PghMomof3

The heating pad was a life-saver for me, too! I'd get into a comfortable position and just lie there with the heating pad! amy

Ginger--in regards to feeling as if the cheese was stuck--it felt like it just sat there and then I got weird pain in my chest--I drank some water to try and 'flush' it down but then it felt like the water just sat there. I burped--and only water came up. I ended up making a cup of tea and sat and sipped it and then the pain/pressure went away. It was the most awful experience I've ever had--now I've def. learned a lesson and also feel like I'm a little scared when I do start eating. But I guess I have to wonder how many times i'm just going to be popping in a piece of pizza cheese, right? Italian wedding soup is a chicken broth based soup--it has pieces of chicken in it/endive/small meatballs and pastina--some places add carrots and spinach pieces. I strained it and ate the broth and gave my son the meatballs and chicken. My friend actually makes an AWESOME wedding soup but I didn't want to ask her to make it. Hope everyone is recovering well today and that all those going today have an easy surgery! amy

I think my weight was gain was more like 10 pounds! I finally lost that and about 5 more pounds so it's coming off. I hope I lose at least another 5 before I see my doctor for my 2 week check up! Amy

ok, I think I did a baddddd thing!!!! I went to the store today to get some soup for myself (to strain) for dinner--and while I was there I picked up a pizza the deli made. After everyone ate I was cleaning up and there was pizza cheese on the bottom which I could not help myself from picking up, chewing and trying to eat. IT GOT STUCK!!!!! :youcandothis: :eek: I was so scared--I tried to drink some water and it seemed like it just sat there. I was so mad at myself. I ended up making a cup of hot tea and it seemed like drinking it help un-stick that piece of cheese. but OMG--I learned a Huge lesson! I hope I didn't do anything bad to my band, I'm so dumb! :cry Amy

ok, well perhaps I was a bit too big for my britches--I could only do 1/2 mile of the WATP and trust me, I was doing it like a 1000 pound elephant. :youcandothis: It felt good to pretend to be doing something though, lol! I am doing laundry today, that should count for more, right? :biggrin1: I felt like total crap my first 4-5 days and just started feeling like doing anything in the past couple of days. I went from thinking I made a very huge mistake to being incredibly hopeful! Amy

Good Luck to everyone being banded today! And easy recovery vibes to everyone that has already had surgery! I was banded last Monday 5/7 and it's getting better every day. Yesterday I went to our grocery store and got a huge bowl of Italian wedding Soup and strained it and ate it for dinner--omg, it was heaven. SOOOO much better than plain chicken or beef broth. I'll probably have to stop today, too! :youcandothis: NurseLaureli--yes, whenever I first started drinking it felt like it would get stuck and i would be 'burpy' for a minute before it went down. It still feels that way sometimes. I get bad hiccups every once in awhile, too. I think I might try to Walk away the Pounds today without any balls/bands--maybe a 1 mile walk won't be too bad. ??? am I overdoing it? Have a great day everyone!!!! Amy

Suzi--there's not much variety in the liquid diet and I, too, am so sick of broth and Jello AND popsicles! I'm a week out and the thought of sipping another bowl of broth makes me queasy. I have been drinking Isopure Zero carb drinks diluted (4 oz Isopure/2 ounces water) and they are pretty good--I am also going to the grocery store today and buying a bowl of their chicken noodle Soup and Wedding soup and then straining out the solids and eating THAT broth because I know it will taste so much better. Hot tea with lemon has also helped me alot. Amy

That's exactly what I was told and exactly what I did and it did help! I couldn't believe how bad the gas pains were! Hope you feel better soon! amy

Yep, I'd have to switch for sure. If he's cancelled you this much now, what about after? What about for fills? Do you have any other recommended doctors? Amy

I can see it! I just started posting on the May thread! Did you need something? Amy

ok, day 5 post-op and I'm actually feeling much better. nausea is GONE but I have these nasty hiccups every once in a while. My incisions only hurt minimally but I'm still pretty swollen. I've finally been able to get some things down beside water--I'm taking my Isopure Zero carb water and diluting it (4 ounces Isopure/2 ounces water) and it tastes MUCH better and I'm able to get a whole bottle in, which I did yesterday. I went and re-read my post-op diet instructions and I am supposed to be on clears for 2 weeks and then I advice to a soft diet! :paranoid kinda weird--so what i think I'm going to do is on Monday, I'll be 1 week out and I'm going to advance myself to full liquids only to see if I tolerate it so that when I see my surgeon and am advanced to soft foods I can do it. Does that sound bad? How is everyone else doing? Hope everyone is healing well! :clap2: Amy

My surgeon was a big GB surgeon--all of his pre-op classes were basically for GBS and all of his post-op instructions were GBS, etc. I am thinking that because the stomach AND the small intestines have to heal surgically from being cut that he requests still 2 weeks of clears--I don't think I'm going to make it! I'm wondering if around 9-10days if switching over to full liquids lke protein shakes would be ok and if they would keep my full. Amy

