CherieRyde

I really hope that things go well for you in your journey. We are here to support you as you go through it. That being said ... please do me a favor. Explain to your so supportive husband that this is NOT the easy way. There's nothing easy about being on a liquid diet for 2 weeks pre-op while you are still cooking regular food for your family. There's nothing easy about making the decision to permanently alter your lifestyle for the sake of your health. There's nothing easy about laying in the bed waiting for time to go into the OR. There's nothing easy about dealing with the post-op pain with only tylenol to dull it a little. There's nothing easy about having to rely on someone else to do EVERYTHING for you (including driving) for 2 weeks while you recover. There's nothing easy about finding a way to still be able to eat with your family when they want things that are NOT on your diet. There's nothing easy about making yourself stick to the exercise plan when you are so tired/sore/brain dead that all you want to do is go to sleep. This is NOT any easier than any other diet. The band is a tool like weights or a treadmill. Nothing more.

I was told that my medications from now on need to be crushed, liquid, or water soluble otherwise there's a chance that ulcers or other complications can develop. I'd cal your surgeons after hours line and see what he/she says.

The picture didn't come through. :/

YAY!! I'm so happy for you! Stay connected, PM me anytime you want to chat .. I'll get back to you as soon as I get the message.

My husband told his boss that he'd be working from home for at least two weeks after my surgery. My surgeon and the nursing staff told us several times that even though this is an out patient surgery, it IS a major surgery and that I need to take it easy. When I told my surgeon that my son wanted to know how long we have to wait before we can go swimming. He very pointedly told me that there will be NO swimming or any other heavy / strenuous activity until he releases me. He made it clear that he would begin making these decisions at my 2 week post-op appointment. So. Yes. you over did it. You need to sit back and relax while your other family members take care of things. That includes driving.

Burning/stinging reminds me of an allergic reaction .... but then since the thing is in ME, and they know that I have a metal allergy ... then it's likely not that. I think it's just the healing process. But if you are concerned about it, I'd mention it to your surgeon.

I'm eating (well ... drinking) cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup this week. When i get to the chunky bits, I just make sure that I chew them well before swallowing. To be honest, the bits are SO small that I can't see them being an issue at all.

Hey there pre-op newbies! I know that you have a TON of questions about what to expect, and what you can do to make life easier post-op. I'm only 3(or is it 4?) days post-op, and I've learned so MANY things that I wish I had been aware of pre-op. I will share these things with you and invite other post-op newbies to add their advice so that you can hopefully have a little easier time. 1) Stock up on broth, Propel, RTD Protein shakes, and children's liquid Tylenol NOW. Remember, you are supposed to drink 3 Protein drinks a day. 2) Clear out that colon the night before your surgery. If you aren't comfortable with the idea of an enema, then stay on a liquid ONLY diet for the last two days. Otherwise, an enema before bed time is highly advisable. The medications they pump into you during surgery in addition to the pain meds post op dry everything up. Trust me ... you do NOT want to be constipated post op. That pain just adds to the other pains you will be experiencing. 3) Make a little nest out of a recliner for yourself. Laying down in bed sounds like a grand idea ... until you need to get up to go to the bathroom. There are so many muscle groups that are supported by your abs .... things you never IMAGINED were connected in any way. Trust me. It's easier to get out of the recliner. 4) Walk up and down your hallway as soon as you can tolerate it, but do NOT try to go to the store with anyone. You will want to go if only to get out of the house. BAAAD idea. Sit on your patio/deck/porch if you want a change of scenery. 5) If you can, don't let your self get too hungry. Keep going with the fluids. Just be careful to not over do it. It's a hard balance to find, but find it. Dry heaving because you are too hungry sucks just as much as throwing up because you drank too much. 6) Make sure that you have someone who can help you out for the first week at least. I'd be a WRECK right now if my husband hadn't arranged to work from home for the first 2 weeks post-op. 7) Pain is going to be a constant companion for a few days. There are different things causing the pain, but it all hurts. You have incisions (I have 5 of them) in your abdomen, they pumped you full of gas so that they can see everything and may not have gotten all of it out, you have the band and port (aka foreign bodies) taking up space where there was nothing before, and you will be hungry. There's really no way to prep for this. The only advice I have is to stay on top of your meds. This WILL pass ... it's just going to suck a little while you recover. 8) Connect with someone who has already been through it. One of my biggest supporters is a lady who had the Gastric Sleeve done earlier this year. She shared her experiences with me, and they have been pretty much on par with what I'm going through now. Just this morning I pinged her on FB and said "Emily .... I got desperate because it HURT ... and I gave myself an enema. 4 DAYS of constipation .." and she knew exactly what I was talking about. She is simply amazing. So, yeah ... connect with someone that you can ping at any moment. 9) Beware of your "enemies". Their names are : Burps, laughter, hiccups, nausea, extreme temperatures, and laying all the way down (ie without extra pillows to keep you propped up). I call them your enemies because they WILL make you hurt. It's all part of the recovery process. this won't last forever, so keep your head up. You can do this. 10) Remember that this pain is only TEMPORARY. Seriously. So far, this has felt like the longest 3-4 days ever. BUT. The end is in sight. I know that I can make it through this. You can too. Does anyone else have something to add?

