Banded 2 years ago. What's it like? Ask me anything!

[mgmagnolia 1]

Hello Everyone,

I was banded July 27, 2009. I've lost 135 lbs. I found a wealth of information on this website and was given so much support from the forums. I'd like to give back. I'll be happy to answer any questions you have about what's it's like to have a band. It's been a wonderful experience but it's hard work. Losing weight is never easy and there is no free ride or golden ticket out of obesity. I'll do my best to answer any and everything you throw at me.

Maggie

[juliebug 3]

Tell me what to expect the day of surgery and the first few days postop please!

[rcz1966 7]

Hi Maggie. I would like to know what it is like drinking liquids with the band. Ihave heard that liquids go right through but have also heard about taking small sips. How different is it to drink liquids after being banded? Thank you

Hello Everyone,

I was banded July 27, 2009. I've lost 135 lbs. I found a wealth of information on this website and was given so much support from the forums. I'd like to give back. I'll be happy to answer any questions you have about what's it's like to have a band. It's been a wonderful experience but it's hard work. Losing weight is never easy and there is no free ride or golden ticket out of obesity. I'll do my best to answer any and everything you throw at me.

Maggie

[HeavyDutyQ-tee 2]

Hey Maggie... I have a couple questions??? Do you workout or exercise a lot? If so how many times per week n how long each time? Also what kinds of things do you eat? What foods do you enjoy now that you couldn't enjoy in the beginning of your journey? What is a good amount of calories, Protein, and carbs per day? Thanks a lot. Btw, good job on all your success and thanks so much for 'giving back'

[mgmagnolia 1]

Tell me what to expect the day of surgery and the first few days postop please!

When I woke up from surgery, it hurt but not the out of your mind kind of hurt. It was like when you have a really bad stomach bug and have been throwing up hard all night. It felt really upset. The nurse gave me some pain med through the IV and it worked pretty fast. I kept dozing off to sleep but they sent my family back and both of them helped me get dressed and sit in a chair. They gave me ice chips. I was very careful with those and barely ate any. I was afraid of upsetting my unhappy stomach, but they seemed to go down ok. My surgery was at 8:30 a.m. I think I was home by 1 p.m. The pain medicine was liquid. I think I only used it that first day and maybe a day or two after that. It was summer, so by 6 or 7 p.m. I was outside walking around.

The post-op nurse told me that when they do the surgery, they blow up your belly with a gas to be able to see what they are doing laproscopically on the camera. He told me that when I got home that I needed to get up and walk around in my house, even if it was just a walk from one room to another one. Otherwise, the gas could get trapped in there and really cause some pain. I did do that and didn't have any problems with the gas from the surgery. I tried to do that once an hour or at least every two hours.

The doctor's office gave me a copy of directions of how to eat for the first few weeks. I had to eat in ounces so I bought a teeny-tiny measuring cup that only goes up to 3 ounces. It's about the size of a shot glass. My sister helped me since I'm single. We wrote down everything I took in. We wrote down what it was, how much and the time that I "ate." Keeping a food journal is really important after surgery. It is the first thing they look at if you have any post-op problems eating.

The big concern with having Lap Band surgery is that you want to avoid throwing up as much as you can after you have it. When they put the band around your stomach, they fold a piece of the stomach over it like a belt loop and sew it to help anchor it. You have to give it time to heal up. I don't want to scare you because the odds of the band slipping is very small. They were not concerned about this and most people do have nausea and vomiting after surgery and they do just fine. So please don't think that if you get sick to your stomach that you are making that happen. I was worried about it, but I'm someone who worries about everything. I wanted to give it as much time to heal as I could without that happening. I was lucky that I did not have any vomiting. I followed the post op orders exactly as they told me to do.

The only real pain I had was right after surgery. It was mostly sore after that but nothing bad at all. It was nice out, so I would walk a little bit in the yard or just putter around the house a little bit. Honestly, this surgery was not bad at all. It's not nearly as bad as having something say like the flu or a bad cold. I didn't take any pain medicine for the surgery after the second day.

