moonbeam

It took me about 2 weeks to be able to sleep on my side/tummy comfortably again.

Ahh gas pain. Yes I had it. Still do sometimes I think? It's hard to identify the feeling. It's like a stabbing pain in my left shoulder, like a pinched nerve almost. I get it at the weirdest times. I have found walking, water, and gas x works. Also fibre.. I've bought some benifibre and have started to get things moving.. lol Every little bit seems to help. I have to remind myself my insides area different now. Sk how did you know if something was stuck? I've got no restriction what so ever, but I find if I do eat too much my port area hurts, and I get a bit of a stabbing pain lower down in my gutt. Is that stuck or just full? lol

Hey Canadian Girl, You can totally do this! I'm doing pretty good, although not too happy that I can eat normal food... if that makes any sense. I suppose I can't eat as much of it. I have to stop because if I don't it does get painful. It feels like a lot of pressure where the port is and a tightness in my chest. I'm having a hard time getting my brain to catch up to my stomach. My brain just wants to kick into old habits and keep on eating. I suppose it's all a learning process! Keep us posted on how you are doing!

Hi Canadian Girl, Yes that pre opp diet is crazy. I hated it. I ate a HUGE salad while my family was eating their supper. I found that at least that way I didn't have to sit there doing nothing and putting nothing in my mouth while they all chowed down. I also found having herbal teas's like peppermint helped. After surgery I stayed on liquids for about 2-3 days, and then went to mushies... then for me at about a week or so post opp I found I could eat what I wanted again. I spoke to Danielle (the dietician) and she said go for it.. if it doesn't hurt or make you vomit eat carefully and chew well. Everyone is different though.

Caltrate chewables are good. They come in vanilla, strawberry or chocolate. They are almsot like a chewy candy.. i have to stop my 6 yr old from eating them.

I feel so ripped off, these staples were not necessary it sounds like, so i wonder why the surgeons used them. P.S yay for those of you who don't have any problems and are happy with the results!

Staples! :-( and I'm not happy about it. My skin reacted very badly and became red and inflamed around them. They left them there for 2 weeks. The staple scars are worse than the surgery scars! My port scar..the big one doesn't seem to have healed right either, it's very bumpy and ridge like. I'm thinking about calling them and asking if that can't be fixed somehow... for pete's sake they are plastic surgeons! I know in the grand sceme of things it's not that big a deal, but I feel like crying whenever I look at it.

I was worried about that too. I have Bi-Polar II disorder. I was honest and had no problems. I really think it's about realistic expectations.

pharmagirl, I can totally relate and it's not a dumb question at all. I know personally I wasn't hungry often before the lap band journey (due to eating all the time I'm guessing...) so when hunger hit.. I didn't know if I was sick or what! Turns out I was hungry. It's hard to distinguish between head hunger and "real" hunger. Personally the physical hunger is way easier for me to deal with than the head hunger.

Hi SK, Good to hear it went well. I agree that pre op diet is crazy hard to do! Congrats on your surgery! I was there today to get my staples out..wonder if we crossed paths. Hope your recovery is swift and problem free.

Hang in there. That post opp diet sucks! I got very grumpy and angry. You can do this though. What's a few more days of feeling deprived and some hunger compaired to a successful surgery and the happiness and health you are on your way to. I cheated a bit too, I think almost everyone does, but it's best to try your hardest. Can you imagine going in for surgery and waking up to find out they didn't do it because of your liver? That thought kept me pretty much in line.

Well ok... I am eating less of everything (she grudgingly acknowledges) :-) I stepped on the scale today figuring with the eating I'm doing I've probably gained some weight back. I have not lost anything since i started to eat real food again, but I have not gained either. I totally agree with BG, patience is definitely needed and I would have paid extra if you could buy it.

hey lingling, thanks for that explination and the diagram! that makes a lot of sense. :laugh:

Hi mimi How often do they do the fills for you? I won't be getting my first one for another month yet. I go on tuesday to get the staples out. I'm very much looking forward to that. How are the docs when you go for fills? What do they say when you mention you don't have much restriction?

hey guys. I'm 2 weeks post opp. The staples aren't even out yet. I can eat whatever the heck I want. I have NO restriction. I'm scared that I can eat whatever I want. The dietician working with my doc said I could eat it if it didn't come up...ummm nothing is coming up. I knew about the 6 week waiting period but even having that knowledge didn't prepare me for the disappointment I feel right now. I paid this huge amount of money and did this surgery because I can't do it on my own. Telling myself to have patience, that it will happen doesn't make that piece of cake look any less inviting or my will power any stronger than it has been at any point in my life. aack.

Well I got banded yesterday. When I woke up the doc told me that they fixed a hiatus hernia under my esophagus as well. I'm not sure what hurts more right now, the port incision, the hernia incision or the gas. Is it normal not to be able to take a deep breath? It was a strange day. I am self pay and went to a clinic in Manitoba Canada. They brought me right into operating room, put me out within 5 min, I was out in recovery for about 2 hours and then sent home with pain killer prescription and told to come back in 2 weeks to get the staples out. huh. I feel a bit .... uncared for? I'm not sure. It just seems like everyone else has had way more steps and overnight stays and different meds. Anyways, thought I would share my experience. Has anyone else had the Hernia thing as well?

