Lap Band Surgery Day Stories

[sim78 0]

Hi I had my surgery on Oct 6 I just found this post and wanted to post my story. Well I had to be in NYU at 8 for a surgery time of 10. I got up really early like 5:30 am and was too nervous to go back to sleep. So I took a shower and decided I was going to finish packing up then crawl back unto bed until dh came home from morning prayers. Well I was still too nervous so I didn't fall back to sleep but i rested and tried to relax and watched some news. Dh came home and we made him some sandwitches for lunch. We then were on our way at about 7am.

We got in at 7:30am and signed in and waited for them to call my name. They called my name verifed ins and gave me my hospital band. Shortly after I was called into a pre-op room. Where we waited for a while both dh and I dozed off. Then the nurse came in checked vitals, then the dr came in to say hello and then the anesestholigist came in to just have me sign a paper that I allow to treat me. I change unto the gown which I really hate!!! Anyways then they call me in to go to the OR.

I have to walk to the OR but I tell them I can't see without my glasses. so the nurse walks with me guiding me as I give dh my glasses when I get to the last door dh can come with me to. I lay on the table and get my arms strapped down. I see a horrible bright light in frount of my eyes which I can't handle. I they put the IV line in and the mask and before I know it I am out cold.

Next thing I know I am in recovery. I have a really nice nurse who is sooo sweet and very helpful. I tell her I am in a lot of pain adn she gives me morphin and then I doze off again. Then my DH comes in and gives me my glasses and my cell. I ask how long surgery was and he said it was an hour and it went really well. I am thrilled. I keep dozing off and on and I finally get not too tired and I realize I was in recovery for a long time and ask when I am going up to a room. They say the rooms aren't ready yet. I need a step down room where I can be closely monitered by a nurse. I stey in recovery for 4 hours.

I finally get a room and boy am I glad that I get to settle down a little. Dh meets me in the room and I get a window since I am the first one there I get my choice. I am in a room with 4 beds but I have the room to myself for at least 2 hours. Dh leaves for the night and I get up and start walking around. It feels good and I am not dizzy.

My new roomate comes in and we talk then at around 6:30 the next one comes in and about 7 the last one comes in they are really nice and we get to know each other. I take walks and none of them were up to it yet. We watch some TV and then I finally at about 12 go to sleep for the night. My roomates told me I was the only one who really slept that night.

The next morning we get Breakfast of tea (YUCK!!!) and broth. I eat about 3/4 of a cup of the broth and then go for another walk. I seem to do a lot of the walking but it felt really good. At about 9 we meet with the Nutrtionist and PA and give us some post op instructions and then we are discharged. I had to wait a long time until DH got there since he was stuck in traffic. I sat in the back that way I didn't have to wear a seat belt. The ride home was smooth and then I had to climb my stairs unto my house which well took me time but I did and then I went to lay down since I was sooo tired. Thank G-d I am doing well I have lost 5 lb since surgery which was 6 days ago.

[lndshark 0]

Hi all. Thought I would post my surgery story, may help some people who have mental challanges such as myself, with the surgery.

I was scheduled to have surgery on October 2 and Northwest Weight Loss Surgery in Everett, Washington. Since I live in Idaho I was driving four hours to have it done at this center. I had check out every center in the area and they are awesome. So anyway, I had my phone pre-op appointment the thursday before, not sure of the date. I was required to lose 30 pounds pre surgery, and as of my pre op, the week before I had only lost 12, tough to say goodby to old friends. So I had to check in the next monday, three days before surgery. So I went on a crash diet. Monday I had lost 22 pounds. I talk to a Tirsh over at NWWLS and she told me that my dr, Dr. Montgomery, was OK with doing it at their surgery center but the anesthesologist, I'm sure I murdered that word, sorry, had said they wouldn't do it at the surgery center because of my weight. So I had the choice to lose another 25 pounds and do it a month later, or do it that next monday, the 6th at Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland. I picked the hospital.

