not as well as others appear to be

[angien 0]

I was banded on 09/11/09. I have the realize band. It was done as a outpatient procedure and I was told that I had no complications.

BUT..I am still in pain. Sotmach just hurts all the time. I am assuming I have gas/heartburn cause my chest just burns all the time. Pain meds only give me a headache but I am still taking them just in case they start to work. I am also taking anti-acid meds all the time to try to stop the gas/heartburn. So far no good. I always have the feeling of being full. I am very careful of what liquids I am putting in my mouth. But still so full. I didnt expect this to be easy but did not expect to be in so much pain. Its so bad that I am really starting to feel depressed. I have had several other surgeries before but nothing has made me feel like this.

Not giving up but not feeling as great as a lot of the threads I have read on here.

:thumbup:

I have lost about 10lbs so far..so thats the only plus so far.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Call your surgeon. Do it now. I'm shocked you've suffered this long. S/he can change your pain meds.

Make sure you follow the post op diet; but tell him you have trouble (if you do, it sounds like you do) getting the daily liquids in. Very important that you stay hydrated; dehydration can start with a headache and progress from there.

And (sorry if this is TMI) if you've been taking an opioid based pain med (like vicodin, hydrocodone, lortab) then you are probably constipated. If that is a problem for you tell him THAT, too. Even though you've only been on liquids, something should be moving on through. Ok?

Hang in there. We're all different.

[tnewton8351 0]

I felt pretty awful the first week and a half to two weeks after surgery. My stomach and chest hurt all the time. I started regretting my decision to have the lapband but then I was told to walk....walk...and then walk some more. Trust me I did not want to but I did it anyway and it really helped! I started by just walking for like 10-15 minutes around my house...walking slowly. Then I just increased from there and then started walking outside.

I don't know if it will work for you but that is really what helped me. The GasX and Mylanta did nothing for me. I think some ppl just have a harder time afterward than others. I was one of them that had a hard time.

Good luck to you and hopefully things will get better for you. I feel really good now and am thankful for being able to have the lapband. :thumbup:

[Natman 0]

Hey there.

I was banded the same day and I still have a sensation like someone punched me in the solar plexus, but it is fading. I was told that this is due to the swelling going down but the resultant bruising taking longer to heal.

My nutritionist put me onto a soluble fibre called "Benefiber" that has helped reduce stomach pains and allow "normal movements" (for want of a better phrase!).

I still take paracetemol for the pain as well as anti-inflammatories for now. There was also a great suggestion of Probiotics for the gas that I'm keen to try (another thread I think). Also peppermint tea seems to help and the warmth of the liquid seems to aid in recovery, although if I drink too quickly the resultant hiccough can be painful.

I agree with the previous post, though. If the pain seems more than you can deal with, or especially if it gets worse or isn't lessening (or even just for your own peace of mind) please contact your surgeon.

All the best.

Edited September 18, 2009 by Natman

[ParrotheadCathy 0]

I'm with Restless Monkey .... don't hope for improvement. Call your doctor now and tell them your problems....the discomfort, the pain, the pain meds not effective.

You may still be swollen and that could be causing some of your discomfort but no doctor wants his patient to suffer! Call now and tell them you need relief...

[angien 0]

thanks for the responses.

I did call me dr and I was told to walk. Which is funny cause I walk all the time. I was back to work 5 days post op. So I walk..ALOT. Did not ask for another pain med cause I am weird and prefer not to take any meds if it can be avoided. I stopped taking the pain meds but I am still taking the gas stuff and actually feel a little better today.

Really was starting to wish I did not go through with this but I am hopefull that things will get better.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Pain medication is a personal choice but in all honesty to go through major abdominal surgery one would expect there to be either pain, or medication. liquid tylenol worked for me because I don't like opiate pain relievers.

[angien 0]

Ok I know that it is major surgery. I did not go into this thinking that I would have zero pain. I have had other major surgeries before and the pain was not as bad as this. I was just asking or telling others how I was feeling. A lot of what I read stated that others felt great after a couple days. Was just a little concerned that I was still feeling so bad.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

My intent wasn't to insult you. However you can't judge yourself by others. Maybe they felt great because they took their pain meds! or whatever. And if you don't want to take pain meds (which you didn't say in your first post when you said you were in pain "all the time"), then odds are there will be pain. That's all. It's your choice to take them or not, as I said. I don't care for morphine and didn't take it, personally, but that's neither here nor there. And you said you're taking "anti-acid" meds all the time so how would one know you don't like pain medication?

Pain medication "treats" pain. If you don't want to take any, don't. It's no big deal.

[angien 0]

wow ok seems as though i may have insulted you now. I said in my first post that I was still taking my pain meds even though I was getting a headache from them. Yes I said anti-acid but meant antacid anti-gas meds . but whatever

I think its natural to judge how you may feel by reading how other felt. I just had a few bad days but things have turned around

[tnewton8351 0]

I am so glad to hear you are feeling better now. That's the way it was for me. I was feeling horrible in the beginning and was just sure I had made a terrible mistake but now I am quite happy! :blushing: Take care!

T

[lindas0809 0]

[quote name=

I think its natural to judge how you may feel by reading how other felt. I just had a few bad days but things have turned around[/quote]

I was concerned after surgery that it took me a while to recover. This site is great for support, but it does make you compare yourself to others. I would read how people could go back to work two days after and I was barely functioning.

As long as you talked to your Dr. and you're feeling better - go at your own pace.

Good luck!!

[vlemus 0]

Try taking Excedrin Migrane 15 min before you take pain meds. I have a bad back, thats why i had the band done. Because I take an absurd amount of pain meds, cant excercise and have to sleep on my couch because i cant get out of bed in the morning. Sorry my point is some pain meds cause headaches and the Excedrin helps. I was in pain (stomach wise ) for a few months. I still have some pain if I eat too much. And if I bend over I have pain where my port is...Weird.

[ThinAli 0]

I think that comparing yourself to others is completely normal. I do it with the weight loss that I see in the tickers. I had to finally tell myself not to do it anymore(I still do it anyways!). I stopped my pain meds right after I got out of the hospital. And the pain was intense but I think I have the same theory as you. I try not to depend on the medicine. I walked a lot which doesn't sound like a problem for you. I also took off 2 1/2 weeks which equated to 18 days total.(I work 4 10 hour days) I have had bouts of consipation I drink Smooth Move tea at night some nights it doesn't taste great but it works.(Tastes better than that crap they tell you to take you can get the tea at Target)

I will say I think most everyone have that feeling that they made a mistake getting the band. I cried because of the pain and even though I knew it would be and has been the best decision for me I still thought it was a bad decision. I think everything you are feeling is totally normal. Don't compare yourself you are going at the pace your body will let you.

I am glad you are feeling better!

[healthy-me-in-Az 0]

I am glad you are starting to feel better. It took me about 3 weeks before I stopped feeling like crap. And I also compared myself to people who said... 'oh I feel great, I went back to work 2 days later'. I thought for sure something was wrong with me. I think everyone just reacts differently. And it sounded like you were still swollen. At my 1 month appt my surgeon commented on how swollen I still was. I asked her why and she said some people just react that way. It pretty much turned around for me about the 3 and a half weeks out. I hope it does for you too!