Amelie2016

Oh Mimi. You will be happier in the end because, really as you can see, the lap band is a different ballgame altogether. Well, as much as we can know so far, right? See if they will give you a tight wrap for your torso if it's allowed. That is what I used. It helped to stop my belly area from jostling around so much. Really. It's like an Ace Bandage for your entire torso/abdominal area. It is large, white, stretchy and attaches with Velcro on the sides. It was very helpful. I'm all about opiods, there is a difference between "patients" and "addicts". So, they helped get me through this as well as the tight wrap I wore all the time. I wore it for weeks. Washed it, of course. =)

I got the lap band in 2008, my stomach prolapsed above the band, I don't know at what point. But I remember having it put in, was far less painful than having it removed in 2011. I thought having it removed would be a breeze. NOPE. And I had it removed a few weeks before my wedding. I had to wear this huge band around my abdomen under my wedding dress. I swear to God having the lap band removed felt like that man just ripped it out with his bare hands! On the ride home, every bump in the road made me scream, even on pain meds. yeah. fast forward to now, I'm almost home 24 hours from having VSG and this is NOTHING like the pain of having a lap band removed. So baby , I FEEL FOR YOU! If I were your Dr. I'd put you on strong pain meds for weeks! Just as long as you don't get too comfy and do too much to hurt yourself. But I do know how you feel, and my heart goes out to you!!

KLEE You confessed to all of us and that is a hard thing to do, so I know you want feedback and support. I understand. Take that courage and also be honest with the nutritionist (if you have to visit one) as you are here, and that will really help. Your Dr. and nutritionist will appreciate it. They need to know how to help you, don't be embarrassed or feel like a failure, ok? I know that a lot of insurance doesn't cover counseling. But I would love to see you find a counselor in your area and on your plan. This takes so much of a lifestyle change that your life flashes before your eyes when making a change this huge. By that I mean, so many issues come out of nowhere and can take you back down on that mat if you let it. Will you please consider finding a counselor? I have one. She is also the same faith as I am, so that makes things a lot easier, in case you follow a certain faith. Overeaters Anonymous helps some people, too! You're here to win it, KLEE. Try and remember that your surgery has left you with a WOUND that you need to care for. This is your baby now. You're still healing. Do you want to hurt that baby or do you want to heal that baby? This is our personal best time, it's GO TIME. Will you let me know if you will look into counseling>? I will be waiting for you! Ame

I've been sleeping finally, not home even 24 hours yet ... my schedule is waaaay off. I didn't sleep well in the hospital. Just woke up again. It's 2:30pm here. Readjusting will take ME a while, lol.

Yes, definitely loose clothing on your way home! I had to switch-out these loose shorts I had originally brought with me, while they were "loose" the waist was elastic and seemed then too tight ... switched to some extra giant jogging pants and a huge Tshirt. I didn't want to feel anything tight on my skin incisions.

deleted wrong thread. how do I delete? argh

I'm only listing the absolute necessities that I found: Pack extra small pillows, like the kind that fit perfectly in the small of your neck and back. This saved me in their awful hospital beds! I had a small square pillow for the curvature in my back, and a rolled up tubular type for my neck. You may find you want to use your abdominal muscles right away and I was told to use my arms and leg muscles first while getting in and out of bed, and those pillows helped A LOT. Toothbrush.

At just seven days post op, I think that is AMAZING! Only seven days. Whoa! Are you sure it's ok to do so much this early? I mean, don't over-do it either. Then again you said you're used to walking that much so, let me know! =)

Yes, all the cold stuff or room temp stuff I seem to still feel going down. I had a hiatal hernia repair as well, along with scar tissue reduced from a previous lap band that I had removal a few years before. I just woke up, still not too familiar with these forums, guys. I think I'm on a free membership. ANYWAY I too alas, moved my bowels this morning and I think it's going to happen now frequently. I am home eating the bone broth that I made during my pre op diet. I froze it all in muffin aluminum, chicken and beef, lamb, farm bones. It took me the entire two weeks because bone broth has to cook slow and low so long. Anyway, I think that is why I finally went. Two weeks is a good idea for a pre op, because the first week you're adjusting and bargaining with yourself over the eating plan. By the second week, you're a pro, by the day before, it's cake. Then, afterwards, forgettaboutit. You're golden.

I really need to follow this thread because my Husband needs this and has a mental illness logged. He really needs this surgery. I am an artist and I do have a friend, she is also an artist and she is Bi-Polar and very outspoken about it. She was approved for an RNY and got hers last month. I don't know what insurance she has, she lives in Virginia.

I stayed very tired on the pre op diet. I also had muscle twitches and spasms and I found Powerade ZERO to be very helpful with all the water I drank, too.

Pretty Cali! I just got home, too! We had ours on the same date. I felt every bit of liquid go down my stomach, and then also at times into my intestines, with all the air. Feels weird!

Me too! though I'm here until Sunday. The mentioned I shoild try drinking water today (I had my leak test) and that they'd try me on some thin yogurt drink thing tonight, but no drink. Given that I've been zipping water and it still kind of hurts I'm glad though. I'm home now! They started me on this 15g protein shake - it was fruity and actually good. Plus broth, jello and Popsicles. I had to focus on the shakes yesterday and got two in. Just drank one on the 1.5 drive from San Francisco to Sacramento. Taking a break and will just sip water. This afternoon ill try to drink a premier protein shake. It has 30g of protein in it so if I can't get anymore after that im OK. Hope they get you your yogurt drink soon. Does it hurt when water goes down or your whole stomach? yay I found this thread again!

I can't believe I am home, and I actually went through with it! It kind of seems surreal still. I did well during the two days of recovery. I had a lap band previously put in 7 years ago, lost about 45 pounds, and at some point my stomach prolapsed above the band. I had it removed in 2011. So it was a "revision" essentially. 1.5 hour. My surgeon said he had to cut off a lot of scar tissue from the band itself, and I'm not sure if he did any where the port used to be. ANYWAY, I spent two nights in the hospital. I am a different woman already, lol. By the time I would finish 1/3 of my liquid Breakfast, my liquid lunch would arrive. I never even ate the Jello, I just tried to get in the ice chips, Water, and broth. They always gave me Popsicle's, so I'd put them in my cup of ice chips. Great pain management. best Hospital I've ever been in. My labs and recovery while there was smooth. I usually have a high white blood cell count of 14.5k. Today it was 9k. Already having improvements. What I did not expect to see were my staples on my incisions where the camera and instruments went in my abdomen. I'm trying to be helpful here to anyone going in soon. There were a few other things I had not read about or thought about and if I think of more, will post. The worst misery was indeed, as everyone has said, the air and bloating and for myself, not being able to sleep. I felt like I had swallowed a giant balloon and could not get it out. The bed was a bariatric bed but still very hard on my arthritic spine. I asked if I could add a topper of other mattress, nope. It could have been a hazard or liability. So. they would use more padding with blankets, but it's not the same. I'm a little wired right now because I am home and happy. So when I can finally go to bed I will be happier. If anyone has "Arriving At Home as a new VSGer" Advice, feel free to type away! I do not want to do ANYTHING to jeopardize this recovery! This is my new baby now! You know how this all works, you think you've thought of everything, and then BAM, oops, you didn't see that coming. When will I know when I am "out of the woods"? They said blood clots still have a chance of forming over the next few weeks. I get the leak check in 9 days. I am feeling good about all of it. And I know, no one can say. But just leaving this here anyway. OK. Wow I think I am tried of typing! That's odd! lol

Thank you !! I am so happy to hear from you Frank and hear that you are doing well! I think you have a follow up coming soon, right? I believe mine will be 10 days post op after hospital release. I am going in for my VSG, well ... in a few hours. And I need you to know that your posting has really helped me. I too have had anxiety attacks over this and wondered if I should back out. But I have t be honest with myself. I know if I lose another 50 pounds, I'm just going to gain it back twice as fast as I lost it. Maybe one day we can all have that future, teeny-tiny beer online together! HERE we go, all us Feb 1sters!

how long before we can eat authentic fermented foods ? ie sauerkraut, real pickles, kimchi ?

On the pre op diet I was already finding I was experiencing muscle twitches ... I finally figured I might need a Powerade ZERO, I think it helped. I just don't want to be nutrient deficient afterwards and something suffer. So this is a great question. I will have premade shakes in individual bottles, via Sam's, Premier Protein I think. I've spent the past 2 weeks making bone broth out of chicken and beef and lamb, strained. I mat thin it with Water. I need to ask all this again when I'm there. I found a glass jug that said it was 67 ounces. Is that the mount we need to drink every day, the minimum? I kept it and cleaned it so I will know where I am in the water department. OH I also have the Bariatric Advantage Chew-able Vitamins. I think they taste like candy, I love them!

I'm saying don't do it now, if it needs it let them do it, because you could develop itchy bumps overnight. And I don't want you to have to deal with that along with all the other things we are all anxious about. I "tried" to shave myself about 5 days ago ... how horrible it is when you're a big as I am, and everything is curvy and a razor blade is flat. I cut myself, and now all the itchies have gone away. There is this crazy patch I missed. Oh well. They can get if now if they need to. I'd be totally fine with that! I think because we are so large that we stretch out the area, our pubic area and it kinda climbs upward onto the stomach and "pants line" maybe? Or underwear top line? Maybe it can pose a bacteria issue. I know my belly hangs over my underwear in the front so it was so much FUN to shave myself. *sigh* But I am one of those people who get the itchy bumps sometimes, so I just did it a few days ago so they'd go away. I'm going to wash my entire body with Hibicleanse again today. Right before I pretend to sleep. >,<

Wow I didn't consider this, my OBGYN said I stored estrogen in mt fat cells. I would think stored up toxins are being released as well? I just read that toxins like to live in fat cells. Very, very interesting!

Thank you! God bless, and here we go! =D

I LOVE chicken livers, even the gizzards if I slow cook them in a crock pot, they melt in your mouth after an overnight slow cook!

February first! In one day. I am feeling like I'm in a dream. I'm Catholic, I have my positive books to take, I went to fill my holy waters, I received the sacrement of anointing of the sick today and went to Mass. I am so grateful for the people around me who BELIEVE. I know I can expect him to be with my always and continue healing me. I am not hungry right now. I am just tired. I know I will be in a lot of pain that morning because we go and wait 3 hours and I can not take a single thing besides BP meds. Not coffee, (been off it now for a week) no meds, I'll be shriveled in a ball, so I think the time will pass rather melodramatically! Or I may be blessed with a relaxed sensation until I go in. I don't know any of you. But I know what you're all feeling, so you are my comrades! And I need you all! And I thank you all for every reply and everything you post because it is going to help me make it. You are very wonderful and special women and men and I am so happy I just sighed up here! FEBRUARY HERE WE COME!

Thank you Cathy, *bonks myself on the head*

I am so so sorry for all that you are dealing with. And I know it can make you feel extremely lonely because no one has control of this except you, God and the Dr.s Your surgery date says December 2015, one year go. Is that correct? You began this complication one year later? Did staple or suture open up, or perhaps in that entire year was never closed properly? Did they do leak tests any time after the one time you had surgery? Like, a few months out? Did you have a Lap Band before or was this any kind of revision? When you have the energy I'd love to know, that way it helps all of us understand more if we know more, you might find someone who went through the exact thing. Years ago my ex had an RNY and for two years the poor man was in and out of the hospital. Nothing he did. He just had blood clotting issues, and it was a risk for him going in.

This Hospital wants me to bring in every bottle of Rx medication I have in my house. Most of which I only take once a week like Vit D or Omneprozole or Folbic, that's Vitamin B. Don't all Dr.s and Hospitals have privilege now to just pull my pharmacy fills? Would that not be easier? Would they not just give me a blood or urine test before as well? Isn't that safer in all ways? I will be out of it, 5am Monday morning and my poor 73 year old mom will be carrying my things. I don't mind bringing in my medicines that I can not live w/o like my special brand of lisinopril, by Sandoz, other brands fail to control my BP. My Clonazepam for anxiety, this past year I developed issues. I have Fibromyalgia, Spinal Stenosis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Chronic Fatigue. I am on regulated Pain medicine for that and see a specialist. My surgery date is the next due date of my meds. I do not want my mother to be carrying around these regulated meds, because the D E A has us chronic pain patients terrified that if we let another person hold them, or if they get lost or stolen, we're basically going to drop dead right then and there. I don't mind her picking up my new Rx while I am in the hospital because the Dr and Pharmacist have told me that this is ok, she will have her ID and I have cleared that with them. At least if she has them and get's stopped, we have proof of WHY she has them. Any advice? I will take my bottles, but I am not taking the 2 or 3 pills I will have left (on my refill due date). And I will tell the nurses to please discard my bottles. What would you do or has anyone encountered this, is my fear irrational?