Dear Friends,

Just got banded yesterday (12/08/10) by Dr. Barry Sanchez at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View.

I'm in a lot of pain and my lower abdomen hurts the most. I threw up a couple of times during the night but now the nausea has gone away. I am only having diluted apple juice, Water, and sugar-free popsicles.

I am 282 lbs and my goal is 175 lbs.

Any suggestions, tips, or help in managing pain would be appreciated. I'm taking a liquid pain medication every 4-6 hours and sleep right afterward.

The pain is really bothersome. How long does it take for the pain to go away and for the body to feel 'normal'?

I was banded on Monday. I slept most of that day but towards the end of the evening I had the sore shoulder which I guess is a phantom pain caused by pressure on the phrenic nerve. It's totally gone today. Yesterday (two days post op) I was able to walk 5 miles on a treadmill which helped relieve a lot of the gas pain. I have struggled with heartburn for the last two nights but I was told I am allowed to take protonix to stop this. I'm back at work today with only mild soreness at the incision sites.

Good luck. The pain does subside, but you have to get up and move around.

I was banded on Monday. I slept most of that day but towards the end of the evening I had the sore shoulder which I guess is a phantom pain caused by pressure on the phrenic nerve. It's totally gone today. Yesterday (two days post op) I was able to walk 5 miles on a treadmill which helped relieve a lot of the gas pain. I have struggled with heartburn for the last two nights but I was told I am allowed to take protonix to stop this. I'm back at work today with only mild soreness at the incision sites.

Good luck. The pain does subside, but you have to get up and move around.

Thanks for the supportive remarks!

I find that getting in and out of bed to be the most painful. It feels like my stomach is cramping especially when I try to get out of bed. I am walking around the house while I am awake - once every 15 minutes or so.

Hopefully this pain will go away soon!

Hi, I was banded Tuesday, and have 5 incisions. How many do you guys have? I cannot begin to fathom being able to go to work just 3 days later. I hurt like hell when I get up or sit/lay down, bend etc., and no way could I have any kind of waist band on my stomach. I am scheduled to go to work Monday, but am wondering if can pull that off. I coughed a few minutes ago, and the pain was awful. My nurse at discharge yesterday made it sound like I should only be on Tylenol, not the oxycodone, but I can't conceive of that right now either.

I was told that the shoulder pain is gas from the air pumped into the stomach, and to relieve it (in addition to walking to get rid of the gas) one should lay on the side that hurts. I don't know why, that is just what they all said.

Also, how on earth do you get a ticker?

thanks,

Kara

Hi, I was banded Tuesday, and have 5 incisions. How many do you guys have? I cannot begin to fathom being able to go to work just 3 days later. I hurt like hell when I get up or sit/lay down, bend etc., and no way could I have any kind of waist band on my stomach. I am scheduled to go to work Monday, but am wondering if can pull that off. I coughed a few minutes ago, and the pain was awful. My nurse at discharge yesterday made it sound like I should only be on Tylenol, not the oxycodone, but I can't conceive of that right now either.

I was told that the shoulder pain is gas from the air pumped into the stomach, and to relieve it (in addition to walking to get rid of the gas) one should lay on the side that hurts. I don't know why, that is just what they all said.

Also, how on earth do you get a ticker?

thanks,

Kara

I was banded on Monday. The pain was worst the next day, but then started to subside. I still feel sore, but it's tolerable, and is improving each day. I'm taking 5mg oxycodone every eight hours, as needed. I'm also on 7.5mg meloxicam once a day for inflammation. Those are the only meds I'm taking. If I feel especially gassy, Gas-X strips seem to help as well. (I will say that if you feel the urge to pass gas, do it - don't be polite. You need to expel the gas somehow.) Drink as much Water as you can tolerate. The sip-sip-sip mantra is real.

When you feel the urge to cough, you need to do so. Your lungs have residual Fluid build up from the anesthetic, and you need to cough it out. I found holding a pillow tightly against my abdomen helped me get "under" the cough, and this morning I got rid of a huge glob of crud. I haven't coughed since.

