Anyone got any advise for a soon-to-be bander??

[shutterbug6 0]

Hi all~

I am super excited to have the surgery at the end of this month!!! So I have been doing alot of reading on the forum but I was just wondering if anyone who has had the surgery done already has any advise for me?? What to expect after surgery? I have read alot about bad gas...what works best to help that pass or so your not so uncomfortable? Thanks so much!!

[MaryKayLady 0]

Congratulations on your upcoming surgery!

I was banded in December 2008....my experience was actually good....I didn't have ay discomfort from the CO2 that they put in during surgery - I guess I was lucky! I stayed overnight in the stepdown ICU ....and other than the fact that the O2 sensor kept going off and I got very little sleep (< 2 hours in 24) it wasn't as bad as I had expected. Make sure that you drink as much liquid as they tell you when they tell you....I had to drink 30cc every hour.....I should have gotten some Water in there too...because the only issue I had after surgery was the inability to "go to the bathroom" I was able to void, but not the "other" for SEVEN DAYS!!!! I was so uncomfortable I thought I would die! So don't wait until you're in trouble - call the office and ask for help...I should have taken Milk of Magnesia after a few days...but ended up taking the Pedilax strips that melt in your mouth because the liquid form required me to drink 300 of meds followed by 8 ounces of Water - and THAT wasn't happening!

Hi all~

I am super excited to have the surgery at the end of this month!!! So I have been doing alot of reading on the forum but I was just wondering if anyone who has had the surgery done already has any advise for me?? What to expect after surgery? I have read alot about bad gas...what works best to help that pass or so your not so uncomfortable? Thanks so much!!

[tnt21705 8]

Hi all~

I am super excited to have the surgery at the end of this month!!! So I have been doing alot of reading on the forum but I was just wondering if anyone who has had the surgery done already has any advise for me?? What to expect after surgery? I have read alot about bad gas...what works best to help that pass or so your not so uncomfortable? Thanks so much!!

All I got to say is gasX strips, hot tea, hot chicken broth,applesauce, and DanActive yogurt drinks. That's what I ate for the first two weeks. Follow the after surgery diet (don't jump ahead not matter how good you think you feel) Walk, walk , walk as much as comfortable after surgery to get the gas moving. Don't get discouraged if you feel terrible that first week. I did not feel better until my 9th or 10th day out. Everyday I feel better. Somedays my tummy feels good and some days not. On the days my tummy is bothering me I walk on the treadmill and that usually helps too. I find that I have gas in the tummy and it helps it work its way out. Hope this helps.

[vickyd 24]

Bring very loose fitting clothes to wear home from the hospital (my port incision was right at my waist-band level so this was very important for me) and bring a pillow to put between your belly and the seatbelt during the drive home. In addition to gasx strips, get some liquid pain reliever (your doctor will probably give you a prescription but if you aren't in that much pain this will help) and a heating pad. I found that the heating pad helped a lot with the gas pains. Also, make sure to walk as much as possible (even if it is just around the inside of your house) because that will help move the gas out. Drink sips of Water or crystal light as often as possible and don't be suprised if you are either constipated or have diarrhea (both are very common).

Good Luck!

[Cindy C 150]

I found the gas pain to be the worst in my left shoulder blade. I went to the chiropractor every 2-3 days the first couple weeks and had him adjust my mid-back. It helped immensely! Good luck on your surgery.

[tnt21705 8]

Oh yeah the heating pad is important too. I slept on one for 2 weeks.

[mint2bskiny 4]

Gas X strips didnt help me. I actually got Mylicon for babies! It was great! i wouldjust get a dropper full and take it! Oh i slept sitting up for a few days also. I didnt take pain meds after the 1st day because I was afraid of getting sick with no food in my tummy. I bought Orchard Smart Apple juice its made with splenda only 25 calories and 5g sugar 5g carbs! I drank about 6 bottles over first week! Yogart and pudding the sugar free kind were my best friend week 2! after that is all easy! Good LUCK

[GoCubbies79 31]

I was banded on 3/1/11 and am so happy I did it. I am glad you are excited about doing this. It truely is a life changing experience. The best advice I can give you is to follow the guidelines the surgeon and staff give you for everything (Diet, Walking, Pain Medication, Etc). The gas pain is a bit uncomfortable but the more you walk around the better it feels. The hardest thing I went through with the gas pain was that I could not push it out. I would walk for 20 minutes and feel the gas move down but because of my abs being sore from the surgery it was tough to push out. The good part is that within a day I was able to start pushing it out. My gas pain was gone in 3 days.

Follow the pain medication exactly as the doctor says. I was perscribed hydrocodone and told to take it every 4 hours. This made the pain so much better. Even if you dont feel too much pain continue to take it for atleast the first 4 days because once you stop taking it the pain will come back.

My last piece of advice is to go to as many support groups and educational classes as you can. The band is a tool that is set to help us all lose weight but our minds are strong. There are times when I find myself not physically hungry yet my brain is telling me to eat something. Even with the band in place we all still have the psychological triggers, thoughts, and temptations what we all have to deal with. Its very eye opening and educational to find out what causes the triggers and temptations.