swrktp

I was banded on Monday and have the tight pulling sensation at the port too..........when I stand up it feels like it is getting streched and it hurts..............does this mean it is healing up ..........sometimes it feels like something is being streched so hard it will fall out. I am on full liquids. So that includes yogurt w/no fruit, Soups, cream soups, Jello, pudding, popsicles...........that is about it. Made potatoe Soup and pureed it been eating yogurt for Breakfast and lunch and soup for dinner. I get gas with everything I eat or the burps..........weird, weird feelings in my stomach all week. I am still in pain. Not on pain meds but hard to sleep at night and move around during the day. I drove today but I plan to hold off on that tomorrow...........it hurt quite a bit. Also went grocery shopping and it exhausted me I had to cancel the other errands I was just to tired.......... So nice to hear other people are having some of the same issues. I thought I was just a being a wimp!!

well I found out I am allergic to NSAIDs and not knowing this they gave them to me. That is why I could not breathe in the Recovery room. I was having and allergic reaction the the drugs they used...................so my experience was unique to be sure. I had no idea I was allergic. I was also diagnosed with asthma. I never knew I guess I have live with it for years without knowing. This all explains alot about what happened on surgery day. Bit still it that is the worst of it I survived and am feeling better everyday!! I think in another week all the soreness will be gone.........

OK guys here is the reason I had such a hard time in recovery. Turns out I am allergic to something called NSAIDS and when you have a reaction it makes it hard to breate or as they call it "shortness of breathe" Ah let me put it this way I ciouldn't catch my breate at all ........... So something they gave me in surgery I was allergic to and that is why recover was so hard. NSAIDS are things like ibuprofin, aspirin and anything anti inflamatory. I had no idea at all but do know that I stay away from aspirin since it makes me dizzy and have for year........... Anyway I saw it on my Kaiser chart tonight. I emailed Dr. Baggs to try to find out exactly what happened and what I need to avoid in the future. So that is what they were trying to tell me on discharge that I just couldn't hear since I was so sleepy............. So my experience was different for a good reason!! Just glad it is over it was not fun in the recovery room for awhile there!! :-) On of my incisions is a bit red and swollen. Looks like a little pus but is is being held together with the glue. So nothing draining but still looks concering....................Robin called last week and I am going in to see my PCP on Tuesday for a check up. Well that is my update.............

I had surgery on 4/13/09 and today I am feeling alot better. Yes gas and bloating but a bit less everyday........the first few days after surgery I wondered.............but today I am feeling like this was a great decision. The diet and lifestyle changes are gonna be harder than the surgery I am sure............. I debated for the two weeks leading up to the sugery!! I think it is 100% normal!!

I had surgery today. I am home and sore and tired but doing ok overall.. Got to the hospital at 6;45 and got checked in and back to the pre op area by 7:30 am. They weighed me an gave me this huge gown the wrapped around me twice and this cape that was huge. I weighed 228 so I have lost another 5 pounds since my pre op class 7 days ago!! I got the heparan shot, the IV, which they got on the first try, and than drank this little cup of bitter stuff. Than the gave me anti nasaeu medication and warm blankets. I was in a nice recliner and was comfortable. Not nervous at all things were going to fast around me. Lots of other people in the pre op area as well........ They told me to get my IPOD and relax a bit and the next thing I know the surgeon and the anthesiathologit where there and talking to me. Both were great guys and there was alot of joking around..............I liked them both and felt comfortable with what was going on. They told me everything that was going to happen. They told me to rest and they would come get me. It was barely 7:40 so things were moving fast. I thought I had a 20 minute wait so I got the IPOD out and before I could turn it on they came out to walk me back to surgery. It was a huge room. Very bright and the table looked really small in comparasion to the room. The surgeon took off my cape and untied the gown and I laid down. We wer all joking around about how I had watched the whole surgery on youtube and I was asking them questions about the surgery procedure..........they were laughing and Dr. Baggs said you could see everything on youtube nowdays. I put my IPOD in my ears and turned it on...................got a shot of something in the IV and a mask on my face...............we were still joking around and.......................I woke up in recovery with no clue what had been going on. I went out in about 2 seconds obvious and didn't even finish my thought........... The only thing I do remember is that the surgeon and anesthesiologist told my nurse that I was struggling a bit and restless and they didn't know why. I couldn't breath is why!! It felt like something was very heavy on my chest and I breathing took alot of work. I think it was the medications wearing off and I also have a bit of asthma..................bad combo. I couldn't get comfortable and then had to really focus on staying calm since when I struggle to breath I panic. I think the mask was the problem I hated having to have something on my face like that............also nasaus and felt like throwing up. Recovery was NOT my favorite part on the surgery!! The nurse was great. Pain meds immediately and than again in 30 minutes. anti naseau medication twice. Than they took off the mask and gave me a nose tube and that was ALOT better. I slept for two hours and got up at 10:45am. Your body is basically paralyzed when you wake up which was a surprize to me........it took a couple hours to move and as soon as I woke up the second time I could move again!! Than down to the x-ray, barium swallow which I feel asleep on the table..............oh well. I also fell asleep in the wheelchair and pushed it up against the wall so I could sleep on the wall. I was really not ready to wake up yet. Everything was good so I went back to recover to wait for the surgeon. HE was in surgery and so I had to wait an hour and got to sit in the recliner and sleep again. So nice!! I didn't even mind that I was in the middle of the room with lots of pre op patients around me............they keep asking me how bad it was and I was to tired to answer much! LOL The doctor and anesthesialogist came back at 12;30 and joked around wiht me a bit. Told me I didn't want to wear the mask and was fighting them a bit after surgery..............I don't remember a thing!!:eek: Than got my discharge orders and my medication and left. IN the car at 12:30pm.........................Home by 3pm. I had a 90 mile drive home. Slept the rest of the day. Only mistake was laying in my bed and realizing the next morning I could not get up without pain!! It took about 20 minutes and some crawling to figure out how to get out of bed..................but I survived. Yea I am now banded!!

