Questions For The Newly Banded

[speck 1]

Hi,

I was banded on Wednesday(10th) and have a few questions.

1. Do you measure your Water out and drink so much an hour? I was

told to drink 32 ounces. I've been setting a timer and sipping 2 oz

every hour.

2. Do you feel a heaviness in chest? If so, do you think this is a sign to

stop sipping the Water?

3. Do you have lots of rumbling going on?

4. Have you been able to lie down? I can't lie down but I can sleep

sitting up in bed with lots of pillows.

And just basically how are you doing your water?

And something else- when/how are you taking your Calcium, multi-Vitamins and Iron?

Thanks

Sandra

Edited September 13, 2008 by speck

[amaltha 2]

Sandra,

Congrats on your new band!

On Water - I knew I was getting Water in broth, tea, Jello. My doc told me wait an hour after eating to drink. And wait 30 minutes after drinking to eat. So I put myself on a rough sched of that once I was bouncing between mooshies and water. Since then I have started with the Special K Protein water to knock out a couple birds with one stone. I won't lie that is my biggest challenge I think is my liquids. I am not drinking enough. For me it is hard.

I had the heaviness in my chest. And I don't think it was the water. I understood it as the gas still in my system. So I walked around a lot and it always seemed to get better.

I didn't get rumblings until about a week out of the band.

At first I couldn't lay down at all! I would start coughing all night. And the pillows on the bed was worse so I resorted to sleeping on the lazy boy or on the couch at an incline (I was lucky to have that option) It was about a week before I could lay down flat. And to this day (was banded on the 4th of Aug) don't comfortably sleep on my belly yet. Some people on here were back on their belly with in a week. (I am so jealous)

Vitamins - in the very beginning I was still on broth and wrote them off because of it. However, I found an all inclusive Multivitamin Protein shake powder that cover all of that at GNC that you might look into while still in liquid stage. Now I eat the childrens multi-Vitamin gummys

Good luck in your new journey!

[RestlessMonkey 7]

I was able to drink Water pretty much from the very minute they finally broke down and gave me some post op. Since it is water and flows through, i didn't need to worry about it "stretching my pouch" or anything. It never gave me nausea, it was delicious! I was SO THIRSTY from the anticholinergic they give you to dry up secretions!

I slept on my side the 1st night (with a pillow to assist) and my tummy on night 2. If you wait too long you can have adhesions as you heal and it makes it even more painful.

Yes my tummy rumbles and gurgles and has for a while....but I don't have chest heaviness. When you get that you need to take some deep deep breaths...clear the anesthesia etc out of there!

If you don't have restriction you may drink more quickly. And don't forget to walk walk walk!

[HeatherO 7]

I took chewable Vitamins from CVS called Spectravite and Tums for Calcium.

As for Water,I bought a water bottle that has marked ounces on the side up to 52 ounces. I measure out the bottle for the day and made sure I drank it. You should be halway done by early afternoon. It was too much effort for me to meaure it out by short time increments. This worked well when I kept it near me.

[karmstrong6 0]

I am also newly banded on Tues, 9/9. I had my hiatial hernia repaired, so I think that adds to the tightness in my chest, as I have it also. I am also an asmatic. I take my chewable Flintstones and Tums the first thing in the am and then slip on my 50gm Protein Shake all day to get it done by 3pm and then start with another one to get my 100gms in each day. I also drink other things during the day, broth, Crystal Light and eat SF popsicles to break it up. I also am sleeping in the recliner. Hard to get up out of things, like being pregnant! I need to try the bed as my lower back is bothering me a lot. I also have a cough which is about ripping me apart! I too went thru "why did I do this!" stage and other posts reassured me this is normal, thxs! I also get a lot of gas, burping and take Gas-x but don't see much relief there.

Thanks for all the postings to get me thru and looking forward!

