LindaD

I don't know how I could possibly have a #2 - it's been DAYS since I've had anything but liquids. Surely anything in there would have come out before the pre-op liquids, right? (I'm picturing it parked in my large intestine quaking with fear "Oh, god, what do we do? What the hell is going on up there? Should we just stay here or move the troops forward? Nothing makes any sense any more - they're changing the game up there and I don't understand!!" - evidently, I imagine myself with quite lively and intelligent poop, which may be my first mistake...)

Today is the first day I've not had the gas pains. There may be a little bit left in there, but not enough to bother me. I have been walking every day, gently and slowly, on my treadmill. I know that helps because, um, I can feel the gas exiting during/after my exercise. Also, even just turning over in bed at night has 'moved it through'. Today I felt great. I didn't nap - wasn't overwhelmingly tired anymore. I only had a spritz of pain meds twice, once at 7AM and once at 5PM. I think I'll forego them from here out. Headaches are gone, too. I'm not at all interested in pushing it on the eating plan - I'm too scared to mess something up. But my hunger, which has been quiet for the last 3 days, is definitely back. 3 more days of Clear Liquids and then I go to full liquids.

Today is the first day I didn't take multiple naps. I worked from home (just phone and email) and I made it through the whole day! I think I'll go to the office tomorrow... maybe.

You were banded 10 days before me and I'm feeling it. Egads - so hungry! It's so soon for me, though, that I'm not even tempted to push the limits. I really want to keep things gentle there and let it heal. I'll sure be glad when I can add Protein shakes, at least. Ai-yi-yi....

Well, it's exactly the same answer I replied in your other thread - it varies, widely, between surgeons. No one here could tell you what YOUR surgeon will prescribe. I tried to give a sampling of the more common ones I've seen (all liquid, low-carb, calorie control, clear liquids, etc.) The instructions, what you can eat and how long, will vary - check with your surgeon.

Oh, gosh, you reminded me.... I want to ride the rollercoasters with my daughters. And next time we go to Big Cedar and want to ride horses, I'll ride too instead of "staying behind to watch our stuff". I can't wait!!!

It took me TWO FULL WEEKS after my c-section to feel at all better. Now, this is less than that - that was an open abdominal procedure and this is laproscopic. So it should mean faster recovery. But guys, I think you need to give it more than a few days before you consider throwing the towel in. I'm surprised you hadn't been aware of the post-op pain. I mean, just from reading/following on here, but you should have been given the information from your doctors. It will pass. This is Day 3 for me and it's already feeling better. No, not perfect by any means, but it's getting better. I knew about gas and nausea and all that - it was the grogginess that caught me by surprise but today was much better in that regard too. I've been doing 30 minutes a day on my treadmill (first day, 3 ten minute slow walks, second day, 2 fifteen minute slow walks, and today I did a 30 minute with a short intermission to get a drink and see how things felt). I think this easy / slow walking has been helping with the gas a lot. Good luck!

Yeah, you gotta have a place like this to go, to compare notes, to compare progress, to ask for suggestions or answers. Because if I didn't stop talking about this life event on my other board/s, they'd probably kick me off. LOL

Probably not fair for me to answer, since I have only been with the band for 3 days now. LOL But no regrets - I followed the procedure for years, came close to pursuing it a few times. Talked myself out of it ("If I have to do the same work either way, why not just do it withOUT the surgery?"). In April of 08 I made my decision. It took over a year to get through all the red tape, insurance issues, etc. But on Friday, I got my band. I think if I were to voice any regret, it would be that I chickened out of doing it 5 years earlier.

I only had my band placed yesterday, so I know there is a lot of healing. But I keep getting soooo tired - must lie down and nap tired. Is that normal? At first I thought it was the Stadol pain med, but then I didn't take any this morning and it was still that way - 3 cat naps in a couple hours. I'm just overwhelmingly tired. Not sure if it's the meds or the healing from surgery or the fact that I haven't had real food in so long. I'm just tired and woozy and it's even hard to read/post because my eyes aren't working well. Normal?

Congrats!! That's coming up soon. And welcome. I just got my band 2 days ago. There are lots of threads here about pre-op diet. You can use the "search" function to find and read some of them...

My weight history was spotty and all over the board, covering the last 20 years of my life. My insurance is Aetna but they never asked questions or anything.

One of the reasons I wanted the band was for hope that I could occasionally have a bit of a splurge. Not a HUGE splurge, not all the time. But eating less and still enjoying food is something I'm very hopeful about.

It varies from surgeon to surgeon. Some have NO special pre-op requirements. Other will keep you at a low calorie range, or insist you eat low-carb. Many will put you on a liquid diet that focuses on Protein shakes. My doctor recommended all clear no-calorie liquids. I couldn't even have Protein Shakes. So for me, Water, SF Jello, SF popsicles, diet soda, Chrystal Lite, etc. That was it.

