Hello everyone I am a new bander!

So I had lap band fitted in about 5 days ago. My hunger did not go away at all. I could eat stuff right out of surgery. I actually ate a paprika/brocolli/cauliflour/cheese salad and a tiny bag of peanuts 2 days after op. I suck. However It went down like a charm, shouldn't I feel restricted abit ? I felt it going down, since obviously I did chew on everything for a long time. I am hungry still , all the time. I havn't touched any forbidden foods (as in, the ones that got me fat in first place) but I can easily eat alot of vegetables (I crave them like they be candy..........). Sure I feel my stomach filling up and slight obstruction as food goes down, but nothing more. I have no problems, no reflux, no vomiting.. no nothing...

My band was fitted in empty and I got 1st fill in on week 6. My question would be - did I just spend alot on money on something that is doing absolutely nothing? How is it possible I feel absolutely no different after this? I called my surgeon, all they told me was -'just try to stick to diet and dont eat bad foods. We will see after your 1st fill'. Um, ok. But having read this forum I see people have hard time eating for quite a while after op, whereas I was SO READY to dine day after.... What is wrong with me >.< Am I a failure?

I am guessing he didn't consider lap band a 'major' surgery - as compared to sleeves, bypasses and such...

i'm surprised missy hasn't responded so i will try to state what she has said in the past. the band is not intended to physically stop you from eating but rather help to keep you satisfied for up to 4 hours between meals. the band goes around our stomach and not our head. the band won't control what goes in your mouth. (ok how i do?) anyway... since your surgeon didn't provide you with post op care, here is one that is pretty typical. i just googled it. hope this helps. http://www.metrohealth.org/documents/patient%20services/weight%20loss/Diet_Instructions_Lap_Band.pdf

Yeah, judging by how well most people here are taken care of by their doctors, I'm starting to think mine is terrible.he may be a decent surgeon but he clearly doesn't give a damn. Either way, all he said - 'stick to good food, chew everything properly if it's more solid, and don't cheat on ice cream'. Fantastic dude..not.

Still doesn't quite answer my question - why am i so terribly hungry all the time? From the moment i got woken up...

I was starving hungry before I even left the hospital. Some people lose their appetite or hunger because of surgical trauma and swelling, but that's not true for everyone. Also, your band probably won't do anything to reduce your appetite and hunger until you've had a few fills.

Sure I feel my stomach filling up and slight obstruction as food goes down, but nothing more. I have no problems, no reflux, no vomiting.. no nothing...

Feeling a "slight obstruction" when you eat is in fact a problem. You should never, ever feel that again, and the way you do that is to let your stomach heal, your band to seat itself in place against your stomach, and eat very, very carefully for the rest of your life. As for wondering why you don't have reflux or vomiting, those too are danger signs. DON'T GO LOOKING FOR TROUBLE!

@Jean - thank you for answering. Yeah, Trouble shall not be looked for from today on! I am kicking myself in the teeth for not doing more research beforehand but I assumed my doctor would know what he's saying >.< Right now I am pretty much freaking out, coz I don't feel that obstruction anymore (when drinking, since like I said I'm not touching solids anymore) so now I can't stop thinking that I messed up already, my lap band slipped/eroded, fell off/ god knows what because I ate some solids :S It's not that I couldn't help myself, I trurly thought I could as long as they are chewed into paste...thats what the doc said >.< Argh, freaking out right about now

Is drinking about 6-7 pints (which is 3-4 litres ish i think) of water/herbal tea a day too much too ?

Hello everyone I am a new bander!

So I had lap band fitted in about 5 days ago. My hunger did not go away at all. I could eat stuff right out of surgery. I actually ate a paprika/brocolli/cauliflour/cheese salad and a tiny bag of peanuts 2 days after op. I suck. However It went down like a charm, shouldn't I feel restricted abit ? I felt it going down, since obviously I did chew on everything for a long time. I am hungry still , all the time. I havn't touched any forbidden foods (as in, the ones that got me fat in first place) but I can easily eat alot of vegetables (I crave them like they be candy..........). Sure I feel my stomach filling up and slight obstruction as food goes down, but nothing more. I have no problems, no reflux, no vomiting.. no nothing...

My band was fitted in empty and I got 1st fill in on week 6. My question would be - did I just spend alot on money on something that is doing absolutely nothing? How is it possible I feel absolutely no different after this? I called my surgeon, all they told me was -'just try to stick to diet and dont eat bad foods. We will see after your 1st fill'. Um, ok. But having read this forum I see people have hard time eating for quite a while after op, whereas I was SO READY to dine day after.... What is wrong with me >.< Am I a failure?

I promised myself I would not respond to this post in fear I may hurt your feelings....But as this post gets ulgier...I will try to put it as nice as I can.

Did your surgeon give you any post op diet plan? Did you research the band at all before you got?

I will try to help you since you are reaching out for help:

1. Please, please allow your band to heal, take this six weeks to eat only soft mushy food, most people are on clear liquids the first week, thin to mushy food the second week, and soft foods the 3-4 weeks out of surgery.

The POINT is your band has to heal, remember you got sutures holding your band in place, and if you break your sutures before they heal by eating solid food, your band can slip or cause some issues before it really can help you.

You have to some some willpower and patience with the band at least the first 4-6 weeks....

Reflux does not start until you've damaged your band, and if you don't get a band book or get a mentor or ask for help real soon, you will get some reflux and it's not a good thing either reflux can get ugly with horrible burning and vomiting up in your nose and mouth when you sleep...

