Booked in for march 2017, crapping myself!

[Caffinated]

Hi everyone, I'm Ana, I'm booked in for.surgery this week, terrified that i haven't fully followed the liver shrink diet.

Nervous about the surgery, nervous about. How active i will be once I come round and get back to work. How much time off did people have?

 

[FeeBee]

Hello and welcome to our community
I had a month off because although my job isn't physically demanding it is mentally and emotionally draining and I was a bit sore and very tired for a few weeks afterwards.
Have you followed the LRD you were given? I was an NHS patient and we were warned if we didn't comply they would close us up and not do the surgery but I've not heard of that actually happening and others here have not had to follow a diet at all. That said I think it's as much about learning to fully comply with them rules as it were. If you've done your best to follow the diet then try not to worry, if you've deliberately tried to cheat your way around it then I think it's important to acknowledge that and figure out how you're going to stop doing that post op.
Virtually everyone gets nervous beforehand, it's a life changer but all I can say is that for me it's been 100% worth it. Good luck and let us know how you get on x

 

[Hannah2]

Hello and welcome! Time off depends on what op people have, how people feel and what job people have.

Banders don't need as long off as those with a sleeve or bypass but you need other banders to confirm that! What has your provider said? How long have you booked off?

As @FeeBee says, if you have followed your preop diet don't worry about it, if you know you have cheated then you might need to address that with your team. The LRD is for your health in surgery, it isn't easy and I dreaded it! I surprised myself though and got through it with the help of people on here!

Have you looked at the bander threads on here? There is one called banders cafe, also @NigelG @Oopseydaisy and @countrywench all have a band so they might be able to help you more.

Good luck and why not start a diary, it really can help.

 

[countrywench]

Hi Ana
Welcome to a brilliant forum , full of support and help .. ask us anything , someone on here will know the answer as we have all walked the very same path your on .
If you've stuck to the diet then your ok .. How much have you lost during the diet ? How do you feel ? Keeping a diary on here does help a lot .. put down everything your feeling and be totally honest , even if your having a bad day and eating everything in sight .. This way , by admitting , food does not hold that secret over your head if that makes sense .. Don't let food be your master any more .. Food is a fuel not a treat .. I never call foods a treat anymore , it's not to be used as a reward , why would we reward ourself with the very thing that makes us fat and miserable , it's bizarre ..
when is your op ? The band takes a lot of self control to make it work , it will not stop you from eating .. I fight every day to stop myself from eating junk ... it's a real head game , even a year down the line ..
Lots of luck

 

[Caffinated]

Thanks for all your replies, I've lost about a stone using the milk diet but in the past I used to binge and purge and that is why I agreed with my consultant that the band was the best option for me to stop me binging.

I guess I am worried about completely having messed myself up internally with my past issues and taking so long to address it!

I think right now it's just pre surgery nerves until I've got it over and done with. I have desk job which is not physically draining but is mentally challenging but hopefully I can recover and get back to it as soon as possible as that is a pretty big stressor for me.

I know i need to quit my job but until i lose weight and get my self esteem issues sorted there isn't any other option for me.

I booked via healthier weight as they seem to be the most expensive but have unlimited fills and a 5 year warranty.

 

[Hannah2]

Well done on your loss on the lrd! Not long to go now!

Good news on getting such a good aftercare package - hopefully you won't need it but a few people on here have had issues that have been sorted because they had an extended warranty.

Just remember not to overdo it too quickly - follow your surgeons advice!

Keep us updated as to how you get on!

 

[Mazza]

Hello and welcome!

Good luck with your op and I look forward to following your banded j0urney

I used to be a bander and way back in 2009, I had my op on a Saturday and took the next week off work. I was fine doing this but its important to listen to your body, everyone is different.

I took two weeks off with my sleeve and could of done with longer but couldn't afford to go without pay.

Keep posting and you'll soon have somemore lovely banders coming along to offer their support, no doubt xx

 

[Caffinated]

Hey all, made it through the surgery, staying the night in the hospital as I was last on the list and the nurse said she didn't feel keen on a long car journey home! Can only have water but my throat is very dry...

Onwards and upwards to a new me!

 

[countrywench]

Welcome to the other side ! Hope your feeling ok .. take it easy ..

 

[FeeBee]

Congratulations and welcome to the losers bench

 

[Caffinated]

Hello all, a few days in and feel good, some pain when I try to turn to quick in bed and a bit of wind, my scars seem ok but I'm very conscious of the port scar as that's pretty bruised.

Not feeling hungry and forced a protein shake down my throat yesterday with some broccoli and stilton soup but i was so desperate for some texture i nibbled on a broiled potato (or 2) slice also, feel very guilty but my stomach seems fine. I haven't had any problem with water tea or coffee as of yet - is this normal?

