Hi everyone. Well its 3:15 am AGAIN! I have this habit the last 3 nite of waking up in pain around this time & needing tylenol. Thats all I am on now-which it was more. Its very tough for me to sleep on my back now, especially because I was having back problems prior to surgery.

WHEN WERE ALL OF YOU ABLE TO SLEEP ON YOUR STOMACHS???? I tried in vain to turn over tonight. That was a big no no for me so far.

I normally am a stomach sleeper with one leg up & bent. But there is no way right now. This seems like a really slow healing process for me (maybe hematoma related). IT could also be that I am WAY TO IMPATIENT> I do better with goals to reach for . Like has of this morning I am 1 week out. So when were you all able to sleep on your guts with the port thingy? Hopefully you will all say 8 days out;0) Thanks

Christina,

Sorry to hear of your slow healing. Believe it or not I was sleeping on my stomach on the day of surgery. I was still doped up from the hospital and figured a good nights sleep was what I needed, and since I too sleep like you - on my stomach with one leg straight and one bent- I needed that position for a good nights sleep. It hurt some but I was okay if I did not move much. The next 3 nights it hurt some to sleep on the stomach,less pain each night, but then after that it was pretty much all good. I have a high pain tolerance so maybe I overrided my pain feeling for a comfortable sleeping position. I have found that if I sleep in a recliner I can sleep on my back fairly comfortable if reclined to almost the flat position. The recliner or a car/truck seat are the only places I can sleep in the back position so that may be an option to try for a more comfortable nights sleep.

Happy dreams!

Tony

Thanks Tony- Unfortunately the car is out of the question-its been nearly 90 or higher the last few days. And I don't own a recliner;0) I guess I am stuck- I was so upset last nite that I think I slept a whole hour at the most. I tried to deal with th epain (I'm pretty tuff has well) but there was noooo way it was going to work.

I am however glad to hear you did so darn fantastic!!! Good for you! Thanks for responding & safe travels

Christina,

Feel bad your suffering so much. I'm like Big T. First nite home I was sleeping on my stomach with no pain. I never took a single pain pill for anything from my surgery. Day after I was home I was back at work. Hope your healing starts to kick in real soon and you can ghet over this hump and feel better

Christina..

I too am a belly sleeper. I didn't get back on my belly till the staples were out. Till then I proped myself up like the Queen of Sheba! I had an arm pillow....really high back with arm rests on the sides.(Bed, Bath and Beyond $20.00) a full length heating/vibrating massage pad under me....a pillow tucked under my knees....I was riding high lemme tell ya. I was very comfortable and actually got out of bed easier this way! And I had my husband sleep on the couch. Sounds horriable, but he did it on his own, wasn't like I said, get out of bed.....but this way I was able to do what ever I needed to do to be comfy! Couple of nights, I slept on the couch.....same routine though...with the pillows behind and under and around. A body pillow helped too when I transitioned back to my belly.... I hope this has been helpful! You will return to normal soon! :Bunny

Ohh Christina sorry that you are getting sleep deprived.

It took me about 3 weeks before I could actually sleep on my tummy but in the mean time what worked for me was putting a pillow on the side of my tummy where the port was and would slowly try to sleep half on my side and tummy and with each night try more to be on my tummy and less on my side.

Big T

Amazing how we can adapt with the Truck seat I actually would sleep that way at rest stops when we got tired of driving.

Oh Thank Goodness Bubba- I was starting to think I was the only one:0) Good advise with the side pillow I was actually trying that last nite but it was still a no go. I think Porcindoll I will pick up one of those pillows today thank you.

And yet ONE MORE THING That MEN DO FASTER THAN WOMEN :0) H*E*A*L

Thanks Greg & Big T

And yet ONE MORE THING That MEN DO FASTER THAN WOMEN :0) H*E*A*L

Thanks Greg & Big T

Well at least you did not loose your sense of humor with the sleep deprivation....lol.

T

Well at least you did not loose your sense of humor with the sleep deprivation....lol. T

Good one, Tony! Were you a grumpy bear?!

Chritina, slow down. Pillow up the sofa. Think back to a week ago and see the progress you have made. Good in some areas, not as good in others. Know that next week will be good progress in some areas, not as much as you want in others, but all in all, it WILL be better. You won't be sleeping on your back forever. You will be able to sleep on your tummy in time. It took me about 4-5 weeks, I think. Everyone is different. Just listen to your body on eating, sleeping, moving around, all of it. Drink your Water because that will help that hematoma (sp?) the best, help your body get rid of the blood/fluid.

