Question:
Day 12 - How did you feel?

How did everyone feel by Day 12 (or 2 weeks) after having Lapband Surgery? What did you eat? What did you do? I had surgery on 1/23/09 and have felt my ups and downs with the pain. I definitely had no appetite at all during the first weekish, but now I find myself hungry when I should be and am eating. I'm curious what all did you eat during your 1-1/2 to 2 week mark after surgery. How did you feel? I still have constant pain in my left shoulder, and when I try to breath in any deeper than normal I get that shoulder pain down where I believe my stomach is. Your stomach is on the left side just a little under your chest right? I don't know if I should be alarmed by this, or if it's simply the gas settling there. How long should the gas last? One last question.. What does it feel like when food gets "stuck"? I'm unsure if I've ever had food stuck because I'm not certain what I should be feeling. I've never had any nausea (I'm probably jinxing myself) but I have been a little bold and have tried eating solids that are chopped up real small and chewed real well, and of cos in very minimal portions. Oh and one silly question.. The no drinking 30 before, 30 after rule when eating.. Why is that? Is it simply because it slips your food through the pouch too quickly? Or is there another reason? What if I eat something spicy? o.O I'm full of a lot of random questions which I don't want to call my Dr and wait 3 days for them to get back to me with an answer for. Thanks in advance for the help ladies and gentlemen!    — kelbeth83 (posted on February 3, 2009)

February 3, 2009
I'm a little worried about your questions because they're so basic. Didn't your surgeons office give you some kind of guide to follow for this early stage of recuperating and eating? In any case, please go out and get yourself a copy of "Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies". It will answer a lot of questions. On getting stuck, you'll know it when it happens. But for now please keep taking small bites and chewing your food well. You're less likely to get food stuck in the band before you've had a fill. I was still on my liquid diet phase 2 weeks post op. I drank "full" liquids (milk, protein shakes, drinkable yogurts, water, crystal light, broths, creamy soups). I hope you're getting the protein in. If not, go to the store and start getting protein shakes. EAS shakes are good, Slim Fast high protein/low carb shakes, protein water... any of these will do. You need at least 60grams a day and since meat is not an option you must get it in soft foods. After that I did a 3rd week of "mushies" which means liquids/soft foods like mashed potatoes, cream of wheat, slight chunkier soups, beans, cottage cheese, etc. Of course, everything is well chewed before swallowing. Shoulder pain, is caused by the gas they filled your abdomen with during the surgery. The only way to get rid of it is to walk it off. So make sure you walk a bit every day and swing your arms and shoulders around when the pain pops up. Tylenol will help too. There's no easy fix for this one, but the pains should go away very soon if you're doing LIGHT exercise every day. You mentioned "being bold" earlier and I just want to let you know that this is NOT A GOOD IDEA! You are in the earlier stages of recovering from surgery so this is not the time to test anything. Your band is still healing in place and you will mess things up by eating solid foods earlier than you should. WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU TEST FOODS THIS EARLY AFTER SURGERY!?!?!? no drinking 30 before/30 after rule, this is because there's only a bit of space in the new pouch your band creates. If you drink while eating it will fill up quicker, leaving less room for food and actual nutrition. Plus it might make you get sick from being overfull.
   — slimcolagirl

February 3, 2009
Maybe you didn't read my questions correctly. I know what *I'm* supposed to do.. I'm curious what *others* have done.. Hence my posing the questions, "What did *you* eat, do, feel, etc". I think you may need to take some courses in tact before you start answering people's questions/concerns on forums. Perhaps you should be behind me in line when I purchase my "WLS for Dummies" book, I believe there's a "People Skills for Dummies" book right next to it. And is it really necessary to use CAPS? I mean, are you screaming at your computer screen as you typed that hoping to berate me on a public forum? Forums are made for people to ask questions that perhaps they aren't comfortable enough to ask people face to face. I know for a fact that every surgeon program is different from the next, so my series of questions was to ease my curiosity about how other people did during the early phases of post-op life. Just goes to show, I'm already able to eat full liquids and soft solids, like eggs, cottage cheese, etc after the first week because every program is different. Don't preach with a holier-than-thou attitude, because at one time you were in the same shoes as I am, you weren't always successfully skinny and all-knowing or else you would have never needed WLS to begin with. I think people like you are why there are hundreds of people too scared to ask questions on forums because they don't want to be insulted and condescended. P.S. The solids I've tried were cheese, soft roasted peppers, soft chicken salad, and tuna salad, I'm not chowing down a T-Bone steak!
   — kelbeth83

February 3, 2009
Hi Kellie: I had the Lap-Band done about 2.5 years ago (I'm in the process of getting bypass but that's a different story) At first after the surgery I thought I would never be hungry again but a couple weeks out I noticed that little grumble in my tummy when I was hungry. It gets VERY frustrating to eat mush for so long, so I'll admit, I cheated a little and had small bites of french toast or a pierogi cut up real small with a little bit of sour cream. I will tell you from personal experience, the reason you shouldn't drink while your eating (at least in my case) is because your band causes your stomach to be a funnel. If you put food in it, and drink something while the food is still going through the band, it will all back up on you and come right back up! That's what getting stuck is. Not pleasant. I wish it would help get food down easier, but I know for me it made it a whole lot worse. I've personally never had issues with spicy food and the band, but to me mild salsa is fire in my mouth LOL. Hope this helps a little, good luck!
   — jtaormina