I have to say .... I'm glad you asked your questions. I was also banded on 7-30, and am SICK of the liquid diet. I feel like I'm ready for the mushy diet and a larger flavor profile. My doc said that I'm allowed to have puddings, yogurts, and things of similar textures .... but not baby food yet. That confuses me.

My husband LOVES Giordano's. I guess it's a Chicago thing. Me? I actually like Papa John's. But now, that will be too doughy. I guess it hit me simply because I'm still on the liquid post-op diet, the guys had frozen pizzas for dinner tonight, and we are ordering pizzas for my son's adoption finalization party this Saturday. (My husband is adopting my son tomorrow. It's very exciting for all of us)

The cramps may be just constipation. For me, today is POO ALL THE THINGS day. Gross, I know. However .. after so many days of being constipated and being on a liquid diet this whole time .... it's bound to happen when the cork pops so to speak. I was constipated for 4 days post op. That's not an issue anymore. The lower belly is still tender though. I'm hoping that as healing continues, this will include the way my lower belly feels. The good news is ... I've lost a whole pound since I woke up this morning.

@@ashleyann1405 That's a question you really need to ask your surgeon and Nutritionist. The diets are pretty specific, and the pre-op diet is purposely restrictive.

Just keep sipping, Sweetheart. Change up the flavors as often as possible so that you don't get too bored. That's all I've got for ya. *hugs*

How long are you on clear liquids? The thing I did to get through the "I WANT TO EAT ALL THE THINGS" phase is sip liquids constantly through the day. Thankfully I'm on a liquid diet, not a clear liquid one, so I get to have things like Cream of chicken Soup now. It's MUCH easier getting that full feeling with Cream of whatever soup.

I'm still a newbie myself, but I'm happy to help anytime you have questions about experiences.

Good luck!!

ALL of us have different experiences with this. So rather than telling you that it's a magical thing that works wonders, I'm going to tell you what it DOES do for me. I'm only a few days post-op, but I am already seeing positive changes. 1) I'm learning the difference between being satisfied and over full. The difference is ... being satisfied means that I'm not HUNGRY, but my brain says "You can handle maybe one more sip." 99% of the time, if I take that one more sip, then 3 minutes later my stomach is screaming "You IDIOT! WHY did you do that? Now we want to PUKE!" 2) I'm thinking more about the things I'm putting in my body and making better choices. Sure, I could drink Koolaide, eat Jello, and nibble on thinned out mashed potatoes because I WANT them. However, deciding to drink Propel (same flavor as Koolaide but has Vitamins added), eating the prescribed Protein rich pudding, and sipping on cream of chicken Soup so that I get the right nutrients is a MUCH better choice. 3) I remind myself that I didn't go through the hassle, expense and PAIN of surgery just to screw it up over making the same bad decisions. The lap band is a tool that I wanted and needed .... so I'd better make use of it. 4) I have to remind myself that it IS a tool. Nothing more. It's like ... a jump rope, walking shoes, or weights. When used properly, it works. When ignored .... well .. nothing works when you ignore it. 5) No one said that this was going to be easy. HOLY COW! The Pre-op diet is enough to remind you of that. But I'm less than a week post-op, and I'm reminded of how easy it's NOT with every twist, turn, sip, and (oh dear God help me) burp. This is a LIFESTYLE change. Either you are in it for the long haul, or you are looking for a quick and easy fix. If you want the quick and easy, this is NOT it. So yeah ... this is what I remind myself of every time I want to complain about any part of it. Also .. I'm doing this for ME. For my health. To feel comfortable in my own skin. Am I worth all that I'm dealing with and the choices I have to make? Hell yeah, I am. Good luck!

There has GOT to be a decimal point missing somewhere in there! $11,000 is WAY too much for a tube of cream. $110.00 is bad enough .... but $11,000??

We can take GAS-X??!!?? OMG! Why did no one tell me of this wonderful thing before?? Time to send the hubby back to the store!

Along this same vent (in addition to wanting comfy things to wear post-op), I bought 5 comfy dresses made of t-shirt type material before I started my pre-op diet. By the time I was ready to walk into the hospital for surgery, I had lost enough INCHES that my dresses are now comfortably baggy. I figure that as I loose, I can take in the dresses MUCH easier than i can shorts or jeans

So, sleep last night sucked. I woke up at least very 4 hours if not more. I expected to hurt, but I didn't expect ti be so very hard to get out of bed just to go to the bathroom. Also, rolling over in my sleep is a NO NO. What advice do you guys have for getting a better night's sleep and getting up to potty?

Are you on a strict liquid only diet, or do you have shakes for Breakfast and lunch with a veggie snack am and pm, and a small dinner? With mine, I learned that sticking to a STRICT feeding schedule and drinking as much Water as I could get in me in between feeding times helped a lot.

How are you feeling?

Thanks, everyone! We have a husband pillow that my hubby put on my side of the bed to give me more support while sleeping. With that, my two regular pillows, and the back support pillow that I use for long drives in the car ... I managed to get pretty comfortable. The only downside is that I'm now at the point where I'm STARVING and woke up every hour on the hour for a couple more sips on my Protein Shake ... or to potty. Usually both. I'm looking forward to this gas to finish working it's way out. I feel like I need to burp, but nothing happens. Soon ... right?

The pain isn't as bad as the change in your sleep patterns. Last night I was awake every hour on the hour NEEEDING to sip on a protein shake. Yes, it hurts, but I'm told that by a week post-op we'll feel much better.