sailorChristy

I am back on the boards just in time to toss the equivalent of my hefty-sized DOG onto the pile. I've lost 65. :-) 55 John337 -105 SpideyMom -70 hdmdavid -75 less-of-me -58 Oliviasmommy -25 tulsarealtorGB -38 ruguay -35 Sarahbellzz -34 Jennifer75 -55 Sbush70 -48 bkmom -34 naynayto2 -40 Mamadot -54 Mamabully -41 On the Way to Thin -44 DON14 - 102 carriemc78- 61 Foxxy-21 Epresco303 - 53 cheri634 - 46 klp713-30 bevanfranks -51 sailorChristy - 65 Total:1185

2911 - Along with the pedialyte popsicles, try some Powerade zero for electrolytes and low-sodium v-8 for a major dose of potassium. My surgeon's guidelines did not include a water/liquids requirement for week 1, but he asks that we drink 48-64 oz per day thereafter. I know that it's very difficult to force oneself to eat and drink anything when all that gas is in there. Maybe when you get more fluids in, it will give you the energy to do more walking. Gas-x strips and walking practically saved my life. :blushing: I've read that a heating pad helps too. Keep us posted, dear. It *will* get better, and when it does you will be astonished at the progress that each new day brings. I'll pray that this starts SOON for you and will trust that it will.

Howdy, all ~ My steri-strips have yet to fall off, but it appears that everything is healing just fine. I'm having fewer and fewer sharp 'port pains,' which is quite a relief. Those really hurt! I'm on pureed foods 'til Monday, when I upgrade to 'soft foods.' (I'm still not totally clear on the difference -- heh heh.) I don't feel any 'fullness cues' at the base of my throat, but I don't have much of an appetite AT ALL. I'm experiencing physical hunger for the first time in, oh gosh, maybe 20 years? Earlier today, I thought I had a stomach ache and was about to hit the gas-x. I decided to eat some pureed Soup (progresso light - zesty chicken gumbo - YUM)... and it turns out that the feeling I had in my tummy was HUNGER. It was pretty hilarious. I'm eating about 1/2 C at each meal, and have been interested in no more than 3 meals per day. I'm tracking everything on The Daily Plate, and it's quite obvious that I'm eating way too much in fat calories, in the form of chicken salad and the like. I know that once my options open up a bit, I'll be able to stay within the limits my dietician recommends. I'm down 9# since surgery (plus 20# from the pre-op diet.) I know that the band is designed to support 1-2# loss per week, which is truly what I want... but I must say that I'm enjoying this initial 'whoosh' while it lasts. Oh, also - not walking or exercising like I should. That must change.

My steri-strips are still stuck firmly in place, and I wash with soap when I'm in the shower and air-dry. One thing that seems odd about my port incision is that it's a slightly raised line. I'm not sure if it's from dried blood or if the would itself has a raised "lip." Is anyone else's a little more distinct than the incisions that my recovery nurse delightfully referred to as "stab wounds?"

Hey, chicas! My pre-op "appointment" is at 2 weeks post-op. Since I live a few hours from my surgeon's office, he allows a "virtual" post-op visit. I'll e-mail photos of my incisions and any questions/concerns I have to the Nurse Practitioner, and I'll consult with the Dietician via e-mail as well. I'm scheduled to transition to soft foods for the following two weeks, and then my first fill will be at the 4 week mark.

marathonmommy, 2911plans, and the rest of the 5/28 gang ~ How are you feeling today? Is that dreadful gas all out of your system? Are you getting your mojo back? I too was unprepared for the misery of the first several days -- the severity of the gas pain, specifically. In the interest of being encouraging, my local bandsters didn't dwell on the gas and other pain-related aspects of the procedure. Even when a medical professional describes what to expect, it's impossible for them to truly quantify how badly you'll feel after surgery because everyone is different. The turning point for me was when I walked laps around the first floor of my house until I worked up my first big burp. After that, it took three days, but during that time I was pretty much constantly burping and gas-x-ing my way through it. Please let us know how you're doing, 'kay? :confused:

Hiya, 2911 ~ I am so sorry that you're hurting, sweetie. Are you taking the pain meds and/or OTC pain relievers that your surgeon prescribed/recommended as scheduled? There is definitely no shame in using the "tools" you've been given. If your body is on a similar healing schedule as mine, tomorrow will be the day that you smile more than you grimace. For today, try to find a good balance of walking and resting (more resting than walking, of course), and use a gas-x melty strip every so often. You've had more "work done" than the majority of us here (yay! - you marked one health issue off your list as "cured" before you even woke up!)... and it sounds like the hernia repair must be causing you some of the angst. Are you able to take a couple/few more days off from work to recover? Be kind to yourself, doll. I promise that it will get better... and in this case, better = "wow! I'm banded! This rocks!" :-) Christy

Congrats, all! Juniper, congrats on putting that dreadful-sounding gallbladder issue behind you. You're still part of our May family here. We'll all be eagerly awaiting your big day and celebrating with you again then. Take good care of yourself and heal, hon.

