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Surgery Day Approaching..what to expect?



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I'm scheduled for surgery on Feb 22 and I have very mixed emotions. I'm excited that my 6 months of weight loss management is finally over and I'm so close to surgery. However I'm really nervous about surgery day itself and I really don't know what to expect as far as pain and moving around goes. Can anyone share their surgery day experience with me?

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How exciting! Keep in mind everyone is different so you may or may not expereince the same things as everyone else.

I got my band Nov 27, 2012- I heard alot about shoulder pain but I didnt experience that, I was just really bloated from the gas. My pain was mainly in the port area and on my left side- kind of like a muscle cramp. I had a hard time sleeping in my bed at first because I couldn't lay flat or on my left side without pain so I slept in my recliner and used a cane to help me get up and down.

My husband stayed home with me the first week because we have a 3 yr old and he didnt want me to over do it so it gave me pleanty of time to rest and heal.

Make sure you start walking when you get home- I did a lot of laps around my kitchen table- and sip, sip, sip your Water.< /p>

Good Luck!

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You should be thrilled - I know I was!

As for the experience, mine was all positive. The worst part was, by far, once I woke up it was a bit painful to breathe. Shallow breaths were easy but deep ones hurt. The staff wouldn't let me leave the hospital until I could achieve a certain oxygenation level and that required lots of deep breathing. This was all expected. That took maybe 90 minutes. After that I jumped in the truck and my wife drove us the 5 hours it took to get home. No issues.

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Congratulations. A new YOU will be surfacing. Stay on track and follow the doctor's format.

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How exciting! Keep in mind everyone is different so you may or may not expereince the same things as everyone else.

I got my band Nov 27' date=' 2012- I heard alot about shoulder pain but I didnt experience that, I was just really bloated from the gas. My pain was mainly in the port area and on my left side- kind of like a muscle cramp. I had a hard time sleeping in my bed at first because I couldn't lay flat or on my left side without pain so I slept in my recliner and used a cane to help me get up and down.

My husband stayed home with me the first week because we have a 3 yr old and he didnt want me to over do it so it gave me pleanty of time to rest and heal.

Make sure you start walking when you get home- I did a lot of laps around my kitchen table- and sip, sip, sip your Water.

Good Luck![/quote']

How long was it before you got back into your normal routine and could start to handle your 3 year old again?

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I had my surgery on 1/17/13, and I have to say for me personally, waking up in recovery was the worst part of the whole thing. That was the only time it hurt. The pain was from my largest incision where they went in and out more they said. They gave me some pain med in my iv and that was the end of it.

I went in at 8:00 am and was back home by 2:30 I think. I took my liquid meds at 9:00 when I went to bed and got up at 3:30 to take another dose and that was the end of my pain to the point I needed medication.

I was sore getting in and out of bed and slept a lot the next two days but other than that I can not complain. I have not had any port pain at all and mine is on my right side about 3 inches from my belly button. I did have a hernia repaired. I walked a lot up and down the hall way in the house for three days and was back to normal.

I was told not to lift anything over 10 pounds for 2 weeks, so I haven't.

I have to give my surgeon props for a job well done!!

Good Luck and I pray you have a speedy recovery too. :)

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My surgery is scheduled for the 22nd as well :D

I'm glad you posted this question because I'm feeling the same way you are. I'm nervous. Reading these responses has helped.

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I had my surgery yesterday, I feel ok. It feels like I did a million sit ups. It's really not that bad. I have a little bit of gas pains , but I am taking gas x and that's helping. In my opinion I was just so happy to get off that crappy liquid diet, blah... Hated that. Today I can have yogurt and pudding ! Yay

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My surgery is scheduled for the 22nd as well <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' />

I'm glad you posted this question because I'm feeling the same way you are. I'm nervous. Reading these responses has helped.

I'm nervous too lol but I'm glad that all these people are here to offer all their insight. Congrats on you date being on the 22nd as well, I guess that makes us band buddies since we'll be going through together.

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I had my surgery yesterday' date=' I feel ok. It feels like I did a million sit ups. It's really not that bad. I have a little bit of gas pains , but I am taking gas x and that's helping. In my opinion I was just so happy to get off that crappy liquid diet, blah... Hated that. Today I can have yogurt and pudding ! Yay[/quote']

Wow you doc is awesome,my doc told me I had to be on a liquids only diet for about a week post op. I'm glad to hear that you pain is manageable. I pray the rest of you recovery is great as well.

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Yay!!! Band buddies!! Pretty soon we'll be posting before and after pics of ourselves. I'm getting excited, waited a whole year to finally get approved. I think I'm ready :)

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Can anyone describe to me you experience after taking your first sips if Water after surgery ? What exactly does it feel like?

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Can anyone describe to me you experience after taking your first sips if Water after surgery ? What exactly does it feel like?

If you truly sip it won't be like anything. If you drink more than sips you'll get a momentary backup that feels a lot like when you eat a sandwich quickly, not chewing as you should.

No big deal at all.

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How long was it before you got back into your normal routine and could start to handle your 3 year old again?

i was back into mom mode a week later.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. LeighaTR

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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