RestlessMonkey

Yes. Until you have restriction, the band is there but not really "working" yet. Be sure to follow your physician's orders for post op foods (It may get hard to do as you continue to heal) but follow the rules. It will get easier once you get restriction and the band starts to do it's part. :eek:

Why not ask your surgeon? Different people react differently. My surgeon seems to think most of his patients won't have much trouble but we're all different. Your surgeon should direct you.

My doc is 15K I'm in San Antonio TX includes 1 yr free fills. Just a note...if you go elsewhere to get the surgery, make sure you know what you're going to do for fills, and for emergencies etc. In other words, will you line up a local surgeon? (Not all of them will take patients who used other surgeons) Or is there a fill center near you? Or are you planning on flying back to "wherever" you get the surgery? Many pre-banders don't realize that getting the band is just the tip of the iceberg; follow up is what makes it work! :eek: Good luck to you whatever you decide!

I think it's good you clarified for others who might read and imitate you! :eek: I understand your problem; I couldn't take potassium (they are HUGE) and you don't take them on an empty stomach. The nutritionist made such a ruckus I just didn't take them at all during liquids, but you can't do that. You might want to make sure your surgeon knows about your meds, though, for post op. Seriously, your stomach will churn to digest even a little toast. If it's enough to "cushion" your tummy for your medication, it's enought to cause your stomach to move. You don't want that, so make sure he helps you figure out a plan for the first few weeks post op when you are on liquids only (assuming you are.!)

I agree with Slim! You probably didn't hurt yourself, but stop it! :eek: This band thing is a real head trip, so don't feel dumb or masochistic, just quit forcing yourself to eat. You are healing, feeling better, as Slim said swelling going down, and you're going to get hungry. Just stick to what your doctor tells you to do.

AND once you've had the surgery you can still eat carbs. You'll have to use your own good judgment to choose healthy options. So quit eating each meal like it's your last because it really really isn't! :eek:

Yes people have gained on the 6-month diet. Don't worry. If you could easily lose, and keep it off, on a traditional diet, you probably wouldn't be here in "lap band talk" land. :eek: Don't let her intimidate you!

Yes, it's normal. :eek:

Get direction from your doctor! That is the safest avenue. For example, I only used the shakes 1 week post op. Each doctor is different, each dietary requirement is different. Mine didn't use optifast.

Not everyone HAS a preop diet. Not every doc requires one and most likely different docs have different reasons. Mine was to shrink my liver. You know losing ANY weight improves your health and chances during and post surgery, so perhaps that's why. If/when your doctor gives you a diet, ask him or her what the goal is....that way you'll know what your situation is. In fact, when they tell you your schedule, ask them about preop if you want. Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones who doesn't have anything except the normal diet 1 day before to kind of "clean you out!" (that's common for many surgeries!) :eek:

MJALWAYS that kind of thinking is what lead me to think I'd be ok to cheat a little on MY preop diet and for me it was disastrous. If you don't trust your surgeon to guide you, find a different surgeon (I learned this the hard way!) If you DO trust him/her, do what you're told to as best you can. I DID eat more than 2 pieces of toast but that would've really messed me up because of the carbs... I lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks and was ecstatic with that! But it wasn't the right 15 pounds, apparently. :eek: I'm sure you all will be ok, but don't think just because someone else didn't have a diet or ate like a wee piggy or whatever and got away with it that you can, too.

I think how long it takes to shrink your liver depends on how BIG your liver is to begin with...I was VERY VERY heavy to start (way more than many bandsters) so apparently it took a while for me. There are also blood work values etc that can indicate a fatty liver. So again...the best safest thing is to do exactly what your doctor says! I will cross my fingers for you, EXCITED! Just follow the plan from now on. It really is horrid to wake up and not have the band because you didn't follow the preop diet. I hope none of you ever know just how horrid. :eek:

Trinity are you exercising and eating like so many of us are told to....protein 1st, then veggies, then fruit, then breads/pastas/grains, and avoiding sugar and carbonated beverages?

