jenn90808

The day of my surgery there were 2 patients having 2nd surgeries because their bands had slipped. Both admitted that the carbination is what caused the problem. The man was drinking beer daily and the woman was still drinking soda. Hearing them was enough to make me swear off diet coke and champagne. I'm happy to give up both of those things in exchange for being thin an healthy, though I do admit to missing the champagne when many of my girl friends were having mimosas at breakfast the other morning (I ate 2 scrambled eggs and that was it for me). It takes 30 days to break a habit. I'm sure once you get past the point you won't miss it any more.

The bloated feeling was one of the most difficult parts of my recovery. It can take up to 2 weeks for the bloating to go away and the only effective way to have your body start absorbing it and passing it is by being active. My walks around the neighborhood were full of burps and toots but it definitely helped the process.

I was banded on the 12th and my weight loss pretty much stalled out at 15lbs. Other's on the board have told me that during the 6 weeks before the first fill I should concentrate on healing instead of numbers on the scale. I hope that helps. My husband hid my scale because he didn't want me obsessing or getting discouraged! Slow and steady wins the race.

My gas pains were like yours and lasted about a week. My Dr. told me that it an take up to 2 weeks for all of the air to be absorbed and released by the body. I realize you are in pain but the best thing to do to get the air out is to walk around.

I am 2 weeks post op this has probably been the worst 2 weeks of my life. I am begining to doubt I will ever feel well again and the wieght lost has NOT been worth it. Insurance will only cover removal if there is a complication. Each side effect that I've had from not being able to even take in water, to this round the clock heartburn and indigestion(even though I'm hardly able to eat) is taking it's toll on me. I don't know how many more days of this I can take, and quite frankly I just want to scream or punch something.

Thanks for replying. And for helping me to reframe my thoughts in to wanting to feel better rather than wanting it out. I have an appt on Friday and in the meantime tried taking some Prilosec, which offered me enough relief that I could be productive. I am sleeping propped up because it seems that if I don't I wake up with a horrible taste in my mouth which I'm guessing is some sort of stomach acid. I am on pureed foods. They go down ok. The Water getting stuck was earlier in my post op and when I went to the Dr. then he did remove some Fluid from the band. I was relieved that I was able to drink water to hydrate myself but then came the heartburn and such that I mentioned. I was trying every over the counter remedy possible and nothing provided any relief until today. At least today it was manageable. I had a long cry last night after posting that thread. The situtation is probably intensified for me because my husband has not been terribly sympathetic. His attitude comes across as "well you did this to yourself, so you can't complain." To his credit though he offered to go to the drugstore at midnight if I needed any thing. Thanks Again.

* whoops just realized I posted this in preop. I was banded on Oct 12 (down 15 lbs so far) and I am having a difficult time figuring out what is hunger and what is discomfort from the band and the procedure. I can only describe my stomach as feeling like I have a constant state of indigestion. Eating does not make the feeling go away. Am I suppossed to be timing my eating or just waiting until I am hungry? I haven't been truly hungry since the morning of my procedure and I'm inclined to just not injest any thing. Thoughts on this? BTW - How do I add a weight tracker?

My BMI was 35 and my insurance was Blue Cross Anthem. The insurance coordinator and the Dr. at my Dr's office prepared me for a denial which made the approval all that more of a relief to me. The rule for approval seems to be BMI over 40 + 1 comorbidity or 35-40 with 2. That being said, my comorbidities were arthritis in my knees and ankles as well as long term depression. I underwent a sleep study and the while the tech told me there was nothing unusual during the night a diagnosis of mild sleep apnea was also submitted. I called my insurance personally and advocated for myself while the authorization was under reveiw. I don't know if that was a factor in the decision but I know it certainly didn't hurt. Good Luck.

[ If I am getting it done i will be going to Belgium and flying home the day after, have any of you flown directly after the operation and how did you find it? Please give yourself more than 24 hours before getting on a plane. Everyone's experience is different and you have to prepare for the possibility that you will be extremely uncomfortable. I imagine that flying will affect the pressure put on your body and believe me your body will have enough pressure to deal with after your surgeon fills you up with air. As for regrets...I've had many since a week ago when I under went the surgery. I am already down 10 lbs but it has not been worth my discomfort. Friends keep encouraging me to let more time pass before deciding how I feel about the procedure.

I was banded on the 12th as well. I've been really struggling to get liquids in - maybe one 12 oz bottle a day. I realize my body needs protein which is why I am relying on the Isopure drinks. They are clear liquid with 40 grams of protein and around 150 calories. I have not been hungry but I think this has more to do with the fact that I still have so much air pressing around my stomach. I could care less about food right now. I just want to be hydrated! Good Luck.

I am 5 days post op and I have to say that I can not believe this surgery was performed on an out-patient basis. I had my appendix out last month and the pain and discomfort doesn't even compare to what I have been through these past few days. My surgery was at 1:30 in the afternoon. 2 seperate nurses tried unsuccessfuully to insert my IV lines. My husband who is a firefighter tells me that it's harder to find veins when patients don't have fluid in them so I wasn't terribly alarmed. The Dr. came in...flipped through the chart and then the nurse walked me to the OR. The anesthesiologist immediately gave me a sedative and the last thing I remember is asking him if he already gave me some medication. He answered yes and I woke up in recovery shaking violently and with such extreme pain in my chest and neck that I thought I was having a heart attack. The nurse put a heated blanket over me and told me that the pain was caused from the air that was forced in to the body cavity during the surgery. She told me the only way to get it out was to burp or pass gas. I continued shaking for at least 10 minutes. The nurse gave me diluidad for pain but nothing was helping. I felt as though they were in a hurry to get me out since bed space in the recovery area was limited. Within probably an hour on the dot she was putting my clothes on me and assisting me in to a wheel chair! I was wheeled out the back door to my car and spent an excutiating hour and 1/2 in rush hour traffic trying to get home. I had difficulty breathing because the air in my cavity was pressing against me lungs. Both my husband and I considered just going to an ER to help me breathe. It was by far the worse pain I have ever been in and I felt woefully unprepared for it. The next 3 days were among the worst of my life. I could not even get water or pain meds in to my system. At my 4th day post op the Dr. took some air out of the band and I was able to drink about 3 oz of water today. Not nearly enough to keep me hydrated. I've had many moments of regret and it is difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. This is not a surgery to be taken lightly.

I just read your reply and our situations are similar. I am bordering on deyhdration because I can not get any water down. The gas around the stomach is compressing it in addition to the banding. I am having serious regrets, and have been feeling depressed as well. I don't so much as care about not eating as I do about not being able to even drink water. I've been walking daily but nothing helps. The doctor was able to pull about 1 cc of air out of the band at my post op, you may want to ask him to try that. It only helped me slightly. My neighbor had it last year and said she had the same problems but they resolved within 2 weeks. I think we just need to hang in there but it really is one of the hardest things I've been through physically.