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Questions about surgery



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I have my surgery on October 20th and I have a few questions.

1) How long is surgery?

2) Is there a chance of having excess skin after surgery and losing weight?

3) Do the fills and adjustments hurt?

Thanks in advanced!

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1: Lap Band surgery should take about one hour... you will be rolled into surgery, and then the next thing you know you'll pop awake in recovery wondering if the surgery was done :) You won't even realize that the time has past.

2: It depends on how much weight you have to lose, and I suspect as we get older our skin becomes less elastic. Some folks feel losing more slowly (1 or 2 pounds a week) helps. Others say that exercise helps.

3: You will be sore after surgery, especially around the port area. And since they inject gas for any of these surgeries, you will be bloated and uncomfortable until the gas is absorbed by the body and passed. You will be gassy for a day or two!

Fills are like a bee sting. You feel the pinch, but since the needle is going through skin and into the port it isn't as bad as your imagine it might be. They have you lay flat, and then the APRN will find the port, between his thumb and index fingers, and insert the needle into the center. It only takes around five or six seconds.

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If this is any help, I was close to your height and weight when I got banded, and although I don't think I can lose the last 20 lbs I had hoped for, I have no loose skin at all. I was 53 when I was banded, the Dr. told me the tummy was where the very last of my extra weight would come off, and it would be the hardest to get off. Oh, how true ! So yes, I do a a small tummy roll, but I really dont care ! Im in a happy, healthy size 10 body, faaaarrrr better than my before body that was overweight and unhealthy. So I'll never have a flat tummy again ? Oh well !!!

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Thank you!! Im only 19 so I'm kinda self conscious and don't want extra skin.

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Congratulations on getting your surgery date! I hardly feel the "pinch" when I get a fill -- doesn't hurt at all. I remember how nervous I was for the first one and then the surgeon gave me an arm to sit up. "It's over?" I hadn't even noticed!

Best thing I did prior to surgery was up my exercise -- didn't want to but so glad I did. The walking post-op was so good for kicking my body into healing mode and starting off this new chapter in my life. As I've lost weight the exercise has helped me tone up. I am also 53 and may have a little paunch but agree with Pink Dahlia that if that's the case at this point I don't really care. Happy not to look like Mrs. Winne-the-Pooh anymore!

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I'm not an expert, but your weight is not as bad as others, and you are young. i suspect you skin will be much more elastic than someone who is much older and who has suffered with gains and loses over a few decades. I suspect your young age may be to your advantage as far as excess skin is concerned.

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Just chiming in to wish you the best with your surgery!

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Thank you everyone!

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I would answer questions 1 and 2 like Labwalker. However, I have only had one fill hurt and that was by a nurse who had only done a couple of fills! However, after having ten fills I don't feel they hurt as much as a bee sting. My fill nurse also has me lift my legs right before she gives the shot and it somehow makes the port easier to fill and it doesn't hurt half as much as much as a flu shot. Congratulations on getting surgery. You are so young I am sure you won't have lots of extra skin.

However, if you do, I have a couple of friends whose excess skin caused a rash at the fold so their insurance paid for a tummy tuck! Now they look fantastic!

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I was in the hospital surgical dept about 8 hrs. From pre op to discharge. Had a little hard time waking up from nausea med. At discharge i just sat right up jumped in the wheelchair. Got up in our truck with no pain. I was thinking how easy it felt until....... The next morning. Ouchhhhh. It all hit me then bad pain right under diaphragm. Its normal. Went away after a couple days and then..... Ouchhhhh from port site. Lasted about 2 weeks. Now 3 weeks out feeling almost 100%. Good luck

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Banding in less than a week... how long do you continue liquids? Did anyone stay overnight in the hospital?

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I got banded Monday. I did not stay over night. I'm on liquids hopefully only a week.

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How are you feeling klk

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Pretty good. I haven't had to take my pain meds at all. I'm a little sore, but that's expected.

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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.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • 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.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        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.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

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

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      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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    • KimBaxleyWilson

      Three months and four days ago... I was in Costa Rica having a life changing surgery! Yesterday we had a followup visit with Dr. Esmeral via video chat and this morning my middle number changed.  I'm down 47lbs and two pants sizes. I can wear a Large tshirt for the first time in like... 14 years! Woot!! Everything is going great. I have zero regrets. I went down to the riverwalk with a friend and walked 2 miles on Monday without even getting fatigued. And no more snoring or chugging pickle juice for crazy leg cramps! I need to go to the gym more... I'm making new shirts next week so that will motivate me. LOL But I'm also just not as TIRED all the time! I have a LONG way to go...but seeing the progress on the scales and in the mirror is a huge motivator!! Thank you all for cheering me on and supporting me!!
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      https://alluniqueguide.com/java-burn-coffee-reviews/
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