Question:
Day 12 - How did you feel?
How did everyone feel by Day 12 (or 2 weeks) after having Lapband Surgery? What did you eat? What did you do? I had surgery on 1/23/09 and have felt my ups and downs with the pain. I definitely had no appetite at all during the first weekish, but now I find myself hungry when I should be and am eating. I'm curious what all did you eat during your 1-1/2 to 2 week mark after surgery. How did you feel? I still have constant pain in my left shoulder, and when I try to breath in any deeper than normal I get that shoulder pain down where I believe my stomach is. Your stomach is on the left side just a little under your chest right? I don't know if I should be alarmed by this, or if it's simply the gas settling there. How long should the gas last? One last question.. What does it feel like when food gets "stuck"? I'm unsure if I've ever had food stuck because I'm not certain what I should be feeling. I've never had any nausea (I'm probably jinxing myself) but I have been a little bold and have tried eating solids that are chopped up real small and chewed real well, and of cos in very minimal portions. Oh and one silly question.. The no drinking 30 before, 30 after rule when eating.. Why is that? Is it simply because it slips your food through the pouch too quickly? Or is there another reason? What if I eat something spicy? o.O I'm full of a lot of random questions which I don't want to call my Dr and wait 3 days for them to get back to me with an answer for. Thanks in advance for the help ladies and gentlemen! — kelbeth83 (posted on February 3, 2009)
February 3, 2009
I'm a little worried about your questions because they're so basic. Didn't
your surgeons office give you some kind of guide to follow for this early
stage of recuperating and eating? In any case, please go out and get
yourself a copy of "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies". It will
answer a lot of questions.
On getting stuck, you'll know it when it happens. But for now please keep
taking small bites and chewing your food well. You're less likely to get
food stuck in the band before you've had a fill.
I was still on my liquid diet phase 2 weeks post op. I drank
"full" liquids (milk, protein shakes, drinkable yogurts, water,
crystal light, broths, creamy soups). I hope you're getting the protein in.
If not, go to the store and start getting protein shakes. EAS shakes are
good, Slim Fast high protein/low carb shakes, protein water... any of these
will do. You need at least 60grams a day and since meat is not an option
you must get it in soft foods. After that I did a 3rd week of
"mushies" which means liquids/soft foods like mashed potatoes,
cream of wheat, slight chunkier soups, beans, cottage cheese, etc. Of
course, everything is well chewed before swallowing.
Shoulder pain, is caused by the gas they filled your abdomen with during
the surgery. The only way to get rid of it is to walk it off. So make sure
you walk a bit every day and swing your arms and shoulders around when the
pain pops up. Tylenol will help too. There's no easy fix for this one, but
the pains should go away very soon if you're doing LIGHT exercise every
day.
You mentioned "being bold" earlier and I just want to let you
know that this is NOT A GOOD IDEA! You are in the earlier stages of
recovering from surgery so this is not the time to test anything. Your band
is still healing in place and you will mess things up by eating solid foods
earlier than you should. WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU TEST FOODS THIS EARLY
AFTER SURGERY!?!?!?
no drinking 30 before/30 after rule, this is because there's only a bit of
space in the new pouch your band creates. If you drink while eating it will
fill up quicker, leaving less room for food and actual nutrition. Plus it
might make you get sick from being overfull.
— slimcolagirl
February 3, 2009
Maybe you didn't read my questions correctly. I know what *I'm* supposed
to do.. I'm curious what *others* have done.. Hence my posing the
questions, "What did *you* eat, do, feel, etc".
I think you may need to take some courses in tact before you start
answering people's questions/concerns on forums. Perhaps you should be
behind me in line when I purchase my "WLS for Dummies" book, I
believe there's a "People Skills for Dummies" book right next to
it.
And is it really necessary to use CAPS? I mean, are you screaming at your
computer screen as you typed that hoping to berate me on a public forum?
Forums are made for people to ask questions that perhaps they aren't
comfortable enough to ask people face to face. I know for a fact that
every surgeon program is different from the next, so my series of questions
was to ease my curiosity about how other people did during the early phases
of post-op life. Just goes to show, I'm already able to eat full liquids
and soft solids, like eggs, cottage cheese, etc after the first week
because every program is different.
Don't preach with a holier-than-thou attitude, because at one time you were
in the same shoes as I am, you weren't always successfully skinny and
all-knowing or else you would have never needed WLS to begin with. I think
people like you are why there are hundreds of people too scared to ask
questions on forums because they don't want to be insulted and
condescended.
P.S. The solids I've tried were cheese, soft roasted peppers, soft chicken
salad, and tuna salad, I'm not chowing down a T-Bone steak!
— kelbeth83
February 3, 2009
Hi Kellie:
I had the Lap-Band done about 2.5 years ago (I'm in the process of getting
bypass but that's a different story) At first after the surgery I thought
I would never be hungry again but a couple weeks out I noticed that little
grumble in my tummy when I was hungry. It gets VERY frustrating to eat
mush for so long, so I'll admit, I cheated a little and had small bites of
french toast or a pierogi cut up real small with a little bit of sour
cream. I will tell you from personal experience, the reason you shouldn't
drink while your eating (at least in my case) is because your band causes
your stomach to be a funnel. If you put food in it, and drink something
while the food is still going through the band, it will all back up on you
and come right back up! That's what getting stuck is. Not pleasant. I
wish it would help get food down easier, but I know for me it made it a
whole lot worse. I've personally never had issues with spicy food and the
band, but to me mild salsa is fire in my mouth LOL. Hope this helps a
little, good luck!
