TXAmy07

I went in for a fill on Thursday and was fine on creamy liquids that night. Friday morning I was unable to do anything but Clear Liquids very slowly. I called my surgeon Friday morning and they couldn't make an appt until Monday. I am miserable (and scared). At this point I am not even able to do clear liquids and even my saliva is making me sick. The lady at my surgeons when I called on Friday said just try to keep down clear liquids and if I get too dehydrated to to the ER for IV fluids...... I really hate to do that but I don't know how I am going to last another 48 hours. I can't even sleep... Any thoughts/suggestions/guidance?

Update: I tried the tea and couldn't even get one sip down and so I was prepared to head to the ER (without a lot of hope, bc it does seem like most of the stories I've heard they weren't equipped to do anything but IV fluids).. I decided to call my surgeon's office and have him paged, and he actually agreed to meet me at the office for an unfill. He took out .5 cc's and I feel like a totally new person now! I am sticking to clear liquids at least until tomorrow even though he said creamy liquids should be okay. Thanks for the info and encouragement! That was a pretty awful experience.

I had a fill yesterday of .8cc's, bringing me up to 8 cc's total. This was my 5th fill and was under flouro (sp?). He actually put in 1 cc but backed it down because the yummy liquid chalk wouldn't go down well. I sat in the office and drank Water, no problem. Last night I had Soup and even yogurt and things felt fine. So far today I am miserable. I have tried juice (no go), then I switched to coffee thinking that the warmth would help, and that went down okay but then when I took a drink of chocolate milk - ouch. Not good. I am very slowly sipping on Vitimin water and having a little bit of burping but it seems to be doing better. I called my surgeon's office like a good bander, and they can't see me until Monday for an unfill..... She said just drink Clear liquids until then, but she also added that it seemed odd that I was fine last night and was able to handle the soup and yogurt, and so perhaps as the day goes on things will continue to loosen up even more and MAYBE by Monday things might even be ok and I won't need to come in. So, my question is... Does this seem like it could be normal? Do I need a slight unfill? Is there a normal amount of swelling that could be happening and will go down eventually? Before this fill I did have to drink hot tea or something else warm to loosen things up but I was generally OK to eat yogurt for Breakfast by about 10 am - could it just be a more severe case of that now? Oh wow, sorry - that was like 89 questions. Anyway, thanks for any input you guys might have. :thumbup:

I haven't posted in a while because I have been stuck in band hell... the deepest, darkest place ever! I just had my 3rd fill this week, and I have 5.75 cc's (in a 10 cc band) and hopefully I wont be as hungry as I have been. Even having said that, I lost 11 lbs this past month from my 2nd to 3rd fill! I am down 29 lbs since first seeing the surgeon, and 66 since I began this whole experience with the 6-month diet ordeal. Yay!!!

I got my first fill today! 3.5 cc's total. He tried 4.5 and it was way too much, so he backed it down to 4 and it was still too much. 3.5 was perfect. He did it via x-ray, so I got to see the liquid as it got "stuck" and then when he took it down to 3.5 I saw it flow through the band. It was pretty cool, actually. I was pretty nervous, but now I know not to be! The feeling when it got "stuck" was terrible, I was shocked at that. My surgeon is letting me decide when to get the next one, but it will be no sooner than 3 to 4 weeks out. He also said it would take about 2 weeks to tell if I have restriction. So far I don't feel any different, but I'm on liquids until lunch time tomorrow. Yay, I feel so much like a grown up bander now!!! :bored:

One of the reps was at a support group I went to this past week. She didn't say much about Protein stuff, but we did sample some of their Vitamins. They were not too bad - the calcium chew thing was outstanding! I did want to mention that she talked about a pre-op Vitamin that they make that helps get your levels evened out and gets you used to taking a supplement. I am not sure how it tastes because we did not sample that one, but it might be worth looking into. Good luck!

I am with you!!!! I did a 6-month diet program before surgery, and with that plus the pre-op diet I was down about 50+ lbs... I was so excited. Nothing could stop me. Now I am a month out and on regular foods, and I'm eating well (lean meats, green vegetables, soft fruits) and I'm exercising 6 days a week at the gym... and I gained 1 lb last week? What is THAT? I don't really feel restriction - I can tell I do get full faster, and I am not eating neeeear as much as I was before I began this journey and I guess I just thought I'd keep losing like I did before surgery. It's disappointing. I go in this Thursday for my 2nd post-op and I am very nervous as to what he will say. My first fill is a week from today and I hope that helps. I just don't want to get discouraged and give up. Especially since I am not even finished paying for the surgery... Heh. I can tell I have lost inches though, and I am doing some toning at the gym along with cardio so I hope maybe I am replacing fat with muscle? I need to start taking my measurements to verify that. There is a support group meeting this week and I am going to go to that and hopefully that also helps with my mindset. Hang in there, we'll figure this out........

I am curious as to what other's have or will have on their incisions after surgery - stitches, staples, or skin glue? I had skin glue and now, one week post-op it's itching like craaaaaazy as well as peeling off. My port incision is completely uncovered now! I hope my doctor doesn't get mad at me tomorrow when I go in for my post-op. I didn't pull the stuff off, it just started peeling off. Oops!

Wow........ that's just someone who had a bad day looking to pick on someone else I think. OK, thanks fellow Banditos for being supportive to everyone! We do have a great group!!!

OH yeah Heather, I felt like that too. Sitting at dinner with my family and friends and they were munching on chips and queso and I was sitting there waiting for my stupid SOUP and starving....... and who can I be mad at by myself, for being in this situation? Just remember, this too shall pass! I agree with Ann, go over to the May forum and read some of the posts there. :thumbup:

Oh Juniper! I am sorry to hear about your GB. I will cross my fingers for you that you do get your band at the same time. Don't be scared of being put to sleep! Hopefully you will have the same anesthesiologist that I had; she was wonderful. I have terrible veins and so she did the IV herself using a little pediactric needle and said "don't worry, I'll put in another one while you're asleep but I don't want to hurt you"... Once we got to the OR I remember her saying "I just gave you something to make you relax" and I said "sweet!!!" and that is the very last thing I remember. Sure enough, I had another larger IV in the other hand when I woke up. She seriously rocked. Keep us updated and good luck!

I started on my treadmill the week after surgery, but I just had my post-op today and was given the clearance to do everything except for ab-exercises. I just toured a new really nice gym near my house and I think I'm going to go join it! I want to work on losing and toning as well. This gym also has a swimming pool and lap pool and that makes me very happy! Wasn't there a thread with an exercise challenge? We need to get that going!

Good luck today Juniper! I just came from the office. :smile: In my doctor's case, he did use glue but I did NOT have to keep it dry. He told me I could take a shower the day after surgery, which I did. He said just not to scrub the incisions, but the Water could run over them. Now 2 weeks the glue is all off and my incisions look great!

I hear you!!! I went in for my post-op this morning and he asked if I had tried mushy stuff yet. I said yes, I did last night! (It was AWESOME! I made the squash casserole that's in the mushy food recipe thread in the food area, and it was okay - I'd probably make a couple of changes the next time I make it, and I also made mashed potatoes! AHH!) He wants to see me back in 3 more weeks, which will be 1 week after I have started back on normal foods and then the week after that I get my first fill! I scheduled both of those appointments this morning. Yay!

Yay! I am glad we're not changing our name. I like us just the way we are.

I started putting antibiotic stuff on mine because the skin glue came off and the incisions were red and itchy! I'd wake up in the middle of the night scratching, so I figured the cream was better than scratching. It has helped somewhat, but they are still kind of red-ish and still itch. I have my post-op this Thursday (over 2 weeks out, not sure of the point now :laugh:) and I'm planning on asking then.

I think it really depends on the person, the surgeon, etc. Just as a basic rule of thumb, your meals should be 70% Protein (lean meats), 20% vegetables, and 10% starchy vegetables/whole grains once you are ready for "normal" food. My surgeon mentioned that some of his patients like to do WW, although the points have to be somewhat altered if you're banded, I believe. As far as what I'll do, I am not sure yet! I am just taking this 14 days of liquids one day at a time until I get to mushy food, and then so on. :scared2:

Loose does not = lose, it's different pronunciations. You have loose change in your pockets. When you a play a game you don't win, you lose. Also, while I'm at it - your and you're are two different words. You're going to have LB surgery in your surgeon's hospital if you're ready. See? And finally, you could'NT care less. Not COULD care less. If you could care less that means you do care, and it IS in fact possible to care less than you already do. ok WOW. I feel soooooooooo much better now. Thanks for not judging my pet peeves.

Juniper, my fellow DFWer, you'll do great! Don't expect much from the pre-op, mine was basically just "ok yep, you've lost weight... good job... what question do you have?" and it was over so quickly I was surprised. You've picked a good hospital and a good team, and they will take great care of you. My mom was so impressed by everyone at the hospital - they were fantastic. When is your pre-op, btw? I will be there next Thursday for my post-op. (15 days after surgery, but whatever...)

I am curious as to what kind of pre-op diet you guys are required to do... they seem to differ so much yet they all are in place to do the same thing, right? So here is mine: Meal 1: Protein shake Meal 2: 1 servings of TWO of these: oatmeal, fruit, yogurt, bagel, waffle, toast (1/2 cup each) Meal 3: Protein Shake Meal 4: 4-6 ozs of lean meat, 1 cup of GREEN vegetables And... I have to do it for 1 month. I think it would be ok (hard, but not that bad) for 2 weeks but the 1 month seems completely like I can't even see the light at the end of the tunnel! But I guess since I have survived 2 days through this then I will probably live. :smile: With heavy stress on the word "probably". Amy

Everyone is moving along quite well! I had to cancel my post-op today. My daughter woke me up at 6am in tears with a sore throat. She had strep 6 weeks ago, and I called her doctor and they said bring her back in, it sounds like she never got rid of the virus. Sure enough, she tested positive for strep right there in the office. Sooooooo, I did go to the doctor today alright, but not the one I would have preferred! I had to reschedule for next Thursday, which will be over 2 weeks post-op. That's weird! Why even go at that point? Hehe

I just got some of the One-A-Day mix that you add to Water... You might try that. I found it at Walgreens. It's not um... the best thing I have ever had but it's OK I guess. It's better than the Centrum liquid that I got, bleh! The other day on the news they interviewed a doctor who was talking about Vitamins and she said that the gummy vitamins are actually better for you than the chalky ones because they get into your system more than the others. She said that your body doesn't even absorb all of vitamins ever, but these do a bit more. I wonder if that's true? It sounded interesting, and I think once I get on the actual eating phase of my post-op I am going to get some gummies!

I have felt everything you said, and I especially felt it the day of, the day after, and maybe even a little the 3rd day after surgery! I know the anesthesia makes you feel a bit of depression, but like I mentioned in another post I think that we are in a way mourning the death of our old lives and our old eating habits. It is kind of scary to let go of everything and start a whole new life, but you have made that step! The hard part is over, and now this is the fun part where we all get to share the experience of learning our "new bodies", and sharing our successes - on the scale AND off. One year from now you will look back and not remember why you felt the insecurities and it will make you hug those two babies of yours even tighter. I have kept mine a secret too, and while I haven't had to deal with anyone asking me what's wrong, I think that if they asked I'd just say "Oh I joined a new gym and overworked myself". Then you are not only getting your brain used to the idea that if you don't already work out you will need to be in the future, AND you give that person a reason to know why you're losing weight! My only weird thing happened the other day at work - I went to lunch with 2 people, 1 of whom knows I had the surgery. I ordered Soup and sat there eating JUST the broth out of it and I know the 1 guy that didn't know was thinking, "ok HOW is that girl as big as she is if she just picks at the broth from soup for the whole time?". He even asked me at one point, "is that all you ordered?". The other guy that does know just started helping himself to my soup. HAHAHA. Chin up, you'll do great! This is the first week of the rest of your life!

Hi there, I think you have missed the point of the original poster, which was just a comment about those that have no problem with the surgery and the fact that they did. I am not quite sure how you managed to assume that (whomever you were referring to) was faking feeling bad to get out of work, etc. I am also not at all sure how you assumed that (again, whomever you were referring to) was "laying around". I also posted that I felt terrible the day of and day after my surgery but what I did not mention was that I, just like you, never used any kind of painkillers. I also walked up and down my street and back the day of surgery and every day following, increasing the distance each time. The tone that you used in your post seemed a bit harsh for people that were just making statements as to how they faired after surgery. Regardless, congratulations on your absolute success on your surgery, and working right after it and driving 2 days later. Good for you. Maybe next time you could not accuse others of being lazy and trying to excuse themselves out of their duties when you really have no clue what they are going through.

Nice job on the loss since surgery!! I don't have my post-op until tomorrow morning so I don't know my official weight loss since then. I am thinking the appointment is going to be a 5 minute ordeal - I don't have staples or anything to take out. I feel good otherwise! I am still having a hard time getting all of my Protein in but I keep trying. I'm doing well with Water. My liquid diet is for 2 weeks, so I guess I am officially half way over with it. It really hasn't been all that bad though. sugar free pudding and popsicles rock!