Hi,

I'm just curious if after you were banded if you were afraid to exercise, bend over etc.

I see where several posters had a tummy tuck. That just amazes me. I would think the port would move to much or something.

TIA

Sandra

Hi Sandra, as for exercise, I was banded 17 days ago and cardio is no problem. No lifting more than 40pds for the first 3 weeks. As for the tummy tuck, you can move your port any time. Those changes are accounted for in the cost of my lifetime follow-up. May33

Hi,

I'm just curious if after you were banded if you were afraid to exercise, bend over etc.

I see where several posters had a tummy tuck. That just amazes me. I would think the port would move to much or something.

Afraid to exercise or bend - nope! mayn't like doing it, but that's because I am lazy, it has nothing to do with fear! So I have dutifully been exercising post-banding.

My understanding is that during the TT, the port is moved anyway. There are lots of plastic surgery veterans on here, so they can best answer that question.

I'm a little more than 4 wks out and I still hate to have to bend over. My largest incision is right at the top of my pants. My port was put an inch or two below that, across from my belly button. My abdomin has been very sore. It is getting better. Every day I seem to be able to do more and move without getting sore.

You can move, bend and even get kicked in the port and it will be ok. I asked my surgeon about the last one as I started martial arts. The port is stiched in, its not going anywhere so feel free to move about.

I have a 150-pound old dog who is disabled. He can walk short distances, but he needs help getting up. My job in life is to lift his bottom until his back feet touch the ground. The back end has to be about 75 pounds! My husband helped with lifting him the day of my surgery, but I started lifting him when my husband wasn't around starting on the second day after surgery and more frequently after that. I was careful to use my legs and not my stomach muscles, which were just cut. I lift my baby many times a days and several times at night, and I'm fine.:biggrin: I think you just have to be careful with your stomach muscles for a little while until they heal.

Your fear sounds just a wee bit like an excuse not to exercise. I'm just sayin....

Really you shouldn't do any heavy lifting for 4-6 weeks, but bending and cardio should be just fine.

Do a little at a time and keep adding to it.

Good luck.

Bending down is always rough for the first few weeks/months.

The fear of lifting after surgery is because there is a minimal risk of causing a hernia. Since it is lap surgery and not a full open procedure the risk is extremely minimal. However, this doesn't have anything to do with cardio or hard cardio.

The sooner the better for most people.

Your fear sounds just a wee bit like an excuse not to exercise. I'm just sayin....

Really you shouldn't do any heavy lifting for 4-6 weeks, but bending and cardio should be just fine.

Do a little at a time and keep adding to it.

Good luck.

Actually that never crossed my mind. (excuse not to exercise)

It's the fear of having a foreign object in me and worrying that something might happen to it.

I have a feeling I will be walking around very stiff for a while. :wink2:

I had to wait for two months to exercise (other than walking) and when I started back with my personal trainer I was really scared I was going to damage something! But the doctor and her staff had assured me that I could do ANYTHING and it wasn't going to hurt the sight. So I did everything! My trainer had me do a bunch of crunches my first day back and I hesitated, thinking "wow, this could be awful!" But- no problem, my stomach muscles were definitely sore, but not unbearable. Other than exercising, I was told that if something didn't hurt, I could do it, so I basically lived by that philosophy. Honestly, by month two you totally forget that thing (port) is even in there.

Actually that never crossed my mind. (excuse not to exercise)

It's the fear of having a foreign object in me and worrying that something might happen to it.

I have a feeling I will be walking around very stiff for a while. :wink2:

What do you think will happen to the band if you exercise? I mean, specifically, what are your fears?

No, I'm a bit too far in the opposite direction actually. My husband shakes his head in despair over me becuase I go out and run right after complaining that my back is sore and my right toes have gone numb. He'd be in emergency having scans! I get so frustrated with HIM because I reckon if he listens to every ache and pain he'll have excuses to put off exercise for the rest of his (probably short) life. I'm not afraid to push my body, I know real dangerous pain and would obey it, but having a sore back is no reason not to run.

I was the same after banding, I was the idiot that decided I was going to run at 100kg. I went for a long walk the day I got home from hospital.

Lol, if there was one type of person I can barely control myself around, and want to slap its people who are frightened of every little squeak their body makes, every ache, every pain, kids who panic when they bleed and parents who encourage that etc. My kids know not to come asking for a bandaid unless they've actually severed a limb.

I think I'm a bit nuts to be honest.

No, I'm a bit too far in the opposite direction actually. My husband shakes his head in despair over me becuase I go out and run right after complaining that my back is sore and my right toes have gone numb. He'd be in emergency having scans! I get so frustrated with HIM because I reckon if he listens to every ache and pain he'll have excuses to put off exercise for the rest of his (probably short) life. I'm not afraid to push my body, I know real dangerous pain and would obey it, but having a sore back is no reason not to run.

I was the same after banding, I was the idiot that decided I was going to run at 100kg. I went for a long walk the day I got home from hospital.

Lol, if there was one type of person I can barely control myself around, and want to slap its people who are frightened of every little squeak their body makes, every ache, every pain, kids who panic when they bleed and parents who encourage that etc. My kids know not to come asking for a bandaid unless they've actually severed a limb.

I think I'm a bit nuts to be honest.

People think I'm cruel to my DD who will wipe out, look at me and I say, "keep on moving." She keeps on moving without tears. I think she's mini you. I have to make her stop when she's bleeding so I can take a peek to make sure she's not really broken.

I came to learn that when she cried at the playground she was REALLY hurt, otherwise a bump or a fall just made her angry because it slowed her down.

As for excuses not to exercise, I didn't mean any insult.

But it is good to know, the bottom line is you'll be okay to move freely about your life doing what you want to do. The only time I felt my port in the way was while I was doing heavy weights on a leg press and my iPod was on the waist band of my pants where it hit my port. I moved the iPod and was good to go.

What do you think will happen to the band if you exercise? I mean, specifically, what are your fears?

Slip out of place, come unstitched, etc. To give you an idea---- think of someone who just had a tummy tuck and they go to the gym for the first time when the Dr. gives clearance. I would guess that some people might be afraid to do that first pull up.

My question has nothing to do with not wanting to exercise- it's just having a foreign object in my body and then doing normal things. Again, I think I will be walking around stiff for a while.

Slip out of place, come unstitched, etc. To give you an idea---- think of someone who just had a tummy tuck and they go to the gym for the first time when the Dr. gives clearance. I would guess that some people might be afraid to do that first pull up.

My question has nothing to do with not wanting to exercise- it's just having a foreign object in my body and then doing normal things. Again, I think I will be walking around stiff for a while.

People who have a tt are having muscles tightened and pieces cut apart and sewn together again. That isn't the case with banding.

There is no reason to walk around stiff, it isn't going to protect your band anyway. ;o)