Lap Band Surgery Day Stories

[CJ60 0]

Thank you so much for your positive story . My surgery date is Sept. I have been very scared because of all the negative stuff I have read but you sure made me feel better. Good Luck to you.:cursing:

[CJ60 0]

Thank you so much for your positive story . My surgery date is Sept.22 I have been very scared because of all the negative stuff I have read but you sure made me feel better. Good Luck to you.:cursing:

[CJ60 0]

How exciting for you my surgery date is Sept. 22 , And I am scared but your story sure made me feel better. Wishing you the best.

:cursing:

[dreamskin 0]

2 weeks later from being banded and I am feeling great. Listen to my music and dancing around the house like a looney again! The experience I had in hospital had NOTHING to do with the surgery, I hope I didn't scare anyone. I would do it again and just avoid those bitchy nurses! Good luck to all of you getting banded soon or recently banded, 2 weeks in, you will be really happy you did it.

[irene2502 0]

This was my first time having any type of surgery. My date was 8/16 arrived at surgery center at noon. scheduled for 1pm. got all the papers signed and was told doctor running late about an hour. Really not a big deal at all. After about 45 minutes say goodbye to DH and get taken back. Nurse weights me in and take me to a little room with recliner and tv. She then gets iv started. I gotta say iv didnt hurt at all. she also gave me a wonder shot of bloodthinner. burned a little. still everything moving along. about 20 minutes later doctor comes in tell me what is going to happen and the nurse walks me back to or. at this point i wasnt really nervous at all. climbed up on table and laided down. the anesthesiologist sat joking with us while giving me oxygen. im starting to get nervous now. nurse was great she stood right by my side touching my shoulder. doc then says ok here come the sleepy meds you should feel pressure now. yep hand went numb and thats the last thing i remember. at one point i remember being nauseas, then woke up in recovery. no pain no nausea. tired though. after about 45 minutes they took me back to my little recliner room. had to drink 8oz of Water slowly. after that walked me to bathroom. went pretty quick. back to room to get iv out. got dressed by myself and out they walk me to car were DH was waiting. no pain that day really. later on in evening was sore. to date 2 days post op i have only taken liquid tylenol for the gas pain. lots of walking has help. I really have not been in pain just sore. i would do it again in a heartbeat. my throat was sore for 24 hours from breathing tube which they dont put in until your sleeping anyway and i never felt them take it out.

[losethemess 14]

I was banded on Monday, August 16th around 5pm and had a hiatal hernia repaird during surgery.

After surgery I was able to drink 1 cup of apple juice and a few sips of Water. The nurse said I couldn't drink anything after midnight because of the Barium test the next morning. Around 8 or 9 PM I forced myself to walk around the hospital. After returning to my room I went to sleep, woke up around 4AM and forced myself to walk again or course with help from the nurse.

At around 9PM they did the Barium test, I had to to drink approximately 1 cup of a thin yellow liquid and 1 cup of a thick white liquid, that made me sick to my stomach.

After testing was done, I still was not able to drink any Water or juice because they were waiting for the doctor to read the test results and write orders for a full liquid diet. So fast forward to 3pm my husband arrives to take me home and we still have not heard from the doctor and I have not had anything to drink. Finally around 5pm I get orders from the doctors for full liquids I have a some water and broth and a sip of juice (trying to limit the juice intake).

I go home on Tuesday, wake up on Wednesday drink 1 cup of Muscle Milk (Approximately 11 grams of protein) and about 2 cups of water and walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes, almost 1 mile. I weight myself and I have gained 6lbs. I'm not panicking just wondering what is going on???

In summary I didn't drink anything for almost 2 days.

[KathySoxFan 0]

Even though you didn't drink anything, the fluids they pump you up with the iv will make you gain Water weight. I was in the hospital for 6 days with pancreatitis, and I couldn't drink or eat anything for the first 5 days, and then only had a little juice or broth the 6 days. When I got home, I had gained 8 pounds. The next week, those 8 pounds were gone, plus another 7. Hope you're doing okay!

[losethemess 14]

Even though you didn't drink anything, the fluids they pump you up with the iv will make you gain Water weight. I was in the hospital for 6 days with pancreatitis, and I couldn't drink or eat anything for the first 5 days, and then only had a little juice or broth the 6 days. When I got home, I had gained 8 pounds. The next week, those 8 pounds were gone, plus another 7. Hope you're doing okay!

Thanks for your feedback. I'm doing great, I'm trying to make sure that I'm exercising everyday. Hope you are doing well also. Thanks again.