I gained the same amount the next day!! But now I have lost that and about 6 more pounds.............I am still very bloated and gassy and feel really heavy!! I hope once the gas is gone the weight loss will speed back up.............. Even thought I Have lost some I feel heavier than before surgery!!

Hello and welcome. I have Kaiser as well and went through Richmond Kaiser. I got referred in early November. Had orientation in December. Orientation was a 4-5 hour program and very full. YOu can't be late at all and that is when they take your starting weight. Wear extra clothing and shoes to weigh in on this appointment:tt2: at this appointment they give you options of RNY and lap band.......also you get the pre op diet. Start it right away!! If your strict with the diet the weight comes off pretty quick. Next is the psych evaluation. Pretty easy appointment as long as you don't have a mental health history. Than you get a surgeons appointment next. At this appointment they give you a goal weight for surgery. If you have already lost 10% since the orientation weigh in (which is possible-lots of people have done it) than you move forward towards a surgery date Next appointment is when your at goal weight with the case manager. They will meet with you and give you a sugery date usually 4-6 weeks out. After that you get lots of blood work and lab tests and you will meet with the surgeon one more time. Than you go to pre op which is half day class. Half nutrition and half pre op prep. Usually the same day you get a surgeons appointment, a physical and final lab tests. Than on to surgery.............. They say it takes 6 months usually but alot of us made it in four months......................depends on how fast you lose the weight. I could have done it in three but I went overseas for a month and delayed the surgery until I got back..........but that was my choice to delay surgery a month. Staff at Kaiser is great!! strict but once they know your serious about getting healthy they are supportive. They say that 90 of people that come to orientation don't make it to surgery.................so they do try to weed people out in the beginning but if your one of the ones to stick around they are supportive. I had Dr. Baggs and he is GREAT. Love him!! But also heard great things about the other doctors there. Dr. Fischer, Dr. Im and Dr. Fishcher. Dr. Baggs is the chief of surgery and does alot of the procedures. Richmond is not the greatest part of town. But the drive over there is not bad. I live in Sacramento and went over there about once a month during the process...........now I will be going every six weeks or so to get a fill and check up. I lost 25 pre op and have lost almost 10 this last week since surgery. It is alot of work and it will continue to be alot of work. We have a very active support group in the sacramento area that meets regularly. I say go for it and ask for tips from those of use who just went through it.

Tired as in weak. Like when I get up and try to move around to much I feel exhausted and dizzy!! Not the usual tired like I am a bit behind on sleep..................LOL Winded is a problem..............yes like hard to get a really deep breathe. It hurts to breathe deep become of the gas pain I think.........breathing shallow and walking around causes the dizziness. But before the surgery I was having a hard time with the incentive spirometer so I think it is already and issue. They thought I had asthma which if I do I didn't know about. For me I had pneumonia 2 years ago. Really , really bad and I feel like my lungs have never been the same..........in that I get sick really easy now and it goes into a cough quickly. In the pre op they told me to really work on my lung capacity before surgery. So I guess my reaction the recovery and not being able to breathe was sorta predictable. But I think I am the exception. I just feel bloated and well............my stomach is bloated right now. Feels like the gas is pushing up on my chest and lungs right now and painful......

