RestlessMonkey

Also if you ever get carsick...make sure your doc knows and can prescribe some anti-nausea meds.

I know what you mean. You don't really understand "Bandster hell" until you live through it! :smile:

Jello packs...i mean the ones premade like for lunches, not the boxes LOL

No food, I'm thinking. most docs require several days to 2 weeks of fluids post op. (some even more..but they are in the minority) A pillow to brace your surgical sites, loose comfy clothes, a large bra (I had one one size up...band width...that I wore surgery day) a cooler for water, little sugar free jello packs (I guess that's food) liquid tylenol for pain that doesn't require heavy duty stuff comfortable shoes (you'll need to stop and walk very frequently...and when in the car, make sure you move your legs often...ie pointing your toes, turning your feet in circles, etc...anything to keep blood flowing and prevent clots) and the normal hygiene items like brush comb toothbrush and paste etc...lip balm (not just gloss) because your lips will be VERY dry the 1st few days...glasses if you wear contacts....

missymoo78, you are getting excited about hamburger and spam. I think I've found a soul mate LOL

Is #2 a trick question to see if we are really reading closely? I don't know about the phone in your pouch...I'd think you have a better, more easily accessed place to keep it, but that's just me LOL You probably won't feel restriction the first time; many don't. Depends on how much your doc puts in. No restriction yet means you'll still get hungry sooner. Good luck!

Anyway....Welcome!

Hmmm...I know why I didn't post...you asked a specific question: Anyone else here had any issues with other surgeries prior to banding? And NO I didn't, so I figured you only wanted answers germaine to your question!!! If you just wanted to introduce yourself, you could just say so! :smile:

I've also had peanut butter (forgot that) and no sticking. But again, I'm wide open so far, no fills yet. Post fill and once I get restriction, I'll pass on it until I'm very familiar with how my band is doing.

Re PASTA My dietitian (miss hairy eyeball) said pasta is ok if you overcook it. I ate it fine...no gluten issues here, no sticking. So if you love it and want to try it during the mushie phase, just cook it well (otherwise it will continue to absorb liquids and swell even after you've eaten it) I will be passing on the pasta once I can eat "real" foods again, but for now, it's a godsend.

No I don't get "soft" solids (like baked fish) for another week and a half! But I am going to slow cook some chicken thighs and then food process them and make chicken tacos or maybe chicken burritos (flour tortillas get pretty soggy so I figure they are a mushie...I hope I'm right. I'd hate to be hurting myself over a tortilla! LOL) and I think they'll go down. But I'm not going to try just chomping on some chicken for another 2 weeks I think. My first "intact" food will probably be some plank grilled tilapia! That's nice and "soft"...and really good!

Sure! It was a good question! Even if you are a little swollen at first, it will pass quickly and soon you won't have any problems And a day or two of no protein won't hurt you...you don't want to always get "under" protein but initially, you can only do your best! :smile:

Thanks! I can hardly wait until I don't have to take any meds. I told my husband we are taking a LOT of medications to be essentially healthy people! (whine whine LOL) I'm only taking BP med and the diuretic and potassium (oh and a multi vitamin that has 6 pills and extra potassium and that stuff to help prevent arthritis and so on..LOL) yes it IS a pill merry go round You nailed it.

hang in there! It is SO hard but you're right, it will pass...and it is very important that your band heals properly in place. Digesting food makes your stomach churn like a little washing machine...and you don't want ANY churning yet! You have a good attitude; this period will be over soon. And honestly? While I was on liquids I didn't watch any tv that I hadn't pre-recorded so I could FF through the food commercials. It helped a lot! Good luck to you!

Hello Mrs.Mitch and good luck to both you and Mr.Mitch (I assume?) LOL :smile:

I had insurance but have learned that if you shop around and use a surgeon who is far from your home (either in Mexico or just far in another city, state etc) you had best line up post op care near you BEFORE you proceed. Many surgeons and docs will not do care and fills on other surgeon's patients (and it's understandable...not their work...they don't want to take on a potential mess or problem that they didn't create) or if they DO take patients they charge a high rate. So be careful when you are saving money (and I'm all for saving money) that it doesn't cost you in the long run!

