Help! Banded on 11/11/11

[changemynametoskinny 5]

I feel so bad. I can hardly get Water down, not because of the band but because of the nausea/pain in my chest. I tried to sip on some V8 splash and got maybe an ounce down. Nothing sounds good at all. Like the thought of anything but water makes me start gagging. How long is it safe to go with out taking in any calories? Any suggestions on how to handle this. And please someone tell me this won't last much longer! I am walking for 5 min an hour when I'm awake...

[Dawn200321 146]

Hmmm.....Hopefully that wont last. I was out and going shopping on 2nd day out of surgery. I never had a nausea or vomiting at all. I would call your doctor on monday if it doesnt get any better. Do they have some one on call that you can talk to over the weekend?

[Leisha249 24]

Hang in there. I had to FORCE myself to take in any fluids at all for days after my surgry. You can go a long time without food but you really need to stay hydrated. Small sips, as often as you can. As long as your not throwing it up you should be ok. It will get better. I was having second thoughts right after surgery. Too late, at that point, but was sorry I did it. However, 6 weeks out and learning how to eat again, 38 lbs down from Sept 9 till now. I know it was the right decision.

I feel so bad. I can hardly get Water down, not because of the band but because of the nausea/pain in my chest. I tried to sip on some V8 splash and got maybe an ounce down. Nothing sounds good at all. Like the thought of anything but Water makes me start gagging. How long is it safe to go with out taking in any calories? Any suggestions on how to handle this. And please someone tell me this won't last much longer! I am walking for 5 min an hour when I'm awake...

[Corrigan 75]

I'm surprised you're out already, I know some surgeons do a hack and release, but I hope you have adequate post op instructions. You should be sipping Water very slowly, but steadily. I had a little

sponge with a stick in it to dip in water and suck on, then ice chips to sip on, then a glass of water

to drink slowly. The first few days drink as much as you can, up to 64 oz a day. it sounds like a lot,

but you need water to help you heal and help with Constipation. If you don't have post op material

please let me know and I'll see that you get some. The schedule should be: week 1, Clear Liquids,

broth, crystal lite, Protein Shakes made w/water sugar free popsicles, etc., week 2, full liquids, Protein shakes made with skim milk, Soups with no lumps. week3 &4 mushies, food ground to a consistancy

that would go through a straw. week 5, regular food cut up in pieces the size of your fingernail.

Week six your go to go, just make sure your diet is balanced and chew well. Hope this helps.

[Poodlelover56 2]

I feel so bad. I can hardly get Water down, not because of the band but because of the nausea/pain in my chest. I tried to sip on some V8 splash and got maybe an ounce down. Nothing sounds good at all. Like the thought of anything but water makes me start gagging. How long is it safe to go with out taking in any calories? Any suggestions on how to handle this. And please someone tell me this won't last much longer! I am walking for 5 min an hour when I'm awake...

[Poodlelover56 2]

I got a prescription for Zofran the day after my surgery. It's a nausea pill. I would call the doctor. Someone has to be on call on weekends. Also, it's very common to have zero appetite, even for liquids. There is a lot of swelling from the top part of your stomach being squished into the band. Just focus on sips of Water, staying hydrated so that you urinate atleast every 4-6 hours. About a week after my surgery, I called the dietician because I had very little appetite and was worried about lack of Protein. She reassured me that as long as I was staying hydrated and not vomiting, then I was on track. So, try to get the nausea under control. You will feel better soon! This period will be a post op blur! And remember, everyone's recovery is different. Try not to compare yourself with someone who is at the mall day 2. I couldn't have been either. Keep us posted!

[Bandedtwin 0]

I was banded on 11/10/11 and have had a little pain. I haven't been hungry at all, but I've been forcing myself to drink Soup broth every day. I like the Campbell's soup at hand. I've also been drinking green tea, and that seems to help too. My biggest pain is from the gas. I feel like if I could just burp I would feel a hundred times better, but nothing comes out. I've been using Gas-X strips that disolve on my tongue and that helps tremendously!!

[honk 780]

I'm sorry to hear you are having such problems. I would def. call the doctor on Monday and ask if he/she left any liquid in the band (they check it before sewing it in to make sure there are no leaks.). I've often read complaints like yours and it turns out the doctor left liquid inside the band. Once it is taken out they feel MUCH better.

Let us know how things go.

