Post Surgery check in here

Trishadish · June 12, 2008

If any of you are like me and having trouble, :thumbup:keep the faith! It does pass. :biggrin:
I tried hard to always stay up-beat on here and not talk about the bad part, but now I think others may need to be "real"! :whatchutalkingaboutThere really is a "Bandsters Hell" :tongue: part for some of us!

But it does pass. I wanted to post this, thinking some may feel like "something is wrong with them" if it all wasn't a piece of cake!:thumbup: "walk in the park." I am sure there will be hard days :scared2:and easy days! :biggrin: I plan to take this journey one day at a time! It is a new life for me and I plan to enjoy it! Good luck to all of us! :teeth_smile:

Thanks for posting this! I had my lapband done on the 10th and am very at peace with my decision, BUT these first few days have been a little tough. Definitely more than 2 days on the couch needed LOL!

gardengrl · June 12, 2008

You def need to be realistic about everything. That's how I knew there would be bad times and good times. But keeping positive and your goals in sight help!

Great2BThin · June 12, 2008

So today as I posted before is my one week post op 'anniversary'. One of my main complaints the last few days is this lightheaded, dizzy, feeling like I am going to pass out feeling. It's happened the past 3 days and seems to be getting worse. Well today I was home when it happened and I took my blood pressure, it was 80/50!!! My pulse was 46. I promptly called my surgeons office and they referred me to my primary care to ask about dropping my blood pressure meds some. THEY TOOK ME OFF OF THEM!!!! ONE WEEK POST OP AND I AM ALREADY GOING OFF B/P MEDS!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am thrilled with that. Of course, I have to monitor it closely at home to be sure it doesn't spike back up, but she said that was way way too low. And if it does go up, I may need a weaker RX!!! I was hoping to get off them eventually but never dreamt at one week!!!!!!!!!

cathychatts · June 12, 2008

Long2bThin: You be very careful! I hope your BP gets stable soon! Prayers to yu!:Banane42:

Trishadish: I am doing better now. I started using Campbells Soup at hand, (Hope they are legal) :thumbup: I double checked my book and it seems that they are. When I have one of them a day, I am so much better.:frown: I have had Cream of Tomato, Creamy Potato and Creamy chicken. I also have a Protein bullet a day and one Slim Fast Protein Shake. The rest is all Water. :confused2:

GreytheHope: I will be honest, I have had 1/2 cup of coffee a day. :crying:Really watered down, but it helped.

Good luck to all of us!

:biggrin:

rearea1222 · June 12, 2008

Just a question to all of you on the couch like me.... I was banded 2 days ago on the 10th. I'm sitting here on the couch, suffering with gas pain, wanting to just get it all out. Suffering with hunger, cause nothing I eat seems to fill me up. And all the while watching tv and every freakin commercial has food on it!! How many times a day do they have to advertise the stinkin pizza special!?? OMG I'm dying!

cathychatts · June 12, 2008

reareal: The gas is awful. :biggrin: I just had to breathe and let it roll. It did turn into the trotts! Several times I didn't make it to the bathroom in time and had to shower. Awful! :Banane42:

That is better now and the only gas pain is between my shoulder blades, like I need to burp! :frown:

The hunger, I did feel, but that left also. I found that Tomato Soup made with Water helped a lot! Another day I had chicken noodle Soup, and gave the chicken and noodles to my grandson! I also found the V8 Splash Lite helped! I would drink the Protein bullets from GNC. :thumbup:

Try watching movies with no commercials. I stay away from the kitchen as much as possible.

I did go out to eat with my BF today, (he really isn't too sensitive) I asked for soup and to drain off everyting and give me the broth! They did that at Cheddars and I had unsweet Rasberry Tea! I was so full I am about to pop! and I only had half the soup broth.< /p>

Stick with it . The hunger does pass and so does the GAS!

gina s. · June 12, 2008

I had surgery today around noon, I've been home for about and hour and half, and I'm just a little sore. Everything's going great, but I need a nap so I'll post more later!

vzghj3 · June 12, 2008

Trishadish: I am doing better now. I started using Campbells Soup at hand, (Hope they are legal) I double checked my book and it seems that they are. When I have one of them a day, I am so much better.:rolleyes2: I have had Cream of Tomato, Creamy Potato and Creamy chicken.

Cathychatts: You may want to try Campbells Healthy Request Creamed Soups. They are low in sodium. Make them with skim milk, not Water, for the extra Protein, plus you can also add a scoop of non-fat dry milk too for even more Protein, make sure you strain the Soups to get the chunks out. I have found them very satisfying. Another good soup brand if you have a Trader Joes in your town, is their Trader Joes creamed soups. Non-Condensed, just strain and enjoy.

cathychatts · June 13, 2008

THanks for the Soup info. The only problem is I have milk allergies, so I will have to add Water or soy. Will will try the other Soups though! Thanks!

Great2BThin · June 13, 2008

Long2bThin: You be very careful! I hope your BP gets stable soon! Prayers to yu!
:rolleyes2:

Thanks Cathy. Tonight it has gone up a little bit, the top number is almost in the 100's now and my pulse has gone up to the 60s. I'm anxious to see what it does tomorrow my first day RX free! I just feel so relieved to have a reason as to why I would just hit a brick wall every afternoon and get so faint.

I guess I was one of the lucky ones as I never got much gas pain, just a little between my shoulder blades, and not often. My surgeon did say he tries to remove it all before closing up.

Jillian68 · June 13, 2008

June 10th was my surgery date in TJ with Dr. Kuri and I am finally home. Everything went very smooth with the surgery. Dr. Kuri is wonderful as is his entire staff. I am very happy that I decided to go this route. As I said, the surgery was very smooth--no problems at all. However, for all of you that had out patient surgery, I don't know how you all did it! I hardly remember the entire day. I did get up and walk twice, but then I passed out again!

I have been hungry, but am filled up with very little Clear Liquids. Tomorrow I start on full liquids...at this point I don't care if I ever see a bowl of Jello again!:rolleyes2:

rearea1222 · June 13, 2008

does anyone else have to be on clear liquids for a week? My doc gave me a week of clear then a few days of full liquids then I can move on to a little thicker substance. I so far have been eating, chicken broth, sugar free popscicles, Jello and vegtable Soup without the vegtables. I'm afraid anything else would be too thick. Does anyone have any other suggestions for "clears"?

Cathychatts- thanks so much for the tips, I'm just afraid I can't start some of the Soups yet cause they might be too thick.

Jules K · June 13, 2008

My surgery went well. First day was a little tough ,but thanks to very good meds it was tolerable. I was very sleepy and extremely drymouth as they did not let me have anything until day two. Yesterday started good. Got home around 1:00 and then started thinking --I have I done!

Today has been great. I feel good,but I have no stamina. I certainly have the rumblies in my tummy and pains in my shoulders. Tylenol and the gas strips seem to take to take care of it. I save the Lortab for night so that I sleep well. I have not been hungry. I have to drink my Protein shakes/drinks (2fl.oz.) very 1/2 hour and 2 ozs of broth evry 2 hours. Kinda a slave to my food, but I feel good and it seems to work. I will have to be on liquids for another week. I see my dr. next Thurs., my guess is that he will advance me to mushies.

You who home the same day are real brave! I don't think that I could have done it.

Good luck to all newly banded and to be banded!

To be free · June 13, 2008

Well, it is done! I was very lucky to stay overnight, don't know what I would have done if I had to go home after the surgery. I had the best care!!!!! I was at Ocala Regional Medical and was banded by Dr. Jawad awesome!

I checked in at 6am, was in surgery a little after 8. Of course it was that time of the month for me, I was more worried about that but all went ok, it happens and they are used to it. They hooked up my IV and gave me lots of meds because I told them that I get sick from anesthesia, , I remember changing beds in the OR and having a mask of "oxygen" put on me....yeah right oxygen, next thing I remember I was in recovery with the shakes real bad.....then the nausea, it was so bad... I was put up in my room and just layed there all day dealing with the nausea...finally around 5 it left, I believe it was from the pain meds they gave me after surgery Demoral maybe..... anyway I decided at that point I would rather have the pain than the nausea so I opted for no pain meds. I had a good night, slept for a few hours then got up to walk....did ok, still had no pain meds....nausea for me is the worst, even more so knowing what kind of complications it could pose in having the band if I vomited.

I was discharged around 2 the next day and made the long hour and a half ride home....thanks for the pillow for the stomach suggestion awesome!!!!!

I had to be on clear liquids till today and have been dealing with the gas and shoulder pain but overall doing well....I do look about 6 months pregnant and have staples........not looking forward to having those taken out.

I never thought cream of rice Cereal with a little sugar could taste so good!!! If I can just get rid of the headache and weak feeling I will be good to go.

Thanks to everyone for the support and advice......loved the pillow!!

Nuali · June 13, 2008

To you Jazzy Junes that have yet to be banded...I thought I'd give you my 2 cents about my experience. My surgery sounds a lot like everyone elses. Today it has been 10 days, and I'm really feeling a lot like myself again. The only thing that is sore is my port site, and it does have that yellow colored bruising around it like some others have talked about. I've lost around 10 pounds so far.

I have to tell you that on the 4th day after surgery, I made myself get up and start doing things like watering plants, light house cleaning, etc. Laying around a lot I think, can be a detriment. I felt a lot better when I started moving and getting around. I've taken a couple of walks that have just exhausted me...but that's ok;I know it's good for me. My appetite is coming back slowly, but it seems like it is a lot different than before.

The psycological part is something to deal with also. It is like saying goodbye to an old friend or hobby. Sometimes I think the food ads on tv look good, but then I think about if I would really want it, and I don't! I'm thinking that this is an opportune time to really change the way I see food. Not as a reward, hobby, project, or something to do when I'm bored...but as nutrition for my body. It is time to find some other things to do besides eat! The thought of this is difficult for me, but I will succeed!:smile:

If anyone tells you that this surgery isn't a big deal, they're wrong. It really is a life changing event. Good luck, Jazzy Junes...I'll be thinking of you!