kacee

First day back at work. MAJOR pain in the shoulder and neck and NO GAS-X!!!! Marched around the office atrium several times (being at work you can't exactly "let one rip" to get relief, so it's been a HARD day!). Had mashed potatoes for lunch and thought I was going to DIE. Don't know if I pushed it, or if they "expanded" or what, but I was in agony for about 2 hours after. It's 3:30 now and I don't know if I will last until 5pm or cave and go home. If it wasn't for the gas and the headache I'd be okay. Slept poorly last night due to headache all night long. Seems to come about 5pm and stay every day. I'm ready to go curl up on my couch and snooze. It will be an early night tonight.

You go girlfriend! Take back your power and your life. Surround yourself with supporters and discard the rest...at least for the time being. This is YOUR decision for YOU and no one else. The fact that you have a supportive spouse takes you 90% there already. Bless that man. Those who would detract you and pull you down need to understand that though you love them, you do not agree with their ideas and you will ultimately put the facts on the table and make the decision YOURSELF.

Okay, I was just drinking my strawberry protein shake I made, which is very good. All of a sudden I burped and most of it came back up....WHOA! Just kindof like no one had really shut the door on it when it went down the first time. No throat or stomach spasm or anything....it just kindof "arrived" in my mouth again.....weird.

Glad to know I am not alone. It seems to lessen each day.

I had pain in my chest too....something warm helped a lot...warm broth, etc.

<p>Different places must do different things...I have seen the breathing thing on every surgery I've witnessed (family, etc.) for about the last 7 years or so. Idea is to keep the airways moving...prevent possible pneumonia. Anesthesia causing the cough? Makes sense to me. Warm shower should do wonders too.</p>

Weird. I'm looking at the thing I got... 24-48 hours after surgery...liquids Next 4 weeks of healing time...soft foods

I was banded on the 23rd. I am 55 years old. I take meds for blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, kidney stones, high triglycerides. One of the big reasons to do this is to help you get OFF these meds. Are the anti-inflamatories and pain meds for weight related pain difficulties? If so, all the more reason to do it. I also have been taking vicodin on a regular basis for about three years for a fasciitis in my shoulder. They will not discount you because of your meds. Your meds are as a result of your co-morbidities that aggravate your health because of your weight. Do not listen to your family. They really are just throwing out their own thoughts. Go see your doctor and listen to HIM ONLY. BLESS YOUR HUSBAND for his support. I wonder why your family is so against it? Could it be ignorance? If so, ask them to get educated, or help educate them. Your family cannot PREVENT you from having surgery. You are an adult. Do not let them threaten you and do not give your power away. As for meds post op...you will continue to take what you need....you may have to crush the pills or but them in half (I haven't been filled yet, so I imagine my situation will change, but right now, with the exception of some of the larger pills, I am able to get mine down easily). The only thing is, as you lose the weight your BP will change and your cholesterol will change and probably your moods will change. You will need to work with doctor cklosely to monitor the points at which your medds need to be adjusted, but that's all. Don't let your family railroad you.

I was to be on clear liquids the first 48 hours, and then soft foods. Regular liquid is anything you could suck through a straw (BUT DON'T!).

I've seen in several places when food gets stuck some people try papaya enzyme (basically this is what meat tenderizer is made out of). You can get a lozenge called Clear-Ease which is marketed for sinus problems (used by scuba divers). You put a lozenge in your cheek and let it dissolve and it can help with stuck food. I saw one member here comment on it, and it is also in the WLS for Dummies book. I bought a bottle and am going to keep them on hand in case of an emergency. Can't hurt to try....

"<p>I'm 3 days post-op and have phlem in my chest. I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this. I've been sucking on ice chips, pop sicles, and water since Friday, May 25th. Is this normal?" </p> <p> </p> <p>Yep....I had a hoarse throat (from the intubation) and then a chesty cough for about 4 days. This is when you should be using your breathing thing they give you (The incentive spirometry bottle they probably sent you home from the hospital with). It should help with that. They want to make sure you are using your complete lung capacity (when you hurt you tend to take shallow breaths). I am 5 days post-op and still have just a hint of a cough every once in a while. It is normal.<!-- google_ad_section_end --><!-- / message --><!-- sig --></p>

"Also I havent poohd since the day before surgery. When do I break doun and take somthing???" I took some Ducolax two days ago. That is a stool softener. I wouldn't think you would need a laxitive per se. I knew it would be a chore after the first time I tried to go....instant hemorrhoids. Believe me, if you have never had them, and you're sevral days post-op and haven't pooped, I'd take some stool softener now so you don't have a problem. I found that the gel caps went down just fine (some people say take with warm water). As a matter of fact....ALL my pills are going down just fine. Only have cut two of them in half, but I have had zero reaction from any of them.

Don't think I have enough stamina for Dr. Spivak's meeting THIS Tuesday and going back to work at the same time. May wait a while. It's post 48 hours now so we're supposed to be on soft foods... I had cottage cheese with a little guacamole stirred in (YUM), a fish filet (if you are not a big fish eater you could try this... I took a tbsp of Hellman's lite mayo, squirt of lemon juice and curry powder....mixed it up and painted it on the fish. This is the sauce you use for a chicken divan recipe and it goes on ANYTHING and is to die for.) Bought some bananas anday try to blend something today with protein powder. I figure since the list says anything the consistency of baby food....me and my blender are going to go to town!

Okay, I have been hugely lucky in that I have had very very little pain post surgery....either from incision or gas (much). However, every day about the same time (about 9:00 pm) I get a headache on the left side. Can you have gas in your neck? It also seems to involve my trapenzius muscle and the cord running up the left back of my neck. I can knock it out with minimal pain meds fairly quickly. I can be relatively pain free all day and then this sets in pretty much like clockwork. Anyone else have this?

<p>1. Was your procedure outpatient or did you stay overnight?</p> <p>outpatient</p> <p></p> <p>2. Did you have complications related to surgery?</p> <p>Nope</p> <p></p> <p>3. What you were given for at home pain? How many days did you take it?</p> <p>Liquid vicodin, 3.5 days off and on</p> <p></p> <p>4. Pain after surgery for how many days?</p> <p>Day of surgery and two days after</p> <p></p> <p>5. Degree of pain...10 being your arm was cut off and 1 being a paper cut?</p> <p>Surgery day - 6</p> <p>Post op 1 - 4</p> <p>Post op 2 - 3</p> <p>Post op 3 - 2</p> <p></p> <p>6. Doctor and state where surgery was done?</p> Dr. Spivak, Houston, Texas

Okay, that's kinda what I thought. I've just been eating whenever I felt like it, pushing myself a little, knowing I needed to get liquids and stuff down to keep strength up, and totally not worrying about making sure it was "three meals" or specific times and amounts.

ABSOLUTELY ALWAYS tell your doctor EVERYTHING. What you consider the smallest insignificant thing may be the telling tale to an important diagnosis by your doctor. Leaving something out (be it a symptom or a medication) could literally be life-threatening if you doctor were to make an incorrect dianosis based on limited information. There's no ifs ands or buts about this. It is imperative for YOUR best interest....and health.

Everyone reacts differently. I was not sore much at all. I feel today (banded the 23rd so this is 3rd day) like many people seem to feel on day 5....LITTLE pain, no stiffness, no gas. I'm living in "fat pants" (Target leggings two sizes larger than I normally take) no underware, scrub tops and no bra. I will continue to wear the fat pants at work until my belly swelling (minimal now) goes down and I can comfortably get into my elastic waist jean leggings. I got fat free cottage cheese and blended with it a green bell pepper, some onion and some avacado. YUMMMMMM!!!! Fat free pudding, sugar free jello. You can also take cooked veggies you like and blend them in the blender till they are baby food type consistency.

I was hoarse too for several days. Do like you would do with a cold I would say, warm tea (decaf), stuff like that. I guess we were intubated and the tube is what aggravates the throat and makes you lose your voice. Sometimes you also get a sore throat from it, though I didn't get one. Maybe because the procedure is so fast. It passes. I still had a little bit of a cough up until yesterday (I was banded the 23rd).

I've been really more concerned with getting stuff down than being really strict about calories...especially since there aren't a LOT of calories in everything I am eating. Yesterday had about 4 tiny jello cups, 1/2 cup cottage cheese blended to a yogurt consistency, cup of cream of chicken soup, fat free tapioca pudding....and then drinking drinking drinking. I am not sensing much if any restriction going down at all.

Jsrico - Yep, I do plan to go to the Tuesday meetings pretty soon, so I will see you there! I'm doing just FANTASTIC. Up and about with NO problem. No pain meds since yesterday. No real discomfot. Just a constant full feel but that's all. Have been able to get everything down liquid-wise and had some cottage cheese today which was heavenly. Sipping on cream of chicken soup right now. Gas pains pretty much gone at this point...hope they won't return. I can't see at all that I will have trouble going back to work Tuesday like I had planned. Will venture out tomorrow (have already been to the grocery store twice) and go to someplace like Super Cuts and have them wash and blow dry my hair so I don't have to go through that. May go that route for about a week or so....just to be lazy and pamper myself! All in all I feel wonderful.

I've grown a little tired of the fruity juice, broth thing, so I got some fat free cottage cheese, a green bell pepper and some onion and blended it. Turned it into a slightly green yogurt consistency and it was wonderful! Thinking of trying it with a piece of avacado tomorrow. MAN that was good! I had no idea the cottage cheese would blend like that! And REALLY yummy! Really gave me a feeling of having had "substantial" food taste-wise.

I have't notivced any stitches on the outside either. Maybe it's a combination of internal stitches and external glue...

Hey rag! Glad to hear you are allright. I was the 23rd too. Got up this morning and drove 35 miles back to my house from my Mom's. Was dreading it, but other than bumpy streets it was okay. Feeling stiff a little but really feeling pretty darned good considering. I took my pain meds REGULARLY for the first 24 hours, as well as Gas-X regularly. Only occasionally I have some twinges in my left shoulder. Back hurts today but I think that is from sleeping so much. Having no problem getting anything down. Have had two cream of chicken soup packets in the last several hours and keep a juice drink by my side. So far so good.

I guess we haven't heard from ragdoll yet. She must still be laying low. Any other 23rd bandsters checked in other than me yet?