So we changed our plans and traveled over to Kirkland, a suburb or Seattle, on sunday night. I had to be at the Hospital monday morning at 7:30.

We got there, and I checked in etc. I was told where to go and walked to the surgery waiting area. Well as we turned the corner and came the preop surgery area doors flew open and i freaked out, I'm talking majorly freaked out. I wanted to run. After twenty minutes of hell I was called back and got into a bed. I answered some questions, put on a gown, some very sheik stockings, the leg squeezer things and the wonderfull socks. I had my IV put in, got a shot of Heparin, which stung like hell, but only for a few minutes. Then I started to have palpatations. I have gotten PVCs and PACs for about fourteen years now, they are essentially extra heart beats. My surgeon came in and we discussed the operation, I told him about my PVCs hoping he would call off the surgery, he said no big deal, stress related. The anesthologist came in and we talk for a bit. I told him I was terrified, he put me at ease a bit. Ten minutes later the anesthologist came back and said he was going to give me something to relas. I believe I got Versed, it help a bit, I asked for more and he gave me a bigger dose. I remember being wheeled into the operating room and looking around, and that is it. Next thing I know I was waking up in recovery. The nurse said everything went well and to try and stay awake. She put my CPAP on which I hate. It took me probably fifteen minutes to fully come to. They wheeled me to a different room where my family was able to come in and see me. I was worried about waking up form the anesthesia, i had heard horror stories. I had no sore throat, I was thirsty though. It was a little hard to breath for ten fifteen minutes, but that passed shortly. The nurses check me a few times and then told me I could get dressed and go home, ie, back to the hotel. I started to get dressed and one of my incisions, the port, started to bleed. The nurse taped some gauze over my steri strips and called the doctor. She came back and rechecked it a few minutes later and it had stopped. She said the Dr. said it was just skin edge bleeding and I was fine to leave. So i got up went to the bathroom and got wheeled out to the van we had borrowed. We went back to the hotel where I freaked out.

I started to wonder what I did to myself, etc. I kept telling my wife over and over again how much I hated her for letting me do this. I told her that when I said I didn't want to do this she should have backed me up and we should have left. Anyway I laid in my own dispair for a while and then my PACs started coming and they wouldn't stop. I was feeling so awfull, I just wanted the thing out, I couldn't believe what I had done to myself. I called a friend that had his band put in a few weeks earlier to talk about how i was feeling and see if he felt the same way after his surgery. He suggested I call Linda, she is the counselor at NWWLS that had done both our psych evals. I called and left a message for Linda. Linda called me back a few minutes later and we talked for half hour or so, that helped a bit. Then she asked if I had called Dr. Montgomery, and I said that I didn't want to bother Dr. Montgomery. Linda said that Dr. Montgomery would want to know if I was having problems. She asked if she could call Dr. Montgomery and hava him call me. I said sure. Dr. Montgomery called about ten minutes later and we talked for about half an hour. I was amazed at how much they actually cared. Linda called back later that night to check on me. I ended up going to the ER later because my palpatations kept coming. I spent three hours there and they told me what I've always been told bloods fins, EKGs fine, just strees go home. Once I knew I was fine the PACx subsided.

I went back to the motel and slept. I had a post op and NWWLS the next day. I spent another twenty minutes with Dr. Montgomery. We talked about how I was doing etc. He re-dressed some of my incisions etc. Then he said Linda wanted to see me, and he left and got Linda. We went to Linda's office and talked for another twenty minutes or so. Then we loaded up and drove home.

I was prepared for pain, I had already gotten my lortab elixer, but I felt fine. Dr. Montgomery said when he puts you back together he shoots a lot of numbing medicind into the incisions, this keeps you for about 24 hours. After it wore off I felt like I had done a bunch of situps but that was it. I never once took the loritab or anything for pain, frankly, I didn't think it was bad at all. I had surgery one monday the 6th, drove back home on the 7th, and was back to work full time on the 8th. I do have a desk job but I do walk around quite a bit. I was actually suprised I had expected the physical part to be so much worse that it actually was. I did get gas pains across my shoulders in my back for the first few days but they lasted five maybe ten seconds. All in all my physical operation part was cake. Now I just have to get my mental state right.

