Success in lapband

I "got stuck" last night. I am 1 week post op and graduated real quick onto regular softer foods. I was HUNGRY HUNGRY HUNGRY last night, my "lessened" appetite left me yesterday, and I was like a kid in a candy shop trying every food that was not nailed down. Last night I was REALLY hungry and sample some general chicken (standing up in the kitchen) two whole pieces right in my mouth, and thought to myself "what are they talking about, I have no problem with this) UNTIL I was in excruciating pain and profusely dripping sweat because I did not chew as well as I should have and I was stuck for about 30 minutes and finally I started throwing up. Throwing up was a welcome sensation and relieved the pain after everything was out of my pouch. But I examined how BIG was I really swallowing and I am going to chew chew chew chew chew alot more than that and I thought I was chewing. The pieces were no bigger than cottage cheese size but definately not as soft. I seriously paniced, could not swallow saliva (because of the pain) you would think sip water but NO WAY builds more pressure, all you can do is lean over the trash can or sink and pray to god you throw up. Walk, take deep breaths (even though they hurt more than child birth) and pray it passes or you PB. Burping felt better (first time I have burped since surg.) but 3-4 seconds after I burped the pain was back. I have always been one to learn the hard way or test the boundaries, but I usually do not pay such sever consequences. I don't want sympathy, I just wanted to share the experience, because you all know eventually you will be there just like I did.

Answer to your question about "when do the gas pains stop"? Well technically we all call them gas pains, AND they are from the gas used to blow up your tummy but what they REALLY are is the fibrous irritated nerves caused by the gas they used to fill up your tummy with air. Not to say some of us do not have gas pains in our bowels that we can "fart" out. But the shoulder pain and the pain under our rib cages are irritated and inflammed nerve tissues caused by the gas that will subside eventually but sometimes takes a couple weeks. The best resource for pain relief is a heating pad or hot Water bottle (don't burn your skin). Didn't you find it interesting we all end up with them about 24-48 hours after surgery? And they ususally end up in our left chest or under our ribs? Interesting huh.... Every evening when I get home from work I am grumpy and put on the heating pad for about 1 hour and I am good to go. he he he but sometimes I like to get mileage out of my family because I am tired from work so I leave the heating pad on a little longer and moan a few more times that I should.

Just FYI Gail is out of surgery, she also had to have a hernia repair, so he said she was out of it a bit. But to let you know~she is banded.

FYI: I was going over to visit Gail in the Hosp and I called before going over there just to make sure; Gail is out of surgery; I spoke with her husband; he said she had a hernia repaired too and pretty out of it "but" she is banded..... He did not elaborate anymore than that, and I felt that my prodding was pushing the limits of me asking anymore questions. I will cc this on March bandsters...

With all the B.S. they have us sign and secretive HIPA laws, you would think that they would have more privacy while in the pre op area and post op area. Son of a B**ches. I hate when that happens. 16 years ago, I had a very private surgery (cancer) and did not want anybody to know, well my employer found out and everybody and their mother thought I was gonna die, well I fooled them didn't I! But in the meantime when you have something like that you get treated very differently and I love the HIPA laws but hated the idea of that pre op and post op area.

Make sure you know what you can eat for the first 48 hours and the first 2 weeks post op.

What an incredible husband!!! Mine told me the morning of my surgery (3 hours before it was suppose to happen) he did not want me to do it. Never before did we ever talk about what he wanted me to do. Needless to say I am banded, and happy.

Just FYI Gail went into surgery this AM at 9 to be banded! I think I am going over at lunch to see how she is doing, she will have to spend the night, but I have other obligations for this evening....

Lapband support Group in South Meadows Hosp is held every third Thursday of the Month starting at 6pm Can anybody is our group commit to meeting there every month, our group to keep us accountable? Because obviously we are not accountable to ourselves~that is what got us in this predicament~at least with peer pressure and peer praise each month we can encourage each other~what do you think?? LOL! I can't make it this month I will be in San Diego with Shamoo the whale.

Beef broth hmmmmmm Start with with stew beef or 7 one roast meat or some beef bones (ask your butcher. Add a onion quartered, a bay leaf, maybe a carrot. Boil the living heck out of everything then strain and cool.

Try ice chips.... I think you are just swollen or still reacting from the anesthesia. So you have any suppositories Phenegran? They will help. Let you Dr. know you are vomiting, they don't want you to vomit, they don't want you to rip stitches. This is one of the "possible" side effects right after surgery. Have I heard of it YES. Did I get it NO. I was affraid of throwing up I took my supoosoitories. Keep us posted.

No I don't have a dog named lucky, but I have read about that dog everywhere. I am totally testing the waters today with food, and so far so good. You know what I did about 45 minutes ago was take some pain meds and right now I am mellow with my heating pad. Do you have any pain meds you could take. I must say you did really good on eating today.

Tracy I was banded 3/1 and today is my worst day as well and I have the exact same hunger pangs as you and I don't have thrush but my tongue is black from the antibiotics from the 1st attempt surgery. So when I read your post I was sooooooooooo relieved that I am experiencing the exact same post op feelings that somebody else is. And IF I get a yeast infection I think I will be a real B**ch. I just love to read your posts because you tell it just like it is and you don't sugar coat anything. I am still dealing with gas pains in my left shoulder, I got really really really really hungry about 30 minutes ago and was not prepared to really eat something, started chomping down on real food swallowed and then paniced. Everything was okay but I sure had some scary thoughts there real quick. So that meant if that went down okay, I proceeded to eat a tamale and I am still not full. Did I get banded????? Hello!!!!!!!!!!!! Tracy are you feeling restriction?? Did I ever tell you about the dog with 3 legs, deaf in one ear, only one eye no teeth a broken tail named LUCKY? If you lived closer, I would come sit next to you because misery loves company.

