Has anyone slipped up on the liquid stage?

aussie · June 29, 2007

Hi all i am only new to this site and hope that i am in the correct area!

First up i would like to know if anyone has slipped up or cheated during the liquid stage post banding? I am only on day 5 and already wanting to chew something....

I have heard eating anything in this stage will strech my pouch.... but i am not sure what that means?

Anyone got any advice on this?

Cheers

insubordination · June 29, 2007

Don't eat! I didn't cheat as I didn't want to damage anything. Also, I paid waaaaaaaaaay too much for my band to risk it. Just make your liquids more delicious. Think smoothies and curried Soups and the best juice you can make.

FarmerE · June 29, 2007

Stretching the pouch means that it will make your "new stomach" (the area above the band) stretch. Right now it is healing and the doctors also stitch part of your stomach over the band to hold it in place. If you stretch the pouch it will stretch the stitches and could pull them out, causing the band to slip. (Which then means, it has to come out, according to my doctor).

I also paid waay to much for this to screw it up. Try pureeing things through a blender or adding spices. I added fiesta spice to a cheesy type Soup and it tasted awesome!

WASaBubbleButt · June 29, 2007

It's a bad bad thing, don't do it.

Many believe that when the swelling goes down to the point that you can get food through your stoma you are good to go. NOT TRUE!

A couple of the many things that can happen if you don't follow the post op diet are:

The sutures are not what holds the band in place, the sutures are short term while you heal. Your body will form adhesions on the outside of your stomach around your band. THAT is what holds the band in place long term. When you drink liquids your stomach does not have to work hard at all to break food down to pass through your GI system. When you eat foods with more substance your stomach has to churn and work hard to break food down so it can be accepted by your GI system. When your stomach works and churns it looks almost spastic. When it becomes spastic it breaks the newly forming adhesions that will hold your band in place. This is a slip waiting to happen. It could happen today or a year from now.

Also, when you eat foods you aren't supposed to it tends to push your band down farther than it is supposed to be. Then when the adhesions form it forms with the band too low and your pouch too large and you won't lose weight well. Your pouch is too large. That needs to be surgically repaired and it's doubtful insurance will cover it since it is of your own doing and not a medical necessity.

So you may well be physically able to eat solids right now but just like your 3rd grade teacher told you about doing your own homework, if you don't follow directions you really are only harming yourself. It's just not worth it.

Nobody ever died from drinking their food for a few weeks. It takes a little will power and determination but you can do it. You are only five days out, you have a long way to go so get "chewing" out of your head completely right now.

faithmd · June 29, 2007

Yep, what bubble said. I was cleared to go on to full liquids yesterday and I still don't want to do it. I don't want to take any chances and I'm only a week out. I know that following your MD's advice is what we should be doing, but I figure being MORE cautious isn't such a bad thing.

Time for tough love (I'm givng it to myself, too): Waaaaa, you want to chew, you just can't stand it?!?!?! Get OVER IT! I wrote something like this in another thread:

If you were pregnant or if a man and your wife were pregnant and the doctor said you had to be on a liquid diet (or a man, something you couldn't do around mom) because it could cause damage to the baby, you'd have NO problem staying on that liquid diet, would you? You'd be on that liquid diet PAST the date the doc told you to just to be on the safe side, wouldn't you? Why won't we protect OUR OWN health with just as much vigor?

aussie · June 30, 2007

Thanks heaps everyone its just what i needed to know!!

I will be stayin on liquids for as long as it takes now!

Just one little question.... why are ppl in the states on Clear Liquids? I was told that i could have anything that could be sucked up through a straw after surgery?

WASaBubbleButt · June 30, 2007

Some docs are more conservative than others. My doc (from Mexico) required 14 days of clears, 14 days of fulls, 14 days of soft foods, and then gradually reintroduce solids. My doc has better stats than most so he must be doing something right.