[jeannierk 0]

Congratulations on being banded. As far as liquids I was told to sip one oz. of Water every 10-15 min. minimum 4 oz. an hour. If you can't contact the Dr. Every fifteen min. 1 oz. will cover 64 oz a day. Plus the liquids from Soups and broths are bonuses. The first week I couldn't drink all the Protein got to full. Kept trying. Eight days later no problem. No pain in my chest, pain was mostly in my upper back and shoulders. That went away. When I walked I had a gas pain on the left side right under my rib cage. Uhg....gas hurt

Yes, could not lay in bed for two weeks I slept on the couch. I still need the pillows I'm back in bed the last two nights. I was banded on Aug. 27, 2008. Hope this help some. :wink_smile:

[Loulou_k72 0]

Hi .. I got banded today and been drinking non stop sips and so frequently in the bathroom ... i think i ll sleep on pillows ... Can you feel the port of ur band ? i only feel some hard places where the stitches are ... and my stomach has started rumbling now ....

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Hey loulou! Another poster (like me) on "band day"!! Pillows really help if you are going to sleep in your bed from the 1st day(and its good...helps prevent adhesions!) WTG!

[ShrinkyDink 0]

1. I didn't measure my Water, I just kept a bottle by me all the time and sipped on it constantly. It was hard to get much in during the first few days but it got easier with time. I did find that room temperature or warm liquids were easier to get down than cold in those first few days.

2. I did feel heaviness/tightness in my chest, but water didn't seem to affect it. I think it was just from the swelling and trauma in there.

3. I didn't have any rumbling for about 4 days, didn't feel hungry at all.

4. I was fine lying down but going from up to down or vice versa or turning over while lying down was very painful for a few days. I couldn't sleep sitting up so I did it anyway, but it hurt.

5. I take the Centrum chewable vitamins and Caltrate with D Calcium supplement, one with Breakfast and one with lunch since taking them together can cause you to not absorb all the calcium. I didn't take them the first few days after surgery.

[speck 1]

I take my chewable Flintstones and Tums the first thing in the am and then slip on my 50gm Protein shake all day to get it done by 3pm and then start with another one to get my 100gms in each day.

Wow- Protein Shake already huh? I'm on propel Water and chicken broth only for the 1st week.

Also, I was told I have to have calcium citrate only. (no citrate carbonate) I am ordering today online as Kroger/Walmart/etc doesn't have chewable Calcium with citrate.

I appreciate the responses. It really helps to get imput.

Sandra

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Speck I'm like you...only calcium citrate, and no Protein for week 1!!

[heartfire 4]

Hi,

I was banded on Wednesday(10th) and have a few questions.

1. Do you measure your Water out and drink so much an hour? I was

told to drink 32 ounces. I've been setting a timer and sipping 2 oz

every hour.

2. Do you feel a heaviness in chest? If so, do you think this is a sign to

stop sipping the Water?

3. Do you have lots of rumbling going on?

4. Have you been able to lie down? I can't lie down but I can sleep

sitting up in bed with lots of pillows.

And just basically how are you doing your water?

And something else- when/how are you taking your Calcium, multi-Vitamins and Iron?

Thanks

Sandra

Congratulations!

1. I haven't been measuring but I ned to put my pitcher back in the fridge with my daily 64oz in it. I'm not even getting half of that right now. It's hard.

2. Not much but it was gas. Nothing to do with water.

3. Took almost a week before the rumblings started. Everyone is different.

4. I was laying down with one extra pillow (to prop me up more) the night of surgery. I went to bed and worked it out for myself. I got rid of the extra pillow pretty early b/c it was just too uncomfortable. I'm weird about my sleeping and CAN'T sleep anywhere! I have ended up on my belly a couple of mornings lately and it's only uncomfortable when I try to move! LOL!!

5. I have a supplement regimen that I was on before surgery. I've since found liquid or chewable replacements for all of them except the acidolphilis (sp?), it's very small and I had a new bottle so I'm not worrying about that one. The only thing I forgot was the Iron and I need to work on that. I don't know if there is a liquid/chewable for iron. I'll have to check with my natural Vitamin store. The multi-vit and calcium chews I'm taking twice a day to get my totals in. My fish oil, Biotin and acidolphilis (sp?) is in the AM with one multi and calcium. The other mulit and calcium is later in the afternoon, usually by dinner-time.

[watermelon seeds 0]

Hi,

I was banded on Wednesday(10th) and have a few questions.

