Syrah

Exude, you look great. I hope you are feeling better. That is a LOT to go through in one month! About scars: My scars itch like mad. Tonight I am going to have my hubby help me cover them with gauze and tape because I am afraid I will scratch them in my sleep. They are also pretty red. All this is normal, I assume?

I think you'll be fine. I'm 1 week, 2 days past surgery and I have been fine with liquids and Jello, etc. I am trying to transition to soft food and I am going very slowly with that. It just doesn't appeal. For the first week, you are a bit uncomfortable with just being gassy and also with healing. The pain is minor, but it's kind of like you feel after having the stomach flu, you know? How you have to take a few days to build up to actually "eating" again? You aren't ready to sink your teeth into anything substantial anyway. The healing pain (though minor) will distract you from food and the band will restrict you at first. Have some sugar free popsicles on hand if you have a sweet tooth. If you don't feel hungry, you won't be thinking about food as much. So far I have felt very little hunger.

I am in the mushie stage so I will have my favorite -- tomato soup -- while everyone else has ham, potatoes, salad and bread. It won't bother me but I'm still at the point where I have little appetite. I may sneak in a glass of wine as well.

I was banded on 3/29. That evening in the hospital (a few hours after they did an upper GI to check for leaks, and started me on ice water), I was given applesauce and yogurt (about 2 oz of each). I didn't eat it, but in the morning they brought me cream of wheat and applesauce. They told me the really wanted me to eat it if I wanted to go home that day. It's interesting how different the docs are. But the main thing is to do what YOUR doc says. That upper GI post-surgery was the worst thing I went through, I believe. The Fluid I had to drink was completely AWFUL. The reason was that it was fluid capable of being resorbed by my body, if in fact there was a leak in the esophogus or stomach. Simply nasty. I guess I am lucky if that was the worst part of my experience!

I felt heavy in the chest and the doc said this was completely normal, at my post op. He said people think your stomach should hurt but it's really in the esophogas area where they do the surgery (or just below there). He showed me where most of the action takes place during surgery, and it's just below your breastbone area. So the tightness is normal. Of course, if it starts radiating to the left and up your arm, it could be something more serious.

I'm confused. What is the difference between lap band and gastric band?

PS: This was my first day of head hunger. Lots of water and sugarless gum!

Here's a good mushy recipe: 1/3 cup refried Beans, mixed with a few tablespoons of tomato juice & pureed a small amt of finely shredded cheddar on top a small amt of pureed salsa Put the beans on a plate and heat them in the microwave for 60 seconds (cover with a paper plate). Add the cheese and salsa. It's soupy and sloppy but it's tasty. Because we have to eat slowly, it gets cold fast and may need re-heating.

Liquids slide right through. You are fine! Put your thumb and forefinger together to make an "O." That's about how big the passage is. Of course liquids can flow through easily. I was told that things like yogurt, applesauce, etc., will have the same effect -- they will flow through easily and as a result, you may become hungry somewhat quickly. I was banded on the same day that you were. My doctor does things very differently than many here, I am finding. I was told to start mushies two days after banding. (I really could not stomach that thought until today though, when I started feeling very 'normal' and hunger resumed to a slight degree.) I have no idea why my doctor's office is so different. They just call themselves "progressive." LOL. But you should stick with your own doctor's advice. I think you actually lose a lot of weight on the liquid diet, vs. those of us who start mushies fairly early, so that is one benefit. Anyway, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Being able to consume a lot of liquid doesn't mean your band slipped. After all, they want us to consume about 64 oz of Fluid per day. They wouldn't recommend that if it would mean a possible slippage.

Shoulder pain can be a sign of gas pain for anyone, band or no band. Are you eating things that make you gassy?

You people are scaring me! My doctor told me that I would feel restriction after the surgery and before the first fill and that most people lose (on average) about 15 pounds from surgery-to-1st fill. I really hope that's true. I am one week, one day post-banding and I am just venturing past liquids to mushies. I am starting to feel a few hunger pangs and I'm not happy about that. I really, really like NOT feeling hungry. That's one reason I loved the idea of the band. If I'm not hungry, I don't eat or think about food too much.

Hi all, I am in Iowa City. I was banded in Grinnell.

I was also banded 3/29 and my post-op was today. I do think April 18 is a bit long! My first fill is 5/9. I've lost 6 lbs in 6 days. Good luck to you.

