Jaramipa

I had surgery yesterday, February 28. My gas pains are pretty bad. I am using a heating pad and that seems to help a little. I find that if I lay down too long the gas pains get really bad in my chest. Walking and taking deep breathes is helping that. I was up about every 2 hours last night walking in my room to try and move the gas.

I am still on clear liquids, and trying hard to stay hydrated. I move to full liquids (protein shakes) tomorrow...WOOOHOOO!

Walking is so important. Walk, Walk, Walk. It gives me relief too, especially after I have any liquids. Good luck to you and can't wait until we are both feeling well enough to walk a few miles and see more pounds disappear.

my doc sent me home with nausea medicine

call your doc and ask for something

or get OTC stuff

dont suffer any more than you have to

7 days out here

Today I am feeling much better. I have not felt nauseated at all and I walked through a costco to buy some Premiere Protein shakes in vanilla. I am not taking any pain medicine and at my check up yesterday morning my doctor told me I could try some cream of chicken Soup. There was no way that was going to happen yesterday but at 3:00 today I thought I should feed myself so I tried the Cream of chicken Soup. I just had a half of can of it and it went down with no problems and I ate it slowly. So far today I have had a cup of mint tea, one can of lactose free muscle milk and some soup. In a couple of hours I will have some Jello and will be drinking more Water and tea for the rest of the day. I am thrilled that I am not miserable today...just sore from surgery.

I had the same problem after surgery with feeling like I needed to burp but nothing was happening...try walking (even if it is just around your house). The only times I seemed to be able to burp out the gas was while I was walking. Also, you stated that Muscle Milk is a lactose free Protein shake - that is not the case. I have a milk lactose intolerance which became worse after surgery and my NUT told me to stop drinking Muscle Milk because it contains lactose (I was using the powder and mixing it with soy milk but the lactose was still causing problems). Once I changed to a lactose free Protein Shake (Isopure from GNC - not the fruity ones) I had less gas and bowel issues.

Good to know. I will check out Isopure

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions. I am toughing it out and I am going to make myself better. I started out my morning feeling good, no gassy stomach. I am going to have some mint tea then a lactose free Protein Shake (Muscle milk). I'll drink those very slowly and it will probably take me until 12:00 noon to get them down. I'll walk around as much as possible. I am off the liquid pain killers and not dizzy or nauseus right now at 9:30 am. Maybe the medicine was too strong for me. I hope today is a better day. I am on day 4 and still not hungry, but I will be sure to get my Water and liquids in. Thanks for reaching out and giving me your support. I am not alone! Good luck to all of us on this journey.

HI, I was banded 3 days ago, 2/25/11. When I feel like I need to burp, it won't come out. It stays in my stomach area and air moves around and it really hurts. Has anyone experienced this? Does it get better. i can only get a little bit of liquid in at a time, like 1/2 a cup. I've been drinking Water, broths, Jello, and Muscle Milk Protein Drinks. I am also starting to get nauseous and dizzy at times, especially when I take the pain medicine. So I stopped taking the medicine after 12:00 noon today and now it is 10:35 p.m. I still salivate and run to the toilet to spit. So far I have not vomited but I feel nauseous. The nausea started to today. Please tell me it is going to get better. Also my shoulder hurts which I knew would happen. Does this get better too...when? I am not at all hungry.

Well as I spent the day carrying around and playing with my 10 month old I have not thought much about my surgery tomorrow morning!! I enjoyed 2 diet cokes today and I am weirdly calm about everything. Is that weird? Have to be there at 7:30am tomorrow morning and I am not nervous at all. Is that strange? Shouldn't I be?

I was just banded Friday, 2/25/11. I was very nervous when it got down to the wire. The nurse who prepped me for surgery comforted me in that she told me that the doctor who is performing my surgery just banded her 2 two months ago. She said it is a safe surgery and everything would be fine. I am home now and walking a bit. My entire torso is sore but it is not that bad. The gas floating through my body hurts more than the openings with stitches on my stomach. I am walking around a bit and really taking it easy on myself. I can drink all types of fluids easily. I am not at all hungry. I sip on broths, Water, Protein drinks and i just made some Jello. I am forcing myself to get my nutrition in at this point. The pain killers make me sleepy but they really help. I think I will need a week to recover. Good luck to you.

I was 52 when banded 250 lbs - my weight limited the quality of my life - I had none .... I lost my weight in 1 yrs time - I have maintained that loss for almost 3 yrs (7/11) Just know that the band is only a tool and you have to do the work in choosing good healthy foods and exercising - I rarely drink shakes - my doc want you to eat real food - shake are mostly pre-op and post op while you are still of full liquids - If you are ready for the lifestyle change the girl go for it - why waste anymore of your life being fat..

Thanks, Indiogirl. I am going for it! You are an inspiration to me....no more wasting time being fat for me!

