greyhoundmom

hi, working today so can't sleep! darn! and my gorgeous greyhound just loves naps too! no nap today tho. i have my pants down under my tummy - so not rubbing on the incisions - and the itch is not that bad. maybe my pants have been bothering them. my incisions are all right across my stomach where my pants hit. will have to buy some 'low riders' tho not till i'm smaller! the surgeon said i'm 'short waisted' and she had no where else to put the incisions. small sacrifice in my opinion! thanks for the tips on claritin or zyrtec - i've had claritin before when it was a prescription for seasonal allergies so maybe i'll get that!

hi there! glad you are feeling better! i lost 11 lbs post-surgery and have leveled off and now am not losing. i have lost 25 total since i started Optifast on 5/1 (stopped that just before surgery - was to lose some pre-surgery weight). that is a miracle for me - to say i've lost 25 lbs. it has been at least 10 years since i was able to do that. what's odd to me is i can't eat much of anything and i'm not losing. even tho i haven't had my first fill (july 14th). i hear people saying they don't lose but that they can eat whatever they want. i can't - 1 cup max and that's only if it's a very mushy thing. sometimes 1/2 cup. it's a 'wait and see' kind of thing i think. i am not up to my pre-surgery exercise level yet - just slow walking on the treadmill and dog walking every day. i could do a much harder cardio workout before. and weights. off weights until 6 weeks. i have found since surgery that i have to listen closely to my body (and i think this is a good thing to learn). if i am tired - i stop and rest. if not, i do my normal stuff. this is such a HUGE learning experience for me. i'm really enjoying that part of it. i like a challenge and learing how to make this band work for me is a great (huge, interesting) challenge. not that i don't get down when i weigh myself and nothing's going on - i just say give it time. i will figure this out! today, i said, heck no scale. i am lucky - it's not going up. hope you all made it thru 4th of july with no food problems. i did well. i think some of it is fear of eating and hurting myself! for now, that works.

hi, newkimberly, i found i felt better all of a sudden - rather than a little at a time. just suddenly, i felt normal. about day 9 or so for me (i had a hernia fix too so i think it took a little longer than otherwise) and it's been better all the time since then. i had diareah too - thru the liquids phase into soft foods then it stopped. i took pepto chewables if i had to leave the house during that phase! they definately helped. good luck and yes, it definately gets better.

hi there! hang in there - it will get better! i had a hernia repair too and the spreading pain from my breast bone left right thru to my back and it was horrible. i have had GERD for years and am on protonix. the surgeon switched me to chewable prevaids after surgery and that did not work out at all - not strong enough. back on protonix - much better. papaya enzymes (from GNC or a Vitamin store) helps with the acid reflux too. liquid malox helps too in that it's quick relief. my dr. used skin glue. so no rash for me but i feel for you. i had poison ivy that caused a 'secondary rash' all over my upper body once and was on 2 weeks of prednisone to get it under control. i was just plain miserable. and i didn't have surgery on top of that to deal with like you do! 'this too shall pass'. hope you are feeling better soon! i'm 3.5 weeks out and it for 2 solid weeks i was saying 'what on earth did i do?'. now i'm on the fence - not sure i recommend it yet but not sure i wouldn't recommend it either! so it gets better.. there have been other posts out here on itching and allergic reactions - maybe you can search on itch or allergy and get more advice on that part? benedryl - as someone mentioned here - was said to be a big help.

haven't yet! banded 6/10/08. been chewing and eating slowly. so far so good!

hi, i had the breathing test a while back and my metabolism was 20% less effective than it should be. i have also had testing for insulin resistance - which i recommend for anyone having trouble losing weight! it's a glucose tolerance test (3-4 hours) where they also measure insulin levels each time they measure glucose. my dr. didn't know about this (neither did the lab techs but they did it) but my nutritionist recommended it and i have high insulin resistance - which makes you gain fat from foods that are normally used for energy and makes it hard to lose fat. the good news on that is i've read that weight loss surgery (lap-band included) can improve insulin resistance by up to 70%! which will make weight loss easier. do a google on it to find out more -it's not as well known as i think it should be but it's a real metabolic condition - your metabolism is broken if you have this. there are many theories as to how you get this (high carb diet, heredity, who knows). this can be called (or is part of) sydrome x or pre-diabetes sometimes too.

hi kizzie, i'm the same way - want to know as much as i possibly can- even if it confuses me! my husband felt so bad because he could see i was in serious pain. even in the car, a bump or him hitting the breaks too hard would make me yelp! and the roxicet pain medicine wasn't helping it at all. i knew something was up. luckily (in a weird way) i hurt my back last year and found a fantastic physical therapist so i gave her a call! hope you feel better soon and that temperature - i would definately call the dr on that. my surgeon told me to call immediately if i had a fever, not to scare you any. but.. better to talk it out with him/her than to worry! take care.

