wildrose1966

Lots of walking, gasx, heating pad and sipping...........take it easy.........congratulations. I found that going from sitting to standing the gas passed easier........lots of burping and farting my first week.

I think you have to do your research and make the best decision for you, nobody else can make that decision for you. Each of us on here have very personal reasons for choosing the band.........me, I didn't have to have my insides reconfigured, I still have to do the work and make good choices, I should not have problems with malnutrition, and in case of emergency, it is reversible. The band is not going to work just because it is in you, you have to do the work and it is a tool to help you. Weight loss is usually slow, but it didn't come on fast, so.........slow and steady I say. The decision is yours and yours only. Perhaps having a heart to heart with your pcp, nutritionist or psychologist might give you a better idea of what might work for you and what you can handle. good luck

I have my handy dandy book in front of me. For maintenance for life.......meals should be 6-8oz, 1 cup or 250 ml. 3x/day. Snacks should be 3-4oz, 1/2c or 125ml 2-3x/day. 70 g Protein, 64 fl oz, eat protein first, veggies and then carbs. Continue with Protein drinks, smoothies, greek yog, skim milk or soft tofu if you are unable to meet your protein goal of 70g with food alone. Measure and weigh everything. Do not skip meals this will slow your metabolism making it difficult to lose weight.

I have to say that the liquid pre op totally prepared me for the liquid post op............knew what I was getting myself into, and I found myself not thinking of food that much, these past 4 weeks.

2 weeks out and can't feel anything (except the port). good luck.

I did 2 weeks of optifast with 4 shakes a day, 1 fruit and 1 veggie. I could have popsicle and jello (sf), but they did not want me to have those daily.......more like a treat. Day 1-3 were terrible, but once I figured out that the key was blending them with lots of ice and using a straw to drink, they were fine. I wasn't hungry and about half the time I couldn't get all 4 in. Last one of the day was usually a half a one. chocolate is way better than vanilla, but for the Vanilla I added decaf instant coffee and walden farms chocolate sauce (no calories, fat, carbs etc). I went from gagging them down on day 1 to ordering 2 more boxes post op, because I was having a hard time finding protein that I could handle. Love the chocolate ones now. You will do just fine.............good luck.

Today in my part of Canada it is $1.31 a litre or $4.96/gallon.

Considering all the hoops that you would have had to go thru insurance or the amount of money you paid for self pay, why would you even risk it. Everyone on here has a different take on it, but one of the most common lapband rules that is pretty consistant is no bubbles. I am not sure I could even live with myself knowing I threw away $16,000 for a coke. Being banded is a whole new life, out with the old (coke), in with the new. Good luck.

Just curious why you are dropping to 800? I haven't heard of anyone who is banded and on a maintenance plan going down that low. I thought that average was between 900-1200. I am newly banded so what do I know. (well I know that for the last week I am about 600 per day and this body isn't letting go of any fat stores........it thinks I am starving it). Like I said, I am newly banded so appreciate all the info I can get.

You should be fine, my clinic made me rip them all of at 1 week post op. If you have gauze and tape just cover it, or a bandage if that makes you feel better for a few more days. I had all of mine off at 7 days.

You are brave for testing.............I looked at the boxes of my optifast for a month and there was no way I was going to 'practice', it was all or nothing and if I wanted to have surgery, I had to do it. Days 1-3 are tough and then you just get use to it. Not sure what your pre op is, but I did 4 shakes a day, 1fruit and 1veggie.........As of today, I haven't chewed food or used my teeth for a month..........puree and blenderized tomorrow - oh joy.

There is a therapy called Active Release Therapy (ART), I had mine done by a chiropractor and it is all about loosening the tendons and muscles around the affected area with pressure. I don't have PF, but do have an achilles that flares up about every 18 months and this treatment does wonders. You might have to do some research to see if it helps PF but it doesn't hurt to look into.

I am one of those that didn't have one iota of surgical pain, not for a second. I had about 7hrs of gas pain on day 8 and that was it. Off painkillers day 2 and slept the whole night on my side the same day as surgery. I consider myself very lucky. However, I could not have gone back to work sooner than I did. I needed to get the drugs out of my system, I needed to poop, I needed to have a few days worth of naps, I needed to figure out the liquid diet, and walking and sipping etc, I was burping and farting like it was my job and not sure I could have been around people. Could I have sat at my desk for 7hrs on day 4, probably, but I would have been uncomfortable and miserable and tired. I would say a week is good if you don't have to lift or run around.

Adding cottage cheese to soup, and then throwing it in the blender ups your protein. We are all on different eating plans, I could go on full liquids 2 days post op. I have been drinking my meals 1 month today, not sure my teeth will tolerate chewing when I finally get to that. Start pureed and blenderized tomorrow!!!

I took a week off work, office job. I used time owed days and didn't use sick days as I wasn't telling one and our HR person is the biggest busy body in the world. I did tell my boss and coordinator and that is it. After it was done, I couldn't care less who knows, but haven't told anyone. It is a personal choice and I choose to keep it personal for now. I need to figure out my new life before I spend time and energy explaining it to others.