[Beachbunny 5]

Hello ,

Had my surgery on 8/17/10 Got to the hospital at 10:30 , had my labs done about 11:00. Called back and they gave me my gown which was so big it fell off...the nurse said i was alot smaller than most of his patients...that was a one positive lol. My surgery time was at 1:30 a anethesiologist came in and offered to much info, scared the daylights out of me. I then received the news my Dr was delayed helping with another pt(emergency) I then met a second anesthesiologist(she was nicer) . by 3:00 a Dr came in and said phewwww im finally talking to the right pt. He was my third anesthesiologist(the best!) He actually listened to me and my fear of the mask. I almost didn't get him until he saw the look on my face he said he would stay with me. He put me to sleep before the mask went on....at 4:00pm. I was in recovery at 5 and to my room by 6:15. I walked my rear off . Left yesterday at 12. Overall a good experience!!!

[lkmitc 0]

I just got banded today (8/19)! I'm a bit amazed that it's all over (actually, my new life is just beginning, but the surgery is over).

For me, it was relatively straightforward and painless. Relatively. :-) I arrived at 7am, did the consent and other paperwork, and was issued into a typical hospital-type room where I changed into my gown. The anesthesiologist (sp?) administered an IV into the back of my hand (almost the worst part of the procedure--I hate the notion of IV's!). The nurses were getting everything ready and started my antibiotics too soon. Since I'd been on the pre-op diet and had nothing to eat or drink for several hours, I got nauseous from the antibiotics. But, I told them (important but obvious point--speak up in you're in discomfort and be assertive about it) and they backed off of the flow rate and I was fine. Standard vitals check, a heparin shot, shaved my abdomen, and wheeled me into OR about 8:20. A few more minutes of futzing around, and next thing I know, I'm in Recovery.

Recovery wasn't too bad; it took about 20 minutes for the anesthesia to wear off enough for me to feel reasonably coherent. They gave me a lot of discharge instructions (verbally and in writing and I'll need to call back tomorrow to clarify a few things).

I live in a second-floor condo and was able to climb the steps with no problem. I've been sore all day, but the pain is manageable. Sipped a lot of Water and other fluids (make sure that your pee runs clear/not yellow so that you're getting enough liquid). Used a lung-capacity gauge to strengthen my lungs and work out some of the mucus. Walked around the condo a lot and a little bit out in the complex (it's 109 degrees here, so not too much outside).

I'm still a bit wigged out about what's just happened and I know that it's very early in the process, but all in all, not too bad of an experience.

[a1afl123 0]

Not a flowery writer but here goes my day.

I am 58 yrs old.

Arrived at the hospital at 5:10 am. was taken back to pre op at about 6:10 am. Weighed, asked all of the questions. Then she tried to put in the IV. Ouch, no success. She had to get another nurse to get it in. luckily on the first try.

The anesthegiologist came in & talked to me.

Waited till about 7:00, Wheeled in to surgery. Totally awake. Got really nervous when I saw the table piled with all these huge tools. (Never knew if they were for me, They were just scary).

Next thing I knew I was in recovery. It was about noon. Guess I had gotten really sick from the anestisia. They had given me lost of nausea meds. I was totally out of it.

Moved me to a room sat there with my friend. Light headed & having nausea. around 3:00 they said get up & go potty. They they sent me home. Told me that I would need a babysitter for about 24 hours. That it would take that long for the chemicals to get out of my body.

Not in great pain at incisions.

Have huge shoulder pain! They said that was from a hernia repair.

I would recommend bringing a samll pillow to hold onto, chap stick, & have gas-x at home.

Seems pretty uneventful?

[jenontheband 0]

I had huge shoulder pain too but not from hernia repair. It sucked and it lasted a good five days. Just walk a lot, as I'm sure you've heard. Sorry to hear you got sick!

[YongsanFatty 0]

My story is similar to other folks on here in that it was my first surgical procedure ever...but it is very different because I had my procedure in Seoul. I went in last Thursday (the 19th), fasted, at 9 a.m.

The surgeon and his staff were incredibly nice. I couldn't believe how much time and attention they gave me. They had me in the "VIP" room...VIP status is an interesting thing in Korea - I'm not sure if it was because of the job that I do or because I was the most complicated surgery of the day in their medical clinic. Haha! Anyway, they started my IV, then led me to the operating room. The last thing I remember was the anestesist saying was "This is just pure oxygen" as he placed a mask in front of my face. Then he asked me if all of my teeth were real and the nurses who were strapping my arms down asked me if my fingernails were real...next thing I know, I'm back in the VIP room, freezing to death, under a heated blanket. My husband looks super worried, but he's trying to stay calm. My blood pressure had dropped and I was incredibly pasty/pale...but I was fine, otherwise. I think I just have a weak system when it comes to chemicals. I said a couple of sentences to the doctor in Korean and then he knocked me out again. (I guess my Korean wasn't so great, eh? )

They were incredibly attentive the rest of the afternoon and discharged me around 7:30 that night. I climbed into a cab and headed home. Korea is different than the US in that they don't really prescribe strong pain meds. They gave me orange flavored ibuprophen (in a child's dosage!), antacids, and antibiotics. They did, however, send me home me with my IV still in tact and 24 hours of some sort of painkiller in a "to go" donut shaped container.

