May 2007 Banders

[METALBAND 0]

Hello All,

I am joining the pity party....I am still very uncomfortable, every growl, every burp, every sip hurts!!!! I cannot bend at the waist without serious pain.

Can anyone bend at the waist????

I am having a hard time getting in much of anything. So far today I have had 4oz of a shake, maybe 10 oz of Water and 2 oz of Tomato Soup.< /p>

I do feel better everyday but it is still not quick enough for me (patience is not a strong suit of mine)!

Ragdoll.....I am still swollen too.

Susan...glad you are okay, I know I have no right to complain after reading your post....good luck!

[Tagger 0]

Metalband & Kalali-

Thank you for the advise concerning shoulder pain. I tried all of your suggestions and also got my son to rub it a bit last night and this morning it was much better. Hope that is a sign things are looking up.

Kalali, my surgery was with Dr. Huacuz at the Huacuz Surgical Center in Tijuana. He and his staff were terrific - it was a great experience. The flight home was another story but eventually got here safe and sound. Congratulations to you on your banding. Kim

[zrfhnbc 0]

MetalBand - The pain will get better, trust me. I had my surgery on 5-15 and when I was 1.5 wks out I still felt awful and it was very frustrating. At about day 10 or 11 I woke up and felt like a new person, I really turned the corner. I hope your corner is very close!

MaryumC

[METALBAND 0]

MetalBand - The pain will get better, trust me. I had my surgery on 5-15 and when I was 1.5 wks out I still felt awful and it was very frustrating. At about day 10 or 11 I woke up and felt like a new person, I really turned the corner. I hope your corner is very close!

MaryumC

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!! That is so what I needed to hear right now!!!!

[kacee 3]

Kacee, OMG I can relate.....first day back at work yesterday. I sit at a computer all day so I thought it would be easy. About three o'clock got this horrible pain in my back, right between my shoulder blades. I planned to go to Dr. Spivaks support group, but I was miserable so I just went home. I almost didnt make it till 5 pm.

I left at 4:15 yesterday and probably will today too. Still the paint todayBUT I brought my heating pad which made a HUGE difference...along with my Gas-X. I sit at a computer all day too. I MAY try to go to the support group next week. Felt a lot better today though after that FIASCO with the mashed potatoes yesterday. I entered it in my journal and circled it with orange not to forget...so I remember to BEWARE :eek:in the future....either take it literally one bite at a time, or just forgo it altogether....

[kacee 3]

Kacee, OMG I can relate.....first day back at work yesterday. I sit at a computer all day so I thought it would be easy. About three o'clock got this horrible pain in my back, right between my shoulder blades. I planned to go to Dr. Spivaks support group, but I was miserable so I just went home. I almost didnt make it till 5 pm.

I left at 4:15 yesterday and probably will today too. Still the pain today, BUT I brought my heating pad which made a HUGE difference...along with my Gas-X. I sit at a computer all day too. I MAY try to go to the support group next week. Felt a lot better today though after that FIASCO with the mashed potatoes yesterday. I entered it in my journal and circled it with orange not to forget...so I remember to BEWARE :eek:in the future....either take it literally one bite at a time, or just forgo it altogether....

[speshelk 0]

It took me a while to read the five pages of posts since the last time I was on but I'm all caught up now so here is some thoughts of mine.

ball in the throat - For those of you who are experiencing this it lasts for about five days and then starts to get less and less noticable over the next couple of days. At one week my throat finally felt normal again. I really think it is from the breathing tube during surgery.

Flavor change - I had several people tell me before hand that you would tolerate sweets less. I wonder if it has something to do with the type of food we are having, whey Protein and SF liquids. Does your taste buds go back to normal after you start back on normal food again?

BM's - It seems there are two extremes, hard or liquid. Mine have a very yellow tinge to them. I don't know if that is from the Vitamins or is it stomach bile?

Protein - my doc says your body can absorb up to 30 gr. per drink and we are required to have three per/day. He only wants us to eat an ounce of food at a time when we can have mushies, after the Protein Drink. We can only have 4-5 meals a day. Does that mean I'm on protein the rest of my life? I don't think I could take it.

Kacee- sounds like you had what they call a 'productive burp' or PB.

I still have port swelling, like a small half of football size. How long does that last?

That is so great that you havelost so much sofast. I have lost 8 and got banded on May 24th. I dont think you will be on protien drinks forever. After we can eat food if we do it right we should be able to get our protien in with all of our meals...Though I did find a good one for my 5 weeks of liquids...Its Pure Protien in a can...French vanilla. It has 25 grams of protien and I just take a few sips at a time. I have a fridge at work and I keep it in there. My port never swelled. I am a week out and sleeping on my stomach for samll periods of time. I guess everyone is different...Keep up the good work...

[speshelk 0]

Ugh, My first day back was today and Im a hairstylist. I worked 5 hours and was miserable by the time I left...Just remember you guys, every day is better and we will all be ourselves again soon...:confused: Going to take a nap now...

[speshelk 0]

Sorry for all the replies but I check my mail and then come here. Kacee I saw that you are taking gas-x.I tried that the first few days and was miserable with gas and then I got Malloxx gas...It has Simethacone in it that reduces gas fast. After the first dose I was raring to go. It made me feel alot better...

[kacee 3]

One thing I really love is cottage cheese with guacamole mixed in YUM! I got the kind that comes in the two pouches (keeps for a long time when not opened). I cut the side of the pouch a sqeeze out a tube of guac into my cottage cheese. Yummy!!! (And not big time calories) makes a great meal. Had a Gordon (Groton?) fish filet the other night and put on it tbsp Hellman's Lite mayo mixed with lemon juice and curry powder.....YUMMMMMMMM

[speshelk 0]

So sorry, It was Mylanta gas...Not Maloxx

[ljuht115 0]

hello everyone, I am 8 days post op and put off oing back to work until tomorrow, the 31st. I am REALLY glad I took the extra day. I can actually make my own food, get my own stuff, get up and down (yes there is still some port pain, but if you are really careful, I can get up with minimal pain.

I also noticed from yesterday as I started moving around that the back of my shoulderblade really hurt. My doctor said that since the port is attached to muscle, it takes some time to heal. I think I am feeling the muscle healing vs gas pains.

No problem YET with my liquid diet. 2 3/4 weeks to go on it then i get mushies! I was told caffeine was dehydtrating. carbonation can strain your stomach. NO advil- alieve, only tylenol.

I am going to take another nap now to improve my "recovery". OUCH on sneezing

!!!!

[rachelb123 0]

Hey Ragdoll, sorry to hear you're still uncomfortable. Unfortunately I can't help. I was back to normal after 6 days. One thing I do recall was that terrible pressure right between the boobs. I think it was the gas. Especially when you can feel a burp trying to come up, but then it gets stuck! OUCH! I figured out how I could keep my arms to my side and bend at the waist like I was bowing like a Japanese person. I did that two or three times and the burp would come up! What a relief! Other than that I'm sorry I can't help. -Rachel B.

[kadrianmatthews 0]

Okay I am going to try to ask this again because I have also posted it on two different threads and no one will reply :confused:

How long was it when the swelling and pain in your port area went away? I am a week post op it feels fine in the morning and as the day goes on it gets worse. I am tired of hurting, I just want it to get back to normal. I am sorry I am having a pitty party for myself today and no one cares.

It takes time. I am almost 5 weeks post-op and my port hurts sometimes or sometimes its sore. So just give it some time I'm thinking it will eventually stop.

[ragdollx19 1]

Thanks for all the responses. I was really starting to think I was all alone and that this was never going to stop. Now I feel tons better!