February 3, 2009
Hello Kelli, Well first and for most I want to say thank you for posting your questions. I have been walking around with a notebook in my purse documenting all these same random thought. It's nice to know everyone has questions as bizarre as they may be. I had my surgery 1/26/09, three days after you and I feel pretty great. I have had all the same issues as you as well. They pain in the shoulders and chest were the worst the first few days... My gosh I thought I was going to have a heartattack, but after the first week the gas settled and it feeling better, after I eat certain things I do start to get that build up again and oh yeah it hurts. I did by some Gas-X and I do take it if it's super bad, but mostly a littel 25-30 minute walk will do the trick to elevate the pressure. I go on at least two 25 minute walks a day. and it feels great. I do get that pain in my side, same place you side, but once again I walk it out, that seems to do the trick. I don't know if it is because our stomaches are wokring extra hard to digest our food or what but I feel your pain. That is something I'll ask my doctor about when I see him next week. As far as my diet goes. I was instructed to eat this way, like you said they are many different surgeons with different diet plans. My first week: I did lots of liquids, mostly Carnation Instant Breakfast with Protien boost, and some thin soups and thin instant potatoes, eating very slowly, 10 minutes between bites. This is my second week so I have graduated to cottage cheese, mashed homemade beans, and smashed fruits, and avacados. I sip water through the day. I was a water guzzler so it's hard to not chug water, but if I still feel thirsty I eat some ice cubes. So those are the things I'm doing. I wold suggest getting the notebook anyway, because as you think of questions it's good to write them down so that you don't forget when you do see the doctor. I'm sure any doctor would rather you ask than assume and be sorry in the end. I think eventually we will become acustom to what our body's can and can't hanndle. Reight now were in the learning stages. Just get working on it and if you ever feel scared I wouldn't hesitate to call the doctor, better safe than sorry. To Slim C.: I think you should read what it say by the Click here to post button: Make sure you check your work closely before submitting. Your reply was rude and simply useless and frankly unhelpful. When I went for my one on one with my surgeon I asked if they would discharge me with a diet and plan his answer was "NO, you will know what you can and can't eat. We'll give you ideas and that's it really" So don't assume that everyone is supposed to be all knowing. If that were the case would there be a need for a forum such as this one? I don't think there would be. I think if your comments aren't helpul you should just keep them to yourself. And I wold agree with Kelli, look into that but. Because your reply was pretty Dumb...
   — Shelincali

February 3, 2009
Hi Kelli, First relax. You are on the beginning journey of changing the rest of your life. At 2 weeks, probably soft foods would be the farthest I would explore. I've undergone 2 surgeries and I was different with each surgery so I don't think there are any easy answers. Walking will make the gas get better. Try light exercise like walking and perhaps some light aerobic exercise if you feel up to it. You may find you are just too tired some days to do exercise. So don't and start back the next day. Some foods or drinks for that matter go thru the pouch quickly. Remember an all liquid diet for nutrition purposes needs to be consumed slowly. If food gets stuck you will know. The pain becomes excrucitating. The 30 minute rule is so you don't get full too quickly. Your stomach is smaller now so it needs less to fill it up. If you eat something spicy you will probably experience the worst heartburn you have ever had. You might want to try pureeing some foods in a blender that you have a love for and then freezing as snacks. Or try some plain/vanilla flavored yogurt in the baby size. It will give some nutrition without filling you up and without causing your digestive tract any discomfort unless you can't have yogurt for some reason. As for SlimC that was completely uncalled for. Remember capitalization of letters is the same thing as yelling. Perhaps thinking your experience is the only one that's valuable and important would help you. Humility is a virtue my dear. Kellie, you will be fine. If you have real concerns as always check with your docs. I'll pray for all of you, vinnigirl, retired RN
   — vinnigirl

February 3, 2009
I had lap-band surg in Sept 08. Did not experience as much shoulder pain as you have but at about 2wks out, had my appetite come back as well. After my 2nd fill the nutritionist said I shouldn't be getting my proteins from "mushies" now but from solid foods. I took that to be a green light to eat whatever and subsequently began to eat small portions of moist meats but to overeat on carbs because I could. Realizing that was my old lifestyle trying to reassert itself, I had to take myself in hand. I decided to go back to the mushies with no carbs as I was doing before and to write down what I was eating with calorie counts. I forgive myself during this learning process and I know that I will "get it" in time. I still get cravings and yearn to eat as I used to, however, my band will not allow me to quickly stuff food down as I used to. When I eat meats they will get stuck if they are too dry or well done. My first experience with this I was happy to have a sip of water to get it unstuck and help it down. However, I am not advocating drinking with meals at all, just that it helped me in this instance to remedy my mistake. I have been eating broths and soups but adding beans or meats to up the protein amount. I will be having my forth fill today and hope that it will help me even more! I have also had to learn to be forgiving and gentle through this process. I admit that I am not perfect and need to be open to change and learning how to live in a different way. I try not to compare my process with others so much because everyone is different and we are all on slightly different meal plans and lose weight at different rates. To compare my progress with others' was making me feel bad. I hope something I wrote to you is helpful and I wish you great success!
   — peaches62