I had surgery today. I am home and sore and tired but doing ok overall.. Got to the hospital at 6;45 and got checked in and back to the pre op area by 7:30 am. They weighed me an gave me this huge gown the wrapped around me twice and this cape that was huge. I weighed 228 so I have lost another 5 pounds since my pre op class 7 days ago!!:scared2: I got the heparan shot, the IV, which they got on the first try, and than drank this little cup of bitter stuff. Than the gave me anti nasaeu medication and warm blankets. I was in a nice recliner and was comfortable. Not nervous at all things were going to fast around me. Lots of other people in the pre op area as well........ They told me to get my IPOD and relax a bit and the next thing I know the surgeon and the anthesiathologit where there and talking to me. Both were great guys and there was alot of joking around..............I liked them both and felt comfortable with what was going on. They told me everything that was going to happen. They told me to rest and they would come get me. It was barely 7:40 so things were moving fast. I thought I had a 20 minute wait so I got the IPOD out and before I could turn it on they came out to walk me back to surgery. It was a huge room. Very bright and the table looked really small in comparasion to the room. The surgeon took off my cape and untied the gown and I laid down. We wer all joking around about how I had watched the whole surgery on youtube and I was asking them questions about the surgery procedure..........they were laughing and Dr. Baggs said you could see everything on youtube nowdays. I put my IPOD in my ears and turned it on...................got a shot of something in the IV and a mask on my face...............we were still joking around and.......................I woke up in recovery with no clue what had been going on. I went out in about 2 seconds obvious and didn't even finish my thought........... The only thing I do remember is that the surgeon and anesthesiologist told my nurse that I was struggling a bit and restless and they didn't know why. I couldn't breath is why!! It felt like something was very heavy on my chest and I breathing took alot of work. I think it was the medications wearing off and I also have a bit of asthma..................bad combo. I couldn't get comfortable and then had to really focus on staying calm since when I struggle to breath I panic. I think the mask was the problem I hated having to have something on my face like that............also nasaus and felt like throwing up. Recovery was NOT my favorite part on the surgery!! The nurse was great. Pain meds immediately and than again in 30 minutes. anti naseau medication twice. Than they took off the mask and gave me a nose tube and that was ALOT better. I slept for two hours and got up at 10:45am. Your body is basically paralyzed when you wake up which was a surprize to me........it took a couple hours to move and as soon as I woke up the second time I could move again!! Than down to the x-ray, barium swallow which I feel asleep on the table..............oh well. I also fell asleep in the wheelchair and pushed it up against the wall so I could sleep on the wall. I was really not ready to wake up yet. Everything was good so I went back to recover to wait for the surgeon. HE was in surgery and so I had to wait an hour and got to sit in the recliner and sleep again. So nice!! I didn't even mind that I was in the middle of the room with lots of pre op patients around me............they keep asking me how bad it was and I was to tired to answer much! LOL The doctor and anesthesialogist came back at 12;30 and joked around wiht me a bit. Told me I didn't want to wear the mask and was fighting them a bit after surgery..............I don't remember a thing!! Than got my discharge orders and my medication and left. IN the car at 12:30pm.........................Home by 3pm. I had a 90 mile drive home. Slept the rest of the day. Only mistake was laying in my bed and realizing the next morning I could not get up without pain!! It took about 20 minutes and some crawling to figure out how to get out of bed..................but I survived. Yea I am now banded!!

Wow Nicole checked out your blog and your looking phenomonal!! OMG Girl you have lost so much weight!! It totally shows you look gorgeous!! I am so impressed. I gotta get a blog going soon. Trying to figure it out. But like you I have very few pictures of before since I just didn't take any. What I have my sister took and gave me from last summer when I was at 260 or so...........OMG terrible pictures but a starting point. I am gonna try to do the updates every couple of weeks. Loving your blog and your brave doing it with a little one............that would have wore me out!! So impressed Nicole!!

I was also banded on 4/13/09. So in two days we will be a week out. It has been a rough week for me. Very bloated and gassy still. Seems like the more I eat or sip the more bloated I feel. I can't wait until the bloat goes down because it feels like is is pushing on the port site and it hurts. Overall the first two days were hard I slept them away but hard to get up and down. Once I was down it didn't hurt much and I was so sleepy I didn't feel much. By the 4 day was not not sleepy and getting bored of tv and reading. Tried walking around the backyard but I get winded and dizzy............sorta discouraging. I know it gets better. Also the port and the bloating make it really painful to walk right now...........I think once the gas is gone I will feel so much better. Went to the store today but tired me out. Still it was great to get out. Pushed the grocery cart around and so nice to have someone to lean on and walk..............I walked the store a couple of time around because it was making me burp and it felt good!! Didn't buy much!! But it all sure looked good!! :-) So tomorrow is day 6 and than the one week mark..............everyday is getting better and better. I feel back to normal and want to get back to my routine. Just wanting for the last side effects of surgery to fall off!! feels like all this bloating could strech the pouch..........I hope it goes away soon. Mhy stomach is like a rock!! LOl

I was also banded on the 13th and I feel like i also have this has bubble of has stuck. It is very painful to walk or stand up..........the gasx only partially worked!! Once this issue is addressed I think I will be close to normal!!!

