Calling All Surgeries Monday February 25th

[bigunc 0]

Well my Lap-Band journey has now started.

I was banded Monday 2-25-08. Had to report for 5:30 am on Monday because I was the first surgery of the day. The only problem of the day was during admission we had to pay a $200.00 pre admit fee according to Aetna. This was not mentioned before Modany morning. I told my wife this was a small price to pay in order to get my life back to normal.

I was supposed to go home the same day but had to stay overnite. The Doctor said because of the large amount of bleeding he wanted to err on the side of caution.

The hospital staff were wonderful. The Nurses took great care of me. I had a problem urinating for the 1st 8 hrs after surgery. The Nurse called the Doctor and he said if I did not urinate in the next two hours the Nurse would have to put a catherter back in me. If you have never experienced having a catherter put in while you are awake be thankful, it is not a pleasant experienc. I kept trying to urinate for about an hour and a half before I was successful. I was like my body could not remember what it had to do to make it happen.

I didn't get much sleep because it seemed like every time I dosed off someone was taking my BP, temp or having to turn off one of my moniters alarms. I was alittle upset when they woke me up to see if I needed something to help me sleep.< /p>

Next morning I was scheduled to do a procedure where I drank something while they x-rayed me to make sure I could still swallow properly. I was scheduled for 10:00 am but didn't get to do it untill aroud 2:00 pm.

Then I had to wait for my Surgeon to get the results before I could go home.

My Surgeon had surgeries he was performing until about 5:00 pm.

When I finally was dischared I had to leave an OnQpainbuster pump hooked up. This a balloon type medicine pump to deliver local anesthetic to the wound sites.

I expected more pain after the surgery than what I was experiencing. The only tIme I really had any pain at all was when I got out of bed to walk aroud. I had to walk around hunched over a little to keep from stretching the skin at the surgerical incisions. I have yet to experiene any of the Gas problems that all of patients have experienced. I have been home for 5 1/2 hrs and have not had to use the liquid pain meds the Surgeon prescibed for me.

I am now sitting at home in my recliner as I type this up. You start to feel 100% better just by being in familar surrounding and with family.

Good luck to all of you in the process of having the Lap-Band sugery. Remember the hardest part is all the pre-op requirements and not the actual surgery.

[teegee 0]

my surgery was at 3pm. it went well intense pain after surgery but the nurses took care of that. i stayed overnight and walked several times.

i had the xray and then had a small meal( broth, tea and water). i was discharged and went to Walmart and was weak and a bit dehydrated when i got home. i went to bed and felt better in a couple of hours. i got up and walked some more. the key is to walk. good luck to all. stay on track.

[coolcrystal 1]

Well, it's day three and I'm still really sore, but I can finally turn on my side in bed by myself and get up by myself, but man, the tummy is still really sore. I wonder if it's normal to already experience sliming??

It has happened twice now, once yesterday and just 20 minutes ago. My mouth starts to Water and I feel like I'm going to puke. I sit up straight.. and relax and it goes away; but gosh, I hate that feeling. I'm thinking it was my chewable Vitamin, but the doc said it was okay to take them on the third day.. but, I didn't have much to drink, so I know I wasn't stuffed or anything. I had only had maybe 4 tiny sips of crystal light.

I wish I could see my incisions, but they are all covered up with steri strips. He put my port lower than I expected. Kind of in the center of my belly almost.

Man, I'm belching like crazy still.. LOLLLLLLLLL. It's rather funny though, because when my friends call I pre-warn them and they are like "ooh, I've gotten to hear a crystal belch".. lol.

[valvinnek 0]

Crystal, my mouth gets almost like I've drank a milkshake. It's like a milky mouth. LOL. It feels gross. It takes a while to go a away then it comes back. Weird. BELCHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!LOL

[valvinnek 0]

How is everyone doing? I'm ok. I think I would feel great, if I didn't do the gall bladder at the sametime. That incision is the most tender and bruised. I feel good. I had some soupy oatmeal and soupy mashed potatos, It was nice to have something with texture, sort of. I still am burping, I asked the nurse how much longer with that and she said it could take a couple of weeks, sorry Crystal. I just wanted to see how everyone else is healing and what not.

[bigunc 0]

Val I agree with you. I feel a need to chew on some type of textured food instead of actual hunger pains.

Six days out and felt ready to do something outside. My DW saw me headed outside and wanted to know where I was going? To wash the truck I said. She looked at me like I was crazy (I am). I just had to get outside to do something. Now I had to wait for her and my 16 yr old son to come and help me. For those of you who have never experienced help from family washing your truck, try it some time.

I think my truck looks dirtier today after "WE" washed it than before "WE" started.

Oh well I made it outside for a change of pace.

Oh yea, I feel great and life is good.

[coolcrystal 1]

It's okay Alyssa (val) I had a feeling the belching would last quite a while. LOL. It's just going to suck going back to work on Monday and sitting in a cubicle environment. LOLLLLL... everyone will be able to hear me belching..

So, what is everybody eating and doing now? I was able to do almost 20 minutes on the treadmill last night, but then my sciatic nerve in my back started hurting so that made me stop. I know I might be pushing it, as my doc didn't want me on the treadmill for another week, but I figured if I was told to walk, then I could walk on a treadmill, right?

