Katy517

Hi Emily. It looks like you're really doing pretty well considering the 1-2 pounds per week standard. Aren't you just shy of 2 pounds loss per week? Hang in there.

Yeah, my doctor's six week post-op liquid diet is pretty unusual from what I can gather. Not quite sure how I'm going to get through it other than sheer will power. I'm already thinking of how nice chewing would be. I agree that anything having to do with the port site right now would be pretty much out of the question. I'm still terribly swollen there in addition to the constant pain. Love the avatar!

Thanks for the responses everybody. I would have thought stomach size was the determining factor as well, but given the fact that at least my hospital has made a decision to use only the 14 cc bands, that must not be the case. I'll make a mental note and ask at the next support group meeting.

Congrats to a fellow tax day bander. I'm also one week to the day from surgery. I'm jealous that you were able to start mushies today. My doc requires six weeks full liquids post-surgery and then straight to regular food with no mushy stage. I'm also having issues with gas, but find that lots of walking plus the chewable Gas-x really helps with that. My biggest problem is port pain. It's constantly hurting still and even a bit more now than earlier on post-surgery. It's super painful when bending over so am trying to avoid that. Am told that it's normal though.

From reading threads here it seems like most folks have a 10 cc size band. I am assuming that means that it can hold up to 10 cc of saline. I have a 14 cc Allergan band and was informed by the bariatric coordinator at the hospital that I had my surgery at that all lap band surgeries since 2/1/10 there have been with 14 cc bands. I didn't get a chance to follow-up to ask why. Am wondering if anybody here would know why that might be the case? Why would using a larger band on all patients be a good thing? Is the fact that my band can hold more saline meaningful?

My doctor didn't allow any carbonated soda on the pre-op clear liquid diet.

Congratulations! That's an outstanding accomplishment and one you should be very proud of.

Thanks so much Betsy and Jacqui. I've done some reading this morning about soy Protein powder cons and am catching up on the research now. Betsy - are you from Joliet? I spent a large chunk of my growing up years there and graduated from both St. Francis Academy and the University of St. Francis. Cheers.

Anybody know if brown rice is in the same category as white and to be avoided after banding?

They were included in my pre-op clear liquid diet.

Does anybody use soy protein powder instead of (or maybe in addition to) whey? I've been alternating between the two and find that they're both equally digestible for me. It just seems like a good idea to me to mix it up a little between the plant based soy and dairy based whey. Anybody else try both?

I spoke with my surgeon today and told him of my pain in the port area that is exacerbated by bending over. He said not to worry about it and that it should go away over time. He suggested that some folks just bruise more and deeper and that's what the pain is a result of.

It sounds like you're doing very well Carol. Congratulations on taking the big leap to good health. To susujohnson - sunnsuds is right, you need to follow your doctor's orders. All are different. Good luck.

Thanks so much for the feedback everybody. It's most reassuring to know that I'm not alone. The pain in the port area is constant at this stage. It's the severe pain when bending over that really scares me. I'll definitely call the doctor tomorrow and post here as to what I find out about it.

Thank you for posting Jessica. I'm really hopeful that this pain is temporary. It is definitely extreme. My band is an Allergan. By the way - I love your Camus quote.

Thanks JoJo. I've been trying to avoid bending over for sure. Sometimes it's just unavoidable. I think a call to my surgeon's office tomorrow is definitely in order. I sure hope this is normal.

Hi Deborah. I'm from just outside Chicago. My primary care doctor actually mentioned lap band to me as an option for weight loss about 3-4 years ago. My first reaction was to be pretty appalled actually, but overtime I thought more and more seriously about it and realized that my dieting attempts were not successful on my own. I finally made the decision to proceed with the approval process in mid-2009 and here I am now.

That's a really beautiful first post Deborah. I'm sure that you speak for many of us with what you wish for. I wish you success too.

Has anybody else experienced a really bad pain in the port area when leaning over or bending down? It doesn't feel as if it's from the outside or a result of the surgical wound. Rather it feels like it's coming from the inside. It's not something that I've read about so am wondering if it's normal. Thank you.

Thanks for posting this thread. I've been concerned with this aspect too. I'm five days post-op and have been walking since the day of surgery. I expected a somewhat large weight loss after surgery, but instead gained four pounds from admittance to discharge. It felt kind of like starting all over with the pre-op diet.

I'm five days post-op and am on full liquids. I take in about 500 calories per day on average. This will be my standard for my first six weeks post-op until I go on regular food at week #7.

Why do you regret telling lots of people?

I believe that the pre-op diet serves a dual purpose. It not only cleanses one's system and shrinks the liver, but also gets you ready for what it will be like post-op. A lot of hunger is in the head and the only way to deal with it is staying strong mentally and busy. Feeding the hunger is what we've always done and has gotten us to the point we're at now. Only you know what's best for you, but the pre-op diet is engineered to keep you safe during surgery and I wouldn't mess around with that.

I'm newly banded (4/15/10) and did experience some doubts especially in the week prior to surgery. I think that my biggest fear though was of the lifestyle change, which probably sounds kind of strange since that's the whole point of the process. It was a fear that was worth facing though. I understand your apprehension about having a foreign object inside of you, but would point out that it's not really permanent unless you want it to be and that's one of the advantages of this over other weight loss surgery options. It can be removed if you have complications or just choose to have it done. I'm very happy that I've been banded, even though I'm still in pain and experiencing horrible gas. It was worth it for me to have another chance at a healthy and fulfilling life. I wish you luck with whatever decision you make.

I've told only five people and plan on keeping it very private.