shannongetsslim

Hey, So from personal experince I also was given the option of having my surgery bumped up and I totally took it. It was hard at first, like I will have to change time off with work, I will miss out on my friends wedding I might not be able to do a few of the things I wanted to before. But doing it early was the best thing for me. I was so set on this surgery that I knew I had to do it as soon as possible. And really like most I am sure you will have a quick recovery. And the thing is it can come times feel like there will always be an excuse to push things back or wait a little longer. I say go for it, if anything it will just put you that much further ahead!! Good luck:thumbup:

hey Pb, Yes me too, funny thing was I was going to do one. But my mom, god love her, said well after this you won't be able to eat for a long time. 30 days liquids you know! so I was like your right, I should enjoy myself...I think if she knew that it would have prevented this she would have suggested it. 20/20 hinde sight right? Take care Pb!

Well I have five 1inch incisions from the laperscopic try. I have one 3 inch where my port went and another 8inch vertical incision just below my port incision to just above my belly button.

So yea I woke up to an open surgery. I was warned and also did not have a pre op diet. Now I wish I had done a diet prior to surgery. My family sat in the waiting room, waiting and waiting. No one came and told them anything, and when they asked, everyone looked clueless. Finally the Doc came out and said they had to convert me to an open surgery. MY family was worried, because nothing else was said. Finally four and a half hours later, what was supposed to be a 45 min surgery was over. In recovery they let my mother and fiance in. My mom didn't tell me she just cried, and my fiance told me they had to open me up. I didn't understand right at first, then it sunk it when I saw the clock and noticed 5 hours had gone by. I had to stay the night in the hospital I hadn't thought that was going to happen, so I wasn't prepared. My fiance stayed with me to help me get out of bed and help me go to the washroom. I walked as much as I could, hooked up to an IV and on way too much pain medication. Now I can't remember if I was in pain or not. My surgery was May 30th. I went home the next day and spent the next 4 weeks recovery. I was only supposed to be off of my new job as a nurse for 9 days. Thank goodness work was supportive and so was my family and friends. So now, almost completely healed, as one part stayed open longer due to my weight being mostly in my belly I am feeling a lot better. I wouldn't have changed it for the world, and am so glad I have this band. However looking at my belly and my large incision just makes me realize how unhealthy I was/am at 29. So now with a belly that looks like it was split like a fish I am more determined than ever to use this band of mine to the best of my abilities. Sorry you had to go through it pb, I felt like I was the only one at times, and was so pissed off at the world, now having been through it I am the better for it. Just take it slow and don't rush give yourself the time to heal, mentally and physically.

Well I went for surger on the 30th of May. I had some complications, ended up having to be an open surgery. I have been on a liquid diet, clear fluids for a month, and then mushies for a week. Now that I am back on full foods I have changed my lifestyle. It is really crazy, we are being so much more concious of what we eat and what we cook and what we keep in our house. It has been a great transformation for me and I see this working for me in the long term. So to keep me accountable I started a food diary!!! That was so great to read, because it helps me so much, and keeps me accountable for what I eat. I actually enjoy writing down what I eat because it isn't crap anymore. And I am so exctied to look back day to day what I ate. Also because I am a nurse and work night shifts and day shifts it was really important to me to be able to see what I eat during these days. I mean nights at work, I used to binge eat because I was bored and thought I was hungry. Now seeing how little I eat or the healthy things I choose make me so happy. It also works as a great incentive. I am going away in September and will be on a beach if only for a few days, but I am gonna enjoy some tasty sea food and maybe dessert! Best thing I ever did. Thanks for posting about it. PS mine is a self made scrap paper pieces stapled togther. It looks ratehr sad but does the job! And I always right down right after I eat! Thanks again!!

Wow, well since I have such a screwy schedule with nursing, working days and nights I eat different things. For brekkie: either Weight control quaker instant oatmeal, with splenda brown sugar and 1/4 cup skim milk. Or 1/2 cup all brand with 1/4 cup yogurt or 1 cup kashi Cereal with 1/2 milk or 1/2 cup cottage cheese Lunch: Tin of tuna with light mayo or a boiled egg or 1/2 cup cottage cheese Dinner: Small piece of fish baked, um well lets just say dinner is usually something out of my new bible. It is called Eating well after weight loss surgery. Amazing meals with so many varieties and total calorie breakdown. I had Salmon tonight with lime dill and fat free cream cheese how yummy is that! Snacks, which I do maybe one or two during the day, depending on night shift or day shift. I have bought those 100 calorie snacks in sweet and savory types and apple sauce organic no sugar added stuff. Or maybe a piece or two of imitation crab, yummy stuff. Did a month of clear fluids so happy to be eating!!!!

I have yet to go for my first fill, July 3rd thank goodness, but from other bandsters I know, it takes some of them almost 2-3 days to feel the restriction. I am not sure why, but I guess like most things some people react differently to the fills. So take it easy and be happy, maybe your one of this people who take a few days to feel the effects? good luck!

