I thought I would start a thread to see how everyone is doing, whether you have had surgery yet or not. What are your feelings since you have been banded? Are you happy? Adjusting well? How are you healing? How is eating/drinking going at your current stage? Social events?

I'll start...

I am on the pre-op diet of mostly liquid Protein, but I can have some yogurt and cottage cheese, strawberries/blueberries in my shakes. Egg Drop Soup has helped too. I find if I keep myself satiated I do fine. When I get hungry I get REAL hungry and I have to have something or else I feel like falling off the wagon. Today is day 7.. 4 more days to go on the diet, surgery is on Wednesday. I am ready to go!! I have been reading everyone's experiences who have had surgery before me and appreciate all the information gained. I have lost 10 lbs in this past week a good jump start but I am sure it is a lot of Water. :sneaky:

Who is next? :biggrin:

I'll go. I had my surgery on August 7th, so that makes me 14 days post op. I feel GREAT! I had really horrible gas pain the first week, but feel great now. Just a little bit of shoulder tip pain every once in a while. I'm on mushies and loving it. I have a new found addiction to FAGE Greek Yogurt with fruit. I'm finding it hard to eat 1200 calories a day, but in that I often fall below that. It feels like a lot of food. My first fill is Sept 4th and I can't wait so that I see the process. I lost 29 pounds from July 20th through the beginning of this week and have been stalled for 5 days, but I'm hoping upping the calories will get the scale moving. Unbelievably THRILLED that I made this decision!

Jenny,

Awesome!!! You are an inspiration!!

I LOVE FAGE yogurt. Bought some today in fact. It is like thick cream, even the fat free! Definitely a good find. They have it at our costco here... good deal!

Katie

I was banded August 11... so am 10 days or so postop. I am on mushies and so far thats going okay. Had my postop appointment yesterday and the doctor said I had a Fluid collection around my port and he drained it.. that was NOT fun.. it burned and now my tummy is all tender again. Sigh. Everyone keeps asking me how much weight I have lost.. I am like "its been 10 days.. I am NOT SKINNY YET..... its already getting old and this just started????

Linda

Linda,

I'm worried about that too.. that people will be "watching for" my weight loss. In some ways you wonder if people are watching because they may want you to fail. Of course not everyone I have a lot of positive supporters, but I think you know what I mean. I keep stressing that the first 6 weeks is healing only and that you may even gain and that it takes several fills to get to the point where you would be losing.. and even then a pound or two a week. Which is realistic from what I read. If I beat those expectations, great!

Good luck to you... I went to buy my Clear liquids for after the surgery tonight. I can't wait until the surgery!!

I am having surgery this upcoming Wednesday. I am so unbelievably excited to be doing this! Any advice for me in the next few days?

i had my surgery on august 10th... so i am 12 says post op.. I start mushies on monday. CANT WAIT.. i had a very difficult time with the gas as well... it was bad!... I went to the dr three days post op.. because the gas was even making it difficult to swallow. Now.. i am good... its like having a baby... it sucks in the begining.. but as the rewards start to come clearer... you forget what you went through. i have to say.. without this board it would be harder. It made the first week seem more normal and ok....seeing other people struggle from what i was struggling with. I think im down about 13 lbs... I am having trouble drinking all my protien..and drinking 64oz period... but everyday is a new day...and i try again. Im sure it will get easier. Cant wait to see this transformation !!!!! GO US!!!

Hi, I was banded August 5th, I can't believe it is 17 days already, I started mushies two days ago, but I am finding it hard to get out of the liquid stage, I found I had a headache from eating all of the food the first two days. My first week was a little rough, I could walk around fine,and that helped with the gas but the left shoulder pain was horrible. now I only get once in a while. I find it hard to get in 50 grams of protien with the fluid requirements too. I lost 18 pounds in the first 12 days but nothing since I know I need to increase the calories so I plan to talk to my nutritionist about what I can do to increase both my protien and calories. other than that I am back to work part time and trying to balance eating right and working.

I had my surgery 8/17. I am suppose to be on clear liquids till 8/24, but I was so weak and shaky I started full liquids today 8/22 I feel better now that I had a protein shake. I have lost 13 pounds. I still get tired very easily. I got some benefiber because I haven't had a bm since before surgery.:thumbup:

Cindy, I know how you feel. I too had my surgery on the 17th. Right now, I feel sooooooo weak. I'm on clear liquids until the 24th and only then can I incorporate cream of wheat and creamed Soups. I don't get any Protein drinks until the 29th .

I usually feel good in the morning but as the day progresses, I get so tired. I don't know how I'm going to make it to Monday.

All in all, my surgery was great. I had little pain and hardly any gas pain (which was excellent). My incisions are healing and I can now sleep on either side :thumbup:.

So, the hardest thing for me right now is to get in all of my Water and the lack of energy, but I can't complain.

