RestlessMonkey

I had a longer preop diet but I also had a very thick liver that needed shrinking. When I "cheated" (because no one ELSE had such a long preop diet) I didn't get banded. I did what I was told and got the band the 2nd time. Take home from this is...forget the anecdotal "evidence" you read on here and do what YOUR surgeon tells you. If you doubt your surgeon's thinking, ask HIM/HER what the rationale is. I agree 100% with the poster who said each surgeon seems to do what he/she thinks will work best for his/her patients. They are all different...different styles, different practices and clientele, different experiences. You are paying a lot for that expertise (or your ins is) so use it.

WOW Two weeks post op and already cleared to eat solids....especially something like chicken breast! Amazing; I didn't get solids until week 6. You might tell your doc you "regurgitated" after the chicken...I wouldn't be worried about stretching the pouch nearly as much as I'd be worried about causing the band to slip, esp. that early post op.

I couldn't eat foods like you describe until week 4....so I guess I can't be much help.

Call your surgeon.

Well DUH! I just saw the "NAME" of your post...guess if I had a brain I'd realize you'd been banded 3 days! Diarrhea is common post op; partly anesthesia, partly the fact that liquid in/liquid out holds true. If you're worried about it call your doc tomorrow; and honestly a week is a good time to "recover" so if you can put off going back to work for another day or two, then good for you! And Mrs. Mink...you should call your doc. Opiate pain meds can constipate but even on liquids SOMETHING should be moving through. You seriously want to catch it EARLY. Call your doc tomorrow and see if he/she thinks you need a prescription or OTC med to get things moving. Don't wait.

When were you banded? Your post doesn't say.

LOL I'm of the "never trust anyone over 30" generation...oops blew by that one long ago. I think of old as generally about 30 years "more" than whatever age I am at the time! :tongue_smilie:

I'm certainly no "band professional" but I can say with 100% honesty that practicing: chewing well, not drinking while eating, no carbonation, no straws, no this/that/the other...would have done me absolutely ZERO good. Truly. I have restriction now; I chew well because things do not get stuck when I do. I don't drink while I'm eating because it hurts if I do. Ditto on carbonation. The band, once restricted, changed EVERYTHING for me. I didn't practice good Portion Control preband, either. I snacked. (I don't now; I honestly forget about snacking. As long as I pick the correct filling foods, I am literally FREE of even thinking about food for HOURS.) SO...while I don't know, nor am I saying, that my experience will be yours, I do want to stress that .... Guess what? Not being able to do all that without the band? Means zippo. What, to me, is more pertinent, is for you to look inside and ask yourself: Do I mind not drinking while I'm eating? Would I like a life without diet coke/beer/soda/whatever? Would I mind being full on about 1/2 to 1 cup of food? Would I mind not snacking? The answers to these questions are not obvious. If you can answer them and feel the band is right for you, then commit to it. It is NOT like any diet you have ever been on, nor like any diet drug. If you don't work with it, it will fight you. BUT...if you use it, work it, it will yield wonderful benefits. All the rest of that is just window dressing, IMHO. I learned NOT to drink with meals the first time I had good restriction and "forgot". 15 minutes later after I PB"d my "drink" and a portion of my meal back up I thought "Well, learning has occurred." Hang in there, make sure you're on board with the changes, and prepare to roll with them when they happen. You can "practice" all you want, but that's not going to tell you how you'll do with the band. You can find that info within yourself.

maybe in Australia? but I was 53 when I had my TWO surgeries and not cathed either time. It really is mostly dependent on the surgeon and his/her preference. For a short surgery (as most lap band "installations" are) it isn't required.

Lauren87 !! With the different "RULES" out there for each surgeon, it's a wonder we all end up in the same place (smaller!) LOL BUT yes we all need to pick a surgeon and then follow his/her rules. Question authority!!! but don't take anecdotal "proof" on this chat board as evidence that you should contradict your surgeon's directions.