I believe it's digestibility. I didn't get yogurt until week 3 but I do know that when we eat anything that isn't liquid our stomachs churn to digest it. So it's not just an issue of getting stuck, (depending on your band) but more an issue of keeping the stomach still so that the band (and the sutures holding it there unless you have a realize band) will heal into place. That's the BIG reason it's important to follow your doc's post op directions...not to "learn" not to eat, or to prevent PB'ing. With bands other than the new AP (I don't know about realize) the "restriction" issues were (and are) more important in the early days post op. The new AP bands don't have as much immediate post op restriction (and that's good, you heal better and are less likely to have problems later. But man you get hungry!:eek:) but you do still need to keep that stomach STILL so it can all heal well. You risk erosion and/or slippage if you don't.

Bridgette I know your pain. When I'm hungry I want food. When I want a shake I want one from Sonic. On the pre and post op diets I was just never happy! It will be over soon! One thing I did that saved my life (once I could have creamy mushie stuff) is I took a can of split pea w/ham soup and ran it through the food processor, then heated it with water. OMG that was filling and wonderful.

Often the HTN and DM resolve as you lose weight. That effect is frequently more rapid and pronounced in people who've had bypass surgery. However, give it time and as you lose, odds are good your issues will resolve too. Personally, because I had 5 weeks of preop liver-shrink diet and then 2-weeks post op of just liquids, during that time I didn't need my diuretic, for example. However once I moved back to solid, "real" foods, I do need it. The need will diminish however, over time and with weight loss.

Immediate stress like fighting with someone also causes a release of adrenalin (fight or flight response) and the adrenalin can nauseate you.

Call your surgeon!

As you can see, it varies by doctor, insurance, AND patient. I had to have: blood work psych eval upper GI ecg chest x-ray abdominal ultrasound I could have needed, but didn't: test for sleep apnea cardiac clearance....using whatever tests cardiac doc wanted (stress tests etc) Some docs even require a current pap smear/mammo for eligible females. The urinalysis, the day of surgery, was to make sure I wasn't pregnant.

Yep happened to me. I had a BMI of over 67 before I started the preop diet. He had me diet for 3 weeks and I lost 15 pounds but cheated. My lesson is to do what your doctor says....if he doesn't think you need the preop diet, you don't. If he tells you to drink spring water for a week, do that. LOL Follow YOUR doc's instructions (not the anecdotal info you get here) and you'll be fine!

That's recent posts, though, not recent threads. They aren't the same. WAH!

I cheated on my preop diet. I still lost 15 pounds but didn't do what the doc told me. I read here that "lots" of people cheat and many don't have to do a diet so I wasn't worried. Well, I came to in recovery on 8/11 without the band because my liver was too thick and large for my doc to place the band. He said it was very rare. I followed his diet to the LETTER for 2 1/2 more weeks, lost 17 more pounds, and got my band 8/29. SO I understand liking to eat. You don't get to be 405 w/out liking food. But, do what your doc says. Odds are you'll be ok even cheating, but what if you aren't? I wasn't. It is horrible to come to and be told "your liver was too fat, honey". Trust me. No "last supper" is worth that.

Just make sure you breathe deeply every hour that you are awake, so that you keep your lungs clear.

Ok you were scaring me! Then you hurt when you breathe but you CAN breathe and it does the trick. Sorry you are in pain! but it is important to breathe deeply to keep your lungs clear, as I posted....so make sure you take deep breaths every hour while you're up. Did you get your incentive spirometer from the hospital? IF so, use it. If not, take a DEEP breath, hold for a count of 4, then exhale deeply, hold for 4, do it again. Do that 10 times an hour for a few days. It will honestly help you feel better. It will help the pain, it will clear your lungs, and it will make you feel better all around. It is normal to be sore after surgery. That deep breathing will help you feel better faster.

If you are short of breath and truly feel you aren't getting enough oxygen, go to the ER. Seriously. It "hurt" me to breathe deeply in that things were sore and tight, but I COULD breathe deeply and when I did, the oxygen worked like it was supposed to. To breathe shallowly isn't the same as being "short of breath"....can you just not catch your breath? Or does it hurt when you breathe deep? It is very important that you breathe deeply to clear the anesthesia, and to prevent atelectasis and perhaps subsequent pneumonia. If you were having trouble breathing they shouldn't have let you go. If you are taking prescription painkillers you may be having a reaction. Please at the least call your doctor's emergency line. It is NOT normal to faint and feel short winded one day after surgery.