SashaWLS

Hi there! I had mine Weds and I know what you mean about eating. I went out with my mom this morning to a coffee shop and realized that I was pretty stuffed after drinking my cup of tea, and wasn't going to get the Soup down. It's very very strange to just stop there and think "Ok, I guess I'm done." I'm not looking forward to feeling hungry though! And I hear that should start soon...

I was banded Weds and I'm day 3 post-op... Here's how it's gone so far: Weds, B-Day -- Outpatient, walked in the hospital. Walked 4 blocks and then got in bed for the rest of the day. Took liquid Vicadin every 4 hours... Night was very hard. Couldn't sleep, couldn't get comfortable. Finally managed to roll over on my side, even though it hurt a bit more, and fell asleep... Thurs, 1st day -- Had lots of visitors, felt pretty good. In some pain, but walked 5 blocks in the morning and 10 in the afternoon. Managed to go #2 (hallelujah!) Took pain meds every 4 hours all day. Was able to sleep finally only on my side. Fri, 2nd day -- Finally had less pain!! Woke up at 8:30am and then went back for a nap at noon. Slept most of the day. Was up for a few hours in the evening, then went to bed at 8:30pm and had a GREAT sleep!!! Sat, 3rd day, today -- Woke up with energy and no pain. A bit stiff, but ready to get out of the house! At 10am took a taxi to midtown to get my watch fixed, and then had a soup at a coffee shop... It felt good to be out, but was a lot. Got home around noon and have been resting on the couch reading all day... HUGELY constipated and incredibly uncomfortable!! Made some "smooth moves" tea, was finally able to go #2, and I feel amazing. Am considering going out to take another walk. But it's weird, I don't have anything to do outside. I would usually go get lunch or dinner or go buy food. What the heck do I do with myself if I don't need anything having to do with food???

Mine was 5 protein shakes a day, and no more than 1000 calls total... Can also have 2cup non-starchy veggies a day...

How much are you guys drinking post-op? Did your doc give you any goals?

I did have 3 glasses of Motzah-ball soup broth which I guess is pretty fatty. Otherwise I'm having tomato soup and protein shakes... And tea...

Well, I did it. I'm on the other side!! I was the doctor's first patient yesterday at 8:30am and had to be there at 6:30. I wasn't particularly nervous until I left my family and got into the OR. But was oddly comforted when I looked over the resident's shoulder to see her playing Draw Something on her iPhone. We had a good laugh guessing bagpipes, and it made me feel like this wasn't going to be a big deal... Surgery took an hour end to end, and recovery was fine, though they made my mom and husband leave the room and even though I kept asking for my husband, they never got around to letting him back in... I suggest if you want your significant other to be in there with you, urge them to be a little aggressive about it and keep trying to go in... Left the hospital around 5pm. A little sore, but not too bad. Mostly EXHAUSTED! The worst part has been my throat. The breathing tube just destroyed it. I've been using the numbing spray, which helps a lot, and lollypops, which helps a little, but is a little too sticky-sweet... It's weird, before surgery I was all about the sweet. After surgery I'm all about the savory... I was able to get down surprisingly more liquid than I thought I would!! But because of my throat, BY FAR the most helpful thing to drink has been matzoh-ball Soup broth. I made my husband go out to the Jewish Deli last night (it felt like a pregnancy craving, HAD to have it!!) and it lived up to every fantasy. There's something amazing about the heat and all those spices like dill and pepper that opens up my throat. I feel like a sponge filling up. As others here have described, my stomach has been achy, but not really painful. It's like I've been kicked in the stomach, or did too many sit-ups. The later it got last night, the worse it got though. And even exhausted, I had a pretty bad night... I just couldn't get comfortable or fall asleep.... And every time I did fall asleep, I'd JOLT awake to one of those dreams where you're afraid you're holding a drink or your computer and are about to drop it... This went on for hours, and I finally started crying I was so tired... The only way I was ultimately able to fall asleep was by laying on my side. It hurt a little more in that position, but since it's my usual position, I think I was asleep in less than a minute... Woke up at 5:30am feeling tight and dry in my stomach. Like a scab feels tight... Took meds, drank some broth, and feeling really good. Very well rested, relaxed, and it's a lot easier to get up and down from the bed and walk around. My shopping list for post-surgery: - GasX strips that melt on your tongue - throat spray - Lollypops - Hot Drinks with lots of flavor—home-made chicken soup broth, tomato soup, tea, etc - cold with a lot of flavor—V-8 juice, diet sports drinks, crystal light, etc. - bed tray would have been nice... - and if you wear reading glasses, make sure you don't leave them at work. Anyway, I'm so excited to be feeling better today. I had such a great sleep!!! I'm looking forward to taking a walk around the block later, get some air.

