Talking to the Lap Band veterans - can you remember back to that first week after your surgery? What was the biggest obstacle for you? What was the hardest part of your recovery in particular? Thank you in advance for sharing your stories!

My only issue was from the trauma of having so many drugs, saline, gas pumped into my body. I felt traumatized for a week. No real pain and no issues with food or fluids for me. Just the foggy feelings from the drugs.

Rolling over a little tricky for a few days -- had to think it out beforehand, getting out of bed, etc. But passed quickly. I didn't take pain meds but still got constipated and had to take something for that -- wished this had been addressed prior. That's all I can think of. I was so giddy and excited to finally have my band. And right now I have a wrenched back, am in a recliner on ice packs. Boy is a bad back painful and most of us have been there. Way worse than band surgery recovery, if you ask me. And I'd rather get a band then go through dentistry. Getting the band was a choice and it was empowering. Purposeful. Not like being ill or recovering from an injury, etc.

I didnt have the bad gas pains. But pains meds didnt touch the extreme soreness I had from the port being stitched to my stomach (could have something to do with the hernia repair too). Getting in and out of bed/the chair the first day made me cry. It obviously subsided more and more each day, but it was still miserable day 1-4. I was still so excited throughout all this, that it barely phased me!

I had a surprisingly easy time of it, for the most part... I had no gas pains. Some discomfort in my left shoulder that was easily knocked down with a heating pad and some liquid children's Motrin. (Used on approval of my surgeon.) My port site was a bit owchy, but supporting my tummy and learning how to move until it settled in took care of that. I never needed my prescription pain meds, I didn't have any real pain after my Lap Band surgery.

I was extremely tired. For the first three days, I was wiped. out. All I wanted to do was sleep. I'd wake up, hit the bathroom, sip Water, have my liquid nourishment, walk for a bit, take care of my incision sites if called for then snuggle back into my recliner, grab my book, read for a few minutes or watch a little tube and crash.

My biggest problem was, unlike many people who get constipated, I had the Infernal Ass Hose. Weeks of diarrhea. I finally had to seek medical help for it because everything that went in was coming out in pure, liquid force and it. was. awful. I would have much rather have had constipation. That, I know how to deal with. The trots just suck so bad. But yeah. That was the worst of it, for me.

My surgery, recovery, and so on, aside from the diarrhea were a piece of cake! Really, it wasn't bad, at all. I went in at a quarter to seven in the morning, I was released just before ten, that same morning, I was home, chilin' like a villain in my recliner by one. (We had a long drive home.) I was a bit sore, Moved carefully for a couple of days but I didn't have any real "pain" and I bounced back really well.

Wow!!!!! Thinking back to the first week. Geesh let's see what was the hardest. Not eating regular food and sticking to the liquids until time for the next food phase. Unlike others I was hungry after surgery and I was given two ccs during surgery. I didn't get my first fill until four weeks later. Trying to not eat more than four oz per meal.

Edited June 18, 201412 yr by Lady VS

I tend to want to sleep through pain so it was a real struggle for the docs and my family to get me up and moving which prolonged my recovery. You really need to walk to work the gas pains out of your body and beleive it or not the more you move the better you will feel. The port incision is the worst one. You'll hardly notice the others.