Lauren87

My surgeon also doesn't recommend it, but I'm sure people in my program still use it. They don't encourage the use because it's acidic and can contribute to ulcers. Also, they think that caffeine can stimulate the stomach...but I haven't looked at any research about this. I do like coffee, but haven't had it since surgery, but I don't see why a cup now and then should be an issue.

Thank you for the correction.

I'm really fond of fish (both Salmon and Orange Roughy). Does your program have a nutritionist? The only reason I ask is because they might be able to give you some tips. In contrast with Jodi, my program doesn't really encourage fibrous vegetables (although, this is not to say that they should be avoided, do what your progam suggests, if they have feelings about them) and says that they will be hard to digest and might not be easily tollerated. If we're going to eat vegatables, they recomment green Beans, carrots, mushrooms, beets, broccoli and cauliflower (tips only), canned/cooked, peeled tomatoes. Also, they want us to avoid raw vegatables for the first 6 months post-op. I hope that helps!

My program says that hair thinning is not uncommon and shows up in the 4th or 5th month post op and can last for 2-3 months, but the hair usually grows back. My program also adds that the thinning can be caused by rapid weight loss, a low Protein and zinc diet, or just the trauma of the surgery. I'm sure this is an unpleasant side effect (I would be just as upset as you are!), but it will subside. Keep your head up.

I haven't tried either, but I thought I'm chime in on the pickles. My surgeon won't allow is to have pickles until day 23 post op and even then, the pickles are supposed to be peeled. Just something to consider when you get to the point of trying them out. :thumbdown: Best of luck!

Cathy, I know that this process can seem like an eternity, believe me! When I decided I wanted to get the lapband, it was June 2007. Because of insurance hoops and switching insurance companies, and going through my own programs requirements, I didn't have surgery until two years later. I was banded last month--almost two years to the date. It's quite amazing how surreal things are now that I'm actually banded, because I never thought this time would come. If nothing else, you will be so much more prepared for the surgery than those who have surgery relatively quickly after they decide to have the procedure (at least you'll have a lot of time to think about everything). Hang in there, it's worth it! December is not that far away!

For me, I feel as though my program allows for a pretty quick progression. The day of surgery and days 1-3 I was on clear liquids and Protein drinks. On days 4-7 I was allowed to add things like V8, yogurt, and Diet Splash. Days 8-22 allow me to eat things like deli meats, fish, canned tuna, refried Beans, cottage cheese, etc. On days 23-35 things such as chicken and pork (fork tender) can be added as well as cheeses and black beans.

I had surgery a week ago, June 26th. The night after surgery I had a bad wave of nausea and called the surgeon and he called in a prescription for the nausea. I took the small pill and was back to my normal self. Yesterday, I started having some mild nausea again--and it's a constant nausea, so I know it's not because I'm drinking/eating too fast. I called my surgeon's office and they said that it could be a 'normal' thing because of all the liquids and to add some soft solid foods into my diet. I did as instructed, but still had the nausea (and not to the point where I actually feel as if I'm going to heave--it's just always in the background). So, I went to bed, hoping that it would be better in the morning, but it's still here. Has anyone else had this problem?

TopTier: Yes, I have the pills that are prescribed for every 6hrs and I have been taking them since the nausea started yesterday. However, they don't seem to be helping much. I should have mentioned this before, sorry. I'm glad to hear that you're feeling better! It gives me some of hope that things will get better. Being a week out, I too, thought that I would be feeling better--and I was feeling great on day 4 post-op (which is why I find it bizarre that things took a turn for the worse on day 5). I'd love it if it was just gas build up, that would be a lot more reassuring. I suppose I'll continue to take the nausea meds. and hope things get better. Thanks for the reply!

greytz: Thanks for the reply. I have thought that maybe I have a stomach bug as my intestines don't seem to be too happy either. It could be something of that sort--but of course, my mind immediately goes to "oh my gosh there's something wrong with my band!!" Hopefully the symptoms get better. Thanks for your input!

Nina, I had surgery last Friday (June 26th) and went back to school on Monday (three days post-op). Now I know that work and school are not the same, but I am in a laboratory, so some amount of walking and sitting are required. I can't say how you'll do, I can only speak from my experience, but I'll tell you that I was fine. While I did have quite a bit of discomfort when driving, I made it through my two classes just fine. However, if you've had other surgeries that took you a while to heal, you might not heal as quickly. If you are able to take some time off from work, I would say to take off Monday and Tuesday--I'm functioning, but not 100%. A lot of this will just depend on how you feel after your surgery--ask your surgeon what he thinks and listen to your body. Best of Luck!

