Okay, I'm about one week post-op now, and I thought it might be good to talk about the feelings (both physical and emotional) we've experienced.

Here's a few things that come to mind right away for me:

My left shoulder still hurts. It's getting better every day, but it's still enough to bother me.

I still can't sleep in my bed. I tried last night, with a ton of pillows, and I ended up looking like I was sleeping in one of those chairs by the pool - with the back completely up! I guess I'm moving back out to the recliner tonight.

When I eat or drink, I feel pressure. Even if I go very slowly, which I always do, I still feel some pressure. Sometimes I have to sort of catch my breath: stop, take a deep breath, and exhale. Which is fine, since I should be doing more deep breathing anyway.

It's very hard to get more than 600-700 calories in me in a day. I am not hungry pretty much all the time. I know this will probably change soon, so I'm trying to enjoy it for now. My energy has remained at a good level, though, and I am taking my multi-Vitamin and b12.

My doctor already took me off my high blood pressure meds. Apparently, losing 20 lbs was all it took for my body to start responding, and my pressure has been good!

What about everyone else who's been banded? What are you experiencing?

GUM CHEWERS!!! Be careful..PLEASE! My doc told us NO gum anymore...ever. Because (unless it's SUPER SMALL) it will get stuck...as in requiring all liquids to be removed from your band so it would pass and if that doesn't work, surgery...

Ok my story!

I am 9 days out now and i feel such a HUGE difference!

I had a lot of trouble moving and getting comfortable for the first 3 days home...didn't sleep for more than 2-3 hours at a time ()...but by day 5 and 6 I literally felt better overnight! I have been walking anywhere that has a cart (wegmans grocery store, walmart, target) every day just to get out...i had to buy new clothes ALREADY!!!

I finally can get at least 32oz of Water in...that I also noticed changed very quickly...over the past 3 days actually. And most of the time i'm NOT hungry...but once a day my tummy growls and i'm HUNGRY..i see food and do this:tt1: LOL

I'm supposed to be on Clear Liquids until next wednesday (7/22) when I have my post op with him..then move to pureed food. I CAN"T WAIT!!!! Hummus, here I come! :tongue_smilie:I have gotten on the scale every morning just to see..and i literally LAUGH each time..for the first few days I was down 2-3 each morning...now like clockwork i'm down another pound every single morning. It's almost like it's not happening because i've struggled for SO long to see these numbers...and now they just keep going lower and lower..i LOVE it.

As far as my incisions...i'm all glued..dont' know if anyone else on here is. A lot of it is coming off now and it freaked me out at first..but it's normal. I can bend and twist now (thank god...i can shave again! LOL) with no pain...still having occasional gas pain in the shoulder which hurts...but that's it. It's MUCH better today actually...

I hope everyone is doing well! I'm excited to hear about everyone's progress...goodluck to those of you who are about to be banded! You might have a "why did i do this" moment in days 1-4...but it's SOOOOOOOOOOOOO worth it

Barbie

I was banded on 7/14/09 and I keep burping like crazy. I need to get some 100% juice are there any out there that work well? I just had some Jello and was a little nauseated but it went away. How much liquids should we be getting per day?

Lisa

they say 64oz of Water, but you will NOT get that in yet...since you're only 2 days out, just SIP every so often...i didn't worry about how much fluids i was getting in until about 5 days out...you feel better almost overnight by day 5 or 6..i didn't believe it, but it's so true!

If you were nauseated, you could have eaten too much and/or too fast. Did you eat the whole 3 oz?

I am a week out today! I am feeling a little better each day. Hey, yesterday was a milestone... I could put on my own underwear without my husband helping me! YAY! LOL

I digress, I am still VERY swollen. My surgeon said it is just my body type to hang on to swollen tissue and it will pass. The incisions look fine, she said. My port incision has a lot of bruising. I still feel gassy and burpy. I assume this will end at some point!? But, everything is better everyday. My consolation is that I have a whole nother 4 weeks off. My doctor released me back to work with the restriction of not being able to lift 10 lbs. My employer will not allow that. I have to be released 'with no restrictions'. So I will 'suffer' at home with my sick pay and short term disability for a total of 5 weeks. :cursing:

I started food on Monday (4 days post op) That was scary but it is going very well. My doctor's program apparantly does things very differently from a lot of programs out there. I actually got a lecture at my appointment yesterday for having a Protein shake. She wants me to eat real food that I have to chew. Here is what I am allowed to have:

chicken, turkey, fish, tofu, cheese, yogurt, Beans (not baked beans) Basically can't have four legged Proteins (beef, pork, lamb). I can have all vegetables as long as they are cooked except potatoes, corn and peas. No raw vegetables, no salad (for a month). I can have any fruits I want except dried. They just cautioned about the skin being a bit tough right now to digest. I eat the tiniest bit and then I am full. I think mostly because I am just incredibly swollen. The scale moves a bit every day, so I am happy.

My next mountain is to get all the Water in. That is really hard!

I know exactly what you mean . I was banded 3 days ago and I'm wondering what did i do to my body. I am a fairly active person and i have been in so much pain i can barely move. I do feel better when i walk a little. I just keep reading on here how great i will feel in a few days. i hope so . keep you chin up and by htis time next year we will be gorgeous and healthy.

