I'm being banded on May 9th and I'm scared that I'm not as prepared as I should be.

I know I have to stay on the liquid diet after the surgery for atleast a week but what kind of liquids are best? Do I need shakes that are high in Protein, do I need to buy a liquid gas reducer?

Any suggestions?

Yes to the portein. If you can't find any at your local stores, try unjury.com. Try to get at least 65grams (what I was told by my dr) of protein per day. As for the liquid gas reducer, I loved the gas-x strips and they were a life saver. The liquid stage is hard but you stomach needs to heal. Stick with it and follow your doctors orders. You can do it and get through it. You might want to check out the thread about what to have post-op. If I can find it, I will post the link here.

Here is that link:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14814

Best of luck and welcom to BandLand.

Shaydee,

I have a list that I made from suggestions I got here when I had my surgery. Here it is. I didn't need most of the stuff I bought, but I was prepared. This list should carry you through your soft foods phase.

As for the Protein, I would try to find that New whey kind in the little tubes because I found it really hard to even drink much right after surgery. Here's the link so you can see what they look like.

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=YQ-1006I

1. Heating pad

2. Flexible ice pack (i recommend a couple so one is always frozen)

3. Liquid tylenol (they make adult strength)

4. Chewable or liquid gas-x (or melt-a-way kind)

5. A few books or movies

6. Comfy clothes (loose waisted shorts or jumpers)

7. Squishy pillow for car ride (guard against seatbelt)

8. A sports bra (doc said no underwire for a few days)

9. Protein shakes or drinks

10. Water/flavored Water

11. Blender/food processor

12. broth

13. Sugarfree popsicles and Jello

14. Crushed ice

15. Hot tea to ease abdominal tightness

16. Thermometer

17. Pill crusher if you take regular meds

18. 5 oz. Dixie cups (if your doc says no more than 4 oz. at a time)

19. Milk of Magnesium

20. Pepto-Bismol

21. Applesauce with no sugar added

22. pudding

23. Cottage cheese

24. Chewable Vitamins

Ask at your pre-op for the pain med prescription so you can have it all ready to go when you get home, sometimes the pharmacy has to order liquid pain meds and it takes a few days to get them.

I'm sure there's more ideas out there. Good luck to you.

Oh, sorry...I was writing my post when Mrs. Husker was doing her's! hehe

Okay, I have the majority of the list but I'm also wondering... in the liquid phase ( and probably afterwards as well ) do I have to cut out all foods that aren't sugar or fat free if I don't have any health problems.. aside from being fat, I mean.. because I love my Gatorade and I don't think they make a sugar-free one yet lol

