Doodle69

My wife and I both got the Realize band on the same day, 12/19/09... we're home from the hospital, and have just started our Phase 2 diet, full liquids... We haven't had anything go wrong yet... my wife suffered from bad nausea for the first several hours after waking up, but the nurses suggested it was her reaction to the anasthesia, rather than the band itself... and they were right... after about 12 hours, she was fine... I haven't had any problems yet, other than soreness and gas... I'm told that's normal... but we won't be eating mushy foods for another 3 weeks... I'll keep you posted on how that goes...

thanks, everyone, for your support... we made it through... my wife had some nausea issues immediately after surgery, but they seemed to have dissipated... as for me, the Dr. also fixed a hiatal hernia I didn't even know I had... I feel pretty good... sore and gassy, as you would expect... we've started walking to help out with both of those... but, we're taking it slow... also, we started our Phase 2 diet today... full liquids and Protein shakes... including the pre-op diet, I'm down 10 lbs. in 10 days... not too bad!

I am also concerned about the artificial sweeteners... not only because of the potential health risks, but because before my surgery, I just found the taste repulsive... my weakness was sugared beverages, and I could not stand "diet" versions... Ironically, now that I have been banded for four days, the taste isn't as bad for me now... I don't really understand it, except that I've been off sugar for over two weeks (as part of my pre-op diet), so maybe I'm getting used to it... however, it seemed like my tastes changed immediately after waking up from surgery... someone recently suggested a more natural sweetener alternative, but I can't remember the name... if I talk to them again, I'll post it, and see what everyone thinks...

My wife and I were both banded on Dec. 19th... our surgeon had us on Clear Liquids the first 3 days... today is our first day of full liquids; adding skim milk, smooth yogurt, sugar-free pudding and our Protein shakes... we have to do this for 3 weeks, then we'll be ready for soft/mushy foods... 3 months after that, we can start to introduce solid foods again, one at a time... everyone's program is different, so stay on track with what your doctor suggests... he or she knows best!

Hi, banded on the 19th... only my 2nd day post-op... my wife got the same band on the same day, so we're suffering together (romantic, ain't it?)... lol. Sore belly, occasional pain where the port incision is... also, some soreness in my calves, which I've been working on by walking and stretching... we have liquid Loritab for pain, which almost always puts me to sleep... prescription Pepcid and OTC Gas-X for gas... and an anti-nausea med that, luckily, I haven't needed yet... but, my wife has. I've felt slightly hungry at times, but some chicken broth or jello, and it seems to knock it out... tomorrow we start our full liquids and protein drinks.

I got banded on 12/19/09, along with a hernia repair... the surgeon said it wouldn't change my recovery time, just to take extra care bending... What's weird is that I had this annoying cough before the surgery, that I always chalked up to allergies... constant tickle in the back of my throat... ever since the banding and the hernia repair, no coughing, and no tickle... pretty cool!

My wife and I are getting banded on the same day... Dec. 19th... no Xmas dinner for us... liquids only... lol. our pre-op diet isn't too strict, but it has let me lose 3 lbs. in 3 days... Doodle

I feel very fortunate after reading some of your experiences... I'm on day 3 of my pre-op diet... but mine is only a low-fat, low-carb and high-protein diet... basically, no sugar, except what comes naturally in fruit and veggies... lots of liquids (80-100oz. daily), Protein shakes, yogurt or skim milk three times a day... we're even allowed a tiny amount of meat for dinner, and a tiny amount of complex carbs, too... potatoes, Beans or hummus... anyway, so far, I've lost 3 lbs., and I haven't been too hungry or too tempted... my biggest hurdle is sugar, since I hate the taste of artificial sweeteners in my beverages... but, I'm managing! Doodle

I am getting the Realize band in 5 days... my wife and I are getting banded on the same day. We've been on the pre-op diet for 3 days, and I've already lost 3 lbs. I've read horror stories about ALL of the different weight-loss surgeries (not just banding), but I seem to hear many more positive stories than negative. That's really all I have to go on. My doctor chose the newest Realize for me, and he's had gastric bypass himself, so I feel that he knows what he's doing. My wife and I are both excited... I'm a little more nervous than she is, since I've never had any kind of surgery before. :thumbup: Wish us luck! Doodle

I am getting the Realize band in 5 days... my wife and I are getting banded on the same day. I've read horror stories about ALL of the different weight-loss surgeries (not just banding), but I seem to hear many more positive ones than negative. That's really all I have to go on. My doctor chose the newest Realize for me, and he had gastric bypass himself, so I feel that he knows what he's doing. My wife and I are both excited... I'm a little more nervous than she is, since I've never had any kind of surgery before. :thumbup: Wish us luck! Doodle

Hi, I don't have any advice, only my own story to share... I was averaging at least 20 oz. of regular soda a day, (Mt. Dew mostly)... I'm currently on my pre-op diet, with surgery only 5 days away... caffeine and sugar are both gone for me, too... I did have a bad headache the first 24-48 hours... but, so far, it's tapered off since... and more surprisingly, I haven't craved soda that much (probably since it's not in the house)... for me, it was always about the sugar and the flavor anyway, not the caffeine... I never drank diet soda, couldn't stand it... which is why I'm having some trouble with Crystal Light, Propel, etc... don't really like the taste of artificial sweeteners... probably will move away from that eventually, to just non-sweetened beverages... but, that's not easy, either... keep it up, and just try and battle through the headaches... if they persist or get worse, I would ask your doctor for advice... because, normally, there should be some relief on the horizon... but, it could take up to a week or two... my (semi-educated) guess is that your body is suffering from more than just caffeine withdrawals... your body becomes accustomed to all the other dangerous chemicals in soda, too... especially diet soda... I imagine that those could be part of the problem, but will also flush out of your system eventually... good luck! Doodle

Hi, I've been reading posts on here for the past couple of months, as I have prepared for my own banding surgery... just decided to register today, so I could post. My wife and I are getting banded on the same day (Dec. 19th), and are currently on the pre-op diet. Learning how to eat all over again. We have already attended an information seminar and a nutrition class, so a lot of my questions have been answered. But, I always seem to come up with more... lol. Just waiting now... nervous and excited... never had any kind of surgery before, so that part is a little scary. Doodle :thumbup: