JoJo22

Thanks again for all the feedback, people! I am trying to get through one day at a time... Yesterday was especially rough. I also think I may switch my doctor after my next visit if I see that I still don't feel comfortable with his attitude or methods regarding the band. I'm still upset that I only got the stern post-op diet info AFTER my operation. In the meantime, I've added a bit more Protein shake, (yucky, but no choice), since I was only allowed 6oz a day, and also other Clear liquids. I think I may try V8 as someone suggested, since I prefer salty to sweet. On Friday I move on to mushies, so I'm hoping as some of you said that will make me feel better and more in control. I have been walking at least once a day (don't feel well enough yet to do high impact stuff) and I'm doing the best I can. Thanks for your help! Jo

Hi, My name is Jo and I had my surgery was a week ago tomorrow. I am supposed to be on Clear liquids and 6 oz of Boost, Ensure or any other of those nasty shakes a day. I hate sweets (yes, you read it right... I got this way by eating salty stuff...), so every time I drink these shakes I want to puke. AND -- I'm starving!!! I don't want to "cheat", but I read on the website that people have different diets and I don't understand why doctors give such contradictory information across the board. Why I can't have light Soups or purred low fat stuff or even anything milk based? I'm not asking for anything crazy, am I? I feel like my doctor is being overly strict, and that being hungry all the time and having hunger pain and growling on top of the recovery process isn't helping. Right now I'm on the liquids described above. On Sept. 9 I can start some mushy stuff for a week, then a week later some fish, then a week later chicken, then a week later beef. Then I'm basically on Atkins until I loose all the weight. And it will be mid-october by the time I can most foods, and mid-november before I can have a salad!!! I would kill for a salad right now... I didn't have this surgery to be on the Atkins for the rest of my life. I want to loose weight but by eating small portions of healthy, well-balanced foods. I'm very upset right now since it's hard to see the positives at this point. Obviously I know I will loose more weight if I do Atkins, but that's a given since I did it before so why would I go throw the surgery to do a diet that you can do without it. Anyway, I was wondering if people had ideas for low or non-fat, non-sweet things to drink that at this phase, and whether you had problems if you did that. Your ideas, thoughts and experiences would be much appreciated! Thanks, Starving Jo

Thanks for the posts everyone! I'm obviously going through a rough patch and any support and stories from you are very helpful. Jo

I'd be grateful if people would share how long after their operation they were told to stay or chose to stay on a liquid diet. I'm trying to gauge if what I was told is reasonable. I'm a week post-op and starving. I'm only allowed clear low sodium broth, Water and artificially sweetened drinks, and only 6oz a day of either Boost, Ensure, Atkins shake or other such shakes. If you were brave and stayed on liquids for a while, do you have any easy recipes to share? I can't drink anymore ensure, boost or Atkins shake (and low sodium chicken broth is making me gag too...). Thanks for you feedback! Jo

Thanks, Rachel! I tried posting in different places and got no responses so then I posted in the intro, thinking most people go there... I'll try your suggestion, though! I'm just feeling very alone and confused (and hungry) right now and this is my main support system until I go to my dr's office support session next week. That meets once a month and I can see now that I'll need it. I too am very concerned and upset that this diet wasn't shared with me before. My insurance only required me to have one meeting with a nutritionist, and they went over a low fat, high Protein diet with me, but never said no carbs... It's not like I want to pig out on carbs. I just chose this surgery as opposed to continuing to yo yo diet or having the bypass because I thought I could eat basically anything in moderation/small portions. And I planned to eat healthy and exercise too. My neighbor had the surgery 8 years ago, lost 100lbs and eats small portions of whatever she wants, mostly (I know some things get stuck). As for the diet, I'm only allowed clear broth and those nasty ensure, boost and those types of shakes. I hate sweets (plus everything is tasting overly sweet right now anyway) so I literally gag when I drink the shakes, which I'm only allowed 6oz a day of. I don't see how I can not be hungry on clear broth, Water, and 6 oz a day of shakes. I asked the nurse at my first visit if I could have other soups and purred stuff and she said no. I'm reluctant to go again her orders, but at the same time, I'm reading about so many different post-op instructions/options that I feel like my doctor's maybe a bit too strict. I'm torn about what to do...

