Just had my first consult...have questions for you experts

Hi Everyone,  I just had my first visit at the surgeons office and have made the decision to go with the Realize Band!!  I'm very excited about it and hope the process moves quickly to my surgery date.  They told me if all goes well it could be about 6 to 8 weeks!!  Wooo Hooo!!  Yeah!!!

I have a couple of questions that I hope you all can help with.

1. Why are carbonated drinks, bread and pasta outlawed for banders?  Is it that they just don't digest well?
2.  When someone says they ate something and it got stuck...what do you do?  How does it get unstuck?
3.  As far as protein shakes go...are we talking Whey Protein or should I be looking for protein shakes minus the whey?  Any suggestions for good ones?

Thanks so much,
Leslie

HI Leslie --- congratulations on making this life-changing decision.

I was banded about 11 weeks ago -- so, my answers will only reflect my limited experience.

As far as carbonated beverages go, my surgeon says that they do not 'stretch' the pouch (but some people believe that they can).  He told me that I can have them after surgery, but that the carbonation will probably be uncomfortable for me.

I gave them up pre-op and have really not missed them.  I drink water, and Crystal LIght tea and other flavors.

As far as bread goes, again, my surgeon does not 'outlaw' them -- but I find that very soft bread is hard to eat.  Think about being able to take a piece of bread in your hand and roll it into a ball --- it can get gummy and 'stuck' --- if I toast the bread, it is easier to eat.
If you can control yourself around bread, I don't see a reason not to have it after you heal.

White pasta is pretty much empty calories -- and again, can be gummy and stick easily.
Lots of people eat whole grain pasta.
For me -- if I eat 3 - 4 ounces of protein and 1/2 cup of veggies, I don't have room for the pasta.
I can maybe take 1 or 2 bites --
So, when I make pasta for my husband, I make a meat sauce with small meatballs.
I eat 3 ounces of meatball with a little salad and then if I want a few bites of pasta I eat it in small bites.

As far as 'stuck' episodes, I have only had a few.
When I eat too big a bite, or too fast, sometimes I will feel the food sort of 'sit' in the middle of my chest.
When that happens, the body begins to excrete excess saliva to try to help itself out --- that is what 'sliming' is all about.  I have to spit that out of my mouth for a few minutes.
One time, I had eaten some chicken breast that was re-heated and too dry.  It got stuck and I slimed for about 15 minutes -- finally, I was able to cough and it came back up (this is generally called a pb or productive burp).  It is not really vomiting, because the food never got into the stomach and mixed with stomach acids.
It is sort of gross -- but I felt sooo much better once the food was out.
Other times, I have slimed and then walked around a litle bit and stretched my arms up in the air -- and waited for the food to go down.

 

Lastly -- Whey Protein is ok, but so is non-Whey. 

I did not have to do a pre-op liquid diet of any type, so I only had to worry about having protein shakes for the first few weeks.

I shopped on line at www.unjury.com -- they sell individual pouches of their protein powder so you can taste them before you commit to a whole canister.

I also bought a few bottles of Isopure clear liquid protein drinks (they come in many flavors) at GNC.  Those came in handy for the first 3 days post-op when I had to be on clear liquids.

My doc's advise was to not invest too much money in protein drinks because your tastes change after surgery lots of times.

I used Muscle Milk and Muscle Milk Light that I could buy at the grocery store.  I used Slim Fast a few times, I used Carnation Sugar-Free Instant Breakfast. 

for my first week post-op, I drank 3 shakes a day

after that, for the next 3 weeks or so, I had 1 shake a day and then had mushie food, followed by soft foods and regular food.

I don't drink them every day anymore.

Best of luck -- and welcome!!!

kath

Hi Leslie!  Congrats on your first visit!  I hope everything does go very well for you. 

I was banded about 7 weeks ago but have been going to classes and seminars as part of my bariatric program since February.  I'll share what I know from my classes and experience and asking 1,000s of questions.