For me, walking made a huge difference to move the gas and dissipate the pain. I walked laps around the hospital hallways the two nights I was there, and I'm walking around inside my two-story house now that I'm home - including going up and down the stairs. It's working pretty well.

In addition to getting the band, I also had a hiatal hernia and a ventral hernia repaired. So where most bandsters get 5 or 6 incisions, I have thirteen. Eek! So far, they're healing nicely. All in all I feel much better on day 4 than I expected I would. Hang in there, but get up and move. Your recovery is your responsibility.

Good luck!

Dave

I was banded on Monday. The pain was worst the next day, but then started to subside. I still feel sore, but it's tolerable, and is improving each day. I'm taking 5mg oxycodone every eight hours, as needed. I'm also on 7.5mg meloxicam once a day for inflammation. Those are the only meds I'm taking. If I feel especially gassy, Gas-X strips seem to help as well. (I will say that if you feel the urge to pass gos, do it - don't be polite. You need to expel the gas somehow.) Drink as much Water as you can tolerate. The sip-sip-sip mantra is real.

When you feel the urge to cough, you need to do so. Your lungs have residual Fluid build up from the anesthetic, and you need to cough it out. I found holding a pillow tightly against my abdomen helped me get "under" the cough, and this morning I got rid of a huge glob of crud. I haven't coughed since.

For me, walking made a huge difference to move the gas and dissipate the pain. I walked laps around the hospital hallways the two nights I was there, and I'm walking around inside my two-story house now that I'm home - including going up and down the stairs. It's working pretty well.

In addition to getting the band, I also had a hiatal hernia and a ventral hernia repaired. So where most bandsters get 5 or 6 incisions, I have thirteen. Eek! So far, they're healing nicely. All in all I feel much better on day 4 than I expected I would. Hang in there, but get up and move. Your recovery is your responsibility.

Good luck!

Dave

Thanks Dave for the info about the coughing. I got a huge glop too, and was quite surprised by it, and had no idea what it was.. Wow, 13 incisions! I don't envy you. I am amazed that someone is back at work after just 3 days. No way I could do it. Either Subpoptart is Super Woman, or I am a major wimp. I think with me it is the incisions that hurt, not stomach itself. And, I was told that I wouldn't be hungry for 2 weeks, wrong, I have been starving all day!

Good luck everyone!!

Hi, I was banded Tuesday, and have 5 incisions. How many do you guys have? I cannot begin to fathom being able to go to work just 3 days later. I hurt like hell when I get up or sit/lay down, bend etc., and no way could I have any kind of waist band on my stomach. I am scheduled to go to work Monday, but am wondering if can pull that off. I coughed a few minutes ago, and the pain was awful. My nurse at discharge yesterday made it sound like I should only be on Tylenol, not the oxycodone, but I can't conceive of that right now either.

I was told that the shoulder pain is gas from the air pumped into the stomach, and to relieve it (in addition to walking to get rid of the gas) one should lay on the side that hurts. I don't know why, that is just what they all said.

Also, how on earth do you get a ticker?

thanks,

Kara

Hi,

I too have 5 incisions. The large incision area hurts for me and there is some inflammation around it. The pain is a lot better today and I was actually able to turn to a side on my bed.

Hi everyone:

I was also banded this past week, on Tues, December 7, My incision sites are painful, especially one larger one where we think the port may be located. I don't have pain unless those ab muscles on the right side are engaged. So far, I've learned to use my left side more and to also use my legs more than my abs in moving. I also don't have a lot of energy and feel tired a lot.

I was concerned about losing weight, and so far I have lost one pound, after the initial 7 or so due to bloating and gas. I am now one pound less than when I went into the hospital.

I am using my own shake recipes since I have a WLS book and the surgeon and the dietician both approved and I am intolerant of lacotose, sorbitol, sucralose, etc.

I have difficulty in swallowing the vitamins, even crushed, so now I wish I had the chewable type, which I didn't want to invest in initially. They taste so bad, I may just go out and spend the money on the chewables today. A pedicure is also tempting right now, too!

I see the surgeon in two weeks and the dietician next week.

I wish everyone good luck and lots of weight loss success!!