jeannebs1

They access the area laproscopically, very similar to the lap band procedure. No extra time in the hospital is required. My surgery was at 9:00 a.m. and I left the hospital to return home by 2:30 that same afternoon. No big deal AT ALL! Recovery time I assume is the same as if I had not had the hernia because any discomfort I felt was due to the CO2 gas and the port area.

What I cannot understand is how we gain our urges back as although the band has been emptied, we still have the band around our stomach causing a restriction in the flow of food so how can we eat so much straight away? Well... actually... the very presence of the band does not cause any restriction whatsoever. It is not until there is pressure from the inside lining (filled with saline) that there is any type of restriction. When my band was being placed the surgeon had to fix a hiatal hernia. Therefore the band had zero restriction so as not to compromise the stitches. The surgeon told my husband that I was probably going to be very hungry during the next couple of weeks because the band was so loose around the stomach that it could "spin." The doctor was right.... I am SO hungry on this full liquid diet and am looking forward to at least eating some "mushies."

I did not even know that I had a hiatal hernia until after the surgery was completed. Although I have been taking 40 mg of Omeprazole daily for over 2 years and had difficulty lying down without my head elevated, I never thought that I had a hiatal hernia, only acid reflux. However, my surgeon was generous enough to give me a picture of it before and after the repair. I have no idea what procedure he used, but I only know that I have not suffered from the previous symptoms since then. As far as my recovery from the lap band surgery, I don't believe it is any different from anyone else's. My current discomfort is not anywhere near the top part of my stomach/esophagus, but only around the port area. Best wishes to you, but considered it a blessing to have the hernia repaired AND the band correctly placed simultaneously. :biggrin:

I had my surgery last Wednesday, 10/22. I remember feeling EXACTLY the same way many of you are feeling right now... the anticipation, the excitement, the nervousness. The surgery itself went VERY quickly, even though I had a hiatal hernia that needed to be repaired. The doctor gave me a picture of the hernia and then a picture of it repaired, then finally a third picture of the band around the stomach... with absolutely no restriction whatsoever - darn it! In any event, the important thing, as you know, is to take it easy but still get up and move around a little. We cannot stress enough the importance of walking. It doesn't have to be fast or long.... just move and you will feel better! Also, taking a shower on the second day (with your BACK to the Water, of course!) makes you feel a little more human. I have stuck very closely to the liquid restriction diet, but 1/4 cup every other hour just wasn't getting it done, so now I eat 1/2 cup about every 3-4 hours and that seems to work just fine as far as me not wanting to gnaw my own fingers! I am not on any pain medicines now (because I have to go back to work tomorrow/Monday), and the pain on my "port side" (which also happens to be my left side, so I should ALWAYS remember port and starboard!) is pretty yuck. Applying direct pressure seems to help - very similar to when I had my hysterectomy last year. One other thing.... important to remember... if you have not had a bowel movement in 2 or 3 days, you might seriously think about taking a Dulcolax or something of the sort. It was mentioned VERY BRIEFLY in my discharge papers, but you had to look for it! In any event, best wishes to you all and I pray that each and every one of you has a wonderful experience. We definitely have a special bond that is exclusive to us. How fortunate are we???

mommytoethan Just curious if anyone has heard of the 5 day pouch test. If so, and you did it, how did it work out for you? I am curious... what does it entail? :eek:

I can give you a low-carb pizza recipe that will blow your mind. The crust is made out of egg, parmesan cheese, and (hmmmm, is that it?) Can't remember exactly but you can pick it up like a real pizza, it doesn't taste "eggy" AND it will probably go down super easy for us banders. (Adds "find recipe" to my list of things to do today.) Did you ever find the recipe to this low-carb pizza? It has the makings of something fantastic!!!! I hope you can find and share!!! Please?

I absolutely LOVED the video! Thank you so much for sharing!!! It looks like our situations are very similar in that we both had approximately 75 pounds to lose to get to a healthy BMI. Some people tried to make me feel guilty about having the lap band because I was not as morbidly obese as some (but how much is too much???). The thing to keep in mind, however, is that I qualified for the surgery and have several of the comorbidities (i.e, Type II Diabetes, high blood pressure, acid reflux - and I found out I had a hiatal hernia when they placed the band!, and osteoarthritis). Hopefully much of this will be helped with the aid of the lapband. Still, the band was placed just 3 days ago (10/22) and there is absolutely no restriction. As a matter of fact, Dr. Marsden said that it was just "spinning there" for right now and anticipates that I will have a difficult time sticking to the diet until the first fill, two, or three. I am committed, however, so I shall accept this as a challenge. Thanks again so much for the video. Was there some type of a newspaper article written about your weight log? Also I recognized the Austin Surgical Hospital logo in the background. It made me smile!

Welcome! I live in Round Rock, also, and was banded just a few days ago on October 22. Dr. Marsden from True Results did my surgery and I believe he did a fantastic job. He even fixed a hiatal hernia that I was not aware of and gave me "before and after" pictures of the hernia AND the band! Very interesting to see (or not?). In any event, I hope you get your surgery date soon and have a positive experience. I would also recommend that you join one of the support groups here in Austin. They are a great help to those of us with constant questions!

I also was banded yesterday (10/22) and the gas pains are the pits! Walking definitely does help, though as well as the heating pad across the shoulders. Gas-X strips didn't do anything for me, but it is what it is and I know that this too shall "pass". (Was that a pun?) My greatest discomfort, however, is from the hiatal hernia that was discovered and repaired during surgery. Sure didn't expect THAT one! The doctor took pictures of the hernia before and after repair and gave them to my husband! (Interesting... but not for faint of heart!) My main issue is that there is absolutely no restriction on my band. As a matter of fact, Dr. Marsden said that it was so loose, it could spin around my stomach. He anticipated it would be very difficult for me to get through this first week of clear liquids. Yep... I can hardly get through the first day! I am so hungry!

Yes, I live in Round Rock and would love to meet with others who are having the same lap band experience.