The worst part of this whole thing for me was the 3 weeks liquid diet before surgery. That was way worse than going through the surgery itself. I hope this helps. If you have any other questions, let me know!

[SkinnyMiniMe 63]

(1) How long did it take you to lose that weight?

(2) Did you find it difficult to lose or easier than your past attempts?

(3) Would you do it all over again?

(4) Before surgery, did you fear failure? Or what was your biggest fear about the surgery and now that is done how do you feel about the fear you had? Basically what would your 2011 self tell your 2009 self right before the surgery?

Hello Everyone,

I was banded July 27, 2009. I've lost 135 lbs. I found a wealth of information on this website and was given so much support from the forums. I'd like to give back. I'll be happy to answer any questions you have about what's it's like to have a band. It's been a wonderful experience but it's hard work. Losing weight is never easy and there is no free ride or golden ticket out of obesity. I'll do my best to answer any and everything you throw at me.

Maggie

[mgmagnolia 1]

Hi Maggie. I would like to know what it is like drinking liquids with the band. Ihave heard that liquids go right through but have also heard about taking small sips. How different is it to drink liquids after being banded? Thank you

There are only 2 times that I notice any difference drinking liquids compared to before being banded. The first is every morning. The band doesn't change tightness but in the mornings, it feels like it is tighter. This is something that is very normal. Because the band is restricting your stomach, you will have more stomach acid. Almost every band patient has acid reflux after surgery even if they didn't have it before then. After being in bed all night, I have a build-up of acid. I don't have any symptoms at all except that the band seems really tight in the mornings. I have to sip slowly and a little at a time. I don' t know for sure, and I'm not a medical person at all, but I think that maybe there's just a little bit of swelling in there when I first get up. Kind of like when I put my rings on in the morning and they are tight because my fingers are a little swelled but after an hour or so I can wear them fine because it goes away. The same thing happens with the band. Once I'm up for an hour or so, I can drink normally like I did before being banded and really not notice any difference.

The second way I feel a difference is right after I've had my band tightened. When they tighten it, not only does it make it smaller, it also causes some swelling in there for a few days. You will have to slow down, sip slowly, and wait for it to go through. You will learn to recognize how you feel whether or not if you drank too much at a time. It doesn't hurt, but it's very uncomfortable. Think of your new pouch like a funnel. If you have a funnel in your kitchen that holds about a cup get it out and put it in a bowl and pour thin liquids then thicker ones through it if you want a visual to help. The pouch is like the cone part of the funnel. It holds about the same amount of liquid. It takes awhile for it to work all of it through the spout. Same exact thing going on in your stomach.

How does it feel when you've taken too much in at one time? You feel bloated and tight right behind the breastbone and up through your chest maybe even up to the throat. Your mouth might even Water like it does when you are about to be sick. You will not be able to lie down. In my case, I can't stand to sit with my back against anything until it goes down. You find yourself swallowing a lot. That's because your esophagus is trying to push it through the band. It is a series of muscles and when it (your body is soooo smart) realizes something isn't going down like it should, the muscle contractions get stronger as it pushes harder to make it go through. It also pours on saliva to help grease up whatever is stuck to get it through. This is a natural defense mechanism that our bodies do to help alleviate choking. Sometimes with food, the contractions get so hard, you have chest pain because of it. This is why you hear about people (people without a band that is) going to the hospital for chest pain and are told it's acid reflux and not their heart at all.

What to do if you drink too much and this happens: if you are sitting down, get up and walk. Keep walking until it moves through. Standing up automatically gives your body more room. Gravity also works in your favor. Walking helps get it moving through a little quicker. I've done all kinds of things to try to help something go through it when it doesn't want to. Walking is by far the best cure.

