TDRinCHATT

I was banded in May and still have gas all the time. I think it just comes with the territory.

The cool thing about a c/s recovery is that you have a little person to enjoy it with. All those hormones raging and endorphines flying, help quell some of the physical pain. And, you have a job. You have this little one that loves you who expects that you will take care of him/her. I found the recovery from the band to be more difficult for the first 2-3 days, but after that I was feeling great. So, more intense but doesn't last as long. And, there's none of that feeling "OMG, my guts are going to fall out" like with the section. I did use the pillow pressure technique I learned with the c/s for my band recovery. Firm pressure on the port site especially when moving, laughing, etc. The biggest difference that made the band recovery harder, is that you lay around all day, hurting and unable to eat. It's a bit shocking and somewhat depressing. Most people go through a stage when they say to themselves "what have I done?" I believe that this inactive period (physically and mentally) puts some of us in a negative frame of mind for recovery. I would recommend to poeple to view recovery as if they did just have a baby. A baby band placed around their stomach and it's friend the baby port. TWINS! If we thought about recovery as a time to get to know our band and all it's new feelings. And a time to get up off our sendentary butts and take hold of our new lives. Maybe, just maybe we would hear more about good recoveries and less about people's difficulties. As a caviat, I laid around in pain for 2 days miserable. My doctors RN thought I was abusing my Lortab, then I got thrush, migraines and a productive cough that required an inhaler so I could breathe at night. I did not have a hunky dory recovery, but I went at it like I was an invalid. It took some time for me and my band to get aquainted. I only wish I had been more positive during those days, but at least now I'm better and I feel great.

Learned just this evening that ribs are off the menu for me. Gave me terrible CP and epigastric pain for 2 hours. And, I only eat two small well chewed bites.:thumbup:

MDgarica I copied it from another user then uploaded it to a photoshare site. Then you can past the URL on your signature.

I followed a similar course preop. Started with a cough but I didn't feel sick. I self treated with Amoxil preop just to make sure and ended up with thrush post op. I think the combination of the oral antibiotics and the hospital IV antibiotics that everyone gets during surgery caused the thrush. Not a huge deal, but an aggrivation and somewhat painful.

Waddy Had my fill done at GBI on gunbarrell. That's the office I did all my band related things out of.

Happy to say I got my first fill today and it really didn't hurt. The nurse told me that she does not usually numb the site as most pt's report the numbing medicine hurts worse than the actual stick. She did a good job and but for a small pinch, it did not hurt. She accessed the port while I was lying down. It ended up about 2-3 inches below my largest incision. Just a small stick and it was in. She told me I would feel some pressure as she advanced the needle all the way into the port. It stung a little, not bad. Then she said, "stand up." Wow, it's weird to stand up with a needle sticking out of your abdomen, but it didn't hurt. I walking in front of the fluro machine and drank barium. Just a sip and I could watch it go through. Facinating! She said my band was in the perfect place and looked good. She gave me some fill and I drank again. She gave me a little more and I drank again! Then I drank some Water and watched it go down on the fluro machine. All was well, she asked about chest pain or discomfort. I had non! So, that was it. She took the needle out and off I went! She told me that at this office they gradually fill your band and expect to be at an optimal fill at about the third fill, three months post op. The only thing I was disappointed about was that she would not tell me how much Fluid she put in the band. She said that she didn't want her pt's comparing fill levels, so they didn't tell me. I'll be requesting my medical records before my next visit so I can see what she wrote. Silly nurse, doesn't she know I'm entitled to that information! Anyway, I have certainly noticed a difference. I can't drink as fast. I'm gonna have to slow down the intake for sure. I'm no longer so worried about the fill process. It was quick and easy. Hope this helps all who are wondering.

I get a fill on wednesday. My doc said clears x1day, full liquids x1 day and then to soft/regular food on day three.

I don't have any problem with shrimp. In fact, they go down and stay down better than most other proteins for me. But I'm due to be filled tomorrow, that could all change! I hope not though, shrimp are my favorite.

My doctor told me NO anti-inflammatories at all. After being banded, Tylenol is your pain medicine of choice. But if you are stiff from exercise, the most helpful things will be water and stretching.

I had heard that a lot of poeple had trouble with rice, but I ate it for dinner one evening and had no trouble with it. A week later, my mom made sushi rolls and fried rice for lunch and invited me over. I took one bit of that sushi and knew instantly that it was NOT a good idea. I kept it down but I just "knew" that I should not have anymore rice that day. So much of the banding depends on you and your circumstances. I believe that it didn't go down so well, because my band is tighter at lunch and because the rice on the sushi was cold. I seem to do better in the evening and with warm foods. Best of luck to ya.

Sometimes it's the things that people don't say that kill me. Today, for example, I took my son to Chick-Fil-A with a friend and her kids. We were sitting in the play area when her son asked her and I to climb up in the kid's gym with him. (I've actually climbed up it before to get my child) She responded, "No, honey, we're too b......tall to get it that." This is a great friend, so I know she was just trying to be sensitive, but I knew what she wanted to say.

SO HAPPY FOR YOU! I share the same dream, but was always terrified of being weighed at the jump site. I can't wait to fulfill my dream. GOOD FOR YOU!