hi kizzie, i had severe pain in that area and it turned out to be a displaced rib! not dislocated completely but moved and causing pinched nerves (like that feeling in your neck when you move wrong only it wouldn't stop) and muscle knots/spasms. it was incredibly painful. my physical therapist found it and got it back where it belongs and the pain is gone. good luck! also, i had a lot of acid in my stomach causing pain up along my breast bone and papaya enzme (a digestive enzyme) helped with that a lot. the scary post i just read is that someone had a suspected blood clot in her shoulder that her dr. treated. so, most of the time - gas from the operation - but not all the time. best to talk to the dr.!

wow Lynnie77! that is truly amazing! good for you! i had heard such things before my surgery and expected i would do something like that too but no, didn't happen. it just takes what it takes. some have great recoveries, like you!, and some take longer, like me.

hi, i'm usually an 'open book' so i've been telling anyone who asks and i did tell my immediate family members before hand so they knew why i was at the hospital. the only negative response i had was from my sister and i think that was more out of fear that something would happen to me during surgery. she felt bad that i thought this was the only option left for me - i really did feel that way and still do even post-banding. but she was supportive as heck thru my post surgery recovery (can always count on her!) but now she doesn't ask about it - at all. doesn't care if i've lost weight. i'm not sure why but i don't push it. other than that, i think it's been a positive experience talking with people about it! i think people with negative comments or reactions have their own issues they are dealing with and just can't be supportive for their own reasons. i would not try to justify myself, just let it drop and let them think what they will. i'm really sorry to hear about the unsupportive husband. i have been lucky - mine has been an ANGEL and incredibly supportive. this whole process would have been so much harder without his support - tho i would have done it anyway! it had to be done. i have to do this. it's a very personal decision 'to share or not to share' and whatever works for you is best.

hi there, i had surgery on 6/10 and tried to go back to work on the following monday. couldn't do it. too tired, sore and could not concentrate (much like others are saying). i had the time off available and have a great boss so i took that week off and by the following monday 6/23, i felt way better and could really do my job. i would go by how you feel. and give yourself a break if you need it. this is easy for some and not so easy for others. it all depends on your body. whatever your body needs to heal, that's what counts. take care!

hi there, i had the same issue - 'd' - for about 8 to 10 days after surgery. then it stopped and now things are more normal. i was very concerned because we are supposed to stay hydrated. i too am lactose intolerant but have been crushing up lactaid pills and using lactaid milk or even Water to mix my whey Protein drinks. i can't have soy or i'd have tried that. i still am having the same stuff now and the 'd' is gone - so i don't think it was the lactose issue. i used chewable pepto tablets to help when it was overwhelming me. that helped too. hang in there, it'll go away. make sure you keep up on fluids - my dr. recommended that i sip gatorade.

hi, yes, the most extreme pain subsided within a short time of eating the papaya enzyme (not the fruit!). it seems to help with excess stomach acid - i'm not 100% sure but it helped and i take it with each meal right now. will stop that eventually. good luck! hope it helps!

hi there, the papaya worked pretty fast for me - later the same day that i took them (1 each time i eat) the pain was reduced to tolerable/mild. i went to the physical therapist friday and she found i had a rib that was not seated right (however they put that! possibly from how i was moved around on the operating table) and she popped it back into place. so i think i had 2 things going on. i am now pain free. when my stomach feels acidic, i take a papaya enzyme chewable and it is better. i think i will stick with those for a while. i hope you get some relief soon sunflower00!

i am SO with you all on these thoughts and feelings! have you had to leave a rollercoaster - in front of your new husband who you are so in love with - because your butt did not fit in the plastic formed seat? that was one of the most humiliating days of my life. i have clothes to wear that fit but that i HATE. i'm greatful for plus size stores but i can't wait to NOT patronize them. i had a coworker ask once - behind my back but it got back to me - why doesn't she do something about her weight? she had a) no guts to ask me directly and no idea what a struggle this is/has been! i was crushed (and awakened to how naive i was) that people looked at me that way where i work instead of at my skills. enough of this - i'm not buying a stitch of new clothing until i'm out of the plus size stores/departments! i agree totally that we should be so darn proud of ourselves (and i am darn proud)!! this is no easy way out. BUT it's here and we can use it to get to a healthy weight and to live our lives with more physical (and emotional) freedom.

hi there, i was banded on june 10th. i had dry mouth for as long as i took the pain medication and it did make me sleepy also. i too have a desk job and i assumed i could work the following monday. while i did try - it was not at all possible. the pain in my port incision was too severe while sitting at my desk and i couldn't concentrate at all on my work. i felt so exhausted all i could do was sleep and try to walk as much as possible. that was all i could do for days. i wound up taking the 2nd week off. i went back to work on day 14 and was just fine tho i still get tired more easily. i slept on my back for about 2 weeks. i can now sleep on my sides again. i heard putting a pillow under your tummy while on your side helps if you really want to get on your side before the pain is gone! i tried to tough it out by stopping the pain medication as soon as possibe but i found i felt so awful (felt so swollen i couldn't eat a thing, and generally just felt sick) when it all wore off i had to go back on it for 2 days. the surgeon said it's there for me to use it as needed so use it - as needed! so i did and i felt a heck of a lot better. i probably used it on/off for 6 days (i didn't have to drive so it was ok for me to be home that long). i had total diareah for almost 2 weeks - which has now gone away. i wasn't hungry much for at least a week if not the first 2. i had a lot of swelling. and i had an egg size of swelling above my port incision also (as someone else has posted here). hang in there - it does get better and sort of suddenly. i went from 'what on earth did i do?' to 'ah, i feel normal normal' (not eating wise but overall body-wise) just one day suddenly - maybe on day 13 or 14 for me. my body definately took a while. i had a hernia fix too and that can take a little longer sometimes from what i hear.

