Deb2GetFit69

Willowcrown, It sounds like you're doing everything right except looking at the scale every single day. I know with my body I will not lose anything for days or even a week then all of a sudden, bam! I'm down 4 lbs. Sometimes it's your monthly cycle, or you've been eating salty foods retaing water (especailly if you're eating lots of cream soups). Also, make sure you're not taking in too much liquids. Even though you're on soft foods, you can still be taking in too many calories and fat. Make sure you start switching to lower fat foods now. Are you keeping a written diary of what you're eating? Try weighing yourself weekly instead of daily though. It's too much pressure to put on yourself to always be losing when you weigh in if it's daily. Also remember that your goal should be to lose weight healthy, which is over time. You're in this for the long run so there's no need to lose the whole thing overnight. It will come off if you keep up with all the guidelines. Good luck.

I am very nervous about having my first PB. How long after you eat something that doesn't sit well do you feel the need to pb? Is it immediate or like an hour later? I'm almost 2 weeks post-op and will soon be starting more solid foods and would like to know before I venture out what to expect. Would I have time to get to a bathroom?

But how soon after you eat the food that you have to pb? Is it immediate or does it take a while to go down and give you signs that its stuck?

My doctor said he used to restrict diet soda intake but now allows it only when on solids and if tolerated. He said it used to be thought that the carbonation would erode the band but they found that it does not. However, he said it may make me too gassy so it's really indicivudal, just like some people can't eat meat, others can't eat chicken, some can't drink diet soda. I am 10 days post op and personally can't wait to start the diet coke again (caffeine free) but I have to admit that before surgery I would drink about a 64oz bottle a day and thought I would go crazy missing it but I weaned off of it about a week before surgery and it's been really okay without it. You have to try it once you're fully healed and see if you can tolerate it, like everything else.

SOme things help but time will is the major factor with this. You do not indicate if your pain is gas, nausea, bloating or incisional. Everyone seems to experience a different proportion of each of these. For me, the incisional pains were nothing compared to the gas and bloating so the pain meds did not help me and actually made it worse. Small sips of fluids throughout the day, moving around every couple of hours for about 10 mins each, changing positions frequently, laying on my non-port side with a heating pad intermittently, Tums and Pepcid Complete got me through it. Hang in there. In a wekk you'll be responding to new banders with your advice on how you made it through. I relied on this discussion forum for a full week and am now happy to be able to share that I made it, feel good and want to help others.

Angelface, Unfortunately my understanding is that the pain meds help with the incisional pain only and actually make gas pain worse. You have to weigh what is bothering you more, gas pain or incisional pain. If its the incisional pain then by all means take the pain meds if needed. But the pain meds tend to make you constipated which does not allow anything to come out easily, including gas, so if the gas and bloating is worse than your incisional pain I would try stop taking the pain meds and take Pepcid COmplete (must be the Complete for some reason). It can take up to 48 hrs for the pain meds residual effects to leave your body so if the plan is to discontinue then do it sooner than later. I felt better the night I fianlly stopped my pain meds as the gas was finally able to work itself out and I was also alot less nauseaus. Good luck and it will get better every day.

Okay, I just had to reply to this one. I remember I thought I was going to die. Not kidding or exaggerating either. I knew only time was going to help but the hours dragged on for what felt like centuries and I was horribly uncomfortable/in pain with a combination of severe gas and bloating and nauseau to boot. I had to keep changing positions on the chair and couldn't lay still for more than a few minutes in any positions. I know everyone says the walking helps, and I think it does, but it's so hard to walk when you're that gassy. I felt and looked like I was 9 months pregnant. The gas felt like it was pushing every organ outside of my body and something was going to bust through sooner or later. I swallowed Tums all day, and truly only time did the trick. I am now 8 days out and still have some residual gas but it is just more of a nuisance now (to me and my coworkers :crying:) and I'm still swollen but look more like 5 months pregnant rather than 9. The best news is that I am 18 lbs down in 3 weeks and I'm still not hungry yet. It really took until day 6 for me to feel better and it was almost as if I finally woke up in the morning feeling I was able to get out of bed without rolling and hurting myself and pee without leaning forward to find the right spot. What felt best was laying on my side opposite my port with a very mushy pillow under my belly and with a heating pad for 30 mins on and 30 mins off. I also developed acid reflux which I never had so that just added insult to injury. I would also cease all pain meds and just go to Tylenol. If you're like me, take the pain of the incisions over the gas pain which was also being held in by the pain med. I hope this helps and to let you know to hang in there and it will get better. I am even exercising now and the more I move about now the more the gas comes out.

