Vala

I was diagnosed with PCOS last fall, banded in Feb. I lost weight slowly but steadily. My cycles came back after surgery and I was declared free of PCOS in June. I never had cysts but my endo said that I still had PCOS. Well, last week I was feeling like crap, tired, cranky and my boobs really hurt. Not aunt flo either. I took the test and it came back positive. It seems that I am currently 6 weeks pregnant. Shock, that is all I can say! I really did not expect it to happen. Talked with my doc about things. He wants me to keep what fills I have in my band and aim to not gain any weight. That will be interesting. Have any of you had luck doing that?

I am due to get a fill on the 5th of Oct. and will probably go ahead with it. I had not lost anything with my last two fills, stayed exactly the same. I have never had any issues with the band being too tight. I can still eat plenty. That makes me think that one more fill might help keep me from getting out of control with pg weight. I really don't want to end up with gestational diabetes or any other complications related to being obese.

Maybe we should post some favorite drink recipes that do not have carbonated beverages. If you do want to have an adult beverage every now and again sea breezes are a good summer option. I also enjoy long island iced teas. They have a splash of coke but that is just for color, not enough to make it fizzy. I will confess to drinking beer - I got what was on tap since it has less carbonation that way.

I had my first fill today - 3ccs. Liquids are going down and I ate about a little brunswick stew for dinner. I had stalled out on my loss and I was starting to eat a little more each week. It was good timing for a fill. I just hope it makes a difference.

I drink coffee without issues. Here is the interesting thing - my nutritionist told me that caffeine is really not a big deal. She said that more recent studies on caffeine being a diuretic have shown that the effect is negligible if anything. She told me that because pf this, caffeinated drinks do count toward my daily H2O intake. SWEET!

That is so cool! I am 5'4" too! Good luck! We will have to compare notes! On another note - My post op diet has been going MUCH better than I thought. Last week decided to try for a bit more "real food" I am supposed to be on the pureed stage until the end of next week. I have been doing some experimenting and have discovered that I can eat anything. There is a trick to it. I take tiny bites and chew them thoroughly. While I am chewing, I swallow little bits at a time rather than the whole chewed up mouthful at once. Kinda like sipping but with food instead of liquids. I am also drinking Water or tea while I eat to help it go down. SIDENOTE: Drinking water while you eat does not cause your pouch to swell. The reason they tell you not to do it is because more food can go through the band (think of liquid as food lube). This means that you would be able to take more food in as it is not all staying in the pouch. OK - back to my original point: Soooo, this during the past week I have had eggs, cottage cheese, ribeye, baked fish, a little bite of a pita chip, baked Beans, cole slaw and a little bit of BBQ rib. I had very tiny quantities of each even though I was drinking while eating, roughly 2-3oz at a time but I was very satisfied. I did not get hungry after eating for at least 5 hours. I stepped it up a little because I was doing a great deal of manual labor this past week (sawing, dragging limbs, walking 5+ miles a day). I felt like having some real food in my system fueled me up better and helped me keep up with my helpers.

These soups are fantastic and smooooth. I have been eating them since the start of week 2 post op with no problems. There are plenty of different flavors to choose from which is also nice. Pacific Natural Foods

From what I understand, if your band slipped nothing would be going down. I would not worry. I knew someone that slipped their band. They were vomiting constantly and were heading into starvation mode fast.

I really enjoy plain ole water, especially when I am at work. Usually if I want to spice it up I will squeeze a lemon or lime wedge in it. Sometimes I do find myself wanting something with flavor so instead of adding artificial stuff to water I will add some 100% organic fruit juice. I will mix it about 60% water and 40% juice and it tastes wonderful.

I have to say that I think the surgeons who expect people to stay on clear liquid diets for more than 3 days post surgery need their heads examined. I tried and I too was feeling very weak and everything was going straight through me. I was not getting the basic nutrients I needed. I went ahead and added shakes and CIBs and never had an issue. You guys saw the post op diet I posted earlier in this thread. It is NOT healthy in my opinion (especially after experiencing it). You need Protein to heal and staying on clear liquids for 2 weeks is not going to give you what you need. I think a cup of chicken broth only has a couple of grams of protein. I think Mr. Rice's Doc has it right. Listen to what your body is telling you. If you are hungry and weak and the liquids are going down fine, step it up a little and try something with more substance. You will be amazed at how full you feel.