This actually happened to me yesterday morning. I was at a meeting 8:30 a.m. at a regional facility with a room full of people I didn't know. There were about 30 of us there and we were sitting at tables of 4. I was having coffee. My band was tight. Normally, I'm up and moving a lot at that time of day, not sitting. I forgot about that and I drank too much coffee at a time not thinking about it taking longer to go through. Of course as luck would have it, I was sitting right smack in front of the presenter. I tried not to draw attention to myself, but it makes you burp like when you eat too much and I started "burping" myself by patting my chest with my hand. I was swallowing a lot. The woman across the table asked me if I was okay. The presenter stopped in the middle of his talk and asked me if I was all right. I told him what was going on (very quickly of course not wanting to cause a scene) and asked him if he minded if I got up and just stood in the back for a little bit. He was fine by that. I was able to not miss anything being said and by standing I was able to work it through. Of course I stayed close to the door in case it decided to come back up.

[skintyprincess 12]

This is AWESOME!!

[mgmagnolia 1]

Hey Maggie... I have a couple questions??? Do you workout or exercise a lot? If so how many times per week n how long each time? Also what kinds of things do you eat? What foods do you enjoy now that you couldn't enjoy in the beginning of your journey? What is a good amount of calories, Protein, and carbs per day? Thanks a lot. Btw, good job on all your success and thanks so much for 'giving back'

Oh you're very welcome! I have fallen off the workout wagon here lately but will be getting back on track soon I hope. I go through spells when I work out about 4 times a week for about an hour at a time. I will do about 30 min of cardio and then 30 min of weight training. The exercise makes a tremendous difference on the weight loss. I think I could starve about to death and still not lose unless I exercised. At 300 lbs, I didn't have much muscle tone. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. I'll never be a body builder and never want to be. But it has helped me be stronger. I've noticed that my sense of balance got better with the weight training too. I had a tendancy to fall. Just stepping up on a step stool is a big difference in balance.

I am not much on cooking so I try to eat simple things. I try to keep Protein high on the list. For Breakfast I usually have chocolate Protein powder mixed in with coffee (kinda like a mocha coffee) with splenda and a little fat free coffee creamer. I'm a little bit odd as a Lap Band patient in that I'm able to eat better than most. I can eat bread (some cannot at all) and I don't have much trouble with meat. Today for lunch I'm having some beef stew that I made. There is more meat in it than carrots and potatoes but it's still got some. To help me with portions, I bought a bunch of those throw away plastic bowl like what Gladware puts out. You can buy them in 1/2 cup and 1 cup sizes. This way, I don't have to measure anything. I just dump it in the bowl and off I go. Sometimes I'll cook something and go ahead a pour it into those bowls ahead of time and put them in the freezer. I eat just about anything. Sometimes good for me, sometimes not. You do the best you can. You won't be 100% on the eating all the time. Sometimes you just gotta have that pie or Cookies. But I try to eat healthy and stay out of fast food places. Things I like that I couldn't eat before: I can't think of anything but will let you know if I do.

The nutritionist at the bariatric surgeon's office gave me a criteria to follow for amounts of protein, carbs and fat. 60-80 grams of protein a day. Hard to get all of that in. 45-60 grams of carbs: That is really hard to stay in. I have to work at not going over. And under 25 grams of fat per day. I don't think I've ever managed to do that but I try to not go crazy with it. It's a tough diet. Most surgeons have nutrionists in their offices and they are FABULOUS. They give me all kinds of recipes, ideas and brands of foods to work with.

[zink 0]

Hii, Maggie, I know I haven't been perfect but I feel that the only thing it has done is I can't eat anything dry . I have not lost anything and its been two years. I had my surgeon remove all solutions out and still feel the same. I cannot eat everything. I'm afraid to have it all removed and go under anesthesia again. I happy to hear it worked for you.

Hello Everyone,

I was banded July 27, 2009. I've lost 135 lbs. I found a wealth of information on this website and was given so much support from the forums. I'd like to give back. I'll be happy to answer any questions you have about what's it's like to have a band. It's been a wonderful experience but it's hard work. Losing weight is never easy and there is no free ride or golden ticket out of obesity. I'll do my best to answer any and everything you throw at me.

