Early Post Op

Hi thank you I couldn’t sleep last night so I read pretty much everything last night so feel a lot more clued up going get on the fluids today xxx

Sorry you didn’t sleep great, but good to hear you utilised your time well.   I know we keep saying this but education really is key to having a successful band and weight loss journey.

Exciting times ahead xx

i wish there had been advice like this when i was newly banded, 15 years ago. Great site 🙂 xx

I love it all the advice and information is brilliant I am just worried I ain’t drinking enough I literally don’t want anything or thirsty at all what should I be having as a minimum? Xxx

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends an intake of 2.5 litres of water for men and 2.0 litres of water for women per day, via food and drink consumption Of this, they suggest that 70-80% of the daily water intake should come from drinks, and the remaining 20-30% should come from food or meal replacement shakes

It will get easier each day – so sip little but often the best you can throughout the day xx

How long does trapped wind after op last? Or will I have this from now on now? Xx

Hi Lyndsey. No the trapped wind will settle down – for some it’s just a few days for some a bit longer but it will go. Try windeze, gripe water, soluble paracetamol or peppermint tea

keep trying to have protein containing liquids – water is off course great for hydration but in these early days after surgery it’s important to have a higher intake than usual of the protein drinks x

Woke up feel so much better and little to no wind and managed to go to loo (sorry for over share) but I was told that wouldn’t happen for 2 weeks.

just wondered if you were aware of if I should of had call of hospital or dietaintion or should I be ringing them or?

Lindsay xx

Haha great news on going the loo…!! it can take a while before the bowels get back to normal for sure… hopefully this will help with your bloating and wind too.

Post op, if you’re had your surgery with THG, you will normally get a call from the nurse a few days after surgery, just to check alls well.  The dietitians will be in touch in due course too… if you have any concerns before this you will have the WLSS number for the hospital group… These girls are great and will always help you out as required.

Sounds like your breezing through your surgery. Well done you xx

Hey I am actually surprised that I feel much better bit tender and trapped wind comes and goes but Defo getting there and feeling better each day.

just looking forward to the future and working with band to shift weight

lindsay xx

That’s what it’s all about,  and you have an amazing attitude to make the band really work for you.  Onwards n upwards..!!!!

hoorayyyy to a controlled way of living,  health and happiness 😊 xx

Brill, I just want to be 100% better so I can start to get up move around and exercise haha I just looking forward to the future so much xxx

Well there was me thinking I was breezeing this recovery and thinking brill no constipation win win accept I am to much the other way now and wished I was constipated 😢

Hey I am feeling good wind gone only issue I have is wound where port is looks but red and worried it’s not healing right what should I do?? Xx

Wish I could upload pic from my fone to here but it won’t let me on iPhone xx

Hi Lyndsey

if you click on the last little pic icon this should take you too the insert/edit pic…. from there you can add an image….. I had to turn my phone to the side to get the full box (so I could see it all).  Try this and let us know how you get on… We really want people posting pics so honestly if you find this a struggle let us know and we can get this sorted xx

Regarding your wound, if it looks red and your worried. I would advise you get this checked out.  If you contact the Weight loss surgery support team they can book you in for a wound review with your clinic nurse.

Hope your ok xx

Hey so been and had all checked over and they said it fine 🙂 how much do people normally lose after op before first fill? Xx

Ahhhh so when I went and got checked out it look fine not weapy dry in fact and nurse was yeah it’s fine but now tonight it looks all moist and weapy I don’t know what to do should I put something on it I am stressed out and worried it’s never going heal

Its good that the nurse has reviewed you and she says it was ok.  The status of a wound can change though and if things have changed since you seen her it might be worth getting it rechecked.  If it looks wet I would most certainly put a dressing over it to keep it protected till you can get someone to look at it again.

In regards to weight loss before your first fill.  Honestly this can vary, some people can even put weight on at this stage…!!   Your band will not be giving that much control just yet.  I have seen amazing weight losses too from patients before they have a fill, over a stone even, so don’t be disappointed..!!!    Again this totally depends on the patient and starting weight can impact this too.   At the start the weight loss is mainly down to your hard work, so keep positive and start as you mean to go on 😊 xx

<p style=”text-align: left;”>But how can it just change so quick was dry and fine when I seen the nurse but in night time it just gone all snotty looking haha.</p>
weight loss wise I know I shouldn’t but I weight myself daily and it’s  like 1lb a day since op but all I keep worrying about is the wound but nurse was like it’s fine and don’t wanna please like wasting there time I give it till Friday see how it goes I guess xx

1lbs off everyday is impressive..!!! go you

Defo, just keep an eye on the area, and get it re-looked at if it gets any worse xx

Yeah I am just waiting for it to change I reckon the 1lb a day with change when I got to sloppy stage.

when is it I can exercise like go on a cross trainer? Just I bought one before op ready to get fit but don’t wanna go on to soon.

with regards to wound I will give till Friday see how it is then as I am back at work on Monday

xx

When you say it will slow down do you mean it will slow down even after I have my first fill?

