mrsto

I tried laying on my left side (I heard that works with gas), but it's too painful cuz of the surgery. How long do "they" say it takes for the gas to relieve completely?

Thanks Rosie. I'm a little frustrated, but I know it's ridiculous to think that I'd be up and around three days after surgery. I didn't want to take anymore liquid Vicodin, but ended up taking a dose a couple of hours ago. I SO know what you mean on the gas; shoulder pain, chest.... It seems to have resolved a bit, but then I'll feel the dagger. Like you, I feel best when laying down. Luckily, we have an ergo adjustable bed, so I can raise my head and feet to different levels. Since the surgery, I sleep with the remote in my hand Yes, the breathing thing is a big issue. Sometimes, when I walk up the stairs, I damn near hyperventilate. I don't even realize that I'm breathing very shallow breaths, so the exertion really brings me to my knees. But again, when reclining or laying down, I'm okay. Thanks for your post.....you're a doll!

Yeah - I agree, the gas pain is ridiculous. I think I've FINALLY gotten rid of most of mine, but it was nuts. The problem is, the pain meds didn't really touch the gas pain. But they made me not care as much, and I was able to sleep. Now I just feel like I was kicked in the stomach. I'm sure that part is the surgery & not gas.

I'm also at day three, and finding that the liquid Vicodin is making my dizzy. Was great the first couple of days, but today I'm switching to extra strength Tylenol. How long did it take everyone to have their energy back? This tired feeling is such a drag. I suspect that once the Vicodin is out of my system, I'll feel much better.

Nicole, I'm going through the same thing. I had my surgery on Monday afternoon. I'm able to take very small sips of things, but I do feel the liquid going down. I think the pain is mostly where my stomach was plicated, but I don't really know. One thing helps for me, is to eat/drink things that aren't ice cold. That cold really sends a surge, and room temp or warm seems to work best. Good luck! Thanks to all these posts by others who have been through this, I trust things will improve each day.

Good for you! I have that weighted down feeling as well. My stomach was so distended and hard as a rock for a couple of days. It still is a bit, but it's better than before. Getting rid of the gas helps.

So many people seem to be in better shape than me after a couple of days. I'm better than I was yesterday, but still have a hard time breathing. I feel like I was hit in the stomach with an anvil, so deep breaths are painful. Maybe it's because of the extras I had done on top of the band, but I do feel better today, and trust that each day will improve.

Good luck! Exciting new changes coming, and I wish you all the best. I just had mine on Monday, and can only walk around for short periods. They say that walking helps release the gas, but so far it's been pretty slow. But it's been only less than 48 hours since the surgery, so I guess I just need to relax! Feel like I was beat up and hit by a Mac truck :ph34r:

I have tons of LBT posts to catch up on over the past couple of days. Will read them all later... Just got home from the hospital last night. Having a lot of pain, and find it hard to breath sometimes because of the pain. But glad it's over. The liquid Vicodin is a savior. I went through with the banded plication, gallbladder removal and repair of a hiatal hernia. The doctor said the recovery may be a bit longer than just the band alone. I expected pain, but didn't expect this much. I'm sure it will get better of the next few days. Congrats to all of my March band buddies! I'm excited on this journey toward a healthier life, and wish the same for everyone here. Now......back to bed with my heating pad. OMG -SO out of sorts

A healthier you will give you more wonderful years to spend with him. We never know what's around the corner. Life turns on a dime, and all any of us can do is live it one day at a time.

OKAY - leaving for the hospital in 15 minutes. Let the games begin!!!!!

I understand your fear. But I truly believe that if he loves YOU, then he will love a smaller version of you. The fact that you are doing something to make yourself healthier, is a positive, and makes you more attractive. Not because you'll be thinner, but an inner strength coming through. When I met my husband 8 years ago, I was wearing a size 8. Little did he know that I was on my way up the scale; had already gained back 25 pounds of the 90 I had lost a few years earlier. I continued to gain, up to the size 20-22 I'm currently in. My husband loves me more today than ever; not because of my body, because he loves "me". I would hope that is the same for you. You can STILL have curves and be thin :-) I think you will be beautiful

Your doctors office should be able to refer you to a therapist that deals specifically with weight/food issues. I really think that talking with someone who is not closely related, will help. It's a LOT to deal with! As "they" say, if you want to know why you eat, drink, use drugs.....any of it, STOP doing it. All of the issues and feelings come to the surface, because you're no longer stuffing or numbing them with substance. A therapist can really help you deal with what's coming up for you. There are reasons that we resort to whatever is our drug of choice, and it's important to get in touch with what those things are.

