Carolk1

I have been through surgery with Dr. Geiss. My surgery was 12/3 and I when I woke up I found out I did not get banded. Although disappointed, it was Dr. Geiss who put his ego aside and realized the situation he faced with my scar tissue was something he could not overcome. A lesser skilled surgeon or bigger ego surgeon would have possibly kept on and could have severly injured or worse yet killed me in the process. I would recommed Dr. Geiss to absolutely anyone based on the fact, he knew enough to stop the surgery after diligently trying for over 45 mins to place the band. His experience is invaluable....I wish you much success on the journey.

FINALLY!!!!! My pain went away. Saturday 12/8 I woke up and felt so much better. I had surgery on the previous Monday, it took a full week to get rid of the gas....The new problem is my insides feel really sore today. I wonder if I did too much bending yesterday...I feel like I was punched really hard on my left side. It hurts when I take a big breath of air....hope this is not more gas forming....LOL HEAVY - congrats to you on the 30 pounds...that's awesome!!! you should be proud of yourself.....

Everyone is doing great!!! Let's keep it going....

I had surgery 12/3 and still my shoulder is unbearable...it is at its worst in the evening when I go to lay down and sleep..brings me to tears....

Good luck Tomecia!!!!

Heavy - I have been having tremendous shoulder pain. My husband has been constantly rubbing it for me..It really does help because it breaks up the gas bubbles. I've also been taking Gas-x I think that's helping also. The shoulder pain gets worse at night for me. Right before going to bed it really flares up....Have your wife take the palm of her hand and basically punch your back where you feel the pain...it may help...

I arrived at the hospital at 5:45 am, did all the pre-op (went very smoothly). I met with the nurses and the anesthegiologist and the surgeon. My surgeon's last words, "this shouldn't be a problem I've done 2000, see you when you wake up". They rolled me into the surgery room, strapped me in and said goodnight.... The next thing I know I'm being rolled out of the OR and see my husband talking to the doctor, gave them a small wave and was looking forward to my life as a bandster. I get settled in my spot in post-op and I over hear the nurse whispering while she's looking at my chart, saying ohhhhhhhhhhh. The surgeon walks over at this point, while I'm totally out of it and says, "I'm sorry we were unable to place the band". My first thought was, is this a dream? Second thought, a sigh of relief, third thought - What the F???? He tells me that he couldn't get through a wall of scar tissue that was there from a gallbladder surgery I had in 1988. Apparently the scar tissue was so great that there was no way around it. Now the fun begins...what do I think? what do I feel? all this prep, all the emotion. The surgeon mentions I could have a sleeve done and we can discuss at my post op appt. (not dying to go back to surgery also bad timing to bring this up). Nurses then came over to me one by one and at least 3 of them said, oh that's too bad, I guess you'll have to do it the old fashioned way...at that moment I was completely defensive and could not believe what I just heard. It came across to me as they were a bit superior and I'm this diet/exercise failure. Which I'm not - I"m very successful at losing, just can't seem to keep it off. So, now I'm home, experiencing all the pain, soreness and gas that I have prepared to deal with for months, but no band....I'm confused, lost, relieved, excited, sad, just a whole mix of emotion. I hope and I pray that I can turn this whole ordeal into a positive motivational factor to continue on my journey of creating a healthier life. And doing it, "The Old Fashiponed Way".

Danna and Ruth - thanks for the support, but I haven't really done anything yet, but will hopefully do the right thing and start my new weightloss plan. Danna - I have the same problem that you are having. I sleep fine, but it hurts when I bend to the left and sit on a chair. The middle of my tummy really is still sore...I'm still taking extra strenght tylenol and let my DH wait on me constantly...love it!!

DANNA - today I"m physically doing better, but emotionally very bruised...Last night all the emotion came to the surface and the realization that I did all this work and had surgery for nothing...I know all the rhetoric BS of this too shall make me stronger and it happened for a reason, but all I wanted to do was cry and cry I did.... Today I slept in late and woke up thinking..There's a book in this whole story. If I can drop 100pounds in a year I think there's an inspirtational story to be told...Oprah loves that stuff, so why not make my next goal to get on the Oprah show with my story....So, emotionally I'm better today trying to sort out how I feel about the journey I took and the journey ahead of me now. I'm still doing liquids, just because I can't wrap myself around starting real food yet. If I do I'm afraid I will resort to old behaviors....Plus I have 6 big canisters of unjury I purchased. and how are you doing?

