Anaed2

Can anyone tell me what volume of food the small pouch is able to hold? I don't eat large portions in comparison to what I ate pre-banding (or even in comparison to any normal-sized person), but I'm still always nervous that I may be packing in too much. I eat 3 meals a day, no snacks, water in-between meals and not during. Typical quantity would be roughly 1-2 cups, about what would fill a bread plate (small side plate) without heaping high and over-flowing. If I were to gage by when I feel full, I actually feel full before I even begin eating (I was filled with 1 cc in a 4 cc band at time of surgery), and only eat because I would like to and because I think I should (otherwise I wouldn't be getting nearly enough calories in the day). What are standard recommendations on quantities?

This is something that I've also just become aware of. How do you avoid swallowing air? It happens with every sip of Water I take :rolleyes! Mysherrijo, I've been banded about the same length as time as you, and after 3 days of clear liquids, was given the go-ahead to eat solids. First "meal" (small piece of dried toast with coffee), my last bite gave me an incredible chest pain. I nearly broke out in a cold sweat, but stood up and walked, banging with my fist on my chest. It went away quite fast. In the last 3 days it's happened once more, also with toast. I worked out that, like the first time, the bite was too big and I had swallowed before I'd made it liquid enough in my mouth. Penni is right that even runny-type foods, yohurt etc, need to be in small quantities and mixed up with lots of saliva. It's really hard learning to eat small mouthfuls so slowly and not to swallow before it's mixed up enough. Try the pudding again, half teaspoonfuls at a time and make it last a while in your mouth before you swallow. Good luck! Deana.

Ughhh! I got golden staph during a "minor" shoulder surgery when I was 18. Ten years ago I had to have shoulder replacement surgery thanks to the damage that bacteria caused. As a result of this experience, I'm really particular about toilets, hand-washing and cleanliness in the kitchen. Having said that, there's dust all over the rest of my house! Deana.

Congratulations on your new band FunnyDuddies. I was banded the day after you were. Sorry you had such a hard time getting a good sleep, but it sounds like things are improving for you now in that respect:) BTW, I love the Soup from your soup train! Marlluvia, I had gas pains really badly on days 3 and 4, then my mother suggested drinking a glass of Water with half a teaspoon of bicarbonate soda in it to dissolve the gas. I did that this morning (day 5) and haven't been nearly as uncomfortable today (either the gas was moving anyway, or the old wives thing really works)! Deana.

Hi there, I also saw a lot of negative before I had the surgery, but I confess that I was looking at the complications threads a lot - just to see what I was potentially letting myself in for:paranoid! When I realized how uneasy it was making me feel just days before committing, I went on all the really positive threads for a while ("over 100 lbs lost", "before and after pictures" etc) and that helped me get beyond some of the nerves. I was still a wreck the night before surgery, which was Tuesday this week, but I'm pretty sure that I made the right decision. And now it's done, so I can only look forward to losing:)! As far as going back to work after 3 days, personally, I wouldn't. I was still quite sore and uncomfortable (from the stitches and the gas) on day 4, and I can't walk all that fast or long either without feeling uncomfortable on the surface of my stomach (maybe if I were taking some painkillers it would be OK). Today is my 5th day post-op. I think that by days 7-10 post-op, I should really be feeling completely back to my old self again (stitches come out on day 10). Try reading some of the really encouraging stuff on this website and I'm sure it'll help put your mind at rest. Good luck. Deana.

Yes, I am very grateful that my doc didn't recommend liquids only for more than 3 days. Heather (K@t), I don't know how you managed 5 weeks of liquids. I too would have strayed from that. And if some doctors (mine, for instance :eek:) recommend solids so soon after surgery, the "harm" done by any slip-ups on an all-liquid diet can't be that significant. One benefit of the liquid diet would certainly be a more substantial weight loss in the beginning, which would motivate for further loss. My doctor is expecting me to lose 8 kgs /18 lbs in one month. Personally, I don't think I'll be able to do that on solids, but I'll give it a go for a few weeks, then if it's not moving fast enough, I might consider liquids for the 4th week so that my losses are within his expectations. I'm terrified of getting filled too fast since in my mind, fills lead to complications. I'll just really have to try to lose that amount in the first month, despite being allowed to eat normally (although "normally" now means two thirds less than what I had been eating pre-banding). Elisabethsew, it would really be good if the surgeons would start coming to a concensus on the post-op eating requirements since it is confusing and disconcerting to read so many contradictory recommendations.