I would just sip all day and do what you can. You are in major healing mode right now and once the internal swelling goes down, probably a week to 10 days, you will be able to get more in. Don't obsess about protein, food etc right now, just keep sipping. (I would add a stool softener to the mix, if you are still on medication, you want to make sure that, that doesn't become a problem.)

Not sure as I didn't have pain issues. Make sure you are sipping, walking and take your meds on schedule. I am sure that your anestheia is still with you and it takes some time to wear off. Take care and go easy on yourself. This too shall pass!!!

I am on the last few days of full liquids. Surgery was 9/17. I feel great. My instructions from the dr's say small frequent meals - every 3hrs, 3-5 oz. Servings should be 1/4 - 1/2 c. I did that the first week, but it seems that the second week, I am hungry at meal time. I have pretty much gone to 3 meals and fluids and maybe a small snack in between. I can have a cup of Soup for a meal, and I do eat slowely. I have an Optifast for bfast (last weak it I was drinking 1/2 an optifast - I am having full servings now). Do you think this is okay - 1c soup. It should be flowing right thru to the pouch - right?. I start puree/blenderized on Wed. 3-4 oz 3 meals a day, with 2-3 Snacks - 1-2 oz. Any advice would be appreciated. I am not 'starving', I am satisfied and right now consuming under 700 cal/day..............regardless how it sounds, I am looking forward to blenderized meats!!! ***I just wanted to add, that with everything I have been remembering and measuring and dealing with recovery, I just realized today, going back and reading, that I haven't been following the 3-5oz every 3-4hrs., not a conscience decision.

My clinic is good with the liquids, no chugging, but need to get in a new frame of mind when I start with my blenderized and pureed this week.

Short of taking my mother to my next appointment - which I might do - I am not sure what to say to her. She is my biggest cheerleader and my biggest critic. I have given her everything to read, I have sat down to explain the whole procedure to her, my sister the nurse has spoken to her and she just doesn't get it. My 110lb, fitness and food obsessive mother, who would seriously go into a depression if she gained 20lbs and nearly strokes out if she mistakenly drinks a non diet soda is driving me nuts. I am 2 weeks post op. Lost 9lbs pre surgery and 10lbs the week after surgery. My second week post op, lost nothing. I have informed myself and understand low calories, starvation mode, slow metabolism, i am healing not losing - she does not. She asked me today how much I lost this past week and I told her nothing - a gasp - 'are you serious' - 'are you disappointed? and when I explained to her that I need to start eating again to up my metabolism and that I have just started working out regularly (walking) in the past week and that my band may not work for me next week or in 2 months.........it all depends when I get restriction. When I said 2 months she nearly fell off her chair and asked me why did I have it done then?? I will now not step on a scale until I go back for my first fill, because then I can honestly tell her ' i don't know'. I have put in a 911 call to my sister to call her and casually drop me into conversation and I am sure my mother will say something and sissy can step in and try to explain everything to her in her way. Like I said she was 100% supportive of this and still is, just her dumb comments and the fact that she doesn't get it are sending me into stress mode, because of everyone I know, it is she who is watching me closest. If anyone can point me to some easy to understand material............for me to pass onto her, I would appreciate it, until then, I may just avoid phonecalls.

Thanks Tigergramma, my surgeons office is 6hr away from where I live so if there happens to be a support group when I am in town, I would love to invite her. I have my first fill on Oct 26th (yes still on full fluids) and I may talk to my office coordinator and invite my mom to that appointment. She won't go as she doesn't like to be corrected or put in her place. When my sister spoke with her last night and told her to lay off, it was silence and then all of a sudden she had to get off the phone. It is funny that I told her the exact reasons why I wasn't telling people is exactly what she is doing.......oh well. This is her, she will never change, so I just have to control the information that she gets, and she is not getting my weigh-ins.

My sister is a nurse and we both have tried to explain this to her. Either she doesn't understand or believes what she wants, so from now on, I will tell her I am doing fine and not weighing myself. I don't live close to her so it doesn't matter. After surgery I told my mother that I didn't care if she told her friends, what is done is done..........she said no, she wouldn't tell anyone until I had lost 50lbs. How is that for a slap in the face. But she is the one who suggested I look into it, she is the one who helped me finanically and she drove and picked me up from surgery, so I do understand her support. We are convince she has some sort of mental problem when it comes to body image and weight. I swear she weighs 110 lbs and obsesses about counting 'points' and exercise. She broke her leg once and nearly went over the deep end because she wasn't exercising. She took a swig of a real Coke recently and I thought the world had ended with all of the noises, gagging and griping coming from her. So really, it is her problem not mine.

Thanks all...........funny enough if was her who first brought up the subject of lapband to me, I stayed with her during my recovery, but she never did come to an appointment. I think she wants to believe something and she is just not listening. Easy way to solve that.........don't tell her anything!

I think that you are getting some great advice, but unfortunatly, you really need to speak to your surgeons office to find out what they will accept for your pre-op. You need to do this to get your surgery, so however terrible they may be for you, you will need to just suck it up and suck them back. Have you tried straws? Blended with lots of ice? I didn't even taste mine until day 1 of preop, didn't want to deal with it until I had to. I would try to get someone on the phone tomorrow from your clinic and figure out what they will accept. Good luck to you!!!

I had to make my opti........which is fine with me, I even bought more for post op.