3 full days post op!!!

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Eating "food" causes the stomach to churn. Period.

Google it if you doubt.

Surgeons have different post op diets. Why? Different surgeons have different educations, different skill levels, different clients, different experiences. IF your doc says "puree lasagna on day 3 with chicken broth, have for dinner" then you are good to do that. IF you are on a clear liquid diet, you had better NOT do that. Telling a person "oh well it was ok you did that" is dangerous if it isn't approved by the surgeon. It's like a spin of the roulette wheel, but your health is riding on the outcome, rather than your gaming chip.

We're most of us hungry (starved ravenous) post op. And many of us think cheating on a diet is almost a way of life (I know I felt that way) I think docs don't educate properly and really should call any post op diet a "Post op prescription for recovery" or some such, not a diet.

Eating before your surgeon (not your BFF's surgeon, or another poster's surgeon, or your ex-husband's current wife's surgeon) gives you the go ahead is dangerous.

Lotusflwr should tell her surgeon what she did and let him/her decide if it was OK or not. Maybe. May not be. It's not up to us. You'd tell your surgeon if you ran a high fever, had redness and swelling, had pain, wouldn't you? You need to tell you ate way ahead of when you were approved to.

Support is wonderful. I personally wouldn't want a friend to just shine me on. If I'm headed off a cliff, a good friend would say "HOLD IT THERE!" Not just wave and smile. Sometimes kindness is saying the hard stuff.

You may or may not like Beth's style, but her motivation was education, and her intent was as kind, or perhaps even more kind, than those of you who say "oh you'll be fine" Because you don't really KNOW that. It's just easier for you to take the path of least resistance and post what you think she'd want to hear, rather than the facts. Facts are...her doc needs to assess it.

Edited August 12, 2009 by RestlessMonkey

[BethFromVA 5]

Now Monkey, don't be mean.

But I have to wonder: With as often as I read this type of thing (cheating), are the patients that uninformed OR is it simply doing what one wants? OR are the surgeons not telling their patients what's going on? Very alarming how many don't seem to know (or care) what they should NOT be doing.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

I only know about me...and as we ALL know I "cheated" preop by doing my own thing (and paid the price...no band the first time) so I'm a convert. I learned the hard way. And I know I'm pretty bright, medically inclined, not prone to shooting myself in foot or stabbing myself in the eye with a fork etc...and still I cheated. I think it's partly "diet" mentality. I think lots of us don't realize it's REALLY important. You eat a french fry or two while you're on WW, it won't hurt. You eat it too soon post op and you could be in deep trouble.

I don't think it's usually a willful disregard, just kind of the nature of the beast. Even after all that I was going to have some refried Beans during full liquids; my husband talked me out of it by reminding me that I was healing etc.

Hunger sucks. We don't like to be hungry and it's a human drive to EAT when you are hungry. That isn't lightly bypassed. I think docs need to stress how important it is and again, how different it is from what we are used to as "diet".

Some don't give a rip, I'm sure, and will do what they want, but I really think most people want to do the right thing and just don't realize how harmful "cheating" on the pre- and post-op diets can really be.

[BethFromVA 5]

Well, and that was my hope -- that it would speak to those other than the naysayers who thought I was being mean by not saying how fine it was to cheat. That SOME out there would read this and think twice because of the information behind it. But you and I both know that all too often, people WOULD rather smile and wave as somebody else walks over the edge of a cliff because, let's be honest, we are all about the PCism of life rather than dealing in reality. It's better to be nice -- and WRONG -- than to be "mean" -- and honest.

[lotusflwr 0]

I appreciate the support! Just for information purposes. I screwed up. The information was there, I just didn't pay attention enough. I tried to do it from memory. I can only pray I haven't screwed anything up. I have emailed the cooridnator and am awaiting a response. Thanks for all the support. Patty

[formerfatchick 1]

BethfromVA, I hear you and the core of your advice is sound but I just wish you went about delivering your message in a more constructive way. Insults and accusations never get the job done and having had a weight problem all your life, which is why You got the band I hope you remeber that all those times you wer lectured and screamed at about your weight it didnt help you !!!

yes I understand that you're just trying to shock some sense into what potential harm she can cause and I hope that Patty realizes that she shouldnt do that, but we have created a very caring bonded community here and while we would more than LOVE to have the expertise and experience that you bring, please...please remember that words can hurt very much and that what you respond to sometimes might not work for everyone and I can tell you that in our community here it wont work and hope you can respect that just like in the respectful manner that I am communicating to you.

