just got out of surgery

[natismi 0]

hi! i got my surgery today! i am amazingly feeling sooo good compared to what i thought... my belly is sore and my back hurts too, i am taking a week off anyways, just in case, i want to heal really good... i was wondering if this is normal and am i gonna feel worse later in the week, or this is it for me and has been like this for others... i have been walking no problem, even stairs, since the apt is on a third floor and no elevator... and i had 4oz of Protein Shake, and a little bit of Water and ice... please comment tips!! thank u!!

[oherin 0]

yeah that is perfectly normal. i went up and down after the surgery. typically, i felt alright in the mornings and then would kind of decline and then i would feel really good at night. the first couple days after my surgery at home were the hardest. i was sleep deprived, hungry and in pain. not a good combo.

i promise you it gets better. i am sitting here about a week and a half post surgery and i feel GREAT. i feel just like i did before the surgery. the only thing is i am hungry. my surgeon is pretty strict with the post op diet [2 weeks liquids, 2 weeks full liquids, 2 weeks soft food, then move to solid foods] so i dont know how you will feel in that department.

i do believe that whatever they give you for pain, you should try to take the least amount of. i took mine for about 2-3 days and then switched to nights, and then went off of it completely. liquid tylenol helps a TON.

as for the back pain, i had that as well so you are not alone. that lasted about 3-4 days and would flare up at night. it helped to sleep in a recliner instead of my bed because i was way too temped to turn on my side and that was a bit painful i'm afraid, but alas i've been sleeping in my bed again so as with all post op troubles, that too will fade.

congratulations on your banding!

[natismi 0]

hi thank u for writing... how old are u? do u go to school? i do, i was wondering how long after i was going to be able to do that. as far as the diet, are u taking any potein shakes? are u driving already? please tell me more... thank u :thumbup:

[oherin 0]

i'm 18 years old, & i'm a senior in high school. i was banded on Tuesday the 5th, home Wednesday the 6th, and i returned to school Monday the 11th. honestly, i felt worse at home than i did when i was around other people. it also helped me to focus on other things besides my hunger. you should be able to return to school within a week, i don't see why that would be any problem as long as you recover quickly enough. you're young, so you should be good.

as for Protein shakes, yes i have one or two a day depending on how much Protein i had gotten for that day. [typically, a Protein shake, a yogurt, and a milk at lunch will fulfill my protein requirement] my mom makes the shakes for me, but we use jillian michaels [that mean ass trainer from the biggest loser] whey protein. i prefer the vanilla to the chocolate. to that we use milk instead of Water, so you get even MORE protein in one shot, and we also add a little bit of pudding [it really really helps the flavor] and in the mornings, i get half a banana.

i am driving. i have no problem driving at all. at first it was a bit difficult, but that only lasted the very first time i got behind the wheel. i'm serious when i tell you that i feel just like i did before the surgery, probably better.

it IS going to be hard though not being able to eat. when my family is making dinner its so hard. because you WANT to eat the food, but you can't because your stomach needs to heal and it is so frustrating. i would suggest getting yoplait for when you're on the yogurt stage because they have such a variety of flavor that you really don't get bored. my favorite is cinnamon roll and it is delicious. i get the dessert flavors because it tastes more like a meal then lol.

feel free to ask any questions! i'm more than happy to answer.

[glynn79 0]

Hi ...i felt really good the day of surgery..i had to spend the night in the hospital and the next couple days were the worst.....not that they were bad but just uncomfortable not in constant pain or anything just uncomfortable but now im two weeks out and i feel 100%...i even went back to the gym doing zumba and eliptical.....

[maxnmogli 0]

Wow Congrats~ I didn't even want to lift a finger to post anything my first day. Glad to hear you came through.... For me it hurt just trying to pull myself in and out of the bed for atleast four days but as each day went by I felt better and better. For me I think the most painful part was the gas pains in my chest which occured five days later and lasted for a few days but other then that it's been great. Tomorrow will be my one month marker.....yay me........ Good Luck~

[maxnmogli 0]

Sorry forgot to mention that my first week was basically a lot of Isopure drinks and broth Soup. I lost weight right away I mean ten pounds in less then a week but then that was it until a week ago. Like I mentioned in previous post tomorrow is my one month marker and from my scale it looks as if I lost maybe 15 pounds but I know it won't always be like this. I wish you the best of luck on your new journey~

[vlp1968 83]

You are doing great! I too felt pretty good after surgery, especially when I was still. Moving around a lot made me sore. I took some of the pain pills provided but didn't need them all the time. Some people complain of gas pain but I didn't have any. Glad to hear you are recovering so well.

[brat7169 0]

I am two weeks post op (1/4). Over the last week I have developed a lot of back pain. Is that normal?

I also lost about 10 lbs the first week and now nothing. I know that is normal.

Pain is minimal other than the back pain (where the port is). I have been trying to only use liquid tylenol or a crushed tylenol pm in the evenings to help with the back pain.

Any suggestions on how to manage the back pain?

[oherin 0]

I am two weeks post op (1/4). Over the last week I have developed a lot of back pain. Is that normal?

I also lost about 10 lbs the first week and now nothing. I know that is normal.

Pain is minimal other than the back pain (where the port is). I have been trying to only use liquid tylenol or a crushed tylenol pm in the evenings to help with the back pain.

Any suggestions on how to manage the back pain?

i too had a lot of back pain the first week or so. it did go away. have you been sleeping in your bed or in a recliner? it helped me a lot with the pain to sleep in a recliner. also i walked walked walked and then some. the back pain is most likely where your gas pain is mimicked. thats the way it is with me. i would suggest walking as much as you can. i walked 20 mins the first day i was home, 15 the next, then 20 again and it got rid of my back pain. also, just plain childrens acetaminophen may help with your back pain.

hope you feel better!

[maggieas 0]

Hi I had surgery on the 14th now 2nd day post op very sore to get up from chair or bed, also a little nausia which I think is from lack of any real food. I guess this is normal? any comments? Thanks!

[oherin 0]

nausea is due to exactly what you just said. lack of any real food. it is also a result of your band being empty and lack of Protein. eat as much yogurt and drink as much milk as you can tolerate. it really helps with the nausea.

[maggieas 0]

Thanks, I'm not allowed yogurt till week 2 so now it's the protien drinks Jello and popsicles I'll try to do more milk but hard to do when you feel nausious. I appreciate your reply!

[oherin 0]

yeah i know its hard, i remember not wanting to put anything in my mouth because i was afraid that it would come right back out. but about 20 mins after the milk went in, i immediately felt better. another thing that made me feel better was to go off of my pain reliever and to switch to liquid tylenol. i hope you feel better soon!

[toddee1099 0]

Try using a heating pad for the back pain that is due to the carbon dioxide that was used to fill up your cavity for them to see the organs better during surgery. That will totally help!! Also, lots of walking will help as well, but I found the heating pad to be a lifesaver!! Good luck!