CallMeJim

Good job-- sounds like you're doing great!

Thanks-- the gas pains have really been doing a number on me today. I'll try the Gas-X.

Same here-- just finished three days of "clears." Now I can have anything that will go through a straw (don't have to actually use a straw) plus yogurt, etc. Sounds like a feast! The Magic Bullet better get ready for a workout.

Thanks All-- looks like we're all having fairly similar experiences. That's a good thing, I think.

Hey Steve-- thanks. I dozed for a couple more hours and feel pretty good now. I have to drive to KC for my "band study" today so I'm just going with the "plain" Tylenol so I can stay awake! All in all things have been great, and they will be for you as well! Trust me, 2/5 will be here before you know it. Do you have a pre-op diet? Jim

My doc doesn't forbid it. She did point out that it is a diuretic that stimulates gut motility and increases appetite however. Probably best to avoid, but I guess I already knew that...

So-- is caffeine ok or not? I really enjoy coffee, but am willing to try and kick the habit if I must. What do you say?

Well, it's about 3 AM. Anyone else up? Surgery, and all the subsequent pain relievers and naps have messed with my sleeping. Comes in two hour chunks the last couple of days. Sleeping in bed is tough cause it seems like I wake up from the soreness whenever I turn over. So, I spend about half the time in my recliner and seem to nap OK there. Initially I didn't have any of the gas problems I read so much about, but then about 18 hours ago I began to feel it some. Not too bad though (yet). Took a couple of short walks yesterday which is supposed to help. I'm glad I have this week off work. How much time off does everyone else have? How long before you felt like you were really starting to feel normal again? At this point, I'd say my biggest issue is just the soreness at the incisions whenever I move around. How about you? Hang in there all-- healing is a process. Jim :notagree

Wow-- I've been on clear liquids since 24 hours before surgery. Before that I had my bowel prep. and got myself completely cleaned out, so I haven't had anything even close to um, uh well, you know. I go in for a band study today (barium swallow and x-ray) and then begin on full liquids after that. Hopefully that will get things moving.

I had surgery yesterday. I am on clear liquids until tomorrow and then full liquids for three weeks and then mushies for three weeks. Right now a nice cup of soup sounds really good.

I second (third?) all that! Your feelings are completely normal.

Way to go Renee--Congratulations and best wishes! Thanks for the update and glad things went so well. Jim

I felt no pain when I woke up. Just a little sore throat from the tube. Today is day 2 and I am pretty sore, but staying on the meds and following the rules. Time will heal these wounds.

Good to hear Chrisann. Sounds like NukeChik and racetrackweary are doing great as well. There's another large group being banded today. Hopefully they will check in later.

cool-- thanks!

Thanks G-Bean. I'm going to save these.

Hi Chrisann-- How are you doing? I've been thinking about you, knowing that you had some rocky times shortly after surgery. Is it getting any better? I'm sure it will soon! I'm pretty sore today, just laying around and taking it easy. Trying to drink a lot of liquids and go for a short walk every couple of hours. Our bodies are amazing creations and time will heal these wounds. Jim

Hi All-- Jaymie- yes-- it was a major burden lifted, and a big relief! Luvs-- I think your feelings are completely normal. You will do great! Benson-- I do recall them saying something about a putting a med for my stomach in the IV. I'll bet you are exactly right. Thanks for the info!

Thanks saleel22-- you are exactly right!

Hey Shirley-- I think most folks get hungry once their swelling goes down. Perhaps you just healed up faster than most. What are you allowed to have? My rule for three weeks is "anything that can go through a straw and don't worry about losing weight-- just heal!" I'm planning to eat as healthy as possible, but I'm not focusing on dieting as I already know I will fail at that. I like Soup and there are certainly many varieties available. Also bought some unflavored Protein to sprinkle in. Take a look at the food/recipe forum for on this board for some ideas as well. I know it's not going to be easy, but you are not alone and you CAN do it. Hang in there. Jim (feeling pretty sore this morning)

Wendy Rae-- Are you taking any meds? What are you eating/drinking?

