all you veterans care to share with us pre-op newbies the one, two (etc.) things you wish you had known/done before the actual surgery itself to make your surgerical outcome as successful as possible. thanks.

I was surprised by the overwhelming nausea after surgery. I've had nausea from anesthesia before, but that was nothing like this kind of nausea. Overwhelming and debilitating are the only words that come to mind.

I wish I would have known that I wouldn't be able to bend over for at least 4 weeks. Shaving my legs was impossible and I needed help putting my socks, underwear, and pants on. In general, I needed more help than I was expecting. I should have had my mother come stay with me for a few days. Household chores -- everything from unloading the dishwasher to cleaning out the litter boxes -- were excruciating for the first 2 weeks. I could not comfortably (and therefore safely) drive until day 6 or 7. This surgery seemed to be rougher on me than most people, and I think it's because I'm both short and short-waisted. I'm 5 feet tall and only have about 3 inches between my ribs and my hip bones. That's not much space for all the swelling that you get from the surgery.

I also was not prepared for the extreme hunger pains that accompanied the return of my appetite on post-op day 3 or 4. Bandster Hell is right. The time between surgery and that first fill is torture.

Way to go!

Hi there. I am really getting excited. It is looking like my surgery will happen. I have a few more things to do and appointments to go to finish up before I get a date. I am trying to really inform myself and not go into this with a lot of unanswered questions. I am a nurse and have taken care of many patients after surgery but I have never had bariatric surgery myself...so this is all new to me. I am hearing a lot about pain in the neck and shoulders after surgery. That is deferred gas pain if people are wondering. It is very common to feel gas pain in the neck and shoulders. Walking, water, and prune juice really helps a lot.....gets things moving. I love to hear about all your stories and experiences and I want to say THANK YOU. I am learning so much! I will keep reading these posts everyday!

I researched this surgery for 2 YEARS before I did it. I was pretty well informed.

BUT:

I wish I had known that it wasn't going to be the end of eating foods that I like FOREVER! It is life changing, but not in a bad way at all! I think if I had known that, (even though I read it on here, I still didn't KNOW it for myself) I'd have had the surgery much sooner. And I would have avoided the co-morbidities that I've developed.

I had an easy surgery, and an easy recovery....very little pain. I had minimal gas pain---nothing to even take Tylenol for. I have not given up any foods, except yeasty donuts---I eat all things in moderation. I was well prepared for possibly having some of these problems---I had the gas X, and heating pad, all my foods were ready. The one item I wish I had prior to surgery and the following, liquid in=liquid out issues---was TUCKS. Little moist wipes, that help the sore hiney when the diarrhea hits non stop for that week or so!

The other thing I wish I had been told, or warned about concerns my flying to and from surgery. I wish I had been told to pack light!!! You have to lug that suitcase---post surgery as well!!! And also to wear slip on shoes!!! I was able to put them on just fine in the hospital room, but after going through security, and trying to bend with the seats in the airport to retie my shoes wasn't fun!

Oh yeah---I wish someone had stressed the importance of clear, unobstructed before pictures, and detailed precise measurements. Because when you hit a plateau (and we all do!), you still lose inches, and it helps to KNOW that. I can see my loss in pictures, much clearer than in the mirror!

Good Luck in your upcoming surgeries!!!

Kat

all you veterans care to share with us pre-op newbies the one, two (etc.) things you wish you had known/done before the actual surgery itself to make your surgerical outcome as successful as possible. thanks.

Oh, there's a few:

1. I wish I had taken before pictures in tight-fitting clothes while posed in a doorway. I wish I had taken front, side and rear view photos every month since surgery. Having before and during photographs is one of the most powerful tools I know of for staying the course, as well as PROVING TO OURSELVES that this WORKS.

2. I wish I had known more about the importance of Protein. The USRDA for adults is .8grams per kilo of lean body weight per day, and other sources indicate a higher amount of protein retains lean muscle mass. The number I finally settled on is 1.25 grams per kilogram of lean body mass. Quite a few websites I have seen support that number. I took my goal weight and multiplied that by .85 to get lean body mass (Allowing for 15% fat at goal) then divided that number by 2.2 to get kilograms of lean body mass. Then I multiplied the kilograms by 1.25 to get my daily protein grams target. Once I started hitting that protein target every day, inches just FELL off!

I think those two things are what I really WISH I had known.

Well, for 4 years prior to the surgery, I was on a yo yo ride of, "should I do this or should I not?"

Not to mention I was whole heartedly going to do the RNY surgery... I knew very little about the lapband.

It wasnt until 2 weeks prior to surgery that both my lapband surgeon and my GP doctor called my and said they would like for me to do the Lapband surgery rather than the gastric bypass.

I have sever hip problems and I do depend at time for Motrin and other anti inflamitory meds.

They felt that my best option would be for me to have the lapband.

With that decided, I only had a couple of weeks to prepare and educate myself on the Lapband. So if i could change anything, it would be my chance to truly educate myself about the proceedure and about how to eat...

Actually, mine was not from the lap-band, but from my heital hernia repair. There is a nerve in the diaphragm that was stitched in the repair. My dr. told me that on Thursday when I went for my 2 week check up. The pain is still there somewhat, but nothing like it was. He said that when that was healed, the pain would go away.

My surgery and recovery was really fast with very little pain except for gas cramps. I wish I had been told that I had to walk in order to get rid of the gas. Instead I lay around in bed for a couple of days, reading, dozing, and eating cherry flavoured Gas-X. Lots of cherry flavoured Gas-X. :phanvan

And, oh yah, if you take other meds, buy yourself a pill crusher.:confused:

I am hearing a lot about PAIN. I thought it was a fairly low pain surgery? I have had two c-sections and that I viewed as moderately painful for several days. Is is like that? (Anyone who has had a c-section)......or better.....I would assume better! C-sections are pretty invasive. I am just hearing a lot about Pain and it is surprising me. I want to be prepared in any and all ways is all. THANKS A BUNCH!! P.S. I am familiar with the deferred gas pain in the shoulders and neck. I had that with my second c-section. I guess I am curious to know how much time to take off from work. I was only planning on taking a few days.....but maybe I should take more....????:sick

By day four I wasn't taking any pain meds during the day, only chewing on cherry flavoured Gas-X. I found the operation very easy to recover from and I am 57 and I have a low pain threshhold.

I wish I had fought my own planning nature before the surgery. I'm a natural organizer and 'do-er' so I spent a lot of time preparing for the next stage of food intake. I made a lot of Soups from the Eating Well after Weight Loss cookbook and freezing them in lots of 1/2 cup containers.

What I didn't realize was that my surgeon had me go from clear fluids to mushies and skipped the liquid stage. By the time he gave me the go-ahead on mushies I was craving solids so badly there was just no way I was using my prime pouch real estate on Soup.

Eventually I did use up those tiny soup portions, but it was really a waste of time preparing them.

Other than that, this board and my surgeon's staff had me very well prepared for the procedure.

I wish I had taken before photos and measurements. I hated myself so much I couldn't even do that! It stinks now! I think having those would have pushed me for those times I feel hopeless.

:huytsao

If you're just having the band fitted during surgery the pain afterwards is not supposed to be too bad. I had a hiatal hernia repaired as well which meant I was in a lot of pain afterwards and required morphine the first night. I'm sure you will be fine and get through it. Most of us have on here

Best of luck with your forthcoming surgery!

Reading through these posts just confirms the uniqueness of each individual. I was banded 4/10. I told my doctor about my problems with nausea after surgery and he put extra stuff in the IV plus I wore a patch and I had no nausea at all. I was just very, very tired. I had no problems with pain and no problems with gas. I had a hiatal hernia repaired as well and felt no pain from that. I kept expecting the gas pains to hit and they never did. I bought the gas X and never opened the box. I walked and walked and walked while in the hospital and felt good doing it. Today 3 days post surgery I am satisfied with my liquid diet and the only thing I feel is a catch once in a while on my port incision. There was nothing that I had not anticipated because of all the wonderful information on this site and all the reading materials the doctor gave me and that I bought. I started this process in January and here I am banded already. Everything fell into place and I know it was meant to be. When I woke up this morning there was a great feeling of joy knowing that I am on a downward path with my weight. Now I can't weight (pun.. hehehe) to get on the scales each morning.