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.

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.

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.

I have struggled with my weight for 10 years now. I have gained 5 lbs per year and now have GERDs, asthma, high cholesterol, etc. When I started researching the lap band everyone tells me my BMI is too low to be banded. I have not told very many people because they think it is too risky, they think it is drastic, don't understand why I can't just quit eating and exercise more. I have done all of this and can take it off, but only to put it back on with a few extra pounds. I do not fit into any of my clothes. The doctor says I need to lose 50 lbs. It is all in my middle and I feel miserable. I lost 20 lbs last year and gained 25 this year. I feel this is the tool that will help me take it off and also keep me from over eating. I know it is just a tool and everything else is up to me. My surgery is this Thursday, June 16th and I am avoiding talking about it to any one because they are making me nervous. Any one else going through this?

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.

I had my surgery yesterday and I must say that everything is so organized. Got there at 8:15 was in a gown and all hooked up to IV and Pulse Ox by 9:00. My husband was able to stay with me right up until they wheeled me into the surgical room. Everyone is so caring and professional I did not have one minute of anxiety. Of course I prayed a lot before because I know God puts on the surgical gloves first, and all others are his helpers. I had a very large hernia so I was in surgery for 2 hours. Lap Band was only 35 minutes. Yesterday was a day of rest. I slept all day and I did not feel good at all. I took my doctor's advice and took the pain medicine and nausea medicine all day. Today I am up and about. Sore but not unbearable. Drinking Clear Liquids without any problems. My doctor told me to take the pre-op diet and go backwards. He gave me the time frames in which foods and when are to be introduced. So far all is well and I am so glad it is over. Just remember to follow everything your doctor tells you - walk, get up and move around to prevent blood clots, muscles are sore but if you move around you feel much better. Drink lots of fluids but slowly.

Hope your surgery went well and you are feeling better today. I felt the same way. One day I lost two lbs and then I didn't for a few days and then I dropped 3 lbs. So I think some people take it off in different time frames.

Thank you for sharing your experience with this. I went to the doctor and I had lost the 8 lbs that he said I needed to lose in a week. So I feel good that I did it but the last two days is hard. Just liquids. Then my husband caled and said they opened the new Mexican restaurant down the street. Mind you I live in a small community so that is big for us. I just said, well isn't that nice. LOL! Tomorrow is my surgery. I ready, prepared and willing to get this done so I can move on with the weight loss process. I think the build up has made me anxious. Good luck to all of you and again thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.

My sugery is this Thursday, June 16th. I went in for my pre-op last Wednesday. I was given a diet that wasn't oo bad. All protein and starch free veggies, stay under 30 carbs per day for five days. Last two days nothing but liquids, jello, sugar free popsicles. I was surprised at the amount of weight I have taken off in such a short time. He was very serious about having our livers be shrunk and like jello so that he can move around it to get the band on. I'm on all liquids today, I am hungry, but it is not that bad. Good luck to you.

I am getting my lap band June 16th. I went yesterday for the pre-op diet which isn't really too bad. All proteins and veggies until 2 days prior, then two days of liquids. Bad part was I, like a lot of others, thought this is it. I'm going to go out and eat the things I am giving up before the surgery. I gained 3 lbs. My doctor is now comtemplating postponing or backing out of my surgery because I was suppose to start losing weight and shrinking my liver. I thought the last week was the week to do this. Now, i have to lose 8 lbs prior to surgery. I have to weigh in Wednesday. He showed us pictures of people who didn't shrink their livers and the problems he and they had when he performed the surgery - brusing, bleeding and one had to stay in the hospital for three days after. Okay, he should have shown me the pictures three weeks ago and I would have realized what I really needed to do. I am an idiot. BUT, I have stuck to the diet he gave us and just this morning I was already down 2 lbs and I am going to follow this diet to the T, if it kills me. He said if I do, I will lose between 8 - 12 lbs by surgery date. So June banders, listen to what your doctor tells you, he is SERIOUS! Good luck to all of you.