What am I doing!?

[RD72 1]

I am 10 days post op. I am now in the soft food stage. I am starving out of my mind and cannot stand to eat the limited soft foods that are on my list. I have cheated and have eaten regular food such as a little bit of pot roast and even a few chips. I thought I wasn't going to be hungry. Whats The worst that can happen from eating some solid foods???

[meggs353 118]

Hi there, congrats on being newly banded! Try to stick with your dr's plan as much as you can. The risk of eating solid foods too early is that your body is still healing and you could risk disrupting that process if you have a "stuck" incident.

Some soft food ideas are:

Ricotta cheese with Tomato sauce

Any kind of pureed veggie Soup (try adding unflavored Protein powder to make it more filling)

Hummus

Refried Beans (with melted cheese, with salsa, with sour cream)

Greek yogurt with pureed fruit

Soft and well chopped tuna or egg salad

Softly scrambled eggs with cream cheese and herbs

Chili meat (without the beans)

Soft meatballs in sauce

Hopefully this will give you some inspiration. One of the big tricks is to make sure you're getting Protein in since that will keep you full longer.

Good luck!

[RD72 1]

Thanks so much for your reply! I understand this stuck incident but what is really weird is that I don't feel any kind of restrictions at all. I never bothered asking my doctor either if I have any Fluid in my band. I'm able to eat like normal and drink like normal. Am I supposed to feel this way at 10 days post op?

[meggs353 118]

Most drs don't put Fluid in the band at surgery (some do though, so it's a good questions for your first follow-up). Most people also don't feel any restriction once the band is "installed". It will take some regular check-ins with your dr for adjustments before you start noticing dimmed appetite, and changes in how you feel when eating food.

Once I healed from my surgery I was able to eat and drink like normal as well. I had mourned food before my surgery and suddenly found that I could eat the same as before! I felt the same way after my first fill. I kept expecting to experience this major change, and for a couple of months it didn't come.

However, as I got more Fluid in my band, especially recently as I've crept closer to the green zone, I've noticed I need to make major changes in my eating habits. If I don't follow the band rules of eating slowly, eating small bites, and chewing well I will have pain and stuck incidents.

It's best to practice these habits as much as you can, even if you don't "need" them yet, since chances are you will need them soon!

[2muchfun 8,927]

Like Meggs said, you're band may not be filled at all or just a few CCs? It can be easy to eat just as you did before but the downside is you haven't learned how to eat like a Bandster yet and probably won't for several months? If you swallow a big chunk of beef or chicken you may get stuck. Your sutures have not quite healed yet and you could jeopardize tearing them away. During surgery your stomach is pulled up and over the band and held in place with 5-6 sutures so that it doesn't migrate. Getting stuck this early could cause a slip requiring more surgery. Try to obey the rules so that you stay safe?

And what you're feeling is very normal.

tmf

[KateP 359]

Best case scenario - no problem at all.

The worst that can happen is that dense food passing may inflame and irritate the tissue under the newly placed band and that the movement of the stomach walls as they digest solid found may put presssure on the as yet incompletely healed internal sutures.

This can, worst case scenario, have two different effects, it can loosen the sutures so putting the placement if the band at risk or it can encourage the build up if scar tissue which can be major cause of long term problems.

Do you trust the doctor who operated on you? Then follow his advice! If you can't control your eating, at least stick to having more thick liquids or purees, whichever you have been told to have.