RestlessMonkey

Just remember don't add protein in until your doc okays it! :wink:

I was told not to go for "full" but rather satisfied; that if you get FULL it is too much. For me I am hungry, then not hungry. It is subtle. You might want to try getting a cup of food, eating that, and then waiting a few minutes to see it you are still hungry (remember it takes a body 20 minutes to register "done now) If you are still hungry, eat a little more. Also I get satisfied better on protein dense foods like steak or chicken. I can eat less of those and go longer.

Ok. How are you feeling today?

Each surgeon has different skills, a different education, different experience, a different client base. Furthermore within that practice one client may need a different post op diet than another. For example a person severely overweight and with Diabetes may heal more slowly than a person who needs to lose 80 pounds and has no co-morbidities. To go against your surgeon's advice because a web site lists a different regimen, or because someone from his office didn't do it and was fine, is not the rational thing to do. Believe me because I did exactly what I'm advising against. I did my own preop diet after reading on here about patient after patient who had a shorter/easier/none diet and so I did my own thing and lost 15 pounds but didn't get the band the 1st time. You MAY be ok if you do your own thing. Then again, maybe not. I always say if you don't trust your surgeon to guide you properly throught the preop phase and the post op healing phase, then don't let him cut you either. Think of the post op diet as a prescription for healing and do as you're told. IF you find it onerous or faulty, discuss it with your surgeon. That's the adult thing to do. I learned the hard way. Hopefully you can learn from my mistake.

I TOTALLY understand that "cut off your nose to spite your face" mentality! :wink: For years I refused to quit smoking because everyone agitated so much for me to do it. TV commercials, the doc, you name it. The more I was bombarded with "do not smoke!" info the more I smoked. BUT one day I finally had to realize that regardless, I didn't want to smoke. It was finally MY choice, and the reason wasn't because of any of that noise, either. (can you say hard-headed? LOL) That's why I always question band rules so that I can understand the rationale behind them. If it's solid, I do it, because it makes sense, not because I was "told" to. You may want to try that trick!

It's actually good for you to gently stretch and move as normally as you can. As long as you aren't really REALLY vigorous your sutures will be fine. So move and stretch as much as you can. Using a pillow to brace your abdomen will work wonders for the pain, too. The sooner you act and move normally, the sooner you'll feel normal. :wink:

I used the premixed shakes so I never even got my blender out. I used my little pink (so adorable LOL) mini food processor for everything during the full liquids phase and for a lot of stuff during the mushie phase! :wink:

My diet was similar to yours. Just hang in there! Its only a few more days; you've made it so long! Good for you doing what your doc has told you to. Later when you aren't starving you can be really proud of yourself! WTG!

You should've called your doc and in fact if he has an after-hours number you should do it now. There is a reason for the gradual post op diet; our stomachs churn when we eat to aid in digestion. That churning action, before our bands are well healed into place, can cause a slip. Especially since you felt pain and still feel it, you need to call your doc and let him either tell you what to take, or get you in for tests to see if your band is still ok.

Welcome and good luck! :wink:

I've heard of it; not from diet soda (although I was told that was one of the the big reasons we weren't supposed to have carbonation; pouch problems) but for other reasons. Stay away from that stuff and I hope you'll save your band! Good luck.

Soup shouldn't get stuck though. Maybe a home made stew, for instance; but most Soups have mushie soft veggies etc in them. Why were you unfilled and when/how much refilled?

Liquid doesn't help the food pass through MY band. Not a bit. In fact if I drink while I'm eating, I'm either in pain, or in for a PB. And in fact while my doc said to wait 15 min after a meal to drink, usually I wait longer because I'm not thirsty.

Almost everyone has a problem food (or two) they can't eat. I'm fortunate (or not, depending LOL) I can eat anything. White bread? I SCOFF at white bread. Burp? I can out burp ANYONE. And carbonation? at my 1 year check up my beloved surgeon told me that if I was careful and it didn't hurt me any, i could indulge in moderation! As usual, the Nut. is an NUT. :laugh:

Great practice! :laugh:

Most docs require 64 oz a day from the start. Sil's doc is in the minority; and yes you can dehydrate quickly. Not all of us need to "sip" either. If you aren't swollen and don't have fill, it's safe to drink normally. Check with your doc (he may have filled you during surgery) but even at my sweet spot I can drink Water normally and most can too. you don't chug it, but it goes through just fine. So you don't need to be paranoid and constantly sip all day long unless you want to do that, honestly. Again, call your doc if you doubt. But I was told to proceed carefully but stay hydrated. As I've often said my doc let them give me water in the hospital before I was released for home (fairly soon post op) and I drank a good 20-30 ounces in the first hour they let me. Not all day, the first hour. No I'm not superwoman either. But water goes through just fine.

Nope. Nary a doubt. But then, I'd wanted it since 2003 when it was first approved over here. By the time it all worked out I was ecstatic. You do have to work it for it to work. If you don't want it, don't get it. Seriously. If you've researched, read, informed yourself and still think "Uh, no"...then, well, listen to yourself. If you are frightened because it is unknown and you need to know more, then get cracking! The band has worked for me pretty much exactly like I thought it would. I can eat anything, but way less. I am in the driver's seat and have to make good choices even now or I don't lose. I don't vomit at restaurants, I feel great. I love my band. It's like getting married; don't do it unless you feel like it's gonna last.

I agree, ask. Mine felt it was safer just in case, but that's why we pay them the big bucks; to make calls like this! :laugh:

HOWEVER, unless you have some restriction you are probably ok, although that still is a bit too much IMHO. Post op until you get restriction 1. stoma between your upper and lower stomach is fairly "wide open" and it doesn't restrict things much, so you can eat "more" food because it is going on through to your lower stomach and 2. until you get restriction you won't get satiety on a cup or less of food. Further, there needs to generally be a pattern of overeating to cause the stretching, not one wild meal here or there. Having said that (see I think you get a pass this time) use this to educate yourself. WHY did you do that? Do you need some therapy to help you with head hunger? It's not smart, it's not healthy to overeat once we have the band (I mean, it never is but now you may do extra damage) so try to use this to inform and educate yourself.

It depends on your surgeon. I didn't have to do an enema but I had to drink mag. citrate. And I'd been on an eternal preop diet. It took over 3 bottles to get me to go. It was gross, but i did it. i wanted the band VERY badly.

What unforgettable said. Plus, you won't lose. Stretching the pouch means an unfill for a time, and/or band removal.

I hear you. I "met" good restriction on May 8 2009. :laugh:

Insurance is a business, not an altruistic endeavor. They need to make money or they close. Period. And it isn't generally in their interest to pay for WLS when employers change policies frequently to keep costs down (because most employers also have to goal of making money. No one starts a business saying "I want to do this so I can buy great ins. for my employees")

Each person has a post op diet given to them by his/her surgeon to maximize healing, let the band heal in place, etc. So if your surgeon told you that on day 8 you need to add in protein, YOU need to do that! Totally! However the OP was 4th day post op (not 8) AND...regardless the OP needs to do what his/her doc tells him to! If there is 1 thing I learned from perusing these boards it's that each doc tweaks things his or her own way. That's as it should be; they have different skills, different eductations, different "educated opinions" and even different client bases. So what you do is what you're supposed to. (if you were banded 9/9 then you don't want protein yet) The OP should do as he/she is guided by his/her surgeon.

No, you don't. At least not during a week or two during post op when you are healing. What you "need" is to follow your doc's advice. Not being pissy, either. My doc said NO PROTEIN week 1. He's the pro; I the patient. I did what he said. If you don't trust your doc to guide you through the pre- and post-op healing phases, don't trust him to band you.