turquoisekaty

I'm on my 2 week pre-op diet. All I'm allowed is 5 Boost Diabetic/Calorie Smart per day, plus any calorie-free drinks. No offense to the taste-testers at Boost, but this stuff is NASTY. That said, I thought I'd share a few recipe "hacks" I've come up with to make the drinks more tolerable. Katy's chocolate Mocha Frosty Blend together for a long time until smooth and creamy: 1 Chocolate Boost 1 tsp instant coffee granules 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 6 ice cubes Chocolate Almond shake 1 Chocolate Boost 1 tsp almond extract 6 ice cubes Other flavour combinations I've found that make the Boost more bearable - either mix together and serve over ice, or blend it up in the blender until smooth and creamy: Chocolate Boost with raspberry extract (find it with the cake decorating supplies) Vanilla Boost with maple extract Vanilla Boost with vanilla extract Vanilla Boost with lemon extract What else has everyone found that makes the pre-op Protein shakes more tolerable?

Does anyone notice a difference between eating warm/hot foods and cold foods? I'm only one day post-surgery and am on lump-free liquids, and I'm noticing that the Soup and broth go down a lot easier than the Protein shake and the attempt at thinned pudding. Warm Water is way easier to get down than cold water. Is this common after surgery? Common later down the road? Just curious mostly - obviously I'm going to eat (drink) the foods that feel the nicest on my new tummy

I got my Lap-Band on Tuesday, so it's been 3-ish days now. I don't have any pain at all (thought I'm still taking Tylenol as recommended), I do have some discomfort around the incisions but it's not painful at all. Sorry if this is a dumb question... but right where I perceive my band to be it feels really really tight. Basically like something is squeezing my stomach.... (which it is.) Does this tightness go away after a few more days, or is this super tight feeling what the band is always going to feel like? I'm done my 24hrs of clear fluids and am on to full liquids, but I'm having trouble with anything thicker than water/tea. I have no problem with water/tea/juice, I can take good sized sips and everything, but Soup or thinned yogurt I can only take a bite or two of and then it feels really tight again. And I get really burpy in between bites/sips of anything. Any advice on the tightness? Thanks!

Ooooh Peanut Butter sounds delicious right about now. But the idea of PB getting stuck in my band is a bit terrifying! I'm taking a couple weeks off of work. I had some time and didn't want to rush getting back into the swing of things, but already I am bored at home and can't wait to have more to do than just "recover." My next stage includes soft cooked eggs, yogurt, blended cottage cheese, thinned mashed potatoes, and thinned lowfat refried Beans, so I'm definitely looking forward to that!

Thanks everyone for the input. I had some lump-less soup tonight and it went down pretty well, so I'm just going to keep up the clear liquids and the other liquids that go down well. My surgeon did only have me on 24 hours of clear fluids and then move to full fluids, but the papers I have from him also say to eat what's tolerated, call if there's a problem, and otherwise, enjoy getting to know my new band So for now, tomato soup and decaf tea are my friends

I was banded yesterday! I wasn't nervous until I was in the pre-op room, but all the nurses, my surgeon, and the anesthesiologist are so nice that any jitters went away. They pumped me full of saline through an IV, gave me an antibiotic, and then propped me up for surgery and that's the last thing I remember. Upon waking there was quite a bit of pain, but they gave me some pain killers through the IV and about an hour later I was doing well, sipping watered down apple juice. I went home at 3pm, so 5 hours after my surgery started. Last night was a bit uncomfortable. I had a hard time sleeping laying down, so I mostly sat up on the couch and snoozed. I'm taking the Ovol (gas reducers) which help a lot, and I have some Tylenol III, but I'm finding it hard to swallow the pills (it's taking me an hour just to get down my regular meds), so my boyfriend went out for some liquid children's tylenol. I'm not in very much pain so I think that should do the trick. I'm happy to be on this side of the forum now! I'm on full liquids starting at noon today (yay!) and I am SO looking forward to a bit of tomato or strained mushroom soup! Thanks everyone for your support - looking forward to continuing this journey here!