Remember back when I first got banded, I had all that trouble with stoma swelling and ended up getting IV fluids in the hospital...what a mess. I had done so much research, like you, that I knew what to expect. Yet I still pushed it. I thought it was okay to move forward with eating and didn't listen to my body say...V-8 juice is yucky!!! Wait on coffee!! and that started my downward spiral. Man, if I could just go back and do it again, I would do a MUCH better job of it. I can't go back, but I can encourage you to take it easy on EVERYTHING! A few days, a few weeks, is nothing when you are a few months out looking back. Don't create your journey right now. Stop and listen to your body, then make your decisions based on THAT, not what you feel like it ought to be.

Just my two cents, given in love with hopes for a smooth recovery. You are doing great!!! Enjoy it!

Thank you so much Kathy! I appreciate every word. The thing is I am taking it super easy. I am not working & still feel really weak. I have been having a really bad stomach since surgery. (here is the TMI part- Peeing from both ends for a week) sorry if thats TMI But its making me very weak. I am following the menu to a tee. No substitutes at all. Just feel dizzy sometimes(haven't taken any meds in 3 days except tylenol) & not strong like usual. Thank goodness I see the Doctor on Monday-Hopefully he can drain this thing. Anyhow Now I am complaining-sorry I just expected to be complication free. I guess the bright side is I have lost 7 pds in the past week. So I am 14 down. Just can't wait to feel like me again;0)

P>S> I am sure I wouldn't be so cranky if my back hadn't been out for two weeks prior to surgery, I think thats whats making it worse. thanks for the kind words. I know it will be better Monday

Kathy, I'm e-mailing in responce to your advice on not going to fast and moving forward with eating. Today is my 3 week mark and my Dr said I could start eating real foods so I ate a hamburger....... (It was the best burger ever) I couldn't finish it which was great. I had a very hard time with the last 3 weeks and cheated a little but only a bite here and there. I'm curious what happened to you that would make you do things differently. Did you have problems? My body seems to be fine with the food and I feel happy and full for the first time since surgery. I hear a lot of people talk about stretching the pouch or band slips and some Dr's don't let you eat for 6 weeks. I don't want to take any chances but I feel fine. What are some of the things I should be careful of? I'm feeling great, I don't have gas or any other side effect but I feel that I might be moving to fast and taking to many chnaces. I can use some advice.

Windy

-7 lbs in 3 weeks

Not to scare the living daylights out of you, but isn't 3:15 a.m. the exact time the guy in Amityville Horror wakes up every night? Christina, it's not your port waking you up, it's the Boogey Man.

I wish I could be there to help you out. I wasn't ever able to sleep on my belly, then again, I had an open wound for a year. Have you tried getting a little sleep on the floor for the sake of that bad back? You need to lay on your back with your legs bent (like an "L") and rest the calves on a coffee table or ottoman (with your bottom squished way up against the table/ottoman.) This presses the lower back into the floor. I usually put padding on the floor and lay with my head to the side watching TV, then I end up falling asleep. My back doc suggested this, and it's the only way I can sleep when my back is out. Plus my dogs can lick my face easier. And I always have that heating pad under my lower back.

Do you have your heating pad?

Plus my dogs can lick my face easier. And I always have that heating pad under my lower back.

Do you have your heating pad?

LOL LOL LOL LOL Delarla. My boxer would be in heaven-actually hes been pretty happy with me in the guest bedroon, its easier for him to get into that bed. the floor idea isn't a bad idea. I may try the couch tonight just to get rest & if that doesn't work than its going to be the floor.

I'll let ya know what works-thnaks

Oh & has to the movie- LOL never could watch it-tooo scary;0)

It took about 3 weeks to sleep on my tummy again too. One thing that I found very helpful was a body pillow. I would hug that close to me so that I would try to fool myself into thinking that I was sleeping on my tummy. Didn't work, but it was very comforting.

Christina I could finally sleep on my stomach about 3 weeks after being banded. I had to sleep in the recliner for the first week after. Its hard to get any rest when you can't get comfortable. Hope each day you get feeling better. I just so happy your in band land!!!!

Me too.....about 3-4 weeks after surgery....but I did as Bubba dod.....put a pillow under my tummy as I lay on the side...to help prop me up...it worked.....slept like a baby...but no more snoring!!!