February 2007 bandsters!

[yukaputz 0]

So how is everyone doing? I was banded on the 9th of feb. I did the two week liquid pre surgery, I'm comming up on the end of my mushy phase, get to go back to solids this friday. I've lost 33 lbs. I'm back to a regular work out on the elliptical machine, upper body strength training, and I'm even doing a moderate ab workout. I'm down two pants sizes and 1 shirt size. Other than general muscle soreness I feel pretty good. My only concern is that since starting the mushies, my weight loss has really slowed down, almost stopped. It may be possible I'm trading fat for muscle at this point. I go in for my first fill in 3 weeks. How is everyone else doing?

[louise162 0]

.......and I am going nuts. I am almost 3 weeks post-op and my consultant insists on 4 weeks of full fluids. I have one week to go but it's getting so hard. I just want a slice of toast; anything I can chew. I didn't lose anything last week but have been told not to expect any weight loss until I get filled in a couple of weeks. In a week I can move on to pureed food and two weeks after that mushed food. In short I have 5 more weeks until I'm allowed to eat anything normal. I am determined to do this properly and I'm not going to cheat; just needed to vent a little :help::help::help:

[cvaden 0]

I was told that I could have anyting that goes throough a straw, so yesterday- I ate(very small bits) at 3:30 refried Beans with extra red sauce, so they would be soupy- couldn't finish the last 3 bits and was still full at bedtime. This made me feel better because I'm only 5 days post op and felt like the surgury wasn't worth it- because I was STARVING, right after eating. The Soups just weren't satisfing. It's hard to get my Water intake. I think I'm dehidrated. I'm not a big drinker.

[rdbiles@sbcglob 0]

My surgery was 2/23. My surgeon took my staples out six days later. The tightness will work out soon, every day gets better. As for the wound, I would retape with small strips. Hope this helps.

Just checking with my fellow bandsters and their incisions. How are they? How long was it before all of your stuff came off? my date was 2/27 so I'm five days post op. I have internal stitches covered with some small kind of tape then on top of that covered with gauze and clear skin like tape. three of my incisions the gause is off and partially the tape over the cut. I'm still wearing the gauze over the rest .. the main sites over port area. how are your incisions doing? my skin feels tight and I worry about splitting them open when I bend over. the smallest incision to the far left isn't oozing or anyting but it isn't shut tight like the one next to it. any suggestions or just general discussion on the incisions in general?

Tracy

[teacher 1]

I hate to hear about those of you who are starving because of such a long time on liquids. My doctor only required 48 hours of liquid post-op. I've been on mushies for awhile now. I have found that potatoes and Soup keep me starving. chicken and eggs really keep me feeling "full".....whatever that means. I have no restriction so to me "full" means tight. My ribcage just starts feeling real tight..so I stop after 5-6 bites.

The rotissieri(sp) chicken from the local HEB is so moist and tender. It's easy to chew to pulverized and goes down easy. About 1/4 cup is all I need to stay full for awhile. Also, Laughing Cow makes a Light cheese in wedges....very flavorfull and soft. Hope this helps someone..some starving person!!!

Michele

[rdbiles@sbcglob 0]

Hold a pillow to your stomach when getting up and down, this definitely helped me.

Hello All,

I was banded on 02/27/07. Its kinda hard getting out the bed due to the pain in my stomach. I had a lot of gas & stomach growling. Its kinda goign away now. ANYONE experience dat. So far so good. This liquid stage is tough, but i got a few different recipes on this site. Im so tempted to step on the scale but, my 1st appt is on 03/07/07(on week after banded) I going to wait until then..GOOD LUCK

[rdbiles@sbcglob 0]

I understand your hunger..I got very creative, adding shredded cheese to my Soup, using a cooked strip of bacon to scoop my soup. what really curbed my hunger was making a yogurt, Peanut Butter, ovaltine shake. As for hydration, if your urine is not very yellow or has a strong smell, then your ok.

I was told that I could have anyting that goes throough a straw, so yesterday- I ate(very small bits) at 3:30 refried Beans with extra red sauce, so they would be soupy- couldn't finish the last 3 bits and was still full at bedtime. This made me feel better because I'm only 5 days post op and felt like the surgury wasn't worth it- because I was STARVING, right after eating. The Soups just weren't satisfing. It's hard to get my Water intake. I think I'm dehidrated. I'm not a big drinker.

[rdbiles@sbcglob 0]

I think 4 weeks of liquids is overkill! Eat!

.......and I am going nuts. I am almost 3 weeks post-op and my consultant insists on 4 weeks of full fluids. I have one week to go but it's getting so hard. I just want a slice of toast; anything I can chew. I didn't lose anything last week but have been told not to expect any weight loss until I get filled in a couple of weeks. In a week I can move on to pureed food and two weeks after that mushed food. In short I have 5 more weeks until I'm allowed to eat anything normal. I am determined to do this properly and I'm not going to cheat; just needed to vent a little :help::help::help:

[lapband4meNOW 0]

LouiseR

That is crazy. I only had one week of FULL liquids...soup, shakes, etc. I graduated really fast to real foods. Have some mashed potatoes or something. That is crazy! You can read my previous posts as I list out what I have eaten thus far. I was banded on 2/8 and I am eating all normal foods now. I was 3 weeks post op on Thursday.