My doctor told me to take something called simethicone as it's sole purpose it to reduce gas, and it's been working wonders (just since yesterday though). I can tell when it's time to take another dose as I start to feel like I need to burp/fart really bad (TMI sorry). I'm in Canada and it's called Ovol and it's over-the-counter. I'd ask your doc about it for sure as it works well.

Thanks everyone! I'm off to the surgical centre now to become a "Bandster." Nervous and excited. TTYL

I'm personally ignoring all the people, and there have been a lot, who tell me not to get the band or suggest that I can lose a few pounds on my own. As others have said, do your research, listen to your doctor, and know what's what. I'm 5'9" and just under 300lbs one day before surgery, and I wish I had gotten a band a year ago when everyone said "you don't look obese... maybe a bit overweight" even when my BMI was pushing 40.

Yay blueturtle! Glad to hear that you're doing well. I'm tomorrow morning at 10am, and I'm finally feeling a bit nervous. Excited, and I can't wait, but a wee bit nervous!

Congrats to all those who've been banded already this month. I'm super excited for Tuesday. So excited that I'm finding the pre-op diet (I'm on 5 Boost Diabetic shakes/day and that's it) to be relatively easy at this point! As of this morning I've lost 10.6 pounds on the pre-op diet! My boyfriend says he notices it around my middle already. I know that as I start eating again, the weight won't come off as quickly, but it's definitely motivating right now Cheers!

carriekos - I've experienced the same YUK with Boost Diabetic. Here are some mix-ins that I've found make the drinks more tolerable: Vanilla shake with lemon extract Vanilla shake with real vanilla extract Vanilla shake with maple extract Also good with vanilla shakes is mixing a tsp of instant coffee granules in a bit of hot water, then blending it up with the shake and some ice cubes. Like a vanilla latte Chocolate mix-ins that I've found improve the taste are almond extract, raspberry extract, and the instant coffee granules. Good luck, and honestly, the first 2-3 days of the pre-op diet are the hardest. It gets easier!

Congrats to everyone who's been banded already! I'm scheduled for the 14th - one week away and I am READY! I've lost just over 5 pounds on my pre-op diet. Hope that's a good number for me!

I start my pre-op diet the day after tomorrow! I think I'm more nervous about the pre-op than actually getting the band. Anyone else starting pre-op diets in the next couple of days? Any strategies for easing hunger during pre-op? I am stocked up on Vitamin Water Zero, and will get some diet soda as well.

I'll be joining in here for sure! Surgery is Jan. 14!

I'm a non-smoker, but my doctor was adamant that I not smoke, drink alcohol, or drink caffeine for 2 weeks before, and 8 weeks after surgery. In his opinion, nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol can irritate the site where the band is placed, and can interfere with healing after. He said that most of his band slippages are in people who drink, smoke, or drink caffeine within the few weeks after surgery. This was in some of the literature I was given too.

Good luck everyone! I'm getting banded on January 14 at 10:00am. I have a 2 week pre-op diet of only 900 cals a day (5 Boost diabetic per day). Seems quite extreme compared to some! My doctor is doing Lap-Bands with fewer incisions, and they need my liver as small as possible, is the reason for the 2 weeks.

@ RSifers - I also feel like this is going to be the challenge of a lifetime! I'm nervous, but excited and hopeful also. Have you January bandsters been telling people? I've been telling lots of friends and family about the procedure. The more people that know about my surgery, the more people I have in my "army" to support me. I'm going on vacation in a couple days, and at the end of my vacation I start the pre-op diet. What a start to the new year!

My surgery date is January 14, 2014. This is a great way to start a new year. I am so excited! Everything is ready to go - I've paid for the procedure, had my physical exam, had 2 dietitian appointments so far, and am starting my pre-op diet on Jan. 1. I'm in Winnipeg, MB.