I was banded on 3/24/09 in Atlanta by folks at Emory Bariatric center. I've been miserable ever since. I'm having terrible abdominal pain on both sides, in the lower abdomen, more on my right side but above my hip bone. I'm very bloated and swollen - my pants hurt (the pants from 80 lbs ago)! I'm taking benefiber some and am not having issues with bowel movements. I'm using gas-ex too.
While the surgery was out-patient, I ended up in the hospital 4 hours later with an ugly nausea reaction to the anesthesia, stayed 2 days. (This was a known reaction that I tried to make plain to the anesthesia folks before hand. Guess they didn't believe me.)
I went back to my surgeon on 4/7 and she ran a swallow test on me. All looks good from her perspective. But I feel awful, really bad and exhausted all the time. I can eat ok, not great, but getting better. I'm not a surgical novice - 3 c-sections that I only took tylenol for, plus sinus surgery, 2 laproscopic surgeries in the '80's and a crainiotomy in 2005. I'm no pain wussie. But I can't sleep worth a durn and I'm really considering having the band removed. I can tolerate a lot of discomfort for a period if I feel like things will get better, but so far no changes.
Am having a good deal of nausea, the dry heave kind where nothing comes up for a while until suddenly I get these giant belches.
I'm to see my surgeon again on 4/22. Has anyone else had these issues? Do you have any suggestions?