this is one heck of an experience...especially since i was a virgin to completely everything that has to do with surgery....having an IV, being put to sleep, being cut enough to where tools are able to insert my body, and all the medication i was prescribed...this is even my first time taking hydrocodone too...! Well this port pain is no joke.....and the gas...is there and it is bothering me but not as bad as the port, but with both of those mixed together i have been kinda loosing my mind b/c the gas is still in my abdominal area....my throat feels dry as cotton, and b/c im too chicken to make myself cough out the gew stuck in my throat from the barium swallow and the snot created from sitting under the cold air, which that always has promoted mucus and cold like symptoms for me as long as i can remember. My headache is annoying too...does anyone know if i can take aspirin??? my incisions seem to be ok, they are stll all taped and bandaged up..the only spots with with the most blood that i can tell was gushing out was the port site, and the incisions are pretty close together....

Now i dont know if this is b/c my mouth is so dry but im craving for something to moisten my mouth so i tend to be hungry...not like i wanna a big burger and fries...but like i would be satisfied with something soupy with flavor....is it bad for me to be hungry the first day out?? The only thing i ate was a little thing of sugar free black cherry flavored Jello....now im kinda craving a protien shake...but dumb me forgot to bring milk over here to my mom's so ill have to send her for that asap because im hungry/mostly parched!!!

A far as my experience at the surgery center...they weren't lying when they say this is an outpatient procedure b/c i got there around 6:30 this morning and i was out of the surgery center and on the road at like 9:30ish the staff were in such rush...i didnt even get to talk to my surgeon after the procedure b/c he was already on body # 2...for the day..I have no idea what size band i have but i do know its the LAP BAND AP...

Oh the one thing i did get was the pictures of the band inside of me...and geez louise my stomach is surrounded in fat..the band looks like its just wrapped around fat...i was kinda worried wondering to myself if the DOC actually placed it in the correct place b/c there is nothing but yellow fat and then the band around it..do yall know if thats normal?? I saw a pic of my liver and it looks all healthy...(from what i saw) i didnt see any fat around it or anything...

I have come to the conclusion that since i put myself through all this just to loose weight, i better stick to this plan b/c this change is serious....I would be a fool to completely disobey the rules and try to fight the band instead of having it work for me....

I appreciate your time in reading my post....please feel free to let me know ur opinions and tips of what i have been experiencing to give me other outlooks on things...

Thanks again!

My surgery was yesterday (6-19) also. I had a similar experience. I had surgery at 7:30a.m. and was out by 10:00 a.m. I felt like total crap yesterday after the morphine wore off. I could not even roll over in bed, I was in so much pain. My incisions were also bleeding quite a bit. What was all that talk about "piercings"??? These are incisions, not little holes!!! I called the Dr. last night because I had a fever of 100.8 and was worried about the pain and the bleeding incisions. But, the nurse said it was normal. Then the surgery center called today and I gave them my pain status. He said, "You've been stabbed in the abdomen 5 times, so you will be in pain for a few days". I wish they would tell you this beforehand!

I saw the Dr. after the surgery for like 15 seconds. He just said everything was fine....

I hope you get to feeling better. I've been combining the Hydrocone with liquid Motrin and it has helped a lot. Good luck!!

One good thing....no nausea!!

I was told that my chest hurt like that b/c my liver was a little large (I guess I didnt do so hot on my pre-op low carb diet) but the dr said they had to restict pretty hard to get my liver lifted...but the pain subsided this AM from that...only pain right now is where my port is. Before I was discharged they gave me a levonox shot (bloodthinner) just in case of any blood clots and when the RN took out my IV that little tiny hole was gushing blood... I was like OMG Im gonna bleed to death! But definatly find out about that; maybe you were moving to much and opened the wound...It never hurts to ask though! Hope you start feeling better!!

Just got banded on 6/17, arrived at hosp at 9:30,didn't get surgery until 2:30ish. Was told surgery was at 10am but, no beds were avail. Everything went pretty smooth. The only things I can say bother me is this dreadful gas,and the food choices(tired of broth's). Any other suggestions for this clear liquid diet? I will be grateful for any suggestions.

LNMLISA.. my doctor told my mom and brother after I got out of surgery that my liver was still pretty big even though I did my 2 weeks of liquid.. you mentioned that yours was big too.. so your doctor told you that's why your chest hurt? Because I've been having a really hard time breathing and my chest has been hurting me since yesterday. The pain meds dont seem to be helping anything.