Hey Allision, Well I am still red too, although things are calming down. The only thing is at the far end of my big incision it is having a hard time healing and leaking a bit of clear Fluid, my doc tells me it is the body healing and I know that but still makes me a little mad. Your so lucky your not itchy anymore. Since my staples have been removed I find that I am soooooo itchy and the skin around where my staples were is so dry, I have gone through bottles of lotion and tons of Vitamin E! It's hard to be good, I have 9 more days before I can go onto mushies this Soup stage sucks, but I am trying my best and trying to stay positive. You take care and keep up the good work!

Hey guys, I was banded May 30th had to be converted from laperscopic to open. So here is problem one, I have a huge incision so moving around is hard, I have just felt well enough to walk for extended periods of time this past weekend, but am doing it now, and feel great. I am on liquids still, my surgeon doesn't do a pre-op diet, however he does 30 days post Clear Liquids. I can't eat 3 cups of clear soup a day so I have had veggie Soups and some tomato soup. The thing is I am hungry. I want food, I want a hot dog more than I wanted anything last week. I am learning about real hunger and head hunger and figuring this out. Thing is I know when i am real hungry and sometimes I feel it. I have cheated and beyond disgusted with myself. I ate the wanton out of a wonton soup, a piece of broccoli, I had some of my fiances mashed potatoes, and even a slice of sandwich meat. Obviously this had been over the course of 17 days but still, it makes me mad at me. I am not sure what to do and feel scared I am gonna screw this up. On the plus side today, i got all 40ish of my staples out and have lost 15lbs...I should be happy right, but i am scared...this thread is the best.

just wondering if anyone else has had to go through this? I went from having 4 little scars to having 4 little ones and 2 rather large ones I did not expect. I would really like to talk to people who have had to undergo a little bit more healing and how they coped. Me well i think i am doing ok, ups and downs, but i am 10 days post op and feel better than i did the first day! would appreciate your stories thanks all.

I actually went to my surgeon on the 5th. I know why the incision is there, i just wanted to see if anyone else had that problem. The reason for my incsion had to do with 1. my highest concentration of fat is in my belly and 2. due to being overweight my whole life my liver has suffered some damage and it was stiff, the doctor was worried about rupturing something while using the tools and found it safer to use his hands. So there are locigal reasons still sucks though :behindsofa:

Hi guys, thanks for responding. As for my incision. I have 5 very small 1inch incisions, I have about a 2.5 incision where my port is and just below that, sort of making a 'T' on my belly I have another 6inch incision, this is the one that was not expected. It is hard because my belly is where most of my weight is, it is also hard for healing due tot he position and the pressure put on it by my belly. I am doing better, and it is slowly healing but it is taking much more time than I had expected... So trying to keep my chin up, and seeing if anyone else went through this...its hard when something happens that you didn't expect, but I guess that is life right? :0)

Hi guys, so today is day ten since my band. Most of my incisions are healing well, the lower portion of my large incision isn't healing well, it bleeds a wee bit every now and then and I will have my staples, all 40 of them taken out on the 16th. I am doing too much and find when I walk for long periods my weight pulls and I think that is what makes the incision pull a wee bit. So I am still on liquids I have another 20 days of clear fluids but can't seem to take 3 cups of broth and 3 Jello cups plus juice all in one day. A jello cup lasts me two days. However I do get these feelings of wanting to chew my arm off, so hungry. But I battle through them and am doing ok. I just keep thinking how nice it will be to be on mushies! So yea I am doing a lot of sleeping, my back is so sore, I am reading a lot, watching a lot of movies and visiting with friends and family. I am struggling however, I just keep thinking how different this journey turned out for me. I keep asking myself would I do it again if I knew this is what I would have to go through? I am envious of you all, your quick recovery and happy attitudes. I imagine if I could go out shopping watch a movie hang out more with friends, do more myself I wouldn't feel as down as I do right now. I was a crazy fun outgoing person like 12 days ago and now, I can't put into words how I feel. I am just luck for all the support and love of my fiance, my friends and family...so the 16th hopefully for all my staples to be removed only if this wee bit of bleeding stops in the mean time. So I have been told, to sit, relax and do nothing, seriously the hardest thing I have ever had to do... God I hope this doesn't sound like a sob story I know it will get better, just feels good to hear it from other people...thanks all

hehehe, me too I have a few piercings and tattoos but due to my job most of them in are in hidden areas!!! Do you have msn you should add me :0P deathbylightning@hotmail.com The itching is good, means it healing!!

Allision! Well 20 isn't bad either, you know what i so want my friend to take out my staples other than the doctor, cuz my friend is wayyyyyyyyyy more gentle and knows i will scream like a baby! Let me know how it goes when they take them out...do you know when it will be?

