gadgetlady

One other thought on this thread. Before I was banded, I would enlist my dh to assist me in limiting my sugar intake. I would purchase Reese's pb cups (my favorite) and he would hide them. Then when I had a craving, I would ask him and he would give me one pack (instead of the normal 2 or 3 I would eat if they were just in the pantry). Perhaps some of you can use this method with the things you want but you don't want to eat too much of?

Photo Nut, you and I think alike in more ways than one Happy to know you.

I had surgery on Monday and today I'm sitting up at my (home office) desk and working. I could probably handle a 1/2 day today if I were out of my home and in a regular "business" atmosphere.

ReneBean, why don't you put a small cooler (soft-sided) in your car with some blue ice? That way you could keep things in there all day. It wouldn't be good for things that need to be refrigerated, but for stuff that's OK to stay cool ("room temp") it would work. Then just bring the blue ice in from the car every night and freeze it overnight. I have TONS of soft-side cold bags. If you don't have one or can't get one, PM me and I can send you one.

I'm 4 days post-op and I can't get Jello down. I'm barely able to do Water, broth, etc. Since it's just swelling, there's really nothing I can do but keep trying to stay hydrated. What hurts the worst is when I have to burp. For some reason air coming UP hurts a lot more than Fluid going DOWN. wannabelean, I would suggest cutting out the sugared drinks. There are many better options than gatorade and slim-fast. Aquafina makes a great flavored water, as does Nestle. As for slim-fast-type products, you are much better off blending your own Protein drink with splenda. There's no reason to put the extra sugar in you -- even if you're not in the "losing weight" phase, there's no reason to take in empty calories if you can avoid it. It's not like gatorade and slim-fast are chocolate cake and candy bars -- they're really not that good!

Tons of gas was/is very normal for me. Blech. Use GasX if you can. You should try to drink as much as possible so you don't get dehydrated. Tiny sips but do it all day long.

Congrats on your surgery -- sorry you had such a tough time. I was banded on Monday and I can tell you the pain and discomfort gets better by the hour. Hang in there!

Hi Janet -- weigh in today and I'm down 12.2. Probably easier to keep the decimals out -- down 12!

My surgery was on 3 days ago, and ever since I've been having bloody noses. Not running blood, but when I blow blood comes out with the mucus. Anyone else have issues like this? Is it just a dehydration thing?

OK, this is going to sound strange, but did anyone wear underwear during surgery? It's going to be that time of the month for me and I'm wondering how to handle it.

No catheter here. I would have loved one post-op -- I hated straining my stomach muscles trying to get out of bed to make my way to the bathroom!

General anesthesia. Sent me home with a prescription for tylenol w/ codeine. It's been a lifesaver, both for the incision pain and for the backache from the hospital bed!

I would strongly recommend getting off the high-calorie beverages. Grape juice is nothing but sugar. Drink Water, or no-calorie flavored water. Never drink any milk unless it's nonfat. That will cut out a lot of sugar and calories for you every day. Have you tried eating any vegetables?

I drink Medi-fast mixed with 4 oz non-fat milk, 4 oz water, and 1 packet of splenda. 4 in a day gives me about 600 calories and 60 grams of protein. Then I can have some jello, popsicles, etc. I don't know where to buy medi-fast, though. What I have is left over from an old diet.

Well, the verdict is in. I wore my old, holey underwear and they made me take them off and put on the mesh things like you wear after you have a baby. They let me wear my own pad. Thank you to those of you who suggested I NOT wear a tampon. I would have had trouble reaching it to get it out. Thankfully, I was on day 4 of my cycle so there wasn't too much discharge. Oh! And they wouldn't let me wear socks either.:couch2:

Hey there! I believe Dr. Billy is in Ventura. I'm 2 days post op and I still hurt, but I think that's normal. I'm not on CLEAR liquids but all liquids, but I'm having trouble getting enough into me as it doesn't go down quickly enough. I've only managed 1 protein shake, 18 oz of water, and about 1/2 cup of clear broth so far today. I'm about to call my dr. and see if this is a problem.

I'm 2 days post op and am supposed to be on liquids (not clear) for 2 weeks. Diluted fruit juice, diluted cream of wheat, Soups (broth or low-fat cream), etc. I'm having a hard time getting anything down! I nursed a Protein drink for about 2 hours and barely finished 18 oz of Water so far today. I can't even IMAGINE being hungry right now, although I suppose my time will come. After my first 2 weeks, I'll have 2 weeks of mushies (tuna fish, cottage cheese, pureed fruits and veges, applesauce, etc.).

How long does it take to have a bowel movement? I'm so used to being regular -- I can't stand this! Anyone take juice Plus chewables? What about diluted prune juice? And just how much does this darned band weigh? I gained a pound in the hospital (I'm just kidding w/ this question -- I know it's a hydration/body Fluid issue).

Yay! The surgeon and recovery room staff said mine was one of the smoothest procedures and recoveries they've seen :eek: I had a lot of people praying for me. I have some abdominal pain, pretty much only in my port area, and a backache because of the uncomfortable bed. But other than that, I feel great! No vomiting, etc.; some nausea but it usually goes away when I burp. My lunch is here so I'm gonna go. Thanks for your prayers and support.

Thanks for doing this! I was down 10 lbs pre-surgery. I'll weigh myself tomorrow (2 days post-op).

I was banded just yesterday (Monday). No way I could go back to work tomorrow. Thursday's a possibility; I'll know more tomorrow (grin). Can you take another sick day or two? Or maybe go for an hour or two to help out?

Hey, date buddy! Congrats! Glad to hear it went so smoothly for you. I just got home today -- overnight in the hosp and the most pain I have is a backache from sleeping in the hospital bed. There's some pain around the port area and I'm moving slowly, but hapy to be on this side of surgery.

My surgery is next Monday 2/6, and I just finished writing a letter to my children in case something goes horribly wrong and I don't make it. Did anyone else do anything like this? I know the odds are pretty slim that something will happen, but I really felt led to put some of my hopes and desires for them down on paper. And now I'm sitting at my desk blubbering. How strong were everyone else's fears before surgery?

My dr's office recommended: 2 weeks prior to surgery: diet of no more than 800 cal/day, at least 60 grams of protein/day. Basically, Protein shakes to get the protein up there, and one salad of raw, non-starchy veges (lettuce, bell peppers, cucumbers, string Beans, etc.) with calorie-free salad dressing. 1 day before surgery: Clear liquids (sugar-free Jello, sugar-free popsicles, low-protein chicken broth) only. I'm on the last day today (surgery tomorrow) and I've lost more than 10 lbs. so far :puke:. But boy, is today tough! My stomach is rumbling . . . Good luck!

I'm on the last day of my 2-week pre-op diet, which was actually an 800-calorie, 60-grams of protein per day and unlimited veges. It wasn't too too bad, but today was awful! I'm soooo hungry. Clear liquids only, no protein at all. I just want to go to sleep so I don't have to deal with the hunger pangs LOL! Best of luck to you!