Yikes that's terrible! You are in my thoughts.

Thanks BG. I think I may have had a bit of a panic attack yesterday and just started to freak out, feeling better today.

Hi All. Wondering if anyone can shed a little light on this for me. It has me up in the middle of the night worrying. I am 10 days post opp. I can't tell which lump under my skin is the port. I have two very obvious lumps. I have one that is very tender and obviously lumpy and protrudes more after I have eaten. It's under the largest incision and more in the middle and slightly to my right side, the other one is bruised around the incision, definitely feels like there is something under the skin but it's not as tender. It's slightly more to the left side. I had a hiatus hernia fixed and I'm wondering if going back to work and lifting a few things has caused this? Or perhaps it was the less than really mushy food I've eaten? (Although my dietitian did say to go ahead and try stuff if it wasn't making me vomit) I'm going to call the clinic tomorrow but was hoping to gain some insight here as well, as I"m sure the surgeon's don't want to be paged in the middle of the night by an anxious new bandster.

Thanks Too Fish! I actually am feeling lots better. I'm an impatient healer. When is your surgury date? Canadian Girl, welcome to the Manitoba forum. Doesn't seem to be too many of us active here, but I'm sure there are lots of Manitoba/Sask Bandsters out there. Have you started your pre op diet yet?

Hi All. Wondering if anyone can shed a little light on this for me. It has me up in the middle of the night worrying. :w00t: I am 10 days post opp. I can't tell which lump under my skin is the port. I have two very obvious lumps. I have one that is very tender and obviously lumpy and protrudes more after I have eaten. It's under the largest incision and more in the middle and slightly to my right side, the other one is bruised around the incision, definitely feels like there is something under the skin but it's not as tender. It's slightly more to the left side. I had a hiatus hernia fixed at the same time and I'm wondering if going back to work and lifting a few things has caused this? Or perhaps it was the less than really mushy food I've eaten? (Although my dietitian did say to go ahead and try stuff if it wasn't making me vomit) Could I be feeling the band and the port? Or is it the port and my hernia that i have now messed up by lifting too much, or was it when I had a coughing fit followed by a sneezing fit that brought me to my knees in pain. I thought I was going to pop the staples out and impale someone with them! You can see where my mind is going here! I'm going to call the clinic tomorrow but was hoping to gain some insight here as well, as I"m sure the surgeon's don't want to be paged in the middle of the night by an anxious new bandster.

I got hungry this morning. My stomach made a large loud hungry noise. In a way it was a relief because I have been wondering what was going on in there. We are not restricted yet. A few days after surgery and when the swelling goes down some of us can start to eat the mushes much faster (ask you own specific doc or dietitian, this is what mine told me.) I got brave because it all seemed fine. I had a normal size portion of pasta today and it seems fine! So to answer your question, after your surgery and the swelling goes down and before your first fill you will start to feel like you did before you got banded. Able to eat and hungry as ever. This has been my experience gained after a whole 10 days post opp.

Hi Serenedeer I've been in recovery in AA for 5 year. Got the band not quiet 2 weeks ago myself. I'm worried about my ism's as well. What new and wonderful addictive and destructive behavour can I dream up to take the place of food... or even better.. will I dream up creative ways to beat and band and set myself up for failer. Oh yah,,the ism's are there. I went to an AA meeting tonight and although it was about alcohol, it applied to weight loss to me now. In an odd way, the band is my higher power right now. I have to accept it, use it as it should be used. I do have a real higher power but this twisted way of thinking kinda helped me make it work.

Hey. I'm in AA as well. Just passed my 5 year "birthday" I quit smoking 2 years ago, and quit the pot 3 years ago. Food is my last addiction and it's the hardest cause you can't go cold turkey. I got the band last Tuesday. There have been a few evening (my binging hours) where I had foods I should not be having so soon out of post op. I didn't get sick from them, but managed to stop before I brought on a world of hurt with a real binge. I believe the head games for us food addicts will be the real challenge. The band is a great tool that will allow us to really really rethink how and what we eat, but as my sponsor said, we all play whack a mole (the game where you hit a mole down and another one pops up) with our addictions. That empty, what do I do with this time that I would normally spend drinking, smoking, getting stones, or eating. Its created a void, or rather it's show us the void that brought us to these behaviors in the first place. I believe it's up to us to find a healthy way to fill that void. A new craft, exercise, a class of some sort. Any type of healthy passion. This is a rocky one for me too.

8 days post opp and FINALLY starting to feel human again. I was starting to have thought that started with "what the h*ll have a done to myself" but feeling better. I don't get to see my doc again until next week to get the staples out. I wish it wasn't two weeks between seeing the doc. I'm anxious that everything is as it should be.