I have been doing really well so far, I have my post op diet and I understand what the purpose of it is. That being said, I am using it as a guideline rather than a hard and fast rule. I am also listening to my body and doing what feels right. I ended up adding protein shakes and carnation instant breakfasts into my liquid diet 1 week after surgery. Those were keeping me pretty full until the end of last week. I started getting hungry more quickly between "meals" so I decided to try some pre-made creamy soups. They went down fine and a cup would hold me longer than a protein shake. Yesterday I had some scrambled egg and it was fine too. My husband shared a couple of tiny bites of steak (the size of my pinkie nail) with me last night and they were most yummy. Foods with a bit more cohesion to them (a step up from liquid) are staying me longer than liquids now. I attribute that to the swelling having gone down. If I stayed on a liquid diet, I would be taking in more calories than I am eating the softer foods. So, it is a no brainer for me to step it up a little as long as it is going down OK. Tomorrow will be the start of what my post op diet is calling the pureed stage (two weeks post op). For the most part Iwill be following it. I will be eating scrambled eggs, yogurt and mashed potatoes among other things. If I start getting hungry, I will move up to mushy foods. I keep in mind that those diets are written boilerplate and do not take into account individuals and their bodies. I find I fare better if I listen to my body.

I was supposed to be on Clear Liquids for two weeks but I was not feeling healthy and had no energy. I went ahead and started having carnation instant breakfasts (normal ones) twice a day and one Protein shake a day. I also have some chicken or veggie broth. I drink diluted white grape juice, tea, coffee and Water. So far so good. I have not felt hungry or weak. I plan to get creative with soups next week. Can't wait to get some fresh veggies and get to cooking!

Hey! I am a PCOS bandster. I am hoping that losing weight will improve my PCOS symptoms. The pre-op diet did bring aunt flo to visit just in time for surgery!:blushing: I am really really really hoping that I can get down to a healthy enough weight to get pregnant. I don't know if I will need fertility help or not but from what I have read, a number of you PCOS folks have had fertility boosts after banding. I want to be careful and wait a year before becoming PG. Should I be cautious and go on birth control until I am ready to try? Have you guys been able to come off of Metformin? I am not taking it right now and will probably re-evaluate my bloodwork with my endo in 6 weeks or so. The funny part with all of this is that my OBGYN told me to get the band so I could lose weight to have a healthier pregnancy. My band doc was telling people at the seminar to have a baby first and then get banded. I felt like I had to get banded if I wanted to have a baby.

Hey guys It is two days since surgery. I am feeling pretty darn good considering. There really is not much pain at all (and I am not taking any pain meds now) but I am not hungry. Yesterday I had some Water, tea and a popsicle and then felt very nauseated last night. Hubby made me eat some chicken broth and that helped me feel a little better. Now I am having the liquid in liquid out thing. I tried some beef broth for Breakfast and got about a quarter cup down. Since then I have felt fairly uncomfortable, like I have to burp or something but nothing will happen. I have no desire to try and "eat" more broth for lunch but I did manage to get 8 oz of water down. Sweet things are really disgusting to me so Jello and popsicles are off the menu for now. Should I force myself to eat some more broth? I am worried about not being hungry at all. I feel fine otherwise with the exception of the bloated gassy feeling. Hubby is worried that I am not getting enough nutrition and wants me to try to take in more broth. I am on liquids for 2 weeks. I guess not getting a lot of nutrition during that time is not a big deal? Part of me is paranoid that I screwed my band up before I went home. I kept trying to tell the nurse that I was nauseated but she would not give me anything. I gagged/retched pretty hard twice. I have read how bad it is to vomit before being healed up so I am a little bit worried about that.

It doesn't do squat for me. It takes a little edge off the pain but that is it. I feel like I would be doing just as well taking liquid Tylenol. I am a bit ouchy, nothing crazy but it would be nice to be able to relax a bit. Did any of you get something different to take post op? I have been having a little nausea and they wouldn't give me anything to take home for that. I had hubby pick up some ginger tea so I could self medicate the nausea. I guess it is a little normal to feel woozy until the anesthesia is out of my system?

Thanks for the tips guys! My nausea was pretty bad last night so I decided to stop taking the Lortab. There really isn't any pain to speak of and I am more worried about lack of appetite, nausea, sinuses, etc. I just sent hubby to the store to get me some more of the good chicken broth as well as the otc nausea medicine (he got the liquid) that heather mentioned. I also had him get some gas x strips for good measure. Tonight I will be taking some liquid tylenol cold medicine to keep my sinuses from draining so much.

Here is the kicker. I am looking at what I got from the nutritionist. I am in stage 1 of my post op diet which lasts two weeks. It is a clear liquid diet. No shakes or anything like that are allowed. This means no Protein shakes for me. In stage 2, I can start having shakes as well as pureed foods. It tells me to start taking Vitamins in stage 2. Do I fudge and start some shakes a week early? The only source I have available of anything that resembles nutrition is broth. I have heard that protein helps healing and I thought about ordering beneprotein to add to help boost that intake. I also thought about running down to GNC and getting some liquid vitamins. I really don't want to deprive my body of what it needs to be healthy for a full two weeks. That seems counter productive. Oh, and I really have the sipping thing down. I am hanging out on the couch reading and I sip every 5-10 pages.:tt2:

I understand about empty calories, but is there any other reason that one should pursue sugar free Jello and drinks? I am a big coffee and tea drinker - both without any added sweetener. I also drink lots of Water. Those are where I get the bulk of my liquids. If I am going to eat a popsicle, jello or flavored beverage I would prefer not to have one that is sugar free. I hate artificial sweeteners and certain ones give me nasty headaches. I have been trying today for my pre-op purge and have made it with tons of tea, broth and water. I realize that I am going to have to eat this way for 2 weeks post surgery and would like to avoid artificial sweeteners. Any thoughts?

The night before surgery, right before bedtime I had a little bought of cold feet. Not so much panic and not related to the surgery so much as to me finally voicing those fears/thoughts I have been having but kept to myself. I told my husband about how I felt like a failure for having to resort to surgery to lose weight. In the weeks leading up to this, I had so many people (thin people) telling me that I just needed to stick to a diet and have better willpower. I was starting to let them in a little. I was also worrying about loose skin and all sorts of what if's. Thankfully, I have a gem of a husband and he gave me a hug and then looked me dead in the eye and said "I know you, you would not be doing this if it was not necessary. Look at how your health has been affected, think about all that you have been missing out on. This is a wonderful thing for you and you should be excited, not sitting here crying." Just what I needed. My little bought of doubt lasted about 30 minutes and I was good to go. I don't regret going forward with the surgery. Yesterday morning before my surgery, the sweetest little nun came and said a prayer for me. It was very touching and really set my mind at ease. Once they had my iv in, and wheeled me to the surgery waiting area a very handsome man that I dubbed "Dr. Feelgood" gave me a nice sedative. After a few minutes he gave me another because I was drumming my fingers. The only thing I remember after that my doc coming to my bedside to say hello and all I could think was that his tracksuit jacket didn't match his pants. Strange. I woke up after my surgery with nurses telling me to take deep breaths, I fogged out again and woke back up with my husband and parents at my side. Couldn't have gone much better. Not to mention here I am the day after surfing the net.:blushing:

