ImaKaren4U

Thank you so much everyone for all of your help and support! I greatly appreciate it. I will suck it up and see my doctor. PS I will be sure to keep my status posted.

Is this the right place to post this? I haven't received a reply so I am wondering. Hello! It has been a long time since I have written. I had a full TT and Lift/Aug this past September. I had reached my goal sometime before that point. Since the surgery, I have had agonizing pain caused by Lower Back (L5-S1) disc and tendinitis. Since the PS I haven't been out of pain. I am seeing a pain specialist now and looking at the prospect of lower back surgery before I end up being paralyzed by this disc compressing my nerves. Since being on the pain killers, it has been INCREDIBLY difficult to keep the weight off. Does anyone have any words of advice, support, etc to help? I am so obsessed about my weight and have dwindle back into those helpless feelings I had before surgery. I have no restriction with my band and have quite a bit of guilt about gaining some weight back that I am reluctant to go in for a fill. Any one have words of support or encouragement?

Hello there all! I have a swelling question for those of you who have had an extended TT, breast lift and augmentation. I have searched this forum and although I did find references to swelling, not an answer to my specific question. Like some on the forum, my upper abdomen looks bigger than I thought it would but the doctor says it is swelling. As far as I can tell he brought my abdomen skin down about 4 inches (I can tell because that is how much lower my port and port incision is now) I am almost 5 weeks out and seem to have quite a bit of swelling still, even around the scar and mons. For those of you who are 4 months past your surgery date (or more) - how far out were you when you felt like the swelling was gone? are there some past 4 months that are still swollen? I know I am still "new" but like many of you I am sure, I am anxious to see the end result. I do have before and after pics and will have to find out how to add to my posts before posting them. Thanks.

Thank you again for your feedback...just an update - my PS will not do it nor will my PCP! They both said basically because they didn't put it in, they wouldn't do it because of insurance reasons....so - Monday is when I get unfilled 5 more days! :eek:

Thank you for your information Dr. Schulman. Today - and even last night - the nausea is better. I spoke to my bariatric surgeon and he says I should have the fluid drained off because of the swelling, which hadn't been done previously. He also said he doesn't think it is slippage because I would be having major heartburn, reflux, and stomach pain also. The PS doesn't know how to remove the fluid from the band so I have to travel to my bariatric surgeon's office 4 hours away and they don't take these appointments except on Mondays. Anyway...I think most of my pain might be from the vomiting and coughing (because I am also sick). I will keep you all informed. Also - as a PS yourself, what do you recommend the time period be for wearing the support bra (ie 24/7) and the compression garment. Is the compression garment mostly to encourage the swelling to diminish or to support the new muscle structure or ??

Thank you for your information - I would think that I would have had problems before the 4th week out? Also, I haven't had any acid reflux or heartburn - which as you know can be another sign of slippage or of a band being too tight. I do not have nausea all day, usually just in the evening through part of the night until I go to sleep. Did your nausea - when you had a band slip - happen all the time or just some of the time? And how long after your TT surgery? (I have read other posts from banders with TT and nausea that was resolved and not from slippage) It isn't that I am not considering this as a possibility but I need to make sure our symptoms are similar enough. My husband is FREAKING out because we just paid for the tummy tuck and boobies and he can't rationally think about the possibility of paying for a band replacement or modification too. Thanks for your input.

Dr Schulman, Do you have any comments that might help me? Hi there! Well - one year after being banded, I got my apron removed, breasts lifted and augmented 4 weeks ago on Sept 8th. Well the doctor gave me enough strong painkillers for 2 weeks, a lesser one the 3rd week and said to take ibuprofen after that - which isn't doing the job. For the past 5 days I have been very nauseas and have vomited nearly every time I eat anything - which as you know isn't easy with the Lap Band. I am worried that it may hurt the lap band. (Vomited badly all night last night) My question is this: is it ok to request painkillers from the doctor? How long have others been on it? Being nauseas - has anyone else experienced this weeks after surgery?

Wow! Thanks so much for your help! I appreciate it.

Thank you for your replies...it helps. I don't know why I am so resistant to pushing them a little instead of just saying "ok" when they give me an answer. I feel very wimpy and winy lately - and I am usually the one saying "cowboy up"

Hi there! Well - one year after being banded, I got my apron removed, breasts lifted and augmented 4 weeks ago on Sept 8th. Well the doctor gave me enough strong painkillers for 2 weeks, a lesser one the 3rd week and said to take ibuprofen after that - which isn't doing the job. For the past 5 days I have been very nauseas and have vomited nearly every time I eat anything - which as you know isn't easy with the Lap Band. I am worried that it may hurt the lap band. My question is this: is it ok to request painkillers from the doctor? How long have others been on it? Being nauseas - has anyone else experienced this weeks after surgery?

Hi there! Congrats on your procedure. I had a tummy tuck, breast lift, and augmentation on Sept 8th - it was 3 weeks before I got one of my drains came out, and I was still draining about 30ml...I leaked enough after that to completely soak 2 overnight maxipads - the doctor said that was fine, normal. I would say that you are better to have the drain in, even thought it is a pain the butt, than to have the fluid accumulate in your abdomen.

Thank you Dr for your support, I will have my surgeon take a closer look. Also - one more thing about the binder, right now it is situated down over my drains, which is uncomfortable, is it meant to be that low? or should I just wear it where ever it is comfortable but snug?

Hello! I had a full TT and lift/augmemtation on Sept 8th. I still have my left and right drains in - the left producing less than 20 ccs a day and the right producing 80-90 a day still - bright/dark red. My question is, how tight should I have my binder? Is there a rule of thumb? Obviously not so tight that I can't breathe lol. Any advice is welcome.