Shrinking Violets -- April 07 Bandsters

[Margi 0]

Hi all, prayers to all of yous getting banded today!! Well, today is day 5 on my liquid diet! I have dropped 10 pounds! Man, am I hungry!!! Can't wait till Monday and this is over with! I am so blessed to have all of you on this board!!

[maltomeel 0]

Well, I'm 2 days post op and feeling good. I'm more tired than I thought I would be and certainly enjoying my time off fom work. I am really uninterested in eating....managed to drink an Unjury today (with water) for some nutrition. No nausea, just really "full". Passing gas was a religious experience (lol) and took a lot of pressure off my stomach area. I walked around the block which aided in passing the gas.

All in all,I feel great. I'm so happy I did this!

[Daisalana 33]

Sara- I was told NO rice. I hear some people can have it, some can't.. from what I've read around here, you have to go slow with food, because some food you just won't be able to eat. It sounds like rice is one of those foods for you. So don't eat rice, and you shouldn't have a problem

Even without the fill, post-op/pre-1st fill the stomach can be swollen, and depending on the size of your band, it can be giving you restriction. Be careful with foods, if it feels like it's getting stuck I think the best thing to do is not to eat another bite and make a note that you can't handle that food well. (I know I sound like I know first hand, but this is just things I've read..I've read soooo many posts in a few different forums)

Hope you feel better!!

[TerriDoodle 6]

Sara -- I heard from the start that rice was a big NO NO. I haven't had that happen to me, but I have felt at times that if I were to burp at that moment, it would come up. I have had the pain in the sternum thing after my first solid food (fish). I have pretty much stayed on full fluids this whole time. I haven't said anything because I thought you (and your doctor) know best, but I have thought that you seemed to be eating more solid foods than I could have handled. No, you haven't had a fill but you are most likely still swolen...and if you're eating solid foods as well, I guess it could make the swelling get aggravated (?). Why don't you try just staying on full liquids for 2-3 days then with just a BIT of soft solids every few days or so. I had fish and mashed potatoes today, but that is the first solid food I've had since 4 days ago....and I take it very small portions.

Oh, and besides, you said you're stressing too!! That'll aggravate your stomach and esophogas, too.

Be careful and go slow!!

[TracyinKS 7]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! TO Househuntress & I flapped my arms about (as Id heard this is supposed what to do if food gets stuck) my daughter was sitting on the setee in the kitchen, and burst out laughing, as I was stomping around flapping my arms, trying to breath normally, anyway I ran to the kitchen sink (Im sorry if this is too graphic folks) and coughed, all this slim or Fluid came up, then I coughed more and the food came back up until I was sick.....OMG....I am back on soup....(I havent even had a fill, what is going on, what if this happns to me at work next week, I'll die!).

Im not eating soft rice again maybe Im over confident, has anyone else had this happen to them yet ...Terry...Pam????

Sara x

Sara: a lot of people can't eat rice because it swells and gets stuck......

I know its not funny, but I did chuckle at the thought of your daughter laughing at you while your flapping your arms! If I were you, I'd take it easy on the rice until your completely healed............

ohhhhh and BTW your the first APRIL bandster to Have a PB and SLIME!

Congrats.... I think!

[ihomeschool4 0]

Hubby and I are back at the hotel. We decided to bring his laptop so we could e-mail friends and family...

Surgery went well! Dr. Rumbaut was VERY happy that we had done the preop diet. He said it was easy to see from the size and condition of our liver that we had followed it well. He also said he would notice it in the recovery time.

The incisions don't hurt badly at all...but the gas pains...oh my!!!!!!

It's funny...when I was on the way to recovery, I woke up and realized that I really had surgery...and that I did it in Mexico...left my four kids at home with my Mom and went to Mexico for surgery...that's just not a "me" thing to do...I was fully awake by the time they got me to the recovery area and I was able to hear my hubby (who had surgery BEFORE me) waking up and asking about his "esposita." I tried to call out, but my voice was hoarse and he couldn't hear me.

Surgery went very well for both of us. He is doing better with the pain than I am, but he has had a very easy time getting the liquids in (he darnk his yogurt smoothie AND half of mine at the hospital this morning). I just don't want anything. I'm having to make myself drink. I had a reaction to one of the medicines and it made me very naseous. There were four people other than my hubby and I who were having the surgery yesterday. They are all here at the hotel...very nice folks. They hadn't heard of LBT, so I told them to check it out. Anyway, the nausea side-effect is supposed to only happen in 1% of the population and mostly in males...it happened to three of us ladies...

It is difficult to take deep breaths without pain, but I just keep on keeping on.

To be honest, I was in ALOT of pain for the first few hours after surgery, but it is getting less and less. I got a shower before we left the hospital about two hours ago and that was HEAVENLY. I don't have time to go back and read all of the posts right now, so if anyone has a quick second to update me on the folks who have checked in after surgeries since 4/10, that'd me great...nothing long just a list of names and the word good or bad would be cool.

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. It's all down hill from here!

:clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

BTW, the Mexico route with Dr. Rumbaut and team is AWESOME!!!! The facilities at San Jose hospital and the level of care is so much better than anything I have experienced in the states!!! The nurses are awesome. Dr. R's office staff gave us a list of some phrases we might need to use with the nurse and I brought a spanish/English dictionary with me.

Well, I'm gonna go for now. I am really tired!

WE'RE IN BANDLAND!!! WOOOHOOOOO

[DynamoMini 1]

Christy - welcome to bandland. Glad it all went well.

[TracyinKS 7]

Congrats to all our NEWBIEs!!!! Sounds like everyone came through ok!

Pam: Way to go on cleaning your moms desk........ that would of been emotional to tackle alone. (but... I'm a sentimental sap!) If I remember right you are buying your car today.... How did it go?

Terri: Your sneaking up on ONEderland!!! I've been watching that ticker get closer and closer every day!

I am happy to announce that we now have the ability to run Water in my house! THANK GOD........ it has been a huge mess and although not over yet... we can at least shower at home again..... and you can bet your sweet asses that I am giving the city a diagram of our sewer lines, where they run, how deep they are, and what we replaced it with (We were NOT on the city sewer maps!) I didn't say anything but yesterday the trench collapsed right when dbf and bil were about ready to set the pipe... luckily no one was in the trench (6 feet deep) when it happened but the curb fell in as well.......... I was out in my yard holding a drop light at 10:00 p.m. while the guys were knee deep into muck trying the get the pipe in before it started raining........ They were back filling when I took them lunch.. so all is well.

It is supposed to snow tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where did Spring go? I'm going to my first ever band support meeting tomorrow... kinda feeling a little weird about it.. I'm not sure why.

I hope everyone is have a great day!

[Daisalana 33]

Glad it went well, have a safe trip back!

[TracyinKS 7]

YAYYYYYYYYYY Christy!!!! I've been wondering about you two!!!!

[maltomeel 0]

Congratulations Christy! Sounds like a great experience. We are REAL bandsters now! Yay!

[wanabethin 0]

I had my surgery on April 9th. I was self pay so stayed the first night in the hotel the surgery center provided.

The pain was much more than I had anticipated. My doctor doesn't want his patients drugged to the point of not walking and sipping. It was ROUGH!!

I'm 4 days post surgery and feeling much better. I still have pain at the port site and pulling of that area. I'm trying to learn my lap band body..which is very weird. I think I swallow air and it doesn't go down..painful but it teaches you quickly what NOT to do. I'm trying hard to drink as much Fluid as I need..but I wasn't good at that before.

I will start full liquids tomorrow and don't really know the scope of what that means yet.

My advice to those that are coming. Make sure you have someone to help you for at least 3 days. Be kind to yourself this time in your life and take two weeks off if at all possible!!

I was going to take off only one week but decided for the first time in my life I was going to take care of myself.

My husband has been an angel about helping me, even though he wasn't onboard with the idea of lap band at first.

I'm now starting MY NEW BEGINNING!!!!!!:clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

I'm glad to hear that you are well now. We have the same Doc., but apparently the process was easier for me. I had a very smooth process from begining to end. I agree with you that people should take more than a week to go back to work. There is a lot of discomfort and you are always tired. I took 1 1/2 week off, I'm going back to work on Monday, and I think that I'm ready, I have my strength back, and the pain in the port area is minimal. Welcome to banland, and you will feel A LOT better afer a whole week. Keep on walking and rest a lot.

[Sara Mos 0]

Dear All,

Thank you for all of your advice, which I will certainly heed!! Ive just had Soup tonight, Ive only had 300 cals today intotal (nearly 11pm here now). I got too confident after yesterday, and both my daughters said I should only be having pured food, ie mash potatoe, but I thought well once its all chewed it goes into mush anyway :rolleyes ...how wrong am I!! So Im going to follow the instructions to the letter now!!!!!! I was not a pretty sight flapping my arms about, sophie thought I was doing some sort of bird impression, in a mad mother moment, it must have looked ridiculous though:phanvan

Christy congrats to you and hubby getting banded, take things easy

Tracy glad to hear you have Water, and the pipe situation is finally being mended

Ive finished my report off, all 108 pages.....and Im going to relax over this weekend, and enjoy what time I have left before I go back to work.....Oooooo I wish I had another 2 weeks off!!

[househuntress 1]

Hey! Glad to hear your doing well! I'm usually pretty tough but I think not getting the pain under control let it take over. I wasn't told until we were going to drive the 2hours back that I could take two of the pain pills at a time. I think I was taking the lowest dose:eek:

Do you go to the support groups on the last Tuesday of the month? I'm thinking about driving the two hours; at least this first time. I haven't met in person any bandster yet. At least not that Dr. Carter did surgery on.

I'm looking forward to meeting some others that had the same surgeon.

He and his staff have very very kind and understanding.

[Haydee 2]

Hi everyone! I hope everyone that got banded is doing well. I am still at the hospital and will be staying over night. I'm am in a little pain but much much better than earlier.

Ok, I got to the hospital this morning at ten a.m. They admitted me and I had an EKG. Everything was fine. I went into surgery at eleven and was done by 12:30. When I woke up I was in alot of pain. All gas pain though. I kept begging for pain medicine but they told me that pain medicide wasn't going to make the gas pains go away. They told me that only walking would help. The first time I attempted to get up to walk I got extremely dizzy and nauseus. They told me lay back down and wait another couple hours until the anesthesia wore off. I was in HELL with the pain until about six p.m. When I finally got up and walked around I kept burping and felt a million times better. Now I am getting up every half an hour to walk for about five minutes. Feeling so so much better. The doctor and his whole staff have more absolutely great. I will post more later. Im getting a little tired now. Hope everyone is doing great, whatever phase of the band you happen to be in...:kiss2: