I just found out my surgery will be in July (granted my pre-op testing goes okay) SOOOOOOOOO

Here's a thread for everyone getting banded in July 07!

Does anyone have any good ideas for a neat name we could call ourselves?

Welcome Maria! Where are you from?

I am from Damascus, Syria... way far in the Middle East.

Yes, I am thinking that the post op diet that the coordinator gave me is the same one that they use for bypass patients also.

10 days of clear liquid is about enough as I can take. My stomach is giving me hungry pains unless I drink broth or eat jello or a popcicle.

So tomorrow it will have been 10 days since the surgery and I am thinking seriously about going to the next stage of full liquids.

So what constitutes Full liquids? Because I am gonna start it tomorrow!! Does anybody have any yummy filling ideas for full liquids? This whole post diet thing is driving me to drink!! (clear juice that is) hehe....

Also, what were many of you doing for nurishment after day ten?

Thanks again for your wonderful replies. Everyone is sooo helpful!!

Jeannie,

Thanks so much the reply. The Tylenol lasted til about 3AM. So instead of watching infomercials, I am here reading your reply. I am sure there will be good days and bad days with the emotions. It is just wonderful knowing that I have this forum to turn to. I will touch base in a few hours when I am more coherent.

Sweet dreams,

Eileen, many experience the same feelings as you do. We are here for you day and night as there are members of this group all around the world. I agree with Jeanie that you may be trying to do too much too soon. Now is the time to rest and heal. I empathize with you being alone. Several here are alone as they have told no one about the surgery. This group is my support. I must admit when I did tell my friend and children they became very supportive after the fact. Not so much before surgery except my daughter and my cousin. I will be off for 2 weeks so I will be here frequently if you need support..

Maria, welcome. Syria is a long way away and a much different time zone. What is the time difference from the east coast of US to Syria. I think this was a great decision for me and I look forward to getting to know you.

Jeanie, how are you this am. You are so supportive to everyone. You seem to know just what to say. We are lucky to have you here on the board. Hope you day is going well. I slept well and have had a carnation instant breakfast and now I am sipping on water. I haven't been hungry yet. Just drink the CIB because I am suppose to have 3 a day. Maybe that is taking care of the hunger. I have wanted food...don't get me wrong. Head hunger present and accounted for...but not real hunger.

Good Morning Lucky 7s,

I had a much better night, only got up once to take medicine and was able to sleep on my side for a couple of hours. Now this morning is a different matter. I crushed one of my medicines (Glucophage which I take for PCOS not diabetes) and it tasted so nasty, I threw up all over the kitchen. Eww. DH had to clean it up. I called the pharmacy and they do not have it in liquid form, so I don't know what I am going to do. Man, I wish I could get off it.

Sunshine, I am having head hunger too. I am not at all hungry, as a matter of fact I am very full after a Slim Fast, but I kind of want to go into the kitchen, grab a bag of whatever junk, and eat it in front of the TV. Old habits die hard.

I am from Damascus, Syria... way far in the Middle East.

Welcome Sarujah! This is the best group of folks! Wow. You are a ways away from us, but that's okay. We're here for you! I know this was the best decision I have made for myself so far. I am thrilled and excited to have started a new life!

Just ask away. Tell us a little about yourself.

And of course we accept you! Why wouldn't we?

Gmorn Sunny and CeCe!

I hear you about the head hunger. It is so weird that we only get full off a few ozs! The other day, I wanted to eat a big ol burger from Wendy's. That was really weird b/c it just came outta no where. I wasn't even really thinking about food - at least consciously...But, I continued to sip on my Muscle Milk and got through it.

I slept well last night. I got up once around 6am, took a pain pill, checked on here, then went back to bed. I slept really well after that.

bostonchic, Hang in there! We are all here for you!!! Someone is always ready to help a friend! Let us know you are needing support and you got it!!! Have a great day!

Janiee, you and that diet!!! GEE, a rough one! I bet you are dropping the pounds left and right!!! I was told with full liquids that I could have anything that I could drink and fit through a straw! So I had SlimFast, jello, broth, the chunky soups blended in the Magic Bullet, really any soups that are creamy, Protein drinks, sf fudgesicles and popsicles, gogurt, yogurt, baby food fruit, V8 low sodium ... some people were allowed scrambled eggs here, but I have them on my soft/pureed list, which follows the liquid stage. I also put shredded cheese on ANYTHING that I thought would taste good, lol!!! Good luck! You are probably very ready to "eat!"

Cazulay, sorry to hear about the nausea! Haven't had that! I am sooo glad I didn't, but I have had a few times that I wanted something, fortunately it passed quickly! Then I got back to my teeny weeny bite sized meal, lol!!! Reality sets in and you know you really don't want it, lol!

sarujah, Join Us!!! Absolutely, how cool to have someone from Syria!!! I think that is the neatest thing ... none of our lives would have ever touched if it wasn't for the "band"!!!! How cool is that? Check in often!! We will be happy to chat with you!!!

Sunny, I hear you with the head hunger!!! I am not hungry, but I always feel like I should have SOMETHING! I try to drink when I feel like that, but sometimes that just doesn't do it!!! That's when I have a sf popsicle or fudgesicle and I love the sf Werther's lozenges!!! They hit the spot and I feel like I have something YUMMY, lol!!! I hope the head hunger goes away soon!!! Or at least, that I can quit listening to it, lol!!!

Chim, Good morning!!! You sound chipper this morning! So glad you are doing so well! Are you home yet? Or still with your parents? Do they live close to your place? You are going back to work tomorrow, right? Do you feel ready? Thinking of you!!!

Cazulay, I don't envy you crushing pills!!! I don't have to do that and I am taking some "horse pill" biotic vitamins!!!! I just take one at a time and give some time in between pills!!! Sometimes it takes a good hour to get them on in in the mornings, lol!!!!