I'm on BCP because of a cyst--I didn't have to stop taking them and I asked repreatedly. I was given Lovenox in the hospital so I guess they weren't worried. Also, the night of my surgery--the nurse brought in a nice fluffy leather recliner and told me if I was comfortable in it I could sleep in it! the first night I didn't, but the second night I did! I guess each doctor is different! I was wondering--what has everyone's post-op diet been? My doctor is clears for 2 weeks, but I've read that some are already on full liquids in week 2? THANKS for the well wishes, too! Amy

Shar--I was feeling the same way, until today. I was banded a day before you. I've been taking the Gas-X pills on a regular basis and also doing what someone recommended>>lying on my bed and putting my arm and shoulders on the bed so that my bum is sticking up in the air (like a baby likes to lie) and it's been helping a lot. My incisions don't hurt as much today and the gas is much better. I am nauseated only occasionally today but have NO appetite at all. I forced down 1/2 cup of unjury chicken broth for a whoppin' 10.5 grams of Protein, but I can't seem to force myself to do anything else! I have Isopure zero carb water but again, the mere thought of drinking that makes my stomach turn. Hope you feel better soon!!! Amy

Hi, everyone--I was banded on Monday. I was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. but didn't get into the OR until 1 p.m. I remember waking up in the pacu really really nauseated and in more pain than I anticipated. They gave me anti-nause meds and more pain meds and I went up to my room. I had a PCA pump of Dilaudid and used it, trust me! That night and the next night I felt really good--I walked a lot around the hospital floor. But then the gas pains set in--it was sooo horrible! I went and had my swallow study done==that was totally disgusting=and it showed that when I drank I had some back up into my esophagus and it stayed in the bottom portion of my stomach. Doctor said it was because of swelling and decided to keep me one more night. I felt horrible all Tuesday night and most of yesterday with the gas pains--the incisions only hurt minimally and I am totally nauseated! I stuck my bum in the air a lot yesterday to move the gas pains around and that and gas-x def have helped. I feel like I only got hit by a car today instead of a mack truck! I think I was totally unprepared for how much pain I'd be in--I read these stories of people going to Mexico that fly home almost the next day and it seemed like I could 'bounce back' quickly too--not! My husband has been so wonderful taking care of everything! I haven't eaten since Saturday--I couldn't eat on tuesday after my swallow study and have NO desire to eat anything at all. What I've been doing is sipping water throughout the day and crushing ice with a bit of ocean spray juice and eating that--but no desire for broth or jello or anything like that! I hope it gets better and that this will be a distant memory once I start losing weight! Amy--banded 5/7/07

For post-op I went to Dr. Curry's site and bought the 'Lap Band Starter Kit' he recommends--it has a chewable MVI and chewable calcium chews plus a container of whey protein. That's what I'll be using. I also bought Biotin to make sure most of my hair stays put, lol!

*nt**nt*nt*nt*nt*nt*nt*nt*

I haven't tried the Isopure shakes but I did buy Isopure Zero carb drinks for after--during my clear liquid phase (I'm being banded on Monday, 5/7). Dr. Curry's dietician, Erin, recommended them for post-op clears to make sure I'm getting my Protein in. She said to make sure they are REALLY cold when you drink them so they taste better. I also bought unjury chicken broth that has a ton of protein in it--and I signed up for SparkPeople so that I can record my intake to make sure I'm getting enough protein in. Erin recommended getting anywhere from 60-80 g of protein in daily--she told me to try and shoot for 80 during my healing phase. I also bought some samples of the Unjury shakes--chocolate and vanilla--and they are really good--I mix them up with a ton of ice cubes and a packet of splenda and they are good. Good Luck! Amy

unjury has a chicken broth filled with Protein and many really good Protein Shakes. Isopure also has Protein Drinks that you can sip in between meals to get your protein in, too! Good Luck! amy

Thanks everyone! I vacilate between complete anxiety to being excited about the start of a new life! I can't wait to throw away my big girl clothes but will miss the comfort of oversized sweatshirts in the cold Pgh winter, kwim? I'm nervous that this won't work--that this will be another 'diet' that I fail...ugh. I'll be ok--I see all of the success on here and know I can do it, too! Amy

Glad you're doing so well--makes me feel like I *can* do this! Amy

I'm being banded on Monday--my surgeon requires an overnight stay and some type of swallow test in the a.m. to make sure the band is ok before he discharges you! I wasn't too happy on the overnight stay until I thought about pain meds and uninterrupted sleep--no kids/no hubbie/no dogs....might be kind of nice! Amy

I'm being banded on May 7th--I can't believe how close it is now!!!! I'm so excited but scared at the same time!!! :clap2: Amy

The medifast Protein shakes are pretty good--I really like the Dutch chocolate, Vanilla and strawberry! I also ordered a sample pack from unjury for post op--I heard they're pretty good, too! Amy

I'm having my band placed by Dr. Colella at AGH--my consultation with him was really good and I really liked him! another member here, Leeann, had hers done by him and she's done nothing but rave about him to me!!! My friend at UPMC had hers done by Dr. Courcoulas and she said she's wonderful, too! Good Luck! Amy