When I had my hysterectomy less than a year ago, my husband took a week off of work so he could stay close to me in case I needed anything. There is no way on earth that he would ever let me go through anything like this, without being right there with me. Countrygrl - it's true what you say about young relationships. Without knowing everyone's personal dynamics, it's hard to understand why some settle for what they do. Each relationship is a learning experience, and hopefully some will learn that they deserve to have someone who is part of their life, and not just a casual bystander.

I thought liquid was standard operating procedure after bariatric surgery. Guess not... I read another post where someone was crushing the pill down & putting into liquid.

Yeah, a shot of Vic with a vodka chaser! Next stop, Betty Ford Center - LOL!!

Did you have liquid everything, or just a liquid pain killer? I got liquid Vicodin, but the rest are pills (prescription Pepcid and something for nausea).

Yeah - I'm not counting on TOO much sleep, but I think we'll make up for it tomorrow

aeromech - LOVE the analogy I've had surgery before, and I know that feeling where you wake up & it feels like 2 seconds passed.....if that! Thanks for the pep talk :-)

I'm having surgery tomorrow, and a hiatal hernia repair will also be done. From what I understand, it's pretty common, as one of the major causes is obesity. Regarding the port, since I haven't had my surgery yet, I can only comment on what I've read through these forums. A heating pad is what I hear most. Never heard of anyone using ice. Hopefully some seasoned veterans will respond. Good luck, and congrats on the surgery. I'm sure you will feel so much better in the next week or two

I feel ya! I'll be walking through the hospital door at 9am! We'll be on the other side soon. Good luck with yours!!!

I agree with all above. If your boyfriend is your partner, he needs to be a part of big decisions and changes in your life; the good, the bad and the ugly. I'm wondering......how hard did you emphasize that you wanted him to stay away during this? Men don't tend to think about things the way women do. If you say "I don't want you there", then they stay away; they take the request at face value. Women, on the other hand, say one thing & really mean something else. What we (women) seem to want/think, is that even though I SAY I don't want you there, I want you to show that you really care by either...showing up anyway, sending flowers, call....SOMEthing. It's the whole Mars & Venus thing. Please understand, I'm not making excuses for your BF.....he does sound somewhat disconnected. That's something you may want to look at closer, as you become more healthy in yourself. But in a relationship, you DESERVE to have a partner that is connected to ALL parts of your life, as you are to his.

I'm having my surgery tomorrow, and my surgeon will also remove my gallbladder. I have small stones that have been there for a long time, but I elected to have him take it out, to avoid a second surgery down the road. With stones, they're fine until on blocks a bile duct. Then it becomes an acute situation.

Obesity is at epidemic proportions in this country. Not that this is a disease any of us want to have, but at least we're in good company :-) Coming to terms with this issue has been a life long process for me. And at 57, I still haven't come to terms. I thought if I could only accept myself this way, then I could take the pressure off and move on with my life. But I can't; never have, never will. But after so many years with large swings in weight, I know this is a disease; one that MANY of us are predisposed to. There will always be the idiots that do not understand. I've found that the "can't you just eat less and exercise more" mentality, with harsh judgements seeing us as weak, come from people that I wouldn't want in my inner circle whether I'm fat OR thin. But anyone with a half of brain, who lives in this culture, should see and understand that it's just not that simple. As you say (morelgirl), if it were that simple, no one would be overweight. I think it's great that you're finding the self control to walk away from conversations without a good outcome. We can't change the way the world thinks, but we can take care of ourselves, and move away from the ignorant. I have enough work to do, without feeling the need to control/change the thoughts and opinions of others. Thanks for the post. It hit a nerve with many of us.

With all of the liquids, I can't imagine that there is any issue with "pee only" right now. There is nothing solid to form anything (not to be too graphic). But hey, it is what it is Once mushies are introduced, that all should change.