I had my lap-band surgery one week ago yesterday at Yale New Haven Hospital. The surgery itself went fine. My PAC-U stay was long since I was having severe chest pain (or possibly heart burn for a few hours). The post-op in the hospital was rough. I felt A LOT of pain and nausea - as if I was run over by a truck. No one prepared me for this. They said it would be "uncomfortable" for a few days or weeks. They kept giving me meds that either wouldn't help or that caused an adverse reaction... I was dry heaving and throwing up, even while they took me for my x-ray... (No barium test because it was friday evening by the time I got to my room and everyone was trying to get home before the big hurricane). To be honest I felt the hospital treatment was very lacking and I would not go back there for any other procedure. It seemed like no one knew what was going on or what they were doing. It took forever to get meds or ice chips or help with getting around. AND -- they actually sent me home with a perccocet liquid med even though I had a red band on saying I was allergic to perccocet!!! I was so out of it that I didn't realize what I was given. As a result, the next 24 hours at home were a nightmare, too. Outside, hurricane Irene was barraging us and trees were collapsing around us; inside, I was experiencing severe chest pain and difficulty breathing in addition the the pain around my incisions and my abdomen. I thought I was having a heart attack or a collapsed lung! It was very scary until I realized it always happened 15-20 minutes after I would take my meds. I have a baby and there was no way we were getting back to the hospital in the middle of the night with a hurricane raging and all. Luckily, my husband is a firefighter and EMT and he was keeping me calm and taking my pulse, and assuring me it wasn't a cardiology issue. The next day I stopped taking the syrup and called the doctor. Pharmacies were all closed and out of power around here, so it was a lucky thing that I still had my oxycodone that I took after my c-section. The doctor said to crush that and use it until we could get to his office and get something else. Once I passed that hurdle I started to feel a little better every day, and tomorrow it will be one week since the surgery so I guess that's good. However, I am having a really hard time with my liquid phase, which for me is 2 weeks. Believe it or not, I hate sweets, and they only stuff I'm allowed to have is 6 oz a day or ensure, boost or one of those nasty overly sweet shakes. I can't drink them without feeling nausea. In the first few days I wasn't even hungry, but now I am starving and drinking this stuff out of lack of choice but it's really torture at this point. Yesterday the nurse at the doctor's office said I could have low sodium broth. That's gross and does not feel like anything nourishing... I also found out yesterday for the first time that the dr. expects me to be on basically an Atkins diet until I reach my goal. REALLY??? I didn't have this surgery and go throw this to do the Atkins. I could have done that without this. My intention was to eat a healthy, low fat, balanced diet in small portions. Not to feel like I can't certain things (unless they cause pain, obviously). So to sum it up, right now I an starving (don't know how I'll go another week without eating anything), doubting my decision to have the surgery, and disappointed with both my doctor's orders and the hospital care. That is my story so far...

Hi Lisa, Thanks for replying! Yeah, this phase has turned out to be much harder than I thought. I wouldn't mind the all liquid thing as much if I could have some non-sweet stuff other than low sodium broth. I just hate sweets so I'm literally gagging every time I drink this stuff, and I can only stomach the vanilla flavor so it's getting old quick and I don't know how I'll be able to do for another week. I'm also confused because it seems other people on here have Dr's who tell them they can have other Soups during this phase, or move past this phase quicker, so I don't know what's the right thing to do anymore. Starve or eat something that other recovering Lap-banders had and were fine? I'm trying to think positive as you said and about the end result, but it's just rough when your stomach is grumbling all the time and the only thing you can eat makes you nauseous. As for the hospital, I plan on writing all of this stuff on the survey they send post-ops.

Thank you so much for this post! I am sitting at home starving and feeling alone in this new phase of my life... I was starting to like I made a huge mistake with the surgery... I feel misinformed and betrayed by my health care providers right now so I think that's making it worse. I appreciate your "reality check" and that you shared your family's story. That was exactly why I choose to have Lap-band and not bypass sugery or do Atkins on my own again -- I want to be able to eat healthy but have help with portion control. I already was eating healthy before and I exercise (even a week out from surgery). My body just would not loose the weight or does it so slowly that it provided no motivation to continue so I would yo-yo. I wish I could move to IL... I might try to find another doctor in New Haven area, though. Thanks again for your advice! Jo