 

[countrywench]

You really should stick to your guidelines .. your new band has been stitched to the side of your stomach .. these stitches are new , your stomach wall will be weak where the stitches go through and need to heal without any weight from food sitting there .. this is where slippage can and will happen .. so is a mouth full of texture worth causing damage Hun ?
Please take care and be very mindful of what's inside you .. it's may not hurt but it doesn't mean it's not getting damaged
Xxxxxx

 

[Caffinated]

I didn't think of it like that so thanks for the advice! I've been very good today and plan on being good for the foreseeable! I guess I just thought the potato will just slide on through without bother!

Should I be worried about the amount of liquid too? Water is going down fine and I dnt want to cause damage! Xx

 

[countrywench]

No , liquid will slip right through the band with no problem .. if you think of a funnel .. liquid will slip straight through but if you put anything thicker into the funnel it won't run through and will sit there ..
this is how the band will work when your fully healed .. so the opposite to the advice now .. when fully healed , we eat dry,crunchy, thick food that will sit and not slip through the band , that's also why we don't drink with meals , that's to stop the food from slipping through ..
So for now your looking to swallow very loose foods that will slip right through your new band and not cause any damage ..
xxxx

 

[Caffinated]

Thanks for the advice, I think its best I stick to milkshakes and watery soup in the case, but not overdo the liquid and pace myself. Is it ok to take the large vitamin tablets though? I didn't get chewable ones and have some that are about the size of my fingernail! Definitely don't want to start feeling run down for lack of vitamins and minerals. Xx

 

[countrywench]

I wouldn't risk big tablets of any kind .imagine if one sat across the band gap ? . all my pain killers were soluble and still are a year down the line .. if your smoothies are well balanced then you'll be fine .. try adding whey protein powder ( I swear by the stuff ) spoon of peanut butter if your not allergic , full fat Greek yogurt , I use frozen spinach portions , small amount of fruit for taste , maybe a banana or i use just half a one .. sometimes a spoon of raw porridge oats as well .. avacado is so good in smoothies .. kale also .. and I also use coconut or almond milk in mine .. so high protein is to aim for ..
I used to take a supplement but along the way I've gotten a little lackadaisical with it ...
xxxxx

 

[Caffinated]

Thanks so much for the advice, I'm going to venture a little further out and buy some liquid vitamins today!

Also got an email this morning regarding my first fill appointment for the 28th April which is very exciting! Hopefully i should be feeling much better by then and ready to start feeling some restriction and getting the weight down!

 

[Caffinated]

So it's been a full week since I had the surgery and whilst i haven't counted my weight from before the pre surgery diet I do know that from surgery to now I've lost almost 7lb in weight! Very happy today, I have been weight myself every morning and I know i need to stop that but I'm just pleased that im at 348 lb.

My mini goal right now is to get to 300lb

 

[countrywench]

Well done !
How are you feeling in general. Are you craving or hungry .. fighting demons was the worst for me after the first couple of weeks being banded .. but I promise it will get easier as you become more in control of yourself .. although those old demons are never far away and I've been caught with my knickers down a few times lol !
You were the exact same weight as me when I started my journey so we have common ground ..
stay focused and as active and busy as you can .. decorate, paint , clean , read, walk etc .. I've just started swimming as I now feel comfy in a swimsuit and I'm loving the low impact excercise , plus it does tone and burn calories at an alarming rate .. I try to stick to a solid hour swim which brings me out at about 44 lengths and 470 calories burnt I just chug along in the slow lane ..
Any issues at all yet ? Heartburn ? Can you feel the band at all ?
Xxxxx

 

[Caffinated]

No issues yet, it is a bit sore when i cough in the port area, scars have started healing nicely.

In meeting a friend for a catchup today and wondered if i could have a coffee but happy to get a hot chocolate or tea if not!

I went to the cinema yesterday and my when I normally go im first at the ice cream, i couldn't resist but instead of the mint choc chip i opted for the frozen yoghurt which was pretty sweet but definitely a better choice to ice cream! Plus it melted on the mouth into liquid.

Looking forward to mashed foods/puree and testing what i can eat. I haven't felt hungry at all and drinking water and milk etc is a bit of a chore right now! Im doing lots of soup to which before i wouldn't be able to have without some crusty bread but now tastes delicious on it a own!

I havent started exercise yet but i intend to when my scars are fully healed.

I can't swim but I've always wanted to learn!

I've been overweight or obese for as long as i can remember apart from a period about 10 years ago when i did a liquid diet and lost over 10 stone, i felt great and was training a lot, things were going very well for me at the time and i was in a lovely relationship with a lovely guy and was getting on with the business of living etc when i had a very bad experience which took a lot out of me and caused me to push everyone in my life away and gain a lot of weight.

It's taken me a lot to get to this stage and for years I've been fighting with myself and blaming myself about why i push people away and why i gain weight to make myself unattractive etc. Im at the stage now where ive stopped blaming myself for things that other people have done to me and stop being angry at the card i was dealt and try and move forward. I do want a family and kids one day but the longer i dwell on the past the harder i make it for myself so from now on i need to focus on the future and particularly a future me which is a slimmer and happier me!