<p>A couple things about that list, I printed it, memorized it, got everything on it (except BBQ tongs.. and thank god I didn't need them.. I don't think I could have done that LOL), and then I packed my overnight bag for the surgery.. a big bag with lots of compartments... put gas-x strips, pain meds, gauze, change of clothes, etc.. and I honestly, once I got there (woke up from surgery), I didn't need anything. I over-packed myself. I brought a nightgown and change of undies,but they took all my stuff off of me and I started my period during surgery so I woke up with a contraption wrapped around my butt. So I asked the nurse for pads and put on my 1 pair of undies, and I didn't change until time to go home, and I put on the dress I came in wearing (a nice flowy sundress and flipflops). Only thing I ended up using out of my overnight bag was a hair scrunchie, deoderant, and hair brush.. since they made me take my hair down and you can't wear deoderant going in there.. and I go nuts without froofy smelly stuff on me.</p> <p> </p> <p>A week before my official pre-op diet (3 weeks out), they said I was borderline with having to do an open surgery due to the size of my liver. So THAT DAY I started my own shrink-the-liver-pre-op-diet.</p> <p>I cut out sugar, salt, and fried stuff. I still HAD sugar, and stuff that had salt in it.. But I made a point not to eat something with a lot of sugar.. or add salt to things...and didn't eat anything fried (still haven't-woohoo). 2 days before surgery I was stupid and had a burger from Ruby Tuesday's. I was only going to eat half and then fiance told me to finish it and not take it home so I wouldn't eat it when I'm suppose to be on Clear Liquids.. I did, and I got so sick that night. I don't know if it's because I overate (which I did), or if it's because I wasn't use to all the grease anymore. I threw up most of it, lucky me.</p> <p>I was told to drink gatorade during post-op. I don't like gatorade, but even now in front of my computer I have one of those small bottles and I finish about 1/3 a day. Water is really best. Lots and lots of water.. and Protein. And I recommend getting the IDS New Whey protein test tubes, 42g of protein in 3oz, but only do 1/2 at a time since you can't absorb more than 25g at a time (all things I learned on the board!!). I drink a test tube a day at 2 different times. Protein shakes don't agree with me. </p> <p>You'll probably want to cut down the sugar items after surgery because you want to lose weight right? <img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/happy.gif" border="0" alt="" title="" smilieid="60" class="inlineimg" /></p> <p>I stocked up on sugar-free and fat-free puddings.. I have caramel vanilla sundae, devil's food chocolate, chocolate&vanilla, caramel (tastes like butterscotch).. and they're all 60c a cup, and 0 sugar. They are wonderful.. really are. I was skeptical but I would actually eat these without knowing it's diet if I hadn't bought it myself. I got the mocha chocolate one too, just for the record, and it's really nasty. Not sure why.

Gosh this is long, but I had a lot to say LOL. Also, about gas-x strips, I am the only one I've noticed who felt this way, so I would definitely get them to try, seems majority of people like them. But for me, they made me gag, I got peppermint and cinnamon (only ones available here), and both of them were bad to me. And the taste lingered in my mouth making me feel gross for a while. I ended up buying the gas-x chewables which are flavor PINK? lol I don't know the flavor, but I like them a LOT better. My doctor said to start chewable Vitamins the day after surgery, so I figured I could have chewable gas-x. So if you have a problem like I did (which seems rare) and the strips aren't good to you, the pink chewables are a lot easier. </p>

Just for the record, didn't mean to mess the post up, did edit to it to add about gas-x and it reformatted and made it all funky

Since most of the prescription pain meds have tylenol as an ingredient, I also got some liquid motrin so I could have avoid getting too much tylenol. And my arthritic knees needed something other than lortab elixir.

Oh, I forgot, ask your surgeon to mark the spot where your port is going. Compare it to where your bra usually sits so that you can avoid having the port where your underwire usually rides. A friend of a friend who was banded in KS has that problem. Boy surgeons don't always have a good grasp on how our structural support systems work.

Okay, I have the majority of the list but I'm also wondering... in the liquid phase ( and probably afterwards as well ) do I have to cut out all foods that aren't sugar or fat free if I don't have any health problems.. aside from being fat, I mean.. because I love my Gatorade and I don't think they make a sugar-free one yet lol

Just keep in mind that during the liquid phase it is EASY to get a lot of liquid calories in. While the healing phase is not meant for weight loss but healing instead, sugar will make you want to eat your right arm. Protein will kill hunger.

You don't need sugar. It does nothing for your body, it does not promote weight loss, and during liquids it will make you one very unhappy person.

Why would you WANT sugar? Perhaps that is what you need to consider. What do you think?

Gatorade is "okay" but Propel is better. No clue how old you are but the older the newbie bandster the harder blood sugar issues seem to be. If you are REALLY feeling shaky, light headed, etc., then a bit of propel or watered down gatorade is in order. But for your standard issue person it is best to keep it at a minimum. Sugar will just make you miserable in the end. It's not worth it.

Crystal Light is pretty good too.. and sugar-free kool aid actually. The fruit punch and grape sugar-free kool aids are quite good. Crystal Light I only like the pink lemonade.