Concerned About My Girlfriend Who Just Got Lapband

[TJWRANGLER 0]

Hello everyone, im not sure if this is in the proper section or not if not mods could you please move it to the proper place?

Let me start by explaining that I myself did not get lapband, but my girlfriend just had lapband yesterday morning at 7:30am and I have some concerns about what is going on so I decided to search around on here and get more educated. I dont want her to be alarmed by anything because she stresses out very easily. She did her research on the lapband for close to a year before deciding to get it done. She has been to group meetings, a psychologist, multiple visits with the nutritionist, met with the surgeon a few times and after all was said and done she decided the surgery was right for her. I had my doubts and still do about the surgery but I dont know what its like to walk in her shoes, she has been overweight her entire life and has tried everything to lose the weight but for one reason or another was never successful so she feels this is going to help her accomplish something she has longed for and i fully support her, but im still uneasy about it.

I have been reading on the net about all these horror stories and major complications years down the road, and it has me really concerned.

Ok this is getting long so I will get to the point and the questions/concerns.

So yesterday morning she had the surgery at 7:30am and was out around 9:00am....they didnt get her to recovery until close to 3:30pm because they didnt have a room. When she finally got a room she was eating ice chips and a cold pop, and they gave her a perk for the pain....with nothing in her stomach! Well within a few minutes she felt nausea coming on and threw up orange Water only a few tablespoons worth....but was in alot of pain from the 5 incisions. Then she ate some broth and again vomitted liquid and was in alot of pain....the nurse told her this is expected and gave her morphin for the pain and more anti nausea meds along with putting another patch behind her ear. She was in originally supposed to go home yesterday but they decided to keep overnight (which I was happy about). So this morning nothing has changed and now she is complaining of a really bad stomach ache and still cant keep anything down. She she is worried that there is complications and asked the nurse to speak with the dr but he has yet to call back. Is there a reason for me to be concerned or is something that is common?

.

[Cocoabean 430]

Nausea after any surgery very common. They kept he overnight..that is good. They are giving her anti nausea meds, good. They might not be giving her total relief, but the hopsital cannot predict how a person will react to anesthesia or medications.

The nurse is getting ahold of the doctor, if she cannt reach him, she will getmthe on call doc.

What you explain don't sound like complications from banding, just things that can haapen from anesthesia, It is also goof they kept her overnight to keep an eye on her. The fact that there was no room...eh..it happens, but she had btter care in the recovery room...nurses all over the place. Once you are in a room, they come by, but not as often. Plus if she had trouble with nausea or vomittingnin recovery that could explain the delay is getting to a room.

I am guessing she might be extra sore after vomitting so soon after band surgery. If they don't give her one, get her a firm pillow to held against her belly when she coughs and for the ride home.

You are a good friend. Reassure her it is just temporary and many of us have gone thru it. Be sure they send he home with snti nausea meds!

[Jean McMillan 2,973]

First, let me say what a good guy you are for looking after your girlfriend like this! She's a step ahead of the game with your support.

Your girlfriend's symptoms really need to be discussed with the doctor. They're not going to be able to release her from the hospital without her surgeon's OK, so I would expect him/her to visit her at the hospital today to answer questions and go over post-op instructions.

Her symptoms are pretty common. Incisions are very painful for the first week or so, and nausea is a very common reaction to general anesthesia and pain meds. I doubt very much that she'll be released from the hospital until they see that she can keep down Clear liquids.

Did she give you any details about the really bad stomach ache? Is she talking about abdominal pain in addition to the incisional pain? If so, she's probably got a bad case of gas, which can be very painful indeed but eventually will dissipate via the usual means (burps or farts) over the next week or so.

The nurses should encourage your girlfriend to get out of bed and walk around a bit today. No marathons, but movement will help prevent blood clots and help get that gas moving along.

I suspect that some of the reasons your girlfriend is anxious and uncomfortable is the combination of general anesthesia and narcotic pain killers, which can cause depression. If she continues to have bad reactions to or lack of pain relief from morphine, percocet, or the like, she could ask for an alternative pain medication like tramadol.

[TJWRANGLER 0]

Thank you for the advice, I truly appreciate it . I just fear that this could turn out bad for her because her entire life has been filled with freak accidents and good things going terribly wrong...she slipped down 1 stair and shattered her ankle and needed screws to place it, walked by a trash bag with a half inch long piece of glass sticking out of it caused her to get multiple stitches, tripped over a crack and broke her other ankle, and many other odd situations lol. She also gets sick very easliy so that also concerns me some what.

She has been walking alot according to the nurse, but the stomach pain she is saying feels like a really bad cramp, so it might be gas. She told the nurse about 7am this morning about wanting to speak with the dr and he has yet to get back to her.

I get out of work at 2 and will be heading to the hospital right away.

[PattyGirl66 1,243]

Hi TJWrangler,

First I want as a woman to say thank you very much for caring as much as you do for your girlfriend. It is very important that you get involved as much as you can. You are going to probably be her 'main' support system/backup. I am not banded yet, but I already have a great support system in order (my daughter and Husband). You will learn a lot from this site and it will be very useful to you and her while she is recovering during and after as well.

I can relate very well to her mishaps or clumsiness. I have to be very careful what I do because I have fallen so many times in the most akwards way possible. Last year I fell coming out of the shower while vacationing in florida. I was lucky enough I didn't make it to the floor however my left leg as hard as can be banged towards the porceline tub and till this day I still have the markings (it takes up my entire lower leg. 6 weeks ago I went to Atlantic City and stood at Bally's they have a beautiful indoor swimming pool with many hot tubs. My friend and I decided to go into the pool first and my first 2 steps down I went. That didn't hurt so much because the Water broke the impact, I just fell on my rump and made a very loud 'splash' sound. However, as soon as I was finished in the pool I walked as gently as I could and made it without falling, well until I hit the tile floor to the chair. I went down pretty hard and hit my new hip I had replaced years ago on the last step. Two falls in one day was all I could take, I went back to my room and stood their all night.