ohhhhhhhh staples...so it is day five for me, and although I have this extra incision its about 5 inches. My friend who is also an RN came and changed the dressing for me. So funny, I have worked on Surg floors for like 4 years and I was beyond grossed out when I saw my staples! I was probably also the biggest wimp who had gotten a dressing change ever! So Day five, I had to go to the hospital this am to get my xray, doctor said all looked good and in place, showed me my port. So I have four 1inch incisions, one 2 inch where the port is and one 5 inch where he had to stick his hand in me. Has anyone heard of any other people having to go through this? My surgeon came well recommended and he actually consulted with another surgeon who does the surgery. I was really upset at first but day to day feel better. I can get up and down out of chairs by myself but because my bed is so high Brian, my fiance has to help me get up, however I have done it myself once! hahaha So I find I get hungry at times, but don't want to put anything in my mouth. Because my surgeon doesn't do a preop diet, I have 30 days clear liquids, I am not even eating half of what I am allowed. Took me 3 days to finish a jello cup. Anyways I am napping a lot, and trying to baby myself, as is everyone else I know, i have had so many visitors and my house feels like a flower shop! I have been walking a lot, but besides the hospital haven't ventured out much. So Thursday I see my surgeon and look forward to what he says about my healing! Allision I have about 40 staples!!! And there is no way I won't cover them, I can't imagine what would happen if they caught on something! Ouch :eek: Anyways thanks you guys for the support, reading your encouraging comments made me feel less like a band failure and more like I was still part of the group. I felt very isolated after surgery, like I was the only one to go through this 'open' procedure, but this is my journey, and it is different for all of us. Congrats all!

Thanks you guys, I love how you can turn something that I thought was disapointing into something funny, that I will come to be greatful for. And I think its true, I am just up and down with my emotions a bit, but today, a new day and I feel great, well good...anyways i will keep posting as i get better....someone told me i might not be able to go back to work for 3 months....i really hope not!

hi guys, so i was banded yesterday and things went well except that due to my weight being so concentrated in my belly they had to open me up to do the surgery. So I had to spend the night which was not expected and I now have a 7inche incision on my belly. Right now I am feeling weepy, I knew this might have to happen, but I am sad that my recovery will take longer and that unlike you other banders my scare is large and that there are other complication that can arise. However I am happy it is done, and glad to be in my bed. I am so lucky I have my fiance to help me through this and I am just gonna keep trucking along. I will write more about my experince as I start to feel better! yay for may!

So tomorrow, 830am is when i need to be at the hospital. I am filled with a mixture of emotions, scared, nervous, happy, excited, I feel like my whole body is vibrating. I am not sure how I am going to stand in the shower tomorrow morning, but I will cross that bridge when I get to it. So here goes I think I have prepared all I can, my fiance and mom will be coming with me to the hospital. So many of my friends have called and wished me well. I have read about a lot of your experiences post op and I just want to do it, get it done, because it will be the start of something new, exciting, like a second chance at life. I wish it was 830am tomorrow already. Anyways I will try to let everyone know how I am doing when I can, and again want to thank you all for sharing the stories of your journey, I hope you all continue doing so! yeehaw here i go:thumbup:

Hi guys, tomorrow is the day and I am not scared anymore, but really emotional and excited, making chicken soup as I write and can't imagine how amazing life is going to feel as I get healthier. Thanks for sharing your stories, and struggles and I know I will be on here a lot more as the day goes on and after surgery as well. I will try to check in tomorrow but most likely in a couple of days! Where did the month go? Tomorrow the first day of the rest of my life!

Gosh, I really love hearing everyones experince with the surgery. It sounds like everything went really well for you?! I hope I am that lucky! Well, let us know how things are going day by day and bit by bit. congrats to you! I wish I was going tomorrow, 8 more days!

So let me start by saying I am an RN. I work on a post operative surgical floor and have for about 3 years. So my surgery is on the 30th of this month, 11 days away. And now as the days get closer, and I prepare more the more I become frightened. Is this horribly weird. I mean I keep thinking to myself 'what if I dont wake up'. I know it may seem silly, and I have researched this procedure so much. I have even met a lady that had the surgery done in January by my surgeon and picked her brain for hours! What a sport! Anyways I am having a hard time sleeping, thinking about what my fiance will do if I pass, what will go on with my family. Part of me is so excited and all I want to do is focus on the good and I know I should be. So is this cold feet? The pre surgery jitters? Am I being unreasonable? Nothing will stop me from going for this surgery on the 30th, I am just trying to alleviate some of this fear....help...

So I just checked this thread today, and I want to thank you all, I don't know any of you, but you all had something to say that touched me and was important to me. It amazes me how much you can have in common without ever really knowing anyone. My mom would say to me sometimes, you are just a spec in a world far larger than you, but remember how much you are loved. You all made me feel loved, and I wish you all well, and good luck and long lives. I know I need to do this, and it will be done, I am writing a short will, and telling my good friend where it is as my fiance hates when I talk about it. I am changing my thinking and trying to stay positive, and choosing life, because without this surgery my other choice is certainly not a good one. So thank you all for your kind words and encouragement and I hope to hear from you all as our journeys continue. I am sure as the days tick by I will be on here more and more frantically writing if not just to have someone hear me, and I thank you all for listening...10 days to go...

Hey all you May people! I am so excited for those of you who have had your surgery and so happy that I have two other girls to share my new birthday band day! I want to hear all about your endevors and your sucesses congrats to all and I can't tell you how happy being on this site has made me. I feel more confident than ever about this choice! 20 days to go!!!!!

I work on a surgical unit as a nurse and that is what we do and tell people to do post operatively! good luck!