Here is what the nutritionist gave me as my post op diet: STAGE 1 2 weeks (weeks 1&2 post surgery) of clear liquids - consume by sipping one tablespoon of liquid every 15 minutes while awake. The list of permitted liquids is as follows: -dilute or sugar free juices -beef or chicken broth -crystal light -bouillon -gatorade -sugar free popsicles -sugar free Jello -decaf coffee or tea -Water *she did tell me that I didn't have to go decaf as studies have shown that their diuretic properties have been blown way out of proportion and they actually count as liquid consumed. STAGE 2 - two weeks (weeks 3&4 post surgery) -soups (cream soups, egg drop soup) -cream of wheat (i am southern and thinking to replace with grits) -runny mashed potatoes -apple sauce -sugar free puddings -pureed fruit (no skins) -pureed fish, tuna, chicken -cottage cheese (low fat) -sugar free yogurt -sugar free carnation instant Breakfast -Protein shakes -milk (1% or skim) -pureed veggies without skins. -baby food -light mayo -light salad dressings -all previously allowed foods. STAGE 3 (week 5 and after post op) -low Fiber non cooked cereals -refined cooked cereals (oatmeal, cream of wheat, grits) -mashed potatoes -cooked or canned fruit -soft cooked veggies without skin or hulls -tender skinless chicken, turkey, fish or tuna (grilled, baked or broiled) -eggs -ripe banana -shredded low fat cheese -very tender lean pork or beef (cooked in a crock pot and cut into small pieces) all previously allowed foods. After I got through all of the stages, the dietitian told me to explore and try different foods to see what works for me. She did give me a list of typical problem foods to avoid.

Get a percussion massager to use on the area. One of my banded friends had a similar issue and swears that it really helped her.

Oh, I have quite a list - Not being able to ride my horses (I had gotten too heavy for them to carry me). -Making a permanent indention in my mattress and furniture. -Making people's cars shake when I got in. -Not being able to sit with my legs together. -Trying to keep my hubby from seeing me naked. -Fat rolls and new stretch marks. -Having to hold me head funny in pictures so it didn't look like I was being swallowed by my jowls and chins. -Being the fattest person at work. -Having to buy plus size or men's 42 waist pants. -Looking like the goodyear blimp in my work uniform (khakis and a tucked in polo). -Food stains on my shirt. -Being the fat girl that everyone feels safe with. -Only being able to purchase the shoes styles I see in In Style magazine. -Being able to keep up with my friends. -Only being able to hold up for 25 mile endurance rides (when I was still light enough to ride my horses). -Taking 3 days to recover after pushing myself to keep up with everyone on a hiking/backpacking or other outdoor excursion. -Having to have help getting back in the boat. -Being red all of the time. -Looking at my mother with all of her health problems and wondering how long it would be before I got them. -Having to contort myself to shave my legs. -My head looking too small for my body. -Granny panties -Having everyone stare at me when we had public meetings for work (right after my boss finished telling everyone how the field I work in is helping fight the obesity epidemic that is sweeping america). -Having to serve as an expert on panels about fighting childhood obesity and having the attendees look at me sideways because of my weight. Goodness...

I am glad to read that I can still enjoy some of my favorite places to eat. I don't eat at chains but I do love sushi, thai and indian. I think once I am able, the first real food I am going to eat again will be some mackerel sashimi. Yum!

Thankfully, I don't have to have sugar with coffee of tea so that is good. I have noticed that the Protein waters, etc. all are so nasty overly sweet tasting. They make me want to gag and I know that is bad for me. So, if on occasion I want to eat a treat (like a regular jello) it won't make me physically ill to eat it? That is my main concern. I have never tried stevia - that is a natural sweetener isn't it? I will do some research on that. I am officially on my post surgery diet now (20 hours since I was sliced and diced) and really don't find myself wanting anything other than Water. I have been taking lots of small sips and doing OK. I am a bit ouchy and was nauseous for a while after I got out of surgery yesterday it all seems good now. I think I may try to eat some chicken broth this afternoon. I got some free range organic stuff that tastes pretty awesome (for chicken broth). My hubby says that I am a bit of a food snob and he is laughing at me for all of my organic broths, teas, coffee, etc. I could not find organic Jello. I am guessing that one does not exist.:blushing: I figure that if I only get to put a little bit of food (liquid right now) in, it might as well be of the highest quality I can find.

I am a Georgia Girl - Getting banded tomorrow! I went to the seminar back in Oct, went through all of the consults and then had to wait about a month and a half for my insurance to sign off. It doesn't seem real at all... BTW - I think I have already said hi in this thread but am coming out of lurkdom.