experienced banders please read

[julia in bath]

i'm surethis is quite common (well i hope!)
but as i'm 6 days post op i'm on smooth fluids now with a bit of substance! mooses, runny mash/cereals etc. i'm managing 5 x around 80-100mls. waiting 30 mins before and after for my drinks and getting in the 2L. So i think i'm doing the right things.
Been feeling a bit dizzy and light headed and having hot flushes which i presume is due to lack of cals ( i only managed 5 'meals' from yesterday)
My next question is this. From day 7 i should be able to manage small portions of 'normal' foods. but think stws rather than roasts. OK, that I understand but also thought things with skins were a no,no. So if I were to have a salad could i have tomatoes?
what about things like sweetcorn and baked beans?
I do feel a bit silly like i ought to know this but i dont and i'm scared of eating something and it getting stuck, i really cannot be sick!
Any advice would be very much appreciated.
xxxx

 

[Red 42]

Hi Julia

I'm 3 months post banding so still consider myself new to this game but I was on liquids for 2 weeks post op, then sloppies for 2 weeks after that so wouldn't like to advise you....I'm sure Caz and Liz will be along soon

I still cant manage salad very well and haven't tried sweetcorn but I would try to avoid things with skins on or at least try to remove them where you can.

best wishes xx

 

[serenitylove]

i loved stews in the winter make sure the meat is chopped small tho, i can eat tomatoes and beans fine i tried potatoe skin once wouldnt recommend that! iv never tried sweetcorn because it quiet hard it for somereason scares me so someone else may be able to answer that one. i had soft boiled egg alot in my first week back on food and stewed veg/chunky soup and slices of banana and strawberry just take it easy first few days you will be surprised how little you can have but it does build more as your swelling goes down. i dont know about the hot flushing and light headedness i didnt get this after a few days into milk diet again someone else might be able to answer that x

 

[archiesmum]

I'm still new at this lark too. I was the same as red42 and didn't go onto more stubstantial food for a few weeks. I would contact your team to check what their protocols are. I do remember longing to have something with bite for crunch!! I'm sure some more experienced banders will be along soon and will be able to advise. Best wishes.

 

[julia in bath]

thanks girls, all very helpful xx

 

[julia in bath]

I'm still new at this lark too. I was the same as red42 and didn't go onto more stubstantial food for a few weeks. I would contact your team to check what their protocols are. I do remember longing to have something with bite for crunch!! I'm sure some more experienced banders will be along soon and will be able to advise. Best wishes.

thanks hun, it is my teams 'policy' for small portions of normal foods from day 7. although they say, think stews rather than roasts. its just i know there will be food i can't eat and dont really want to find out by eating the wrong things and making myself ill. i mean when can i eat toast? or lasagne? its a mine-field isnt it? lol

 

[serenitylove]

thanks hun, it is my teams 'policy' for small portions of normal foods from day 7. although they say, think stews rather than roasts. its just i know there will be food i can't eat and dont really want to find out by eating the wrong things and making myself ill. i mean when can i eat toast? or lasagne? its a mine-field isnt it? lol

id give lasagna a miss hun iv not eaten pasta since being banded and the sauces can be laden with hidden cals , you may well still be able to eat toast till you have had a few fills, every clinic gives different advice post op i was on normal food by 3rd week some have to wait longer so if thats what they told you then go with it

 

[cazbandy]

Hi there,

I was the same as you, from day 7 normal foods.

I have to avoid sweetcorn anyway because of my IBS (it's my biggest food trigger) so cannot advise on that, but the practical side of me says in early days to avoid it, as you don't digest the husk anyway.

As for tomatoes, I used peeled tinned ones to begin with and it was fine. I can eat raw tomatoes now but waited about 3 months before trying them. All other veg and salad have been fine though, I am just very vigilant of the size of bite and length of chew, but I even have broccoli, one of the veg they tell you to avoid.

The dizzy spells are probably lack of calories but if they continue too long, pop and see GP just to be on the safe side.

I was told to avoid bread unless it's toasted well...and I tried this early on and it was ok but after 1st fill it got stuck so gave up. I rarely have toast and if I do it's a quarter of a slice.

Pasta for me was a food I had to avoid and I do. I have had 1 spoonful in 10 months. I can however cope with a tablespoon of egg fried rice now and then and have that as a real treat.

The secret in the early days is to take things very slowly, do not be afraid of experimenting and get back to normal as soon as you can.

I found pre-cooked shop bought chicken breast (the sliced ones) were a good starting point for protein as this meat seemed softer. The first veggies I had were, courgettes and I had a potato. With a little bit of gravy. This was my first normal meal.

You will do okay, just try not to worry so much as I find if I worry the band appears tighter.

Good luck on your new voyage of discovery in food land.

 

[julia in bath]

Caz, thankyou so much, thats very helpful.

i will start my experimenting tomorrow and build up to those things that seem scarier over the next few weeks xx

 

[j.u.s.t.l.i.z.]

hi julia caz has pretty much said what i would of done, just take things easy chew well and dont rush the meal and you will be ok. its all about experimenting and building up with food textures over time to see what can and cant tollerate.

liz x

 

[julia in bath]

just having a scrambled egg, it's so hard to put in a tiny bit and chew it to death when its a darn scrambled egg lol full now tho, not going to force it. managed all but couple mouth fulls.

 

[thinkbethin]

I avoid sweetcorn because it does'nt digest properly so struggles through the band. I can't eat bread as it gives me tremendous pain. Pasta does'nt seem to go down too well so I avoid that as well. The stew idea is good . I like stew with a little mash but remember to chew. You have had some great advice from the others so good luckxxx

 

[wildthing]

I ate mash when I went onto soft foods, then onto things like fish pie. Really struggled with fruit and still do...

 

[32bme]

Gosh we get so very information dont we.
Once i heard about slippages from eating solids too soon,i,be be too scared to verve from what ive been instructed to do by dietican,doctor, and advisor which is 3 wks after op liquids only. followed by 2 weeks of puree foods.
Then on to small portions of all food groups on the 6 wks (using the food plan i have been given and weekly phone ins and monthly support meetings)

Been reading these for a while and cant belive they are all so different .
Mia