Well firstly my doc said nothing but water and broth and jello the first week, no shakes...so not everyone has to have it week 1! BUT...it's liquid. For many (not all) people, with the newer AP lap band (like I have) there's little to no restriction post op. From the time they gave me water post op (a whole 10 ounces) I have been able to drink normally. It doesn't hurt the pouch because it goes right on through. Without restriction in the band, unless you are severely swollen (and again, some are. I wasn't, and it is less common with the band I named) it is as if you don't HAVE the band. So drinking 3 protein shakes (breakfast, lunch and dinner) won't take you long at all. You don't want to CHUG stuff but you can drink at a good pace well beyond 4 ounces an hour.

May I ask why your fiance is against it? My husband is an RN and while he realizes I make up my own mind, he was dead set against gastric by pass, and the lap band (guilt by association). I knew this would entail a lifestyle change and wanted him on board, so he accompanied me to the seminar my surgeon held. He asked questions etc and came away feeling positive and no longer worried. If your fiance is worried about your survival and health, an educational seminar may help! IF, however, he wants you to stay fat, you're going to have an uphill struggle. I hope that isn't the case!

Ah I should proofread...My doc's NURSE said there was no liquid potassium. LOL ok so much for being on my high horse when I can't even type LOL

My doc's (PCM not surgeon) said "there is NO liquid potassium" but I know she's wrong...DH is a nurse and I'm a student, we have drug books up the wazoo! LOL but for now I'm just taking the pill ... I can, it's no harder than pre-banding. Eventually I can stop my diuretic and won't need the potassium then anyway! YAY. Thanks though for the tip about the liquid. If I have to drag a pharmacist in there to tell her it IS available in liquid form, I may just do it (loves to prove a point!LOL)

You know, I was scared to swallow my potassium pills. Even preband they were a nightmare because they are big and not coated. But, logically, pills (unlike many foods) are made to dissolve! so even if they do get stuck once you have a very very tight fill, they won't just hang out blocking the flow. They'll eventually melt and go on through. NSAIDS, because they can irritate the stomach, are a no-no, and time release (because one you have restriction they DO hang around longer and you get too much med ... the time release doesn't "work) make sense but not all pills. Unless...they are enteric coated. However if in doubt you can crush many pills and drink them down and again, a pharmacist can tell you which are crushable and which aren't.

Lots of "cold type" meds are available in liquid form, so it never occured to me that it would be important. Plus I can swallow any pill so far and was told by my doc that unless they were SUPER large I always would be able to. She seemed, to me, more worried about what meds (ie time released, NSAIDS, etc) were "off limits"...I figure she'll know what she can swallow. If in doubt the pharmacist can recommend liquids for her.

I had a fatty liver but no other issues so I guess I can't help you. Good luck!

If you have a bacterial infection you need an antibiotic to treat it and will need to see a doctor for that. If it's just a cold, then you just want something without aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxyn sodium (ie aspiring, motrin, and aleve) in it. Otherwise it would depend on if you are taking any medications and what they react with. If in doubt, safest to call your doc's office tomorrow and ask.

There's a fine line of distinction between mushies (like refried beans) and "soft" foods (like baked fish) i'm not sure I'm doing it exactly right because my doc recommended ONLY cottage cheese (which I cannot stand yuck) and boiled or scrambled eggs and yogurt. But nosing around here other docs (I think) call my stuff mushies so I'm going for it. I trust my doc but his dietitian is a little radical and prone to saying YOU MUST without backing it up. That makes me bristle. For example YOU MUST avoid ALL CAFFEINE! she proclaims. Why I ask? She gives me the hairy eyeball and then says "Because it will MAKE YOU HUNGRY!" Well, it doesn't make me hungry, so I don't feel I MUST avoid it! LOL I'm trying to figure out what's really dangerous and what she just doesn't "like".