1 week post op and starving

[madero 0]

Glinda,

I was banded on Friday, 29th. I am on liquids for 2 weeks, then creamy/mushy for the following 2 weeks. I am already tired of broth and Jello. Sometimes, I fill like I'd rather not eat anything at all but my husband makes me! I guess I will just hang in there.

My son is in baseball all-stars, Nacho's sound wonderful!

Stella

[Snoopy 0]

I'm really having a hard time today. I was banded on the 27th. I'm on full liquids for a week and can go to mushie on Wednesday. I actually ate an egg today because I was so hungry. I think I chewed it a hundred times before I swallowed it!ha I can't believe I am already trying to cheat this. It sounds like everyone is going through the same thing. Just wanted to whine:cry

Snoopy

[glindab 1]

The last few days have been hard. I totally can relate to you both. And the Nachos -- oh yeah, my girls final softball game was last week and I watched everyone else eat them, and I did not. Talk about hard.

I know every doctor has their suggested diet for a reason, and we shouldn't try to cheat it. But i had to. I had to go back to work today and I was so weak yesterday. I have no energy. But i have been on chicken broth & crystal light for a week, plus the pro-op diet before that. But at least I was getting some protien. So I added creamy Soups to my diet today, 1 week post op. I felt a little better, but could still only work 1/2 day. And I have a desk job. I hope that it doesn't hurt anything.

Man - eggs sound really good. But then again, everything sounds good when you are not allowed to have it.

Hang in there. We can do this.

[faithmd 14]

Yes you can, we all can do this!!!!!

I've written something like this before on other threads. If we were pregnant and our OB were to tell us that we could cause damage to our fetus unless we stayed ona strict liquid diet for four weeks, you'd better believe we'd have no problem staying on that diet. In fact most of us would probably stay on the liquid diet for even longer, just to be safe.

Why don't we care as much about ourselves?????

Why on earth are we "cheating" and risking our bands? Just because something goes down okay doesn't mean it isn't setting us up for damage later. The sutures are helping scar tissue form around the band and that's what holds it in place on our stomachs. The sutures only help hold it on the front, scar tissue is all that holds it on the back of the stomach. Everytime we eat something more than a liquid, (and no, chewing something until it's liquid does not count) it causes our stomachs to churn to digest that food. That churning stops the scar tissue from forming, or helps break new scar tissue just barely formed.

I understand that some doctors move folks along faster in their diet programs, that's okay if it's what your doctor says to do, but Allergan (the manufacturer of the band) advises a very slow progression.

Damage we do now freshly banded may not show up until a year or two down the line. Maybe we have a bad episode of vomiting and because we just couldn't wait to chew, we didn't get good adhesion of scar tissue early on, it may slip.

Really think about it, folks. If it were to prtect an unborn life, we'd do anything. This band is the key to our new lives.

[Ange123 0]

Wow faithmind

you have certainly put every thing back in to perspective, I was the same starving!!! and keen to cheat but not now I am totally back on track. thanks for your words of encouragement

[Cali 0]

I am 5 days post op and finding that I am really hungry too. I had a protien shake today and it didnt agree with me at all so Im back to the Clear liquids, including Jello.

My paperwork doesnt say anything about Jello. It says Clear Liquids are broth, popsicles, tea, gatorade, juices and Water. This is for the first 7 days but the nurse told me that I could go to stage two anywhere from 4 to 8 days.

Cali

[madero 0]

Thank you Faithmd. You're right. I did everything I was suppose to when I was pregnant.

I was having a rough day yesterday but I feel much better today.

Thanks for the advice!

[dover 0]

Faithmd,

Thank You for the words of wisdom.

[glindab 1]

I too am having a better day today. I called my bariatric coordinator and told her how weak I was yesterday after working for 4 hours at a desk job. She told me to proceed to full liquids. YEAH -- never thought I would be so excited for a Protein drink. But I sure am.