Let me apologize in advance if this doesn’t make sense and contains a bunch of grammar and spelling errors. I blame the drugs that are still coursing through my system! I had my surgery today (Jan 7) and thought I’d pass along my experiences in case anyone is interested and doesn’t mind wading through a long post. My wife has been super supportive (as always) and by my side every step of the way and I so appreciate that! We arrived at the hospital at about 1045 this morning. I filled out a bunch (more) paperwork and learned that they were running about 20 minutes behind, so they expected to get things rolling around 1220. I was no. 3 of 4 bands being done today. An interesting aside—they had 5 planned, but evidently one fellow got cold feet and backed out after reading the informed consent. It is a scary document in some ways, especially for a self-pay such as myself who is liable not only for the band operation, but also for anything additional if problems arise. We waited around for a little while after they weighed me and took my vitals. I really hadn’t been nervous at all up to that point. Eventually I went back to the preparation area, changed into a gown and some booties, and waited. Had to remove everything, even my wedding ring. The nurse had a little trouble getting my IV in, so the nurse/anesthetist got it done, and then added a bunch of drugs to the cocktail. My wife was allowed to come back and wait with me, and then my wonderful surgeon came by to say Hi and see if I had any questions. After she left we waited some more and something odd happened. I began to get really nervous and feel almost claustrophobic. It was really strange and I found I couldn’t lie still on the bed. Almost wanted to cut and run! We mentioned it to the nurse/anesthetist and he said that it’s rare, but about 1% of the people have a reaction like that to the drugs they put in the IV. He then added something FANTASTIC to the mix and I was A-OK! They took me to the OR, put an oxygen mask on me and the next thing I knew they were waking me up. I had NO pain at all at that point. The only thing that bothered me was a minor sore throat from the breathing tube. I have four small incisions and a medium sized one for the port. The whole surgery took 40 minutes and doc said it was “textbook.” She also said my liver was so small they had a hard time holding it with the retractors. Guess that’s a plug for the preop diet. I received the Allergan APL band. We were on our way home by 2:30 PM. Since we got here, I’ve just been relaxing, napping, drinking Clear liquids and watching the football game. I get up and walk around (up and down stairs) every hour or so to avoid blood clots and do some deep breathing they want me to do to make sure my lungs are functioning well. Believe it or not, I felt hungry almost immediately, but that has dissipated as I have gotten hydrated. I’ve been taking my liquid pain-killers and plan to continue for at least a day or two. My throat is still a little sore and my stomach is somewhat tender, but that’s it so far. I am on clear liquids until I have my band study Wed. morning and then I get to progress to full liquids for three weeks. After that it’s three weeks of mushies leading to my first fill. I feel so relieved to be through this and, so far, am very happy that I did it. YOU can do it too. God bless and wherever you are in this process, just take it one step at a time. Thanks so much for all the good wishes. Good evening. Jim

Thanks to all of you! I am home and feeling very good. Just woke up from a nap as a matter of fact. It was quite an interesting day. Got pretty nervous at the last minute. I need to do a couple of things right now and then will write with more details. I am very pleased at this point and glad I did this. You will be too! Oh yes-- found out I Lost 17 pounds pre-op so that made for a good start. Thanks again, Jim

Surgery is at high noon. The hospital is about 100 miles away so DW and I will be leaving about nine. They want me there at 11, plan to do surgery at noon and they said I should be on my way home by 2 PM. Hope it all comes off that smoothly! I slept pretty well last night and am not nervous at this point. It's odd. I started this process almost seven months ago and thought it would never get here. The pre-op diet and bowel prep. are behind me (glad for that) and I'm eager to move to the next phase. I'm also anxious to find out if I've lost any weight over the last 10 days! I exceed the capacity of my home scale (another humbling experience) so I only weigh at the doctor's office at this point. Well, sorry to ramble. Lots of us getting banded this week. Keep those prayers going! I trust things will go well for everyone. Jim

I WISH there was an "easy" way out. I'd be all over that in a heartbeat! Geez-- what's wrong with easy anyway? Shoot, driving the car to work is a lot easier than walking, but I see an awful lot of people doing it...