If you have recently been banded please read this. I'm hoping to save many of you grief and stop you from driving yourself crazy with unanswered questions. This thread is not directed towards one person and I'm hoping to help some of you out. I've read about a dozen threads lately, and responded to a few, about the following:

There are a few stages you will be going through in the next couple of weeks. liquids - they suck, Mushies - they suck too, Soft Foods - Ah, life is getting better and finally Normal Foods. Somewhere in there is Bandhell. I want to cover the sucky stages; Liquids and Mushies as well as Bandhell.

Liquids - this is the stage you will most likely lose the most weight.

1st and most importantly of all - follow your doctors instructions. If he tells you stay on a week - do that, if you're told liquids for three weeks - please follow his orders. You didn't have major abdominal surgery to cheat and put yourself at risk. It's not a picnic - it's also not forever. Hang in there.

Mushies - you may have to wait a couple of weeks before you can enjoy the pallet of a one year old. Truly - the first time you get some "flavor" other than chicken broth, popcicles and Jello - is wonderful. It's also deceptive. After weight falling off of you at an amazing speed - you may actually gain weight. It is OK - this is normal. Don't freak out! There is nothing wrong with you and you've done nothing wrong. You may think it is okay to start adding back "normal foods". You think your body is ready, after all everything seems to go down fine. Don't do it unless you call your doctor and he says it is okay. Now is also when you have to start learning how to deal with head hunger.

The first six weeks following surgery is for healing. Let me say that again, HEALING. Don't push yourself and cheat just because you are missing chewing or eating your favorite foods. Everyone that has been banded has been in your shoes. We all know how you feel and it is no fun. Remember this is only temporary. You will eventually get to eat as normally as possible for a bandster. I say that because after banding your life will never be as it was before. It is something that takes adjusting and time.

BANDSTER HELL - After six weeks (or so), the doc finally approves you to move on to normal eating. You are so hungry by now you feel like you could eat a horse. About this same time you should get your first fill. This should help some of your hunger. Don't expect it to though. It often takes more than one fill to get you to your sweet spot (the perfect adjustment level for your band). More than likely you'll be in Bandster Hell. You have a band, but it really isn't going like you thought it was. You can still eat more than you want and you have another month (or more sometimes) before your next fill. You may be going off of willpower alone. Here's some things that may help:

• Start Logging Your Foods - keep track of your Protein, calories and daily intake. Use paper if you want. There are great websites out there that have online programs just for that.
  
• Start An Exercise Program - Muscle weighs more than fat. If you are exercising regularly you may be putting on muscle - thus you weigh more
  
• Measure Yourself - You often lose inches when the pounds aren't coming off
  
• Weigh Yourself, but don't become obsessive. I weigh once a week - at first it was daily, sometimes more than that. Every ounce would drive me insane when I did that. The scale makes me accountable
  
• Measure your food. Know how much of something is going into your body
  

My last word of advice - Don't compare your weight loss to anyone elses. You are only setting yourself up for heartbreak. We all lose weight very differently. Some people are put on different pre-op programs, every doctor is different on their post-op diets as well. Someone that has been on liquids for three to four weeks will have a larger weight loss than someone that hasn't. Our metabolisms are different. We should be losing 1-2 pounds a week with the band. You should lose slowly - so don't get discouraged or angry if you aren't down 50 pounds in two months.

I'm finally near my sweet spot and it took four months to get there. Being banded isn't easy - it is hard work. It is only a tool and a tool is only as good as its user.

In ending I must say there have been ups and downs for me since April, but every struggle was and is worth it. I would do it over again in a heartbeat. I have learned so much about myself in the past few months. I've learned how to deal with addictions and demons I refused to face in the past. I've also learned to love me again and know I am worth the battle.

Im 4 1/2 weeks after surgery. Couldnt feel my port at all, then suddenly I woke up this morning and it was sticking out. Been freaking out thinking my port moved. Got hold of my surgeon who thinks my belly fat moved, he says he stitched the port 2 inches below my skin.

Talk about freaking out and never read anything about one day out of the blue your port would be sticking out thru your skin like a bump out of the blue.

Getting a fill (assuming everything is ok), in 8 days and looking at the port and band under fluor, talked to fill doctor and surgeon today.

I think there are lots of unanswered questions other than do I have to follow my doctors orders.

Before this a couple weeks ago my skin was pulling up on the ends of my stitches and turning red like the incisions were infected. There was a miscommunication when the stitches should have come out. (they should have come out after a week).

Maybe Im the only one having issues like these?

how soon after surgery are you usually hungry?

I was hungry immediately. When they finally let me go back to my hospital room, I asked when I could have dinner. The doctor said you wouldnt be able to eat all this, but I did. (2 big bowls of Jello, apple juice and tea).

The next dayafter surgery in the airport to come home, there was a Mexican eatery, I was dying for. Nothing I could find to eat, I was on Clear Liquids still. I always felt like I could eat anything I had eaten before surgery. I was not one whose stomach swelled up and they couldnt eat. Iv had just about everything at this point, no restriction on any food. Luckily in a week I have a fill, I hope it helps.

Everyone is different. You will have some saying they couldnt eat as much after surgery and some like me who could eat anything and everything, if we had been allowed. No one size answer fits all about a lot of this and how people react.

Flowers - I didn't have the situation you did, but I did have complications. I did have a problem with my port. I went for my first fill and they couldn't fill me. They discovered that it had flipped. This was on May 22 - I had revision on June 13th to get it corrected. My healing was hell after my initial surgery - it flipped the first week and was loose in my chest (my port is in my left shoulder/breast area - where my doc puts all of his). I should have healed within a week or two - I had pain for almost a month. I didn't get my first fill until July 2 - almost three months after surgery. I was starving all the time - trying to keep my portions under control, not wanting to gain any weight. I was hungry within two weeks of surgery myself. I've heard others that get hungry within days - and some even a month later. We are all different.

Emilie - I don't know if I could have done anything to make it easier. It is just something you have to deal with and work through. I have a supportive family and a great friend that is banded too. It helps to have a support group. The only thing I can tell you is be prepared. Know what you are facing and the risks involved. Things can go wrong and it isn't always easy. Right now there are some days I can eat more than others. I'm tightest in the morning and by dinner I'm pretty darned hungry. The TOM I am the tightest. You can't judge yourself or anyone else by me though. Each of us are different and our bodies respond differently. I hope I was able to help.

I love your post Leslie...Thanks!!

Ohh, I needed that! Just banded July 28th and ate a whole taco for dinner tonight, shell and all : ( I was amazed! Chewed each tiny bite about 100 times! Yeah - and I'll be back on this site whinining about gas pain, dang it. OK - back on mushies. Thanks so much!!!!

Good advice Leslie! We have learned so much in only 4 months!

Re: Bandster Hell...this one was hard for me. I found that Protein shakes helped a lot! I drank them in between meals to help curb my hunger. After the first fill there was a remarkable difference in my hunger, but it was after the second fill that I'm not hungry much!! I complained a lot about being hungry, but I made it. I followed all the rules and vented on here. This is the best place to let your feelings out and get support!!

Good luck to all of you!

~Carol

Turler - Bandster Hell was my toughest stage too. I thought I was prepared for it, but it is different living day in and day out "waiting" for your band to start working for you. While I'm technically not in bandster hell right now, I can eat more than I'd like. I have my next fill on August 21 - hopefully I'll find my sweet spot. Being too tight though is a lot worse than bandster hell...we just all have to find our sweet spots.

Thank you Leslie, I was banded on Aug.5th. I lost 11 lbs. in the first week and now that I am on stage 2 I have gained a pound. Reading your thread and some of the others has helped put my mind a little at ease. I know that I have been doing everything I am supposed to do. I just have to wait for my body to realize it.

I was just banded on 8/11/2008 and it seems that most of the post talks about how much they have lossed but not about how long, hard or what it took to get to where they are. I am just starting so I know I have a ways to go but with advice like this I will make it. I just started to have my first hunger pains today since the surgury and it did not seem like anything curbed it. But I survived and ready to start day 4 of my bandnew life.

Just another comment newbies. Sometimes it takes a few fills to get satisfied so you have to be patient. I have a very fickle band and it took me 2 years to get to my sweet spot and over 20 fills and unfills. I am hoping for you its 3-5 fills but don't get discouraged if it is more. It just takes time and patience to get there. Good luck.

I was just banded on 8/11/2008 and it seems that most of the post talks about how much they have lossed but not about how long, hard or what it took to get to where they are. I am just starting so I know I have a ways to go but with advice like this I will make it. I just started to have my first hunger pains today since the surgury and it did not seem like anything curbed it. But I survived and ready to start day 4 of my bandnew life.

I am considered a success per my surgeon with just over 70% weight loss. I am a slower loser however. It took me 2 years to lose 60 lbs. I plateaued for 7 months and went through fill help for 2 years. Finally I hit my sweet spot 5 weeks ago and have lost 8 lbs since then. I follow the Weight Watchers core program which is high Protein, fruit and vegies with limited carbs. I do not exercise regularly. I am 13 lbs from goal with an additional 15 lbs as a stretch goal. I went from a size 24 to 18 in 2 years and now I'm a 16. So it can take some time to lose, especially if you have a fickle band like mine. I started preop 320, banded at 282 and I am now 213. Julie

wow simply put thanks i have'nt even been banded yet still doing the 90 day supervised diet iam now in day 37 of 90days but love this web site for all the updated info and real people and real issues.i read lots of this for mos now before i even decided to do this but iam excited and so afraid they will reject me you know how those ins co are .but iam doing all i have been told to do and wishing for the best.thanks for all your valued and all others out there. my issues are from lower back L4L5 to legs-knee's feet thats where all my troubles are i do cortisone in my feet to relieve pain and heal's breaking down and had both knee's scoped this past winter and he said if i had been 60 he would of replaced them there that bad and i wear knee highs for better circulation flow and med's for arthritis and 4 pills a day for acid reflux. and my bmi is 36.3 iam 90lbs over weight for 5'3 so my fingers are crossed and hoping they will agree. thanks for great info..

Very good post Leslie!!

Thank you.

Thank you so much for that post Leslie, I had surgery 7/29 started at 272 now i weigh 257..18 days! at first i had soo much energy. When I got to have mushies at 2 weeks, i got carried away, I did not get sick or have any side effects I just knew I was having what I should not. It is sooo strange how you tried to fool yourself, like you have two different identities, one that is gung ho! one that whats the old you back (but not really) change is scary, but it is what we all need to do!I notice everyone does this at their own pace, some people really "get" it, i noticed at day 15, and had a long talk with myself, that i did not go through 6 months of tests and appt, undergo surgery, to let myself down...my self talk when I am walking really helps, my doctor told me week 2-6 are the most difficult. Thank you sooo much for your post, I love the mention of the thoughts and feelings that come sneaking in, I never ever allowed myself to feel them, i would eat. Now i have my tools, i.e. mediation, a quick walk, journaling, i try to let it go.....

Thanks again

kirsten

banded 7/29 Boston Medical

you go girl i started my liquid diet monday and its going better then i thought im so happy that there is hope out there God bless