Oh and the port site is the worst but today I am getting up and down of easier........... Still hurts but I can work around it now. Only taking the meds at night now. You will be ok and walking does help.......I still having g the gas pain and plan to walk alot today. I think sleeping so much the first few days actually caused more pain in the end but I was exhausted!!! Hang in there!!

I had surgery on Monday and was in alot of pain the first few days as well...... Slept day 1-3 and most of day 4......yesterday day 5 I woke up thinking I was getting better and stayed awake most of the day even did some laundry and dishes.......still read and watched alot of TV....... But it felt so good to be up for a couple of hours!!! My first few days were like yours .......but it gets better fast!!!! A couple more days and I will be driving and getting out of the house!! Hang in there!!! I promise it gets better even though it doesn't seem like it when your hurting!!!

I had surgery on April 13, 2009. I am doing better everday now. In at 6:45 surgery at 7:50am.........woke up in recovery at 10:45am. I was really sleepy and the recovery period was hard........hard to breathe and lots of pressure on my chest!! Very sick to my stomach!!! I was just better off sleeping of off....... They got me up at 10:45 and even though I was asleep off I went to radiation......... I was leaning against the wall ..........yep sleeping again!!! At 11am I was ready to leave and just waited for the docter and anesthesiologist to come talk to me!! They were in surgery still....at 12:30 they came in and said everything looked good and told me I struggled a bit coming out of anesthesia.......I don't remember much. But i I remember them telling the pacu nurse that something happened and to keep an eye om me! Than it hurt to breathe until of wore off!! I thought they were talking about my neighbor until the discharge when they told me it was me.........of coirse it was all foggy!! Idont know what happened and I good with that. Slept all the way home and slot the next two days!! Pain mess until today. Starting on the third dayreally bad gas pains which kept me awake all night........sipped soup today and of has helped some. Still tired but awake more now.........did the dishes and some luandry today.......just to feel normal!! But it tired me out........the port is the worst it hurts slot.......specially getting up and down........now I can get up on my own if I go slow!!! :-). Lost 8 pounds since Monday..........,.... Stage 2 foods now!!

I was banded on Monday April 13........lots of gas pains this week!!! Some of it I have had to wait out!!! Still have some but stArting to work it's way out!! Gasx only barely helped............ Just part of the process!!

Ah so awhile to deal with the port.........dying to sleep on side!! I stopped the vicodan today so far so good. It was giving me a headache I think..........still taking the BP meds but trying to get a doctors apppintment. Vitamins started again today so tired I forgot........thanks for advice I can't wait to be back online officially

Christine wow!!! 50 pounds!!! My Internet is being fixed tomorrow!! First day I think I can handle having someone come out and fix it!! Everyone is doing so well!!! I am ready for some normal food even mushy!!! Some of the full liquids seemore like mushies so I have had to add some water.... My band feels tight I don't want to chance it.... No pain meds today we will see how that goes...

I am doing a little better everyday. Port still hurts but the other incision don't hurt anymore. Still get tired really easy and still having the gas pains from surgery.... Hope that passes soon!!! I am I. Stage 2 now so I hope that helps me get my energy back......... I can feel the band anyone else?? Just a pressure in my chest.... I think I am about 60 back to normal now ....... Not hungry , lost 6 pounds. Actually gained 5 but lost that and 6 more by tv third day.........I debated the surgery all the way through and even this week a few times when I was exhausted and achy but I still think once the post op stuff calms down I will happy with my decision!! I have a slight cold so that doesn't help........ I thought it was gone but after surgery it came back. So that might be part of the exhaustion. So glad for time off work.....

My phone still has Internet access but one finger texting........LOL. I had problem with waking up from anesthesia not sure the details .......but baggs mention they scared me and he was sorry. I got Icy and loved her!!! The anestesiogist also said sorry.......???? Not sure except couldn't breathe with the mask and wanted off!!! Who knows what I did!!

More later when I have Internet access.......

I survived!! Really tired and sore...........but doing ok!! My Internet is down.

I think I will ask for the anti nausea just in case........ Nicole your weight when down again. Girl you are rockin!! Wow I am so impressed. Your gonna be at MY goal.....under 200 in a few days!!! Ah that is so so exiciting................ so Christine your surgery was at 8am and you were awake at 9am-OMG that is crazy fast!! So you just go back to sleep after you wake up in recovery?? Happy Easter all!!