I can still eat???

[idahoGIRL 0]

Hey Everyone,

I had my surgery on 4/30 so eight days ago...never got sick, etc. my question is why I still can eat so much? I hope my bad did not slip...any suggestions?

Paula:hungry:

[GR8 1]

Usually the band is placed empty -- no restriction.

Try to stay concerned with not eating till you FEEL full --you could be stretching the new pouch.

Measure your food and remember not to drink 15 minutes prior to eating or 1 hour afterward.

The time till we have from now till our first fills is very challenging and we must have will power -- and be dedicated! Some call it "Bandster Hell" --

Good Luck!

[mousecrazy 2]

Hi,

What are you allowed to eat 8 days after surgery? Please remember to follow your doctor's recommendations...it is very important to put healing at the top of your concern list right now.

This part will soon be a distant memory...for now, take care!

[socalgal3 4]

What are your post-op instructions? 8 days post-op I was still on liquids. Be very careful not to eat solids too soon. GR8 is right that you have no restriction at this point, so you just need to be very careful in following the rules. As we always say, this is not a time to worry about weight loss, but a time to heal. Beware of head hunger! The sooner you make the changes in your eating habits, the easier they will be to follow down the road.

[will 0]

I had my band on the May 9th, and for a couple of day's all I could do was liquids, but now I am able to eat vegetable Soup and just had some fish? Should I be worried?

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Hey Everyone,

I had my surgery on 4/30 so eight days ago...never got sick, etc. my question is why I still can eat so much? I hope my bad did not slip...any suggestions?

Paula:hungry:

Paula...

The question isn't why CAN you eat so much but instead, why ARE you eating at all? You should likely be drinking at this point.

Just because you CAN eat doesn't mean you SHOULD eat. Just because food goes through doesn't mean a darn thing.

During surgery your doc sews the band into place. That is short term, it isn't going to be held by sutures forever. It's the scarring and adhesions that hold the band in place and if you are eating solid foods the scarring and adhesions will never be able to form.

Remember, probably 75% or more of slips are the patient's fault, not the docs. It happens from eating food too soon and never giving your stomach an opportunity to form adhesions, over eating, being too tight and not doing anything about it, etc. Don't create problems for yourself before you even get your first fill.

[kateimm 0]

The band doesn't get adjusted for 6 weeks. Sometimes the band is very loose when placed around the stomach. Patients are expected to lose weight because they are on a calorie restricted modified diet the first 6 weeks. If you are eating now, you can be creating serious issues.

Remember, surgery never fails, the patient does.

[losingjusme 12]

i agree with wasaBB

will and idahoGIRL, you should more than likely be drinking right now. liquids only.

[Syrah 0]

Remember, not all surgeons require the liquid diet for 2 weeks. I wasn't discharged from the hospital until I could eat cream of wheat and applesauce. I was on muchies almost right away and soft foods soon thereafter.

Paula, one thing that helped me was FEAR. Fear that something I would eat would make me sick, or cause pain, etc. Or fear of damagine the stomach / band. Please proceed carefully. You don't want to go through all of this and cause yourself damage.

[JOANSHARONBROWN 0]

I'm in the same boat. I was banded on 3/16/07. I have lost 23 lbs. so far. Tomorrow will be my first follow up appointment but I'm a little worried because I've been eating four days after my surgery (solid foods). What happens when you stretch your pouch?

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I'm in the same boat. I was banded on 3/16/07. I have lost 23 lbs. so far. Tomorrow will be my first follow up appointment but I'm a little worried because I've been eating four days after my surgery (solid foods). What happens when you stretch your pouch?

You aren't as likely to stretch your pouch with no fill. The concern would be that you haven't formed adhesions and that won't likely cause problems until later down the road.

When you eat food your stomach has to churn and work to break food down so it can pass through the GI system. When you drink Clear liquids it virtually does little to no work. When you drink full liquids it doesn't have to work hard. When you eat solids your stomach has to work very hard to break down food. It almost looks like stomach spasms.

Since it is the scarring and adhesions that hold the band in place and not the sutures (long term), when you eat solids your stomach is moving and churning and this prevents adhesions from forming.

When you don't follow your doc's instructions you are only harming yourself. If you want the band to work, you have to do as your doc tells you.

I think there should be a huge warning label somewhere that patients have to read before surgery. If you want your band to work you have to follow the instructions for EVERYTHING and especially a post-op diet, otherwise, don't get a band.

Why did you eat solids four days after surgery? Why wouldn't you follow your doc's instructions?

[APRIL21 0]

Hey Everyone,

I had my surgery on 4/30 so eight days ago...never got sick, etc. my question is why I still can eat so much? I hope my bad did not slip...any suggestions?

Paula:hungry:

I HAD MY SURGERY ON 4-23-07, I WAS ALSO EATING SOLIDS 10 DAYS AFTER MY SURGERY NOTHING WAS WRONG WHEN I WENT FOR MY ESOPHAGRAM. IM ON MUSHYS NOW AND I STILL EAT SOLIDS WITH NO PROBLEMS, I DONT EAT ALOT BUT I CHEW IT REAL WELL. MY FIRST FILLIS 6-5-07

[JOANSHARONBROWN 0]

I eat because I still feel very hungry. Thank your answering. You sure lay the law down. I'm greatful to you for that. I will definately try to get myself back on track.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

I eat because I still feel very hungry. Thank your answering. You sure lay the law down. I'm greatful to you for that. I will definately try to get myself back on track.

I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound like a witch but this issue makes me angry. It shouldn't, what others do is their own choice but I am sooooo pro-band and I want it to work for everyone. I want the whole world to be thin! :youcandothis:

It especially makes me angry that doctors don't explain WHY the post op diet is so important. It's just as much their fault as it is the patient's fault for not following directions. If the docs would explain details and explain why it is so critical to follow the post op diet then patients would understand the reasoning and be much more likely to follow the diet. Just telling people it is a healing phase is not enough. The details need to be explained. It's the patient's body, they have a right to understand everything there is to know about the band. Once they have the instructions and the reasoning behind the instructions then it is up to the patient to follow the advice or not. I mean, FIVE lousy minutes! That's all it would take docs to explain this yet most don't seem to do it. Most come here knowing it is the 'healing' phase but they don't really know specifically what is healing or why eating solids too soon is bad.

Heh.. this is turning to a vent.

When you are doing clears/full liquids/soft foods remember that sugar, ANY kind of sugar will make you want to eat your right arm. Protein will kill hunger. It's the way your blood sugar and pancreas work. When you eat sugar your blood sugar increases. Then your pancreas kicks out insulin, then your blood sugar decreases and that sends hormones that tell your brain you are hungry again. When you consume Protein it doesn't mess with your blood sugar much so your body isn't constantly trying to tell your brain you are hungry. Oh, you'll still have head hunger issues, but we all have that and that is a big reason we are fat. But mix head hunger with stomach hunger and we will fail. It's just too much.

So cut out ALL sugar, try to cut out sweeteners as well if you can. Then bump up your protein and that should make it so you can manage post op diets.

[JOANSHARONBROWN 0]

No, I do not think you are being a witch. Your right, I have learned more from you than I did from my doctor. I really have not been eating much sugar, I have been having my usual cup of coffee with very little sugar.

I will bump up my Protein. I have been eating a lot of carbs which I will try to cut completely. I was very early on eating a lot of Protein and I started experimenting only to find nothing was bothering me. As I found out I was okay with different foods I was eating like a normal person.

I get really nervious about this. I'm just afraid this lap band will not work for me. I'm hoping my fill will take this fear away. Thanks again. I'm so greatful for the information you have given.