Can It Really Hurt Me?

[katiecakes 2]

Hi there, i am a little over a week post-op. My surgery date was 6/7. I am struggling with a few things. My doctors orders are 2 days Clear Liquids, 2 weeks full liquids, 2 weeks pureed food, 2 weeks soft food, all open foods. I will also have my first fill 4 weeks post op. I am one week out, just went to my 1 week post apt on friday and they told me that everything looks great, seems to be going great. between the two week pre-surgery diet and the past week i have lost a total of 15 pounds. Here is my delima, i am starting to go crazy, i am so hungry, i can not help but eat food. I have broke down this past weekend and i have eaten some foods, mac and cheese, oatmeal, cottage cheese, french fries. I am stuck because i have only eaten about a cup of these foods at the time, and had no issue eating them at all. I should still be on full liquids, and should not even start pureed foods until next friday. Will this eating hurt me? Will it stretch my pouch? Will my doctor know? Is it safe? When is it safe to start eating without messing up the band entirely? Can i continue to eat some soft foods? I have also taken a stool softener because i have not been able to go to the bathroom since i have eaten real foods. I would love any and all feed back! I am just starting to seriously worry...

Thanks~

[KathyOfAlabama 19]

Wow.

[katiecakes 2]

wow? Isn't the reason why we're all here to ask questions and help each other out?

[2muchfun 8,927]

Of course it can hurt you. The doctor gave you eating instructions for a reason. Your band is sewn into the side of your stomach and eating solids or semi solids so soon could jeopardize the sutures.

It's not so much that it will stretch your pouch, it's that your pouch is still in the developing stage and if you push it too hard you can damage your sutures.

BTW-It's not important to lose weight in this phase of your surgery. The most important thing for you to do is allow your stomach and band to become one but that may be difficult if you don't control your food choices.

Follow your doctors orders. It may be painful but why jeopardize all you've gone through for a quick food fix.

tmf

[KathyOfAlabama 19]

Yes, it can hurt you. There is a reason the surgeon gives you a specific diet. If you are really hungry, have more of the full liquids. Cream Soup was a life saver for me. Be careful that you are actually hungry and not just "head hungry". Drink plenty of Water too, as this will help keep you full.

[g25 1]

I was banded on July 9th and am so lucky I I haven't been hungry but emitially it has been really hard my whole family eats like there's no tomorrow and is so hard not to eat right along with them like all of them...

[katiecakes 2]

I guess i am just confused as to why all surgeons have a different protocol then. A good friend of mine had the surgery just one week before me. At her one week post-op apt her different surgeon told her that it was fine to start eating soft or mushy foods, as well as seeing on here all of the people posting that they can start soft foods, within the first few weeks. My question is not so much if i should continue to do it, it is if it has hurt me already from doing so, which i guess i already know.

[g25 1]

I was banded on July 9th and am so lucky I I haven't been hungry but emitially it has been really hard my whole family eats like there's no tomorrow and is so hard not to eat right along with them like all of them...

I've kept the doctors orders so far but i understand where you coming from my adviced is start again and keep doing what you're suppost to. I keep telling my self there will be better days over and over again

[katiecakes 2]

I've kept the doctors orders so far but i understand where you coming from my adviced is start again and keep doing what you're suppost to. I keep telling my self there will be better days over and over again

Ive been telling myself that over and over again, but when i see other people at the same stage as me being able to eat everything mushy, and me not being able to is hard. Also, being put through the ringer by everyone online who is doing perfect, gets too you.

[2muchfun 8,927]

One more thing Katie? I think a lot of us, including me, believed the post-op diet was required to lose weight. It's far from that. It's what I posted earlier. It's given to you so that you can heal and prepares you for the next phase of this journey. I think that quite often the seminars, nutritional counseling and even doctors glaze over this stage of the experience. I know I hardly remember anyone giving me instructions for post surgery but I'm sure they did.