FABULOUS!!! I'm sorry you're up 6lbs, but I'm so happy to hear this....I'm pretty much trying to follow my bandster diet minus the band, but it totally freaked me out when I got on the scale this morning. I've been trying to drink as much Water as possible to flush out my system, but it doesn't seem to be working...but I'll keep trying......How you feeling today???? Getting better one day at a time???

baby - thanks, it was actually the scar tissue underneath that you can't see and don't even know is there that developed into a wall the surgeon couldn't and didn't want to try to get through.

Thanks Steph...I guess I'm waiting for it to go back down..I need to gain some patience. I had surgery yesterday and I'm thinking the scale should have been back down this morning.

Chris - I'm so glad all went well for you....Keep taking the Tylenol in your system it really helps, also keep an ice pack on all the incisions, it will definitely help with any soreness you may feel. Both of these things have been helping me alot...I'm still trying to find an answer to - do you gain weight when you have surgery? I'm up 5pounds.

Thanks Holly thanks Moto - the worst part of all of this is I had the entire surgery, but no band....So, I'm still dealing with the recouperating part...which really sucks! Also, does anyone know if you gain weight by having surgery ? I assume it's water weight, but still not thrilled with the 5lb increase since I worked so hard on the preop....

Jonesy - I'm doing well drinking Protein shakes and Soups...I hope the shoulder pain ends soon....Also can't wait for the incisions to stop being so sore and heal already...For the most part I'm doing ok...Thanks!!!! HEARTY - AWESOME for you!!!Sounds like everything went well especially being able to sit up and watch the rest of the game....Good luck over the next few days and keep moving it helps the gas break up.....

Thanks everyone..I'm feeling physically better today, but mentally/emotionally everything is sinking in...Not to mention, I got on the scale this morning (which was stupid) and I was up 5pounds... I really hope this has to do with the surgery (for whatever reason) and that it will disappear as it quickly as it showed up. I drinking protein shakes and soup today, since I had purchased 6 containers of unjury ahead of time....I'm thinking I may still try to follow the band diet...We'll see how well this works...I just want the soreness and the shoulder pain to go away and my incisions to heal....

Thanks Candle! Congrats on your amazing progress...keep it going.....

SEWEN and MEJ - thanks for well wishes...Best of luck to you both...MEJ I'm sure after a couple of weeks you will definitely feel it was well worth it....Good luck on your weight loss. For now, I will continue to be a merry bandster because it's great support and motivation for me...

I posted this on a separate thread, but I'll put it here for all Merry Bandsters.. Home from 12/3 surgery I arrived at the hospital at 5:45 am, did all the pre-op (went very smoothly). I met with the nurses and the anesthegiologist and the surgeon. My surgeon's last words, "this shouldn't be a problem I've done 2000, see you when you wake up". They rolled me into the surgery room, strapped me in and said goodnight.... The next thing I know I'm being rolled out of the OR and see my husband talking to the doctor, gave them a small wave and was looking forward to my life as a bandster. I get settled in my spot in post-op and I over hear the nurse whispering while she's looking at my chart, saying ohhhhhhhhhhh. The surgeon walks over at this point, while I'm totally out of it and says, "I'm sorry we were unable to place the band". My first thought was, is this a dream? Second thought, a sigh of relief, third thought - What the F???? He tells me that he couldn't get through a wall of scar tissue that was there from a gallbladder surgery I had in 1988. Apparently the scar tissue was so great that there was no way around it. Now the fun begins...what do I think? what do I feel? all this prep, all the emotion. The surgeon mentions I could have a sleeve done and we can discuss at my post op appt. (not dying to go back to surgery also bad timing to bring this up). Nurses then came over to me one by one and at least 3 of them said, oh that's too bad, I guess you'll have to do it the old fashioned way...at that moment I was completely defensive and could not believe what I just heard. It came across to me as they were a bit superior and I'm this diet/exercise failure. Which I'm not - I"m very successful at losing, just can't seem to keep it off. So, now I'm home, experiencing all the pain, soreness and gas that I have prepared to deal with for months, but no band....I'm confused, lost, relieved, excited, sad, just a whole mix of emotion. I hope and I pray that I can turn this whole ordeal into a positive motivational factor to continue on my journey of creating a healthier life. And doing it, "The Old Fashiponed Way".

Lori - I just read about the sleeve and I have no interest in it. I liked the lap band because it was reversible and the sleeve is not. Plus a portion of your stomach is removed with the sleeve. I really don't think that's for me.....thanks for the well wishes.

Jonesy - thanks, I appreciate the support.. I was very surprised at the comments, but I think it confirms that people, even your nurses still think WLS as the wasy way out....

good luck - I'm sure you'll do great!

I went in and now home - http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f100/home-12-3-surgery-46336/

I had open gallbladder surgery, not laproscopic. The scar is pretty big and apparently the scar tissue was so thick it created a wall or barrier near my stomach. Was your surgery open in 1996?