i WAS BAND YESTERDAY AND CAME HOME AND ALL WAS FINE. sLEPT GOOD GOT UP A FEW TIMES AND AWOKE THIS MORNING AND TRYED TO TAKE A SIP OFD WATER AND WAS AMAZED AT HOW MUCH IT HURT GOING DOWN. i READ THAT WARM FLUIDS MAY GO DOWN BETTER. I TRYED TO TAKE MY DEBETIC MEDS BY CUTTING PILLS INTO 1/8THS BUT THAT DIDNT SEEMS TO WORK EITHER. EVERYTIME I TRY AND TAKE A PIUECE OF THEM FEELS LIKE SOMEONE HITS ME IN THE GUT WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER ..IS THIS NORMAL?

Everyone reacts differently to the surgery, so people become more swollen and inflamed than others. Make sure that you sip wither Water or broth constantly throughout the day so you don't get dehydrated.

About meds - I crushed them completely for the first 2 weeks. They taste awful but it does the job. IF you find the pain getting worse and you can't keep down water - then call your Dr.!

Good luck

Well, no, not 'normal' in the sense that everyone has that pain, but some do! You must have quite a bit of swelling from the surgery. Drink some warm tea, it does help. Can you dissolve your meds in water or juice? Call your surgeon's office if you continue having problems...they may have some other suggestions. Are you taking your pain meds?

i have tried not to take the pain meds. I wait until night before I take them if possible. I find the liquid Lorr -Tab hurts going down as well so I try not to take it. I can handle about 1/2 a teaspoon without any pain of warm liquids like broth. I am wondering if it is my esophagus swollen from the breathing tubes they put in during surgery that is my problem?

You will feel better every day, just remember that.

I crushed and dissolved meds for 3 days. after that, i could swollow them with water (doctor said that would be ok if pill was smaller than a plain m&m). You'll know when it's right.

As for vitamins, i'm still doing chewables - 3 weeks out. I did liquid the first 5 days, then switched to the chews.

welcome to bandland!

How are you feeling now, Robert?

Well I must admit that considering everything I am felling pretty good. I was out and about and walking around local BJs wholesale less then 24 hours after procedure and went out again today for about one hour. Still painful to swallow anything much more then a 1/2 teaspoon full of liquid but I do think that the pain is less today then yesterday and as long as that continues I will be happy.

How long after a procedure should I expect bowels to begin working again. Been 3 days since surgery and 15 since beginning liquid diet and not moving since surgery? Just don't want to get bound up !!!

Dr wants mer to drink at least 100 oz fluid per day ..that isn't going to happen at 1/2 teaspoon intervals

Hi Robert...I was banded on 5/14 and I have that same lump in the throat/chest that you seem to be feeling. There is no way that I am getting enough water or protein down at this point. I have been walking and walking and that seems to help, also the Gas-X dissolvable strips seem to work for a bit, until I try to "eat" something. I usually get 2-3 sips of a protein shake down or some water before I feel it again. I am working on making sure that I am not gulping when I drink....this definitely is a whole new experience!

The day after I came home from the hospital, it took me over 6 hours to finish a protein drink. I thought to myself - what the hell did I do to myself???? But everyday, I got better and better.

The hard part comes when you start feeling you can eat anything. That's when you have to tell yourself not to. This is your healing phase and it's important to follow what your doctor said.

It will all come back to you - hunger, eating, drinking, gulping.

Use this time to heal, loose weight, and learn new habits.

Hope you are feeling better....each day will get a little easier....those first few days was pretty rough....I just sipped water a little at a time for the first 24 hours... then I could sip some broth, but really didn't want anything...

GoonaBFree

I think that is ome of the best advise I have heardf anywhere. I find it difficult to sip as well and fined that I pay for every gulp with about 5 mins of pain. I was looking so forward to actually eating something but now after experiecing the pain with gulping liquid I cant imagine what it will feel like eating to large bites is going to feel like.

Robert,

Did your dr. give you pain meds?? are you taking them?? that should definitely help with the pain you describe. If not--Contact the Surgeon--make sure all is ok! also, you can get liquid hydrocodone (like vicodin)--that should make it easier to swallow--ask the dr. for a prescription.

Best wishes,

girlinnyc

I have been trying not to take the pain meds. I thought they were for pain associated with the surgery. Like incision pain and bruising from the procedure. I didn't think they would actually make swallowing any better. I have taken them only at night because I find it hard to sleep w/o them. I try to be active during the day and haven't used them in the daytime

My Dr requires 3 days after surgery total clear liquid diet. Day 3 until day 22 total liquid with the exception of 4 oz or pureed fruit and some yogurt. Day 23 until day 60 soft puree diet. Does this program appear to be consistent with what others are doing? I am having a difficult time with the liquid diet and find that I am actually very irritable and not real pleasant to be around right now. I know there are some major life style changes to go through and I am trying my best. Why do they require such restrictions for so long ?

WOW...that does seem very restrictive! Every dang doctor is different, that's for sure. If you ask this question of 100 different people, you'll get 100 different answers. But, unfortunately, it doesn't matter what others do, you have to follow your own doctors post-op instructions.

Well went for first follow up since procedure on 5/14 07 Dr very happy with results down 21 pounds toatl since May 4, 2007, Dr allowing to go to puree foods next week , one week early, happy happy happy cant wait to chew something besides sugarless chewing gum