By the time we get to this stage we're so overwhelmed with information and so excited to get this damn weight loss project underway, we simply can't absorb more information. You'll do fine, just fill up on liquids as much as you can. I doubt you've done any damage but do not, I mean it, do not eat anything solid like meat. K?

tmf

[g25 1]

I think the longer on full liquids the better your band will heal and better results. Im hoping to stay on full liquids as long as possible i've only added Protein Shakes and thats helped my head hunger... Hang in there

[2muchfun 8,927]

Ive been telling myself that over and over again, but when i see other people at the same stage as me being able to eat everything mushy, and me not being able to is hard. Also, being put through the ringer by everyone online who is doing perfect, gets too you.

I don't think every doctor treats every patient the same. They may have a basic protocol but they may tweak it depending on your psychological profile, how much weight you need to lose and most of all, they've seen the inside of your body and have great insight as to how much time it will take for you to heal. Every patient is different and you cannot compare yourself to any other patient. Even 6 months after surgery, do not compare. It's just not possible.

tmf

[katiecakes 2]

One more thing Katie? I think a lot of us, including me, believed the post-op diet was required to lose weight. It's far from that. It's what I posted earlier. It's given to you so that you can heal and prepares you for the next phase of this journey. I think that quite often the seminars, nutritional counseling and even doctors glaze over this stage of the experience. I know I hardly remember anyone giving me instructions for post surgery but I'm sure they did.

By the time we get to this stage we're so overwhelmed with information and so excited to get this damn weight loss project underway, we simply can't absorb more information. You'll do fine, just fill up on liquids as much as you can. I doubt you've done any damage but do not, I mean it, do not eat anything solid like meat. K?

tmf

Thank you very much, i appriciate a real answer! I swear I remember nothing in all of the pre-surgery apts about the post surgery diet, and how hard it can be. I wish i would have been more prepared. This was defenatly not something i was prepared for. I was under the impression until recently that this phase of the process was too help you with weight loss, because of the numerous times i was told this is called the "mass loss" phase. I have no eaten meat, i have just tried some soft foods, i guess in my chubby little head eating mac and cheese and chewing it up like crazy, is putting it at the same consistancy as the apple sauce i am able to eat. I know it is all mind over matter, but i have to admit... it has been very, very hard. Thanks again.

[msnesha 4]

Hi there' date=' i am a little over a week post-op. My surgery date was 6/7. I am struggling with a few things. My doctors orders are 2 days Clear Liquids, 2 weeks full liquids, 2 weeks pureed food, 2 weeks soft food, all open foods. I will also have my first fill 4 weeks post op. I am one week out, just went to my 1 week post apt on friday and they told me that everything looks great, seems to be going great. between the two week pre-surgery diet and the past week i have lost a total of 15 pounds. Here is my delima, i am starting to go crazy, i am so hungry, i can not help but eat food. I have broke down this past weekend and i have eaten some foods, mac and cheese, oatmeal, cottage cheese, french fries. I am stuck because i have only eaten about a cup of these foods at the time, and had no issue eating them at all. I should still be on full liquids, and should not even start pureed foods until next friday. Will this eating hurt me? Will it stretch my pouch? Will my doctor know? Is it safe? When is it safe to start eating without messing up the band entirely? Can i continue to eat some soft foods? I have also taken a stool softener because i have not been able to go to the bathroom since i have eaten real foods. I would love any and all feed back! I am just starting to seriously worry...

Thanks~[/quote']

You are not alone & not the first or last person to cheat. I did as well & I had mine done 7/9. I called my doctor & explained the healing process & it could cause damage if I consistently ate. I jumped back on liquids now. But I'm only permitted Clear Liquids

[YngGram 73]

I guess i am just confused as to why all surgeons have a different protocol then. A good friend of mine had the surgery just one week before me. At her one week post-op apt her different surgeon told her that it was fine to start eating soft or mushy foods, as well as seeing on here all of the people posting that they can start soft foods, within the first few weeks. My question is not so much if i should continue to do it, it is if it has hurt me already from doing so, which i guess i already know.

The reason is because each surgeon seems to handle the procedure differently. My doc put 2cc in my band at surgery and wouldn't do a fill for 6 weeks. I had a liver shrink preop diet for two weeks that to me seemed like a ton of food. I was on full liquids the afternoon of surgery.

You might not have yet done damage, but you really do need to go with what you were told; there is a reason. Also, much of this is about trainning your mind as well as your body to work with your new tool. Good luck, we are here for ya.