I'm down about 16 lbs... banded on 4/16 and 2 wks pre-op low carb diet.

I was in the same boat- the Percocet made my gas pain and bloating more comfortable (barely) but it made me nauseaus. If I went without the Percocet then the gas pain and bloating were intolerable. Only time seemed to help and my doc took me off Percocet and said to just use the Xtra Strength Tylenol. I'm glad I did because I feel better without the nausea. The gas is finally escaping too, little by little. I am still bloated and look 7 months pregnant and sore but I can move around now without wanting to pass out from the pain. I had major spine surgery less than a year ago and was back at work in a week. This surgery really threw me for a loop but everyday does get better. I was planning on going back to work tomorrow but I'm just not sure I'm ready. I'm still in turtle speed, especially in the morning so I'll have to wait and see how today goes.

My doc said not to remove the band aids until they start to fall off on their own. The longer the incisions are protected, the quicker the healing and less scarring. To the person wanting to take a bath, I don't think it's a good idea as the incisional area for the port should still be kept as dry as possible and a bath would allow Water to seep in. Just my suggestion.

When were you banded?

I'm having the same problem as I was just banded Wed 4/16 later in the evening. I thought I was going to absolutely die yesterday as even breathing was difficult. On top of the gas I had really bad nausea so although the pain meds helped the gas it made my nausea worse. I was way too weak to walk and felt so dizzy so I just tried to sleep it off as best I could. I found a position on my right side with a pillow under my belly that helped. I am much better today, day 3, still some gas and nausea but I can now talk on the phone, walk around and even get down a little Soup. Tums XStrength seemed to help my bloating and I took two at a time up to 8 a day as you're allowed.

Was your banding recent? Do you think you had a virus or was it from the band?

Hi, Yes losing te diet coke was hard for me too but after the first few days I got more used to it. I always carry around a water bottle with plenty of Crystal Light to Go as I hate plain water. I also carry around lots of Splnda packets for restaurants to sweeten the unsweetened tea. I'm told that I may be able to drink the diet soda again after my surgery and that some people can handle it and some can't. But I'm going to try and avoid it. Just like smoking... I had to quit cold turkey and I know that. You can do it too. It's a small price to pay to be thin. Try buying different kids of diet drinks such as the ToGo packets, flavored water, diet Snapple and Diet OrangeAde in the can. I'm actually liking it (and saving money too). My surgery is in 2 days.

I think everyone's doctor is different... my doctor said it's okay to have soda if I can tolerate it. Some people can and some can't. It used to be thought the carbonation would erode the band but they're finding it's not the case. As far as alcohol, he said it's fine but it's liquid calories so I have to watch elsewhere... and never dronk alcohol with food. I'm told that the alcohol effects you more though so you'll drink less anyway. Probably because there's less in your stomach to absorb it an also your body size is decreasing, so be careful with it, espeically if driving. One drink will effect you more than it used to he said. So basically you can try almost everything before and see what you can tolerate.

Actually, my doctor put me on a pre-op low carb diet, not a liquid diet. He feels weight is lost quicker on a low carb diet than on a liquid. I am glad about that as I can eat low fat cheese and eggs and all the proten I love so it makes it that much easier. I haven't read of anyone else though being on a low carb pre=-p diet besides me.

Best of luck. My surgery date is also on 4/16 so we'll be going this together! My doc did not put me on a liquid diet, just a low carb one for two weeks.