doodleallday

I rode in the car to the beach the day after surgery. We took a break every hour to let me limp around to keep blood flowin right and no clotting.

(1) Expect to be extremely thirsty post-op, except when you're passed out on pain meds. They gave me 3L of Fluid bc I was so dehydrated I couldn't urinate. They keep you intebated during surgery, so the breathing tube makes your throat sore for a couple days. (2) As for the lack of appetite, you can't eat anything but clear liquid after surgery that day, and you are likely to sleep right through to the next day. (RMonkey is the only exception I've read about.) (3) My personal experience was as your nurse(s) described. Mom, who had the surgery March 11 and has gone from 247 to 164 thus far, would make herself a shake and then pour 1/4 cup for me. It'd take me half an hour to sip it down. My regular appetite resumed after about a week. I seemed hungrier, but I would get full after a few big sips of cream o chicken soup or grits.

(1) The point of the post was to provide a thread for people to gripe about what didn't work for them. (2) What's the difference between chewing food until its pureed in your mouth. I'm talking liquid, not just chewing for a while. Please don't let this thread turn into a post about what I should eat or the difference between a blender and my mouth. Digestive juices churn when gum is chewed- or is gum not allowed, either? (And by saying all of this, I'm probably gonna have jinxed myself or something. Knock on wood!)

Mom is a nurse, who had the procedure done as well, and she said there is an adhesive used to get the instruments to stay in place.

What has been an absolute no-no after first-hand experience?

ZOMG I know its already been said, but by having the band placed, you forfeited any carbonated beverage from there on. Its for your absolute safety that you do not imbibe anything like diet soda. If you do, you risk causing your band to slip out of place and your stomach to expand back to normal.

Alright, this is getting ridiculous. Tell me I'm not alone in this, please! Banded 12/30 Period 01/06 gone 01/10 Period 01/15 Still What gives?! A coworker said it happens to her every time she has any type of abdominal surgery. But I'm on the b/c implant, Implanon, and haven't had a TOM since March 2008 when I spotted for 21 days!

I'm also deathly pale, with a fishbelly-white tummy. I know such places turn horribly red after showering, even simple mosquito bites. I was due for my 2wk follow up @ 9:30 this morning, but when 10:05 rolled around with 4 people still ahead of me, waiting to see my surgeon, I had to reschedule for next week so I wouldn't miss my 11am class. These suckers are SO ITCHY! Being stuck in an incision-level desk for hours a day doesn't help, either.

Has anyone had a problem with incisions looking red and angry? I think we're supposed to report it to our surgeon if there is more than 2cm of reddness, but what if it's been red since day one and only looks slightly more ticked off? I've been applying neosporin to all 5 sites, with a different q-tip each, and still no happy results. Any recommendations? I'm gonna start applying Bactroban to it as well. I also bathe in Hibiclens every night.

Yeah, Bypass is hella-invasive. Lapband really isnt a big deal. I mean, it's major surgery... but I rode to the beach the next day and was walking around, shopping four days later. Dont push yourself, and definitely take it easy, but you should be fine. :3

What are footpumps?

Oy! This sounds like such a common problem! Hopefully I'll avoid it!

I was a total moron and thought we weren't allowed to lift anything over 10lbs for 14 days. (Apparently, it's six weeks!) I went back to work, where I am a pharmacy technician, and went about my usual business. I was so glad to be back, and my wallet was screaming with excitement. Around 3am that night, I awoke to horrible back pain. I had to take teeny, shallow breaths because, otherwise, my lungs would expand, pushing against the same muscles. My throat was more sore than surgery day, after the breathing tube was removed. At first thought, I figured I had contracted the flu. I hobbled downstairs ever so slowly and sat in front of the freezer, sucking on ice cubes to relieve my sore throat. Luckily, that mostly worked and I now attribute it to post-nasal drip from my seasonal allergies. The severe back pain was so bad that I downed 2 tablespoons of the oxycodone I had left after surgery and passed out on a heating pad for the morning/afternoon. Thankfully, the following day (today), the pain was gone. I'm assuming I somehow pulled the muscles when I was lifting medical totes all afternoon at work. Just be very, very careful when you go back in and DONT do what I did!!!

Yeah, it's pretty uncomfortable. The book idea didn't work as I'd hoped. I'm gonna try stuffing a sweatshirt in between the desk and my belly next go-round.

I'm sorry to hear of your loss. If I were in your shoes, I would go ahead and get the surgery as scheduled. 72 hours later was probably one of my most sore days, but walking around helped break up the gas a lot. (Not the kind you poot, but the kind from where they inflated your stomach in surgery.) Honestly, the pain meds will help you feel better and feel up to sitting through a funeral. I saw a movie my third day out and that's longer than a funeral. Also, the oxycodone or what-have-you will make you fairly somber, so that may actually help, in a way.

Just started back to class and didn't realize I was in for hell, with respect to the larger of the LB incisions. It sits exactly level with the edge of every desk! Any suggestions? I'm gonna try to wedge a book btwn my tummy and the desk. Hope it fits.

*Do you guys ever fear you're going to "mess" it up? I'm afraid of slipping occuring, which is why I chew everything until it's liquid before I swallow. This is next to impossible with meat, so I'm basically vegetarian, not by choice. Trust me- after that surgery, there is NO WAY I will "mess" it up intentionally! *Is the sliming and getting stuff stuck, is that frequent? Does it happen forever? How do you cope with it, especially in public? I had my band placed December 30th and have yet to experience sliming or stuff getting stuck. Perhaps this is merely an issue once the port has been filled. I have another 4 weeks before this occurs, though. *Speaking of in public, how do you eat with out being noticed when you're out with coworkers or friends? Opt for Soup. No one will say anything, because many "normal" eaters get soup for an entree anyway. You could also opt for a salad, once you're allowed to eat solid foods again. Not to sound rude, but, chances are, if you were approved for the LB, you aren't exactly the skinny kid who can get away with eating a cheeseburger and fries. Opting for healthier choices wont look suspicious, no matter how little you eat!

Oh, from context clues, it looks like pb might be "puked back" or "purged back" or something along those lines. Definitely involves getting sick after eating something that didnt "fit".

Ew that sounds gross. Is PB peanut butter?

Okay, for the record, I've tried EVERYTHING. Having him drink pineapple juice as a dietary staple didnt make it sweet! I dont know WHO made up that lie! LOL!

Finally! A valid excuse for being a "quitter"!!! I hate that stuff and the way it tastes more than ANYTHING on the planet!!! UGHHHH!

I've gone from 306 to 278.8 thus far! Two more pounds and I will be back to my starting weight. And by starting, I mean that, as soon as I was approved for surgery, I packed on 30 lbs eating all kinds of fast food and other junk that I didn't think I'd ever be able to eat again. Oy! Do NOT do that. Self-sabotaging is no fun. I'm healing beautifully, too. Knock on wood. We were really concerned about my high risk of infection, but nightly baths in Hibiclens has really helped keep everything nice and pink, not red. The dermabond has started peeling like mad. I only have about 2 of the original 8 strips left over the port incision site. But daaang, my belly itches like I've got poison ivy or something! I'm trying SO HARD not to scratch. Ughh.

I've gone from 306 to 278.8 thus far! Two more pounds and I will be back to my starting weight. And by starting, I mean that, as soon as I was approved for surgery, I packed on 30 lbs eating all kinds of fast food and other junk that I didn't think I'd ever be able to eat again. Oy! Do NOT do that. Self-sabotaging is no fun. I'm healing beautifully, too. Knock on wood. We were really concerned about my high risk of infection, but nightly baths in Hibiclens has really helped keep everything nice and pink, not red. The dermabond has started peeling like mad. I only have about 2 of the original 8 strips left over the port incision site. But daaang, my belly itches like I've got poison ivy or something! I'm trying SO HARD not to scratch. Ughh.

Haha! You guys crack me up! Mom got her band put in March 11th and she still has crazy noises occur! It's weird, though- hers arent coupled with hunger pangs. They're just... noises letting her know it's time to eat. I dont have the pain, but I have woken up from being so friggin hungry that I drove to Dennys for grits! LOL!

When could I start applying Mederma to my incisions? It's been about 12 days since surgery and they're healing nicely. Just a bit itchy. Has anyone tried Mederma before? Does it work?