I'll bet your doctor will tell you to stay away from slim fast! Stick to a good multi-Vitamin and powdered Protein. Natures Perfect Isopure, Dymatize Nutrition's line of Proteins and Optimum Nutrition's line of Proteins are all excellent and meet the Protein, fat, carb requirements of the preoperative/post-op diets. I have used Dymatize Nutrition's ISO100, Elite Gourmet and Elite whey protein isolate. All are excellent, low carb and economical. A 2.5lb tub of Elite Gourmet is around $20. ISO100 is around $26. Good luck to ya!!! Protein takes longer for your body to metabolize, keeping your metabolism up and satisfying your hunger longer than slim-fast/weight loss drinks. Good luck to ya!!!

Thank you for your response and support! I need to educate myself on nutrition and will purchase better Protein Drinks for my post-op diet. I'll look into the powdered protein you mentioned. I am glad they are economical. Well, I'm ready for surgery tomorrow and my head is on straight.

Thanks for your reply. You have helped me tremendously. I'm ready for surgery and exercise!

I'm almost 2 years out, having lost 100lbs after 16 months. The surgery was a breeze for me - minor discomfort, no pain or gas, and easy recovery. This has absolutely been the BEST thing I have ever done for myself and my overall health and well-being! I can relate to all that IndioGirl posted. I am dealing with 'head hunger' and allowed 10 lbs to creep back on over the holidays (chocolate and chips go down way too easy for me, and are trigger foods that I have a hard time controlling portions). While I hit several plateaus during the past two years, this is the first gain. I am fortunate that my Surgeon provides a well-rounded aftercare program, at no additional charge, including weekly support group meetings and an 11-month cognitive behavior therapy course. If you have support group resources available, I encourage you to take advantage of them, as the surgery only helps with the physical issues - you still need to find a way to work through the mental issues related to obesity. I allowed my exercise to lapse over the holidays, and just got started again. I think I'm back on track (and down 2 lbs) with the support of the meetings, and I've re-joined a group of women who participate in local 5K & 10K runs and train together. Our goal last year was a 5 mile mud run, and that really motivated me to exercise regularly. I didn't exercise at all prior to the Lap Band, and running was the last thing I ever thought I would do - now I love the way it helps tone my body and makes me feel! This year's goal is a mini-Triathalon, and that goal has motivated me to re-establish a regular exercise routine. Since I have a desk job, I make sure to take a daily walking break and I go up and down 7 flights of stairs in my building. I also park at the far end of the 4th floor parking structure, so that is another 4 flights of stairs once or twice a work day. If traditional exercise is not appealing to you, just increase your daily activities - no elevators, more stairs, park farther away, walk around your work environment as much as possible, and find fun, active things to do on your days off. As for Protein Shakes, Slim Fast are pretty low on Protein compared to other options. My absolute FAVORITE (and I've tried many) is Premier Brand chocolate Protein Shake available at costco or online. They are pre-made in a carton, and taste like chocolate milk without the sickeningly sweet artificial sweetener aftertaste. A case of 18 goes for $24. They also come in vanilla, but I prefer chocolate. They are low-cal (160 cals), low sugar (1 gm), low fat (3 gms), include Fiber (3 gms), and high protein (30 gms - 50% of a woman's daily requirement) I drink one each morning for Breakfast, and I'm satisfied until lunch. My husband is type II diabetic, and he drinks one each morning for breakfast, too. It's really important to get enough protein, and with the limited amount of food you will be able to eat, a good-tasting high protein shake can be a great supplement. Best of luck to all of us on our journeys!

I'm almost 2 years out, having lost 100lbs after 16 months. The surgery was a breeze for me - minor discomfort, no pain or gas, and easy recovery. This has absolutely been the BEST thing I have ever done for myself and my overall health and well-being! I can relate to all that IndioGirl posted. I am dealing with 'head hunger' and allowed 10 lbs to creep back on over the holidays (chocolate and chips go down way too easy for me, and are trigger foods that I have a hard time controlling portions). While I hit several plateaus during the past two years, this is the first gain. I am fortunate that my Surgeon provides a well-rounded aftercare program, at no additional charge, including weekly support group meetings and an 11-month cognitive behavior therapy course. If you have support group resources available, I encourage you to take advantage of them, as the surgery only helps with the physical issues - you still need to find a way to work through the mental issues related to obesity. I allowed my exercise to lapse over the holidays, and just got started again. I think I'm back on track (and down 2 lbs) with the support of the meetings, and I've re-joined a group of women who participate in local 5K & 10K runs and train together. Our goal last year was a 5 mile mud run, and that really motivated me to exercise regularly. I didn't exercise at all prior to the Lap Band, and running was the last thing I ever thought I would do - now I love the way it helps tone my body and makes me feel! This year's goal is a mini-Triathalon, and that goal has motivated me to re-establish a regular exercise routine. Since I have a desk job, I make sure to take a daily walking break and I go up and down 7 flights of stairs in my building. I also park at the far end of the 4th floor parking structure, so that is another 4 flights of stairs once or twice a work day. If traditional exercise is not appealing to you, just increase your daily activities - no elevators, more stairs, park farther away, walk around your work environment as much as possible, and find fun, active things to do on your days off. As for Protein Shakes, Slim Fast are pretty low on Protein compared to other options. My absolute FAVORITE (and I've tried many) is Premier Brand chocolate Protein Shake available at costco or online. They are pre-made in a carton, and taste like chocolate milk without the sickeningly sweet artificial sweetener aftertaste. A case of 18 goes for $24. They also come in Vanilla, but I prefer chocolate. They are low-cal (160 cals), low sugar (1 gm), low fat (3 gms), include fiber (3 gms), and high protein (30 gms - 50% of a woman's daily requirement) I drink one each morning for breakfast, and I'm satisfied until lunch. My husband is type II diabetic, and he drinks one each morning for breakfast, too. It's really important to get enough protein, and with the limited amount of food you will be able to eat, a good-tasting high protein shake can be a great supplement. Best of luck to all of us on our journeys!