I keep things real and don't sugar coat...and yes it's tough love...

Be careful and take care of your band and if it's not already damaged, it will take care of you.

Good luck!

Sylvie I too was allowed to eat immediately post op. I was on liquids for 1 day. I was allowed mushies the next day and instructed to advance as tolerated. Thought you would like to know that! I had no appetite for at least a week. I couldn't even eat a whole yogurt. My surgery was June 26. I've lost 21 pounds since surgery. 40 pounds total. I'm very happy and I have not hurt my band. Still I want to say BE CAREFUL!! You're still healing. If you're not happy with your doc, start looking for a new one. You may want to see a nutritionist. The lap band journey is majority YOU. A small percentage is done by the band. Good luck and welcome to band land.

Oh....You feel obstruction because you are swollen and healing from surgery!!!! You will lean that just because things go down doesn't mean you should eat it!! Please be careful! The risks others have mentioned are so very real...

Sylvie

I too was allowed to eat immediately post op. I was on liquids for 1 day. I was allowed mashies the next day and instructed to advance as tolerated. Though you would like to know that! I had no appetite for at least a week. I couldn't even eat a whole yogurt. My surgery was June 26. I've lost 21 pounds since surgery. 40 pounds total. I'm very happy and I have not hurt my band.

Still I want to say BE CAREFUL!! You're still healing. If you're not happy with your doc, start looking for a new one. You may want to see a nutritionist. The lap band journey is majority YOU. A small percentage is done by the band. Good luck and welcome to band land.

Good you are feeling good, but sorry ...band damage does not happen right away...sometimes you won't know it until you start the fill process and some people wonder why they can never get into the green zone, or have food intolerance issues.

If the band heals wrong you won't know it until a few months later....or it will be easier to slip than others under high pressure when the band is at optimal restriction.

Good you are feeling good' date=' but sorry ...band damage does not happen right away...sometimes you won't know it until you start the fill process and some people wonder why they can never get into the green zone, or have food intolerance issues. If the band heals wrong you will know it until a few months later....[/quote'] Ummm. Thanks for that. LOL. No where did u say that I chose to eat ANYTHING. I have had no trouble with fils or loosing. I have an excellent doctor!

@Jean - thank you for answering. Yeah, Trouble shall not be looked for from today on! I am kicking myself in the teeth for not doing more research beforehand but I assumed my doctor would know what he's saying >.< Right now I am pretty much freaking out, coz I don't feel that obstruction anymore (when drinking, since like I said I'm not touching solids anymore) so now I can't stop thinking that I messed up already, my lap band slipped/eroded, fell off/ god knows what because I ate some solids :S It's not that I couldn't help myself, I trurly thought I could as long as they are chewed into paste...thats what the doc said >.< Argh, freaking out right about now

Is drinking about 6-7 pints (which is 3-4 litres ish i think) of water/herbal tea a day too much too ?

What's done is done. Time to stop kicking yourself and move on. Some lessons we learn the hard way. If your post-op eating so far has damaged your esophagus or stomach, you have no way of knowing that right now. So take better care of yourself going forward. And I would seriously start looking for a better, more thorough bariatric clinic to do your aftercare. It sounds like the one you've got now has done an inadequate job of educating you.

It's GOOD that you don't feel the obstruction any more, so stop freaking out about it (remember what I said about not looking for trouble?). What's happening in there is that the swollen tissues in your esophagus and stomach are calming down, and as that happens, the "fit" or feel of your band will change. In fact, your band may always seem to behave in unexpected ways. I could write a book about that. Hey, wait! I DID write a book about that!

Ummm. Thanks for that. LOL. No where did u say that I chose to eat ANYTHING. I have had no trouble with fils or loosing. I have an excellent doctor!

Good...and congrats on your weight loss!! But again...just because you are OK for now...please don't encourage others with this same behavior.

Oh, I forgot to answer your question about whether drinking 6-7 pints of water or herbal tea a day. That's about twice as much as my surgeon recommends. Staying well hydrated as you heal and for the rest of your life is essential for your health, but I'm curious about why you're drinking so much. Is that a typical amount for you? Are you extra thirsty? Are you taking any new medications? Are you diabetic? Those and many other factors can make you thirsty, and if that's not typical intake for you, you really need to talk to your primary care physician about it.

In theory it's possible to drink too much liquid, upsetting your electrolyte balance and wreaking havoc throughout your body, but that's not very common. I just don't want you to be ignoring a symptom of something that could be wrong with your health.

Good...and congrats on your weight loss!! But again...just because you are OK for now...please don't encourage others with this same behavior.

Thanks Dr NaNa. But if you would read, I did not encourage her to continue anything. Lap banders eat their young huh. LOL

Oh, I forgot to answer your question about whether drinking 6-7 pints of Water or herbal tea a day. That's about twice as much as my surgeon recommends. Staying well hydrated as you heal and for the rest of your life is essential for your health, but I'm curious about why you're drinking so much. Is that a typical amount for you? Are you extra thirsty? Are you taking any new medications? Are you diabetic? Those and many other factors can make you thirsty, and if that's not typical intake for you, you really need to talk to your primary care physician about it.

In theory it's possible to drink too much liquid, upsetting your electrolyte balance and wreaking havoc throughout your body, but that's not very common. I just don't want you to be ignoring a symptom of something that could be wrong with your health.

Please listen to Jean! She and I have been through that and have seen all issues with the band and the END RESULTS....

I encourage you to get Jean's book, on how to live with the lap band.