Minnah

My plan was to have the surgery on Friday and be back to work by Tuesday. Plans have changed and I'm thinking I will be out for the rest of the week. The only person that knows the real reason why I was out is my manager. I told her to please do not tell anyone, even her director, which happens to be the HR Director. She told him I was having a procedure done on the off chance something went wrong and needed to go on short term disability. I guess for HR purposes. Well, since I didn't return Tuesday and think I might be out until next Monday I'm afriad this will may cause a lot of questions. I'm wondering if I should just let people know I have been sick. A real nasty bug that knocked me out for a week. Do you think that will work? I'm just not ready to tell people, besides family and a close knit group of friends. What has everyone done when it comes to co-workers, especially when the weight starts coming off?

So, I was on the phone with the doctor's office today trying to get a release to go back to work on Monday. Apparently since I've taken 5 sick days in a row, I need a doctor's release to go back to work. It seemed the doctor's office thought that a release to work was the strangest thing. Needless to say, I was still talking to someone at 5 p.m. trying to get this. I had to turn crazy lady to finally get some reaction. However, it's not over. I got the release sent via e-mail, but my manager said it won't due. First, the date of my surgery is wrong on the letter and they didn't say whether or not I had restrictions. Since it was after 5, the office closed. I have to try again Monday morning. Now, this is just a letter on the doctor's office letter head saying I can come to work. Nothing fancy. I wonder if I need restrictions, such as lifting and standing stuff, but I'm sure they won't add it. But that's besides the point. I need another letter and it took a whole day to even get the first one. On top of that, my gas pain is still here and it's 7 days out. I'm fustrated by the gas bubble that settled on my left my side that I've been trying to walk out for 2 days, boil with a heating pad for 3 and rub the hell out of all this time. I try to walk 30 to 45 minutes, but then feel like passing out because it starts making me feel nasous. I'm afriad that I will go back to work Monday and keep feeling this bubble. I'm sitting here rubbing my side asking myself if it was worth it. I just wish I knew when this gas will finally leave me be!!:redface: If I can imagine a punching bag with all the gas in me, I would KO it!!

I was banded Friday, January 23rd. I woke up in recovery with severe pain. When they tried to walk me the where they could get an x-ray, I got dizzy and needed to sit down. After the x-ray, I almost started to vomit, but it came out like 2 huge burps. It was painful for my stomach to lurch. That night, I was regretting the procedure because it was soo painful. I finally got some painkillers, but it's day 2 and it's the gas pain that's keeping me down. I've been burping, but it's still there. I've been walking around to try to loosen it up, but I can only do that for a few minutes before it becomes to painful. I feel like I need to go poo, but nothings there. Of course, nothings there because I haven't eaten anything solid in the last 48 hours. Did anyone else feel this extreme pain and when did the gas pain let up? I keep telling myself it will let up and it will be all worth it. Just concerned on how bad I feel.

I just read your post and I can't speak to most of your questions because I was banded just 7 days ago. I can say that I am similar in that I didn't have any health issues other than weight. What helped me decide to get the lap band was the prospect of getting a weight related disease. My dad just got diagnosed with diabetes and osteoporosis. My mom started taking high blood pressure meds and I saw where I was heading, but I was younger. Don't see it as vanity, see it as a precautionary method before you end up with diseases brought on by weight. Now I feel like I will be alive and healthy longer to spend with my husband and future kids.

As soon as I can lay on my tummy, I will be back to my normal massage regimen of once a month. They do wonders for stress and blood flow for me.

I like the vanilla atkins protien shake and the slim fast low carb chocolate shake. I think the vanilla atkins shake mixes well with fruit. I can't get the shake down in one sitting, though and drink it in a cup and put the rest in the fridge for when I am ready.

Glad to hear it! For awhile it hurt to sit up and bend and it was easier to roll on my side and prop myself sideways to a sitting position before standing. I do have to say, rolling to the side did hurt, but not as bad as when I just tried to sit up. Hope this helps.

I was banded 6 days ago and I'm recovering slowly. I'm able to do more things like get out bed, walk around, and light cleaning. I'm managing the pain and gas as best I can, but there is this annoying pain I get and I wondering when it will go away. It happens sometimes when I burp (I'm burping a lot) or just because. The only way I can describe it is it's like I'm having indigestion without the acid. It's the sharp pain that develops right below my sternum and throbs for a couple of seconds. I have to grip something while it's occuring because it's terribly unpleasant. Sometimes I feel it lower. Does anyone know what this is? Gas, maybe? By the way...I never knew how bad gas could hurt!!