The first 5 days are the worst. Get through that, and you'll be ok. It takes some time for the last stuff you've eaten to make it through your system, but once it's through, your cravings will go down a lot. Additionally, I would recommend doing some meditation. Get one of those guided meditation CDs or something. They're dorky, but it will calm your mind down. I'm the most cynical, cranky New Yorker and I don't like the new-age sh** at all. But I used meditation when I did a cleansing fast a couple of years ago and it was surprisingly helpful. Once I even start crying in the middle of it. No idea why. Good luck to you. You can do this if you decide to do it.

I slept on my side last night (had surgery in the morning) and was ok. It was little more painful than on my back, but so much more comfortable!! I can't wait till I heal a little more so I can do half belly half side again!

In the future we'll have Lap-Band-Filling-Stations on every corner.

My insurance covered it, but self-pay would have been $17,000.

Now that I had a great night sleep, I can share a little more about the surgery and overall experience yesterday. I was the doctor's first patient yesterday at 8:30am and had to be there at 6:30. I wasn't particularly nervous until I left my family and got into the OR. But was oddly comforted when I looked over the resident's shoulder to see her playing Draw Something on her iPhone. We had a good laugh guessing bagpipes, and it made me feel like this wasn't going to be a big deal... Surgery took an hour end to end, and recovery was fine, though they made my mom and husband leave the room and even though I kept asking for my husband, they never got around to letting him back in... I suggest if you want your significant other to be in there with you, urge them to be a little aggressive about it and keep trying to go in... Left the hospital around 5pm. A little sore, but not too bad. Mostly EXHAUSTED! The worst part has been my throat. The breathing tube just destroyed it. I've been using the numbing spray, which helps a lot, and lollypops, which helps a little, but is a little too sticky-sweet... It's weird, before surgery I was all about the sweet. After surgery I'm all about the savory... I was able to get down surprisingly more liquid than I thought I would!! But because of my throat, BY FAR the most helpful thing to drink has been matzoh-ball soup broth. I made my husband go out to the Jewish Deli last night (it felt like a pregnancy craving, HAD to have it!!) and it lived up to every fantasy. There's something amazing about the heat and all those spices like dill and pepper that opens up my throat. I feel like a sponge filling up. As others here have described, my stomach has been achy, but not really painful. It's like I've been kicked in the stomach, or did too many sit-ups. The later it got last night, the worse it got though. And even exhausted, I had a pretty bad night... I just couldn't get comfortable or fall asleep.... And every time I did fall asleep, I'd JOLT awake to one of those dreams where you're afraid you're holding a drink or your computer and are about to drop it... This went on for hours, and I finally started crying I was so tired... The only way I was ultimately able to fall asleep was by laying on my side. It hurt a little more in that position, but since it's my usual position, I think I was asleep in less than a minute... Woke up at 5:30am feeling tight and dry in my stomach. Like a scab feels tight... Took meds, drank some broth, and feeling really good. Very well rested, relaxed, and it's a lot easier to get up and down from the bed and walk around. My shopping list for post-surgery: - GasX strips that melt on your tongue - throat spray - Lollypops - hot drinks with lots of flavor—home-made chicken soup broth, tomato soup, tea, etc - cold with a lot of flavor—V-8 Juice, diet sports drinks, crystal light, etc. - bed tray would have been nice... - and if you wear reading glasses, make sure you don't leave them at work. Anyway, I'm so excited to be feeling better today. I had such a great sleep!!! I'm looking forward to taking a walk around the block later, get some air.