Faithmd, you made some great points. But I also think about the expectant mothers who smoke. Some give it up, and some do not. They can't because it is an addiction. My sister smoked, and even though she knew the dangers it could present to her baby, she couldn't do it. Doesn't mean she didn't care about her baby. Well, I, like a lot of others, have a food addiction. Doesn't mean I don't care about myself. It means I have a weakness...an addiction. And unfortunetly, it is with food which is something that we all need for survival. (just not as much as I ate in the past). I think that is why having a food addiction is as bad if not worse than other addictions.

Thanks again for your post. It did make me think, and it made getting through the night easier. I don't want to cheat, but I never 'wanted' to cheat at any of the other diets or programs that I tried. But I eventually did, because of my weakness. So as much as anything, I have to work on my addiction. One day at a time.

Okay, I am off to have my carnation instant Breakfast drink. WHOHOO.

Good luck everyone. Another day down.

[faithmd 14]

Goodness knows I'm as addicted as anyone else. It is VERY difficult! Not to say I won't cheat, but I keep reminding myself that just because it goes down easily now and I have no problems does NOT mean I won't have problems later. It may not help eveytime, but anything I can do to keep myself eating the stage I should be in, I'll do.

Even if it means I get 1300 or 1400 calories a day in because I keep eating popsicles, as long as I get my Protein in, then I'll do what I have to to keep from chewing real food.

I do wish all of us luck!

[andielmt 0]

i just went to the nutrionist today and i was told that my doctor who will be doing my surgery has changed the post op diet yesterday and the day after i go home i will be on a soft Protein diet including tuna, chicken, turkey, ham, eggs, i dont even have to put it into a blender just chew it up very well. i am a little nervous about going on this diet a day after my surgery, she wants us to skip the liquid diet.< /p>

[faithmd 14]

i just went to the nutrionist today and i was told that my doctor who will be doing my surgery has changed the post op diet yesterday and the day after i go home i will be on a soft Protein diet including tuna, chicken, turkey, ham, eggs, i dont even have to put it into a blender just chew it up very well. i am a little nervous about going on this diet a day after my surgery, she wants us to skip the liquid diet.

I'd be really nervous about that, too.

The Allergan website (the makers of the band) says this:

Post-Surgery Nutrition

In the first few weeks after your surgery, you will be on a liquid diet

since only thin liquids will be tolerated by your stomach at that time. As you heal, you will gradually progress to pureed foods (three to four weeks post-op) and then soft foods (five weeks post-op). Finally, you will be able to eat solid foods.

However, most everyone always says to follow your doc's advice. But that advice would make me very, very cautious.

[DawnG 0]

My doctor requires 48 hours clear liquid and then a full-liquid diet until our two-week follow-up. As long as everything is OK, we are allowed to do the soft/pureed food for the next 2 weeks.

I was told we could have cream Soup, smooth yogurt, puddings, applesauce w/out chunks, and whipped cottage cheese during the liquid stage. Of course, this is in addition to any low-calorie non-carbonated beverages and Protein shakes.

I pureed a can of vegetarin chili 'til it was liquid today for lunch. I hope I didn't push it too far. I just couldn't stand the darn cream Soups anymore. There were no chunks in the chili so I hope I didn't damage anything by cheating a bit.

Anyone have any creative ideas for the liquid stage?

[faithmd 14]

I made an interesting chicken, salsa, lowfat sour cream, and queso Soup last night. I used baby food chicken, and then added some Tomato juice to the mix to make a real soupy texture versus it being 'pureed.'

I am trying different things with baby food and then adding milk or tomato juice or broth to make it more soupy.

I also eat a lot of popsicles.

I wanted watermelon so I went online and found a watermelon granita recipe and had that instead of the watermelon itself. I actually found a recipe for tomato granita, but I don't have the cahones to try it.

[faithmd 14]

For the fourth tomorrow, I'm planning to take a small can of baked Beans and pureeing it with a fat free hot dog and some Tomato juice and ketchup and BBQ Sauce. It'll be my holiday treat.