*~NewBeginnings2013~*

I started eating 700-850 calories per day. I found myself feeling a little bit less energetic than i was used to. I now just try to keep it under 1,000 calories per day. I found myself losing a little faster when i was closer to 850-900 calories/day (might not be the same for everyone). Hope this helps!

I'm 10 weeks post op today and have been thankful for every time i went. I usually need to take prune juice (with a straw cause i try to get it down quickly) our light plum juice (tastes more like grape). I usually only go every 4 days now. But i know the bulk is just not there because I'm not eating much. My co-workers laugh at me but ill take my stethoscope at work and make sure i still have bowl sounds if it's been to long. I did recently buy Metimucil because I'd hate to be obstructed and end up with an NG tube. But I can defiantly feel when it's "due" So I'll just drink some juice and it eventually comes. I have been trying to keep things more natural. ..... you will be fine. Listen to your body

So i went to my surgeon's today. It's been exactly one calendar month since surgery . Anyway, so i went I'm and am down 5lb from mutt post op appt 2.5 weeks ago and 15lb down from the morning of surgery. I have been dressing the fill as i feel that i am still learning to live with my band/enforcer every day and didn't want another change just yet. But before i had a chance to put I'm my opinion on a possible fill, he asked me all the right questions and made the decision (with my obvious blessing) that i didn't need a full yet. To be honest, since day one, I've never experienced "bandster hell". I am not hungry per say and most of the time find myself reading just to get the protein in. I'm going that when i see my nutritionalist next week that she will decrease my protein goal. But I feel I'm doing good on my own with my empty band and am going i stay that way though.who knows if I'll need a

I love this. I have recently (within the last 10lbs) been able to cross my legs as well and FINALLY sit like a "lady"! Mind you, not as easily our as comfortable as it appears to be with my dinner counterparts, but it's doable! !!! This is a huge accomplishment! !! Congrats to you!

Especilkay at the end of my night shift, around 5 am, I do 1/2cup vanilla bean geek yogurt with 1/2 shop of vanilla protein shake powder. Turns the 10 ish gm protein breakfast into a 23g breakfast. To stir it up, I add low fat granola, raisins, and slivered almonds (all totaling about 2Tbs). Pretty yummy!!! This lasts me at least until i wake up later I'm the day and often I'm not hungry when I wake up.

Sorry if that sounded bitchy.... want intended to be. I just am so unsure of everything... all i know it's that everyone's story is different but we all have one common goal:long term success!

I absolutely understand and pretty much expect that I will need a fill one day (perhaps sooner than later), but at this moment, I concider myself to be essentially I'm the green zone as I know it... so at this stage in the game i was thankful not to mess with a good thing. I am certain I could tolerate any food i throw at my band as nothing as given me problems (to afraid to try steak yet). The only thing stopping me from eating a sandwich with the bead our a bowl of pasta is me and i like it that way! When the time comes that i get hungry or start feeling like i need to snack, then i will be more than willing to get a fill then. My thought is that at 4.5 weeks out, I'm still learning to live with my band and eat slowly/chew. At this point, i have absolutely no restriction...but i don't think it's about restriction or hard stops or soft stops, i just know to stop at my alotted amount and then a i realize I'm satisfied. The reason i stop eating is me....I know the band's working for me because there is way 1/2c if food could have satisfied me for 4+hrs on my own. But i am not afraid of getting a fill except for the fact that the tighter the band, the higher complication rate from what I've read.

Ooopppps. Who knows if ill need a full next time but today I'm happy! !!!

So i have been doing really well over the past week (the weeks post-op) with different textures and foods, eating small bites and not getting anything stuck.... well today Boom!!! There I was, my first bite, small, but I'm the middle of a sentence, I chewed once. ..ONCE the swallowed (old me kicked in and figured that the bite was small enough to go down). I knew instantly it was a mistake (long before it was actually stuck). So about three minutes later, pbing and sliming was the name of the game and i was nauseous as hell (excuse my French but it was hell). so after about 15-20 minutes of this pb (No actual food)/slime, it finally passed or as I'd assume as my burps became dry and i instantly felt relief. So I learned the hard way that chewing is of the up most importance. Before this, I have not had any issues, but this was my own stupidity! !! Hopefully i didn't hurt anything. I didn't dry have our vomit so I'm praying it did no harm. I guess it's a lesson most of us learn at one time or another, I'm just disappointed with myself. ..but i do realize they are some pretty big learning curves and it takes a while to reverse year s of bad habits. But this was very unsettling though.

I'm kblais05 if anyone wants another friend. I only have my hubby and he stopped using it :-/

Absolutely you can apply ice to your belly (good barrier between skin). Ice helps with the swelling. There's a lot of trauma getting to where the band needs to be and actually putting it in. I woke up with an ice pack on my stomach from surgery. The pain your feeling from my nursing experience as well as my own recent banding is the swelling and not the band itself. Thats just my opinion. Your doctor probably told you where your port was located and that probably is tender too. Best of luck.....and ice away!!!