hi! i have noticed something amazing now that i have my band. when i see food i cannot eat now and that i used to eat (i.e. the wendy's chicken sandwich my husband ate a couple of days ago) i say to myself, that was the old me. that's not the new me. and i don't care if i have it or not. i have been praying for a miracle to change how i think about food. i believe it is happening! today at a restaraunt i did feel somewhat sad seeing all my former favorites go by. i ate my little bit and left feeling sad but proud of myself for having such determination. i don't know where this is coming from but i think praying has helped. not to be too religious - i'm not really - but i do believe in the power of prayer. we have to really want our habits to change and to educate ourselves about how to use this tool to make it work. and adding in prayer, i think that can only help! our surgeons have done their part - now it's up to us. good luck out there!

hi there greythope! yep, i have a greyhound! a red fawn 7 year old BABY! she's our 3rd greyhound - the other 2 have passed on - and we love this breed. she's got an issue with other dogs so we have just 1 at this time. i too admire their build and this girl has washboard abs! we can feel them when we rub her belly! congratulations on having FOUR! they are amazing animals and they need good homes! the papaya extract is all over the place - now that i know to look for it! just was at a GNC store and it was on sale right at the front door - 2 for 1. it did it's magic for me today - the pain started a little, i had a chewable papaya pill and it went away - before coming a major pain as it has been. i saw the physical therapist today for the pain too (already had the appointment so i thought i'd have her check it out). she popped a rib back into place in my back. upper left back. she thinks that was moved during surgery - not dislocated but moved and the muscles were spasming to move it back but it wouldn't do it. something like that. it felt like a great relief after my visit with her! i think 2 things are going on - that and the acid issue that the papaya helps. i feel great! having a small lunch now. i don't know why the papaya pill works but it hasn't let me down yet!

hi there, the shoulder pain i've had (in my back between my left shoulder blade and my spine) has been intolerable at times - like i'm being stabbed constantly! tylenol didn't help me either. even the roxicet didn't do it. hurt more by walking - the more i breathed the more it hurt! i had a hernia repair too and i've heard that what i am experiencing is referred pain from my diapragm. the only think that has helped me (other than laying in bed and breathing very shallowly for a while or bending at the waist and hanging my left arm down like a monkey!) is papaya enzymes. the post op support group that i went to this week recommened them, i bought them and WOW, the pain is GONE. no kidding. it's a digestive enzyme. all natural - i figured it couldn't hurt and was very pleasantly surprised! good luck! i know it can be very painful!

hi Jessica, i just found papaya enzymes! they are GREAT and i have had acid reflux for years and am on protonix. it was working fine until surgery (june 10th). since i've been an acid mess - pain in my chest to the left of my breast bone, my back (like a pinched nerve) up into my neck! it seems to start when i've had someting even slightly acidic to drink - like crystal light or watered down tea). i'm still taking protonix BUT this week someone recommened papaya enzymes and got some and the relief has been AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! all natural. a digestive enzyme. i can't completely explain it but it works! i now feel normal! you can google and find them out there - gnc, vitamin shoppe, etc. good luck!

hi there! my first fill is scheduled for july 14th! so far, i've had hunger pains but not a lot and mostly i'm full quickly. i thought my band was emtpy but at my post op check up i found out it is somewhat filled (no idea of the cc's). i definately feel restriction - whether it's swelling or the band or both i'm not sure! have you heard of papaya enzyme? i heard of it this week and got some the next day. my shoulder/back pain has been so much better since i've been taking it! you can get chewables - they taste pretty good. it's a digestive enzyme. i went to the local post-op support group and someone recommended it. the relief has been AMAZING! last night, i felt kind of NORMAL! 16 days out for me to get to that point. phew. i think i'm well over the surgery hump now!

hi there, i scheduled my first fill yesterday - it's for my 5th week after surgery. i'm just over 2 weeks out now. since i haven't had a fill, i'm wondering if they hurt. i know, i'm a chicken. my surgeon does the first one then after that, the physicians assistant does it. thanks!

thanks for your replies! sounds very encouraging! and it's interesting to hear the different ways dr's handle fills! my port area is much much less sensitive now and i think that'll help a lot!

hi, i'm wondering if you are having some internal swelling. that has come back since you are off the pain medicine? that happened to me - a couple days after i was off the pain medication i felt a lot of tightness in that area. it did go away and while it was like that i found it hard to eat much - i felt full. is it like that?

hi there, another thought is low iron level. i only have painful/restless calves when i'm anemic. odd but true! i read a pamphlet at the dr's office that said restless legs can be caused by anemia sometimes and indeed for me, it was. it went away as soon as my iron level was back to normal (dr. put me on iron supplements). i'd get it checked tho before taking iron supplements! good luck!