anewchapter

Hi All, Just wondered what type of pain medication anyone with horrible shoulder and abdominal pain is taking? I was doing fine 5-6 days post-op, now the last two days have sucked!!!!! I take the gas-x, walk and use a heating pad. Today on my walk home from work, which took 30 instead of the usual 15 mins, I was basically in tears the entire time. Like the walking was making the pain worse. Taking a deep breath sent a sharp pain to both my left shoulder and left abdominal area. Finally when I got home sitting made the pain subside. I am considering taking my percocet for relief, but I think pain medication just makes the gas worse. I know for sure if I was in this kind of pain pre-surgery I would have went to the hospital or to my doctor. I called the clinic during the day today, before the walk home incident, and they said everything is normal. Thanks for your input and prayers.

Hi Tom, Congrats on your successful 5 years!! Just thinking about where I'll be in 5 years with my band scares the hell out of me because I know it'll be in a place that I've never been to, which I guess is exciting too. So scared and excited. That's me. What is the egg timer trick??

Hi Tom,Wish I could make it. I'm from Peterborough. Do you know of anyone closer to where I live??Thanks,Erinn

I'm starting to experience the same thing. I've read it's normal, but it's still frustrating. I've been waiting so long to gain a sense of control over my body (and food addiction) and to lose this weight that has been holding me back from being my real self and from living life to the fullest. I got a little taste of the feeling of losing with the pre-op diet and the first post-op week....then this week nothing, infact I even gained a pound!! I don't want to wait anymore...that's what my brain it saying....but I know my body it saying....what the #%#%^@ did you just do to me!! I've read before that when you reduce your calories so drastically and then start eating more (like moving from the liquid to mushies to real food) your body will hold on to those extra calories cause it doens't know what's going on and once it realizes it's going to continue to get a certain amount of calories it will start to let some go....if that makes sense. I also experienced my first fight with head hunger last night and it sucked. I wasn't physically hungry but wow, did my mind not think that what I eat was enough. I think I ended up eating a little to much, as I had a tiny bit of a full feeling in my lower chest. I also realize I need to start breaking routines, like coming home from work and basically getting into my pjs. I need to start to do stuff after work. Go for a walk, go to the gym, visit a friend, shop....do something!! I'm also going to put up the scales till Sept 1. I know that's really only 6 days away, but I've been on them either everyday or every other day since August 1th. Sept 1 will be one month since pre-op diet and I wanted to track monthly weight loss and take pics, so I'll hold off till then and try to only weigh in weekly on Thursdays after that. I'm totally rambling on now....sorry about that

If there are not medical problems...staph, mrsa, I would try laser hair removal. At least then you'd know if it was caused by in grown hairs and start eliminating possibilities. I should also mention, my room mate had some weird skin issues happening, including boils in the same area as well as armpit, she ended up having Celiac desease (not to the point were she was having the digestion issues, but the gluteen was coming out in her skin). If that makes sense. She was put on an antibiotic and they are clearning up.

I love Dance Dance Revolution!!!! It's so fun and a great work out.

The itching means the nerve ending in your skin are healing....it's a good sign

I'm having cooked turnip, then mashed up with some brown sugar and butter....yummmmm. I also bought some canned carrots and peas that I'll mash up. Another thing I'm going to make is some instant mashed potatoes with Philly ranch dip added for flavour.

Good thread girls....uplifting and positive.....does a lot for the mind. In my whole teen and adult life I was only able to shop in regular stores for about 1 year. I can't wait to shop in regular stores again. I can't wait to be able to shop again (plantar fasciitis makes it hard to shop for even an hour right now). I can't wait to be able to share clothes with some of my friends. I can't wait to shop in my own closet.....so many sizes in there.....lol. This time the plus clothes will be donated when I'm done with them!

I would take the suggestion about calling your doctor's office and asking what kind of liquids you should be on. I was on 4 days of clear liquids (juice, broth, gatoraid and protien powder with water) then 10 full liquids (strained cream soups, Protein shakes, smoothies, and milk). I can't believe someone can live and function on the calories from just juice, gatoraid and broth for more than a couple days. Also, check out my thread about what types of pain meds to take for shoulder and adbominal pain. Hope you get some answers from your doctor's office

I'm finally feeling better today.....long winded thread on pain meds explains more about what I did for the gas pain.