[TJWRANGLER 0]

Hi TJWrangler,

First I want as a woman to say thank you very much for caring as much as you do for your girlfriend. It is very important that you get involved as much as you can. You are going to probably be her 'main' support system/backup. I am not banded yet, but I already have a great support system in order (my daughter and Husband). You will learn a lot from this site and it will be very useful to you and her while she is recovering during and after as well.

I can relate very well to her mishaps or clumsiness. I have to be very careful what I do because I have fallen so many times in the most akwards way possible. Last year I fell coming out of the shower while vacationing in florida. I was lucky enough I didn't make it to the floor however my left leg as hard as can be banged towards the porceline tub and till this day I still have the markings (it takes up my entire lower leg. 6 weeks ago I went to Atlantic City and stood at Bally's they have a beautiful indoor swimming pool with many hot tubs. My friend and I decided to go into the pool first and my first 2 steps down I went. That didn't hurt so much because the Water broke the impact, I just fell on my rump and made a very loud 'splash' sound. However, as soon as I was finished in the pool I walked as gently as I could and made it without falling, well until I hit the tile floor to the chair. I went down pretty hard and hit my new hip I had replaced years ago on the last step. Two falls in one day was all I could take, I went back to my room and stood their all night.

Ouch, sounds exctaly like my girlfriend....if it can happen to her it will, but mostly for the negative. She has a huge support system everyone she works with, myself, my family, her entire family and all her friends as well. I just have my reservations because of the negative I keep hearing and sadly Im a cynic at heart and generally look at the bad more than good, but in this case I'm looking at everything. I cant relate to how it must feel to be very overweight because I have never experienced it, I have been an athlete my entire life, but being with my girlfriend (now fiancee I should say) for 15 years and meeting her overweight and seeing all the bs she went through with people pisses me off and I can only imagine how hard it is and thats why I will support her with this decision and do everything I can to help her, even if I dont fully understand.

Well Im pretty sure she is sleeping again because I have not heard from her for alomst an hour.

I'm curious if they are going to keep her overnight again, its starting to look that way

[PattyGirl66 1,243]

Please keep us posted on her progress...

[TJWRANGLER 0]

Please keep us posted on her progress...

I absolutely will

[TJWRANGLER 0]

Please keep us posted on her progress...

Well im finally at the hospital and it looks like she gained atleast 10lbs.....im guessing its from all the iv bags she has had....a total of 6 bags in 48 hrs....we went for a walk and she is walking well. The rn said she can go home today but she has yet to talk with the dr. Which is concerning me a bit.

Atleast she is using the bathroom a good amount lol. Right now her biggest issue is the strong waves of nausea and pain in the chest area.

[Cocoabean 430]

Well im finally at the hospital and it looks like she gained atleast 10lbs.....im guessing its from all the iv bags she has had....a total of 6 bags in 48 hrs....we went for a walk and she is walking well. The rn said she can go home today but she has yet to talk with the dr. Which is concerning me a bit.

Atleast she is using the bathroom a good amount lol. Right now her biggest issue is the strong waves of nausea and pain in the chest area.

If you choose to look for the rain cloud in everything, you can find it. I am also one of the people to whom a complication will occur if possible. I went in for a quick procedure on Arpil 6. Doc said if mid -week, I'd be back to work the next day. Procedure on Friday, feeling weird by Sunday, Monday night fevere of 103.8. Tuesday at the ER. Turns out, a simsple catheter went to a bladder infection to a major blood infection (sepsis) that fast. While a UTI is common after a catehter, it is uncommon for it to go into sepsis. No one's fault, listed as a possible complication of the overall procedure I had done. Just had to happen to me. This was NOT band related.

Bands are meant to be in place forever, the fact that some are not doesn't really matter at this point. Your GF has a band, she should use it to the best of her ability and deal with complications if they crop up. There is no sense in agonizing over what could happen.

Do appropriate aftercare, see her surgeon once a year at the least, and have everything checked. If something doesn't feel right, she should call and be seen. That is what it boils down to.

iV Fluid retention wii be gone in a few days.

Hope she is feeling better soon!

[judych 225]

Ouch, sounds exctaly like my girlfriend....if it can happen to her it will, but mostly for the negative. She has a huge support system everyone she works with, myself, my family, her entire family and all her friends as well. I just have my reservations because of the negative I keep hearing and sadly Im a cynic at heart and generally look at the bad more than good, but in this case I'm looking at everything. I cant relate to how it must feel to be very overweight because I have never experienced it, I have been an athlete my entire life, but being with my girlfriend (now fiancee I should say) for 15 years and meeting her overweight and seeing all the bs she went through with people pisses me off and I can only imagine how hard it is and thats why I will support her with this decision and do everything I can to help her, even if I dont fully understand.

Well Im pretty sure she is sleeping again because I have not heard from her for alomst an hour.

I'm curious if they are going to keep her overnight again, its starting to look that way

i want to say how thoughtful you are... keep it up. She is going to need you in the days and weeks to come. Try not to be overly concerned about things going wrong. This surgery is done so many times now and the overall results are excellant. im sure that your girlfriend will recover from the surgery well, and then once she starts on her journey of weight loss it will be a wonderful period for her. Stay on this forum if you can. A well informed spouse, partner is a godsend. If you have any more questions dont hesitate to ask. We are here for you both.