marineliebe

^ ^ ^ Good advice...as for my aditional 2 cents, is there a support group for bandsters near you that you can go to? Its great to have this board, but sometimes you really need help face to face. The place where I got banded has monthly support groups (I just got banded and havn't gone yet, but I intended to). Just being able to look a person in the eyes and hear what they are going though, and even get a hug from someone whos been there!! (I'm more than happy to send you a virtual hug as well...*hug*!!! :thumbup: Even the fact that you were able to get on here and type out what you were feeling, that can help work out a lot of emotions, so you may already be feeling better b/c you were able to get it all out! Just know that we all have faith in you! :cursing:

things are still going pretty good...i'm in some pain/soreness but thats to be expected. the worst part is the GAS!!! i think i'm having a hard time getting it out of my system! it wakes me up a few tiems a nigh and i have to get up and walk around for a bit before i can go back to sleep. i also feel it whenever i "eat" (soup or shake) it like bubbles up after i swallow. i hope this gets better, i'm day 4 post op now and i have to say that each day has been getting better, but i'm still not 100% by any means. i would say i'm at about 65% I'm supposed to go to a good friends bday tomorrow, but at this rate i think i'm going to have to pass. we will see how i'm feeling tomorrow. :cursing:

i'm having the same issues! it seems like half the time it is actual hunger, and half the time its gas. my gas has been really bad tho. and it seems like its even worse after i eat. anyone else had this? sometimes i stand up when i eat (broth with a spoon, or sip on a protein shake) and that helps a little. but honestly i'm starting to worry if this is what its always going to feel like when i eat? am I always going to have those "bubble" like feelings of gas when stuff goes down? its like bad indegestion which hurts in my chest. anyone else expeariencing this?

good luck michelle!! you'll do great!

yea i'm having really bad gas pain as well. mine isn't in my shoulder at all though, its all in my abdomen and hurts like hell. i'm going to try a heating pad if i can find one in the house. somthing that i've found helps is when i get that painfull feeling of a gas bubble welling up like i'm going to burp, i kinda bounce up and down a little (not so much that my port site hurts, i was banded 2 days ago). picture it like burping a baby, and that usually makes me burp and i feel a lot better after. or rubbing my tummy when it starts to hurt, sometimes that helps. i really hope this doesn't take 2 weeks to go away! :rolleyes2:

wow 1000 times congradulations!!! i LOVE to hear inspireing stories like yours! I was just banded 3 days ago now, and it really keeps me positive to hear about everyones success!! congrats again!

LOVE IT!!! I'm SO going to use this one on cetain people :rolleyes2: too funny but for the most part i don't really know what i'm going to tell people...prob that i'm on a high Protein diet, which is true. a few friends know, and a few co-workers know (and my fam) but as for ppl i havn't seen in a while or new ppl i'll prob say diet (and tape worm of course haha love it!)

wow jetti I clicked on your myspace and saw your picture, you look AMAZING!! congrats on your weight loss!!

well said teri!!

no that was my first surgery, i had my wisdom teeth out a few years back, and that was pretty painful, but i would say this is worse. its nothing i don't think any of us can handle, but i wouldn't call it "a piece of cake" like some do. hope that helps drew...I'm sure your knee surgery was much worse. you'll be fine! :confused_smile:

thank you both for your replies! i will be trying both of your suggestions right away!

they told me no makeup or hair products. the only thing i put on was deoterent, and brushed my teeth. i think liquids are easier after surgery, i only had some Soup yesterday and i've been up for 4 hours today and i'm not hungry for anything at all. i had some hot tea this morning but thats been it so far. i do think i'm struggling with some emotional eating, like i feel like i should be eating but i'm just not physicaly hungrey! so i'm not eating, and i'm feeling fine so far.

hey guys, i was banded yesterday. I'm having a lot of gas pain, but its not the normal shoulder pain. its like i have all the gas in my abdomen and it feels like i have REALLY REALLY bad indigestion. Its hard to burp or get gas out the other end. is this normal? i've been walking a lot and taking gas-x but i feel like the gas is just not coming out. any input would greatly put my mind at ease! thanks so much! marine

ooo only 2 days until your surgery!! how are you feeling? excited or nervous? I hope everything goes well for you!! i'll be sending good thoughts your way! You too sarah for tomorrow!

well i was banded yesterday and although there is pain, its not as bad as i was expecting. when i woke up i didn't feel any pain at all, just like i had had the wind knocked out of me, it was a little hard to take deep breaths and i had a headache. i started to get some pain about an hour after surgery and they gave me some STRONG pain meds, they kicked in in like 10 seconds. felt great after that! lol the the rest of the day i kept on top of taking the liquid vicodin (sp?) every 2.5 hours. i think as long as you keep on the meds, the pain isn't as bad as it could be. the gas has been the worst so far...i don't have solder pain, but its like all condensed in my abdomen and its like i really need to burp but i can't. almost like really bad indigestion. and today (day 2 post op) my port site is sore and hurts some. as for being put under, it was a breeze. i walked into the OR, laid down on the operating table, the anesthesiologist hooked up something to my IV which i think he said was a muscle relaxer. It made my vision go blurry (which he said it would before he gave it to me). Then the nurse put an oxgen mask on me, looked into my eyes and told me i would be fine and that is the last thing i remember! honestly i think the part that hurt the most out of all the post op stuff before my surgery was the hepren (again sp?) shot they gave me for blood clots in my thigh!! hope this puts your mind at ease a little! marine

totally want to run into my ex's once I've lost weight!!! right there with ya gals!

kristylynn good luck with getting the band! I'm only 2 days out, but I can say the surgery wasn't too bad. (I mean, I don't even remember it! ha!) I'm pretty sore today but its nothing i can't handle, its not like so bad i'm crying or anything. Looks like maybe you'll be banded in june or july? I hope all goes well! marine