Had my surgery on Aug. 6th so I'm 16 days post-op (I can't believe how fast the time has gone by!). I did one week on liquids, one week on mushies and as of 2 days ago "everything" is fair game. I have felt so wonderful from the beginning that I regularly forget that I just had surgery. I gulp my Water as fast as humanly possible and have also been starting to do the same with my food :thumbup: I didn't actually get hungry until about 3 days ago and now I want to, and have been, eating everything. My first fill is on September 3rd, then can get one every week until I get restriction. I haven't really lost that much weight, but that's ok, since I haven't really been trying either.

The only problem I've had has been my incision becoming irritated because of clothing rubbing against it. I've started covering it up during the day and that has helped a little.

Like Cindy and Kwright, I had my surgery on the 17th, and have been feeling weak and shaky while in the clear liquid stage. My doctor didn't tell me I could have protein shakes, so I have stayed away from them. I have on more day of clear liquids, then on Monday I start mushies(anything I can mash with a fork). I had been having some back pain. Either it was gas or me sleeping to much on my back. I am a side sleeper. Its not as bad as it was. Now I can lay comfortably on my right side. Even though I prefer the left but I am still a little uneasy about that side due to the port. I am having a hard time getting in all my water. This is nothing new, before the band I would try to dring 80oz a day and couldn't get it in. So that is something I will continue to work on. I know I have lose some weight, but not sure how much. I rather not use the scale I have at home, due to it being such a big difference than the one at the doctor's office. I have my post-op appointment on Monday, so I will see what my lose have been then.

Edited August 23, 200916 yr by Bikerchic

So good to see how everyone is doing post-op!:thumbup:

Since my surgery is at the end of the month (26th), it is so nice to have all of your experiences to help me.

It seems a common issue is getting in all the Water..:cursing: Makes me think I will have to work on that too. I tend to "forget" to drink my water. It is so important.

So strange that there is so much variance in pre and post op instructions on what to eat.. sure would be easier for us all if there was consensus. I keep telling myself that this is just a short period of time in the big scope of life...

Good Job everyone!!!:cursing:

I was banded 8/7/09. Dr has moved me from mushies to real food. I have never had any nausea. I'm back to my normal self, except for lifting. I've taken up a new hobby...cooking. I've tried tons of new recipes. I am sticking to soft food even though I can have anything. I've done alot of thinking during this stage, and have decided regardless of tolerence...bread, Pasta, rice, and potatoes are no longer a part of my life. I have found some good subs for everything except bread. I will schedule a fill for about 4 weeks from now. I have no restriction but keep my meals between 4 to 6 ounces...using the white knuckle technique! I am trying to drink more Water between my meas, especially when hungry.

Yesterday I walked past a Cinnabon while shopping, you could tell they were making fresh waffle cones. It smelled wonderful. I had a "lightbulb" moment. I can appreciate the wonderful smell, without eating one! It's not that I couldn't, it's that I choose not to. After having a little talk with myself about it, I enjoyed the aroma without the guilt of wanting and feeling deprived. Life is full of wonderful things to enjoy, it's all about choices.

Lane Bryany was having a sale, everything gold dotted was 6.99. I bought 4 items all very basic in sizes 22 to 28. They are blazers etc. It felt very liberating even though they don't fit now. It was too good of a deal to pass up. I work in an office and clothes are expensive. They were soo stylish!!! I currently where a large 30/32.

Hugs to all,

Patty:biggrin:

Anyway, I didn't mean to ramble. Life is good! I'm glad I did this and can't wait to get some restriction.

My surgery is Tuesday. I'm feeling ok right now. The nervousness has disappeared for now. Don't know what I'll be like tomorrow night and then the next morning. My mother-in-law made me some wonderful homemade chicken broth and my hubby has been making Soups that I can use for clear, non-clear, mushy and then the solid stages.

I really appreciate all the posts you 'banded' bandits have been posting. It's helped me when I wonder if I'm doing the right thing. I'll post as soon as I can after the surgery.

*waves*

I was banded on 8/17 and I'm feeling pretty good! I'm still on the liquid diet (*ugh*), but I have my post-op appointment tomorrow morning and hopefully (crosses fingers) I will be cleared for mushies! (I never thought I'd be so happy to eat mashed potatoes and oatmeal LOL!)

I have been struggling with the lack of energy for the past couple of days. I'll get up to start doing something and after a few minutes I'll have to stop and rest or I'll get dizzy =(

One feedback comment I do plan on giving the drs office is that the lap band manual that they gave us which, don't get me wrong, is an absolutely wonderful source of information, but the first week instructions should be much more clear than what they have in the manual. I mean weeks 2 - 4 are very elaborate with sample menus, drinks, etc but nada for week 1 except "drink clear liquids". For me personally, at this point, I don't care about week 4, because I'm trying to figure out what the heck to do for week 1!!

But, eh....tis life...LOL!

Good luck to all the future August bandsters =)