I had surgery on weds morning and as of tonight I am still hurting so bad. My stomach cramps, the incisions hurt, my stomach muscles hender me getting up and down. Today I got released to drink milky drinks or strained soups and they make my chest hurt to drink them. Now my question is .. is this normal and if it is how long will it last?

Hello fellow band sister. I was banded on April 11th and I had all the problems that you're having yesterday and this morning. I called my Dad who is an ER doctor and my Mom who's a nurse and they agreed that it was all perfectly normal. They urged me to keep walking and keep drinking two litres of water a day. So yes it is normal... at least for two of us. I've heard people saying that drinking milk or dairy products can really irritate your new tummy. Drink your water or soup REALLY slowly. I did little medicine cups full of soup; one every five minutes. You'll feel better if you have some protein or at least some calories. I KNOW that it hurts but you have to get up and walk around. It's the muscles underneath the incisions that hurt... at least for me. So grab a heating pad and set your timer for every hour and walk around your house when that timer goes off. I PROMISE it gets easier but you have to push yourself. If you have a fever or you get really dizzy that doesn't resolve itself within thirty seconds, call your doctor. If you're still worried, call your doctor. That's what docs are for! I hope other people can help. Best of luck. PM me if you need a walking or drinking (he, he) buddy.

Hang in there!

Stay away from dairy. with only 3 days, you should be on a full liquid diet which is NO milk!! ice pops; Italian ices, soup broth, water, your tummy needs to heal. I had pain getting up and down especially for like a week. I thought I would be back to work 6 days after my banding and I had to wait another week. Even then, i got driven to work because I have a long drive and knew I wasn't all there yet. Treat yourself with tender loving care. Remember, you are worth the extra time and care. you have the rest of your life to be on the go!! Give yourself a couple of weeks of easiness.

bwaydive, I wasn't disagreeing with you, just that as you get older, you can't push yourself as much as when you are in your 20's (unfortunately). It is true that sometimes you heal slower. But, I do agree that if you are able to, get up and move. I did, but there was pain when going from a laying position to the standing position, most specifically where the port is.

Charolette, just remember, it really does pass. I k now you are thinking, lord, did I do the right thing, is it going to get better? The answer is YES!!! You are starting a new life!! Believe me, you will feel better. I have lost 35 lbs so far and the compliments are great but better then that is I already feel healthier. My pants are all too big (yipee!), even my shoes fit better already (I am NOT kidding).

Reqgoddess, although I do only have the perspective of a 20 year old, I think you would be laughing your butt off at my sincere inability to go from laying on my couch to standing. Currently I have it down to something like a roll!! =) I definitely still have pain at my port site as evidence by the fact that it's midnight here in California and I can't fall asleep because I can't find a comfortable position!! I was just trying to be encouraging and for me, sometimes a little push can go a long way. Charolette, I was merely trying to be encouraging and I hope that my comments will be viewed more as empathy than sympathy. I hope that you're sleeping well and comfortably.

Thanks for all the advise.. all is taken well... its because it is all new to me is why I sought out for any thing others where willing to tell me... The pain mostly is in the middle of my breast bone... I get this even when I swallow water... especially cold water.... but warm tea usually goes down pretty good... I just get this feeling like I am choking... I do not have trouble burping .. I even burp water.... I know all things take time.. and I am sure I will have man more questions .. so I want to thank all of you all for your input.