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Still hsving pain. Banded 8/12/08.



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I was banded 8/12 by Dr. Jeffrey Baker at Unity Hospital (considered a "Center of Excellence" for banding) in Fridley, MN. I was walking the day of surgery. I went home the next day at 3:30. The gas is finally passing and I hope the pain in my abdomen from that subsides. I also had referred pain up in my left shoulder. I am having quite a bit of pain where my port is, so I have stayed on my hydrocodone/acetominphen Rx for now. I tried Tylenol yesterday but it made me semi-nauseous, so I am staying away from it for now since I had terrible nausea in the hospital that resulted in retching before I was given the right cocktail of anti-nausea meds. This was my first surgery, so we did not know I would have such an adverse reaction to the anesthesia.

I keep looking forward to the future and wonder how I'll look and feel a few month from now and it motivates me and encourages me to know I made the right decision to have the Lap Band procedure. I am also looking forward to reading more profiles and success stories on this website and one day I hope to be one :biggrin:

All the best -

Jen

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Odd that tylenol nauseates you but hydrocodone/tylenol doesn't! We're all unique, aren't we?

Just keep walking and distracting yourself. You'll feel better soon!

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I had my surgery done on Aug 13 and I am still having some pain where the port is. I was told he fund a hernia and repaired it. This has me thinking what have I done. i thought it woud be really simple. the port area is the only area that has pain. What can I do? The gas pain is subsiding but the port pain hasn't.

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i thought it woud be really simple. the port area is the only area that has pain. What can I do? The gas pain is subsiding but the port pain hasn't.

You obviously weren't well prepared; surgery is surgery and not everyone is ready to run a race the day afterward. If you'll read on here you'll find it takes many people a week or two (or more) to feel better and oddly the younger ones seem to have the most trouble (don't know your age but I can tell from your pic you probably are not 54 LOL If you are I want to know what you are drinking :biggrin: )

Anyway just follow your post op diet perfectly, walk as much as you can, take your pain meds if you need them, and give it time.

Usually the port is sewn into the abdominal wall (with the realize band I believe it's clamped, not sewn) and that involves muscle. It will take it longer to heal.

Just hang in there!

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Hello there,

What a fimillar story. This was my first surgery. I was also banded on Aug 12, stayed the night, went home at 3:30 the following day. I was up 4 times during the night when I just had to get up and walk. I am still in pain at times, although it is tolerable. I quit taking the lortab d/t the taste. I have yet to just crush a tylenol for the pain. I have been walking around the house and taking short walks outside. Today was the first day I really went for a long stroll. Ouch. It hurts when I take deep breathes too. Does that happen to you? Have you lost any weight yet?

Stefanie:thumbup:

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My surgeon told my DH that he put in a smaller band (I didn't know there was such a thing!) and that I could expect more rapid weight loss more quickly. When I got home I got on the scale and expected to see a weight gain because of the IV fluids, which I did. I was up 5 lbs. Today I got on the scale and not only were those 5 lbs gone but so were another 4.5! I am following my liquid diet to a "T". I am on Clear Liquids this week and thicker liquids next week. Then I go to pureed foods, then eventually soft meats and then "normal" food. It is a 6 week process to get back to regular food.

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Hi Jen, I am also from MN. I am considering Lap Band. How did you start the process of finding a doc? and did your insurance cover all of it?

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Banded on 8/10/09, and I'm also still having port pain. I find it interesting that the "younger" patients seem to take longer to recover! I'm going back to work tomorrow, and that scares me b/c I don't think I'm ready to sit up in a chair all day...yikes! Guess we all just have to hang in there and focus on the better days ahead!!! Feel better soon, everyone!

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. LeighaTR

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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