Gastric Band 4 weeks ago

[Neen]

Hiya, I had my band in about a month ago and its two weeks till my first fill. I came off puried food and now just eat really slowly and wait til food is liquid before swallowing (chew chew chew lol) I have lost a bit of weight but now the swelling has gone down I am finding my appetite is creeping back. I'm looking forward to getting the fill done as I feel then I can relax and not be panicky about eating too much.
One thing I did find useful was to have separate foods puried and kept separate on the plate ..when it all mushes together its usually really bland so doing that helped make the meals a little more pleasant. Healing up fine and excited and curious about how much difference the fill will make. Even now eating a fraction of what I used to. I am finally able to use the wii fit and treadmill that I was too heavy for prior to my op too
Hope to chat to u all xxx Neen

 

[one day at a time]

Hi Neen, Glad you are on the mend and posting, i just read all the new threads not having any thing surgical done .YET but could def consider a T.T in the not to distance future.
I am sure lots of peps will be on soon to welcome you Simone

 

[Neen]

Thank you Simone ! I appreciate you taking the time to read and reply, sometimes can be hard to make friends in a new forum looks like you are doing great! I would imagine I might need a TT later on..2 c sections and all the weight I am lugging about ! We'll cross that bridge when we come to it eh

 

[lovebug]

Hello Neen, Welcome a fellow bander tooo!!!Yipeeeee :happy036:..had my op last Monday 7th of July feel so well now and and glad to hear u are too. There are a few banders in this section you'll be pleased to know and it would be nice to hear how your doing etc and if we can support u and vice versa.( not just us everyone will in this section of course !!)

Two friends on here ( Allicat & Alice ) have just had there bands today and yesterday. So would be nice to keep in contact with u can i ask...how much weight u have lost since your Op ? just be nice to have something to compare with. I know people are different of course but there are quite a lot of Bypassers on here and i do know weight loss is alot quicker etc. If its private to u i totally respect that . Look forward to speaking to u soon Neen
Regards Livvy Lovebug xxx

P.s ....

Once u post more ( i think its 20 posts to begin with) you'll be given space on your signature to make tickers etc like we all have if your not able to already, i think u can tho immediatley with tickers .... If u need help just shout . I know its daunting joining a new site but were a friendly bunch and glad you've joined us
This link is worth a look it explains how to use the site :character00148: and gives all the info u'll need to make profile pictures etc
http://www.minimins.com/forum-technical-support/23916-minis-guided-tour-minimins-website.html

more info is available from the front page right at the bottom stating Technical Support Forum.

Speak soon xxx

 

[Neen]

Hiya! Thanks so much for the lovely friendly message, I really enjoyed reading your reply and of course would be happy to fully share my experiences and chat to all the banders I reckon I have lost a stone since and just over half a stone in my preop fortnight. I have felt more energetic especially in the last two weeks but when I first had it done I felt pretty low. I think I came off puried food a little earlier than suggested but I was very disciplined and chewed everything to mush ...well disciplined and worried about lumps getting stuck! Everything I eat now goes cold as I eat so slow.
Overall I am really pleased I had it done, it was just my time to do it after years and years of losing the same couple stone over and over. Looking forward to hearing how you are doing , and the others, as time goes by...hope you aren't doing too much as its easy to forget and just throw yourself back into housework etc.

 

[Alice]

Hi Neen

Welcome to minimins. It's nice to meet someone who's a few weeks further down the line than us! I had my band on Saturday. Still feeling pretty rough and so not on here much at the moment but I hope to get back to normal in a day or two.

Just keep posting and you'll soon become part of the furniture. These guys and gals are so friendly and supportive its unreal! Yesterday, i thought I was suffocating because I just couldn't catch my breath properly. I texted Livvy (from on here) and she reassured me that she had felt the same and it was due to a bruised diaphragm. It was so good to have that support! I was on the brink of calling the GP out for a home visit!

Take care,

Alice xx

 

[Neen]

Hi Alice good to meet you. It's nice to have somewhere to discuss things as I have only told people on a need to know basis! Yeah It is so painful at first, I had some indigestion tabs to suck which I had after each meal to try and avoid any trapped wind and stuff. Got some sanatogen tonic to take instead of vitamin tablets daily as well..its yukky haha
I still sleep propped up with a bean bag under my bed pillows. I found this the most comfy, still cant sleep laying on my side. You do feel quite nervous of the wounds seeping at first, but after a few days at home I had a shower and changed my dressings. I stopped wearing them about the end of the third week as the adhesive on them was giving me red sore patches on my skin. I snipped off the clear stitches that were sticking out (hate doing that) and the wounds seem to be ok. Have just showered til now but might try a bath soon.
As for food, separate mush flavours helps, It was hard making normal food for the family and sitting down to a tiny bowl of mush at first. I think you can use common sense and judge when you are able to handle solids / semi solids . I had a cereal bar last night and was fine...just chew chew chew chrew!!!
I didnt need pain relief for long, but I did buy aspro clear and had it in squash so that worked pretty well after the hospital rations wore out. Even if you feel ok, try not to throw yourself into hoovering etc as boy does it come back to haunt you.
At first I was so sore I found it hard to know if I was full or not, I think at the beginning you are scared to overdo it anyway. Hope that you get plenty of rest and have someone around to give you a hand x

 

[shelbell]

Hi Neen welcome to Mini's

I'm having a bypass tomorrow so not one of the banders but we're all a friendly bunch around here regardless of which surgery we're having so wanted to say hi and welcome anyway!

Looking forward to getting to know you and hearing more about your journey.