What about foods? is anybody pushing it? Today I had sugar free chocolate pudding, V8 juice, squash Soup blended up and some yogurt. Granted, I only had a little bit of this stuff.. the cans of Soup are lasting me for 2-3 meals... but, I'm starting to get more hungry. I think my stomach is unswelling and healing up and wanting more food food. I was able to have refried Beans yesterday but they were all blended up.. I have this cool cuisine art hand blender thingy and it is totally awesome! I got it two years ago for xmas and never knew what to do with it, now I use it for everything.

[valvinnek 0]

Ok, is anyone starving???????? I am doing so good, and I'm proud of myself, but I just want to rip something open and chow down!!!!

[valvinnek 0]

So, are you in bandster hell?????????????????????????????????? I'm hungry and crabby!!!!

[JaxBandster 11]

Are you trying to eat as much Protein as you can? That will help to stave off the hunger. When do you get your first fill?

[minock 0]

Well, I'm kinda there. I'm not really hungry. Doing under 1000 calories a day and not losing weight. That's my version of bandster hell. Fortunately, I have restriction still from no fill (I actually had an unfill since the surgery). Got a veggie stuck yesterday and I hated it...

So, it seems we're both in our own version of bandster hell.

Hang in there. You will get a fill soon enough and things will be much easier. I see my surgeon today to see how long until a fill or me. Good luck!

[valvinnek 0]

I see my doctor on the 27th, then we will talk about a fill. Karen, I am getting between 80-90 grams of protien in a day. I just started pureeds and the list my dr. gave me is pretty blah. I can do pureed veggie Soups, white meats (they say no red meats for 6 months), and a few veggies. To me its just the same as liquids. The pureed stage is until Monday, then I can go to soft foods, it just seems like forever. I just don't want to push anything an stretch my pouch. Maybe I' m just dwelling on it too much. It really was easy up til now and I know it'll get easier.

[JaxBandster 11]

Wow, no red meat for six months? I wonder why that is?

It sounds like you are doing all the right things. Just keep pounding that Protein, if you have to snack, make sure it is high in Protein and have a lot of willpower. I know it's hard, but yes, it will get better.

[Brinabrina77 24]

Hello Feb 25th bandsters:

I am just checking in to see how everyone is doing. I am doing okay. It is funny that i barely had to take any of the liquid loritab for pain during th first week. I was given 300 ml and i have about 250 ml left. However, now my port and such occasionally get a twinge if I move wrong. I am not too worried about it, because i know that it is partly due to scar tissue formation and all that good stuff. However, i take a littel loritab once if a while if i cant get comfortable.

food...

I am one mashed potatoe eating machine. i was so happy to get of that clear liquid hell food phase that soupy grits and mashed potatoes and such felt like gourmet food. So now I live off of mashed potataotes with cream of chicken Soup poured on top of them. If you have not tried it..try it. it is a lot healthier than gravy and it it adds a ton of flavor to bland mashed potatoes. I also eat a lot of those single serving microwave green peas packs from the green giant. I think they put crack in them. I am not sure. But I know for a fact I could have cared less for them before being banded. Now i get down to one pack and I get twitchy. i still think that clear liquid week put me in perspective..if I lived through that I could live through anything.

I am supposed to be on teh pureed diet stage. the food options are better, but the consistency of food...ie pureed makes me turn up my nose. chicken should not be the consistency of applesauce. Eww. Eww. Ewwww. Matter of fact, where is the little "vomit" icon so I can tell you how I really feel about pureed food. The closest I have gotten to pureed food is soft food that I chew extremely well like soft fish or back to the good old mashed potatotoes. I "cheated one day" and got a pulled pork (kind of a finely shredded pork) sandwich from a bbq place. i did not eat the bread, but it took me two days to eat the serving of meat that came with it. Previously I could easily eat two of those sandwiches alone.

My only concen at this point is hwo much I can eat. All this literature tells me that my stomach should hold 1/4 cup of food. I laugh at that. I am not pigging out, but i know i can eat much more than that. I know that the potatoes are a carb party..but have you any idea what i *used* to eat? My meals consist of a serviing of grits or mashed potatoes, soft fish, and a single serving of vegetables. If I can fit in sugar free pudding or a lowfat creamsicle either of those may serve as dessert. that ususally holds me for a few hours. A meal like that used to be what I snacked on while I was in the kitchen preparing my real (normally bigger)meal.

Overall I am doing well. I dont have an appointment for a fill until 4/9/08. I hoep everyone else is doing well too.

Keep posting. I love knowing how those who were bnaded on that same day as I was are doing.

[JaxBandster 11]

Brina

I had to laugh when I read your post. I ate pulled pork for lunch today (without the bread as well) I had that and a side salad with lowfat dressing. Only ate about a quarter of the salad. I LOVE me some BBQ!!!! Fortunately, as long as it's not too dried out, I can have it. It's bad enough that I had to give up the majority of my carbs but if someone told me I was going to have to give up my pulled pork they would have a war on their hands! The only bad thing is I like to have mustard BBQ Sauce on it and I know that probably has a ton of carbs. Oh well, I'm good for the most part!