— jtaormina
February 3, 2009
Hello Kelli, Well first and for most I want to say thank you for posting
your questions. I have been walking around with a notebook in my purse
documenting all these same random thought. It's nice to know everyone has
questions as bizarre as they may be. I had my surgery 1/26/09, three days
after you and I feel pretty great. I have had all the same issues as you as
well. They pain in the shoulders and chest were the worst the first few
days... My gosh I thought I was going to have a heartattack, but after the
first week the gas settled and it feeling better, after I eat certain
things I do start to get that build up again and oh yeah it hurts. I did by
some Gas-X and I do take it if it's super bad, but mostly a littel 25-30
minute walk will do the trick to elevate the pressure. I go on at least two
25 minute walks a day. and it feels great. I do get that pain in my side,
same place you side, but once again I walk it out, that seems to do the
trick. I don't know if it is because our stomaches are wokring extra hard
to digest our food or what but I feel your pain. That is something I'll ask
my doctor about when I see him next week. As far as my diet goes. I was
instructed to eat this way, like you said they are many different surgeons
with different diet plans. My first week: I did lots of liquids, mostly
Carnation Instant Breakfast with Protien boost, and some thin soups and
thin instant potatoes, eating very slowly, 10 minutes between bites. This
is my second week so I have graduated to cottage cheese, mashed homemade
beans, and smashed fruits, and avacados. I sip water through the day. I was
a water guzzler so it's hard to not chug water, but if I still feel thirsty
I eat some ice cubes. So those are the things I'm doing. I wold suggest
getting the notebook anyway, because as you think of questions it's good to
write them down so that you don't forget when you do see the doctor. I'm
sure any doctor would rather you ask than assume and be sorry in the end. I
think eventually we will become acustom to what our body's can and can't
hanndle. Reight now were in the learning stages. Just get working on it and
if you ever feel scared I wouldn't hesitate to call the doctor, better safe
than sorry.
To Slim C.: I think you should read what it say by the Click here to post
button: Make sure you check your work closely before submitting.
Your reply was rude and simply useless and frankly unhelpful. When I went
for my one on one with my surgeon I asked if they would discharge me with a
diet and plan his answer was "NO, you will know what you can and can't
eat. We'll give you ideas and that's it really" So don't assume that
everyone is supposed to be all knowing. If that were the case would there
be a need for a forum such as this one? I don't think there would be. I
think if your comments aren't helpul you should just keep them to yourself.
And I wold agree with Kelli, look into that but. Because your reply was
pretty Dumb...
— Shelincali
February 3, 2009
Hi Kelli,
First relax. You are on the beginning journey of changing the rest of your
life. At 2 weeks, probably soft foods would be the farthest I would
explore. I've undergone 2 surgeries and I was different with each surgery
so I don't think there are any easy answers. Walking will make the gas get
better. Try light exercise like walking and perhaps some light aerobic
exercise if you feel up to it. You may find you are just too tired some
days to do exercise. So don't and start back the next day. Some foods or
drinks for that matter go thru the pouch quickly.
Remember an all liquid diet for nutrition purposes needs to be consumed
slowly. If food gets stuck you will know. The pain becomes excrucitating.
The 30 minute rule is so you don't get full too quickly. Your stomach is
smaller now so it needs less to fill it up. If you eat something spicy you
will probably experience the worst heartburn you have ever had. You might
want to try pureeing some foods in a blender that you have a love for and
then freezing as snacks. Or try some plain/vanilla flavored yogurt in the
baby size. It will give some nutrition without filling you up and without
causing your digestive tract any discomfort unless you can't have yogurt
for some reason. As for SlimC that was completely uncalled for. Remember
capitalization of letters is the same thing as yelling. Perhaps thinking
your experience is the only one that's valuable and important would help
you. Humility is a virtue my dear.
Kellie, you will be fine. If you have real concerns as always check with
your docs. I'll pray for all of you,
vinnigirl, retired RN
— vinnigirl
February 3, 2009
I had lap-band surg in Sept 08. Did not experience as much shoulder pain as
you have but at about 2wks out, had my appetite come back as well. After my
2nd fill the nutritionist said I shouldn't be getting my proteins from
"mushies" now but from solid foods. I took that to be a green
light to eat whatever and subsequently began to eat small portions of moist
meats but to overeat on carbs because I could. Realizing that was my old
lifestyle trying to reassert itself, I had to take myself in hand. I
decided to go back to the mushies with no carbs as I was doing before and
to write down what I was eating with calorie counts. I forgive myself
during this learning process and I know that I will "get it" in
time. I still get cravings and yearn to eat as I used to, however, my band
will not allow me to quickly stuff food down as I used to. When I eat meats
they will get stuck if they are too dry or well done. My first experience
with this I was happy to have a sip of water to get it unstuck and help it
down. However, I am not advocating drinking with meals at all, just that it
helped me in this instance to remedy my mistake. I have been eating broths
and soups but adding beans or meats to up the protein amount. I will be
having my forth fill today and hope that it will help me even more! I have
also had to learn to be forgiving and gentle through this process. I admit
that I am not perfect and need to be open to change and learning how to
live in a different way. I try not to compare my process with others so
much because everyone is different and we are all on slightly different
meal plans and lose weight at different rates. To compare my progress with
others' was making me feel bad. I hope something I wrote to you is helpful
and I wish you great success!
— peaches62
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