loser2014

Sometimes life gets in the way of our best intentions. I seriously doubt you have "blown it". You have 4 more days to stick to your doc's instructions religiously. You can do this. Good luck and let us know how it goes post-op.

I had a weight watchers lasagna for lunch today. I didn't have any trouble with it getting stuck but it seems to be just sitting in my stomach uncomfortably and not digesting very well. Is this why they say we should avoid Pasta with the band? Is this a common reaction to eating pasta? It feels sort of like it did last week when I tried french fries.

Hi. Thank you for sharing your experience! It is interesting to read about others in the same boat. I am 18 days postop and I'm having a slightly different experience than you. While I felt what I thought was restriction for the first couple weeks postop, or maybe it was just fear, I am not feeling much restriction at this point. I probably could eat a burger and fries if I wanted to as long as I chewed it up enough. In fact, I did try french fries last week and they sat in my stomach like a rock, so I will probably be avoiding those in the future for that reason. However, I am not feeling yet like the band is forcing me to restrict my food choices in any way. All of my food restriction is by choice. I am hoping that changes with my first fill Which is scheduled for 11/13. When is your first fill?

Check very carefully with the insurance companies directly for the plans you are considering. I purchased health insurance through the marketplace last year in Missouri. There are only two providers: Blue Cross and Coventry. Both specifically exclude bariatrics from all available policies. It varies by state.

But....what's the difference between chewing your food to an applesauce consistency and eating applesauce. I'm not trying to be a brat. I'm actually curious. How does your stomach know if your food was pureed by a blender or by your molars and saliva.

I am 2 weeks post op and am also traveling, so have started on regular foods sooner than recommended. The reason I am not worried about this is everything (eggs, chicken, even Pasta and bread) had gone down easily and stayed down. The only sliming episode I have had was when I took a Vitamin on an empty stomach and even that stayed down. I guess what I am saying is if you are having problems with solid foods, go back to liquids/purees. Buy one of those mini blenders and order soups when you are out. Everyone's body is different and it sounds like you are eating too much too soon for yours.

I'm 11 days post op and started with blended Soups at 4 days post op. i quickly moved on to purees and soft foods as I haven't had any problems tolerating anything. I'm not saying its right for everyone, but it is working for me. I'd be happy to never see another Protein shake as long as I live. Good luck.

I'm just starting week 2 post-op and feel so much better than those first few days. Don't worry so much about protein. Just drink as many fluids as you can and let your body heal. In a few days, you'll be feeling great.

I would do it before you start the liquid diet. They really don't want you to have any solid food in your system when they operate, so I personally wouldn't risk breaking your pre-surgical diet with a big blow-out meal.

Of course people schedule a "last supper"! I found out on a Wednesday that my surgery (band) would be the following Wednesday. We went out that night to our favorite pizza place so I could start the liquid diet right after. Totally normal. Don't go crazy but treat yourself. The pre- and post- surgical diets are a long slog. Start it off with a good memory.

Wow. Absolutely amazing! Congratulations.

Least invasive surgery with lowest rate of life threatening complications & lowest price (I'm a cash pay).

One of the most eye-opening moments for me was when no one I told that I was having WLS said I was not big enough for the surgery. I knew I was overweight at 5'7" 260 pounds, but I guess see the old skinnier me when I look in the mirror. It was a revelation that not a single person tried to talk me out of it (not that they would have been successful).

Hi Ashley. I had my band surgery on October 8 also!! I was also a little shocked at the amount of pain I felt for the first several days following surgery. Now that I'm on day four it has subsided a bit but as the day wears on it is getting a bit worse. The thing that seems to be helping me most is sleeping upright in a recliner. It is getting in and out of bed that seems to be stretching the incisions and causing the most pain for me. In the recliner I don't need to contort myself to get in and out of it and so the pain seems to be lessening quite a bit. Give yourself plenty of time to heal, continue to take your pain meds, drink as much liquid as you can, and sleep as much as you can. In a few days I'll bet you'll be feeling much better. Good luck.

Good luck! You'll do fine. Expect some pain and discomfort afterwards, but you'll get through it. I'm 4 days post-op, so if you have any questions afterward, don't hesitate to ask.

I can't wait to be able to shop in my own closet. Having gained 85 lbs over the last 5 years, I have plenty of current barely-worn clothing that I love and can't wait to wear again!

Unfortunately, I don't have many suggestions for you but I feel the same way. I am getting most of my calories at 4-days postop from blended Soups because I cannot take all the artificial sweeteners in the Protein drinks and shakes. As far as Water, I put a tiny squirt of Mio in it to change the taste. I'm sure that has artificial sweeteners in it also but I'm not using very much. I'm looking forward to the time when I can eat "real" foods again. I plan to steer clear of the artificial sweeteners as much as possible.

Amazing! I hope to do as well!

My surgical oncologist recommended the band to me. I don't agree that getting most of my stomach removed is "healthier" than getting a band, but everyone needs to make the decision that's best for them. Let's respect that.

I had surgery this past Wednesday. Today is Saturday and I'm still having a fair amount of pain at the port site. I'm also super low energy from being on the low calorie liquid diet now for about two weeks. To be safe, I would allow yourself at least a week after surgery before doing anything exhausting. Two weeks in my opinion would be preferable. Best of luck to you.

I cannot concentrate on anything other than the rumbling in my tummy! Just clear broth and sugar-free beverages for me yesterday an today, and I am ravenous! My surgery is first thing tomorrow morning. I had a little pity party this afternoon thinking of all my favorite foods I probably won't be able to enjoy anymore like sandwiches on crusty french bread, pizza, rice, Pasta. Tears were shed. Children were snapped at through no fault of their own. Sigh. I need this day to end!

I'm glad for the support of this site and to read everyone's experiences. I'm only one day post-op and was already getting frustrated with the amount of pain that I still have. It's comforting to see that it's normal to have pain for days or even weeks, although I hope I don't!

Update: I had my surgery on Wednesday at 7:30 in the morning. By about 3 o'clock I felt great and was ready to go home. Then around 4:00 I got a terrible headache and overwhelming nausea. Walking and the drug Reglan seemed to help a bit and I finally got home around 8 o'clock last night. Today, I'm just hanging out in bed taking pain pills and napping. I have to admit, there is more pain than I expected. And I have had many 'what have I done to myself' thoughts since yesterday. Hoping the pain lessens in the next few days and can get on with life!

I'm getting banded tomorrow. I am 5'7" and my starting weight was around 262. I have lost 3 lbs on my 5 day liquid pre-op diet. Most of my excess weight (to the tune of about 85 lbs) has come on following a series of traumatic events 5 years ago. I don't eat a lot of unhealthy foods. I just eat too large quantities of fairly healthy foods. I chose the lap band because I am hoping it will be an effective tool to get my appetite under control so that I can eat smaller quantities of the healthy foods that I enjoy. I didn't give much serious consideration to the sleeve or the bypass, as I wanted the least invasive solution with the lowest rate of life-threatening complications. The objection I see many people raise about having a "foreign object" In their body doesn't scare me, as I have Allergan breast implants from a mastectomy and they have given me absolutely no trouble at all. I wish you the best of luck in your decision. I commend you for doing this research early on. I hope it helps you to figure out what if any W LS surgery is right for you.

I have been gradually losing my sweet tooth over the years and find myself totally repulsed by pretty much all the Protein drinks I've tried. I am on the pre-op liquid diet and have been eating a lot of broth based Soups because I just can't stomach the shakes. I've also 'cheated' with some non-liquid Medifast meals like sloppy joe (110 cal/11 g protein/1.5 fat) and hard boiled eggs to get protein. I'm worried about not getting enough protein post-op. Any ideas for savory liquid high-protein foods?