Brad P

I went in for my second post operation visit with my gastric surgeon and have no complications. I have kept a record that started 3 weeks before surgery, so for a total of 10 weeks I have lost 64 pounds.I started at 397 and have a goal weight of 200. I go in for an adjustment on July 18 th, my surgeon does his adjustments in the hospital and only in the office if a emergency. He says this is much more precise and my dietitian agrees totally. I have yet to try a lot of different foods, pasta rice, vegetables, fruits, so I'm looking forward to that. I was so happy with my weigh in because I didn't step foot on a scale since before the operation. I figured if I do as I'm told and stick to the amounts I'm supposed to eat I will lose. Also, since I have such an enormous amount to lose, at this point weighing all the time would be like an emotional roller coaster. Why put myself through that? I was so happy I cried in front of my surgeon, the relief of finally feeling like there is HOPE is so wonderful, I hope everyone can get that too! 133 pounds to go!

I was on two shakes and one meal, plus all the veggies I wanted and snacks of fruit for three weeks lost 16 lbs. I'm sure everyone is different and everyone's preoperative diet is different too.

my dietitian has me on full liquids, I see my surgeon and my dietitian tomorrow, I want to ask my surgeon just what the deal is. To me ( don't forget I'm a retired commercial roofer) I can understand about how important the healing is and how we all have different tolerances that we need to learn (SLOWLY) I just want to know, is it, that if I were to try a small bite of puree chicken and didn't have any problem, Is it that I have to be on Clear, one week, full liquid one week, then start mushies? Or does a food like (just for example chicken puree again) chicken irratate my GI track and should never pass my lips until at least week three? I already know we are all different, just wondering are these the rules for the people that might wolf down a big bite and forget and get stuck or if you start before those three weeks you WILL get stuck. I hope I got this point across?? My hunger is much better after listening to my dietitian and having the milk,and greek yogurt unjury Protein shakes, but like right now, I'm beyond starving (thats how I feel this second) half hour ago I was fine. Come on purees!!! I can't wait until I can have them! Oh yeah, I'm on day 8 tomorrow.

Had it on Mon, Drove on Tue around the neighborhood ( very rural ) to see if there would be any problems, like getting in or out of my truck. Drove myself to PT for my neck, on Wed (20 mins away). Drove everyday and on Fri drove an hour one way to see my spine surgeon for a four month post op appointment. Sometimes I think it helps get rid of the gas, lol.

Don't give up Girl! You can do this. About a month before my surgery I was trying to wrap my head around this thing, so I wrote a very embarrassing two page letter to myself. It is all the negative things that I need to remember of why I got banded. I always heard that if you put your thoughts on paper it helps, also when I get down I can pull it out of hiding to reread it to "keep it green" Personally I'm not going to all this trouble to give up easy. I knew this thing was going to be more mental then anything. That is why I'm on this site, to get that support from my peers ( other lap band patients) Hang on, Fight for yourself, You can do it!!!!!

Just a thought, because I really don't know, I'm on day 6. Ask your dietitian? I'm on day 6 and started having protein shakes mixed with milk yesterday, to day I had a full 8 oz shake and three hours later I had a 6 oz greek vanilla yogurt. I'm going to have my second shake in a couple of mins. I'm very hungry right now.

The issue of drinking Water before or after a meal, does that still matter with clear and full liquids? My manual says....... In the KEY POINTS TO KNOW section No drinking and eating at the same time..... allow 15-20 minutes pre-meal to stop sipping liquids. Wait 45-90 minutes after a meal to resume liquids. total water intake goal is to be 64 oz daily. It doesn't bring this point up again until the Puree / Blended food section (stage 3) (transition from all liquids to puree / blended foods) My dietitian wanted me to start out on full liquids, but after reading here on LBT and my manual (surgeon) I decided to go with the more conservative approach, Clear Liquids. I introduced skim milk and unjury Protein powder yesterday afternoon when I was definitively feeling hungry (not head hunger) But I have been waiting before and after those (meals) shakes to drink water. Do I need to do that? The only reason I can think and why I have been doing that is because I thought I should leave the shake in my stomach and not flush it out prematurely with the water??? Reading it makes me think that is only important for foods (purees, soft,or solid) and not clear and full liquids.? Thank you in advance, I don't know what I would do without you guys!!!

I just want to make sure everyone understands that I just want everyone's opinion. I don't want people to think that they have to be scared to express how they would or did deal with this problem. I'm finding out that there seams to be a lot of different view points with the professionals? At least I know there are some MAJOR differences with my surgeon/ hospital program and my dietitian. The dietitian from my hospital was not covered by my insurance. I was looking at her daily diet plan for the full liquid stage and it has a total of 66 oz's a day, milk (1%), yogurt, and chicken broth. With the surgeon's daily instructions to be... 4 oz's every 3 hours throughout the day. So far today I have had 20 oz's and I'm worried that I shouldn't have 4 more oz's at 11:00 pm because its too late? Hearing everyone's journey through these first two weeks would be very helpful to me I think. I'm not asking who is right or wrong (my dietitian/ surgeon) ( or your dietitian/ surgeon) just need some real life lap band people's experience.