Hi all! I was banded this past Friday (June 26) by Dr. Stanley Hoehn. I woke up the morning of surgery and arrived at the hospital at 7:30 for a 9:45am surgery. I was taken up to a pre-op room where I had my blood pressure taken, my IV was started, I took a pill to coat the inside of my stomach, got a shot in my stomach to help with blood clots, got compression garments put on, and changed into a gown. My parents then came up to see my and stayed with me until about 9:00. During that time, the anesthesiologist came by and so did the surgeon. Then, very quickly, the nurses came by, wheeled me to the operating room and I was instructed to move over onto a table where they untied my gown. Once on the table, they placed a mask over my face, had me stretch my arms out, and I was a goner. (Apparently the surgery only took 30 min. and everything went great) Upon waking up, I felt quite a bit of pain in my upper stomach. So, when asked to rate my pain I mustered out a "10." After receiving some pain medicine, I was in recovery for about an hour until I was taken down to my room. Once there, I was hooked up to an oxygen monitor and IV. To be honest, I was very, very sleepy and just wanted to go back to sleep. However, when I tried to go back to sleep, my oxygen would dip and the respiratory therapist would come by and tell me I needed to take deed breathes. Then, for whatever reason, I was frightened by this breathing thing (I'm going to guess it was because I was afraid I was going to stop breathing). Once comfortable in my room, my parents came in and so did a nurse who was monitoring my pain and IV. At about 2pm. I was still pretty woozy from the anesthesia, but was asked to get up and see if I could walk a little. As soon as I tried, I became horribly nauseas. So, I laid back down and was given some anti-nausea medicine. About an hour later, they wanted me to try again, but it ended in the same result. So, I was given a pain medicine/anti-nausea shot in my leg. I went back to lay down and slept. Finally, about 4pm. I was able to get up and walk a little. During this time, a portable x-ray came down to make sure my band was in place and all of that fun stuff. Once the x-rays came back, I was finally able to drink! YAY! After this, I was also encouraged to go to the bathroom. I was still having quite a bit of pain in the evening, mostly on my left side, so we decided that I would stay the night in the hospital and be hooked up to a morphine pump. My parents left about 8:45pm and I was asleep shortly after. I was monitored overnight (e.g. blood pressure, temperature, etc) and woke up at about 5:30 the next morning feeling so much better. On Saturday morning, I was able to move around a lot better and the pain was much more tolerable. I was taken off the morphine pump and given liquid viactin and walked quite a bit. My parents arrived at 7:30 and I was discharged at about 9:30 that morning. I came home and all was great--until the nausea set in. I'm not sure what triggered it--it had to have been the SF bomb pop or the unjury chicken Soup broth. Either way, I was almost in a panic because I really did feel like I was going to throw up. So, my mom calls the surgeon’s PA and he tells me that he won't send out any anti-nausea medication and it was probably just too much liquid at one time. However, the nausea intensifies an hour later and I was almost to the point of throwing up. So, my mom calls the surgeon's answering service again and this time the surgeon calls us back. He agreed to send out a prescription and about an hour after I took it, I was feeling much better--but it was a very scary 2 hrs. I had another decent night of sleep on the couch and woke up this morning in a little pain, but not much. As far as the gas pains go, they've been mostly in my chest--which means I've been burping a lot. However, I think they're moving south because my intestines are starting to rumble. So, I keep the gas-X strips handy and take one every few hours. All in all, the surgery wasn't too bad--the most frightening thing was definitely the nausea at home. My pain has been pretty good, so I plan on going back to school tomorrow (I'm taking summer classes) and I'm hoping it won't be too bad.

Thank you!

Hi! As I am a twenty-something, I thought I'd throw myself out there and introduce myself to the other twenty-somethings that have been banded or plan on getting banded. So, here I am! I'm scheduled for surgery on June 26th and start my pre-op liquid diet this Friday. :cursing: I'm a bit nervous about being on liquids for 21 days (along with the surgery in general), (14 before and 7 after surgery) but I know how important it is in preparation for the surgery--no pain, no gain, right? Being able to come to this forum has been great, especially in preparing for the day of surgery and the liquid diet. Seeing that others have been through the same thing makes this whole process a lot less scary. Thank goodness for all of you out there supporting each other, it's amazing. Congratulations to those of you who are well on your way to a healthier you and to those of you who are patiently awaiting banding. :sad: --Lauren

Cheifs50: Congrats on your day; your date is the day before mine! Best of luck along the journey!

It's good to hear that, so far, things are going really well. Like I said, the first two days were the hardest for me. I'm no expert, but I think your body will try to hold on to the weight for a few days...mine held on to it days 3-4, but it will eventually give in and realize that you're going to be in starvation mode for a while. For me, the most dramatic day was day 1 to 2 where I lost 6 lbs.! Now, it's usually a pound or two a day. As for the starving thing, it does go away. I was really hungry for the first three days, but now it's just a constant slight felling of hunger (but totally manageable). Sometimes, I don't even want to drink the Protein shake (because I'm not in love with the flavor), I know I need to because when I've skipped, I've felt horrible. I think it's great that you've been such a trooper so far! Just keep the positive mindset and you'll be just fine!

Chantel, Wow, that's quite a bold move to put yourself on the liquid diet. I'm not sure if I could do it if I was not required to! :bored: So, I think it's great that you have that kind of strength. I'm sure that you'll lose the 10-15 by go time...at least with my experience with the liquid diet. Obviously I'm at a higher starting weight, but I lost 10lbs in the first three days (however, now my body fears there's something terribly wrong and is holding on to everything for dear life haha). I'm sure you'll do wonderfully! Keep us posted!

Oh you can do it! The first two days were really though for me--I felt horrible, but it get's better. By day three, and now four, my body has adjusted and I'm feeling better. I won't lie and say that it's easy or that I'm not hungry or that I don't want to eat regular food, but I haven't caved. For me, a lot of this is will power. As long as I get my Protein in, I'm not actually hungry, but I feel the need to eat when studying, etc. I don't know, for me, I think I'm learning when my eating triggers are and am fighting through them during this phase. Bottom line: if you can make it though the next day or two, you can do anything! You'll be in my thoughts next week!:bored: