Help Me!!!

[samanthea 0]

Hi Everyone,

I was banded today at @ 9am I have been home since 4:30pm and feel NO restriction at all, I actually feel hungry. I've been on Clear Liquids since I returned home~ (I've had almost 48oz of Water since I've been home (if not more) and 1/2 cup of clear broth) but feel as if I could just go and eat anything in the house I want. There was no fill done at the time of surgery and am now so scared I am going to be hungry all the time with temptations all over until I get my first fill (6 weeks out). Could this all be in my head? I've taken my post-op medication just by swallowing and not crushing or halving....I'm afraid now that maybe this is not going to work for me. Could my band be too big? Am I really hungry after just having this surgery? Can anyone help me? Is what I am feeling normal??

TIA for your answers:smile2:

[lakeside 1]

Don't worry be happy! I was banded on April 28 and just had my first fill yesterday. The liquid diet following post op is very boring and the mushies are only a little better in my experience. Just don't give in and follow your drs orders. I think we all kind of expect to notice something right away and dont. There is not restriction in your band yet but believe me you will know when they fill it. Stay the course and be blessed.

[ainnjay 1]

Samanthea - I know exactly how you feel!! I was banded on June 3rd. I had heard tons of people say..."you won't even want to think about eating for a few weeks." NOT!!! I wanted to chow on anything that wasn't nailed down when I came home!! I really thought something was wrong with me because I had not heard anyone else talk about feeling that way.

I DID stay on the clear diet, though. YOU CAN DO IT!!! I think the thing that helped me the most was once ketosis kicked in. I only had to do 2 days of a preop diet (clear liquids along with Protein shakes) so I don't think I truly had all of the carbs out of my system until a day or so after the surgery. Once I made up my mind I was sticking to it...and did so, I was fine.

I will say, however, I had a VERY hard time once I transitioned to the thicker Soups and stuff, though. They have a TON of carbs in them and I was HUNGRY!! I decided to forgo the thicker Soups and stuck with the broth and Protein shakes and feel a lot better!! Friday I begin the mushy stuff and plan to do things like eggs, cottage cheese, string cheese...anything that is majorly high in Protein and low in carbs. For me...that's the only way I'm going to get through the "bandster hell" phase.

I wish you the best of luck!!! Together we CAN (and WILL) do this!!!

Ang

[LollyMoe 1]

What you are feeling is completely normal. Everyone's body is different and they all react in different ways. Follow your doctor's orders, keep your head up, remember your overall goal and you'll make it.

I didn't feel restriction until I had 9cc in my 11cc band. Most of the weight I have lost had been b/c I followed orders and didn't go off on a binge. After I got the last fill, I knew I had restriction. In my monthly group meeting there is a guy that is over a year out on his journey and he hasn't had a fill yet! He's lost over a 100 pounds. Just remember that this is your journey and it's up to you to make it a good one and also remember that the band is not magic....it's just a tool to help you with the hard work.

[samanthea 0]

Thanks for all your answers!! I woke up not feeling very hungry and am in alot of pain on my port side. I was not put on a pre-op diet and wonder if that has alot to do with me being hungry yesterday. Today I start my 3 week liquid diet consisting of ONLY Protein shakes/ broth/ water/ skim milk/ hot Decaf tea/ SF Jello and SF ice pops. Then onto 2nd phase of the post-op diet~(mushys) I know I can do this I'm just still nervous that something was not done right during surgery or the band he gave me was too big. I'll see my Dr in a week and let him know how I feel. I know this is only a tool but I need it to work. I'm sick and tired of being fat

[HappyMom 1]

I think that you not having a pre-op diet is probably some of why you are hungry now. The pre-op diet that I had to go through was really restrictive and pretty much flushed the carbs form my system. I was told that your body goes into ketosis after a few days of not getting carbs. You hunger will diminish and your headache will go away. I lost my 'I want to eat anything that is not strapped down' feeling around day 4 or 5 of my pre-op diet. I was one of the lucky ones that didn't have any appetite after being banded for about 4 weeks.

Please try to stick with what your doctor has prescribed for you. You stomach just got a heck of a shock with the surgery and needs time to repair itself before it is tasked with processing solid food. In the long run, the liquid diet will help your stomach heal. Another good thing is that you are going to lose a bunch of weight with the liquid diet!!!

About restriction - I just had my second fill this week and still do not have any kind of restriction. I can pretty much eat anything that I want and in any quantity that I want (bad me!). I was told that restriction is a process that will occur over several fills. My doctor tries to get his patients there slowly so they learn to eat better (chewing & quantity). Most people that you talk to will not experience any restriction just due to the surgery....only the lucky ones!!

Good luck with your recovery!

Edited June 10, 2010 by HappyMom