I am a stalking pre-bander too. My surgery is in two days, 2/25/11. I've been on LBT for days seeking information to cure my "cold feet" about this whole process and questioning what I am about to do...(surgery that is). This thread is really helping me. I have been drinking Slim fast drinks and a small meal for my pre-op diet. What do you you think of Slim fast drinks in general for Meal Replacements after surgery, actually after the liquid stage of the post-op diet? I also need more words of encouragement to go through with the surgery. HELP. I am 5'3", weight 215 lbs, I am 44 years old, and I do not want to get any bigger and I fail at diets after 3 months. I am ready for a life style change..........HELP!!!!

So Monday is my surgery....I not really nervous just excited. I think I have everything ready that I'll need but was wondering about Vitamins. My doc said Centrum chewables are fine but I've been hearing a lot about opurity band Vitamins. Anyone take special band vitamins??? Any input is appreciated.

Hello, Jersey Girl. I think the Centrum Chewables are fine if you make sure you get your nutrition in your other liquid meals. costco has vitamins you put in a bottle of Water and shake it up. They taste pretty good and have a load of vitamins in them.

On another note. Please, please let me know how your surgery goes. I am getting nervous as my surgery is Friday, Feb. 25. Best of luck to you for a speedy recovery and the journey to the NEW YOU.

Aww I'm sure you will be just fine. As for me Im going crazy thinking about how Im going to feel this time tomorrow. I will keep in touch with you all and hope your experience is an awesome one :-)

I am getting banded Feb. 25 and I am in Los Angeles. I would like to share my journey with you. How was your surgery and how do you feel now. How did your pre-op diet go?

Thank you sooo much. I will be sure to update asap!

I am to be banded in a few weeks and would like to hear your feedback on how you feel and how you are eating.

Best of luck to you.. I am a bit scared but excited at the same time.

Thank you ladies, for sharing your experiences, and giving me some honest answers. I am going in for required testing this Sat. Still chewing on the idea of getting banded. However, I like the answers I have heard. I don't want to make a hasty decision.

Thank you Elcee and Honk...this really helps me in making a decision to do it. A few more questions: Do either of you have pain or problems with your band? Do you feel it inside of you? Is the port area painful. Is it painful to get a fill. What is the "sweet spot?" :rolleyes2:

Renee1003..your questions to L12 are helping me a lot. I too wonder why people fail at this? From what I understand is that with the Lapband your stomach can no longer in-take a lot of food. So for the people that fail do their bodies just get used to less food and stay at a plateau or do they eat small amounts of highly caloric food and drinks and don't add any exercise to their daily routine. I am a size 16 and want to be at least a size 8. I am willing to watch what I eat, exercise, and eat smaller amounts. If I do this everyday with an occasional slip of maybe eating 1 brownie (I am human and I know I will allow myself to be rewarded and do this in moderation) would I be successful? Another question. Do you ever want more after you eat a half of sandwich? Are you really full like you ate dinner at an Italian restaurant and cannot possible fit anything in your stomach because you have that full feeling? What do you feel?

HI, I am in the same boat you are in...struggling with the decision. I am 44 years old, 5'4", 218, bmi of 37. My goal weight is 150 lbs. I too wonder if I should just get my Buns moving myself with exercise and lose all the weight without the lap band. But will I be able to do it on my own? I have tried many diets and last 3 months and then fall off the wagon. Would the lap band truly help me? How many people fail at this? How many people regret getting it at all? How many people love it? My fear is infection, erosion and having to remove it in five years because of something that has gone wrong? I also fear disliking it after one or two years because it bothers me inside my body for some reason. Does anyone have pain with it after one or two years?

When it comes to your success it is human nature that: 20% of the people you tell don't care; 10% really do, and the rest are jealous and hope you fail. Don't listen to any negativity. Be sure you know what you are getting into and you are truly going to be committed. The journey will not be easy but the results will be worth it. Most of all, congratulate yourself for taking a step to help yourself. Best of luck to you. I just went to a seminar and I am going through the inital approvals and evaluations. I am 44 years old, 5'4" and 215 lbs with a BMI of 37. I am doing this for me and my health. Everything else is secondary...period. Move forward and no turning back!