Mistake?

[sc1586 18]

This has been nothing but a nightmare. I'm miserable and really just want this to be over. I was banded 9/11/13. I know it's only been 5 days but I'm miserable enough to just stop. I can't stop crying. I just want my life back. I am wondering if I just made the biggest mistake of my life doing this. I was not prepared to feel this way. The thought of eating anything makes me physically nauseated. But I'm starving. These feelings of internal havoc throughout my body... Is it worth it. I'm not so sure this is for me anymore... What do I do...

[fee139 63]

I promise you will feel better soon! I was banded on 9/5 and days 6,7,8 were the worse and I felt just like you. But I promise you will feel better. Nothing tasted good, I was sick of broth, everything made my stomach hurt, I was so weak and dizzy. I realized I simply had no nutrition in me and my sugar had dropped so low. I jumped on to the full liquids even tho I had very little hunger and had some yogurt and later drank some Boost, I started feeling so much better. I'm going back to work today (my second attempt) and I feel great today! Hang in there!

[sc1586 18]

I wanna call my surgeon and have this nightmare over... I don't want this lap band I think I made the biggest mistake of my life

[fee139 63]

Please give it another week and I promise you will feel better. I cried all day on day 6 but I'm telling you it gets better! By day 10 you will start feeling like your old self and the hunger comes back too and you will feel like eating, I promise.

[sc1586 18]

I am already like starving all the time... I just believe I made the biggest mistake and thinking about getting it out makes me feel relieved honestly... Now i have heartburn apparently, never had that in my life ;-( So I'm seeing my surgeon tomorrow and scheduling that.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

If you're willing to give up only days after surgery then I'm not going to try to stop you. It's your body and your choice, but I personally think it's foolish to go through surgery for nothing.

Best luck and I hope your surgeon can help you.

[NaNa 878]

This has been nothing but a nightmare. I'm miserable and really just want this to be over. I was banded 9/11/13. I know it's only been 5 days but I'm miserable enough to just stop. I can't stop crying. I just want my life back. I am wondering if I just made the biggest mistake of my life doing this. I was not prepared to feel this way. The thought of eating anything makes me physically nauseated. But I'm starving. These feelings of internal havoc throughout my body... Is it worth it. I'm not so sure this is for me anymore... What do I do...

Most people have some discomfort after surgery with the lap band, but not enough to be totally miserable all the time.

Some have buyers remorse ,but the good news is...you have the lap band and not the Sleeve or RNY or DS and you can always get it removed if you are not happy with how you feel, if you had any other weight loss surgery you would be SOL, and no turning back.

Please make sure that you are sipping your liquids very slowly and don't progress your diet no more than what's on your surgeon's dietitian list.

Also nausea can mean you are dehydrated, and if you try to sip cold liquids you may not be able to get enough Water down. And most surgeons give their patients anti-nausea medications.

Also if you are constantly burping, you may be trying to take gulps, you have to sip very slowly and NOT cold liquids like milkshakes or smoothies, hopefully you did your research on the band before you got it.

Sometimes not following your post op diet plan can make things worse and actually cause a complication.

Also if you are feeling discomfort while lying down, many use recliners, or sleep on the sofa, sitting up with pillows until the pain subside, and walking, drinking room temp liquids and NOT anything cold, and slowly sipping will make things better.

You also need to ask your surgeon for PPi like a Prevacid for any acid issues and other pain meds, if all the above I mentioned does not work, something else is wrong with your band, and if it persists longer than a week, you need to let your surgeon know, -- but it IS NORMAL to feel very sore for about 2-3 weeks post op, your body has been through trauma.

[feelinggood 152]

The good news is that what your feeling right now is temporary. The feelings you are having are very common among many. There was a reason you chose to have WLS and I suspect you were not happy with your weight and the affects it was having on your health and well being. You are still in healing process and it can be miserable I know. Are there any local WLS support groups in your area? You would be surprised how helpful it is being with people who are experiencing your exact same feelings. Maybe see a therapist. Take one day at a time. Wipe the tears from your eyes, get some medication for the reflux, and embrace what the future holds for you. Giving up is not the answer - you have so much to gain and a lot to lose if you give up. There are several Facebook groups (just do a search on lap band) you could consider joining for emotional support. This board, although very informative, tends to have veteran lap banders who sometimes lack compassion which is what you are needing right now. I hope you are able to pick yourself up and continue on with the journey you started.

[Soxking 25]

Sorry you're feeling so badly. The first week is the worst - it almost seems like punishment. Building up to the surgery with the pre-op diet is tough, but then after the surgery, to have to live with just the Clear Liquids for a week along with the post-op discomfort... I can empathize.

It will get better. Gasx and milk of magnesia for any G.I. discomfort. Walk, walk, walk! Can't emphasize that enough. I had one of those exercise Water bottles filled with ice, 1/4 bottle of Isopure and 3/4 Water with me at all times. That stuff saved my bacon, so to speak. Took the edge off the hunger and helped me avoid dehydration. One blessing I found during the clear liquid phase was that my local Chinese restaurant would provide me with excellent chicken broth. It was really a morale booster.

I also made certain to take my liquid Vitamins every morning - as grotesque as they taste, they really did improve how I felt. Soon, you'll be able to go to full liquids and your calorie intake will go up a bit and that will really help how you feel.

For me, sleeping was an issue the first week or so. I generally sleep on my stomach and couldn't because of the port incision, so I learned to sleep on my side holding a pillow there. After about three weeks, everything was healed up and I could go back to my old sleeping position.

Hang in there - it will get better. Hope you have a better day today.

[GoingforGoal 1,734]

You wait. You accept that you are transitioning. Than you made a rationale decision after you've transitioned.

What you are experiencing is not 'the band', it's post op. Having surgery to remove the band will only further delay your recovery and not get anything accomplished (pain nor wl).

You have to get mentally tough for this next month. Not long after, you'll look back and shrug like it was no big deal. And one month will seem like nothing, compare to today when it seems like an eternity.

You put the work in, you got the surgery..give it time and start some positive thinking to counteract the negative emotions.

Good luck

[line-dancer 810]

It's not the band that is causing the pain but the fact you body has been through a trama and cut open and it needs time to relax and heal. Even if you had it removed you would feel the same way because have to cut you open again. Get a heating pad, Water, broth, shakes and walk as much as you can.any surgery you get cause pain afterwards for days after.....nothing you can do now but work through it and use the suggestion milk of magnisea will get that air moving out and most of the pain will go away with a couple of BM's.

[Toddy 758]

I can guarantee you if you have it removed this soon you will only feel worse than you do right now. Give your body a chance to recover or you will truly regret it. Good luck!

[lisacaron 5,075]

I'm sorry to say that I think your surgeon made a mistake in banding you in the first place if you were not 100% committed to it.

I can't imagine going so far as to have surgery only to want to go back in for surgery again. What does that solve?

It is only going to make you more uncomfortable, and your poor body hasn't even had the chance to heal from the first surgery.

It's just unnecessary punishment and abuse of your already hurting body.

In my opinion maybe you should see the psychologist first before jumping into another surgery.

[LapbandLo 294]

I go tomorrow to be banded and now I'm absolutely terrified. I expect to be sore but not completely miserable... Yikes.

[mrsto 2,925]

I agree with a lot of the above posts. All I can really add is to ask yourself this... If you have the band removed, then what? Will you then be able to stick to a diet long term, to take off the weight? Will you be able to maintain that weight loss for a long, healthy life? Be really honest with yourself, and take a close look at your life long history with obesity. Now ask yourself, if you have the band removed, will your weight continue to climb? Is this "temporary" physical and emotional discomfort worse than living your life obese? Try to relax a bit, and let your body heal. The surgery is a huge assault to your body, and the anesthesia and pain meds can do a number on your mind. SO many of us went through a short bout of depression, but it does pass.

I've had other major surgeries, and I really thought this one would be a slam dunk. I was really surprised at just how long it took for me to get back to feeling like myself. Granted, I also had plication, my gallbladder removed and a hernia repair, but even still, I thought I'd be feeling pretty good after a couple of weeks. It really took a good month, but never did I regret any of it. I thought long and hard before having the surgery, and in the (close to 12 months) of me deciding to move forward, I gained more weight. It was painfully clear, after I don't even KNOW how many failed attempts to lose weight, that I needed to do this to save my life. Now, close to 50 pounds down, I wake up, and don't agonize about what I'm going to wear. I go up and down the stairs without issue. And it will only get better.

Please get some support, and hang on for another 2-3 weeks. This was a huge step, and I fear that if you reverse it so soon, you will regret it as continued weight gain becomes a reality.

Feel better.....