I just a month out from my surgery! Excited, nervous,excited, nervous. How did you feel when you first woke up. I have heard very thirsty. What happens when you get the first ice chips and get to swallow? Also, occiasionally I see a reference to PB'ing..what is PBing? Thanks for your help!!!!:help:

Hi BakoGal! Welcome to LBT...

I had pain for a minute or so when I woke up before the meds kicked in, but then it was very manageable. Most people don't experience this, so don't let my experience worry you. I was surprised that the first ice I swallowed didn't hurt at all. My stomach was definitely sensitive for a few days, but the pain level wasn't bad.

PB = Productive Burp. That's what happens when food gets stuck in your stoma... there is only one way out, and that's through your mouth. They can usually be avoided completely if you chew your food thoroughly and eat slowly.

Hope this helps!

Well it can't get fresher in my mind than today! I woke up very quickly and immediately asked for my DH. My brain worked a little before my voice. My vision was blurry kinda like a drunk person right at first. Drinking(sipping) was easy and so refreshing. Within an hour my vision was totally normal and I was on my way home! You have nothing to fear. This was my first surgery and first iv so I was a little nervous. But two thums up :thumb:

hi! after the surgery when i woke up, i needed to peee! but i had the catherter (ouch!) but i was just in and out of sleep, i drank water and was okay

I was just banded. I woke up and laughed and thanked everyone. Then I felt like I had been punched in the stomach really hard. Ice chips went down fine.

The first word out of my mouth when I was coming out form under anesthesia was nausea! I said that & I have never seen any one person move so fast in my life! LOL! The nurse gave me some meds & I was fine. Other than that, sleepy.

I felt fine. No problems at all. I prayed ALOT to GOD before surgery. I needed it for diabetes and acid reflux.....praise to GOD...it's all gone! I had my surgery May 2005. So far I've lost 50 pounds. It's hard being around people who love to eat (especially me). The Lap Band has been a life saver for me. I'm not starving like I use to!!!!!! I just eat to live, not living to eat. (smile) I am having trouble exercising. I never liked to exercise...it's a family trait. Can't find anyone to exercise with!!!! I need more support for exercise....that's my only problem.

I hurt like a SOB!! the gas pains were horrible but that left over night and all those good meds

Then I wanted a cheeseburger.

Bea,

I'm so glad it is working out for you but you needed it for diabetes and acid reflux. The acid reflux is confusing to me-I thought getting banded causes acid reflux which needs to be controlled by eating or sometimes med (otc or prescribed).

Also, I think this is a great question about how you feel after you wake up. I've posted about this but I am scared of "going under". The variety of answers is really interesting. I also didn't realize that some people stay overnight and some go home that night.

Thank you all for posting-Off to work

I felt like I was just waking up from a really long sleep, but I knew where I was. My thought process went something like this:

. o O ( Oh yes! I'm alive! )

. o O ( Is the breathing tube out yet? )

*trying to surreptitiously tell, and I can't, so I reach up and feel a few times to make sure*

(my eyes are still closed at this point)

"Do you have any pain? Rate your pain on a scale from 1 - 10."

"Umm... like a half."

Then I was asked to lift my butt so they could get an xray slide under me.

I tried opening my eyes, and starting getting really annoyed because I would look straight ahead or up, but my eyes kept slowly looking right back down at my bed, so I'd look up again, and they'd slowly fall again. It was REALLY making me mad.

Then a nurse came over to check something, and she had "dirt" all over her face (apparently it was ash wednesday -- not that it would have made any difference had I known) and seeing her that dirty really made me mad... and I guess I kind of told her that she should be ashamed working at a hospital with such poor hygiene, and that she needed to stay away from me so I didn't get an infection. I apparently asked another nurse why she had a Charles Manson tattoo (again referecning the ashes on her forehead).

At that time I was still not able to talk coherently, I'd try - but what I heard was more like someone had just woken me up than any real lucidity.

A few minutes later and I was better.

I was only in recovery less than an hour. I remember the nurse saying she was going to call to have me moved to ACC, and someone else questioning that and she said, "She's talking, breating just fine, has no pain -- no sense in making her stay here if she wants to see her family."

On the acid reflux question. My doctor told me that I would probably never need acid reducers or antacids ever again. I think the reflux people talk about on here must be more af a food reflux that doesn't contain acid. I have always had problems with acid even on an empty stomach, but none int the last almost 24 hours since surgery, hoping to never again

Someone mentioned a catheter? Is that the norm? I didn't know about that. Will it be out by the time I wake up?

Re. the overnighter...ya, some ppl have to stay overnight. I will have to stay overnight because I have sleep apnea. Bummer...but whatever works. But that means my husband will have to stay in a hotel and I know he will worry all night long! :cry

Ahhh, memories of waking up after the Band. My throat hurt worse than anything else. That tube did a number on my throat! My vision was very blurry and it freaked me since I had Lasik 6 months before. I thought they had screwed up my eyes. They should really warn you what it's like when you wake but I guess that's what this thread is for.

They offered me pain meds and I took all they had! I then discovered the more I took, the longer I had to stay so I stuck it up so I could leave. It wasn't too bad, just weird.

Good luck to you!

I was not catheterized, but from what I was told they will catheterize some people. I also did not have to do a bowel prep, but I know others who did. It depends largely on your surgeon.

I don't do well with anesthesia. The first thing I remember (12 days ago) was the anesthesiologist calling my name and telling me the operation was over. I was still in the OR. I tried to swallow and my throat felt like the dessert. I felt myself being moved off the OR table and onto the stretcher. Ahhhhhhhhh... it felt like a bed of feathers.

I was then moved to the recovery room (6:20 PM) and began having uncontrolled shaking and nausea (anesthesia side effects). I was given demerol and zofran IV with relief. At 8 PM I was brought to my room and walked from the hall into the room. I felt like I did 1000 sit-ups and asked for pain medication. The nausea returned and they gave me a stronger medication (phenergan) which sent me into a coma. LOL. At midnight, the RN came in to remove the foley and by 4 AM I was up to the bathroom and doing laps in the hallway. I did not need any meds after that.

I went home the next morning and did fine.

Someone mentioned a catheter? Is that the norm? I didn't know about that. Will it be out by the time I wake up?

Re. the overnighter...ya, some ppl have to stay overnight. I will have to stay overnight because I have sleep apnea. Bummer...but whatever works. But that means my husband will have to stay in a hotel and I know he will worry all night long! :cry

The catheter was inserted in the OR after I was under anesthesia. I had no bowel prep and the IV was put in prior to going to the OR.