I just got banded, but I think about this one a lot. I was attending an aunt's wedding and the day before, the whole family was at the house. My Grandma had passed away that year and her sisters were there. One of her sisters is a little bit batty, though. When she was leaving, I got up to say good bye by hugging her. When I finished the hug, she goes...oh, you are pregnant! There must have been a hush that fell over the whole house and I was mortified. I think I started hearing ringing in my head and the floor just fell away. I remember saying weakly, no. She laughed and walked out of the house. I went to go sit by mom afterwards, a big woman herself. She put her hand on my back and didn't say anything. Just what she needed to do. Of course, my dad later said...well, she is batty, but your shirt does look maturnity. DAD!!!

Hello fellow Houstonian! I had my surgery the same day and I can say the swelling is already going down. I'm going back to work Monday, so I'm thinking you will be 100% by next Saturday. If you tell your girlfriends, I would pack some meals for yourself. Ohh...I'm so having scallops for my first real meal. Good Luck!

I'm far from solid foods, but I'm going to miss the seven layer dip during the super bowl this Sunday.

I have a big red spot right under the middle incision. I think in the exact spot you are talking about. It was beat red and hot to the touch and hurt like someone was cutting into me when I would move. It hurt moreso than the gas and incision. It's been 6 days now and it's light red now and not hot. It also doesn't sting as bad. I did put a heating pad on it today, though and it felt really good to do so. Again, I think this is what you are talking about, but I would still show your doctor.

Oh Yes! I think I hit the top of the scale several times this week. I'm reacted poorly to the surgery and took me some time to get out of recovery. The worst pain was 2 days ago when the gas started moving up my side. I thought it would burst. Just manage your pain meds, get some gas-x, and a heating pad for the gas. I'm still dealing with gas pain, but it's worlds better now that I got a heating pad. Also, walking. Loosening it up as soon as you can.

My doctor said once I move to liquids I should measure out 4 oz of food for each meal. Since I may not remember the feeling of being full, I should be consistent to the 4 oz. 50% of that should be protien. If I feel hungry, then I probably need a fill. I would just follow your doc's instructions.

Thanks for sharing your experience! The team I work with is fairly new and I'm not close enough to share with them yet. I did tell my supervisor, but I've know her for over 5 years now. I plan on not saying anything, but if anyone asks I think I will go the route of I had surgery and I was on the mends and it's personal.

This is the first day I was able to stomach the protien shake and some veggie juice. Prior, I have only been able to get crystal light and broth to agree with me. Needless to say I'm excited, but concern that I'm sipping wrong. I was wondering, does it matter if you sip your liquids endlessly or if you need to sip, wait a minute, and sip again. I don't want to create a bulge already and although it might not seem like a big deal...it's worrying me. I don't want to screw up. :willy_nilly:What is everyone else doing?

Hello! I was also banded on the 23rd. I made a couple of posts already and 2 blogs about it. I have to say it's been a pretty hard recovery and I'm still not at work. I'm thinking I might just take the remainder of the days off and go back next Monday. The extra days might do wonders. Today was actually the first day I was able to get a good amount of liquids in me and this might actually be where I can say the tide turned for me. I'm still getting a stitch on my side and the doctor has told me it's gas and I got to work it out. I know my incisions must be healing because they are starting to itch and I'm feeling them now. Kind of like a tugging feeling. I still can't wrap my head that I finally did it and now things are going to change.

What seems to work for me is milk of magnesia for lower gas issues and gas-x for upper gas issues. It still took 4 days for a normal movement, though. I think it was actually a combination of walking around the neighborhood and getting a protien shake down.

I was feeling better last night and moving around some. I was able to get more fluids down and it was a generally good day. Then, I started feeling a stitch on my left side, around the rib cage. I tried to walk it out, but the pain was too much and I needed to sit down. Then it seemed the sitting was making it worse, so I went to go lay down. By then, I thought my side was going to burst and I was crying, which didn’t help because now breathing even hurt. My husband was shocked by the quick turn around from good to "holy cow I'm dying!" and called the clinic. They told him this is normal that it’s the gas moving up and out my body and as much as it hurts, I need to walk it out. NORMAL?! I feel a little alien is going to burst out and dance around. It’s surprising how much gas can hurt. My husband said it sounded like I was going into labor. Today, I got dressed for the first time. I was afraid to put on a bra because I didn't want the bra to touch the incisions. Since all my bras have underwire, I was really concerned. I ended up getting a tank top and putting the bra over the tank top. It's stilly, I know...but I feel better knowing I have support between the incision and the underwire. I still felt the stitch on my side and decided this gas needs to go. I'm tired of it. My husband and dog walked beside me and we walked for about 30 minutes. There were times were I felt like I needed to turn around, but I want to beat this and get things to were they need to be. I thought I was doing enough moving around, but now I know I need to put more into this. Knowing that my side isn’t going to burst open and I can do something about it helps.