[Carrie_C 9]

I'm with Beth on this one. I thought it was a joke at first too!

[BethFromVA 5]

BethfromVA, I hear you and the core of your advice is sound but I just wish you went about delivering your message in a more constructive way. Insults and accusations never get the job done and having had a weight problem all your life, which is why You got the band I hope you remeber that all those times you wer lectured and screamed at about your weight it didnt help you !!!

yes I understand that you're just trying to shock some sense into what potential harm she can cause and I hope that Patty realizes that she shouldnt do that, but we have created a very caring bonded community here and while we would more than LOVE to have the expertise and experience that you bring, please...please remember that words can hurt very much and that what you respond to sometimes might not work for everyone and I can tell you that in our community here it wont work and hope you can respect that just like in the respectful manner that I am communicating to you.

You are absolutely right, not every response works for every person. Which also means not every response of, "Aww, it's okay," works for every person either. Tough love DOES work for me, and it works for others as well.

There was nothing wrong in what I said or how I said it. Maybe the way you took it was at issue.

As for having been "fat all my life," that is not the case. I haven't even been fat half my life.

[BethFromVA 5]

I'm with Beth on this one. I thought it was a joke at first too!

Thank you. I mean, REALLY?? pureed LASAGNA? I seriously thought somebody was kidding. It was once I realized it wasn't a joke that I replied WHY it's wrong to do.

The OP seems to understand where I was coming from, which is what matters.

[Carrie_C 9]

Thank you. I mean, REALLY?? pureed LASAGNA? I seriously thought somebody was kidding. It was once I realized it wasn't a joke that I replied WHY it's wrong to do.

The OP seems to understand where I was coming from, which is what matters.

Yes, I think she knows she messed up. It's not right to tell someone "oh it's ok that you did that" when it clearly is NOT ok!

[SummerAgain 0]

Okay...we've established that lasagna was a bad idea. Let's not puree a dead horse. !! LOL

I am in the August 2009 group, yes? I didnt stumble into the General forum? : )

[BethFromVA 5]

Okay...we've established that lasagna was a bad idea. Let's not puree a dead horse. !! LOL

I am in the August 2009 group, yes? I didnt stumble into the General forum? : )

Some things are just too good to pass up.

And I wasn't the one who started picking at this thread (no pun intended) again. I said my piece, the OP stated hers, and some who got their feelings hurt choose to keep this going.

[SummerAgain 0]

I gotcha...no worries. Obviously, as I'm sure you can imagine.....those first few weeks after surgery can make you feel a little vulnerable and scared. A little raw......feelings are probably gonna get a bit more hurt than they might usually. Even good advice might be a little hard to....CHOKE down. LOL!

[BethFromVA 5]

I gotcha...no worries. Obviously, as I'm sure you can imagine.....those first few weeks after surgery can make you feel a little vulnerable and scared. A little raw......feelings are probably gonna get a bit more hurt than they might usually. Even good advice might be a little hard to....CHOKE down. LOL!

Very true. I just mentioned that elsewhere that it IS August and some are where I was nine months ago. The hardest part for me was not chewing anything for a month. THAT was the worst, somehow...

[SummerAgain 0]

I watched a really good youtube vlog the other day where she was saying that all she wanted after a few weeks was something with TEXTURE.

I am due to go in on Monday and I am not afraid (yet) of pain or being hungry....I am panicky about not being able to "eat" my feelings. Guess it's good that I decided to stick with the therapist who did my consult months ago!

So I anticipate that I'll be able to buck up and just do the liquids....but how the hell am I gonna come home and relax and reward myself for a hard days work without EATING massive portions of food? ?! Ya know?