mistybreezes

Pathworker: I get it only on the same side I have after surgery, my left side, kind of in that collarbone area, very sharp, annoying pain, just like after surgery. I wondered if it still might be trapped air in my diaphragm but you would think after exercise and all the running around I do daily it would not still be a problem. Mine also comes and goes and usually worse in the afternoon/evenings. Thanks for your thoughts everyone. I will see how it goes with the Motrin for another week and then may call the doctor back.

I really don't think it is anything to do with my heart. It has been in the same spot ever since the day I had surgery. It just never totally went away and the last couple of months it is really severe almost daily during certain times of the day, usually afternoon and evening. It could be gas I suppose, but it doesn't really feel like it. I just wondered if this could be a long term side effect from the band itself. It is in the same spot where you have the surgical shoulder pain and every time I breathe I feel it, sharp pain. I did go see the doctor about it and he said he had never heard of this before and if it was still there a year out from surgery, that is just the way it would be. I had it really severe right after surgery for about three weeks, was on pain meds for it then. I just was hoping someone might tell me they had the same thing and it eventually did go away. Never had it before surgery so I am sure it has something to do with it. I had another laparoscopic surgery before I had the band and I didn't have this probelm at all the shoulder pain, so maybe this one was different, I don't know.

Hi everyone. Well it has been since January 2005 that I had my surgery. I really had a rough time with severe shoulder pain after surgery. Well, it has been all these months and my shoulder pain is still pretty bad on and off, comes and goes. What gives with this? I told the doctor about this and he said after a year what you see is what you get after surgery whatever point you are at at that time with side effects. He said to take Motrin. Okay, well, did that and soaked in a hot tub, nothing helps. It is the exact same pain I had from surgery in the same spot and feels very uncomfortable. Has anyone else continued to have this as a side effect of the band or postop surgery? Any suggestions on how to get rid of this? Miserable!

I think the anticipation was worse than the fill itself! If you can imagine a straight pin being stuck in your stomach, it just is a little poke, doesn't really hurt. The barium was worst though. I had to drink four big mouthfuls and that stuff is really yucky! Then for the two days after the fill I felt really bloated and gassy feeling, but today I feel great. I find liquid soups make me feel like I am really eating, tomato soup anyway. I can do the five days!! You will be fine with your fill!

Jack: Are you talking about week 7 after surgery or after a fill? My doctor was also strict, liquids 3 weeks, mushies 3 weeks right after surgery. This is my first fill and it is 5 days liquids! Tomato soup seems to make me feel like I am eating something good and fills me up fast now so maybe I can actually make the 5 days after all. I feel better today too, yeah!! Can't wait to start dropping the pounds again, I was at a standstill and able to hold tooooooo much before the fill. You are doing great, I come here and look at your posts from time to time, they are humorous! Thanks everyone for your input.

Hi everyone. I just had my first fill yesterday. I had 2.1 cc. I have a 10 mm Inamed band. I forgot to ask the doctor how much can this band hold? Also, he told me 5 days of liquids!!!?? Why so long? I was reading other posts and seems like no one is every told 5 days. His nurse told me 1-2 days and then he said 5 days. I am feeling really bloated today and kind of icky feeling but able to take liquids just fine, is this normal? Thanks!

Hi everyone. I am now six weeks out from surgery. I have been eating without really any problems with foods, except wheat bread making me feel sick. I am wondering about how much your stomach should hold before a fill and to still lose weight if you are eating healthy? I have felt restriction all along so far and am wondering if I am about right or if I need a fill yet. For example, for lunch I can eat almost one slice of white bread with a slice or two of turkey and one piece of cheese and feel really full. Same if I eat just a couple of ounces of protein or a really small salad. For dinner, I can usually eat approximately 2-3 oz of meat and maybe a 1/3-1/2 cup of cooked carrots or something like that. I am just wondering about how much at each meal is normal to continue losing weight, about a cup of total food? I would think I should still be able to continue losing with this amount of food but I have plateaued out this week. Thanks!