Tracy, I had a Thursday surgery and went back on Monday. It was ok but I was pretty wiped by day's end. Each day gets a little better. Keep your mind open for the possibility of calling in sick on Monday because you don't really know how you'll feel. Also, be prepared to give up the pain medication before Sunday, if you are going to be driving and trying to work. That stuff just zones me out and makes me like a zombie. I don't know people can get addicted to that stuff. I took a little stash of apple sauce, Jello, Protein powder, liquid tylenol, etc., and kept it at my desk. I also took a disposable heating pad to put on my abdomen, but didn't end up needing it. I work a desk job so it hasn't been too tough. I am leaving this job soon and they want to take me to lunch on Friday as a farewell gesture. ARGH! I don't know what to do about this, since I've kept my surgery under my hat!

I just haven't been able to do it. I was told to eat finely pureed food right out of the hospital. (My doctor's office does things a bit differently.) I haven't gotten past liquids - shakes, puddings, jellos, soups. I feel like I will never get out of this stage and I really dont' want to. Pureed meat and cottage cheese, etc., just sounds so bad. I'd rather eat air! Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks! Feeeling better today.

I am almost a week post-band and I have no cravings. I am not sure if I have even really felt hunger. Sometimes I go to stick something in my mouth on impulse and then remember, "Oh yeah, that won't go down." lol

I was told not to absolutely NOT count calories, and to focus on Protein (60 g per day) + produce. I seem to be getting very different advice from everyone here. I'm getting a bit nervous here. LOL! I had no pre-op diet, was told to start mushies straight out of the hospital, and to avoid OTC Protein shakes and supplements.

I was told to avoid that kind of stuff, too much sugar. I was advised to use Unjury protein powder and mix it with soups, broths, sugar-free puddings, etc. But everyone gets different advice. And to be honest, the Unjury stuff is so nasty that I can really only stomach it when mixed with chocolate slimfast.

None of my five bandages have fallen off. Steri strips are underneath. I was told to leave everything alone and that it would fall off on its own after showers. (I was told no baths though.) Is this ok, to leave these on? I feel like I should be changing the bandages. It seems gross not to. I see the doc on Weds 4/4.

I was banded Thursday (3/29). I returned to work (desk job) today. That was really pushing it but I'm in my last 2 weeks of this job and need to get there. I have some help here at home (hubby out of town) so that is good, re: kids and transporting them around, etc. I parked extra close (and paid a premium for it). I was moving pretty slowly but I don't think my coworkers noticed. I am resting a lot tonight and may cut out early tomorrow. Doing well though -- my only pain seems to be gas caught just under the rib cage in the diaphram area. I can sleep (inclined) about 5 hours and then it wakes me up and I have to move to a recliner with a heating pad. I look forward to sleeping on my side again. I dumped the vicodin on day 2 because I hated feeling spacy and drunk. I take liquid tylenol about twice a day and cheated tonight / took an advil. I have had diarhea (sp) almost since day 1 so am trying to keep the fluids going. I am having trouble getting in the necessary amount of Protein. Most of the Protein powder I have is either sweet flavored or is only bearable with sweet-flavored items like pudding and powder shakes. I need to start mushy foods (they told me to do that right after leaving the hospital) but I have been reluctant. pureed meat just sounds so awful.

I am pretty sure you can do RNY after banding, if banding doesn't work for you.

My problem with protein is that I am getting really sick of sweet shakes, puddings, etc. I need to start pureeing meat and tuna, etc., but that does not sound appealing. Plus I am afraid to move from liquids to mushies.

I also have this bizarred 3M Red Dot circle bandage on my gut. I think it was an electrode thingy during surgery. Why in the heck wouldn't they remove that? I'm afraid to rip it off in case there's something important under there. I'm such a dork!

Freaking out a bit here. All kinds of random thoughts are going through my mind! Did anyone else worry that they might die during the procedure? From anesthesia or something else? I am having a bit of edema in my legs. I think it's from my blood pressure medication but I'm afraid to mention it for fear they will not do the surgery. I know, I'm weird. At the nutrition seminar I went to, they said not to use straws. But I can't recall the reasoning. Anyone? I also heard that milk does not go down well at first. I love tomato Soup with just a touch of milk in it, then mostly Water. Do I need to worry about this? I didn't really have a pre-op diet. I didn't overeat, and stuck with healthy food / ate nothing fried / very little sugar. I am afraid my liver will be gi-normous and this will complicate things. Should I do a liquid diet tomorrow? Any thoughts are welcome. Thanks!