one week post op-starving-DOCTOR SAYS EAT

bandster_1007 · October 26, 2007

i can't believe it. i called my doctor's office about a pain on my left side that i am having. while i have the lady on the phone i mention to her that i am really hungry and i am having trouble with my calories due to the fact that i am not staying full.

she said....wait for it....go ahead and move into the mushy stage.:faint: i was like "really":whoo:. so, i'm cleared to begin eating mush foods today. she said it is unusual for someone to have their appetite back this early, but it is not unheard of. she said that most people don't get hungry until 4-6 weeks. WHAT..I WISH THAT WAS ME!!!

i'm having hunger pains that are driving me crazy.

yogurt & vienna sausages here i come!!!!!:hungry:

i'm scared that this means my band is not working. :paranoiddoes anyone have any thoughts?

alwayscurious · October 26, 2007

At 7 days post op I was told to change from 5 Protein drinks per day to 4 and add 1/2c. mash pot or applesauce and 1/2c. yogurt or pudding.

So, I sort of moved into mushies at 1 week.

I am only 2 weeks post op (banded 10/12) and am now fully on mushies. I saw my MD yesterday and he said for some people, swelling goes down really fast and they are hungry sooner than others.

Don't worry about a thing. Be happy you have the o.k. to move to mushies. I do not think it means your band is not working. I think it means you are healing well. People keep telling me this stage is for healing (not weight loss).

juliegeraci · October 26, 2007

Your band isn't working until you start getting fills. You have no restriction and its completely normal to have hunger when you don't have restriction. Good luck.

kacee · October 28, 2007

I wonder who that nurse has been interviewing.... I was really hungry after two weeks and chewing my leg off before three. MANY people are hungry almost immediately post-op. For one thing, that means you are probably healing quickly....any swelling is going down fast, or you had little to begin with. That helps with the initial "full" feeling after surgery, but those folks who don't have the typical swelling tend to go straight into hunger before the rest of us. Eat whenever you want, but make good choices. Instead of eating 2-3 Lean Cuisines (which I would have done pre-band), I ate 4 Jello cups (10 cal each), or something like that. There is a lot of stuff out there you can eat that has 100 or less calories. I wasn't aware that vienna sausages fell into the mushie category. The only "mushie meat" I could eat was "soft fish" (tuna, fish filet, etc.)

Saintluver · October 28, 2007

I went back for my follow-up apt. a week after surgery and told my dr. how hungry I was. He let me move to green beens and mashed potatoes early! It is heavenly! haha

Alexandra · October 28, 2007

Yep, a return of hunger means that you're healing well and postoperative swelling is going away. It is PERFECTLY NORMAL to be hungry, and many doctors say it's OK to go on to soft mushies after one week if you're really feeling the need. Two weeks on liquids is recommended, but as we all know not everyone is the same.