Ate a burger two days after surgery

tripi · 01-06-2009, 01:29 PM

Banded on December 29. Had a burger on Jan. 1, tortellini on January 3. In between I've had some very small, but healthy, but not clear liquid snacks. I'm back on clear liquids now, but I'm so afraid that I've ruined myself before I started. How badly have I messed up by eating so poorly?

FYI, I've been really good about eating small portions....

But I know, I still suck.

SunnyRachel · 01-06-2009, 01:40 PM

I wish I could help you with an answer on that one, but that's something you really don't know unless you look down in there, right?

I am replying though to give you sort of a pat on the back for admitting your lapse at the start. I think that it's good you recognized your mistake and have corrected it. It's hard making that adjustment mentally. I felt that way... I didn't feel like my stomach was traumatized by the surgery, but I knew it must have been. I'm guessing you were feeling pretty good too!

I'm sure you will do well now. Keep taking it easy and follow the rules and don't be so hard on yourself if you misstep here and there. It's really hard. Heck, if we were perfectly disciplined to begin with, we wouldn't have gotten the band, right? You're doing great!

Congratulations on your surgery!! Keep healing!

LeslieR041906 · 01-06-2009, 02:07 PM

COngrats on your surgery, but, you have to allow time for your tummy to heal, and eating a burger that soon after could have done some damage. It is a good thing to come here, and admit to your mess up. But, believe me from someone who has cheated, dont cheat... listen to your doctor and follow your diet. Ive cheated way before I was supposed to. But I never had a burger or anything like that so soon after surgery. You probably did no harm, who knows, but just stay on the right path. Sometimes its hard to kick old habits. Trust me when you start getting fills and such, burgers, wont be a thing you can tolderate. Or at least I cant and a few other people I know cant tolerate it. The bread alone is untolerable. If you have any questions, let me know, feel free to message me. Im a cheater, or was a cheater, its not the best thing to do. I dont know if I done any harm, but so far Im ok. But whos to say, a year from now I wont have a problem. Take care, and stay focused. You got the band for a reason right? Lets do this!!!

RestlessMonkey · 01-06-2009, 02:36 PM

Check with your surgeon. And the only person you're hurting is you...you don't need to say things like "I know, I suck"...it doesn't hurt us that you ate a burger, just your own self. You're the one who needs the apology!

gentylwind · 01-06-2009, 02:45 PM

I echo what RM said. Own it to your surgeon and let him do a scope if he/she feels the need. No way to know if you did damage at this point.

And yeah, telling yourself you suck isn't going to move you forward any. You screwed up. Telling yourself you suck is only going to make it feel more okay to screw up in the future...after all, if you suck, what more can you possibly expect of yourself? Rather than telling yourself you suck, tell yourself you are better than this.

Call your surgeon, do what he says and stick to your postop plan from here forward.

oneder_woman · 01-06-2009, 02:46 PM

The problem with this post is, most people will want to be nice and tell you not to worry, to just follow the diet from here on out, that you'll probably be fine. They'll tell you that because there is so much variation in what docs tell you to do, doing what you did must be okay. Inevitably somebody will tell you their doc said it was okay to eat 'regular' food the day after surgery, so don't worry. Some docs are more conservative than others.

So, other newbies will come searching for just this kind of post - and just that kind of enabling advice - to justify doing what they know they shouldn't. I know that is true because I searched for just these types of posts to make myself feel better when I did not follow the guidelines.

The truth is, you probably can't know what kind of damage you may have done at this point, because you are still healing now. The purpose of this phase is to allow your body to heal with your band in the right place so it will be anchored there. Proper healing is a prevention against slips or other problems later.

All you can do now is follow the guidelines from here on in, and know that even perfect behavior can't prevent complications, but failure to follow the guidelines increases your risks. But trying to figure out what kind of damage has already been done - well that's just giving yourself either a reason to worry or a reason to break the guidelines again.

brendaanise · 01-06-2009, 03:34 PM

All I can say is WOW. I was afraid of even drinking too much water that soon after surgery. How did you feel physically after doing that? Have you spoken with your surgeon about this? He or she is probably the only one that can tell if you have done any damage to you stomach. I would contact them ASAP to make sure.

TQUAD64 · 01-06-2009, 03:37 PM

Wow! All I can say is get back on track, get into a support group where you are interactive one on one with people, and tell your doctor.

BillOh · 01-06-2009, 03:58 PM

I was on soft food 24 hours after surgery so I had my wife make sloppy joes (my secret recipe) and taco meat and puree them with her magic bullet. They were great. I was just given the ok and had my first regular burger yesterday. As long as I ate slow and chewed well I was ok. For me, 2+ weeks after, if I take too big of a bite or eat two fast I know it, there is quite an uncomfortable, borderline painful feeling.

Jachut · 01-06-2009, 04:56 PM

I want to tell you to be nice and tell you not to worry. And the truth is, if you felt no pain and it went down fine and its the only time you do it, the odds are in your favour. But you know that you're not supposed to eat solid food so that you can heal right?

Now the not so nice part. If you're eating a burger a mere two days after surgery, just how mentally committed are you to this? I'd suggest you find some committment pretty darn soon as you've got a steep learning curve ahead if you havent already prepared yourself for this. We cant know another's experience though, so forgive the incredulity and the seeming judgement - I couldnt even drink normally yet after 2 days so the burger thing made me yell WTF? I find it hard to imagine that you could have been motivated by physical hunger at this stage, and I know that's applying my own experience to yours and not necessarily right.