Oky doke, do you think I will be ok to go on cross trainer tomorrow you think? Xx

When would be a ok time to use? Xx

The cross trainer uses a lot of stomach muscles with the twisting motion if you are using your arms too.  This is likely to give you some discomfort around the port site.  I personally would say leave off using the arms for another 2 weeks, especially if your  wound is not fully healed like you say…. and then take it easy and stop if you get any pain or discomfort when you do add your arms in

Its great your eager to get going, but you really do have to respect your still early days post op and don’t want to cause any delays in the healing process.  Any movements a great start, so get plenty of long walks in maybe xx

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by Team BandBoozled.

Oky doke thank you very much xx

Hey Lindsay xx Glad you are out the other side and officially banded 🙂 Its a long time since i was post op but i know that mix of exciting and scary 🙂 xx Regarding weight loss, I d repackage your mindset here – do not overly focus on the scales at this stage – it can come off, it can go back on, it varies for people but don’t panic.  The portion control will come in time once you have a fill or two (it works differently for different people) but do your best to keep your portions under control till then and ensure the content of your meals is good stuff only. Once you get onto soft food then firmer food, make your goal that whatever you eat will be good healthy food, not the rubbish which caused you to become heavy in the first place. Take control now of your food choices – these are the key to success xx Wishing you good luck xx

Thank you so much ammi.

well I finished my 2 week liquid diet and it’s been fine it been so strange cause me and my partner used to plan and go out and snack and everything seemed to involve food but these 2 week have been totally different I feel like I been forgetting to eat and having to force myself to have soup and stuff.

the wind has totally gone the only think I get is if I am hungry and don’t feel it I get hiccups which reminds me to eat haha.

i was going to loo totally fine but now not as easy and drinking prune juice but nothing today and I automatically start freaking out that I ain’t been haha

I am starting sloppy tomorrow and bar breakfast am ok with it’s more teas and lunches I can’t think of what to do bar cottage pie I am lost on what else to Cook I have cooked broccoli cauliflower carrots and peas still super soft and mashed but and froze in small potions so can have that with what ever I have with tea or lunch I guess.

the other thing I also freaking out about is first fill I have on 2nd of October how will they know where my port is? I went to clinic the other day to get wound checked and they said that it would be where wound is where they would inject but tonight I have had pain above scar and it’s quite hard lump which I guessing is port? Or could I have blockages I am worried.

as you will tell I worry a lot haha.

lindsay xxx

I know my last message was long one but could really do with some advice on meals etc and also I had first day of sloppy and trapped wind came back 🙁 I couldn’t eat 3 small meal so had 2 and half shake on the middle xx

aww Lindsay xx you bring back so many memories for me of my own early days – i feel so protective n maternal to you new baby bandsters xx I know what you mean by ‘death by cottage pie’ :):)  But without going to great expense or culinary skill, using the basics of mince n veg, with soft pasta, spuds or rice, you can, with the addition of some herbs n spices, create a shedload of different flavours which will soothe any cravings. Some soft rice with your mince instead of spuds – add a dash of curry powder or cumin to your mince and you have a nice indian thing going on.  Go mad and add a sprig of fresh coriander on top 🙂 A bit of soft pasta – with your mince, a bit of dried oregano and a dash of tomato puree will give you a baby bolognese theme. Once you get onto proper solids, go fresh or frozen when you can, but for the soft phase, don’t overlook tinned fish. Mush tinned sardines and a wee pinch of black pepper, with a teaspoon of low fat cheese sprinkled on. i love Quark n fromage frais n natural yoghurt instead of mayo to loosen up a boring tin of tuna – squash up a bit of pineapple with it n its yummm xxx You’ll be on MasterChef next season 🙂 xx Go girl!!! Oh – and checkout The Range store for great prices on your dried herbs n spices – way cheaper than the supermarkets 🙂 xx

• This reply was modified 5 years, 8 months ago by ammi b xx.

Omg thank you ammi for all the tips, I am loving this journey and don’t feel hungry ever really and just getting on with it but today was first day back at work 2 weeks and 3 days after op and also day 2 of sloppy food and just morning and had really soggy brand flakes lunch some slim fast shake as yesterday I had brekkie of 1 egg scrambled egg with mashed Avocado then when it came to lunch I was so full and had suffered with bit trapped wind pain I just had bit of slim fast shake so did the same today which was fine but when came to dinner tonight I have bought some birds eye grilled tomatoes and rosemary fish potions so I halfed one and cooked it with a bit mushed veg and sat down to eat chewed and chewed bit of fish then another little bit and suddenly stopped and had pain in chest like it was stuck so had drink of water and wasn’t sick well wouldn’t class as being sick as I didn’t reAch but could feel the fish just coming back up, that freaked me out but was my own fault as was dry and no sauce really so I binned it and just hade mashed veg with bit cottage pie.

but I just kept thinking after how am I ever going get off sloppy food on to normal if that’s what happens with tiny bit of fish with no sauce and I have nothing in my band so god know what I be like when I had fill might aswell put me on drip for rest of my life haha.