[highland 168]

I understand the thought of food makes you ill right after surgery. Anesthesia does that to me. After a week my appetite returns. In the hospital, right After my surgery, they wanted me to try juice, Jello, and broth. My sister, who is an RN, was with me, and I told her everything was tainted. I was convinced it had somehow spoiled and I was NOT going to have anything to do with it! Calories are not a concern for ylu at this point, but Water is. Sip ALL day long and shoot for 64 oz. They gave me a shot glass that I was to drink every five minutes all day long. Good luck! and it WILL get better.

[CarynW 3]

chicken Soup was the only thing I could get down and it was so soothing. Try it!

[roziecakes 20]

I am surprised that they let you leave without doing a barium swallow to be sure that you could take in liquids. I would a) Call your doc b ) Take any anti-nausea meds and / or pain meds you were prescribed, and c) Try to warm up the liquids to see if they go in better. Also, as another poster suggested, try some chicken broth. It's okay to sip really slow. Good luck and feel better soon!

[shannonraeh 0]

My surgery was on 11/8/11 and I have felt the same way. The only time I didn't feel like vomiting was when I was laying down. I have never had heartburn before, but I am assuming thats whats been going on with me. It's absolutly miserable and has caused me not to drink as much as I should. Today is my first day out and I feel a little better. Hopefully yours will subside in the next day or two as well. I still have the bad heartburn, but I am able to drink more and not feel like I'm going to vomit. Still have the shoulder pain from the gas, not sure how long that takes to go away!

[changemynametoskinny 5]

Thank you everyone for all of the help! I am feeling much better today. I made myself drink some V8 splash and that seemed to help. I know it sounds crazy but you guys really do make me feel better, like I'm going to make it through! lol!

I had a really bad post op experience while I was in recovery at the hospital. My nurse was new (I assume) and she had no clue what she was doing. When I woke up I was laying flat on my back and I was having a lot of trouble breathing due to the gas. She kept giving me Stadol and all that does to me is makes me out of it where I can't talk so I couldn't communicate to her that I needed to sit up and move around. She finally sat me up and put me in a wheel chair, and I kept saying how nauseous I was. She wouldn't give me anything for nausea because "O you'll be sleepy for hours if I give you phenergan". They wheeled me to a room for a barium swallow and as soon as I swallowed the stuff I threw up! I think that throwing up is what made my recovery so much harder. They sat me back in the wheel chair and finally got my husband. I had that stuff all over my face (they didn't even bother to wipe it off of me, nice huh?) She told him to try to get me to go the restroom and dress me. I was so out of it and in SO MUCH PAIN, my poor husband took me to the restroom and got me dressed. My husband asked for my prescriptions but she said I didn't have any. I told him before surgery to make sure and ask 3 questions I wanted to know: What type of band do I have, how many cc does the band hold and how many are in it. Well, surprise, surprise she said she didn't know, it wasn't in the chart! We finally left and he immediately started calling the Dr's office. After 3 calls he got them to call me in some liquid hydrocodone. That has helped with the pain so much but I was still having trouble with nausea. Today the nausea is gone and I feel a ton better. I really liked my surgeon but I am very unhappy with the after care.

As far as the diet they had me do pre op 7 days of Clear Liquids

Days 1-14 after surgery full liquids, no chunks

Days 14-28 mushy

I am so scared to do anything but thin liquids. I can even feel those back up under my breast bone when I take a drink. I think that is just from the swelling from throwing up though...

[changemynametoskinny 5]

I'm surprised you're out already, I know some surgeons do a hack and release, but I hope you have adequate post op instructions. You should be sipping Water very slowly, but steadily. I had a little

sponge with a stick in it to dip in Water and suck on, then ice chips to sip on, then a glass of water

to drink slowly. The first few days drink as much as you can, up to 64 oz a day. it sounds like a lot,

but you need water to help you heal and help with Constipation. If you don't have post op material

please let me know and I'll see that you get some. The schedule should be: week 1, clear liquids,

broth, crystal lite, Protein shakes made w/water sugar free popsicles, etc., week 2, full liquids, Protein Shakes made with skim milk, Soups with no lumps. week3 &4 mushies, food ground to a consistancy

that would go through a straw. week 5, regular food cut up in pieces the size of your fingernail.

Week six your go to go, just make sure your diet is balanced and chew well. Hope this helps.

Hack and release is the understatement of the year! I think proper after care makes a BIG difference! Thank you for being so supportive!

[Dulci 108]

Try lying in a position that keeps your head at a 30 degree angle, instead of lying flat. I spent the first night in the hospital and my surgeon's orders were that I remain inclined. The nurses kept waking me up because I would slide down as I slept.

I have had issues with acid reflux, kind of like the pain you describe in your chest. Lying flat always makes it worse.

Good luck and feel better.