So, taking Lizzie's idea another step, I was thinking it would be good to post our recovery stories here, maybe the first few weeks following surgery.

Linda

I'm allowed cream soups mixed with milk. They fill me up pretty good and taste soooo good after the clear liquids. I really like the sugar free pudding as well. The other things I have are protein shakes, broth, sugar free popsicles, sugar free jello.

Linda

I am feeling pretty good today. The port incision isn't hurting much at all but I am still having a lot of gas pains in my chest. I made a protein smoothie this morning with light vanilla soy milk, chocolate protein powder and half a banana. It was really good for a change! I have also started having sugar free fudge bars and tonight I am going to try some sf applesauce and pudding. I hear a lot of you saying that you are hungry but I am not feeling that at all. I am actually forcing myself to drink all my fluids. Not to say that when a pizza or burger commerical comes on my mouth doesn't water lol. Anyway, glad to hear everyone is feeling pretty good. I am back to work tomorrow so I guess I will see how that goes.

I am feeling pretty good today. The port incision isn't hurting much at all but I am still having a lot of gas pains in my chest. I made a Protein smoothie this morning with light vanilla soy milk, chocolate protein powder and half a banana. It was really good for a change! I have also started having sugar free fudge bars and tonight I am going to try some sf applesauce and pudding. I hear a lot of you saying that you are hungry but I am not feeling that at all. I am actually forcing myself to drink all my fluids. Not to say that when a pizza or burger commerical comes on my mouth doesn't Water lol. Anyway, glad to hear everyone is feeling pretty good. I am back to work tomorrow so I guess I will see how that goes.

I'm not hungry either but whatever my husband heated up for dinner last night sure smelled good! But that's the only temptation I've experienced so far. I have to stay on clear liquids for the first two weeks so I don't have quite as much variety as you do but I'm doing fine. Still sipping all the time.

Sorry about the chest pain! I just get a twinge of pain in my shoulder occasionally and I'm sore around my port but I don't really feel it unless I bend over or use my abdominal muscles, which I try to avoid. I just walked down to the mailbox and felt a little flushed and dizzy when I got back so I'm glad I'm not at work today. I think tomorrow will be a little tough but I'm going to try to take it as easy as I can.

I had my surgery on Nov 2nd and just now got home. I havent had any shoulder gas pain but I am getting it in my chest. UGH! I didnt have any incision pain until today and now I am just sore. My work has given me all week off but I think I might go back on Thurs. How long will the incisions hurt? ANYONE?

Congrats to all of you that have already had surgery! I hope you all recovery quickly and have no problems. My surgery is 2 weeks from tomorrow and I am very excited. I'm not nervous yet. I've been researching this for 2 years and reading posts here so I would know what to expect. It really helps to see how well you are all doing.

Good luck to all of those that have not had surgery yet.

We are all going to be healthy and skinny very soon! How exciting!

Lindata, I am personal assistant/nanny for 2.5yo...sometimes is a hassle but general he is a good kid and the dogs - 2 labs are oki too. I have problem to carry things...othervise I dont even take a pain relief medicine!

My recovery has been pretty much the same since the first day. I don't know if I'm a quick healer or what. I wanted to go shopping the day of surgery lol but I waited until Sunday. I've had no nausea and the only gas pain was in my shoulders on occasion which has completely disappeared at this point. My incisions were the main pain I experienced but the pain meds kept it under control. I have an incision basically in my belly button so that tugs a little when I'm walking and can get a little irriated (I didn't even notice this incision until the 2nd day). I tried sleeping in a bed last night instead of sleeping sitting up and in the morning I felt really tight in my chest and it was hard to breathe. Right now I'm on a clear fluid diet and I know I'm not getting anywhere near enough liquids in. It's so time consuming and I never have a great urge to drink although I'm trying to be better about it becasue I know fluids are important. I just flew home today and the flight wasn't bad. I just couldn't carry any heavy luggage. Anyways I'm craving fast food right now so I guess that means I'm hungry =) Protein drink here I come.......

Hi lizzie,

where was your surgery and where are you from? maybe we can keep up since we going the same direction... I need talk to pple at the same stage - its really helping a lot! I am from San Francisco area

Kristina - I had my surgery Nov 2 and it gets better every day. My incisions only hurt when I'm getting up or down. What hurts the most is the gas pain in my left shoulder. It was so unberable I had to take pain meds.

Linda

I have bloating and gass to plus the shoulder pain but in general I feel ok today I made my 10 hours work and went for shopping and that was wrong! I felt ok so I thought I cam make it - but I can't!!! to weak!

For food I eat most liquid and whatever sounds like can make it thru the band. I am hungry too so I just drink a lot of chicken broth, myoplex or other Protein drinks, chocolate soy milk with a protein, milk with whey protein, superfood smoothie and of coruse Jello and Popsicle...

So I am good so far with all those inventions but I am missing real food in more stable consistence. I even broke the diet today and eat one chocolate candy which I melted in my mouth well!

So good luck!

The scars itch soooo badly!

I was banded on Nov. 2nd so I'm 3 days post-op. I haven't had any of the shoulder pain (which I'm relieved about since I had it when I had my gallbladder removed and it HURT!), but I do have some pretty extreme bloating in my upper abdomen. It just feels like a huge gas bubble just under my xiphoid and is painful sometimes but mostly just uncomfortable and annoying. I had to sleep last night on the couch sitting up because otherwise it was too uncomfortable. So far the incisions are painless, although I do feel some "tightness" where my port is which feels wierd if I move fast. I go back to work on Wednesday for a 12 hour shift (I'm an ultrasound tech) so I'm hoping that I make it through....

I couldn't stomach the whey protein mix (YUCK), so I'm basically drinking Water, Crystal Light, and Slim Fast. I'm also eating SF Jello and had a low-fat yogurt last night (no chunks), but could only get through 1/2 of it without feeling nauseous. Oh, and I had a little pudding this morning and that tasted good to me. That having been said, I'm hungry and my stomach is growling a lot. I didn't expect to be hungry so soon, but since I know there is nothing I can do about it, I'm trying to ignore it. I'm going to go for the chicken broth tonight and maybe another Slim Fast to take away the hunger pains.....If anyone has any other ideas about what to eat, I'm pretty open. Big hugs!!

My pain is getting better but still sore around the port area. I have been working from home since Monday... feeling tired, probably too soon. I also drove myself to the shops for the first time... was tiring. I will try and take it easier. I don't believe I'm drinking enough water. I checked with the nurse at the surgery today and she said I can have jelly, light custard, ice blocks (popsicles) and slightly thicker soups (blended). I was so excited, I went and had 2 mouthfuls of jelly without chewing and it made me sick... silly me. I feel okay now though but it makes you stop and think!! This is definitely a journey and I'm glad I'm on it.

Hey Edeva3,

I had my surgery done in Toronto. I'm from Halifax, Nova Scotia. I agree it would be great to keep in touch with someone at the same stage as me.

Question for anyone:

Do you guys find you get this weird tight feeling and it's hard to breathe when you aren't at a 90 degree angle? If I'm even slightly at an angle I get this pain in my chest and I can't breathe properly. It's been a pain in the butt to sleep at night.

Lizzie - I have been feeling that tightness for the past few days. I called the doctor and she said it was just muscles moving back and it should go away in a few days. I have been feeling much better and got a great nights sleep last night so I guess the nurse was right. I hope you are able to get a good nights sleep soon!

i had my band in on nov 3.. so this is fay 3!

i was told that my surgery went off without any hiccups n thats a relief! but after the surgery i remember being extremely cold n shivering horribly.. and that hurt the stitches so i remember being in extreme pain. it sure made me wonder what i got myself into! but then they put me on pain killers n it got alrite.. was at the hospital that night and had horrible acid reflux! so bad that i was given meds for it and cud hardly sleep at all!

day 2 was better.. although they had not let me have a drop of water of 24hrs so i was totally parched! once the fluids began it was much better.. the pain wasnt too bad either and i was discharged.. but as soon as i got to my hotel it got unbearable! the worst pain i cud ever imagine.. i also saw some blood on my dressing and was totally freaking out by then! so i rushed back to the hospital and they put me on antibiotics.. i stayed there another night and by the next day i was much better so i got discharged again!

i cud hardly sleep last night.. cud not find the right position that did not hurt! boy was it hard!

but today has begun much better.. i can sit and even lie down flat.. no more acid reflux.. atleast no where near as bad! thank god for that!

i guess i have gone on n on!

well thats about it so far

Nessa - Thanks! I hope so too. It takes me forever to find the perfect position that doesn't hurt my back or cause that tightness in my chest.

Sumz30 - Congrats on your banding!