I walked a LOT...belched a lot...and nothing really hurt unless I laid wrong or when I had to bend over the first few days. I sat up a lot as well...but I slept a lot, too. I tried not to lay down unless I was sleeping. I went back to work the following Monday and haven't had any problems so far. I am scheduled to see my surgeon on Thursday again to make sure all is well.

Thank you all for your support and encouragement during this time. You're the best virtual support group anyone could ever ask for! :-)

[mom05 0]

Not a flowery writer but here goes my day.

I am 58 yrs old.

Arrived at the hospital at 5:10 am. was taken back to pre op at about 6:10 am. Weighed, asked all of the questions. Then she tried to put in the IV. Ouch, no success. She had to get another nurse to get it in. luckily on the first try.

The anesthegiologist came in & talked to me.

Waited till about 7:00, Wheeled in to surgery. Totally awake. Got really nervous when I saw the table piled with all these huge tools. (Never knew if they were for me, They were just scary).

Next thing I knew I was in recovery. It was about noon. Guess I had gotten really sick from the anestisia. They had given me lost of nausea meds. I was totally out of it.

Moved me to a room sat there with my friend. Light headed & having nausea. around 3:00 they said get up & go potty. They they sent me home. Told me that I would need a babysitter for about 24 hours. That it would take that long for the chemicals to get out of my body.

Not in great pain at incisions.

Have huge shoulder pain! They said that was from a hernia repair.

I would recommend bringing a samll pillow to hold onto, chap stick, & have gas-x at home.

Seems pretty uneventful?

Thanks for the tips... my surgery is 09/22. Hope your doing well:thumbup:

[peacelives10 1]

