MemphisFan

My first fill is Thursday And I'm rather nervous about having a needle stuck in my belly. Should we eat before we get a fill or just have a protien hake or oes it matter?

I'm almost six weeks post op and have had wheat bread, flour and corn tortillas, rice(had that 3 wks post op) and pasta. Just make sure you chew it well.

Also, I liked to make a baked potato, add fat free cheese and sour cream and eat the mushy potato... You could add chicken t o that

I added mayo and relish and put them on club crackers. My dr said club crackers were ok in mushy stage because when you chew club crackers they become purred in your mouth, but you have to chew them properly

I know we've all been told the same thing about liquids during meals, and I'm five weeks post op so I'm not claiming to be as knowledgable as most of you... But I drink during my meals and have since surgery. I only drink water, but drinking water with my meal actually makes me fuller, faster. My doctor is also of the mind set that you can chew too much. He advises 15 chews a bite, because too much can result in slider foods which goes straight though the pouch. It's very hard for me to swallow some foods 15 chews in, so the water helps.

PCOS at 28!

I honestly never felt the urge to cry. Maybe because I paid 10,000 dollars out of my own pocket, or because I have a very supportive husband and mother, but ive always been grateful for the fact I was able to have the surgery and haven't regreted it once.

Summer, I have never heard of a doctor allowing carbonation post op. You might want o check with your dr again.

allik07... here is what my mushy diet consisted of. And I ran it by my VERY finicky doctor and he approved, so I know none of this will hurt you. Oatmeal - I added fruit to my oatmeal. I put the fruit (blueberries, strawberries, etc) in the microwave and with a fork mushed them to where they were thinner than yogurt. Mashed potatoes- boxed with sea salt and fat free shredded cheese. The cheese melts and becomes a mushy. Progresso Soups - I put them in the blender and the chunks became smooth. I love their baked potato or clam chowder Cream of wheat - I added brown sugar to it, and it was actually yummy. Jello pudding - I have a huge sweet tooth, these things saved me from grabbing a candy bar or making Cookies Yogurt - I liked to put it in a blender with apple sauce and some fruit and make a smoothie. Add Protein powder and there is your protein for the day Egg whites - liquid eggs, poached or scrambled. I could only eat one at a time - with sea salt I am sure there is more, but I haven't been in the mushy stage for two weeks so I have put it out of my mind! It gets better, the results are amazing, just push through.

I have seven inside dogs and a husband, but my mom flew up and stayed five days after my surgery. Thank goodness because the pain was so bad and my husband had no idea what to do. I don't know how anybody goes back to work the same week they get the band... I couldn't button my pants cuz I was so swollen, I couldn't put a seatbelt on because it was so irritating. I would recommend she stay as long as she can!

This makes me wonder if my dr puts his patients band in a different place or if he puts some cc's in at the time of surgery because I'm two weeks out and haven't been hungry. 3-4 oz of soup or chili twice a day and I'm good. I really hope this means I don't have to go through the infamous 'bandster hell'

So tomorrow will be two weeks since my surgery (June 5th) and I feel like I went through almost everything that people are mentioning on this board. My right leg hurt (pins and needles) and felt numb for a week. I almost died from pain every time I coughed, I ate mushies too soon and paid for it, I'm bored by the food and am having fast food nightmares. But I have lost twenty pounds (since the day of surgery, lost only 2 pre-op) I have no pain anymore, and I feel like my old self. I am a self pay patient, and my doctor told me he didn't want to see me until 6 weeks post op. I thought that was odd since a lot of you on here are going 2 - 3 weeks post op and getting your first feel. I only have three months of appointments free, so I called my doctor today and told the nurse that I wanted to come in this week to talk about getting my fill. She asked me if I was hungry throughout the day. No. She asked me if I get full from 4-6 oz of food. Yes. She told me that I didn't need a fill yet then. I asked her if I would automatically get a fill when I came in July 12th for my 6 week check up. She said no, that almost 50% of my doctors patients NEVER get a fill. I thought I didn't hear her right, but she reiterated; almost 50% of my doctor's patients never need a fill. She then said that only 20% need more than 1 fill. I told her that I visited this forum frequently and I thought that was odd since some people on here are getting 4-6 fills. She said that my doctor doesn't want his patients visiting this site because it gives them too much wrong information and bad advice and if I had any questions to call them. She also said that if the band was placed in the right spot, and the patient followed the doctor's strict 6 week post op diet, then generally no fills are needed. I was SHOCKED by this. My doctor has awards all over his office and is generally considered the best in the southeast. I didn't know how to respond so I thought I would create a post and see what y'all thought about it.

I have to agree with RobbieGirl.... I just had my surgery a week ago and I only met the man one time before surgery. I did extensive pre-op tests (as I am sure everyone did) but he refused to go over any of my test results because there were irrelevant to the surgery. IF they were so irrelevant to the surgery why did I have to do them? And its not because of insurance, I paid everything out of pocket, and those extensive tests cost me over one thousand dollars. He refuses to see patients after their surgery for six weeks. I have called with problems twice, and Kelly, who is wonderful, said Dr. Woodman was too busy to help and she was sure what I was going through was normal, just stick it out! There is no doubt he is the best SURGEON in the TN/AR/MS area, but when it comes to every other piece of this process besides the actual surgery, he could use some work.

I'm going to go against the grain here... I didn't have to do a pre op diet, and although it was suggested I lose 8 lbs before my surgery, my surgeon said he would do the surgery regardless. I lost two pounds pre-op, didn't diet at all except 24 hours before the surgery, and it all went great!

My doctor also used glue and said three weeks.

I know there were a lot of people that got banded on June 5th, so I was wondering if we were all doing the same routine and on the same page as far as how we feel goes. I weighed myself for the first time today, and I am 10 pounds down from the day before the surgery. That alone makes me feel wonderful. Yesterday I was able to go to Bealle Street in Memphis and watch my husband run the Gibson 5k and watch him eat shrimp and fries and beer afterward. I walked over a mile, was not tempted to eat any bad food, and the only negative was that I was EXHAUSTED when I got home. Car rides do not feel good yet. Going to Beale Street (30 minute drive) I had such severe back pain that we had to stop at Walgreens and get a couple of heating Patches to put on my back. Plus my jeans cover my belly button, and my surgeon put stitches in my belly button, so I had to spend most of the day with my jeans unbuttoned so it wouldn't rub against my stitches! As far as food is concerned my mom went out and bought me a 6 oz bowl, and told me I couldn't eat anything that didn't fit into it. So throughout the day I am having 4-5 oz of mashed potatoes, one sugar free Jello, chocolate jello pudding (my favorite), and cream of wheat and I am getting very full. I know I am not getting enough liquids throughout the day, because I am only going to the bathroom two - three times on average, so that is something I am going to have to step up. Oh and last, I slept on my stomach last night! I am a tummy sleeper, and to have slept on my back since Tuesday was a killer. I slept on my stomach with the heating pad on my back, and I woke up feeling like a new woman. I really had some hard days the first two or three days, with such pain I felt like I was having a child, but days like today really make this whole surgery and process worth it. I hope everybody else banded on June 5th is having just as much success!

I'm five days pst op and I have the same thing, except more numbness than anything. So uncomfortable!

I don't have an appointment yet, was told I didn't need one until six weeks post op! I might call tomorrow t o verify that. My dr also said days 4 - 7 I'm on a full liquid diet, which is anything that goes through a straw. My mashed potatoes are thin enough for that and my goodness did they make me happy! Now I am craving tomato soup though

Wow I had surgery 6/5 as well and weighed myself this morning and I'm down eight pounds as well.

My surgery was originally supposed to be at 1:30 yesterday, but they moved it up two hours because of a cancellation (woohoo). I got to the DR's office about 9:45, went to admittance and they expected me to have some money for them. I was self pay, and I paid the complete amount to my actual doctor, so I had no money to give the hospital that was doing the surgery. Well this seemed to surprise admittance and they made me wait while they made some calls to my doctor. An hour later they had it figured out and I started on my pre-op bloodwork to see if I was pregnant. They then wheeled me to the holding room where I laid for another hour. At noon my surgeon came to check on me and told me they lost my bloodwork so I had to go pee in a cup in the holding room bathroom, in my lovely gown. Thank goodness for the IV hydrating me because I didn't think I had any pee in me at that point. When I came out of the bathroom the nurses had left, so I had to stand there with my pee and IV bag in one hand, and the other hand holding closed my gown, for a good five minutes until the nurses remembered me. At 12:15 they had my test back and they were ready to push me back to surgery. The asked a 100 lb nurse to push my bed back, and she was struggling hard to manuever it. She passed FIVE male doctors who just looked at her and refused to help. I almost got up to her help because I Was tired of being banged into the hall way walls. I got into the operating room and the anesthiesist came in and told me he wanted to wait until the last possible minute to give me the drug so he didn't have to waste any. Last thing I remember was that they couldn't find my surgeon because he was so pissed (DR. Woodman in Memphis, known for his attitude) the surgery was being held up, he left the hospital! I woke up as they wheeled me into my room around 4 pm. They told my mom and husband to be there at 2, but it took them TWO HOURS to get me from recovery back to my room because they said the anesthiesia took so long to wear off because the dr gave it to me too late, and too much. From 4 - 6 I am sipping Water, doing walks around the hospital and trying to stay awake. At 6 the nurse calls my doctor and he said I was free to go. The nurse told my mom to get the car and pull it around to the front, and she would get my wheelchair and meet her there in 10 minutes. at 6:30 I walked my area of the hospital to try to find a nurse, and the one I did find said my nurse went home for the day and I should stay in my room. I told her I Was going to walk to the car myself and she told me I couldn't do that. At 6:45 a male nurse came in with the wheel chair and wheeled me to the car... if I wasn't so drugged I would have been furious. I came home, and went straight to sleep after taking my pain medicine. I woke up at 9 in SEVERE pain, all around the one insission that has the guaze on it. It was impossible for me to get out of the bed, i was hurting so much. I tookd more pain medicine, drank some water, then fell asleep sitting up. At 4:30 am I woke myself up crying because my stomach felt like it was on fire. The right side of my torso is fine, and I could put pressure on it and touch it, no problems. But the right side feels like there is something growing in it. If I touch it, nudge it, graze it, it feels like fire. I called my nurse and she said this is normal and the bad day is day three! I feel fine when I am walking around, but its extremely painful to sit down, get up, or lay down. I really hope this pain goes away soon, or they give me better pain meds!

I was told six weeks post op too.... For foods even as soft as mashed potatoes. I called my doctor and have done tons of research... It seems 4-6. Weeks post op is the general consensus for real food. And you shouldn't be drinking Water with your meal, 30 minutes before, hour after. I find it so odd that different doctors are telling their patients different things for the exact same surgery.

I have never heard of crystal light having sodium, but just to make sure, check the boxes before you purchase it and drink it.

I too was told no slimfast or ensure.... eat calories unless I am down a lot of protien, then protien shakes

I had surgery on Tuesday and I haven't weighed myself since last Sunday. I think constantly worrying about weight causes so much stress. I'm just going to follow the post lap band rules and watch as my pants get baggier!

I agree... Was told I could never have carbonation again... Coke, champagne, nothing with bubbles, ever.