I had a really restrictive 2 week pre-op diet. I also had a business trip to Buenos Aires that same week so I talked to my nurse who said "Just do your best and start the liquid diet when you're back." So I really only did a 1 week pre-op diet. And I didn't follow it exactly. Mine was all Clear liquids - no calories, basically. No Protein shakes. I added in a serving of protein every evening for the first 4 days. About 4-5 ounces of meat. The last three days, I did follow it perfectly. Still, I lost 20 pounds in that week. WOW. But I had the headache and shakiness and even nausea. It was hard. The first part of the week because of the hunger though that seemed to fade. The 2nd part of the week was hard because I felt like crap.

My insurance required a 6 month physician supervised diet and exercise plan. I started in October with a 3 hour a week exercise plan. I really hadn't lost anything. In February, I started taking an Rx to suppress appetite - Phentermine. Then in March, I upped my exercise to 5-6 hours weekly. So really, about 26 pounds cam off before I started my pre-op diet. But that knocked off 20 more, on the day of surgery, I was down 46 pounds. The day after, my scale read down 2 more (today it was the same), so 48 altogether. I stopped taking the Phentermine prior to surgery, by almost a week. I wanted it out of my system (it raises blood pressure and heartrate). So really, the 48 pounds was over 4 months and with the help of Phentermine and the pre-op liquid diet.

Singingintherain, I was banded the day after you. I'm mostly sore getting up from a laying or sitting position - that's still tricky. I'll take a shower today and put on real clothes. LOL I definitely feel better today from yesterday. Still on clear fluids and will be for awhile more. But it's not bothering me too much. Not yet, anyway. LOL

There is a green dress in my closet. The last time I wore it was... hmmm.. 1992, I think. I've kept it all these years. It maybe the only thing of Size 14 that I have. I'm looking forward to wearing that green dress. I wore it in a family photo in 1992, it would be really cool to wear it in another one 18 years later (the first picture was with my daughters who are now in their 20s, and this 2nd one would be with my 3 youngest daughters. The more I think about it, the more I love the idea.

I'm only 2 days post-op and on clear liquids. Broths, popsicles, water. That's it mostly. My traumatized insides aren't screaming for more just yet so it's not been too hard. I imagine in the next couple days, that will change. After all, I hadn't eating much on the pre-op diet so my cells ought to be screaming for some nutrition...

Have him read the book: The Hungry Gene, the inside story of obesity. And then see if he still thinks it's just not enough will power. Once you're morbidly obese, your odds of doing this on your own and succeeding are about 2%, from what the experts have told me. If that's true, and I assume it to be, I wouldn't bet my money on success that way. I'm 44 and I already personally know THAT story. I'd educate him, and ask for his support. Tell him you're doing it anyway, but you'd much rather do it with his support. My husband was reluctantly supportive. LOL He worried about the risk of the procedure, he's worried about how this new way of eating will change "our" lives, he's worried that I'll be wearing a size 3 at the end (he likes curvy women). But he's walked the path with me every step. Now that I'm 2 days post-op, I'm so very glad to have him here to help me.

I would have asked to speak to her supervisor. What she did was VERY unprofessional at the least, and probably in violation of their policy. That's bullshit. NONE OF HER BUSINESS. I got mine put in at 238 on the doctor's scale so maybe some wouldn't think I "need" one. They may not know that I was 288 just months before that. They absolutely would not know any co-morbidities, like type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, etc. I wouldn't have put up with a health care professional speaking to me like that. I hope your throat is better soon, though.

I started by googling "bariatric surgeon St. Louis" see what came up, and then investigated the ones who came up. Once I had a few names, I read reviews about them on obesity.com and here, what other patients said. You can come to a site like this and use the SEARCH function to search for that name. I also made sure the surgeons I was considering carried the "Center of Excellence" seal for bariatric surgery. I learned how long the surgeon had been doing these procedures, which procedures he had done, how MANY of them, where he went to school, etc. I did switch surgeons after going down the path for months with one, who was an excellent surgeon by all information. But his office was disorganized and I wasn't getting follow up from them as I needed. This ended up in them submitted for insurance approval before we had met the insurance requirements, which was very upsetting for me. That was the last straw - I switched and the new office was wonderful - great TLC all along the process. And now I'm banded - 2 days in.

Thanks for the replies - they're helpful.

Still noticing them... Shaving legs sooo much easier. I even gave myself a little bit of a pedicure today. When I look up and run my hands through my hair, there is no more big lump of flesh at the back of my head. It's not gone all the way, just a LOT smaller. LOL

Trust me, I would have killed for a protein shake. At least that is feeding your cells. My pre-op was basically ZEOR calories - no fuel. Protein shakes can help feed your cells, supply energy to your brain. I think it's a better approach, honestly.