I was banded on 2/14/2008. I also expected to just bounce right back and was a little surprised at how many days I didn't feel very good. I also had a lot of gas trapped in my belly and chest, but I wasn't burping or passing gas very much. It helped for me to recline in the middle of the day and in the evening with a heating pad on my stomach. That seemed to help a lot with mellowing out the gas pain. About a week after surgery, it wasn't as severe. Then suddenly, about eight days after surgery, I felt dramatically better. I hope you have some good protein powder. It helps a lot with the hunger.