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A couple of questions before surgery - Help!



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My surgery is this week. I just have two last fears left to deal with. I think it's mostly because my surgery is so close. I just need some reassurance. My first one is about a normal diet after the lap band. What kind of food will I be giving up. And if I do have to give up certian foods, is it forever? My doctor told me I would be able to eat anything as long as I can chew it well enough. It that true? My other question is about P.Bing. I FEAR throwing up. What does a P.B. feel like? Is it more that just coughing up flem when you are sick? Is it scary? My doctor told me that since I am so worried about it I won't let myself B.P. I will go into surgery feeling a lot better if I just felt better about these two issues.

Also, I've only lost 8 lbs on the liquid diet so far. It that normal? I was hoping to lose more.

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Everyone is different, and some people can't eat everything. I am lucky, I can eat anything, I just have to chew very well.

As far at the PB, some peole never have one while others have a lot of them. Some people slime and others spit up.

You really just have to experiment with the food and see what works for you. There will also be times that certain food won't go down good that day, but the next day or a couple of weeks later it goes down fine.

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I think everyone has an innate fear that they are going to have to make a major sacrifice after the band. Not so, I have found. I can eat about 90% of what I did before. I can even eat bread...but it tends to sit like a bowling ball afterwards so I have to think about whether it is worth it or not. There is nothing that I have felt deprived of, except the ability to eat like a HOG, and that certainly passes. If I want a cheeseburger and fries I can have it....as much as I can eat....which is about 3-4 bites...2-3 fries, and that's it. The taste is there....it's just called moderation. And the blessing of the band is that you don't feel deprived. Before the band, if I had tried to eat 4 bites of a burger and 3 fries and sit and look and push away from what remained I would have SCREAMED.

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I didn't have any fears leading up to the surgery because I knew where I was headed...death.

I had my first fill on Wednesday last week and haven't had any issues with things coming back up.

My doctor told me to try anything I wanted 2 times and if after that if it didn't work, to give it up. So far I have eaten (in very small portions)...Alice Springs chicken and Broccoli from the Outback, Cereal, tuna fish, Whole Wheat Ritz crackers, a club wrap from Arbys, an oreo, a french fry, ravioli, and eggs with cheese.

It is absolutely unreal to feel full after taking 4 bites of food. I still try to take a couple more bites and realize that I am really full.

I haven't PB'd, but I have had to slow down during eating, which has been really hard, but when you feel that knot in your chest you know you are eating too fast. It has gone down fairly quick for me once it starts, but I too am afraid to throw up.

You will do great and you are making a great decision. I haven't had one regret and wish I had done it 2 years ago when I first thought about it!

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My doctor told me to try anything I wanted 2 times and if after that if it didn't work, to give it up. So far I have eaten (in very small portions)...Alice Springs chicken and Broccoli from the Outback, Cereal, tuna fish, Whole Wheat Ritz crackers, a club wrap from Arbys, an oreo, a french fry, ravioli, and eggs with cheese.

It is absolutely unreal to feel full after taking 4 bites of food. I still try to take a couple more bites and realize that I am really full.

I would also suggest that when you try something....try it at different times of the day. Many people seem to be more able to eat later in the day. Problematic foods may go down easier then....or not. I've had my 4th fill and I COULD eat bread...IF I chewed it to a pulp first and took miniscule bites. However, it still tends to sit like a bowling ball afterwards, so it really isn't worth it. The only food I have NOT tried since surgery is steak (which I love). I just haven't had the guts to go try to get some somewhere. I think I would opt for a filet mignon though because that would be the smallest cut I could get. I avoided sandwiches for months and then tried a panini....wound up removing the bread and eating the insides out. I was just more comfortable doing that. If I am going to get only about 4-5 bites, I want them to be quality bites. I'd rather have the insides of the sandwich than the bread wrapping around it.

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Hello,

Do not worry you are not alone..my surgery is this week on the 24th and to deal with my nerves I am trying to surround myself with everything positive.

For example, I am reading positive things about the lap band either on the message boards or other educational information. I am also invisioning myself in one year, healthy, wearing a bathing suit, and running/jogging at the Race for the Cure...I am trying to think positive and not have any negative influences. I am not watching T.V much and in particular those hospital shows, ER, Greys Antamony etc.

Just think next weekend we will be looking back saying we did it!!!! Wish you the best with your surgery

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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