Well my doctor's office said it is normal when I called yesterday and to keep up with the gas-x, maybe tums (although I thought this was for heart burn - I did not try tums), heating pad and walking. My room mate also suggested using her portable massaging chair to help the gas get moving. I was also wondering if some of the cramping was due to only eating a bit of Soup and Protein drinks, as I read another post somewhere and someone said they started to feel better when they moved on to mushies, like I wasn't eating enough to move the gas. So instead of pain medication I decided to take more gas-x and have some chicken vegetable noodle soup, which I put through my bullet to puree, and then added about 6 crushed up crackers that got nice and mushie. Low and behold, while eating the mushy cracker chicken noodle puree soup and sitting on the massaging chair finally some gas found it's way out Sorry to be so specific. The rest of the night I walked around my living room every hour for a couple minutes and sat on the massaging chair 3-4 times. Later that night took more gas-x (which put me one dose over the daily limit) and I made some lipton chicken noodle soup and put crackers in it to get mushie and just chew chew chew. When I went to bed I massages my lower belly for about 10 minutes. For lunch today more cracker mush lipton soup and some brown Beans in molasas (which I just mushed up in my mouth). Hopefully I have turned the corner, cause today I'm feeling sooooooo much better then the last couple days. So I'm moving on to a modified mushies/pureed stage (I'm not to have mushies for another 6 days), but I'm feeling good and can't live with that pain any longer. Still a Protein shake for Breakfast, but lunch and dinner will be some sort of mushed up, with a bit of liquid item. Something with more substance then cream soup. On a side noted, I bought the Shoppers Drug Mart extra strength chewable gas tablets today and they seem to be working WAY better then the gas-x extra strength brand!!! Hopefully my co-workers don't notice....but at this point I don't care To anyone experiencing major, bring you to tears, painful shoulder and abdominal pain; just keep working the gas-x (maybe try another brand), walking, heating pads, a little massage and make sure your getting enough calories.....hopefully it will pass pun totally intended!

I totally agree with all of the above....don't sweat it. I cheated a little to (in fact I drank alcohol both Saturdays before the surgery and was told none was allowed) we're not expected to be 100% perfect. You're doing great!!

P.S I wish I was feeling that good....right now I want to cut off my arm and stab myself in the stomach were it hurts!! Just be thankful you are feeling so good.

10 days post-op I don't think your doctor would even consider it. Some people have to wait 6 weeks for a fill, others are more lucky and only have to wait 4 weeks. Take your time....it's a long road. If you're doing good, don't rock the boat.

I've read 20 pounds per pant size...don't worry you'll get there.

I was told whenever I'm feeling up to it. No time restraint was put in place.

Update: called my clinic...they told me all is normal. To continue to take gas-x and even some tums, heating pad on my shoulder and keep on walking. I worked through my lunch today so I can go home a bit early and tomorrow I'll remember the heating pad. I feel a little better now that it's later in the day. Maybe my body just didn't like getting up so early today

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'm 8 days post-op and back to work as of today. Maybe I'll try the gas-x strips, I've been using the crewables, but I'm not really sure if they've been helping. Today on my 15 min walk I was in a lot of pain. Both shoulder pain and in the last 2 days I've been getting like a sharp spasm pain in my lower left abdominal area. I was going to wait till the 10 day mark before calling my clinic. I hope I make the whole day at work today. I'm an admin assistant so I do a lot of sitting, but already I feel tired and cranky

I'd like to read some replies to this post because I was banded on the 15th and I still do not feel "normal". Shoulder pain is sometimes so painful it's breath-taking. Still no signs of being hungry, I just eat my protein and soup as directed by my post-op diet, although I don't think I'm eating the full amounts. Nor am I drinking the full amount of water I should be. Sleep is so all over the place. One night ok, then one night up from 2am - 6am, wide awake, then another night so tired just not able to sleep due to shoulder pain.

I wish you well and was also wondering what is deferred shoulder pain?

My pre-op diet was 2 weeks of no carbs, sugar, alcohol, fruit, cheese, nuts...basically protein and veggies. Based on the Dr.'s office I lost 5lbs, but I know I gained a couple pounds from consult day to start of the pre-op diet which was 5 weeks. From my results I lost 9 pounds: weight in the morning first day of pre-op diet and weight in the morning day of surgery. I also didn't follow the diet to the 'T'. But I was proud with my results and know that I was making a really big change from the way I used to eat.

I didn't get any till day 3 post op and took them till day 5 (but if I had them day 2 I would have taken them). I'm finally feeling better today, day 6. But I think any walking you can do helps SO much!! Even marching on the spot if you can't get outside.