cathyc113

Sorry I didn't get a chance to update yesterday. I saw my Dr. and had a complete unfill. He wants me to take it easy for a few days food wise to let the swelling go down and then I go back next week to have it re-filled. Thanks to everyone for your support. I really appreciated it!

Better? Yes. Is it competely gone? Not yet. My husband wasn't able to find either item in the only store that was still open when I sent him out last night. I am actually going right now and if it doesn't work I will call my Dr. this morning. Friday is usually his surgery day, so I really hope that he can see me. I will update later. Thanks for your support. :eek:

Thank you. I probably have that info somewhere but 6 months out I don't have any idea where it would be and this is my first, and hopefully my last, bad episode. I have just sent my husband to the grocery store to try to find one of these items. I will let you know how it turns out.

Help! For the last 45 minute I have been VERY uncomfortable. I have been trying to find info about some possible relief for my discomfort with little luck. I feel like I have a lump in my chest. Right in the center. I was eating corn on the cob and started to feel full so I stopped. A few minutes later I slimmed a little and pb'd a couple of times. Even though the sliming has stopped, I still feel that lump of pressure and can't get right of it. I keep having little tiny burps and I can't even keep Water down. Am I stuck? Does anyone have any suggestions that might help move this along? Should I call the Dr? I have tried walking, yoga poses, burping, arms up, squatting. Not sure what else to try. Please help. Thanks in advance. -Cathy

I feel silly asking this since it seems so minor compared to a lot of the other stuff people are going through. But I am finding that recently the area directly surounding my port has gotten tender, and sometimes sore. I haven't had this throughout, just the normal burning, pulling sensations during the healing process, but suddenly by the late afternoon the area around and over my port is pretty uncomfortable. I am wondering if anyone else has found this. I am thinking that perhaps it is just more exposed as I have lost weight and that leaning over my desk is sort of pushing on it and irritating it now that there isn't as much "padding" to protect it. I have tried to be more consious of my seat position and leaning into my desk but that hasn't seemed to help much, yet anyway. Any ideas, comments or suggestion? Thanks.

I was in agony the 1st few days. Walking in short spurts helped. It was definately hard to sleep since I am a stomach sleeper, but by the 5th day I was sleeping on my left side, and around day 7 on my right. After about 2 weeks I could sleep on my stomach. Try not to do too much at once when you are up and around or it may set you back. (This is personal experiance speaking) Now I am 5 weeks out today and am walking on the treadmill 45 minutes a day and doing yoga 3 times a week. It feels great. I had the same questions at day 2 that you are having. What did I do, why did I do this, but at this point I have no regrets. Hang in there, and try to stay positive. You will feel better soon I promise!

Just something to think about as far as the tampon goes, will you be able to bend enough to reach and remove it? I was not able to bend enough to insert one and had to wear the boat for my entire Aunt Flo visit. Just some food for thought. I would be so embarrassed to have a nurse get it for me postop if I couldn't get it.

I just wanted to weigh in on your question about recovery, hunger and being able to feel it. I had a slightly different experience than most of the other posts. I was up and walking, about every hour to hour and a half at the hospital where I stayed overnight because the pain was not managed. I have always had a fairly high pain tolerance, but I had a burning sensation right near where my port is, everytime I tried to change positions. It was very uncomfortable. I also only took a week off work and ended up needing 3 more days. I have a desk job. I have a friend who was longer than me, and another who stopped at the grocery store for supplies on her way home from the hospital. (she is a bit of a procrastinator.) And went back to work on Monday after a Thursday surgery. So it really can very from person to person. I have not felt hungry until the last day or 2 and I am 3 weeks post op. I can feel the port if I press on it, but otherwise I don't notice it. Good luck, I wish you a fast recovery!

Has anyone had trouble with feeling guilty and like they have been "cheating". Maybe I just associate feeling full with eating too much, and think I have to feel hungry to lose weight, but I keep feeling guilty. Like I just blew a diet. And although i have been tempted, I have been following my guidelines to a "t". Has any one else had this problem?

My Aunt Flo moved right in the day before surgery. I have a friend who is banded and I asked her and low and behold she had the same issue. She is a nurse though and was able to tell me not to worry about it. She said they will just hand you an enormous boat of a pad and a pair of those pretty little mesh panties that they usually reserve for new mothers and send you off to the bathroom. I didn't have a catheter either for this surgery, but I did for my c-sections and it was much worse in my mind than in reality. Good luck!

Thank you all so much for your support. I am starting to feel a little better today. I have stopped taking the heavy duty meds and am on liquid Extra Strength Tylenol now. Mostly it is just the anoying jabing and pulling under the large incision. Now that I know what it is I feel better though. I called out for work over the weekend and will start back with a half shift on Tuesday. Turns out my boss was expecting to have me out for longer than I had planned and had some people who agreed to cover my shift for the weekend if needed. She is so great! Thanks again for your help and support.

I had my banding on Friday (1/5). I have been feeling progressivley better, however, I keep getting a jabbing burning pain on my right side. Just under the largest incision. It seems to only happen when I stand up. I am fine sitting or laying, but when I try to stand for longer than a few minutes, it becomes excuciating. I called my Dr. and was told this is normal, but I haven't seen it mentioned here, and am wondering how long it lasted for other people. My medication takes the edge off but I am literally in tears by the end of a shower. This doesn't bode well for going back to work on Saturday. I keep hoping I will wake up and it will be all better. Sorry that I am whining, I just never dreamed it would hurt more than my c sections. Any advice would be wonderful! Thanks

My mil gave me a cookbook for Christmas that was written by someone who has the lap band and didn't want to drink bland boring food. It is called Eating Well after Weight Loss Surgery. I have not yet tried anything in the cookbook, but it looks pretty good to me. I can;t get used to some of her ideas however. It is well laid out and explained, suggesting different ways to serve it based on what stage you are in, but I don't envision myself making a garden omelet or muscles steamed in herbs and wine and pureeing it and drinking it up?!!:yuck: Who knows, after a few days of broth and protein drinks I may be singing a different tune. Maybe this would help you?! Good luck and hang in there!

Thank you all so much for the great ideas! The pillow tip is especially great. I remember holding the seatbelt on my way home after my c section. Thankfully my trip is 30 minutes tops! Maybe I will put a pillow in the car right now so I don't forget! Also, I will be sure to take lots of pictures. I probably wont look at them though until I don't feel like I look this way anymore. As far as the meals go, I am preparing them for my family, not myself, so I wont have to prepare food I can't eat right after surgery, and also to take some of the pressure off of my dh. Who by the way is being SO wonderful about this!! Keep the tips coming!! Thanks again! I can't wait!