at my tummy with it's 5 incisions and the staples and feel a bit like frankenstein. Ahh good times!

Hi all. I am 5 days post opp. The pain is getting less and less but I'm not feeling so good. Not sure if it's hunger, or nausea, but I just feel..ick. I don't know whether I am eating enough, or not enough. My doc said I could go from the liquid to the mushy stage if I felt ok.. but I've read that eating the wrong foods or mushy foods too soon will disrupt the placement of the band. I just don't know what's going on in my stomach anymore and over time between the pre -op diet and the surgery I don't have a sense of what I should feel like anymore. I am self pay.. and sure don't want to mess this up!

Day 5 post op. Doing much much better. Have moved on to mushy foods and even dared to chew a piece of popcorn yesterday. Still in a moderate amount of pain but at least I can sleep on my side again. The hiatus Hernia is what is causing me the most pain. So here I am in the twighlight zone of being banded but unrestricted and waiting once again for the next step in the process and for the weightloss to begin.

Hi Guys, Had the surgery yesterday. It went well. Weird part of the day was being told that they fixed a hiatus hernia as well.. so what's one more incision? lol Now I have a total of 5. I was surprised they used staples instead of stitches. I'm also surprised that they didn't schedule the follow up for almost 2 weeks from now. It was a quick in and out process. I got tramisett (spelling?) for the pain, but am feeling quite a bit of pain and will probably call them tomorrow to see about getting something stronger for that and for the gas pains. Not sure if the pain is mostly from the hernia incision?

Well I got banded yesterday. When I woke up the doc told me that they fixed a hiatus hernia under my esophagus as well. I'm not sure what hurts more right now, the port incision, the hernia incision or the gas. Is it normal not to be able to take a deep breath? It was a strange day. I am self pay and went to a clinic in Manitoba Canada. They brought me right into operating room, put me out within 5 min, I was out in recovery for about 2 hours and then sent home with pain killer prescription and told to come back in 2 weeks to get the staples out. huh. I feel a bit .... uncared for? I'm not sure. It just seems like everyone else has had way more steps and overnight stays and different meds. Anyways, thought I would share my experience. Has anyone else had the Hernia thing as well?

Hi All! whew glad I found you guys! I'm having my surgery TOMORROW!!! ackk! I agree, the folks at the Maples seem to be pretty good. Tomorrow will tell! Do you guys know, if there is a "real life" support group here in Winnipeg? It would be really neat to set up a bit of a support system. I know I could use it! Ok I'm off to try to get a bit of sleep. Cheers! Lara

Yes, it's not the hunger, it's the mental part of it! I'm used to sitting in front of the tv and munching away. This feels like it did when I quit smoking. kinda...empty.

I told the snoopy folks at work that I was off getting "female surgery" and the one guy who wanted to know more was told that I am getting my tubes tied. I have to eat out a lot with my clients and bosses (I'm in sales) so I'm somewhat stressed about that and what to say. My family and some close friends know. Some are supportive..and some are not. I'm finding that the fat friends are not as supportive! Huh.

Day 6 of the pre op diet and I've been so good. Not a drop of extra food. And today... nothing ..YET. I am going mental. I just want to stuff my face. I think it's the biggest irony that they ask us to do this diet first! If this was something we could all do no problem then wouldn't we have already done it! Geez I'm just ranting. I am feeling so deprived right now and want food so bad it's irrational. I have to cook for my 6 year old daughter and just want to snatch that food away from her and eat it! The thought has even occured to binge and purge. Gawd. Any help with getting past this mind set would be great. I'm on the verge. :thumbup: