Nursecutie

I dunno if I'm allergic to steristrips or dermabond or what.... what at each of my incision sites, it's red, raised, and itchy to the point of driving me crazy. My PCP looked at it and said it wasn't an infection (no fever, heat, etc...) but he's an idiot.... I'm a nurse, it doesn't look like infection to me, either. I called the surgeons office and they said I could use topical benadryl or hydrocortizone cream on it. It provides temporary relief, but my clothes rub it off and then I'm in itchy agony again. Did anyone else experience this?

I couldn't find any one place for everyone banded this month to be able to get together and talk and compare notes, so I thought I'd start a thread... Since we're all starting the post-op journey together, we can REALLY encourage each other and help everyone in check. :smile2:

it is absolute torture to have to cook for my family and then have a cup of broth. I go in phases. The first few days pre-op were awful...and then I was used to it by surgery day. The first few days post-op were ok... but now....I can barely stand only having clears and I'm actually depressed about it. I've always been a coffee drinker and hadn't had any coffee post-op because I don't like it black. I've had serious withdrawl from my coffee. Finally had to break down and have a cup today and splash some vanilla Optifast in it. Anyone else struggle with this?

what are some good flavors of that? I'm intriqued!

hey everyone :smile2: Nice to meet you guys I was banded on the 14th. Some days are harder than others with the liquid diet. I have a SUPER conservative Doc who has me on clears for another week, then full liquids for two weeks, and THEN I can start mushy foods. On top of the 2 weeks of clears I did pre-op. I'm pretty dang over them, but I have to say.... I'm liking having 30 pounds off already! @hserra - the procedure isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I had very little pain. The first night I needed some demerol, but I was up and walking the hall for 15-20 minutes at a time. I had so dreaded going under for anesthesia, that after it was done, I had this new spring in my step because it was over and I knew my new life was beginning. I had alot of gas discomfort, so make sure you have some gas-x on hand. Also, make sure you let your jello melt in your mouth before you swallow it. The first gulp I swallowed was pretty uncomfortable, because I scarfed it. It's a learning curve....but at least we're all learning together :mad:

Thanks Betsy....I know what you mean....after I did that, I told him I felt like a bulimic :-/ tntbelt - I've been trying to do that for the most part. During the day, for the kids, I've been doing that. Some nights I feed the kids before daddy comes home (on his really late nights) and I keep it simple and non-tempting. Then, he cooks for himself when he gets home. On the nights I cook for the whole family, I try to do simple, non-tempting things....hamburger helper and stuff like that. I've never been a fan as I really love gourmet cooking. I never realized how much I cooked to taste until my poor husband said my cooking has really gone downhill since I stopped eating....because I couldn't taste and adjust LOL he was being funny about it, not rude

The nurse at my Dr's office suggested AES... it's pretty reasonable! SHe said it's pretty comparable to Optifast

I guess I don't really understand HOW you can fail a lapband unless you don't have it filled? can the pouch above it restretch? I was given the impression that it could NOT restretch because of the band in place? I'm a nurse at a pediatric hospital. Compliance in that particular age group (pre and early teens) is about none. Diabetics, Cancer kids, various intolerances, CF etc.... they are very rarely compliant and end up back to see us because of complications of that non-compliance. I cannot believe any surgeon would be ok with doing WLS on a 14 yr old....unless it was life or death?

thank GOD I'm not alone in this...I thought I was having an allergic reaction to my band or something haha

is the diameter of your itchy areas really huge? it's red and elevated like a very giant bug bite around each site. Like a silver dollar around the smaller cuts and like the bottom of a bowl around my main incision where the port is

oh goodness...can I ever relate! I have an extremely conservative Doc, too. He seems to have the same diet requirements that your doctor does.... not only is it torture, but my stomach is CONSTANTLY growling. I mean... literally constant. I am NOT exaggerating for effect lol It's embarrassing!

Thank you so much everyone... THIS is the support I needed...people going through the same thing and surviving it and being able to look back and say "I did it....so can you" My surgeon has a very strict diet plan...more strict than any I've been reading about, and WAY more strict than even LapBand recommends. He says it is because they see more success when you do it his way. I go in phases....some days I'm ok with the liquids, some days I'm crying while making food for the fam. What I have found...and this may be the most retarded thing ever, is that when I'm completely overwhelmed with a need for tasting something....I lick it. Or, I take a bite, chew it to get the taste and spit it out. Is that not the most pathetic thing you've ever heard? My family got pizza the other day.... it was more than I could bear because it was one of my down days. I finally just took a bite, chewed it, and spit the bite out..... and you know what? I was satisfied. Was it a waste of a bite of pizza? lol yes... was it pathetic? yes...my husband looked at me like I was crazy. BUT...it was what I needed to be satisfied with my cup of broth.

Thanks.... yeah, one thing I've really noticed this week is my stomach is CONSTANTLY growling. It's embarrassing but kinda funny. I was trying to give report to the oncoming nurse and she told me she was having trouble hearing over my stomach hahaha

I'm on week 4 of clear liquids (including pre-op time) and at this point I would seriously even eat pureed liver and onions LOL

he is really good about cooking when he's home...but I've got three kids, two of which are home with me all day (I work nights) and he doesn't usually get home until around 9pm on during the week. That leaves lunches and dinners to me :rolleyes2: I'm on strictly clears for two weeks post op. Has to be see-thru. No coffeemate :thumbdown: Not until next week....

My Surgeon requires a 2 week clear liquid/optifast diet. It was sooooooo hard being at the family BBQ yesterday and eating sugar free jello. But, I did it. I've been wanting weight loss surgery for 10 years and I refuse to jeopardize my chances of FINALLY having it done next week! I don't seem to have any restrictions on my clear liquids, but I was looking at the sodium content on my broth and holy COW! Is that gonna cause problems?!