Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately my last meal was at my son's sports banquet.  The food was horrible and well after that I felt sick all night so I just went home and never looked back.  I had my two day liquid diet after that so.....nothing really to write about!!

I was hoping but it just never worked out.  I'm glad, I've learned alot about my eating habits and what was right and wrong.  It's not always easy to keep with it now, but I try and still journal my foods, it gives me alot of reference when I start feeling different.

In episode 14, we’ll start our weekly highlight of surgery types with Gastric Banding, expose the good and evil that lives in a patient’s head, and make a yummy high protein quiche.

HIGHLIGHTS

• We ask for your help in gaining sponsors by filling out our viewer survey.
• Answering the constant request for a show highlighting the types of bariatric surgeries.
• It used to be just the Roux-en-y that was getting attention.
• We take a look at gastric banding.
• The main choices in banding are The Lapband & The Realize Band.
• Post your banding question in our Bandsters forum.
• Good and evil voices in your head.
• The battle of the maple donut
• A recipe for a yummy quiche lorraine
• I’m pinching your head!  

Come join the fun!

www.bariatrictv.com

Thanks Joanne - where's the Community Church of Oak Orchard? 

I can't remember having a "last  special meal" before surgery.  I just remember having clear liquids the day before and nothing after midnight pre-op.  My insurance required I lose 2% of my body weight prior to surgery and to do that, I had to go to sugar free/fat free/no carbs/high protein.  Even though I only had to lose 7 pounds, I lost about 18 pounds in the 3 weeks pre-op.

The first thing I remember being able to have after the surgery was ice.  It's all I wanted since my mouth was so dry.  The nurses brought me that icky Fruit 2-0 stuff but it was gross. Then it was 2 weeks of clear liquids.  I think sugar free jello and popsicles is what I ate the most of for a couple of days.

Like Joanne, I adore Italian Subs, my favorite being from Capriotti's.  Nowadays, I have to forego the roll for the most part.  I can eat about 1/4 of a small sub at a time with the roll, the other 1/4 I eat without the bread.  The other half is wrapped and I eat it later on, in the same way.  I just can't do the roll anymore.  I also drink diet soda, against medical advice.  I get so tired of water or flavored waters.

The first year or so post-op was very frustrating to me because I couldn't eat a regular sized meal and it took my "fat person" thinking a long time to adjust.  To this day, I still put way too much food on my plate.  I know I can't eat it all. 

At this time, a sample of what I can eat at one sitting is this: I can eat 2 jumbo eggs on top of a crispy slice of scrapple.  I can eat one hot dog, with the roll until about 3/4 through it, then out goes the roll.  For dinner, I can eat about 3/4 of a chicken breast, 1/2 cup veggies, but very little starch (potatoes or pasta). I always get the protein down first.  From time to time, I treat myself to 3 or 4 sugar free cookies or some sugar free chocolate pudding.  Ice.  More ice.  I probably go through a 20 pound bag in 2 weeks.  I chew maybe 2 quarts worth of ice every day.  That's the iron deficiency working and the only harm done is the risk of fracturing my already weakened teeth.  I *can* tolerate some refined sugars but try to stay under 8 grams per serving when I eat it.  One candy cane, 2 or 3 hershey kisses, or a mini-muffin....stuff like that.  I don't do it often because I get nauseated from it.  I ate a donut once and thought I was gonna die.  LOL.

I spent the last month before my surgery eating out 2x week at my favorite restaurants because I wanted to say "goodbye" to my favorite meals. How sad is that? My surgeon had no restrictions or preop diet either, so I actually put on about eight pounds prior to the surgery date. We weren't allowed to consume anything after midnight the day of surgery . . . at five minutes til midnite, I was down at the 7-11 getting a fountain Coke. Sodas were my downfall and I used to drink a 2-liter soda by myself every day.

After surgery we had to have soups/liquids for a few days, then we were allowed to eat anything as long as we chewed it up well. The only foods I have trouble tolerating are rice and pasta.

My surgeon also told me that my stomach would let me know when I'd had enough to eat -- this wasn't to be for me. I had no sensation of fullness after surgery (or now) and to make matters worse, I don't "dump" when I eat carbs or sugars. It has been a real struggle for me getting the weight off and keeping within my 10-pound range that I allow myself.

I think the deal with coffee is that it keeps your body from absorbing other nutrients -- or is that tea? No WAY am I giving up my coffee haha.

-BJ