JennEdge

I'm three days post-op and today was the worst day with gas so far. It's like I start feeling swollen all around my stomach even when I drink only water. When I do burp I get pains that go all the way through to my back and it really does make me stop. I've been using the GasX strips, but not sure if they are working. This will get better and stop right? I do feel better when I walk around...but I sure wasn't expecting to have so much gas pain. That's really the majority of the pain I'm in right now - the incisions themselves really aren't bothering me at all...

Update...I was banded yesterday morning and things are still going really well. I'm more sore than anything today - feels kinda like my abdomen is a big bruise so it's tender to move around - but I'm getting around! Also, the doctor said that in some patients the gas pain that can settle in the shoulder can sometimes settle in the back instead...and this is where I've had the majority of my discomfort. I'm not going to lie and say it doesn't hurt - but it's manageable. I'm on Clear Liquids for the rest of today and tomorrow I can start going to full liquids (i.e. runny cream of wheat, protien skakes, etc) and I'm a little scared about the cream of wheat, but excited to eat something other than Soup or protien shakes. :-) I also had a little problem with one of my incisions bleeding a little bit - but a little pressure and cold compress and it was just fine. So far...it's been a good experience and I'm looking forward to my weigh-in on the 3rd when I go for my 1 week post-op appointment.

I had my surgery this morning and before I went in the doctor told me that some people get gas pains that settle into their backs rather than their shoulders...and I'm apparently one of them. Strangely enough, the majority of the pain I've been dealing with today is in my back! Any suggestions on how I can get this to ease off a bit?

It's been a long wait, and I managed to do fairly well on my pre-op diet. I'm not going to lie...I did slip up once or twice. Now that I'm sitting here and realizing that at this time tomorrow I'll be home in my bed recovering from my surgery - my nerves are fried! I literally feel like I am going to throw up just sitting here typing. I have to be at the surgery center at 6am tomorrow morning and I'm the first scheduled surgery of the day at 7am. According to the nurse I talked to the other day I will probably be on my way home by about noon. I've had major surgery twice already - 2 c-sections and one of them was an emergency so I'm familiar with pain. Can anyone who's had this surgery tell me what to expect post-op as fas as pain goes. Please tell me it's nothing close to what I went through after having the kids! Please tell me that I'm doing the right thing! I'm not doubting myself or my decision - I'm just scared...

My doctor had me on a full liquid diet two weeks before surgery. It sucked pretty bad. I was allowed 2 protien shakes a day and then Soup for one meal. Of course I could have all the sugar free Jello and popsicles...but after the first couple of days they lose their appeal. I've already gone to the store to pick up oatmeal and cream of wheat for when I'm able to start adding "full" liquids, but I know that it's not going to be much more than Water for the next two or three days yet.

I'm being banded on Thursday the 24th! Since tomorrow is President's Day I'm sure offices will be closed, so I'm expecting to hear from the nurse on Tuesday to let me know what time I need to be there with my smile on. Good luck on your surgery!

I'm 7 days out from my surgery, and now that it's coming closer I'm getting scared. I'm not really scared of the surgery, but what it's going to mean for me when the band is in place. I've been on my liquid diet for 7 out of 14 days now, and it SUCKS...big time. I find myself looking at everything that I just loved to eat and I'm thinking to myself...I'll never be able to eat that stuff again (at least not like I did). I don't doubt my decision...but this really does have me freaked out.

My doctor has me on the Performance Nutricion mixes that you can get at Costco...and when I was in my pre-op training they specifically told me to stay away from Slim Fast. The vanilla flavored Performance Nutricion shakes taste pretty decent (not too thick) and they have 30 gm protien, only 160 calories, and less than 5 carbs each. I can get through those better than any of the other powders or premixes I've tried. I'm on my 9th day of liquid diet right now and the scale says that I've dropped 13.5 lbs.

My surgery is the day after yours - on the 24th. I too am excited (and scared) as I have been overweight since I was a child. I remember being told by my mother that I had to wear a size 16 jeans in the 6th grade. At this point, I'd be perfectly happy to get back to that size again. Good luck to you!

I lasted until day 4 of my 14 day liquid diet before I had my emotional breakdown...and I too was sobbing like a little child. One way I found around it was to have a small salad of romaine hearts with a fat free italian dressing just for flavor. It had never tasted so good. It really did make it easier to get by. I'm now on day 9 of the diet and my surgery is coming up on the 24th of this month. Now that I've made it to this point I actually find that I'm not hungry at all during the day...it's just hard not eating what you see because you want to eat - not because you're hungry.

I received a very similar response when I told my aunt that I was getting a lap-band. She wanted to know why I was jumping to something so drastic so fast. I have been overweight my entire life, so I hardly consider that jumping. She then asked if I had tried Weight Watchers because it really works! I spend my childhood watching her, and she's a big woman, got to Weight Watchers...and she's still going. Obviously not a good walking advertisement for the program.