It's two weeks today since I was banded, and I'm not following the pattern of other bandits, who zoom down in weight at breakneck speed at the beginning. They told me at the hospital to have slop and mashed foods until the date of my first fill - Wednesday 28th January - but I should have asked why. I assumed it was because I just wouldn't be able to keep anything solid down, but a week after the op (Christmas Day) I was starting to eat normally. I'm no good at blind obedience, I need to be told why. I was totally fed up with dopey snacks from the month before the op (usually sweet, and as a diabetic I've tried to train myself over the years to opt for the savoury choices), and I dipped a toe in the water, so to speak.
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Now a week later, I'm eating bread - all colours and textures - had bacon and egg yesterday, and planning to have a salad tomorrow. Up to now the scales show no gain, but this is clearly not the object of the exercise, who am I kidding. 28th Jan feels like years away.
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Last night another lesson: I had a bowl of home-made turkey-based (!) soup, and a laaarge piece of bread-machine fruit bread. I imagine the problem was combining liquid and solid, and although it wasn't the unpleasant experience of the mince pie, I had chest pain for several hours, and couldn't go to bed till 1 a.m. I kept muttering "serves you right" to myself, but it didn't make me feel any better.
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Why do other bandits lose so much before their first fill?? Surely there's no restriction there? Are they feeling virtuous and full of willpower because they've just paid out a lot of money?
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I need Bandy's help - NOW!!
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New Year Resolution: Try to be patient...
-oOo-
8 comments:
Caroline, the reason you should be eating soft foods is to give the stomach time to heal and adjust to the band. Take care. A great high protein food for this period of time is the following: one can of beef broth added to one can of smashed black beans (I was able to find refried black beans). Add a bottle of V8 juice and it makes a great soup. Eat more protein and I think you will be satisfied and may lose a pound or two. Happy New Years. Sylvia
I know - it's just that I feel fine, so assume adjustment has already happened.... I do like soup, but I feel awash with it, and the top shelf of my fridge is choc full of shop and home made soups. Ah well, onwards and upwards...
Hi Caroline, I can only tell you that from my perspective, I didn't get hungry until about week two, then will power had to show up and do some bloody work. [he didn't like that very much]
I am hungry again now, it has been 8 weeks since my surgery and I have not lost any weight for the past three weeks because i am eating like freaking maniac!
I am booked in for a fill tomorrow. I have 3.5 ml in and tomorrow they will put .5 in to see if that works.
I must tell you though, that although I can eat a lot, I still get stuck on any sort of meat and have to chew chew chew until my gums hurt. So, that will be even worse from tomorrow I imagine.
Good luck on your journey, we are all here to help each other.
Happy New Year,
Tracey
I am much the same as Tracey. I got hungry for the first time in the 3rd week I think? I have that written somewhere in my Mushies page I think? The reason I was told to have liquids for 2 weeks and then mushie food for the next 2 weeks was because the stitches that hold the band in place needed time to heal and settle....fair enough. By the end of the 2nd week I was hanging out just to CHEW something!! I lost most of my weight in the first 4 weeks!! Only because I was too scared NOT to do what I was told and, as you mentioned, I was fired up on excitement and willpower fresh out of surgery. I am back to eating anything I damn well want although I do get full quicker and some things do tend to give me a bit of pain. Like the fruit bun I talked about......I think drinking with it, or anything like that, mushes it up and gives it that "stuck" consistency? I have another fill due at the end of this month....and, like the last one, I can't wait. I just can't wait until I finally feel satisfied after a small meal and stop thinking about what I can eat all the time!! It takes a bit of going back and forward.....more for some than others....but eventually you will get the band to what suits you.
Thanks Tracey & Nola - I seem to be eating quite a bit less than in 'the bad old days', but I'm sure a lot more than they advised... and what you say about the stitches holding the band in place - didn't think of that, and don't remember being told. Also, the smaller wounds on my tum have all healed but the main one is still seeping a bit after 15 days. So I guess I'd better slow down... Thanks for the advice.
Caroline
That wound shouldn't be seeping after that long! Bath it in warm salt water and dry it well. BUT...I would definitely go and see a doctor about it, if it is still doing that in a couple more days!
Also.....fluids with a meal is "frowned" upon because it sloshes up the solid food you have just eaten and makes it slip through the band easier.....therefore you feel hungry quicker....this defeats the purpose really. So, you won't die or anything, but you are not doing yourself any favours if you drink and eat at the same time because it doesn't allow the band to work correctly and give you that full feeling for as long. Having said that... I am soooo guilty of doing this. I just forget....particularly if I am "doing coffee" in town with my sister or something. But I try to do the right thing most of the time:)
I find if I drink and eat I seem to swallow alot of air, then I get pain and have to pb. I would get your wound checked quite soon, it should be quite healed by now, oh having said that you are diabetic I wonder if that makes a difference to healing time?. Please just remember Caroline you have stitches in side holding your band in place, you can't feel them but they are there.
I hope everything is ok!
Zenaxx
Xena may have a point, I've often been told that diabetics take longer to heal. I am listening to what you say though, but keeping my counsel for a bit because today there's hardly been any seepage at all. If it's still showing through a fresh dressing on Monday I'll ring the surgery.
It hadn't crossed my mind that solid and liquid swallowed together being a 'no-no' was other than making it difficult to go through the band, i.e. that it ALSO means food slides down more easily and will therefore make you feel hungry again sooner. I'm taking that on board.
Thanks a lot for all these comments.
Caroline
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