Liquid Phase

[blossom 2]

How long were you on liquids after being banded? My dr said six weeks, but I was thinking I had read about the liquid phase being much shorter than that for some people.

[leatha_g 4]

Each dr. is different. I've even seen some lately on the Yahoo boards that say they went straight into eating regular foods. I find that a bit scary, but I guess they'll find out.

The norm I have heard is maybe 1 week Clear Liquids, 1 week full liquids (anything you can drink through a straw), then into soft/mushy foods. Variations to this might be 3 weeks liquids, 3 weeks soft/mushy.

The reasoning behind this, so I've heard, is that the first 6 weeks is healing time for your stomach. Even though we only have 5-6 minor incisions on the outside - this really is major surgery. The dr. sometimes have to do some cutting away of tissues inside that we don't see outside. Maybe there are some repairs to hiatal hernias etc. Either way, the tummy has been through a major unsettling and the tummy is generally a grumpy customer. So you have swelling and general disturbance of the natural order of things which needs time to settle and return to normal. Not only this, but your band needs time to find it's place and become 'seated' , if you will. 6 weeks is considered a good time limit to allow this 'seating' or growth of scar tissue around the band so that your chances of slippage or complications later become less.

It is said that the less grinding and churning of the stomach during this phase (thus, the liquids/soft foods) the better it becomes settled in it's place.

I hope that makes sense.

[nightingale2u 42]

Hi Blossom,

It seems every surgeon has a different post-op plan...

I was on Clear Liquids for two days... Full liquids for one day... pureed foods for 2 weeks... then a Soft diet for two more weeks. I am officially on a Regular diet as of this Friday.

Darcy

[Marie3181 5]

My Dr. reccommended 2 weeks clear liquids, 2 weeks full liquids, 2 weeks mushies, then gradually onto solids. Unfortunately, I just couldn't stick to it for the allotted time. I just made sure I was really careful and moved slowly. I think I probably actually spent maybe 1 week on clear liquids, 1 week full liquids, and about 2 weeks on mushies before the gradual move to more solid food.< /p>

[La_madam 20]

2 weeks clear liquids, one week liquids, one week mushy and then onto soilds for me

[Vera 7]

I was just like Marie to the tee.

My first real food was clam chowder at about 3 weeks. After 3 bites I got the hiccups sooo loud, it was pretty funny. I thought I had done something wrong. Hiccups, gurgles and burps are normal.

[leatha_g 4]

Originally posted by Vera

Hiccups, gurgles and burps are normal.

Hiccups definitely meant I was 'done'. Buyer beware - if you go past this point, it's your own fault! lol

[bushbaby 8]

Never goty hiccups... a few belches yes... I was on liquids for two weeks and soft foods for two and then on to normal foods to tolerance.

[leatha_g 4]

My hiccups are really not your normal repeated hiccups. It's usually one BIG hiccup. Sorta like your diaphragm suddenly declaring it's existence? That was 'my sign' before this second surgery.

Interestingly, this time I've had some other signs, like suddenly feeling like I need to sneeze and not really sneezing. The scratchy throat and suddenly having a coughing problem. I had this the first time around. But, if I get to that one big hiccup, I'm done.

[Neicy 0]

I never did clear liquids. They actually gave me yogurt drink the following morning after I was banded in the hospital. I did liquids for 2 weeks, then mushys for 2 weeks. When I did start regular food, I got some twinges of discomfort so I stuck to soft foods for a couple of weeks after.