anewwayoflife

I like this forum because everyone reaches out for our opinions and what works best for us. I have found so much info on this site that has relieved my anxieties about what happens next. So to call people "know it alls" kind of goes against what this forum is intended for. Every doctor is different. I have only been banded for two weeks, so I am far from a know it all. I do know that my doctor told me to not count calories, count carbs <30, that is for incidentals like sauces, not candy or Snacks. Veggies that are not starchy we do not count them in our carbs. Protein is to be >80 (80 -120). He said eat until you are full or satisfied and then stop. No drinking 10 minutes prior to eating, no drinking for 20 minutes after eating. No snacks at ALL. Three meals a day unless you do not feel like eating Breakfast, you can skip it. Protein drinks for a Meal Replacement but never for a snack. I'm two weeks out and am not hungry but am looking forward to my first fill so that I don't eat as much as I currently am. I am eating probably a cup of food a meal unless it is salad, then how do you figure that because it fluffs up in a cup, that sure would not be very filling, LOL! Oh well best of luck to all of you. If we knew it all, I don't think we would be looking for advice out here. Thanks for all the feedback. it is really helping me through the first stage of the lapband world. Those of you that have been banded for ahile are really helping us through all of these different things we have never experienced before.

My surgery was June 16th, 2011. It was so smooth and easy, I wish I would have known the day before I would have not freaked out as much. I arrived at 8:15 for a 10:15 surgery. I was in the prep room by 8:30, changed into the gown, sock and hair cap, iv was put in, and my husband was allowed to stay with me until I was taken in. I went to the Jacksonville surgical center in Florida. The nurses and anethesiologists we so kind and calming. I was wheeled in and the next thing I know I was asleep. I woke up to find out I had a very large hernia repair that took 1.5 hours to repair, lap band took 25 minutes. I slept the rest of the day and the next day felt pretty good except for severe cramping in all my muscles. I thought it was fromt he hernia repair. It was caused from dehydration. So drink your fluids even if you have to have someone wake you up to drink the. I was on fluids 5 days and then started soft food. I went for my post op and found that I was down 12 lbs and everything was healing perfectly. The key to having a smooth recovery is following the doctors orders to the "t". I did and I have not had any problems at all. Can't wait for my first fill July 15th.

Thank you for the replies. That makes me feel so much better. I just feel like I am doind everything right I should still be losing. I started witha BMI of 32. I did this because I was gaining 5 - 10 lbs a year. I culd take off 5 just to gain 7 or 8 back. I am self-pay and did it because of health reasons and feeling so bad all teh time. I had gained 49 lbs in the past 10 years. As I get older another health problem creeps in. I know I won't lose a lot each month but I was hoping 1 - 2 lbs a week. Glad to know that this is part of the healing phase. My doctor doesn't have me restricted on calories, he has me at <30 carbs per day, >80 g protein. The pre-op diet helped to motivate me.

Is this normal to lose 8 lbs with the pre-op diet, 4 lbs the week after surgery, and then not lose anything the following week. I have been banded two weeks, I am doing everything I am suppose to do, don"t really feel starving like I normally do, and today my weight is actually one lb more than last week. Has anyone experienced this? I do not get my fill until July 15th. I know he said the weight loss I had last week was the honeymoon phase but I thought I would lose 1 - 2 lbs a week until I hit goal.

I had my surgery June 16th (Thursday) and went back to work Monday. My doctor has given me a week off if everything is going well. I really like my job and have a lot going on. I will tell you that I left Monday at 1pm, just so tired, Tuesday at 4pm and today I left by 3pm. Because I have been going in, my employer is very supportive in letting me leave when I need to. It's not that you are in pain. I just get uncomfortable from the gas build up. The GasX stripps someone recommended on this forum really help a lot.

My doctor told me if they fell off to clean the incisiions with neosporin and reapply another bandage. So far they are peeling but I keep putting surgical tape over them.

I am with you on this one. I only told two neighbors, two of my best friends and my family. One of my friends, not a close friend, asked what kind of surgery I was having because they knew I was gong to be off work. I just said a hernia. Which was basically true. I had what my doctor calls a BAF repaired (Big Ass Hernia). I am 6 days out from surgery. Still sore but each day gets better and better. My family and my best friends call and come over to see if I need anything. Instead of wine or food, which they normally bring, my one friend brought me yellow roses. I look at them and feel, my gosh, every celebration or illness does not need to revolve around food. I am glad I did not tell too many. At first I told two neighbors and they about had me in tears of how dangerous it was, how I'm not that big, why would I do something that drastic, etc. Needless to say, by surgery week I was ready to cancel. If not for the support of my husband, who was also nervous about me having surgery, I would have cancelled. He just kept saying you have come so far, and gone through so much just to get to this point, don't let others impact your decision.I am so glad that I did not. I have lost 11 lbs since pre-op diet. I feel better. I enjoy my food so much more. I have to tell you the Protein drinks mad me very ill. I threw all of them out today since this is day 1 for soft foods for me. After all the hype goes away, they will forget you even had it done. If they are envious that you are smaller, time for them to get back on the treadmill. LOL

I had my surgery on 6/16. Thank goodness for all the posts out here on muscle pain. I was starting to freak out. Now I see I am not the only one who feels they were hit by a Mac truck. Every muscle in my body hurts. I am getting plenty of fluids and moving around. But at first, getting up and moving is like I just gave birth to a baby. Every muscle hurts and the pain meds really help. I will update as I get better, but day 3 is still pretty painful. I do not have any abdominal pain, that's the strangest part.