Gigi: I am 2-1/2 weeks post surgery. I probably would not have been able to lift anything as you are pretty sore the first few days, especially. Every time I would cough, I would hold a pillow to my belly because it hurt. It isn't a huge amount of pain but just really sore. I was on pain meds the first five days but it was mainly due to the extreme shoulder pain. I had shoulder pain like you wouldn't believe and that was most of my discomfort from the surgery. I was also really really drained and tired after surgery but I managed to work (self employed) but I work at home so I could take frequent breaks. I saw my doctor yesterday and asked him about lifting heavy objects if the band could be jarred and he said no. Right after surgery though, you will need to take it easy for at least a week. Hope that helps and good luck!

I know what you mean about boredom, that was a biggy for me too. How about cleaning out your desk or something like that to pass the time by? I am still young in this journey but I didn't realize you would be able to eat sandwiches, let alone french rolls? I am dying for bread!! I didn't think it would be a possibility anymore after the banding, does it go down okay?

Julie: I was really feeling the same way about why did I did I have the band put in. I am still having diarrhea, only once a day now though. I guess this is just how my body is going to react to the liquid phase, I mean there is nothing solid to go in yet! It has slowed down though to once a day instead of all day! My energy was so bad for a few days my heart would race every time I even tried to walk across the room. It is still low but now it is getting somewhat better. I was able to go to the grocery store and buy a few things before I pooped out and had to go home and rest for a while. I think it must still be my body trying to heal from surgery and plus being on liquids is far too few calories, in my opinion. I have been doing everything I can during the liquid phase to boost up the calories so I feel better and it has helped a little bit. My scale has went crazy, which I am amazed at every day! I am down 12.5 lbs today in 10 days!! I guess we newbies are all on this roller coaster ride for a bit longer until we can get some real food into our bodies and then hopefully things will really improve!

Pizza flavored soup? I haven't seen that one yet, maybe I will look for that next time I go shopping. I wish I wasn't fixated on pizza so much. I dream about it lately, isn't that just weird? There is this one pizza place in town that has really good pizza and I would just die for one half of a slice. Oh well, I will wait and be good. So far the liquid phase has been a rough go for me, so I am wondering what the mushie phase will bring, hopefully better than this!

I haven't gotten to the food stage yet of my banding but I have read a lot of threads where people say they "can't tolerate" certain foods. I am just wondering what kind of effects you mean when you say you can't tolerate something? Is this like severe pain, throwing up or just a feeling of bloating? Is it ever possible to tolerate a slice of pizza again? That is the one food I seem to want more than anything, even though I didn't eat it much before surgery. Has anyone else noticed that their tastebuds seemed to change after surgery? I mean I used to love sweets and candies and now anything sweet is like 100 times sweeter to me and it is just too sweet for my tastebuds, like juices (I haven't made it to real food yet). I am still really fresh out from surgery but man have I had a hard time with this. Did anyone else feel like they just were completely drained of energy? I feel like it takes every ounce of strength I have just to walk across the room most of the time. Hope this goes away soon!

Thanks everyone. Tomorrow is a new day, got my Imodium and looking forward to a better day!!

I did end up calling the doctor. The nurse told me I should try to take Imodium and if that didn't calm it, to call in the morning. I have been drinking Gatorade most of the day today instead of Water and that has helped some. I don't have Imodium on hand so I took some Pepto and so far so good, crossing my fingers! I had an hour and a half drive home from the hospital and I got the dry heaves on the way home and didn't think I would even make it home! Then a day and a half postop I got the dry heaves again. I get waves of nausea at night, even with this patch on, so I hope that clears up soon too, no more dry heaves since then. I was freaked out about vomiting and called the doctor the next day and they told me not to worry, it would be very hard for the band to slip out of place. I guess time will be the factor here for healing.