MissD...I think you're right...it's up to the doc. I confirmed I didn't have one for any of mine; I had urinated all I could prior to surgery and they wanted me to be able to go as soon afterward as possible... and yes it is a big risk for infection! :tongue_smilie:

chargerfan...you can't unring the bell, as it were.... please tell your doc what you ate and when so that he can either tell you it's ok or do some tests to see if you're allright. It's not like a DIET where you can starve and catch up; the point is while you were supposed to be healing you were eating and digesting. let your doc tell you it's ok (or no)

Snereb27 Some surgeons are pretty "hands on"...others not so much. Mine does all my fills (my port is tilted and the NP won't even try it; as she says...HE put it there! LOL) and follow up visits. I guess as his business grows this kind of personal care will be impractical but I enjoy it. I like getting my info from the source, as it were.

Wasa and Beth... So glad you call out these people! I don't have the snap you do, Wasa...but I sure appreciate you calling people out when they try to slip through the cracks. I sleep a little better knowing you're keeping an eye on things! :drool: I think I may have been one who reported her originally because I despise a thief.....and advertising here w/out paying for it is just that...thievery. Rock on, ladies!

Lauren87...my doc specifically forbade protein during the first week and there is a group here in town who say no protein for a month! So...we're all safest if we just follow our docs orders. I would've KILLED for one of those nasty protein shakes during the first week sigh but it was not to be!

Just remember all protein "shakes" aren't created equal. They vary widely in fat/protein/sugar/fiber content as well as other vitamins etc. My doc had a very specific range he wanted us to stay within...cals, protein, fat, carbs, etc. So you're safest to get direction from your doc; he may not care but odds are he does.

I am taking a diuretic too. I'm OLD too (LOL) I was 53 when i got banded. I expected SLOW WL on the preop diet my doc gave me. What happened? I "cheated" and did my own diet and lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks (great, huh?) Didn't get the band Because I cheated (liver too big still) so for 17 days I did exactly EXACTLY what my doc told me to do. In 17 days I lost 17 more pounds. I was astounded. Don't worry; if your doc feels you need to lose more on the preop diet, he can help you make it happen.

I didn't go into it thinking "diet". I went into it thinking "new life". I was desperate for the appetite control I expected I'd get (and finally did in May of this year). I'd already done the yes/no/yes/no/yes/no of it since I'd wanted the band essentially since 2002! (long wait) You CAN diet post op; or not. I was more like a kid at Christmas, anxious and over excited and READY!

I honestly don't know. I don't think so. I didn't have one. I suppose a surgeon "could" require it but they are invasive and for a short surgery (esp if you are NPO as ordered) then there isn't much need for it.

I was prepared to pay but wasn't required. As long as they aren't trying to overcharge you (like some bogus "admin fee" or some such!) then it's not uncommon for a surgeon or hospital to require your portion up front.

mpetterc...your body just may be in revolution (they do get petulant when we try to take control! LOL) or you may be allergic to something in the BMR shake. Just try over the weekend to hang in there and adapt and by Monday if they are still making you ill, call your surgeon. He should either have an alternate or be able to call you in something for your nausea. Don't give up now! It's frustrating but you'll get past this.

Yes, you are healing. Most of us are very hungry through the post op diet, at least until we get mushies. Just hang in there! For me, that was the worst part; but it's important you follow your post op diet to allow your surgical sites to heal and your band and stomach to settle in together. You can do it!

I got the implication that she may be reluctant from your post...but you know her! I don't know either of you. If she is interested, she should contact her insurance, find out their requirements, and take it from there, not rely on her PCP.

With a BMI of 33.8 her PCP is probably correct; although I am NOT familiar with the requirements Kaiser lists for WLS, most insurance companies (and many surgeons who accept self-pay) say that the BMI should be at least 35 w/co-morbidities. Perhaps in your enthusiasm for the band you've swept your friend along a little? If SHE wants it, she should research it; but you shouldn't pressure her. How we walk the "weight loss path" is something very individual; diet and exercise may still work for her at this point. Or maybe not, but let her decide.

Unfortunately the problem isn't restriction; it's that when we digest food (peristalsis) our stomach moves/churns. We don't feel it but it does happen. That movement occuring before we're healed can cause the sutures holding the band in place to slip or give way; setting one up for a slip NOW or LATER. That's why I suggest telling your doc; odds are you're ok but what if you aren't? Better to catch and fix it now than to have a slip or erosion down the road and wonder "Why me?".