Shel x

 

[Neen]

Hiya Shel! First of all , very best of luck for tomorrow! I'm sure everyone will be rooting for you ! I'm sure everything will go well, I think the worst part is waiting for the op, you're almost over the worst part..once you're done its all downhill Hope that you have some help organised for after your op and that you make a speedy recovery...just think about next summer and slinking about in a bikini. all the absolute best to you and thanks for the welcome

 

[Alice]

Hey Neen,

I have a question for you! Have you learnt how to burp yet?! I keep on trying to burp but I can't and it just really hurts when I try... Please tell me that gets easier!!

Ta,

Alice xx

 

[Neen]

Ah I think maybe try something like bisodol tablets, just suck them slowly and that may help. Trapped wind is horrible..so u have my sympathy, I think It just sorted itself out for me, the main reason I took the indigestion things was to releive the deferred pain in my shoulder which was really bad in my case, I guess the by product of taking the indigestion stuff for that helped with burping along the way
, I took remegel/bisodol as a matter of course after eating. Its early days yet for you so try not to worry about it. Best not to try and force yourself though

 

[alliecat]

Hi Neen, welcome to Minis from another new bander - only yesterday for me. Bit wooly still but getting there. Will be great to share tips and advice, everyone is soo friendly you will get all of the support you want xx

 

[Neen]

Hello Allie ! Ooh I bet you are sore, also it hurts to sit at the pc for too long so have lots of breaks x Nice to meet you, I hope that everything heals up nicely and you haven't got too much pain. I found the first couple days after the journey home (wow some of the roads were a lot more bumpy than I remembered) were a bit rough and it all caught up with me. I was sooo tired and desparate for a shower...also it felt like everything just dropped when I stood up (yeouch) BUT after a week you can be fairly mobile and hopfully you will feel so much better and full of energy quite quickly. I find I have a lot of energy and have my appetite back, though eating as small fraction of what I used to. wondering now how the fill will go and hoping it really shrinks my capacity as I am scared I will eat too much! People are saying I have lost a fair bit already and my clothes fit so much better, so in your low moments keep thinking about that new wardrobe! xxxxxx

 

[Thaialina]

Hi and welcome Neen,
You sound like you're doing well. I hope the infill goes well and has thedesired effect for you.

 

[Neen]

Thank you very much Sara! Yeah its all such unknown territory at this point. I really don't trust myself around portion sizes yet, just very nervous I will mess things up for myself and also cannot wait to ditch the size 30s forever....(ceremonial burning hehe) its been so long since I was smaller I cant quite believe its going to happen yet . Hopefully the effect of the fill will reassure me that I cant stuff things up for myself this time! Thanks very much

 

[lovebug]

Hi Neen i've just been chatting with a girl who has just had her first fill and she says she doesn't really feel the difference so don't be shocked if that happens. Its perfectly normal and in some peoples cases takes a couple to really get that correct restriction. You are only eating a fraction of your past diet anyway so the odd Pound might creep on but hey eventually once you get the fill correct ...you'll be well on your way and that weight will be sliding of u like no body's business !! Yipee ! i was told by my surgeon not to worry too much or start to get a complex about my weight until i really get that restriction correct anything your losing now is a great bonus ...but so much better things to come eh !! xxx

 

[Thaialina]

Hello again Neen,
I know exactly how you feel. I'm far too cautious about the amount I eat after my bypass.

 

[Neen]

Thanks Livvy and Sara I think its because compared to just after my op, I am eating more...rather than compared to my humungous human vaccuum days before this all began..In my mind I'm getting alarm bells. I think for me its lack of planning. My kids are both autistic and go to school 4 mornings a week only. When I go fetch them at lunch time its not unusual for all hell to be breaking loose, so having proper healthy food goes out the window , I think the last couple weeks since Dean (partner) went back to work, I have got to about 2 or 3pm and thought *whoops..better eat* and grabbed a packet of crisps or a couple biscuits (not half a packet of bourbons anymore luckily) and of course , worse thing I can do as those things disintegrate and slip right down......(gasp for breath) so I'm not feeling satisfied for long enough.
Anyway, stress related eating was my main problem...so Im scared to go backwards..even if its smaller portions.
I decided to make myself a nice wholemeal roll at the same time as I made Deans sarnies for work this morning so I have something I can nab when the kids are having their lunch.
Not sure I will fancy much today, Ayden (my youngest) got into bed with us this morning and managed to wake me up with a drop kick to the stomach...never a dull moment at our place *rolls eyes*
Slimful wishes to u both x

 

[mandy-1975]

So sorry about the drop kick to the stomach......... my son is horrendous with his legs if he gets in our bed......... i wake up feeling like i have been run over!!!!!!!

I eat when i am stressed or need comfort....... so i sort of know how you feel........


good idea onmaking a sarnie early on......

 

[Neen]

Cheers Mandy! With the boys how they are , I do get piled on quite a lot.. after the op they were pretty good really, I think I copped it about 3 times before today lol .
I was doing that Paul Mc Kenna thing *I can make you Slim* and it worked fine but then its chaos here sometimes, we can be trying to eat and Ayden will run laps around the house constantly making a racket. They make loads of noise even when they are being good, and have no idea how loud they are, so eating slowly and being aware of how full you are etc is almost impossible . I kind of ate to calm me down because I didnt know what else to do, they are so intense and you cant discipline them the same as most kids, Especially Ayden has no natural awareness of having gone too far as most kids do...so you have to find some way of cooling off ...usually for me that was stuffing food down. Anyway , the docs at the hospital agreed the Paul McKenna theory fits in really good with the band so hopefully I can use it to help me stay on track. I have 13 stone ish to lose so I couldnt see how else to do it but the op, you know how it is...spending so many years faffing around with diets!! Still I guess if I eat what I shouldnt now one of the kids might leap on and knock it back out of me lol!!!