I'm home, I'm banded and this is how it was...

[Ang1982 4]

Well here's my story of my experience with the surgery...

As you know I was scheduled to be his first surgery than got bumped to being his second (don't know why but whatever, made me laugh because he had to be there super early and we both left the hospital at the same time haha). So we got there at 8:15am, got all checked in and sent down to wait in the surgical day care waiting area. We did not have to wait there long at all before someone came to see me - maybe 10-15 minutes at the most. We went into the surgical day care area, they filled out the last bit of papers, weighed me, checked blood pressure, etc and gave me some kind of pill to take and off I went to get changed into my fancy socks, slippers and gown. Went over to the bed/stretcher area that they had for me, they came to put the I.V. in and had a hard time getting it in the back of my hand because of the size the anaesthesiologist wanted them to use so they ended doing it on the inside of my arm instead with a smaller size needle. So that was all done and now I just had to wait until my surgery time. The anaesthesiologist came down to say hi as did my surgeon before hand and then off I went to the OR. The got me all assembled on the table then did the - you're going to feel really relaxed and the next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery coughing like a son of a gun from them pulling the tube out of my throat. I wanted to just lay there and be sleepy but I figured that wouldn't do me any good so I fought the anaesthetic to stay awake. They gave me a thing into my IV for pain and I laid in recovery for a bit then they took me over to the surgical day care area. Was completely awake once I got to the surgical day care area. Got once to go to the bathroom and after I got back in bed I felt a teensy bit nauseous and a bit sore so after a while they gave me a bit of morphine and some gravol which actually made me feel worse after that so no more pain/anti nausea meds for me! Had to go to the bathroom again just after they gave me the morphine and they didn't want to let me get up (protocol) and I was like well I gotta pee so lets just give it a shot see if I'm steady enough on me feet (NO WAY WAS I PEEING IN A BED PAN!), I was so off I went again to the bathroom. Once I got back into bed I was still a bit tired and was cat napping when my DF arrived so we chatted for a bit and I cat napped a bit more, woke up and had to use the bathroom again (silly IV) and this time I went and then did a couple of laps around the ward. My mouth was incredibly dry and I was very thirsty but I wasn't allowed to have icechips until like 4pm or so which was great when I got them. Dr.Hornstein (the anaesthesiologist) came by at some point to check on me and then Dr.Woodhead (my surgeon) came by around 5pm to say if I was ready to go or not and I was. So got dressed and off we went.

THANKFULLY I did not get any gas pain in my shoulder which I am very happy about. I have some in my belly but apparently it's much more painful if you get it in your shoulder as well (this is from the gas they have to pump your belly with during surgery).

So I am up and about today moving around (not too quickly but not super slowly either). I am currently drinking my apple juice for Breakfast and may follow it up with some Jello later.

This is my Post-Op Diet Timeline:

day 1 - Water only

day 2 - 4 clear fluids (apple juice, jello, broth)

day 6-16 full fluids (can now add pudding, yogurt, milk, cream Soups - strained)

day 17 - 31 is pureed foods

day 32 - slowly reintroduce solid foods.

[StLouisGal 1]

Welcome back. I'm so glad it went well for you. Take it easy and don't try to do too much too soon.

[Ang1982 4]

Welcome back. I'm so glad it went well for you. Take it easy and don't try to do too much too soon.

Thank you me too, I think I got lucky! I will not overdue it for sure! (DF would kick my a$$). :rolleyes2:

[diane-south fla 0]

Glad you are doing so well. Thanks for s haring your experience. I go in tomorrow early morning. A bit scared, but more excited!

keep posting your progress!

[southms45 0]

Hi Ang, I'm being banded tomorrow (Friday). Very nervous!!!

Thanks for sharing. I hope everything goes as well for me too.

J

[DawnWhite 0]

Good luck, we both were banded yesterday...My experience was different from yours, but at any rate we both are here and it was a sucess. I posted my experience on teh blog i have created for daily planning...We should keep in touch for great support...talk to you later...

[crystalcml 0]

Congrats Ang!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good to see you are up and about and feeling better! I hope mine is a breeze also! Keep us posted on your progress!

[AmberWaves 0]

Glad you're doing good! HOpe you have a speedy recovery!

[RedTulips3 0]

Sounds like you're doing pretty well Ang! I can't believe you were up and walking around so easily! Hope you'll be feeling better and better each day!

[Ang1982 4]

Well so far I think I am kicking ass and taking names with this healing thing I think... today is day 2 I think that the majority of my gas pains are gone and I've only been walking around the house a bit and sitting with a heating pad - too damn cold to walk outside haha. I feel soreness in my belly but it's not excrutiating just a lot of discomfort really and I haven't taken any post-op pain meds. Tomorrow should be interesting as day 3 is always the worst day of post-op recovery for pretty much any type of surgery so I hope it treats me nicely.

Hope everyone is doing okay! *BIG HUGS*

[AlisaH 1]

Great job Ang! I agree that you are rocking at the recovery! Staying off the pain meds is great if you can do it! Just don't push it too hard and give yourself time (and permission) to relax and focus on you!

[Kithera 0]

Hiya - congrats on making it through to the other side! I live in Surrey and you're the first person I've found who's gotten this done in the MetroVancouver area. Would you mind telling what it cost? Is any covered by bcmed? Does Dr. Woodhead do bypass also? Is he accepting patients? Thanx so much for posting.

[RedTulips3 0]

Tomorrow should be interesting as day 3 is always the worst day of post-op recovery for pretty much any type of surgery so I hope it treats me nicely.

Never heard that before....Has that been your experience or is that a known thing? It's funny, because my day 3 post-op was not pretty, I can tell you that much! So maybe it's true!

[sta6160 0]

you're progress sounds great. I think I'm moving a littler slower, but I had my gall bladder removed and hiatal hernia repaired along w/ the band. But I'm planning on a half day of work on Monday. My family is making me walk, especially my Brother who had gastric bypass 4 years ago (very successful!!)

And they're just having too much fun giving me the blood thinner shots!!

I really haven't felt hungry at all - I've forced myself to down a few ounces of Protein shake at a time, sugar free popsicle are tops on my list - then Jello

and broth.

Question since I'm new here - when you're posting your weight, do you start with weight you lost before surgery? Is it highest/surgery/current/goal?

thanks!!

[RedTulips3 0]

y

Question since I'm new here - when you're posting your weight, do you start with weight you lost before surgery? Is it highest/surgery/current/goal?

thanks!!

Most people do 3 stats, which is surgery/current/goal. Some do four because their high and surgery weights are different, like I did. You'll see in my sig I used letters H/S/C/G so you know that it's high/surgery/current/goal.

Good luck with everything!