clovergirl

Thanks everyone, I'm glad that none of you have experienced any problems with this. Luckily I rarely take meds but the one I need is an antibiotic so I just want to be done with it. I did ask the pharmacist when I got the rx if it was ok to open and sprinkle on something and she said it was fine, I just absolutely cannot stand the taste!! Since its so small I will probably just try to swallow it whole, using a warm liquid like coffee is a great idea. Thanks again!

So I know surgeons say no pills, they have to be crushed or try to get the med in liquid form. Usually I can get liquid but recently I was prescribed a med that only comes in a capsule. They are pretty small and I opened one and sprinkled it on some applesauce but yuck!!! :-/ My doctor's office just said the size of a baby aspirin. So has anyone had any issues swallowing small pills or capsules including cutting larger pills in half or 1/4's instead of crushing them? Banded April 12th

Have some size 20 jeans and a pair of dress pants that no longer fit me, anyone in Phoenix here that needs that size or almost there? I'm also in need of 17/18 if anyone has any in the area.

Do you still have some size 18 pants? I'm down to that now but only have one pair of jeans that actually fit and aren't falling off. I'm in the West Valley but my doctor is in Scottsdale so I'm over there at least once a month.

I had a hiatal hernia repair as well when I was banded (Apr 12), I'm so glad my surgeon did it. I had no idea I even had one however I did experience heartburn and indigestion on almost a daily basis. Now, nothing! If they see it they should repair it at the same time, it usually doesn't take too much longer than if you were just being banded and I didn't notice the recovery being any worse but everyone is different. I don't know a lot about the sleeve but the band is adjustable, that was extremely important to me and has definitely proven to be a wonderful tool so far. Good luck!

My doc is a lot more lenient I guess, I'm on my second week of mushy foods and he said the crock pot is wonderful during this time. I can have veggies and chicken as long as they are soft so I cook them all day and chew them up really well. I had refried beans one night with a little salsa (puréed) and lowfat cheese melted in, I also have a lot of cottage cheese but I smash up a few slices of fresh tomato without the skin and put that in with a dash of salt and pepper. I try to eat something protein with each meal because the shakes now make me vomit. I can also have tofu and hummus, my doctor actually suggested those. Of course I love hummus with pita but I'm fine having it by itself, it's a great source of fiber and protein as well. I have a little over a week left on mushy foods and trust me, I'm have the same feelings you are but I know it will get better. Hang in there!

I'm 11 days post op and most of the Steri-strips covering my incisions have come off (all but the one over the port site). I immediately noticed one of them having a white discharge, I don't notice any smell, no heat or redness. Being in the medical field I immediately went into "wound treating" mode and did what I could and then I called my surgeon's office first thing this morning. Based off of what I said they didn't seem to think it was an infection and said this sometimes happens but to keep an eye on it. I'm feeling great, no fever, and almost NO pain left from after surgery. So I'm curious, has anyone else had this problem??

I had the opposite problem post-op, nothing for almost a week but I do get a lot of the "bubbly/gurgley" noises now 9 days later. It's interesting to see how different everyone's surgeon is. My instructions are clear liquids for the first 48 hrs post-op then full liquids days 3-7, mushy foods weeks 2 and 3 and then start full solids (starting slow of course) on week 4. That's also when I have my first post-op appt. I've seen some surgeons tell their patients to stay completely away from certain foods, where others (like mine) say to try it at least once and if you can't handle it then you'll know, same with the whole straw thing, there is no same set of instructions across the board. I saw a few different doctors before I chose one because I knew it would be really important to like my medical staff because they are the key to success. Hopefully he gets better or you find someone better!

I am just over a week post-op and was able to start the mushy foods yesterday. I had some thin oatmeal in the morning and cottage cheese for lunch and I could hardly eat any of it. I'm not sure if I'm still just really swollen and not able to get much down or if my appetite just isn't there. I thought I was really hungry, especially after having nothing but liquids for the past week and even a little before for pre-op, but I would start eating and then just feel "done" and a little uncomfortable. I know I can't possibly be getting enough nutrition like this. I'm not sure what size band I have or if they even put any fill in (they didn't tell me) but I'm curious to see if anyone else has has this problem? My 1st post-op appt is in a few weeks.

Thanks everyone it's good to see I'm not the only one. I have lost almost 20lbs since the start of all this (pre-op to post-op) so I guess I'll just focus on that right now since it looks like it won't always be this "easy". I am not doing the protein shakes much right now because they pretty much make me want to vomit (3 weeks seemed to be the limit for my gag reflex) so I was told to stay away from those right now because vomiting will only slow my healing. If anyone has any ideas on how to make the protein shakes not so volatile, please feel free to share!

I think every office is a little different but I actually went to 2 before I chose one. The first one was like a seminar where they just give a bunch of information and then want you to schedule a visit with the surgeon but the second one was more one on one and in depth. It started out by filling out a bunch of paperwork while a video about the lapband was going on in the background, then I met with a woman who actually had the lapband (and looked wonderful) who gave me her story and allowed me to ask questions. They called her a patient advocate. Then she went over what my insurance would possibly cover and what I had to do to try and get approved for the coverage. Every insurance has their own guidelines but mine was a 6 month process. I had to go for monthly visits and show some weight loss or at least maintenance. I also had to meet with a nutritionist a few times, a psychologist and a cardiologist (only because I had an abnormal EKG at their office). It was a long process but they helped me every step of the way and I appreciated it only because it prepared me for the surgery more. I knew exactly what to expect when the time came. I'm only a few days post-op (banded 4/12) and adjusting to the feeling but I feel like I know a lot more than I would have if I just went in and then scheduled at the same time. I even worked on eating as if I had the band BEFORE I even knew if I would be approved and that helped me to lose some weight while training my brain. Hope that helps, sorry it's so long I tend to be a bit detailed. Remember if you don't like the place, find another one because they will be the ones to help through it all. Good Luck!

Hello, I was banded on April 12 and am still on liquids (although thicker now) until Friday. I'm having a hard time stomaching them, I don't know if its me feeling full or just getting disgusted with the choices I have (soup soup and more soup or yogurt) that I have no interest in them at all. I'm also having a hard time not drinking cold liquid and my surgeon wasn't too detailed about how long that had to go on for. Before surgery I was constantly drinking something, mostly water or tea, cold and through a straw. Now I can't do either of those and so I hardly drink anything at all which I know isn't a great idea. Just wanting to vent and see if anyone else has had this issue. I know this will pass...I keep telling myself that everyday!

Where do I find this? Still new to this site.

I've really enjoyed reading all your replies, thank you so much for reminding me this will not last. I feel much better today then I have since surgery so I'm going to try and drink a little more today. Looking forward to Friday and trying the mushy foods, but hopefully like Bandedlexi said I won't let the fear get to me. I know in time it will be like second nature, I just need to get used to it. And carolinagirl, SF popsicles are the best right now, thanks!