Carbonation: The way it was explained in our class (and this went for bandsters and RNYers), since you will have a small pouch that you need to treat with care - avoid carbonation because it can stretch the pouch, build up gas, and cause some discomfort once you have a good level of restriction.  The visual they used in class with taking a bottle of Pepsi that had been sitting open for 4 hours of of our class, attached a regular party balloon over the bottle opening, and let it sit for the last hour of the nutrition class.  In no time at all the balloon was filling with gas coming from the bottle.  This helped me kind of see how much bloating carbonation can cause.  If it works with the balloon supposedly it does the same to your pouch.  The same goes for beer and anything that foams up when it leaves its container or has yeast, etc. 

Bread and pasta and rice:  Pretty much because of the gummy, sticking problem.  I haven't tried any since being banded.  It's too much of a temptation for me so I just avoid it completely.  But most breads, pastas, rice, etc have too much sugar - and they also swell in the pouch.  And when you're so limited on your diet you have to get your protein in, then veggies, then fruits, then carbs.  So by the time you get all the other good for you things in - you're full.

Protein shakes and powders:  I like the Atkins Advantage ones - the EAS ones are kind of okay - but it's a really personal choice.  Everyone has a different opinion.  Good thing they come in 4 packs - that way you're not stuck with a bunch if you don't like them.  The protein powders have helped me LOTS - I mix them with lots of things.  Especially pre-op and the first few weeks post-op but even now.  I don't use the whey powders (I think they taste funky) - I like the soy powders like GeniSoy.  But true that your tastes may change post-op.  I had to try several powders before I found one I liked.   

Don't feel like you have to use the protein powders as a shake.  I do things like mix the chocolate powder with a sugar free/fat free pudding cup, add a tbsp no-sugar peanut butter, and add the protein powder.  It is so thick and yummy - and gives me a good snack and boosts my protein.  And there are lots of other ways to use them.  So if they taste weird when you mix them as a drink - try them other ways.

I have been blessed to not have anything get "stuck".  But I'm sure my day is coming.

Hope this helps.  Wish you the best of luck with everything.
Rachel

Thank you Kath and Rachel for your detailed replies.

 I have never been a big soda/beer/carbonated drink drinker so giving that up won't be a problem for me, and the explanation  of why its not good makes perfect sense.  The bread/pasta thing may be a bit more difficult for me but  eating the protein and veggies first is what I will do....I am so committed to this that it seems a very small sacrifice for such a great payoff!!  I agree that some of the whey protein can taste a bit funky so your recommendations will definately be a great help.

 A girl I work with told me about this website and I can already tell that this is going to be an invaluable tool for me throughout the entire process.  I feel so good about my decision and have gotten such wonderful support from my family, freinds, co-workers and now all of you.
Thanks again ladies...have a wonderday day!
Leslie 

good luck first of all!
 #1 carbonated drinks have bubbles in them and will fill you up before you even have food in there.....also some say the pouch can stretch...i have not heard this one thru my nut(who has the band) but she said tht the surgeons do not like you to have it until you are a year out.
bread is a no no....for me! it will get stuck every time....because it clumps up into a ball of dough!
toast is ok if i eat it like tiny pea size bites! pasta is the same way....
 
#2 stuck is because you ate something ...like above! or took to big  of a bite and it sits on top of the stoma .
 
#3 i use slim fast shakes...i put it in the magic bullet with either water or skim milk and frozen fruit to make a very thick shake...the frozen fruit takes the place of the ice and it gives it more flavor.

hope this helps
lori

Thanks Lori, I appreciate your response.  I love all the great ideas and advice I am getting...it really helps alot to know what to expect.
I had my psych eval today so everything is moving along really well.  I go back in 2 weeks and then I have my 3 pre-op classes.  After that I will get my surgery date!!
Thanks again ...Have a wonderful evening.
Leslie