Hi Everyone, I'm back home from the hospital (4 nights total - they tend to be over precautious here in France). The night before when I entered the hospital, I was a wreck. I had made up my mind to get it done, but still didn't *want* to have to go this route (I can't bear that I have had to go to the medical establishment for help to lose weight, but after 20 years of Weight Watchers and other diets, I just needed to face the fact that I would probably never lose and keep the weight off on my own). The procedure went well and I have a 9.75 Inamed band (4 cc capacity) with a fill of 1 cc put in at the time of surgery. For the first 3 days I was given broth and tea for each meal, then given toast for breakfast the morning I was coming home (day 3 post-op). After all I'd read about 2-4-6 weeks clear liquids, thicker liquids, then mushies before going on to solids (on this site and in the information pack my surgeon gave me months ago when I first consulted him), I was quite surprised when he told me to go onto solids as soon as I came home (small quantities, small mouthfuls, and no liquid with the meal). When I questioned him about the weeks of liquids, mushies, he said that those were out-of-date recommendations and that they now prefer patients to begin eating solids much faster so that they don't become accustomed to liquid diets - that the band is not intended to make one only be able to consume liquids, and that one should learn right from the beginning how to deal with "normal" food. With the toast in the hospital, on my last mouthful, I got what can only be described as the "golfball" sensation - too much, too fast. It passed in less than a minute, but was enough to ring a whole lot of bells in my head about eating more slowly! So, back home, I had the infamous vegetable soup from the FunnyDuddies thread for lunch (small bowl but with biggish bits of veggies including celery). I was actually quite hungry, so went on to have a tiny piece of pork (1 cm x 1 cm) from my daughter's plate and 2 tablespoons of tabouleh (couscous salad), then I had a yoghurt (about half a cup). The yoghurt was probably a bit much, so I learned from that to listen better next time to when "enough is enough". For dinner, although I was hardly hungry, I ate about 30 g / 1 oz of soft mozarella cheese with 2 slices of tomato and about 2 tablespoons of tabouleh again. I then had a very ripe apricot. Now if that had been my meal without the band, to acquire the same sensation of "fullness" would have meant having 2 whole sliced tomatoes, at least 90 g of the mozarella, about 6 tablespoons of tabouleh, the apricot, a yoghurt and a huge glass of sparkling water! So, I feel like by taking each meal as it comes and trying as hard as I can to eat slowly, chew a lot, and stop when I'm full, I will be following the doctor's orders, even if it does seem like I'm going too fast in comparison to all the other recommendations I've seen.... When I asked the surgeon about the healing process and inflammation, he said that the band is in really solidly and that unless I swallow a thumb-sized piece of chicken, I'm not going to be doing it any harm. I hope he's right! He has been doing lapbands for 6 years and has done about 650 of them, so he should know what he's talking about. Anyway, after initial soreness and gas discomfort, I feel good, better and better every day with the incisions. I haven't felt hungry (was only light-headed on the 3rd day post-op after only getting broth and tea at the hospital). So far, so good. I can't wait to get below 100 kg/ 220 lbs (5 kgs / 11 lbs away) since that will really boost my motivation. I hope to be reporting good progress in the next few weeks, and must express my gratitude to all of you for the information and inspiration I've been getting from just lurking on this site! Deana.

Hello, I'm throwing out this question in the general discussion forum since I don't think asking it in the introductions forum (http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=20713) was the best place for getting many replies. Did you experience dizzy spells, weakness, fatigue, lack of concentration when you were newly banded? I ask since I will be starting a new job which will require my mind to be really sharp and on the ball just 2 or 3 weeks after my surgery; I'm concerned that being on liquids and mushies at this time will inhibit my concentration (not getting adequate nutrition). I am not on any special diet pre-banding. Would I be taking on too much at once by being banded and beginning a new job within weeks of each other? Deana.

Stitchy, thanks for your helpful comments. I'm not a binge eater either (well, sometimes, but not regularly:o); my main problem is that I overeat, whether I'm hungry or not. I have a hard time knowing when I've had enough, and because I enjoy food so much, I just want to keep going.... I'm looking forward to having an internal mechanism that will let me know when enough is enough, and I'm looking forward to the day when I'll "forget to eat" as I've seen some people mention on this board! You may be right too that a new job would keep my mind occupied so that I won't have time to think about the band and about eating. It may just be awkward for the first weeks having to find excuses about not eating in the cafetaria with co-workers, but I'm sure that I'll think of something:nervous.

Warmmorningsun, this was what I was fearing, and I think that I will carry around some high Protein ready-to-use drink or equivalent to drink if I start feeling weak. Tztmama and Stitchy, I haven't been told to stock up on any shakes, just to drink broth and other Clear Liquids and runny Soups for 2 weeks, then slightly thicker soups, plus soft fruits (peaches, bananas etc) for the next 2 weeks, then after 4 weeks, start slowly introducing solids (chicken, fish...). I think that I'll try to make the most nutritious soups possible with everything in them (meat, veg, potatoes) and then blend them to the right consistency so that I'm getting the nutrition I need. Stitchy, I liked your suggestion over on my other thread about blending any foods with milk to make them runny enough. At least that way I'd know that I was getting all the right nutrients.

jenMomTo3, thanks for your reassurance. I'll try to compile a list of soft stuff that's high in protein that I can eat at the office in case I start feeling light-headed. It won't be as simple as just popping a granola bar into my bag:rolleyes:!

Thanks Mary. I haven't been required to see a dietician and the doctor said I shouldn't need any Vitamins or supplements. I will try to use common sense on this and the excellent information that I've found on this website to guide me in what I need to be eating. Good luck to you tomorrow - mine is the day after! Deana.

Thanks fir the welcome, Sallyjo. I know that nerves before surgery is par for the course, but I'm really concerned about not feeling "myself" and not being able to think straight due to a much lower intake of calories. This has happened when I've been on restrictive diets in the past, but it was easy to just (ch)eat some carbs and feel fine again almost immediately:). I'm glad to hear that you felt so good after a week and I suppose that as with all attempts at losing weight, planning and preparation will be the best way to deal with the unknown.... Deana.

Hello, This is my first post, but there will be more since I'm still pre-band (am sitting out a one-year waiting period imposed by the French health system, France being my country of residence). I wanted to say how much I envy you going off to work in Malawi. I'm originally from Zimbabwe, the country just to the south of Malawi. I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time there (nice climate, friendly people), but just be extra careful with security (poverty pushes people to do things you wouldn't have dreamed of). I'm also curious about your thoughts on dealing with being banded in a country where healthcare is rudimentary at best. Do you plan on going to South Africa for fills etc, or will you be back in the States from time to time to allow you to do that kind of thing at home? This is something that I'm concerned about too since I'm a bit of globe-trotter and don't envisage living in the same place for the rest of my life: how will I be able to deal with the band in places where it hasn't even been heard of yet? Anyway, I don't want to hijack your thread with my questions, so when I finish compiling my list, they will be for another post. All the best for your move and your new job. Deana.