Maggie

[mgmagnolia 1]

Hii, Maggie, I know I haven't been perfect but I feel that the only thing it has done is I can't eat anything dry . I have not lost anything and its been two years. I had my surgeon remove all solutions out and still feel the same. I cannot eat everything. I'm afraid to have it all removed and go under anesthesia again. I happy to hear it worked for you.

Wow I hate to hear that it was such an awful experience for you. Do you have to eat a complete liquid diet? Or can you eat soft foods at all?

[mgmagnolia 1]

Hey Maggie... I have a couple questions??? Do you workout or exercise a lot? If so how many times per week n how long each time? Also what kinds of things do you eat? What foods do you enjoy now that you couldn't enjoy in the beginning of your journey? What is a good amount of calories, Protein, and carbs per day? Thanks a lot. Btw, good job on all your success and thanks so much for 'giving back'

Oh you're very welcome! I have fallen off the workout wagon here lately but will be getting back on track soon I hope. I go through spells when I work out about 4 times a week for about an hour at a time. I will do about 30 min of cardio and then 30 min of weight training. The exercise makes a tremendous difference on the weight loss. I think I could starve about to death and still not lose unless I exercised. At 300 lbs, I didn't have much muscle tone. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. I'll never be a body builder and never want to be. But it has helped me be stronger. I've noticed that my sense of balance got better with the weight training too. I had a tendancy to fall. Just stepping up on a step stool is a big difference in balance.

I am not much on cooking so I try to eat simple things. I try to keep Protein high on the list. For Breakfast I usually have chocolate protein powder mixed in with coffee (kinda like a mocha coffee) with splenda and a little fat free coffee creamer. I'm a little bit odd as a Lap Band patient in that I'm able to eat better than most. I can eat bread (some cannot at all) and I don't have much trouble with meat. Today for lunch I'm having some beef stew that I made. There is more meat in it than carrots and potatoes but it's still got some. To help me with portions, I bought a bunch of those throw away plastic bowl like what Gladware puts out. You can buy them in 1/2 cup and 1 cup sizes. This way, I don't have to measure anything. I just dump it in the bowl and off I go. Sometimes I'll cook something and go ahead a pour it into those bowls ahead of time and put them in the freezer. I eat just about anything. Sometimes good for me, sometimes not. You do the best you can. You won't be 100% on the eating all the time. Sometimes you just gotta have that pie or Cookies. But I try to eat healthy and stay out of fast food places. Things I like that I couldn't eat before: I can't think of anything but will let you know if I do.

The nutritionist at the bariatric surgeon's office gave me a criteria to follow for amounts of protein, carbs and fat. 60-80 grams of protein a day. Hard to get all of that in. 45-60 grams of carbs: That is really hard to stay in. I have to work at not going over. And under 25 grams of fat per day. I don't think I've ever managed to do that but I try to not go crazy with it. It's a tough diet. Most surgeons have nutrionists in their offices and they are FABULOUS. They give me all kinds of recipes, ideas and brands of foods to work with.

[zink 0]

Tell me what to expect the day of surgery and the first few days postop please!

After my surgery, I was just sore. Had the surgery on Friday went to work that Monday. I sit all day so I was not moving around alot. Drinking no problem , just the food small pieces. You will know if it was to big, because you will have to vomit to get it out. I still do this every now and than.

[zink 0]

Wow I hate to hear that it was such an awful experience for you. Do you have to eat a complete liquid diet? Or can you eat soft foods at all?

I can eat anything with no problem. At times if anything is to dry it doesn't go down, so it must come back up.

[ReJoyce 1]

Hi Maggie, thank you so much for this. I am seeing the pre-op jitters are normal. I am waiting to hear from insurance (they have my paperwork and are reviewing it now). I don't know if I will be banded before or after Thanksgiving. I am lucky in that my nutritionist allows us to go straight to mushies. I am currently on the pre-op (below 40 carbs a day), so I am trying to come up with a menu of what I can have for Thanksgiving for either scenario. Praying we hear from insurance this week. whew.........