Hi all...I'm due for my band on October 1st, 2008 and would like to ask a quick favor of all of you. Would you be kind enough to throw at least one (more would be great!) piece of advice out that you wished you had when you were newly banded. I've never heard about 'sliming' or meat tenderizer or pineapple juice or hot things to 'open up'...all these things are foreign to me.

I'd like to compile a list and print it out as well as post it on other sites.

Tricks of the trade? How to prevent getting things stuck (and what tends to get stuck) and things you wished you'd done differently? The REAL reason behind this is I'm deathly afraid of the symptoms and problems I've read about and will go to any lengths to avoid them. You guys are terrific and much appreciated!

That your back might hurt like hell!

One of the lap band books that I bought has the Meat tenderizer trick in it. I think it was the Weight loss surgery for Dummies. Mix it in small amount of warm water and drink. Just from personal experience with the gas pain, since I have had 7 laproscopic procedures done, it is more comfortable to have your head elevated when lying down. The past couple of surgeries I have not even noticed. Getting banded on the 30th too, so we will see how this goes.

-Walk and then walk some more

-Stock pile Gas X and a variety of liquids or foods you can have

-Be consistent with your pain meds

-Drink/nourish your body even when you're not hungry. You need it to heal effectively.

Hi salome

I just had my band a week ago today. I think the biggest thing that had helped me was the heating pad. I did not have much stomach pain but I did get the shoulder pain. Just remember to take it easy the first week. I pretty much laid around and I also stayed up on my meds, so I was never in pain much. I read and reread the rules of the lapband, and I had all the necessary things on hand. I also liked warn chicken broth afterwards, and was so happy that I was losing weight that I was willing to try anything.

Good luck to you and you will do fine!

susan

Propel flavored Water, I couldn't get plain water down for some reason, and it had to be room temperature. As someone said, get a good heating pad, when you turn over in bed, the fat goes first and then the muscle with the port stitched to it comes later, OMG, does that hurt the first few days. Make sure you have comfy clothes, and a regular bra, not an underwire, at least for the trip home from the hospital, get a pillow too, because if you are in the car, the pillow pressed against you helps the bumps.

Get clear broths, in NYC I got wonton Soup with nothing in it. I didn't worry so much about Protein the first two weeks out, just getting in my Clear liquids. You might not even lose a pound, so don't worry and donb't go back to your old habits. Your body adjusts after a few weeks and boom, the weight starts coming off.

Good luck!

I wish someone had told me about the heprin shot before surgery! Just sayin' . . . But, seriously, use that inspirometer after surgery. Do it at least 10 times per hour for several days. I ran a low-grade temperature and they told me to do this and fever went away and I felt great!

Oh! Thought of something else . . .

Try not to take the prescription pain meds after about the 2nd day. They make you constipated! The narcodic in it causes that. You'll wonder why you havn't "gone". That's why! Liquid Tylenol is best.

My biggest fear is throwing up. I know it sounds crazy but I'm a person who will go to any lengths NOT to throw up. I fight it like hell. I don't know if there's a phobia regarding the fear of throwing up but if there is, I've got it.

I'm not afraid of the pain or procedure...it's the getting stuck thing. I'm about determined to eat nothing but watery grits and oatmeal the rest of my life...seriously. THAT'S how afraid I am.

If it comes to throwing up, how is it different from the regular? Sorry for so disgusting a topic but I have to know...

I have been banded since August 7th and I am on real food now. Just really small amounts and I have not thrown up. Not had any slime either. I measure my food carefully 3 oz of Protein and small amount of veggies cut small and a few tbs. of starch like Pasta and potatoes. I eat slowly and when I feel that strange full feeling I stop and don't continue at all. Throw away whats left on your plate. It's a matter of self control and eating small bites and slowly. When I get that feeling I get up and walk around for a few minutes it goes away and then I am fine. And don't drink for an hour afterward.

Hope this helps.

Has anyone told you lately what a great help you are???? Seriously! You just answered a question I asked on another thread. I plan to weigh EVERYTHING and am delighted you gave me the ratios. Now...how often do you eat? Do you have to count calories? I don't plan to count calories because my goal is to eat stage 1 foods...meaning food that is one step away from raw/uncooked. Broiled cx and fish, steamed veggies, etc. Do protein drinks count as a meal? I'm so sorry to bombard you but October 1st is speeding toward me and I want to have a plan instead of doing what I normally do and wing it. Again...you are so appreciated~~~

Hi, I spent the first four days feeling really nauseas and dry heaving, doc told me it was most likely the anasthetic and the morphine I had during surgery and not to worry about band slippage at that stage. I haven't felt or been at all sick after those 4 days despite moving onto solid foods at 4 weeks.

Another couple of tips.

Get someone to wind you like you would a baby, it really helps as do the gas x strips. If you are in England and can't them on line like I did, chewy remegel chewed and dissolved to nothing in your mouth before swalling helps tremendously.

Peppermint tea helps also as does a heat pad.

Don't forget your liquid or chewy multi vits, Bassets chewy in the UK are great and give yolu something to chomp down on the first few weeks, make sure they are completely liquidised before swallowing them though.

Keep talking to your nurse/doc/nutritionist because they can help you progress at the right stage onto the next step of liquids, mushies and solids. I read not to do solids before the fill but my nutritionist has told me to move on to solids now two weeks before my fill as a way of testing my requirement for a fill at 6 weeks.....they know best!

Don't panic about things, everyone on this board is fantastic and will offer you support very quickly if you need it and right through your ups and downs.....which I have discovered from this board are quite normal oh and don't rush it. Your weight will come off eventually but weighing yourself daily does not help it happen any quicker and upsets you when you go up which you are likely to at some stage even if its just after surgery .

Best wishes for your bandig

My biggest fear is throwing up.

If it comes to throwing up, how is it different from the regular? Sorry for so disgusting a topic but I have to know...

Hi:

It's not throwing up, it's regurgitating. It's quite different. When you regurgitate the food just kind of slides up and out. It's not as violent of a hurl as throwing up is. In addition, it's not all acidy like when you throw up. It's just the food that you just ate mushed up more than when you put it into your mouth. So, it's not as bad as throwing up - honest!

Best wishes to you and don't worry about throwing up if you're doing what you're supposed to do you probably won't regurgitate. I get into trouble when I eat too fast.

Take care.

Sue

With my first band I only slimed once. I was out for Mexican and the brain said, "Of course you can eat one more chip"!. Ha, the band said, "Oh you should not have done that"! and up it came. My band slipped when I got the flu and was out of town and did not have any nausea meds with me. I vomited for 3 days. There was not an option to come home early, so I tried to live with it. I could not even drink Water, and it totally messed up the stomach and band and it was removed. Three days ago, my band was replaced !!! YEAH !!!! The only concern on getting it replaced was if insurance would pay again. When they said yes, and the doctor said it would be ok, there was no question of getting it done. I lost 63 pounds with the first one and need to lose another 100, so I am back on the band wagon and ready to roll.

One good tip to remember in the beginning is, eat with a baby spoon or fork and don't put anything bigger than a pencil eraser in your mouth. The chew, chew, chew, chew. When you think you are done, chew again.