liquid sucks!

[graemish 0]

Hello everyone, not sure how to navigate around this site, but here goes. My surgery was on 4th Dec 08 and am getting really sick, tired and desperate to be off the liquid diet. I'm glad to read that I am not alone!

Any tips to keep me focused???

[RestlessMonkey 7]

All I can share is what worked for me. When we eat solids, (anything...a noodle in chicken noodle Soup, a mushie cracker, anything that has some substance and isn't jello) when we swallow it's called "chyme". The stomach churns like a little washer to help the enzymes etc to start digesting the chyme. While most digestion happens in the small intestines, the stomach does it's part to mix it up and break it down. We don't FEEL this, but it happens.

So you can see the problem. If you eat, your stomach hums along moving and digesting. If you had the lap band your surgeon likely pulled your stomach up over it and stitched it into place. The churning can (and has done so in the past) rip some or all of your stitches loose. All of them means BAM right back in the hospital, in pain, getting repairs. Just a few means you don't know it now but you risk slippage and erosion down the line....months, a year, whenever.

So do what your doc says. Not what worked for someone here, but what YOUR doc tells YOU. I will admit I sat and held a can of refried Beans and CRIED the week before I was allowed mushies, but I didn't eat the Beans. Others before me made it through so I figured I could, too. So can you. It's worth it! Hang in there!

[glentk 0]

What helped a little, was instead of the shakes I opt for the pudding instead. As I stated this helped some, having something that you can sort of chew of mush it around in the mouth before swallowing. Just wait till the first day of mushie foods like cottage cheese. I remember my 1st. day of cottage cheese, and how much I actually enjoyed having some substance as my food. Sound weird doesn't it? Just wait and you'll know what I mean.

[TQUAD64 9]

Hello everyone, not sure how to navigate around this site, but here goes. My surgery was on 4th Dec 08 and am getting really sick, tired and desperate to be off the liquid diet. I'm glad to read that I am not alone!

Any tips to keep me focused???

During the liquid post op diet phase, my doctor allowed me sf non-fat yogurt and nonfat milk, which really helped a lot. Ask your doctor if he/she will allow you to move forward to these types of products.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Make sure you check with your doctor. Mine did NOT allow yogurt, pudding, etc until week 3 and starting mushies. Follow your Doctor's rules!

[Jitterbug 0]

Liquid DOES suck!!! I want to CHEW on something!! I can't wait to have Beans, mashed potatoes, cottage cheese! I CAN'T wait!!

I'm only 3 days post-op. I better start getting used to it:(

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Ya'll hang in there! Very important to let your sutures heal, and it gets better. It's worth it in the long run! You can do it!

[Catherine55 43]

It does not have to be so bad! I hated the shakes, so I started having Isopure zero carb zero sugar Protein drinks instead (at my dr.'s rec.). Also, I made a bunch of really delicious Soups and pureed them so that I could have things I liked during the liquids phase. I put photos & recipes up on my blog.

Another thing I did was to buy Soups like turkey chili from a healthy Soup place and I'd puree it when I got home. If the soup was too thick, I'd just add some chicken broth to thin it out. Seriously, it was yummy!

Also, for Breakfast, I'd often puree up some cottage cheese (adding a little skim milk) and puree a banana with some skim milk to use as a Syrup on it. If you like cottage cheese & bananas, you'll love this!

Just get creative and you will find plenty of good, healthy things to eat! You're not stuck with gross shakes or canned soup!

All the best,

Catherine

[Catherine55 43]

One more thing to add -- Jello's chocolate sugar free / fat free pudding is yummy and was on my doctor's list of OK foods for liquids. It's a really nice treat, takes about a minute to make & is low cal.

Best wishes,

Catherine

[bambam31 168]

When the liquids become maddening and the hunger comes back like a freight train, call your surgeons office. The healing is well on track and that is why you feel that way. They will normally have you try some foods from the next step to see how well your tolerance is. A common test food is scrambled eggs. It is important to follow their rules - as tedious as they sometimes seem - but give them a call and they will probably give you "permission" to advance.

Brad

Edited December 16, 2008 by bambam31

[thinkingslim70 0]

I'm day 8 post op and I can't wait for day 14 so I can have something other than liquid. I feel a little faint when I walk around for awhile and I think its cos of how little i'm eating.