Wish ya luck!

Audra

[synicalchick 0]

I actually drove myself to work this a.m. and survived the evil seat belt and steering wheel. I'll probably leave here around noonish.

I bent over a LITTLE to far this a.m. in the bathroom at work and nearly shreaked. OH MY GOSH.. The pain in my port.... I guess it pulled on my stitches holding the port in place. That was like an hour ago and I'm still feeling it a little.

My tongue is all messed up, gross and sore too. I"m going to call my dr. about it. I think I noticed it yesterday being sore and today when I got up and looked at it, it's all blotchy. white in spots and ANGRY red in others. Maybe it's the antibiotics or it could be the liquid ibuprophen I'm using. I sure hope it's not the ibuprophen. It's what keeps me going during the day.

[Zannie 6]

I was bannded on Feb 15. I was doing great with healing and weight loss, but now I can eat almost anything. I'm hungry every couple of hours, not to mention how my mind wants to eat all the time. I have gained back 2lbs. I know I need to be more careful of the calories I take in, but getting over my thoughts is proving to be the biggest challenge. I know when to stop and haven't had anything get stuck, but this is so frustrating! Please tell me it gets better after a fill.

Emmy! We share the same band date & I'm in Williamsburg. I have the opposite problem though. I can’t seem to eat real foods at all! :noidea:

It makes more sense though that you are able to eat whenever & whatever you want, because, frankly the swelling is going down & the band isn’t filled! But remember the whole reason you did this…the trek you made to Mexico, the rollercoaster of emotions as you made your choice to have surgery, the years of yo-yo dieting…I’m sure you have a ton of personal reasons that brought you to this point! Stay focused on the goal ahead: a healthier you! When do you go for your 1st fill, and where will it be done?

As for me, I was advanced from the “protein shakes & soup” liquid stage to mushies on Feb 28th. Since then I’ve tried mashed potatoes, pureed chicken salad, pureed tuna salad, scrambled eggs with cheese, and Taco Bell Pintos-n-Cheese. Everything seems to upset me intestinally, though I am only eating ¼-cup of food at a time. And usually only 5 or 6 baby-spoonfuls are enough to make me push my saucer-sized plate away, with pressure in my chest. I’m not having any nausea or vomiting or even the dreaded sliming or productive burps. I just feel a pressure at the top of my cleavage & don’t want to eat another bite. And then, after about a ½ hour, I’m urgently off to the bathroom. My mental appetite is back after about 1-½ or 2 hours, but I try to only eat every 3-4 hours & sip on Water or the 1 Protein Shake I nurse down daily.

I have not been filled yet (1st fill will be Mar 29th), and I already feel like I could never eat real food again! If this is how it is with the band fully deflated, what on earth is filling it going to be like! Ahhhh! It’s not even like I’m loosing weight as rapidly as other people, either – just about a pound a day, according to my weekly weigh-in. I meet with the staff nutritionist on Wednesday, March 7th to map out a plan for introducing solids along with mushies on March 14th, which I can’t even imagine!

[synicalchick 0]

:update:

I have never before had this in my life and I'm still not sure how it happened, but it would appear after speaking with my dr, that I have Thrush. Isn't that what babies get? ANYwho, he is calling in a prescription that I will pick up on the way home.

T

[babygrl1234 6]

Thrush? Wow.

I got my first fill today. I am at 28 days. It wasn't super painful but it was definitly not a comfortable thing. More pressure than anything else. He put in .75cc. I ma a little freaked out as to how this is going to affect my eating, and I know I ma going to be scared to take that first bite once I ma back off liquids again.

[MyLifeNewChoice 0]

I was banded on Feb. 13th. Before the surgery I was not one for seafood. In fact I couldn't stand the smell of it. Well, it's amazing how quickly things change when that all you can eat. Per my surgeons orders, during the two weeks of soft/mushies I could eat tuna, baked fish, mashed potatoes, i.e.

Something that I've loved to cook:

Baked Tilipia with green and red peppers.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Gordons Blacken Catfish ( The best)

Sauted Shrimp with baked french fries..

Every day for lunch I have about 6oz of tuna, with a small amount of fat-free mayo and 10 crackers...

Oh yeah, for a Breakfast snack..Try fat-free strawberry cream cheese and crackers. Amazing and healthy...

I've been between 750-800 calories and 50-70 grams of Protein. Unfortunately, I've gained a couple pounds since I've been back to eating food. My doctor said that this is normal, but I'm not happy. Is anyone else gaining weight?

[Ambrosia 1]

Pam-Bander,

I weighed myself 3 days after surgery and had gained 7 pounds from my surgery date! Since I had not eaten anything I chalked it up to gas. And from the amount of pain I was experiencing, I truly think I had 7 pounds of gas pumped into me!

Anyway, it's all gone now except for the occasional "under the rib" pain.