christine0x0x

I had my surgery on Monday (4/23) and came home form the hospital yesterday. I am completely miserable with pain in my stomach, chest, and back. Also, I have been having a lot of nausea especially when I drink. I can hardly get anything down, including water. When I try anything besides water, I get a sharp pain and nausea. My stomach is constantly gurgling, too. Any suggestions? I am afraid I will get super dehydrated because I can only take about once ounce per hour.

The same thing happened to me. I had surgery on Monday (4/23) and was feeling terrible until today. I was not able to get more than 15oz of water down in a 24 hour period so I has to get rehydrated by IV at my dr's office. I was also given steroids to help the swelling go down. I had a lot of gas pain in my stomach and I was not able to burp any air up without extreme pain. Walking did not help immediately but I think it helped the gas to disapate more quickly. Today I feel great and I no longer need my pain medication. Don't let yourself get dehydrated. If you can't get enough water down then call your doctor. All of this pain will pass very soon so just hang in there!

Thanks for all the advice! I called my doctor and went into the office to get my band completely unfilled (it had 1cc in it). He also gave me a nausea patch. I am feeling a little better and can take more liquid. I tried the gas-x and that seems to help a little bit, too. Hopefully all of this will pass soon!

My advice is to just keep calling back to request the status of your clearance. Call every day if you have to. They may get a little annoyed with you but things will get done faster. You are not likely to slip through the cracks if you are calling a lot.

I also had my consultations all on the same day. The psych eval is a breeze, they pretty much want to make sure you understand that surgery isn't a cure, its a tool. Also, they make sure you understand the risks and discuss any underlying psych conditions such as anxiety or depression. I also met with a nutritionist who discussed the surgery itself, how it changes the anatomy, and what types of things I will be eating after surgery. Then I attended a required educational class which went over all aspects of the pre-op, surgery, and recovery. Also, I met with my surgeon who disscued my choice of lap-band over other surgical options. A week later I had a required endoscopy,which was the most stressful part of the entire process. My insurance required a 6 month diet. I asked my pcp to sign paperwork stating that I had been dieting and exercising for the past year and submitted that as my 6 month diet. Much to my surprise, my insurance accepted it and approved my surgery!! I am having surgery on 4/23.

My doctor does not require any type of pre-op diet. The only thing I have to do is clear liquids for 24 hours before my surgery (which will be on Monday!). In contrast, my brother had his surgery 2 months ago and was required to be on full liquids for 2 weeks prior. We have different doctors so I guess it really does depend on your doctor. I did some research on pre-op diets and there is no real research that shows any difference in surgical outcomes either way.

I just got my insurance approval today and I am scheduled for surgery next monday, April 23rd! I am excited but so nervous about how I will handle the day of surgery. I tend to be a pretty anxious person, especially with anything medical so I know I will be pretty nervous. How did you handle surgery day? Were you given anything to calm your nerves? Anyone have any tips for me?