Hi Everyone. This is Michelle. The one who started this thread...lol Well, today is post-op day 9 and let me tell you, it is a turning point. I felt so discouraged after surgery becasue everyone kept talking about how great they felt and I felt like total crap! I was swollen, gassy and sore. I could not sleep comfortably, I could sit for long periods of time comfortable, heck I could not even drink water comfortably! I sat on my couch on both days 3, 5 and 7 (odd days are not my days.lol) and cried, wondering what in the world had I done to myself! Today is great! The swelling has gone down, so the pain is barly noticable. I have not had anything for pain in 3 days! I can drink when I am thirsty with out having to sip real slow. things are going down alot easier since the swelling has subsided. I have eaten some clam chowder soup (minus the clams), cream of chicken soup, and even some grits. When you get to this stage things look alot better. Hang in there. i know that u are tired of hearing that (atleast I was), but really just hang in there. And if you have any questions, or want to talk, just drop me a message. Funny story here...I felt so good and "normal" yesterday that I thought something was wrong and called my Dr. He assured me that everything was fine and that I felt so good because the swelling from my surgery was going down. I really thought something was wrong because I felt so much better. lol So, just keep hanging in....

I wish I could go to sleep and wake up one week later. This sucks...:smile:

I was just about ready to slap people who kept saying "it really gets better"...but it REALLY DOES! Just wait for about day 5 and 6....big difference..and once you hit one week, FORGET ABOUT IT! LOL I feel AWESOME...i want to EAT but my doc says no until he sees me this wednesday...so liquids until then...(but i did sneak one babyspoon full of cottage cheese...HEAVEN)

GOODLUCK EVERYONE!

Hi, I'm Missy

I was banded on July 10. I feel remarkably better than I did. I had a little extra pain because of a hiatal hernia that was repaired during surgery. The one big thing with me is that I still can't sleep in my bed. The recliner is driving me nuts! It just feels like the port is pulling out and is uncomfortable when I lay in the bed. Hopefully I can sleep in the bed soon. Is anyone else having problems getting their protein in? Today I am trying something new. I am using 3 oz. cups to manage my protein drinks. I'm trying for 3 oz. every half hour. I am on soft foods so don't really get hungry unless I wait too long to eat. Any suggestions on the protein? The worst part ---the gas pains-- seems to finally be over--thank god! Hope everyone else is doing good.

Hey there fellow banders, when does the burping stop? I am burping alot even when I change positions or move to get up and walk. I am still on liquids and can feel it going down, will this be the same when it comes to eating soft foods? I too have been sleeping on pillows at my head board because I can not lie flat or on my side as the incisions feel like they are strecthing it is still very hard to move around. How long does it take to start exercising or power walking again? Before the surgery I was walking 3 miles about 3 times per week.

Lisa

Lisa, Im totally with you on the burps and Im on liquids too. I burp like a sailor about 20 min after I finish my liquid and it gurggles down from my pouch into my big stomich. Then a few min later.....**RALPH** I cant controll it. It actually scared me at first that kind of noise coming out of me. Ive never burped like that in my life, now it happens at least three times a day. Im afraid elegant dinners will be out of the question! :wink2:

Lisa, Im totally with you on the burps and Im on liquids too. I burp like a sailor about 20 min after I finish my liquid and it gurggles down from my pouch into my big stomich. Then a few min later.....**RALPH** I cant controll it. It actually scared me at first that kind of noise coming out of me. Ive never burped like that in my life, now it happens at least three times a day. Im afraid elegant dinners will be out of the question! :wink2:

I'm about 2 1/2 weeks out and the burping has gotten better. I still burp and some of them are doozys but I really feel better afterwards so I would rather have the burps than the gas pains. I've read some of the posts from people banded over a year and they say they still have the burps, but not as bad and they can deal with it.

Lashayeb - the port pain lasted a lot longer than the other incisions and it is still tender, but at about day 9 or 10 the incredible burning I would get when I laid flat and moved stopped and I haven't had that since except if I really twist and do something weird. I thing that is fading too. What still bothers me is my skin around my port incision is very sensitive and not in a really good way. I don't like having it touched...it doesn't hurt exactly it's just annoying.

Hang in there ladies (I'm assuming you are all ladies on this thread), it does get better. I believe it's attitude and your tolerance for pain. You all made the huge decision to do this and what you are going through is just a small step on the way to being much better.

Keep posting and we'll see if we all can help each other.

Eva

Edited July 19, 200917 yr by ocotillo

Day 4 has been the hardest for me so far. I'm have some pain and its hard to even drink today. I'm going to get up and go walking I'm sure that will help. I have a visit with my Dr. on the 22nd and then I'll be on the full liquid diet. I'm actually excited about pudding. ha! This too shall pass!

headin to mexico -please stop making me laugh it hurts my belly. yourI post was so funny because its true. Anyway I am on day 4 and feeling better. I slept better last night . Belly still sore and my port site had a clear plastic covering over it and i must have had an allergic reaction to it. so its red and itchy around it . I have been having my 2 oz protein shot every hr then broth, water, tea , juice in between . busted today having sm lemon berry slush from sonic . my stomach feels fine i feel like i could eat anything but i won't. My huuby and i went to store earlier so the walking helped me but i was tired when we got back. On the good side I have lost 3 lbs so far I hope that will stay off after i switch to soft foods. i have pressure in my chest is that being full or gas I cant tell ? I do feel hungry i think . I am still taking some advil for the soreness . If i dont move its not sore. I have 2 more days before going back to work so i hope the soreness will be gone by then . I will write moew tomarrow . hope all is well with everyone else this weekend. mel :wink2: