Band replacement nightmare (long, sorry)

[drkel 0]

Update---my doctor thinks the shoulder pain is related to the pneumonia. What a relief!

Be well, all! :laugh:

[Alexandra 55]

Oh wow, what a nightmare! I'm so sorry you had to go through that. Can they give you anything for the pain? If it's gas-related only time will heal it, but in the meantime you shouldn't have to suffer.

Good luck, and heal fast!!

[Maya314 0]

WOW... that sounds like an ordeal to say the least.. but as I was reading.. (I work in the medical field) I was praying that you didn't have a Pulmonary Embolism... (Fancy for blood clot in the lung) and.. although pneumonia sucks.. much better for you! ARGH! I was just banded sounds like small potatoes compared to what you've been through the past few days.. but my back pain was what made me wonder if I had made the right decision... My Mommy (I love her) rubbed aspercreme on my upper back a few times a day... it felt so good, and although it didn't take the pain completely away it did help.. here's the thing tho.. you've got two reasons for your pain.. the first is the C02 and the second is the pneumonia... just try and make yourself as comfortable as possible! Good luck! Keep us posted!

[Sue Magoo 71]

Hi:

Sorry to hear about all you've been through. Try using a heating pad, or taking very hot showers with the Water blasting onto your left shoulder. I've had issues with the left shoulder pain a few times since being banded and I know that it's awful. I hope you feel betters oon.

Sue

[lmnurse 0]

I can relate!!! I had my band on 12/3/07 and when I woke up after surgery I had the most excruciating pain in my left shoulder. I had to ask for a pain med, and was given Morphine 2 mg IV. It helped alot, but I still don't know what it was related to, or what could have been done during surgery. I thought maybe they used my arm to pull my off the table, but I don't think so because I was on a roll board to assist with sliding me off the table. I asked the doctor about it and he just waved me off saying that nothing was done to cause the shoulder pain. I had the pain for up to two weeks post-op. I had to take Tylenol#3 liquid every 4 hours for the pain. You validated my concerns about the "mysterious" shoulder pain. Hope yours will soon be just a memory.

[shortgal 5]

So sorry you've had to endure all this. I had the left shoulder pain right after surgery. The vagus nerve runs through that area all the way to our abdomen and is mostly likely annoyed by the band and abodominal swelling. I had the same pain after my surgery and had i not had a pet scan on my heart before surgery, I would have thought it was a heart attack, when it was combined with the gas pain in my chest.

Since my most recent fill this past week, I must be getting close to good restriction because I had the same pain ( just milder). I generally get some swelling after a fill, so the shoulder pain (only in the left again) was more noticeable this time and as the fill swelling subsided, I only get that feeling when i burp or hiccup.

I now look at it as a good signal of my restriction because it's really just a slight twinge now, nothing like right after surgery. I think I had more than average post op swelling because they fixed a hiatal hernia as well.

Like the other poster until I found about the reason for the shoulder pain, I thought they had dropped me or something moving me after surgery.

I worked in a primary care physician's office for eight years and he explained about the nerve to me, when I stopped in to say hello after the surgery.

You can google "vagus nerve" or do a search on the forum as well.

I hope you recover quickly.

[beeblers 6]

Study from Austrailia....Left Shoulder pain for Lap Band patients...as many as 60% have this for 2 weeks post op...some up to 5 weeks. Replacing the band disrupts the same area as the original band...yours was more involved because of the scar tissue..more dissection had to take place. The reason for the pain is that a bundle of nerves lies close to the area they are "messing" with, the nerve that runs to your diaphram..Anything that irritates this nerve...CO2 from surgery, manipulation of the area will cause Left Shoulder pain. This is called "referred" pain as the pain is sensed in a different part of the body from the original painful stimulus.

Interestingly, when they manipulate the other side for gallbladder surgery, they get "Right Shoulder Pain". FYI

I had horrible Left Shoulder pain for 4 weeks after I was banded Oct 07, and still get a mild case of it if I eat too much or go too long without eating. The band rises and falls with the stomach (it is stitched to it) so can rub that nerve again. It is my "reminder" now.

Search the posts for "left shoulder pain" and you will find much more on this. I can email you the research study on if, you wish but it is written in medical language. I actually gave it to my Lap Band surgeon, because they were new at doing LapBand and didn't know about it...

Heres hoping you will do much better in days to weeks.:thumbup:

Oh one other thing...does laying on you side help it...it did for me. Just a thought.

Brenda J RNC

[vballmom 0]

Hi drkel, So sorry to hear about the suffering you had. My husband gave me a very deep massage for the gas pain. It really helped alot. I sure hope you feel better soon. Hang in there, it will get better.

[drkel 0]

Hi everyone! Thank you so very, very much for your kind thoughts, your words of encouragement, and your words of advice.

Other than the coughing, I had a comfortable night. I found a comfortable position on my right side, so I felt no shoulder pain at all. I took Advil before I went to bed, and also took some this morning when I got up--it seems to be helping with the pain a bit.

Day by day, right folks?

[DLW 0]

Advil? My doctor told me no more advil or any form of Ibuprofin. I really liked advil too for fever and or pain. Why did he say no more? Stomach irritation? Maybe I could take an antacid when I take the advil? :-)

dianne

[shortgal 5]

I prefer Aleve for my knee when it acts up, but my Dr. told me to be very limited with it and he prefers I take Tylenol instead.

I haven't taken either since being banded.And only took it occasionally before.

[DLW 0]

Yes, my doc also advised me to take the Tylenol. It works okay but the Advil just worked so well for me. Kind of a bummer to not be able to take it anymore. Do you think that occasionally would be okay or should it be avoided all together?

[drkel 0]

I tried the liquid Tylenol and it did nothing for the pain. I'd had my first band for nearly 5 years, and took Advil when I needed it, so I took it last night for pain relief--I was desperate!

[DLW 0]

drkel, you had to have the band replaced after 5 years? It slipped? Was it because of the weight loss? I'm concerned about it. I had the band put in Nov 07 and am really worried about it getting all messed up come 5 or even 10 years from now. That would really stink. I didn't fare too well as far as hospital stay for the band. I was in there for 4 days. I guess I just had a slow go of it and thought that maybe it was because of my age. I couldn't imagine having issues 5 or 10 years down the road. Just is pretty tough and scary to imagine. What exactly happened to your band and why? Is it a common thing to happen? Thanks for your imput drkel.

Dianne

[mediummike 0]

I was told no ibuprofin (advil), aspirin, or aleve. Only tylenol. Something about being bad for the stomach a- risk of ulcer ??? Honestly, don't exactly remember why, just remember not to. Was a huge aleve fan prior to surgery for sore joints.