concern

Yvetth · July 11, 2007

Hi everyone,

I was banded on June 30th 2007, so it has only been 11 days. My doctor is in Glendale, CA and his name is Dr. patel/Brand Surgical cntr. They were great there, the nurses everyone. I have a question for anyone out there: I have been on liquids since the surgery but I have cheated a little. Not the first seven days, but like Monday I had a bite of my husbands chicken, and a piece of cheese. Yesterday, Tuesday I had some potatoe/cheese Soup, will this affect the band in any way, or am I feeling hungry because I have not had an adjustment yet?

juliegeraci · July 11, 2007

You are okay and perfectly fine moving to creamy Soups. Just make sure they don't have solid Protein in them. You probably are going to be on liquids for a few more days, correct? You can have anything that fits through a straw before the mushy stage. Don't worry about the chicken for now. Changes are you didn't do any harm. In fact, I did the same thing and had a barium swallow and everything was okay. Just make sure you follow the doctors orders moving forward. Creamy soups are your friend. They will really help you. Good luck.

faithmd · July 11, 2007

Julie, please don't tell this poster that she's fine to move to creamy Soups and that she can have anything that can go through a straw unless you know her nutritionist and surgeon's food plan. If you do, I apologize. But she may still be on Clear Liquids for all we know. Granted she may be fine, but she really should be following her MD's plan to the best of her ability. Granted some surgeons are moving people forward a lot faster than they used to, but likely hers does not (considering she's supposed to be on liquids at two weeks out.

You are feeling hungry because you haven't been filled yet, but I am sorry to say that you likely won't feel perfect "restriction" for a couple of fills yet. And restriction is hard to descrobe, what it may feel like to me or to Julie it may not feel like to you. You'll get there, it will just take time.

Yvetth · July 11, 2007

So when you had your first fill, did it make a difference? Were you hungry after the first week of surgery? At what week were you allowed to have eggs or tuna? I called my doctor and the nurse said if I was hungry I could have mash potatoes or applesauce and she said this at 4 days after surgery???

Yvetth · July 11, 2007

Thanks, What is a barium swallow? The mushy stage is after 14 days correct? sorry I sound so uneducated but the doctors instructions are not very clear, and when I call to talk to him I always get a nurse.

faithmd · July 11, 2007

I have not had a fill yet. I was a bit hungry at a week post-op but I knew I would be. I knew that this was not going to be easy but I can do anything if it's for a certain period of time. I figure it's a few weeks out of my life. Granted, if I could have controlled my eating before now, I wouldn't have been fat, but I keep telling myself to control it now. I have a band to protect. My band is not a magical thing, it is merely a tool to eventually help me eat less. I have done loads of research and there are many posts here that speak to the reality that it takes at least two, three, four or more fills until people get to a good level of restriction. I know it will take time, I just have to keep telling myself that I didn't get fat overnight, I won't lost it overnight. This is a journey, not a race and I'm competeing against no one but my own hunger. The difficulty is in telling that head hunger to go away and learning to eat when you are truly hungry (rumbly, almost painful tummy, etc). I ceratainly haven't mastered it yet, and probably never will. There will always be some degree of head hunger I'm fighting.

Some docs are allowing their patients a FEW mushies earlier on. I haven't seen the studies about it, but if your doc and nutritionist say it's okay, then that's what we all tell each other to do, follow YOUR surgeon's advice.

I continue to be cautious, and it's not for everyone, but I want the band to heal in place well, just because something goes down fine doesn't mean it isn't potentially setting us up for problems later. Scar tissue is what holds the band in place in the back side, as the stomach churns to digest solids it breaks that early forming scar tissue. That's been the accepted reason why docs have kept people on liquids for a couple of weeks to allow that to form. I think it's changing in part because of the improved surgical technique for securing the band, and the newer bands themselves, but I'm going to keep taking it easy.

faithmd · July 11, 2007

Thanks, What is a barium swallow? The mushy stage is after 14 days correct? sorry I sound so uneducated but the doctors instructions are not very clear, and when I call to talk to him I always get a nurse.

A barium swallow was that chalky stuff you drank after you were banded and they took the pictures of it going through to make sure the band wasn't too tight and that there were no leaks in the stomach.

Did you not get instructions that were printed out? Did you meet with a nutritionist? I cannot say if the mushy stage starts at two weeks for you or not. The after banding diet is different from doc to doc. I was not supposed to go on mushies until THREE weeks after banding, but the nutritionist said I could go at two, I chose to wait until closer to two and a half weeks.

It's just like some docs who will fill you at four weeks post-op and some won't do it until six or eight weeks, they are all different.

losingjusme · July 11, 2007

Faith,

I LOVE your posts, you are a great bandster!

faithmd · July 11, 2007

Losing:

Right back atcha, darlin'!

And I'm just learning how this all goes, I'm trying.

:high5::cheer2: :kiss2:

wombat712 · July 12, 2007

Each doctor is definitely different! I did tons of research before mine and I thought I knew what to expect. I was told to be on liquids for two days and then mushie after that with fish being allowed. I have to stay on this mushie and fish for four weeks until my fill. I'm automatically getting a fill rather than waiting and seeing how it goes. I think I need it at this point so it's not really an issue.

Good luck to you! Most of the nurses at my docs office have had this done so when I call I want to talk to them anyway. They know what we're going through :0)