I have gotten alot better and feel positive about my future now. Just have a little bit more to go.

Anyone in the northwest needs to look at NWWLS if you want to have a lap band done. They only do bands, no gastric bypass, which frankly I consider butchery. They have done over 4000 bands,so you would be hard pressed to find a more experienced clinic.

One thing I always hated about being fat was having skiny or normal people talk to me about being fat. The neat thing about NWWLS is that 70% of their staff has the band, this is everyone form receptionists to nursed, to counselors etc. 100% of their nursing staff had the band, every nurse you come in contact with at their clinic has a band. It's nice talking to people that have a frame of reference about being overweight instead of skiny people teliing me what to do.

Oh, and Linda, the counselor, she also has a band. She actually had to go to Mexico to get hers in 1998, before it became legal in the US.

Sorry for the longwinded speil, if any one has any question send me and email or a PM. good luck all.

brian

[annecolorgreen 0]

I love reading about your stories! I'm getting so excited!

One thing that concerns me, the surgeons I'm using only prescribe an anti-inflammatory for post op pain and/or liquid tylenol. I hope that takes care of it for me!!!!!

~anne

[lndshark 0]

I love reading about your stories! I'm getting so excited!

One thing that concerns me, the surgeons I'm using only prescribe an anti-inflammatory for post op pain and/or liquid tylenol. I hope that takes care of it for me!!!!!

~anne

Anne, I think you will be fine. Like I said in my surgery story I didn't feel any "pain" per say. Just sore.

As far as NSAID go, I absolutely love Aleve, naproxen sodium. I had dry socket once from a pulled tooth, I took the prescrived hydrocodone once but found that Aleve worked better for me.

Check if you can take naproxen, and you should be fine.

good luck.

brian

[newcreature 0]

My lapband surgery was on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008. The surgery went very well. It seemed I had just gone to sleep (12:30pm) when the nurse was waking me up from the oh-so good sleep! (1:30pm) No problems in recovery. They put me in a room within a few hours (we had to wait longer than usual because housekeeping did not have a room clean for us).

4:30pm I sent my husband home to take care of our dogs (our babies). I was doing well eating ice chips and could begin feeling my stomach was very bloated. However, I was able to get myself out of the bed, stopped the glucose drip, and go to the restroom. Then I dressed myself and headed out of the room and down the hall to the nurses station. I knew you should be up and walking as soon as possible following surgery.

I went up to the nurses desk and asked when I could go home. The nurse asked, "what is the patient's name you are here with?" I said, "Me, I'm the patient." Then I held up my wrist to show my wristband and held up my other wrist to show my disconnected IV at which time she about had a fit!! My sense of humor was still in tact!

9:00pm We left the hospital for home. There is a rule that you have to stay a minimum of 8 hours after surgery before discharge - otherwise, I would have gone home at like 5:00 pm.

So, all in all, surgery day was a breeze. The fear I had prior to surgery was far greater than the surgery itself.

Click on my name to see more posts from me about upcoming days.:tongue_smilie:

[Shrtnsweet8 0]

My lapband surgery was Wednesday, October 15 at Riverside Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. I had to be at the hospital at 6:00 a.m. I was taken to the pre-op room shortly thereafter. I got lots of personal attention from the nurse anesthetist and anesthesiologist while trying numerous times to insert my IV. Apparently I have child-like veins and neither the lap tech nor the nurse anesthetist could get the IV started. The anesthesiologist was very gentle and took his time and got it started the first time. They gave me something to relax and the next thing I know I was being wheeled to the OR joking with everyone around me. My nurse anesthetist and anesthesiologist were very good looking. My husband said I was flirting with them, but I blamed the medicine. :biggrin:

I remember the OR room, I remember moving to the table, I remember the folks in the OR room talking and joking with me and then I remember waking up in recovery. I had one pain shot and one short for nausea. I was in recovery a little longer than normal because they had no rooms available. They let my husband come into recovery and I called my mother and my daughters to let them know I was okay.

I arrived in my room around noon. I got out of bed and went to the bathroom around 12:30. Walked several laps of the hallway, ate broth, Jello and a popsicle at 5:30 and walked out of the hospital on my own two legs at 6:00 p.m.

My experienced was so much better than I expected. Now I am looking for several experienced mentors to guide me toward success with the band.

[nightart6 13]

my surgery day was oct 7th 2008. i had check in at 6 am. my dad and my grandpa were awesome enough to be there for me, throughout the whole process. i got undressed, and into a gown, the nurses came in put compression socks on, then the anesthesiologist who put in my IV and talked to me to make sure i'm alright for the anesthesia. it took about an hour for my surgeon to come in and talk to me, after that everything went fast. they put my hair up in a cap, injected IV with the anesthesia...and i remember joking with the nurses as they wheeled me into surgery. i woke up with the recovery nurses who were so sweet, injected IV with pain medicine. i felt great until i had to get up and walk around a few hours later...the pain started to creep back in, but it wasn't so bad. was up and outta the hospital at around 1 in the afternoon! had a tough time for about 3 days..slept it all away. 2 weeks post op now and feeling back to normal and great! :grouphug: would do it again in a heartbeat.

[BootyBee 0]

Hello well i'm banded and it was not bad at all 10/22 was my date and today10/24 pain barely there so i hope you are diong just as fine and ready to get this started.

[Toosywoots 1]

Had my surgery on October 8th. I am feeling much better now. Walking normal and longer distances. My incissions are itching like mad so I assume they are healing pretty good with no infections. I am on soft foods at this point like baked potato, eggs, tufu that are added to the creamy Soups from last week. I have a lot more energy than 2 months ago. I am getting out and doing a little shopping and traveling. Lost another 10 pounds this week which might be a bit deceptive because the week before I was weighed fully clothed with shoes at my doctor's and this week I was weighed with a night gown. I broke the 300 pound mark and I am Happy! :wink_smile: That makes a total of at least 58 pounds lost since last winter's high.

[twiggysmiff 0]

I have not been banded, but I can assure you from my experience with other surgeries that the quick action of the anesthesia is NOT an exaggeration. They tell you to count backwards from 10 and you are out before you reach 9. I remember having a D&C and as I was moving myself from the gurney to the or table, he was putting stuff in my IV. All I remember is laying on the table and saying, "You snuck some good stuff in my IV didn't you?" He laughed and said, "Yes, I di..." and I was out before he finished... :thumbup:

[twiggysmiff 0]

You have to take off jewelry except for wedding rings which they can tape to your finger. Also, no nail polish. The anesthesiologist watches the color of your gums and nail beds to be sure you have enough oxygen.

[ritu-ru 0]

My surgery was in Tijuana and very uneventful (in a good way!). I'm on day 10 and doing well. The one thing I will say about my surgery day story is that I am only now reading some emails I wrote (including to my staff!) after my surgery. EVERY WORD is a spelled incorrectly! And most of the sentences are broken English! LOL! Apparently it's the general anesthetic - b/c my recollection of writing those emails was perfection! Be forewarned, especially if you plan to write to staff or clients who may not be aware of your surgery!

[watermum 0]

I was banded on October 31st, Halloween no less. My husband took me to hospital while my mum looked after our 7 month old son. I was hard going in as I had never been away from my son before.

We arrived at the hospital at 7:30 am and went to admissions. After doing all the paper work they took me through to the day surgery unit to wait. I had a quick chat with the nurse who took my blood pressure and had a chat about the day with me. I waited for about an hour and they then took me through to the changing area. I put on one of their lovely back to front gowns and was in the process of putting on embolism stockings when they came through and said I was up in 15 min. I got to say a very quick goodbye to my hubby and then went through to the pre-surgery waiting area and had a bit of a lay down on the bed before being wheeled in to surgery. I also ran in to my friends mum and had a bit of a chat with her.