1. Do you measure your Water out and drink so much an hour? I was

told to drink 32 ounces. I've been setting a timer and sipping 2 oz

every hour.

2. Do you feel a heaviness in chest? If so, do you think this is a sign to

stop sipping the Water?

3. Do you have lots of rumbling going on?

4. Have you been able to lie down? I can't lie down but I can sleep

sitting up in bed with lots of pillows.

And just basically how are you doing your water?

And something else- when/how are you taking your Calcium, multi-Vitamins and Iron?

Thanks

Sandra

Hello everyone I am working on getting everything down but it's kinda hard to do it all. I was banded on Sept. 8th and the first day I sipped too much out of a straw along with my pain meds tablets and I vomited everywhere, so later I figured out that I should have been sipping out of a spoon. When I tried that it made my life so much better because I was able to keep my meds down after I crushed them. I have been doing only 600 mg instead of the 1200 but I working on getting the whole amount in one day. I also have been doing the flinestone Vitamin once aday but I need to it twice but I'm working on it. Now about the Protein shake I have not been getting what I need everyday. I've been doing the slimfast shake because thats the only one I can tolerate but that is only giving me 10 grams of Protein. I've been doing the small oz of meat that equals 7 more grams of protein but I am stil not getting what I need. So does everyone have any suggestions what Protein Shake taste good enough to drink because so far I am way behind. Help Help!!!

[watermelon seeds 0]

Hello everyone I am working on getting everything down but it's kinda hard to do it all. I was banded on Sept. 8th and the first day I sipped too much out of a straw along with my pain meds tablets and I vomited everywhere, so later I figured out that I should have been sipping out of a spoon. When I tried that it made my life so much better because I was able to keep my meds down after I crushed them. I have been doing only 600 mg instead of the 1200 but I working on getting the whole amount in one day. I also have been doing the flinestone Vitamin once aday but I need to it twice but I'm working on it. Now about the Protein Shake I have not been getting what I need everyday. I've been doing the slimfast shake because thats the only one I can tolerate but that is only giving me 10 grams of Protein. I've been doing the small oz of meat that equals 7 more grams of protein but I am stil not getting what I need. So does everyone have any suggestions what protein shake taste good enough to drink because so far I am way behind. Help Help!!!

Oops I forgot to thank you all for motivation to do a better job on my liquids. After I read the posting I went and got my large insulated cup and filled it up with Water to be sure to get my 48-64 oz a day. I love this site because I have really gotten a lot of help from it.

[speck 1]

Hey Nina, well we are in this together!

As soon as I read the part about the straw I knew that was the problem. Again, I sip 3 oz of propel water/chicken broth every hour. I have to set the timer or else I don't think I would be doing it right.

So your pain meds are tablet form? Mine is liquid. I would recommend liquid and chewables for all medicines and supplements. It will be so much better. I do have to crush my Iron tablet(couldn't find anything else at time) but I put it on a spoon with chicken broth. I'm going to finish the bottle of tablets since I already have them but after that- liquid Iron.

I would really recommend a shake with more Protein. My dr. told me to use Body Fortress from Walmart. (and it's cheap) Taste pretty good.

Also, there is a site(vitalady) where you can order Protein Shake sample packs.

You want that Protein so switch up. I can't wait for a protein shake. lol

Hugs,

Sandra

Hello everyone I am working on getting everything down but it's kinda hard to do it all. I was banded on Sept. 8th and the first day I sipped too much out of a straw along with my pain meds tablets and I vomited everywhere, so later I figured out that I should have been sipping out of a spoon. When I tried that it made my life so much better because I was able to keep my meds down after I crushed them. I have been doing only 600 mg instead of the 1200 but I working on getting the whole amount in one day. I also have been doing the flinestone Vitamin once aday but I need to it twice but I'm working on it. Now about the protein shake I have not been getting what I need everyday. I've been doing the slimfast shake because thats the only one I can tolerate but that is only giving me 10 grams of protein. I've been doing the small oz of meat that equals 7 more grams of protein but I am stil not getting what I need. So does everyone have any suggestions what protein shake taste good enough to drink because so far I am way behind. Help Help!!!