OMG this article is me!!!! I must have had 100 last meals. So many in fact, that the day I started the liquid diet I thought to myself "Thank God THAT's over!!" I just got banded yesterday, so I have no idea how this is going to work over the long stretch, but it's a relief to have the surgery over and done with so I can find out.

Hi.. I did it - I'm on the other side. Was the drs first patient at 8:30 am, got home by six... Am drinking just fine, surprisingly more than I thought I'd be able to get down... The best so far was the cup of matzohball-soup broth from Ben's Delicatessen....but I can't sleep and my throat is killing me from the breathing tube. That's by far the worst part, my throat. Otherwise I'm sore but not in pain, nor too gassy... Thankful for this group?

mine's on wednesday, so I'm in the same boat... good luck to you!!

My surgery is in 3 days and while I've been fine, I'm suddenly a bundle of anxious nerves... thinking about taking a xanax and going to bed! ugh...

I totally relate to your post and all the replies... I haven't been banded yet (april 18th) but this is totally my worst fear... I will say that my surgeon warned me that if I was ever told to "try harder" or "muscle through it" or "just go see the dietician" that the band probably isn't tight enough. I'm nervous to see for myself what this is all about.

Counting down. Tick Tock. Tick Tock. I get banded April 18th, in exactly 1 week!!! I've already done one week of the liquid diet — 1000 calories a day, 2c veggies, nothing else... It has been ok, I found one I like and I've been really fine with it so far. But today I messed up and didn't carry enough shakes with me and by the time I got home at 7pm I had only had two and was ravenous! Ended up downing a shake and eating part of my daughter's dumpling (roughly 1tbsp pork) while I waited for my salad to be delivered. I feel really guilty, but it's my only cheat so far so I figure I'm the only one who knows. I guess it's normal to throw my nerves into obsessing over my liquid diet, right? When did you find out that you were cleared by insurance? I haven't found out yet, though I assume it's ok... I guess I should call them and double check.

I wanted the sleeve because I have absolutely no intention of having this reversed... I want this to be permanent... But after doing a lot of research and not rushing into surgery, the decision came down to a numbers game... -- The mortality rate for the sleeve is 1/200... In the band it's 1/2000. -- 1% of the people who get the sleeve have a leak, and if they do, they're in AGONY in and out of the hospital for possibly 5-6 months at a time -- 1/3 of the people who get bypass or sleeve gain it back with no other option afterwards than to get the band (i.e. carny wilson) IMHO, the sleeve is a fabulous option when it works. But the risk that it could turn out to be a total disaster is way way way too high for me... I have a family that loves me and a 4 year old daughter. I don't have the right to gamble with something that could take me out...

It's my most comfortable position, and I'm afraid I won't be able to later... Are you able to?

Today's day one of liquids, I'm being banded on April 18th... Isopure is sort of ok. I got one big one down, but it leaves a weird coating in my mouth so I can't do more than a few sips at a time without getting grossed out... I managed to down a Muscle Milk light, which was pretty think and kind of gross, but at least I got that in... But now I'm so hungry!!!!!! I ordered the unjury chicken Soup, but I assume it'll take some time to get here... HELP! Any ideas for other shakes that are better than the ones I listed? I really don't like milk... Thanks

There's a video of my surgeon (who's also had the lap band surgery) talking about how he likes to have a couple of drinks every day. Towards the end he talks about how he could lose probably 10lbs more if he were to cut out the couple of drinks he has a night.. But that those drinks are good from a cardiovascular and pleasure point of view. http://mc-rms01.med.nyu.edu/qtmedia/013_is_it_possible_to_get_too_thin__medium.mov So there we have it. A world class surgeon's opinion probably trumps ours...

Does it have to be an all or nothing thing... Making lifestyle changes doesn't necessarily mean becoming a nun... :-)

I started yesterday and posted a very similar post about hating all the drinks I had tried... But today I found one I like -- Lean Shake, you can get it at GNC. The chocolate tastes like a Yoohoo..

Thanks for all the suggestions... I will try some of these! But I did find one that I really like at GNC — "Lean Shake" — it's much thinner than the Muscle Milk Light, so it tastes a lot like a Yoohoo...

I hope to be in your shoes someday!! Congratulations.