This isnt sneaking a mouthful of yogurt or chewing a piece of steak and spitting it out though, this was a whole burger. Do that consistently and you're likely to end up right back in surgery having your slipped band removed.

This is a HARD journey. You're not the only one that has broken down at this point. It doesnt mean you'll fail at this long term. But its imperative that you get back on the wagon and keep going as youv'e been instructed to.

Headhunter · 01-06-2009, 06:30 PM

I would be curious to know what your motivation was for consuming a burger so soon after being banded……

You didn’t give too many details, but whatever the reason was, it was WRONG.

I know that some Doctors are not very good about really making SURE you KNOW how the program works. I am wondering if you were given proper instructions.

Either way, you need to be aware that by doing things like this, you are continuing on the SAME PATH that made you obese to begin with: You ate the WRONG THING at the WRONG TIME in the WRONG QUANTITY,….and that is probably why you became fat in the first place.

If I were you, I’d have a meeting with your surgeon, and go over with him/her EXACTLY what you need to be doing at this point….and I don’t think that burgers will be on your short-term menu. Personally, I’d re-think the idea of having burgers at ALL, at ANY TIME. This whole WLS process is not simply about losing weight; it’s about getting HEALTHY.

BethFromVA · 01-06-2009, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tripi

Banded on December 29. Had a burger on Jan. 1, tortellini on January 3. In between I've had some very small, but healthy, but not clear liquid snacks. I'm back on clear liquids now, but I'm so afraid that I've ruined myself before I started. How badly have I messed up by eating so poorly?

FYI, I've been really good about eating small portions....

How bad have you messed up? Pretty bad. Seriously, like Jachut said, if you couldn't even commit to yourself this early in the process, how committed will you be overall??

If you went into rehab for a drug addictiion, would you come out and "only" smoke pot a few times right after? I just don't get it, I really don't. And as Jachut said, this isn't just slipping up a bit, this is BIG. Burgers and tortellini so soon after surgery, with "small meals" in between?

Wow.

You need to figure out RIGHT NOW what it is you want in life -- to remain fat with a slipped or removed band, or to get with the program and get real.

pretty.potato · 01-07-2009, 09:15 AM

First off, I'm new so this may not make me any friends...

Second, give the person a break. I know, I know commitment, dedication, mental focus, what have you; but being a fat person, I understand, and being newly banded, I understand all the more.

You see the food you want to eat, in the amount you are used to eating it, and its almost like second nature, you do what you know. You have to mentally fight yourself to stay on track. Now maybe y'alls experience has been different, but 2 weeks out of surgery, i know I have had my slip ups, so having sinned, I'm not going to be casting any stones.

I know you guys are coming from a "tough love" honesty approach, but the majority of you just sound condescending , like you have never made a mistake or had a set back with this program.

I literally cried on Christmas because while everyone else was having turkey and pie, I had been banded 2 days earlier and could only have 1/2 a cup of Gatorade at a time. I don't condone the burger, and I don't even envy it, (and that is saying something) but I also would have expected empathy, not so much apathay, as if some of you yourselves had eaten a burger, hid it, and was taking your angst out on the person who had the courage to speak up. Maybe it is to early in the morning for me to be on here, and maybe I'm nervous about seeing my doctor today, but if I was feeling bad about eating something, and looking for support from people who were sort of in my situation, after reading some of the responses, I wouldn't come here.

Now is that going to run me off, naw, you guys are stuck with me because I know the majority of people aren't going to react the same way, and I think I need you all to help me help myself, but I hate to see people pile on, so...

Again, it could be the time, or it could be the hunger pains, but I felt that someone had to say something to the effect of, "I understand. This is a new phase in life, and there are going to be set backs, success, and mediocre days, but stick with it, and you'lll get there."

Some people did say that, and others...

als74 · 01-07-2009, 09:29 AM

We accept both support and criticism pretty well here (personally speaking). If I put out a thread, I would want honesty. It is important that we support but do NOT enable. Please don't think we will get mad at you for expressing your opinion. I think there is an overwhelming concern for the burger person, because there really could be damage, and we want everyone to be successful. Sometimes tough love is needed. I just got yelled at by my dietician for having refried beans 12 days out of surgery. I really hope they talk to their doc as soon as possible.

luluc · 01-07-2009, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pretty.potato

Again, it could be the time, or it could be the hunger pains, but I felt that someone had to say something to the effect of, "I understand. This is a new phase in life, and there are going to be set backs, success, and mediocre days, but stick with it, and you'lll get there."

Some people did say that, and others...

i usually don't post in these threads, but i read your response and thought i'd add to it.
each/wk or day there is a thread very similar the OP's - claiming they are scared to have eaten so early out or haven't followed their post op diet.....they actually get a lot of support, the minority is those who chime in what a mistake it is. this thread just happened to have a majority speaking out how wrong the choice to have a burger 2 days out was.

the post op diet is in place for healing - not for you to drop the lbs; you would be amazed how many were not informed of that fact. you also aren't likely to determine if damage was done to your band for quite some time out - months/yrs. i think everyone who says they cheated know the made an error and are just looking for company - which is fine; you just can't expect not to get criticism.

i understand & can sympathize with how hard the post op diet is; i hated every protein drink - so i lived on egg drop soup for 4wks.

stick w/the site; many who posted brutally honest responses - might be ones to offer advice & support down the road.

good luck to you!