hopeful_janna

I flew back from Ontario to British Columbia the second day after surgery (6 hour flight, plus 1.5 hour wait in airport, then another 30 minute flight). I was uncomfortable (but that is mostly because I have a ruptured disc in my back that bugs me), but it was doable. My dr said I could take gravol if I wanted (to knock me out perhaps?) but I didn't feel it was necessary, and all I did was take my pain pills before I got on the plane, and then after I got home. My only suggestion is that if you are in a large international type airport, consider having someone wheel you in a wheelchair. It was much easier, and I didn't have to wait in line for the security check, which was nice as well. Good luck to you!

Banded on February 13th, but I have questions for when I get to the soft food/solid food phases. If your bite size is the size of your pinky nail, and you take a minute to chew your bites, then in theory you should only be able to eat 20 bites that are about the size of a pea (if you eat in the recommended 20 minutes). This would be less than a 1/4 cup of food..... So my question is, do you really take bites that small? Do you really wait that long in between bites? And what volume of food do you eat per meal? It just seems like there is a discrepancy between what I am told, and how much people are actually eating (based on posts of what people ate for a meal). Any help would be appreciated.

Writing that just feels so surreal. I have never had surgery before, so I am anxious about that. I also have a ton of emotions. I feel sad that I let myself get this way. I feel worried about leading a normal life afterwards. I know there is a healing time, but I don't want everything I do to revolve around the band. I suppose it's just a lot of the fear of the unknown......

Thanks for the insight everyone! I bought baby utensils prior to surgery. Disney princess set Do you wait to take another bite after you have swallowed? Or take another bite right away, and swallow after another 20-30 chews?

Well I'm on the other side. Not much pain so far. Just feels like period cramps. No left shoulder pain at all starting to burp a little though from the gas. Hoping for a smooth recovery!

My surgery is tomorrow morning. Close enough to valentines day, I figure

I use spaghetti squash, as mentioned above, and I also use zuchinni. Take a julienne slicer (you can get them for about $5 at a kitchen store) and slice them into spaghetti noodles. Super yummy! They don't need to cook very long, or you can eat them raw and they will be crunchier. If you google it there are tons of recipes.

I get weekly massages from an RMT (registered massage therapist) for existing back injuries. I am wondering if I will be able to get them after my band? It seems like lying on my stomach and having all that pressure on my back might cause pain from the port? Does anyone here get massages? Do you find there is port pain?

Thanks guys! I have scheduled my first massage for about 3 weeks after my surgery, so I am hoping that is enough time for any pain related to laying on my stomach to dissipate. I will make sure to speak with my surgeon about it as well.

I start my pre-op diet on Wednesday, so I am getting nervous! I get 3 shakes a day (250 calories each) and am allowed 250 calories of low carb veggies (so no potatoes, carrots, etc) each day, for a total of 1000 calories. I am hoping I can stay mentally alert. I sit at my desk all day, but I need my brain to function! I also worry about headaches the first few days, since I am not allowed to take any pain killers during the two weeks prior to surgery.

I am getting banded on the 13th of February, and am trying to adjust some of my eating habits now to make the transition smoother. I am confused by some of the things I have read, so I am hoping you guys can give me some clarification: General recommendations I have heard say to take a bite no bigger than a pea or the size of your pinky nail. Take a bite, chew thoroughly, then wait a minute before taking next bite. You should stop eating after 20 minutes. This means you would be able to eat 20 peas. You are supposed to eat about a cup of food per meal. 20 peas do not equal a cup! I need this discrepancy reconciled! Please explain to me the actual size of a bite you take, how long before your next bite, how big your meal is, and how long it takes you to eat it. Cheers, Janna.

I am getting banded on February 13th. In preparation, I bought a kids set of utensils. Disney princesses. I am pretty excited to be using them!

I'm being banded on the 13th. I'm excited and terrified at the same time!

My surgery date is tentatively set for the 13th of February, and I am having a mini -freak out moment. I guess I am worried that I will never have a 'normal' life again in the social food setting. I tend to ask a million questions, so I will try to limit it to a few. These may have been asked before, but I searched and didn't come up with any threads that had a lot of direct answers, so please don't get mad if it has already been asked: 1. How small is a small bite? I have heard people say the size of your pinky nail, but my surgeon said it could be the size of your thumb! that's a huge range! So what size of bite do you normally take? and how long do you wait between bites? Did your size of bite change after you started getting fills? 2. How many times do you chew it? I have read 20-30 times. Is that enough for all types of food? Or do you chew more for certain types, such as chicken or lettuce, etc. 3. How small is a sip of Water? I really like to guzzle water, so I know this is something I will have to change. Is there pain if you drink too much water? Or do you just kind of spit it up? If I take smaller sips, would I be able to take quite a few in a row instead of guzzling larger sips? Or take a bigger sip (not a guzzle) and wait longer for the next sip? I will leave it at that for now! Cheers, Janna

Just wondering what you saved on your groceries after being banded. I don't eat out too much, so I wouldn't really save much from that, but am wondering how much my grocery bill would decrease.....

Thanks for all of the feedback everyone! I am hoping mine goes down just due to purchasing smaller quantities of food.

I have my first consultation on Wednesday with Dr. Cobourn out of Mississauga, Ontario. I am very new to this. I have been reading the boards for awhile and gathering research on what life is like with the band, but am wondering if you have any suggestions for the types of questions I should be asking him? What were your concerns prior to your surgery, and what have you learned from living with the band? Are your results what you expected? Also, have any of you had your surgery performed by Dr. Cobourn? Any thoughts? Cheers, Janna