Babygrl1234 What size portions and what were you meal choices prior to fill? I am 5 days post op and I just ate a tamale no problem, I don't feel full. I am just wondering,what were you portion sizes prior to the fill.

Don't be surprized if gas pains start 2 days from now. I also had no pain until 2 days post op, then the gas pains started and today I am really a B**ch. I just took pain meds and using a heating pad.

Hlayne You are one day behind me and last night was my best night I have slept regarding comfortability. I am a sound sleeper so I usually only wake up once during the night and roll over. I am already doing mushies, I could not keep to the liquid diet. Hamburgers? I just want something BBQ'd. When I walk my dogs I smell all the houses that are cooking dinner and BBQ'ing and I want to dive in to their food. Did it bother you; that your co worker brought in food? Were you hungry for it? My coworkers eat all day around me and I have not WANTED anything yet. I would like a nice salad with ranch dressing from the salad bar but know it would hurt going down so it is not a "trigger" for me yet. I go back to my post op appt on Monday, we will see what he has to say and how big he thinks my stoma is right now. I don't feel any restriction, but my appetite is suppressed (thank goodness)

So Chris; Go read Baby Got Back recommendations of hydration and the first fill. Did you ask them if you are suppose to be feeling restricted now? Did you tell them what you are eating? Are you eating what you are suppose to be eating? I am not.... Dr. K. wanted me on liquids for 2 weeks (no frigging way). and I have not felt that "full feeling yet" the one that you described when you ate that soup.

I know, I know, I hate that scale when I am "up". But love it when I am "down" pounds. Tell me how things go with Dr. Ganser. Have you taken off your clear bandages yet? I have little pieces of reinforced tape (scotch tape size) then a square of clear stretchable plastic wrap like stuff over them. I took off the clear stretchable stuff this AM so my incisions could breath, and it is amazing at how sensitive they are and itchy. I did 35 minutes on eliptical and 1.8 miles walking my dogs. I walk the dogs for their benefit and my wind down after work~it is a very leisurely walk~stop and smell the roses kind~see what is new in the neighborhood kind~see what pretty things the neighbors are doing in their front yard so I can copy them kind. I try and take a different route so I don't get bored but I am the kinda person who is mundain and does the EXACT same thing over and over and over again. I have a 17 year old bichon who is overweight and a 3 yr old poodle, I keep telling myself it is all about the 17 yr old dog and her health and I am a bad dog owner if I don't take her for a walk.

WOW! I must have -0- restriction. I drink and eat just like normal. Have taken too big of a bite of something and felt a little uncomfortable (I think that was the supposed restriction stoma), but other than that I can't tell a difference at all. If I had not seen the XRays I would swear he did not put a band in, and he was tricking me.

Gail Before today gets away from us, tell me what time surgery is tomarrow for you. You maybe start getting second doubts like I did the day before, get those doubts out of your mind and replace them with skinny healthy thoughts. I am 1 week post op and not hungry. You are going to tell yourself after this is over; you are so glad you did it! And when you go see your Son he is going to be amazed at how young and good you look. You are going to be a new woman in less than one year from today, think of it that way!!

Oh this is funny; I have thrush, but did not think anything of it and did not assume it was related at all to the surgery. Interesting.....

Synical: You are doing FINE! Other than apparently having a sore throat which could have been started and irritated from the breathing tube during surgery, you appear to be doing everything one day ahead of me. I took off my outter clear adhesive strips today, there is still some little reinforced pieces of tape over all the incision points. I also did 35 minutes on the treadmill yesterday. I was counting every second. I need to get my endurance up to 5 miles walking by next week; preparing for the sea world trip to san diego, california.

I will look on my paperwork at home later tonight on the start time. I always thought the the sanctuary was a massage place. I am going to sea world next week I can't go to support group, but I want to go next month. You don't talk too much, you should talk more~

Trader Joes is one of my weekly stops. I am so wierd; one store, for a few items, another store for another few items yadda yadda yadda. I ate choc pudding, the massa from a tamale, cottage cheese for dinner. I ate total about a cup of food but really really need to slow down swallowing. I know I could have made better choices but sometimes I am the hydrant and sometimes I am the dog. Chris; Tell me what you ate tonight pleeeeeeease.

Chris; Funny that you mentioned bathroom. I FINALLY went today and I bet I lost weight. I have the opposite problem as you though. I never knew what constipation felt like before in my life, never had that problem before. But I think I am over it and am excited to see what I weigh tomarrow. Loritab was suppose to stop you up not give you the runs. I am gonna try and treadmill for 30 minutes and then walk 2 miles tonight, when I say I excercise, I am sure you think I am really "hoofing it" I am leisurely sight seeing, so don't think I am a super woman! Chris I am 2 days behind you and you are approx 1 week behind Red, I hope in 2 days I don't have the runs, but I will definately share it with you I am sure if I do! LOL! How much protein are you getting in daily? What are you eating lately? I feel really swollen inside today and even though I know it is head hunger I am not really stomach hungry, and have been drinking bariatrix today, veg. beef soup without the beef in the blender for dinner tonight. I "was" a huge salad eater so my eating I know is gonna be very different until I get the courage to try lettuce. FYI: I did try 1 tsp. of Costco chicken salad and had no problem on Sunday. Tell me more about the "full feeling" you experienced that one day with that soup. Have you felt it again since? Was it a full feeling that I would say (ah!) that is what it feels like or is it a tight feeling? I am getting so confused! I definately ate healthy; VERY healthy but just lots of volume, that was my weight problem. Even Dr. K. said I had a skinny persons liver, almost no fat on it. Until he told me this I felt he never believed at how "good" I really ate, just lots of quantity! I don't know if I shared with you but I did not have to do the diet again for the second surgery.