NICE! :cursing: Congrats!

I haven't reached my first fill yet, but I would broach this subject in the Post-Op forums. There might be some people there that can relate and provide some advise.

I was banded on 1/23/09 and I read about the recovery time being 3 to 4 days, so I expected to be back at work Tuesday. How naïve I was. Ha! I woke up in recovery feeling I had been stabbed 5 times and then suckered punched. I had a flitting thought of "Oh God, I change my mind!" I woke up at 5:30 p.m., but didn't get home until 9:30 p.m. The issue was I was very nauseous and couldn’t muster the energy to walk over to the next room to get my x-ray. I finally just sucked it up and did it. I just wanted to curl up and go to sleep, but they wanted me to drink water. I managed to get some down and told the nurse I cannot do anymore. Right on queue, I jumped up and started dry heaving and instead of vomiting I expelled 2 large burps. Painful!! I didn’t know how I was going to make it home, but I concentrated on bed. I need to get to my bed. My husband ran to the pharmacy and filled my prescription and gave me some. He’s so great. That night would have been okay because I would have just lulled myself to sleep on pain killers, but they had given me 4 bags of liquids and I had to run to the bathroom once or twice an hour. Each time, my husband had to wake up and help me out. The next day I realized I wasn’t putting too much pressure on my bladder and once I did they trips decreased. I thought I was going to be back to work on Tuesday, but Sunday I called my manager and told her I underestimated things and might need more time. She understood. I then called a co-worker to make sure my open items would be covered. At the end of the conversation, she says…did you think you would be superwomen afterwards. I was like…well, yes. Ha! Now that keeps echoing in my mind. I’m not quite superwoman and it’s okay to take some time to recover. The world understands. This is day 3 after surgery and I’m starting to walk around more, but not quite ready to clean or go for a walk outside like I hear others are doing. But everyone is different. I don’t have to be superwoman, just me.

I was feeling better last night and moving around some. I was able to get more fluids down and it was a generally good day. Then, I started feeling a stitch on my left side, around the rib cage. I tried to walk it out, but the pain was too much and I needed to sit down. Then it seemed the sitting was making it worse, so I went to go lay down. By then, I thought my side was going to burst and I was crying, which didn’t help because now breathing even hurt. My husband was shocked by the quick turn around from good to "holy cow I'm dying!" and called the clinic. They told him this is normal that it’s the gas moving up and out my body and as much as it hurts, I need to walk it out. NORMAL?! I feel a little alien is going to burst out and dance around. It’s surprising how much gas can hurt. My husband said it sounded like I was going into labor. Today, I got dressed for the first time. I was afraid to put on a bra because I didn't want the bra to touch the incisions. Since all my bras have underwire, I was really concerned. I ended up getting a tank top and putting the bra over the tank top. It's stilly, I know...but I feel better knowing I have support between the incision and the underwire. I still felt the stitch on my side and decided this gas needs to go. I'm tired of it. My husband and dog walked beside me and we walked for about 30 minutes. There were times were I felt like I needed to turn around, but I want to beat this and get things to were they need to be. I thought I was doing enough moving around, but now I know I need to put more into this. Knowing that my side isn’t going to burst open and I can do something about it helps.

Yes, I too can't imagine myself as thin, but it's something I like to think about before I fall asleep at night. I was afraid of dropping a lot of money down afraid I might find away to screw it up. But I believe I got a good support system. It sounds like you do too. My doctor told me my meals should only be 4 oz. Everyone is different, but he says until I start recognizing my full feeling, it's best to just messure out 4 oz. of food. I'm going to just trust I won't be starving and get fills when I do. I think you will find your way.

Don't feel too bad. 2g of sugar isn't bad. I had 10g today. I can't seem to get shakes down yet. The only thing that goes down well is crystal light and chicken broth. I've gotten maybe a 4th of shake down in the past 4 days. Needless to say, I'm weak. It's hard to stay active, when I don't have any energy. This is the first day I was able to get dress and go for walk. I just went around the block 1 time and felt really faint. I remember when I felt faint at the gym, my trainer would make me drink gatorade. So, I got a small bottle and drank half of it today. I don't feel bad at all and actually feel more awake. I'm still going to try to get these shakes down, but I will have it on hand if I ever feel faint again.