Hello all. I am two weeks post-op (surgery was 4/8). Ib went to see my doctor today for post-op but forgot to ask him about my restrictions. I called back right after i left and spoke with the nurse who said I'm still on a 10lb restriction essentially and that the main thing is to not lift very much at all. I know she did not ask my doctor, she just gave me an idea. I see my doctor in two weeks for my first fill so I will really confirm with him then, but in the mean time I am on a restriction this week and going back to work as a cardiac nurse with NO restrictions in 6 days. ... didn't seem to make sense. I was wondering IN GENERAL what were your activity restrictions at two weeks out.

I was named April 8th and saw my doctor today. I asked him about my pet because it is easily felt when I stand. He said it may recess a bit more but nor much. Going it does. ..luckily I cannot see it, but it is weird that is so noticeable. Hopefully your port will go down too and I'm sure there's still some swelling involved.

Oh. .. by the way, I'm No stranger to needles as my husband is a type I diabetic and i stab patients multiple times a night. .... but i got a look at the filling needle and was like "oh my!" I know I'll be fine and the whole thing doesn't go into you, but that is an awful long needle!!! Wowee!!!!!!

It's odd that i can't lift anything over 10lbs (not much at all) and next week I'm expected to resume work where i haul 180lb+ patients in bed all night. Guess it's good ill be spending the next few weeks training for charge nurse and shouldn't be having an assignment.

I was told to start vitamins one week post-op and i was on full liquid diet with three 8oz protein shake daily. I did that for a week and this week I'm on semi-solid protein such as eggs and cottage cheese. But every doctor is different. I didn't need to do any kind of pre-op diet. I'd call them first thing Monday morning. Or better yet, if you're paperwork doesn't say what you should be taking in, I'd call the on-call doctor. My post-op instructions also told me what to eat/drink. But i wouldn't wait too long as your body REALLY needs protein to heal. I am a nurse and protein/proper nutrition is part of healing 101!

I was named in April 8th. The first two days were rough then the third day i literally felt like i was dying. Not trying to scare you but a lesson to all new bansters. I 100% believe it was due to dehydration and Severe Lack of calories/ENERGY as I was only able to take in about 16oz off fluid and 150 calories+/- I'm the two days post-op. However, once i switched (for that day only) to regular powerade, I felt a great deal better. Today, almost two weeks post-op, I feel about 95% back to normal! ANYWAY... I personally have not really experienced "bandster hell" as until the last three days i have not had any hunger at all just boredom in the food choices. The first feeling of hunger that i experienced was when i was making my husband's favorite dinner...my stomach was rumbling. As of the last three days, I get hungery about 3.5-4.5 hrs after I eat. It's just frustrating knowing that my teeth still work and i could chew more solid food than cottage cheese, but can't because i need to follow the rules. As far as being afraid of "banster hell", I think if this its hell, it's worth it! And if hell gets hotter, that'd be worth it too!!! Good luck to you! You will do just fine!!!!

I am day six post-op (banded 4/8). Feeling MUCH BETTER! I feel about 80% back to normal. I go see my surgeon tomorrow to have my sutures out and I can start soft proteins!! Though I have had no hunger, I am SICK AND TIRED of choking down three protein shakes/day. Hoping I can cut back to 1.5 or so. Itching to get back to the gym, even if i can't do weights. Since surgery i have lost 10lbs. Though I know partial water weight 219.8 this am feels WONDERFUL!!! It's been YEARS! I am ready to take charge of my life and enjoy spring!

I was banded Monday, April 8th at 9am. I went into the hospital, struggled to get an IV going (typical when a nurse is a patient), and went into surgery without any issues. It was the most calm I can imagine being EVER considering I was going into surgery. I had this extreme calm for some reason! However, I am 21/2 days post-op and I feel like many have described as the "Why did I do this to myself" part of the process. Since I woke up from surgery, I've had this uncomfortable fullness and pain at times in my epigastric region (directly below my ribs). I may be crazy, but it is as though I can literally feel my band! I am sure this is just swelling and the feeling will go away, but it is not every comfortable. I was wondering if this was a common feeling post-op. Also, I am fighting quite the battle getting fluids into me. I am able to tolerate a handful of sips, just about a minute apart. After a handful, give or take, I get cramping in my epigastric region and in my stomach in general. I am afraid of making my sips bigger or more frequent as I am terrified of throwing up with as sore as my upper stomach is at this point (as well as would hate to move the band). I am sure that this, also, is just swelling around the band, but it is a constant struggle getting my Protein shake and my water/other hydration down. Today I've had to switch to regular Powerade instead of SF because today I felt as though my life energy had been sucked out of me! I was not able to take more than 4 oz on Monday night. I was only able to take 8oz Protein Shake and 26oz powerade zero yesterday So I figure I've had less that 200 calories since Sunday night (before surgery). So today I am sipping on powerade and have managed to take down 6 oz protein shake and 16 oz chicken broth. Popsicles seem to be out of the question because it seems as though I get really crampy with anything cold at this point. Also, have no hunger at all... i feel like i am forcing myself to take every ounce of fluid!!! I'm sure that will change too!!! =/ Hopefully the next couple days get better. I'll keep you posted,