I might have originally started this in the wrong forum. I'm looking and thinking about using a food processor, i guess because I'm so handy with a knife Iv'e never owned one before. I'm on my Clear Liquids stage and will be moving to full liquids soon. Guess what I really want is reviews from "bandsters" about there food processors. I might decide I don't even need one. This all started just from thinking about my stage 3 ( transition from all liquids to puree / blended foods) Thank you in advance everyone.

I'm thinking that it might make life easy for me in the beginning? I have not researched them yet, and I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile to have all the time (long term) or just in the beginning for soft/ pureed food? Also, what brand ,model, performance and cost was good for you. Oh yeah, easy clean up of course would be part of my quantry, how easy is yours to clean?

I think for me that up until the point that I did enough research to understand fully how the lap band surgery is a tool for me....., then it became exciting to get started. Before that I was terrified like you say. I wish I had this website three years ago. My doctors should know how much this site can help understand just by reading everyone's stories. I just got operated on this past Mon. and feel good about my journey, good luck to you and thank you everyone for sharing.

What kind and how long did you take pain meds?

Thank you everyone, again such a big help, I'm loving this site!

My third day and I slept well last night, I woke up feeling pretty good. I have set a new record for myself, I have gotten down two bottles of Water, my multi Vitamin, Calcium, blood pressure, pain med, 2 oz of apple juice, and 2 oz of chicken broth. I also went to my physical therapy for my neck ( I had four disc fused in Dec. 11 ) and back home working on my third water. I'm I supposed to take four ( opurity vitamins) a day? It says a serving size is four tablets, suggested use: adults: one (4) tablets daily ?? Does that mean 4 tablets a day or one tablet daily. Why don't they just say what they mean? Four a day seems like a lot for a vitamin, you think??

It might be somewhere in the pile of manuals and papers, I sent my dietitian a e-mail and asked her, just figured I get a quicker answer here. Thank you for your help, makes me feel stupid, but one (4) tablets daily??? One or four just say what you mean.

Same question, Amy

When you guys are saying egg salad, chicken salad, or tuna salad, you don't mean like mixed up with mayo or low fat mayo. I guess what I mean is, how exactly do you prepare, these, "salads" ?

So far not too bad, I'm having a problem knowing when I'm full. I'm scared that I am going to make myself throw up if I drink too much and don't know if the binder is making me feel fuller? I'm scared I'm going to stretch my pouch ( although I think I can't with liquids) just not sure. My surgeon has me on Clear liquids diet for first week. My instructions in my "manual" ( that they kicked me out the door with) state, " 1-4 ounces at a time as tolerated and as directed by physician. Sip slowly; 6 small clear liquid meals a day... 20 minutes to consume 4 ounces. No caffeine or carbonation. All liquids should be low in sugar. My problem is that I have a ace bandage (binder) wrapped around my belly. It took two nurses at the hospital to put it on and they were discussing between them weather or not the thing was too tight or not. When they asked me I said I didn't think so, of course I had already taken my pain medicine and may not of been thinking too clear. I remember thinking to myself, " you would think they would have sizes for this" they wanted to add another binder to that one to lengthen it, when I told them it was alright??? A few hours later at home I'm trying to drink chicken broth and a couple of sips is making me feel, full?, weird?, sick?, like I wanted to burp but when I tried, I couldn't. I called the doctors office, explained all this like Iv'e said here and was told. " the binder is your choice, it is supposed to help you feel like it is holding everything in" you need to sip Water and make sure you get 64 ounces in today. I managed about 36-40 ounces and 6 ounces of two at a time clear liquid meals The nurse that runs the whole program ( she wrote the "manual" ) stopped before I left and said if I needed any help to call her personally, "I sometimes have to work late but I go through all my messages, so I will get back to you later at night" I called her after the surgeon and it is 10:35am the next day and I still haven't heard from her. I expressed my concern with her yesterday about I was trying to find more support then the one meeting on the first Wed of every month for post operative patients. That's when she offered her personal help. So far today Iv'e gotten my blood pressure med. down, one chew-able muilti Vitamin, two ounces of apple juice ( on the list in manual) and one pain pill. And almost all of my first bottle of water. I have read and received so many conflicting instructions, I could write another hour. I'm a slow one fingered typer. The most conflicting is my dietitian told me that my surgeon and hospital are still in the Freddy Flintstone stage of lap band surgery. She wants me to consume Protein shakes with milk and Greek yogurt and water and pills, fish oil, Vitamins. She is from up north a little , works with a different hospital and doctors and they are aware of the Flintstone program down my way. The "manual" does actually recommend three chew able Flintstones vitamins a day!!! HELP, I feel so overwhelmed and confused

Thanks, good help, I'm feeling better, slow and steady as she goes, I'm just sippin away, just started on my Jello and I have been walking around in the house, farting away the gas. lol sorry it's the roofer in me. I do like the support from the binder but most from the website, thanks again.

Thank you, At least I feel Iv'e found some support. I love the internet it always answers my questions if I look hard enough. I think your right I need to follow the slow and safer approach, clear liquids, I see my surgeon next week, the third.