Congrats, 5/28 banditos! Welcome to the family. :cool: Hope you all have gotten rid of most of your gas pain by now. Marathon, the way it was explained to me -- and the way I experienced it -- was that the CO2 is within the abdominal cavity, where you can't eliminate it. Walking causes the gas to be absorbed (that's not the word the nurse used, but it was something like that)... by other body tissues and eliminated. I walked, shaking like a leaf, back and forth through the house when my first gas pain hit the day after surgery. I started burping a bit, and burped as much as I could all day. (It wasn't until the next day that the gas started to leave through 'other means.') Once the gas moved into my digestive tract, the Gas-X worked like magic. It took a few days, but thankfully the bloat and pain went away. PTL! 2911plans, I love your name and signature! All of you are sounding chipper and doing great! You'll be amazed at how much better you feel each day. Fondly, Christy

So glad to hear that my fellow 5/26ers are doing well. I've been amazed by the improvement I've experienced at my 3rd and 4th days post-op. I have no more serious gas issues, and I'm able to sleep on my side and *almost* on my tummy. I am able to take deep breaths and cough without suffering. I am finally starting to get a little of my appetite back, and I enjoyed eating something for the first time last night: pureed deli chicken salad with cherries and pecans. (OMG - YUM!) Doesn't it seem so surreal at times to think 'Wow - I have a band now!'

I prefer to use low-fat milk in my smoothies instead of yogurt, and I LOVE them. I use vanilla Protein powder, and then I add a banana and some low-sodium, sugar-free natural PB.... or sometimes I'll add frozen fruit (strawberry and kiwi is one of my favorite combinations.) Yummy! Enjoy.

I'm 4 days post-op and decided to visit the "confessional" (like on reality tv shows?) again. I'm not struggling or feeling desperate or hungry, but I had a wistful thought today and briefly mourned my ability to eat frosted strawberry pop tarts.... and cinnamon/sugar Auntie Anne pretzels with cream cheese dipping sauce.

Hi Cyndi ~ How'd it go with your first couple days back at work? Did you pack some portable foods and protein drinks? ~Christy~

Oh dear... It's my turn to visit the poo thread. My surgery was Tuesday, and I had two minor "events" -- yesterday morning and this morning. I was hoping that this would be the beginning of normal-ish life again, but I'm worried about something (as usual.) I'm having some soreness in my lower-left tummy, in front of my hip bone, more or less. I'm not sure if that's just muscle soreness from the surgery or if that's a sign of bowel obstruction. Is that completely ridiculous, or is it possible to have a serious problem like that if I've "gone" twice so far? Sorry/thanks, Christy

Well, the initial euphoria has worn off. :thumbup: My 2nd day post-op (yesterday) was not my favorite day ever. I've had no gas pain in my shoulder, but I was surprised at the sharpness of the gas pain in my tummy. I walked around the house until I started burping a bit. The nurse had told me that once I started burping, I would continue to feel better little by little until all the gas is gone. I sit here on Day 3 without radical discomfort, but still with a distended tummy. My incisions look fine. I have no real "incision pain." It's most just a general feeling of "Mike Tyson just went medieval on my tummy." :w00t: The coughing and deep breathing is more difficult than I expected because of the achy tummy feeling. I'm trying to get in as much Fluid as I can. I squeezed in three mini-meals yesterday. (My surgeon has us start mushies on day 2.) Two meals were yummy pureed progresso low-sodium chicken/rice Soup, and dinner was pureed cottage cheese. I really didn't eat much at all. I didn't have any trouble getting anything down yesterday, which was a relief. I bought an apple/melon Isopure yesterday and can't imagine how long it might take to sip that entire bottle!!! (Any hints?!) Breakfast today will be pureed cottage cheese and pureed salsa. I'm going to challenge myself to be brave and eat until I feel a fullness cue from my band and try to be finished within 30 minutes. So overall, I'm hanging in there... a little worried that I'm not getting enough Protein, food, and liquids in me, but confident that I'll make my way through this and make this new situation into my new way of life. I need to catch up on my reading here soon!