Hey Guys! It REALLy helped me out to hear everyone else's stories about their banding experience, so I thought I would share mine as well in hopes it will help others who are going later this month! I'm doing ok so far on day 2...definitely more pain/soreness than day 1, and the gas is still here...feels like i have really bad indigestion. I got up around 6am yesterday and left the house at 6:30am, I had packed a bag the night before with all my meds, a blanket, an extra shirt, some Water and a pillow. I arrived at the surgery clinic (I was banded at North West Weight Loss Surgery) about 8:20 (I was a little early). I sat next to a nice man in the waiting room and chatted with him for a bit, he had been banded about 13 months ago and had lost 100lbs. His wife was being banded while he was waiting. After he left to be with his wife when she was out of surgery, I was given some papers to sign and read over. Then I was taken back into the pre-op room where I changed into a gown, robe and socks. They gave me a nice bag to put my extra clothes in and a thing of chap stick. Then I came back out and they had me sit in this sort of recliner chair thing and gave me a blanket. Then they gave me a shot in my thigh to prevent blood clots, I think that was the worst part of the whole procedure, I don't like needles and the shot stung for about 5 min after I got it, and I have a purple bruise today from it. After that I had to wait a little while as the surgery before me was running a little behind. Then my surgeon came out and chatted with me and my dad for a bit and asked if we had any questions. After that I had my IV put in, which actually hurt less than the shot because he put some numbing medication on my hand before. After the IV was in, they got me up and I walked into the OR. I laid down on the table and they put some meds in my IV and put an oxygen mask on me, I remember looking at the nurse and her telling me I was going to be fine and thats the last thing I remembered. I woke up as they were rolling me back into a recovery room, I was pretty groggy but came out of it well. (I started singing Gwen Stefani) They brought my dad to me and gave me some water to start sipping on. They would come and check my vitals every 15min to 1/2 hour or so. They asked how my pain was and I decided I could use a pain shot, so they gave me some, I think it was called dafiral or something? It started with a D at any rate. I stayed in bed for about 2 1/2 hours, then they had me get up and walk about and I went to the bathroom. I was then lead to the "step down room" where I was in another recliner type chair. I sat there for about another 1/2 hour and was given my discharge instructions. Then I changed into my comfy clothes and my dad brought the car around. The nurse helped me out and I pretty much feel asleep the second I got into the car. So I don't really remember the car ride home. Once I got home I had some chicken broth and Soup and took a nap. Then one of my girlfriends came to see me and we watched a movie together. I would get up about once an hour and do a few laps up and down the hall, I found it really helped with getting the gas out...or at least trying to get it out. My friend left, and I started watching the Heros DVDs and another girlfriend came over and watched a few episodes with me. My dad went out to get me some straws and juce and my friend left (around 10pm) I had some more soup and some juice. (My sweet dad also brought me back a giant princess balloon and a stuffed animal to make me feel better). I found its a lot easier to drink water/juice with a straw....although I think it lets more air in. As the night went on, I've had been getting more sore, mostly on my port, I think this is because the numbing medicine they gave me in my tummy was wearing off. All in all, I feel pretty good, a little uncomfortable and sore, my best advice right now is to keep up on the pain meds BEFORE you feel like you need them, if you take them every 2-3 hours you won't really feel the pain. So thats pretty much my story. Good luck to all of you upcoming bandsters! Marine

Yea I was worried about waking up during surgery too, or not waking up but being able to feel everything and hear everything. I told the anesthesiologist my fears and he made me feel soo much better about it. He said that was a VERY rare side effect, and it usually only happens when they give you a special kind of anesthesia for people with heart problems. So if you aren't getting that kind you should have no worries! Shannongetsslim, I'm so glad that you are feeling a little better! It was a hard thing for me to go thought surgery, and I was having second thoughts all the way into the OR. And i'm sure I will have some more as I think its just part of the cycle...BUT i have faith that I DID do the right thing, and I am so great full that everything turned out ok and I'm alive and healthy although sore and have gas pains! I'm glad that you feel supported here, I do too! Its so nice to have a bunch of supportive people to talk to that have or are going though the same time as you! wishing you well on your surgery! Marine

Weird about the nailpolish thing! I wore nailpolish on both my fingers and toes! It wasn't a problem! I did have to take my nose ring out though. It came out fine, but when I got home and tried to put it back in, my nose had already started to heal up! I had to force it though, and my piercing is over a year old! My ears heal up quickly too. Maybe that means my port scars will too!

Hey Allison I'm really proud of you for sticking to your diet so faithfully! I know its a HARD thing to do! Good for you for knowing that if you went you would give in, very wise to avoid the situation all together! What color are you painting your room?

woo hoo! you will do great! I'm glad your calm, that will help alot! i was really nervous! keeping you in my thoughts, hope all goes well!! marine

hey lexi i'm having the same thing too with the burping...its like i need to burp but its stuck. its actually kind of painfull. i'm hoping this will get better soon. the gas is really uncomfortable, and today my port site is really sore. (day 2) caterpillarly i totally agree with southern missy! shes right about the doctor thing, just because one guy won't do it, doesn't mean another won't! keep looking around, don't give up hope!! I'm thinking of you, and hope a solution comes your way speedily!

Thanks for all the well wishes you guys! I was banded this morning and I'm feeling ok...a little sore but over all pretty good! The worst part was getting the blood clot shot!!! :wink2: I hope everyone elses goes well too!!! Marine

well i did it! i survived! it wasn't as bad as i thought it was going to, and i can't wait until a few weeks out when i'm feeling back to normal! :wink2: