Post your worst symptom here!!!!!

[HOTMOMMA 0]

I wanna get lap band surgury, but I want all the 411 on symptoms after surgury, can some of you please post your worst symptom, not all just the worst please. So I can get the big picture?

[lisah25 3]

My worst one was on Mother's day this year. I had an esphogeal(sp) spasm that sent me to the ER, because I really thought I was having heart problems. Same symptoms and all, but in the end I was just fine, and after a slight unfill it hasn't happened again.

[deebritt 0]

I had surgery sep 07, I have lost 78 lbs so far. My worst symptom is what I am feeling now. I am having severe pain right now. I am thinking I am going through a blockage right now. I went through my doctors 2 months ago thinking I had a slippage, but thank God it wasn't. I really believe I am too tight. It is so uncomfortable, other than that, I still do not regret having the surgery.

[Luvbnanurse 1]

Right after I had surgery, about 2 weeks I guess I fell asleep and when I got up I went to clean up the dinner dishes, I was putting away the meatballs and wasnt thinking,(still sleepy) and popped one in my mouth and chewed a little and swallowed,OMG it got stuck and I thought I was going to die and so did my husband,it took 10 minutes to come unstuck and I will never forget it as long as I live. Taught me to chew my food, lol.

[beachgirl 2]

I love my band and wouldn't won't to ever loose it and haven't had any problems to speak of so I guess just getting to your sweet spot fill wise would be the only thing I've not liked, but I'm there now and it's heavenly.

[giveyouthemoon 4]

Worst post banding stuff....

1) when in the hosptial for my overnight stay, I forgot where I was and tried to turn over onto my side (I usually sleep on my side) and I yanked really hard and pulled at the recently tortured muscle where my port had been sewn. Ow. Hurt for weeks. I finally purchased one of those girdle bands for around your middle to support the muscles. Helped a lot.

2) Rampant diarrea post surgery from the anesthetic. I was in pain AND had to jump up and scoot to the potty.

3) My first PB.

Note that ALL of these were pretty soon after surgery. I'm two years out and doing great!

[Band-aided 0]

without doubt a blockage. After my fill ( that turned ut way to tight fro my) I ate a protien bar to fast, not chewed enough and boy oh boy!!!!! I wss in pain like never before and threw up for 6 hours! which led to a inflamed tummy. Next day had my band unfilled to 1.5cc and since then I've been fine! Please once filled beware!!!! eat slowly and chew...... I'd got used to eating normally again after the op and before my first fill. I just didn't give my fill enough respect.

[vessa 1]

It would be the fact that I can no longer Celebrate with food. No going out to dinner (who wants a whole plate of food for $10 and eat 3 bites?), no having a cookout with family without ducking out to eat small amout or getting the funny looks about eating only liquids or mushies (my choice not to tell the inlaws, still awkward situations at parties). On the weekend, no cutting loose with the husband to eat a grilled steak (oh, my favorite!) No quick bites after my daughter FINALLY falls asleep!

Anyways, I have spent my entire life rewarding and punishing myself with food, for every occasion, good or bad, it was food, and that is why I was in the predicament I was and choose the band. I was drowning out all the great happenings of life with food and I needed a reality check. Yeah, I miss eating "normal" (if that's what you want to call it) an it can and has cause a few awkward situations, and or questions. BUT one day when I was really complaining to my husband about never getting to eat what I want anymore (oh, poor me, I ate a lifetime of food in 25 years) some small brave part of my brain jumped in and said, "hey what if insurance hadn't approved and your broke ass never would have gotten the surgery???!" And I realized I would have been devestated, and that my ban is doing exactly what it should and what I want it to do, it is helping me get my life back, before food became the center of it. It is a hell of a symptom, like getting over an addiction, a part of me has died and I miss it, it is a loss that I am learning to live with out my crutch, and learning how to deal WITH emotion, rather than stuff it. Evertime now that I want to curse my band, I remember being that crazed girl, eating my husband's entire birthday cake, or an entire box of Cereal in 1/2 hour, etc., And I appreciate how lucky I am to have this chance.

[Chickie 15]

Being skinny. Dammit it sucks!

(totally tongue in cheek people)

I would have to say a nasty PB I had about 18 months ago. Apart from that, I have had it pretty easy. I still eat out with family and friends, I still attend family functions with no food issues (issues with the family, but I can't eat them, so they are not really a band / food problem) I don't think I have had any real problems.

[Pacomomma 0]

You will go through a mourning period... you are losing your best friend,someone who has been there for good times ,bad times,when your lonely and sad. Now my worst moment was at work we had a baseball themed birthday for a doctor and I ate a hot dog w/bun too fast. Ended up vomiting up everything. After that I chew,chew,chew

[azqueen 0]

Hi vessa,

I read your post and almost cried. I am pre-op. Scheduled for 8/16 surgery. Self pay...lots of $$. I too feel as if there is going to be a death. You are the first person I have read to talk about it as such. I am getting a little scared, although I will not back out. I too am choosing not to tell anyone but Hubby so far. Fear of bbq's with friends & family too. How many times can you say "my tummy is a little off right now so I am just gonna drink something" eventually someone will catch on. Scary. Then they will judge me. No more cake any time soon. Scary too. I am a sweets person. I will be battling the head games I play with myself. Am scared of the head hunger. Pre-op liquid diet starts Thurs. It will be a long week. Thanks for the post.

[bgdcpa 0]

Good luck, I go to the doctor Thursday to see if he will do the surgery. I well be self - pay, so I hope all goes well. I also am not telling anyone, but my daughter and sister (not even the son, because of the inlaws)...I have started talking at work to this guy who sells Protein shakes...I am acting like I am going to start that diet.....no one will be the wiser...I hope...

[ssankofa73 2]

Hi Azqueen!

I was fearful about being banded too. I'm 8 days post op and doing fine now. Only a couple of days ago my sister had a BBQ and I hid my new eating habits from those who know me by nursing a "half eaten looking " plate of food for the majority of the day. Worked like a charm and no one questioned me.

[vessa 1]

Hey, AZQueen, i totally 100% agree with you about "how many times can you say..." I think when I am with family that I am being stared at (being the biggest person there, eating the smallest amount) but then again, I always thought I was being stared at when I was eating normal too. My relationship with my body in relation to food has always been an abusive one, an no matter how much pyschotherapy you go through before banding, the real challenge is after, but if you can be real with yourself, you can do it. If you're going in to get one soon, congradulations! It is so exciting,and the pain, blah, it hurt me worse to get a tooth pulled, but that's me. My number 1 suggestion will be that if you are one of the lucky ones, you will have restriction immediatly, if you are like me (and 80% of the other people here), you will be totally freaked out that you have the same hunger, until you get your fill, which makes the ban work, kinda like gas in a car. (the car is the important expensive part, but without the gas, it on't work, right?) Anyways it happens, and when it does YOU KNOW you have restriction, but everyone is different, so take that with a grain of salt. Ok, for all my rambling, this is what i really wanted to say, haha. The realness of it, is that eventually I will weigh alot less, and people will want to know, and probably already suspect, so what will I do? I do not know, I would have liked to tell them, but I'm sure you have met, as I have met, that 120 pound exercise fanatic that loudly proclaims in front of everyone, "OH THATS NOT HEALTHY AND IF YOU JUST TRIED HARDER AND BLAH BLAH BLAH" ANd the worst, "A QUICK FIX" i hate that! It is so NOT quick and it is so not easy or a fix! It is so hard! I exercise like crazy, I lead a normal life like anyone else. I needed help to overcome hunger an obeslty physically, but I still overcome it mentally everyday. It is ALOT easier to be fat! That brings me to Star Jones, at first I wanted to hate on her for denying her surgery, but then I looked at her and seen myself...that's really all I have to say, we each make the choice to tell or not to tell and we each live with the consequences. And losing the weight I have so far hasn't made my life any easier, I just feel like I am not dying anymore, but living. Good luck and go easy on yourself after surgery, you have (like all of us)been through alot and have a lot of craziness ahea of you. (but it's all worth it)hee hee

[vessa 1]

p.s. my "D" button on my computer rarely works and it drives me crazy!!!