LNMLISA.. my doctor told my mom and brother after I got out of surgery that my liver was still pretty big even though I did my 2 weeks of liquid.. you mentioned that yours was big too.. so your doctor told you that's why your chest hurt? Because I've been having a really hard time breathing and my chest has been hurting me since yesterday. The pain meds dont seem to be helping anything.

Yep... I told the Dr that I was having a good bit of pain up by my boobs and my chest was hurting and he told me they had to restrict pretty hard to lift my liver b/c it was a little large, I had to do a low carb diet for 2 weeks to shrink my liver... and I do admit the last couple of days I didnt do so good... So I was expecting my liver wouldnt have shrunk to much. Did you have a hiatal hernia repaired or anything, Ive read that people who have those repaired have some chest pain... I do have a pretty high tolerance for pain and once I got to moving around and walking it helped ALOT! And stretching to, haha I would just stretch my arms above my head and for some reason that helped... hope it gets better for you!

Yep I think he told my mom that he removed a hernia. Maybe that's what it is.. did it take long for the pain to subside? I'm not normally a whimp about pain but this is just an unpleasant combo of stuff right now.

Iris_L,

If you don't mind, can you email me the plan also aukwu2003@yahoo.com. I really appreciate your help. Feel free to chat with me, if I can help you at all let me know. Im also having a hard time figuring out what to eat also.

Well I got banded yesterday, 6/19. All went pretty well except for a little bit of low blood pressure and some trouble with the morphine. Did anyone else get extremely itchy skin from the morphine? They had to keep offsetting it with benadryl for me until this morning when before I left the hospital I was switched to vicodin instead. I'm home now and in a good amount of pain. I can't figure out what is pain or fullness from liquids because I haven't taken in the much. I feel pain in the middle of my stomach, somewhat gaseous, plus pain almost going up higher towards my mouth it feels like. (as if i could throw up) Anyone else having this trouble?

Firstly, I want to congratulate all of my fellow June 2009 bandsters.

I do, however, have to say I am shocked at my fellow bandsters being treated as outpatient's following your surgery! My surgery was done by Dr. Malcolm Robinson at Brigham and Women's hospital, and they kept me overnight, and did not let me leave until I was all set, at about 8 pm the following night!

When I left, I had been dressed a while, and visiting with my roommate, and a shift change had taken place while I was waiting for my ride. They checked me out right there in the Surgery patient ward, and the nurses and assistant's I had not met yet, were surprised I was a patient!!! They thought I was a visitor haha! Because I looked good for someone who just had major surgery.

I felt HORRIBLE the first day, of the surgery, and that night, the second time I got up to pee, I felt better UP, and they let me take a stroll, but bed rest is definitely called for, though I felt better up, and stayed up by the following morning - I sat and walked all the next day... Definitely, inpatient after surgery all the way, with the IV meds, and nursing care made it so much better.

The surgeons, residents, fellows and students all came in over the nearly 2 days I was inpatient, to check on me, and look over my incisions, which the nurses and assistant's also did. When I was checked out, my surgery specialist RN instructed me to go to the ER if my temperature reached 101... it never got over 98-99. At home, the bed was not comfy, and the featherbed I bought did not work out, as my bed was too high and I was so stiff and sore to get out of it... all because I hurt all over, and my abdomen was so swollen. And so I rested, BUT, I went out and walked around the stores the day after I got out of the hospital, and then I went home and rested.

My incisions NEVER bled at all. All of the suturing was done inside, and done well. I worked for surgeons for 4 years, and these look like they were opened and closed by a plastic surgeon, and will be invisible in a couple of years, if not much sooner (parts of them nearly are already!!! (not that I will EVER be in a bikini or midriff exposed, but at least I will not have to explain any big scars to anyone I get uh, "close to")

My surgery was on a Thursday, and by Sunday evening, I was feeling much better and began to decrease my pain medication. I slept the next two days through, and then I went back to work on that following Wednesday, using pain med in the a.m. and before I left (basically before I start moving around to deal).

I did not drive until a week and two days after my surgery, though I did ride in car, with pillow between my swollen upper abdomen and the shoulder belt.

I think port pain was alleviated mostly by the IV med. I pushed the button when it got to me, and before I got out of bed for anything. I feel bad for those of us, who, for whatever reason, did not get to stay that night of the surgery in a post-surgery ward where they can provide the specialized care and treatment required. I do not have any port pain, I think it is a week since I had any pain med.

It seems there should be national standards insurance companies are required to follow, as home is NOT a great place to take care of yourself immediately following this surgery. I hope you all feel better soon! I am SO GLAD< so Blessed, to have such a great surgeon that my PCP selected for me. I wish the same for everyone else. I really do! :biggrin:

Edited June 21, 200917 yr by ibelieve
clarity on some things... doh!!!

Iris_L,

If you have a quick minute I would love a copy of your plan. msustu@sbcglobal.net

Thank you so much!

Oh, and they told me my liver was very large as well, a combination of LARGE as well as FATTY... I wonder what it would have been like had I not been strictly dieting since January!!!

Did I mention yet, how GREAT I feel now, only a little over two weeks post-surgery???

When you feel like road kill after the surgery it is hard to imagine it goes away - imagine my surprise when, on day 4 of my band life, I suddenly felt incredibly well! I am so pumped that I have a band finally, it is really helping me plan my lifestyle changes so I can take advantage of this incredible gift from modern surgical medicine!

Edited June 21, 200917 yr by ibelieve
left out the part about feeling GREAT now...

Robitussin DM (or generic drugstore brand) was extremely effective for me. I get all phlemed up everytime I have ever had surgery and this loosened up everything so that I didn't fell like I was coughing my lungs up. It still was somewhat painful (hold a pillow to your stomach to lessen the discomfort) but nothing like keeping all that junk in.

Becky1963... wow I forgot about the phlegm part... the first days I only tried to get it out once or twice a day... that hurt, my lungs felt like mud was in there! I did have an asthma attack while I was under general during the surgery!!! I came to getting a nebulizer treatment, and the OR team telling me "Hey there, you did it!!!"

Hello everyone.. I got banded yesterday also. Got to the hospital at 5am and left around 4pm.. I didn't get to see my surgeon either and I just wanted to ask which size band I got. But I don't have any bandages or anything. All 5 of my incisions are glued together. I can see and touch them. My left is really killing me. And when I get nauseous my stomach constricts so much and its the most excruciating pain I've ever been put through.

I've been having a really hard time breathing. I can only take very shallow breaths and my chest/heart seem to really hurt. I don't know if anyone else has experienced this but I'm kind of concerned. My mom keeps having my do my breathing exercises but it doesn't seem to be helping. The pain medicine isn't really doing much either. And oh man I didn't expect those damn heparin shots to burn so bad.

Im having a really hard time getting anything down. And for some reason i'm terrified of showering.. I don't want my incisions to get all soft and then start hurting again. Hope it's worth it.

Hi! I was banded last friday, june 12th in Tijuana, Mexico at the Obesity Control Center, which is only two hours drive from me since I live in Orange County, California. I had mine done at an awesome place with the best doctors, Ortiz and Miranda and if you check out www.lapbandforum.com where all my fellow patients rave about this place. It just made me sad to read your comment on how you didn't get to meet your surgeon when both my doctors came in individually and talked with me about any questions or concerns I had for as long as I needed, even though they had surgeries to be done one after another that day. I just feel really lucky because I had the greatest experience with them.

In fact, in regards to that freakin horrendous gas pain your experiencing, I had it so severe too that it literally took my breath away. It was so bad that I cried for three days straight, didn't sleep and so I was trying to walk it off in the middle of the night. I posted the same question on the other forum and someone suggested a heating pad and that help. Take GasX and KEEP WALKING! I know it sucks big time but as much as it hurts, just keep walking. I put my heating pad on super hot. Thankfully, the pain in my chest went away on the fourth day but everyone's different because some say that they still have it a couple weeks after. I swear that during those three days almost made me regret getting banded but after it subsides, you'll feel so much better :biggrin:.

Yeah I'm not sure why my surgeon didn't come in to see me. Maybe it's because it took so long for me to wake up. He did talk to my mother and brother and let them know what was going on. But I guess I can ask him any questions I have this Thursday at my follow-up.

I wasn't having a hard time walking the first day and a half but then all of the sudden yesterday I bent down to pick up my laptop and when I got back up it felt like I had ripped something open. I checked all 5 incisions and they looked fine so I figure I probably irritated something inside. But now when I try to walk/get up/lay down do ANYTHING basically it feels like I'm ripping my body apart. Maybe the heating pad will help...

I mean I have a pretty high tolerance for pain and I hate to seem like a burden to my mom so I've been trying to just push through the pain and walk around but this morning I finally broke down and started crying from it. Also the pain medicine doesn't seem to really be doing anything for me.. I doubt I'm the only one who has had that problem though. Medicine has never really made me feel better. I'll have my mom pick up some thermacare Patches or something today.. hopefully it makes things feel less tight. :biggrin:

I still don't regret anything I just can't wait for this pain to go away.. anyone have suggestions for the chest pains from the big liver and hernia combo..? I'm open to anything.