Once in surgery they hooked me up to a drip and then sent me off to sleep with some gas. I woke up in recovery to the voice of a nurse who was 7 months pregnant. It was the same nurse who looked after me in recovery after having my son via c section. Turned out the day my son was born she went home and found out she was pregnant so she referred to me as her good luck charm as she had been trying to get pregnant for 3 years. I also remember her putting ice on my lips and mouth, it was so nice.

I then went to the ward and was hooked up to this thing that pumped air around my legs to prevent blood clots. I slept heaps and later that night they helped me get up so I could go to the toilet. I then slept some more. That first 24 hours I sipped Water and at lunch the next day i had a bit of broth, but wasn't really hungry. I had a self administering morphine pump but didn't need to use it. I had one lot of morphine at mid night they day of the surgery and then nothing else, I was a bit sore but not in any real pain.

I had visitors that day and saw my son and slept heaps. I was supposed to stay 2 nights but at 8 am on the second night I was watching a film with my hubby who was laying in bed while I sat in a chair. I walked to the nurses station and told them I wanted to go home to my family. They rang my doctor who said ok so home I went a little over 24 hours after the surgery and needed no pain meds.

The first 5 to 7 days are the worst I think but with every day it gets easier. 3 days after surgery I was bathing and feeding my son. 10 post op and I am walking 3 km with no pain. I would do it all again in a heart beat.

[bjperkins54 0]

My surgery was yesterday, November 12 at Northside hospital in Atlanta GA....Dr Champion. Pretty uneventful day -- I live 1 1/2 hours from the hospital so was up at 4:30 AM to be at the hospital by 7:00 for 9:00 am surgery. Dr.Champion had an emergency, so they didn't take me back until noon.....was in my room by 2:30 awake and feeling no pain. In fact, the only pain I've had was gas pain....my abdomen is a little sore, but no biggie. I'm glad to finally have the surgery done, since I've been working for this since March of this year!

Good luck to everyone!!! Our new lives are just beginning! :thumbdown:

[TQUAD64 9]

Well it is a done deal. I was banded on November 11 and I am now at home recovering. I live 88 miles away from Alta Bates Hospital in Oakland, so although my surgery was slated for 9:40 am, I arrived at the center at 7:10 am. At check in the nurse took my vitals and set up an I.V. Then my doctor spoke to me; followed by the anesthesiologist and the surgical nurse.

They asked my permission to allow Lap Band proctors to view my surgery and I agreed. I feel the more knowledgeable people in the surgery room the better for me. Since everyone was ready to go, we started the surgery early. The surgical nurse, the anesthesiologist and I walked to the operating room.

I climbed onto the operating table, whereupon the anesthesiologist said I am giving you something to help you relax. And the next thing I know, I am awake in the recovery room. The first thing I ask is “Is there a band in me,” which the nurse said yes.

In recovery, I was in moderate pain so they gave me pain meds through the IV. However, I have a real hard time tolerating pain meds. I get dizzy and nauseated. I am not sure what time I was taken out of recovery and placed on the surgical ward floor. Once in my room, my vitals were constantly checked.

My blood was drawn every three hours, since during the operation my spleen was bleeding. I ended up staying an extra day in the hospital and went home on November 13. Again, it was hard to manage my pain, because of my sensitivity to pain meds, of which some have a tendency to make me break out in hives.

Anyway, I am at home recovering. I am getting lots of rest. Passing lots of gas and drinking plenty of fluids. I have diarrhea now, which sucks, but I am doing great! The doctor placed the New Generation Lap Band, which holds 10cc. The doctor pre-filled the band with 3cc during the surgery and everything is working well. I passed the upper GI swallow test and the bleeding in the spleen has stopped. I am taking two weeks off from work to recover and manage the liquid diet phase that I am on.

I am so excited I was able to have the procedure done this year, before the holidays. :cool: