October 2010 (Bootiful Bandsters) Thread

[Erick 0]

Well, I joined the ranks yesterday at noon. Things went smoothly and I was discharged two hours later. Honestly, I have had more hassle getting dental work. Only had one issue with the administrating nurse botching the IV, luckily the anesthesiologist came along and got me hooked up without any further discomfort. I was quite sore yesterday, but less than I was prepared for. Today, my wife and I went shopping and saw a movie. I can't wait to get all healed up and start getting my fills.

I will have to ask my doc when I do my follow up next week, but all my incisions are across the top of my abdomen. I had expected something in my navel. But it is nice not to worry about wearing my pants!

Hope everyone else due this month have such good fortune as I have had!

Cheers, Erick

[PuppyBandit 2]

Hi ! Glad you made this thread :smile: I am 1 week post op, improving but have a pain by belly button where I got stuck in the bed and strained too much to get out. Doc said I ripped where port is attached but port is not flipped.

I'm so glad to be banded and just can't wait for the swelling to go down :grouphug: and this last pain to leave me.

Good luck Boos !!!

[BostonPA 0]

Hi, everyone! I was banded 10/5, and feeling better every day. I have some soreness and bruising around the largest incisions, and the port site is still tender. Also, if I hiccup, I get some discomfort. And there is still some pain between my shoulderblades. But it is all improving! Day 3 was the absolute worst pain-wise, which I found surprising.

Today I was really hungry so I cheated on my liquids and did a couple of mushies. I was so scared, but It went really well. Nothing stuck, no pain, no nausea, and good restriction.

Yesterday, my bandages came off in the shower so now I can see my four tiny incisions in all their stapled glory. :smile:

First post-op appointment is next Monday the 18th.

Nice to see you all on this side!

Edited October 14, 2010 by BostonPA

[va_viv 3]

Hey guys! I'm 8 days post-op, and I'm doing great. The gas has been hard from time to time but nothing that's to hard to handle. I came back to work on Tuesday...so far so good. I had my post-op appt yesterday and I've lost 20 lbs so far. YAY! I was told I can start working out on the treadmill/elliptical, still no ab work for another 6 weeks. I'm also going to mushies on Saturday....and what a relief! I've been on a liquid diet for over 2 1/2 weeks and I'm sooooo over it. My appetite is coming back and it's getting harder and harder sticking to liquids.

That's it, just wanted to check in. Good luck peeps.

[ladybug on a mission 0]

I am 6 days post op today and everything is going great! Returned to work yesterday and other than just being wiped out last night, I feel good. Still have some soreness in my belly button, but otherwise good!

Question for all you other October banders - can you feel your port?? I find it strange that I can't and just want to be sure I am not supposed to!

Hugs,

Jane

[RUMiller 0]

I am 6 days post op today and everything is going great! Returned to work yesterday and other than just being wiped out last night, I feel good. Still have some soreness in my belly button, but otherwise good!

Question for all you other October banders - can you feel your port?? I find it strange that I can't and just want to be sure I am not supposed to!

Hugs,

Jane

I think so. I can feel a hardish bump beneath a 2 inch incision a few inches under my left breast. If that isn't it then I don't know where mine is either.

[mslissa5 0]

Hi October bandsters! I was banded 10/12/10. Besides the tenderness at the incision sites and a pain in my left side when I take a deep breath, I am doing fine. I have been reading how most people's appetite goes away for a little while post surgery. Not mine! I am starving! I am waiting for the nurse to call and maybe advance my diet to pureed. I just had a yogurt but am still hungry and weak. UGH!

I hope she calls soon!

[txrckcrwlr 0]

Welcome Erick. Glad to hear things went so well. Hopefully I am lucky enough to feel like going anywhere the day after. Good luck and keep posting to let us know how ur doing

Chris

[BostonPA 0]

I advanced my own diet today, and it's going very well! I'm supposed to start mushies on Monday, but being a PA I feel comfortable having started today. I did some chicken, some cheese, and some decried Beans all purred together and warmed up till the cheese melted. Yum! I even added a small teaspoon of fat-free sour cream. It tasted like a burrito!

I ate slowly, small bites, and chewed each bite to death. No problem! I had a small amount of it and it kept me full for a long time!

We'll see what my surgeon says when I see him Monday.

[Erick 0]

It has been 4 days now and have been recovering very well in my opinion. Have gone out with my family every day, I have been driving since day two, haven't been taking anything for pain since day three.

Still tender at the incision sites. Especially the one over the port, if the round bump I can feel about an inch below my skin is what I think it is. It is right next to an incision a couple of inches down and couple inches to the left of my sternum. I thought it would have been much lower and around to the side more, in the "love handle" area as the Dr. described it. I go in for my follow up on Monday and will ask him then.

Last night was the first night I could sleep on my side as I normally do. Weighed myself this morning, 5 pounds down from the surgery day, 9 pounds down from my first doctor visit six weeks ago. My pants are already starting to fall down, I am having to cuff them to keep from walking on back. Sweet.

I really want to keep a 1-2 pound a week pace, that would put me at goal inside 12 to 16 months. I have never been the kind of person that changes weight, good or bad, quickly. It has been a steady 5 pound a year gain since, well, probably since puberty.

I haven't really felt hungry to speak of, I hope that lasts awhile.

Cheers, Erick

[Debbie Clark 0]

I had my lapband surgery on October 1st. Had a few rough days at first but then thought I was doing well enough to go back to work on the 12th. I think it was too soon. On Thursday the 14th I ended up in the ER with major pain on lower left side. However, while in the ER, I had another huge pain in my mid stomach that punched right through to my back and that god-awful pain lasted for 45 minutes. I thought I was dying. They did an X-RAY to make sure that the band wasn't slipping. Then they did a CAT scan to make sure everything was going down properly when I swallowed. Both came back normal. Then the blood tests showed that the enzyme levels in my pancreas were off the chart. It turns out I have pancreatitis and there was a stone trying to move through my bile duct and that's what the pain was. I was released from the hospital yesterday and had to revert back to only a liquid diet. I will go back to my doctor this week to review everything and see what my next step is. I have to wonder if the amount of Protein I'm taking isn't the cause of stones forming. I no longer have a gall bladder so it isn't like I have gall disease. I don't know what the answer is. I feel pretty good today but am very leary about eating or drinking anything.

[perkins1010 0]

Hello everyone! I am 3 days post op and this is the first day I have felt any semblance of myself :tt2: I went in on 10/14 after 5 years of research and decisions. It took my insurance 7 months of visits to finally approve me. I weighed 275 and am down to 270 in a week. I am not focusing on my weight right now as I am just trying to heal and adjust. I am doing fine with the liquids and baby foods right now. I am amazed at how full I feel after just a little bit. I am having issues with the gas but I expected this. i have a wonderful sister who came down from ohio to texas just to be with me during this time! She was awesome in her care of me but now she left to go back home :smile:

Believe it or not I feel a little depressed about this now. I am really excited to start my new life..really I am..its just that I have had moments of "what did I do!" and hoping its just hormonal LOL I have been doing my exercises and am taking a week off work. My work has been unbelievably supportive in my decision. I am so lucky that the road here once I started walking it has been smooth. I just don't do pain meds well and cant wait to move beyond pain in my side. I look forward to seeing everyones experiences and meeting everyone! Good luck on your journey and I hope we will walk together for a little while :thumbup:

[carebear2010 0]

hi all-

I was banded 10/13/2010. Bloating and pressure up by my band are my biggest problems. I am worried that i will never feel normal again. But sounds like it should turn in a couple days. I am so scared to drink too much Water (make me feel over full). do you have to sip that to?

[Grams 0]

Banded on the 12th so 6 days out. Less pain but still have discomfort. Not weighing until i week post-op to give Water a chance to go down. I'm feeling a little bit of the "what have i done?" feeling myself but I'm sure once I can start seeing some progress I'll be celebrating along with everyone else. I've spent $16,800 so I'd better. glad to hear so many of you are doing so well and look forward to posting cheerier notes.

[MinnesotaMama 0]

Hi Bootiful Bandsters,

I was banded on the 1st. No major problems, but I am having difficulty not picking up my 14 month old. I was really good about it the first two weeks--had my husband or other family pick him up from day care, etc. Today, however, I didn't have anyone to help me out and I ended up picking him up about 3 times. I'm feeling a bit sore now and hoping that I didn't mess anything up. The pain feels lower than where the band is, so I think it's just the internal incisions.

Anyone else have little kids they are dealing with during recovery?

Way to go, by the way, for all of us!! I'm down 23 from my seminar weight and 13 from the day of surgery.