also have fill on 2nd of October and freaking out so much as the needle they use was shown to me and giving to me when I left hospital and my god that’s massive So just wanting to know truthfully please how much will fill hurt? Xxx

awww babe you are welcome to anything i can offer in the way of a helping hand xx When you talked about the fishy thing portion getting stuck n coming back up, this is exactly what happens. It’s not like being sick before you were banded – in a normal tummy, the vomit (sorry!) is like mush as it has been broken down by the stomach acids. When we bring stuff back like you did, that is textbook as you have described it. The food has only stayed above your band, in your oseophegus, so it will come back up pretty much as it went down, without any retching. Take it easy and this won’t happen but if it does, you are experiencing it as it is for a bandster. You ask – how will i ever eat if i’m struggling now even without a fill?  Well you have to remember that internally your tummy is still swollen from the op. Your body sends fluid in your blood plasma, which contains all the healthy healing warriors to help things settle. That causes swelling but it s perfectly normal. Your liver is pegged out of the way during surgery (it lies on top of the upper stomach) so the surgeon can place your band. Imagine it this way – you have a 2cm piece of string n it sits easily round your thumb.  Whack that thumb with a hammer n suddenly the thumb swells n the string feels tight. That’s kinda what is happening inside right now – perfectly normal – that’s why the combo of swollen tummy n newly placed band restrict your food consumption. When the thumb/tummy goes back to normal, the band will not give you the restriction thus you begin your fills to work towards proper restriction. Now i am the biggest mardy on the planet!!! i have sedation for dental work, even a polish. But honestly, it does not hurt when you have a fill. You feel a tiny prick as the needle breaks your skin but that is all. You don’t feel the needle after that, to be honest, its the anticipation which is worst!!! Nic is my fill provider and i even this far down the line, I ask her ‘tell me when’ – and she does and i honestly do not feel a thing. You must try n relax and breathe normally – it is  a split second affair and honestly – there is no blood spurting out, no big pain – and it’s so quick it ll be done while yr still bracing yourself 🙂 I guess part of the anxiety is because you cant see it, but please don’t get stressed xxx They will probably do some feeling around to establish exactly where your port is, but don t be alarmed by this. They know what they are doing and will locate it properly before proceeding. Be brave, little warrior 🙂 xx

Well said Ammi..!!!!    and Lindsay please let me reassure you further, the needle that you get given in your box after surgery is humungous in comparison to the ones your nurse will use.   So put this away and never look at it again haha, you don’t need to take this with you to clinic, put it somewhere safe incase you ever need to access services outside THG at any time.

I always say to my patients you just need to get the first fill out the way and hopefully you won’t worry about this again.

And the soft stage is there for a reason,  for sure it is to allow the healing to continue post op, but it also challenges you in regards to your eating technique and starts the ball rolling with the 20+ rule.  So very important as I’m sure you are realising.

Its all good so stay focused and build up your confidence with different food groups slowly but surely xx

So sorry for not replying my first week back at work and never stopped, sloppy stage has been totally fine today has been only day where i felt poorly last night I was in pain and constipated so I had prune juice last night and small coffee this morning and since I had that I was really gaggy like I was going be sick managed 3 mouthfuls of sloppy brand flakes and just water all day was I really felt like I was going be sick not been hungry at all today but all week my hunger seemed to be coming back.

i have been doing cross trainer on night just old the stand not doing arms not legs and weight just seems to have stopped coming off so getting bit upset about that cause I am literally trying so hard and don’t understand considering my meals are tiny??? What is that all about??? Freaking out thinking Christ not even a gastric band and tiny meals is going help me lose weight???

Linsay xxx

Also make sure you do your body measurements too… sometimes the scales can slow up but you can still be losing inches…  you can log these on ‘the weigh in’ section to keep track 👍🏻 xx

Little update hit a bump in road on Thursday/Friday after to much prune juice and slogging my guts out every night last week doing 45/1 hour on cross trainer every night and not losing anything just staying sane and was so frustrated as I was like I doing exercise eating super healthy and tiny amounts but after a call off the dietitian on Saturday morning that has motivated me so much I had literally tired to do to much far to soon and also WATER I need to to drink it was managing 750ml bottle a day no tear or coffee just that so she said that can have a massive affect also amount of exercise I was doing was to much so Saturday morning I was on mission and since managed 3 of the 750ml bottles Saturday and Sunday and give cross trainer miss Saturday and only did 20 mins today and already feel so much better not to mention toilet issue has gone 🙂

also after really gone out out with my partner since off so we had date day and went to cinema and I wasn’t even bothered about not getting any treats and just had my bottle of juice and felt amazing and so happy with myself haha

its the little things haha

xx

oh good girl xxxxx please please dont get obsessed with weight loss at this early stage xxx it will start coming off when your routine n eating settles and even when you are a longer way down the line, lady things like time of the month etc can cause a little gain xxx i totally understand what can amount to sheer terror if you go thro the op n on small meals/sloppies n still nothing dramatic happening – it is terrifying to think ‘oh its not going to work’ ……. i have experienced all those dreadful feelings myself so please, just take it easy and dont let the demons get a hold of you xxxxx you are doing just fine lovely xxxxxx

Yeah defo thank you ammi, can I ask how much you lost since you had band and how long ago that was? Xxx