Well, everyone have a good day! I will check in and out! Gotta make some lunch before my daughter goes to work! Yesterday she worked a double and didn't eat all day!!! My husband never can understand how the girls can work at a restaurant and not eat all day!!!! So, I want to make sure she has something in her tummy! She's a whole 115 pounds!!! She can afford to eat, lol!!!!

Well, doing well day 3 post op. Weather is still not good. Walked for 10 minutes on treadmill at a slow (2mph) pace. It felt good. I am able to swallow my meds whole so no crushing. Taking in wather and carnation instant Breakfast, with occasional Jello, pudding or popcicle. My biggest problem is my back aches, sore and achy. Abdomen is just sore. I took pain meds 1st 2 nights home cause I didn't want to wake in pain. I will try tylenol tonight. I can sleep ok on my left side but not my right as it makes my port incision hurt.

I want to read but I am having trouble concentrating and there is crap on TV so I am bored. HELP!!!!

Hi Eileen i am Sheelagh from Ireland. i was banded on the 24 and could empathise so much with your situation. i too am only starting to feel normal. i still feel very blooted and just wish it would go down. i went out driving yesterday 4 days post surgery just about managed, visited my parents who seemed supportive. i too am living this alone, well i have a 6ft son who eats and cooks constantly so in a way you are lucky and i know he doesnt mean too but he is driving me mad. i hope you feel better soon. take care S

Well, doing well day 3 post op. Weather is still not good. Walked for 10 minutes on treadmill at a slow (2mph) pace. It felt good. I am able to swallow my meds whole so no crushing. Taking in wather and carnation instant breakfast, with occasional Jello, pudding or popcicle. My biggest problem is my back aches, sore and achy. Abdomen is just sore. I took pain meds 1st 2 nights home cause I didn't want to wake in pain. I will try tylenol tonight. I can sleep ok on my left side but not my right as it makes my port incision hurt.

I want to read but I am having trouble concentrating and there is crap on TV so I am bored. HELP!!!!

My first time on the treadmill wasn't soooo great!!! LOL I felt like my stomach was going one way and my body was going the other!!!! Didn't enjoy that much, lol!!!

I am glad you don't have to crush your meds!!! That doesn't seem fun, I can't imagine the taste some of those meds would have!!! I know I have had a pill get kind of stuck in my mouth if I don't drink quite enough and that didn't taste too good, but to have to actually eat it, YUCK!!!! NO thanks to that one!!!!

I had the back ache too! My lower back hurt soooo bad and woke me at night! I am not used to sleeping on my back and it showed! I did see the chiro after one week post-op and now am feeling much better! I hope you feel better with that soon!

You are bored already, lol! Don't you still have another week off, lol???? Once you are able to move around and do more things, you won't be bored! Then you will wish it would all slow down again, lol!

Have a great day, Sunny!

Sheelagh, The bloating takes awhile! I still feel bloated, but not nearly as bad! I would lay down in bed and no kidding, it looked like I was pregnant!!! Not want you want to see when you do this to look thinner!!! Especially, when your 46 years old, lol!!!!! Enjoy your day!!:peep:

My doctor said no pools, baths or hot tubs for four weeks.

Jeane thanks for putting a link to the recipes.

Hey,

I had my surgery on the 23rd and to be honest, I am just now starting to feel better and it is the 28th. I tried driving on the 26th which was not a good idea. I was falling asleep at the red lights! So needless to say, I started listening more to body and just slowed down. I gained five pounds when I left the hospital. However, I am now down between 7-8lbs. I am actually ok with the liquid diet, crazy as it sounds! My stomach is finally starting to deflate. I have tapered off the medications and switched to Tylenol. Tonight will be the first night without liquid percocet. God willing.

I too have experienced pain in the port area. An for some reason, I have developed a tickle cough which is a nightmare after this surgery. What I have done is I hold a pillow to my stomach, cross my arms across my abs and cough. It is a lot less painful.

I had to back out of New England Country Music concert today at Gillette Stadium. It is an all day affair, with about a mile back & forth for parking, 10 hrs in the sun, and 25,000 people. If one person bumped into me I could have ended up back in the hospital. And as silly as it sounds, I know I made the right decision, but I was all weepy eyed today. And truth be told, I wanted to turn to food for comfort. I can't do that anymore. But feeling the feelings absolutely SUCK!

So, I am writing you guys in hope the it will lift some of this yucky feeling that I am experiencing. I feel very lonely in this recovery and truthfully it's killing me. I am single and live alone and have had some great friends come help me, but in general it is me going through this every day. And if it wasn't for this forum, I might go nuts!

So thank you for listening to my babble...and getting me through these first few days. Each day I feel better, I just think today the emotions caught up with me. Good news is that this day is almost over, and tomorrow is a new day.

Keeping you all in my prayers....

Eileen, go easy on your self and don't be too hard on yourself. You had major surgery. You will find new outlets instead of food. We all will otherwise we wouldn't have been brave enough to get surgery and would have continued in our old patterns. You will get to eat again but not as much. You are very smart for not getting that crowd and heat. I know I am going to try to go to a baseball game today but if it is too much am leaving. It should be 90 and will be in the sun. This should be 3 hours. I couldn't imagine an all day event that soon after surgery. also, if you need your pain medicine take it. I am still taking it and my banding was a few days before yours. Hope this helps.

My doctor said no pools, baths or hot tubs for four weeks.

Jeane thanks for putting a link to the recipes.

Gee, glad I don't have your doc, lol, ... two weeks for swimming seemed like an eternity! LOL

You are very welcome for the link, seemed some people were having trouble pulling it up.

Have a great day! Been sitting here way too long, gotta go do some things!!! Talk to you later!!!