My name is Jenny and I was originally supposed to be banded on August 24, 2010, but due to my doctor's family emergency my date got changed to August 25, 2010. I went in for pre-registration on August 23 and they told me to be there at 12:30 pm the next day for my surgery. There were 3 other people in the pre-op room with me. Myself and another woman was getting banded, one was getting revision because her port had flipped and another one was getting gastric bypass. I undressed. I had to take off everything and I mean EVERYTHING! put on my knee high compression stockings and non-skid socks and the gown. One of the nurses took my vitals and she attempted to start an IV on my right hand and beforehand she told that their hospital prefers to inject numbing medication (lidocaine) before attempting an IV. So, she injected lidocaine and it burned so much when it was injected and then she put the IV in and moved it all around, fumbled around for the vein, took the IV needle out half way and shoved it in again trying to get blood back flow. She then said sorry again and tried my other arm on my forearm, injected more lidocaine (it burned again) fumbled around for the vein (it hurt) told me sorry and took out the IV. Then the head nurse came in explaining that her policy for the pre-op room was that every nurse got 2 chances and 2 chances only to try to put an IV. So, with saying that, she, the head nurse, attempted another IV on my left hand, injected more lidocaine and got the back flow for the IV (FINALLY!). By this time it was already around 1:30 pm and the anesthesiologist had come to speak with me to explain his part of the process in the operating room and he asked me if I was nervous and I said yes so he asked the nurse to give me something to put me to sleep. I feel asleep fast. Then I woke up like an hour later and was told that the doctor wasn't going to come in til 5 pm. It was 8 pm by the time I decided to get dressed and leave the hospital to reschedule for another day. I left. I thought maybe him not coming was God's way of telling me that I wasn't ready for the surgery yet. But then I got home and I cried to my mother and brother that I should have stayed. Then at 10 pm the doctor called my mother's cell phone apologizing for his lateness and that he would go ahead and do the surgery tomorrow morning and that I would be the very first one in the operating room. I got too excited and said yes. So the next day I was told by the doctor to show up to the pre-op area at 7:30 am and the IV was quick this time. It was 8:30 am and I was finally wheeled into the operating room. Being wheeled away from your family is one of the hardest things ever! I was wheeled into the operating room and they told me to scoot myself onto the narrow operating table and I was looking up into the bright over light they have and I think that's when I wanted to jump off the table and run back to my family. Instead I felt my eyes get all misty. I wanted to cry but I held it together. It's just really creepy being in that operating room and you being in a very vulnerable state. They covered me with a warm blanket. It was too warm. I don't like being covered with blankets ever because I get hot easily and I think I was even trying to shrug it off of my body. Then they attached the arm portions to the operating table and spread my arms apart and strapped then down with a pad that felt cool and gelatinous to the touch. By then I was already feeling drowsy and I could feel myself going under anesthesia. The next thing I knew I was in recovery with a oxygen mask blowing oxygen 100 mph into my nose and mouth. I wanted to remove it but I was told not to touch it and I obeyed. It was so so very very hard to try to keep my eyes open. My lids were so heavy but I felt that I needed to make myself open them because every time I drifted into sleep with the oxygen mask on I felt like I had stopped breathing...so that made me very scared (of course I didn't stop breathing, it just felt that) So I fought off the sleepies and kept my eyes open and finally after a while I won the battle and eventually I was able to take off the oxygen mask. When the nurse took off the mask she told me to try to keep taking deep breathes. I tried but I was still kind of drowsy and drifted into a second long sleep and my respirations would reach below 94 and that's when the machine would start beeping. So every time it beeped I took a deep breath and my respirations would climb back up to 97 or 98. After I got that down I started to notice that my mouth was bone dry to the point where I would gag because it was so dry. This freaked me out. I hate having a dry mouth. So I asked for a wet sponge and my nurse brought a cup with ice cold Water and a sponge and wet my lips and my tongue and it felt like the most wonderful thing in the entire universe until she took it out and placed the cup and sponge on a table behind my bed so I wouldn't be able to reach it. My mouth started to get bone dry again and I freaked out again and I had to ask another nurse for the sponge and I opened my mouth expecting him to wet my tongue, but no dice. He just wet my lips. I made sure not to ask him again. So finally I saw the anesthesiologist and he was peeking into the curtain of the patient next to me and I waved him over and I asked him if he can give me the cup of ice cold Water and the sponge and he did. He gave it to me in my hand, the cup and the sponge and I swear if was physically able to yell out "I LOVE YOU" to him I would have. So I felt a lot better that I had control of the sponge now and I constantly wet my lips and my tongue when needed. And I guarded that cup like it was my most prized posession. After that I felt between my legs and noticed a pressure there and found out I had been cathed. It felt weird and I just wanted it out and I was told by my brother who is a nurse that once you tell them you can get up to pee on your own and you actually do it then they'll take out the cath. So I told my nurse I wanted to pee on my own and she took out the catheter and I was helped to the bathroom by a male nurse. and OMG I Peed! on my own! I went back to my area and the male nurse that escorted me to the bathroom told me to sit on the recliner chair so I did. but he opened by entire back side of the gown but by this time I didn't care what was showing. He would open it so I wouldn't have to manuever myself to get the back of the gown out from under me thus me causing unnecessary pain to myself. So I sat there and I asked for some pain meds and the pain went away quickly and I feel asleep in the recliner chair. And then they woke me up and took me to x ray so I can drink some liquid in a little medicine cup so they can track it going down through x ray. The stuff was horrible and it was a small amount but it took forever to finish because it was so horrible. but at the same time I was thirsty and my mouth and throat were so dry that I was thankful for anything to drink even if it was that horrible stuff. I was done with x ray and taken back to post op to my recliner chair and I asked my nurse if I can go home now and she said that they had to wait for the results of the x ray. I just wanted to go home already. It took an hour and a half to get the results from the x ray. Everything came out fine and then my nurse told me I could go home but to just give her about 30 more minutes so she can bring me some "food" and explain the LAP-BAND® rules to me and to schedule my follow up appointment with my surgeon/doctor. She brought a tray that had chicken broth, a bottled water, a popiscle in a cup that was half way melted and some Jello. I could only take 2 very small sips of water and one smaller sip of chicken broth by the time I was done. I didn't even touch the Jello or popsicle. So then my mom was in the room with me and the nurse explained the rules and told me I could get dressed to go home. They took out my IV and the male nurse who escorted me to the bathroom about 3 times adjusted my stockings and told me to keep them on for a couple of more hours because his wife had to wear them too and that they helped her. He closed the curtain, I changed into my exercise capri loose fitting pants, and a dark t shirt cause I didn't want to put my bra back on because of the incisions. I came out with my pink crocs, my white compression stockings showing, and my high water capri's and my nurse laughed at me telling the others to look at how cute I looked. I guess I looked funny. I didn't care. I just wanted freedom! By this time my mom had left and I was escorted to my family and I got into the car and we drove home.

When I got home, it was a completely different story. I took a nose dive. I cried and wailed. Crying out that I had made a mistake and that I wanted to go back to the hospital to get the band out. I couldn't drink any water at all or any liquids for that matter. I cried and cried and felt like I had committed the biggest mistake of my existence. My family got real scared. They had never seen me react that way. I cried for 3 days and I was really depressed and wanted the band out. I think it was the fear of not being able to drink anything at all without feeling pain. My thinking and reasoning were irrational. I started looking up "how long do you have to wait to get your band removed" on google" I did this for 3 days and I was completely determined to have my band out. The reason I was freaking out and wanted it out was because I could not, it was not physically possible for me to drink any liquids whatsoever plus I needed to take my liquid antibiotic and liquid painkiller. If I couldn't take water down then I was I going to get my medicine down? The antibiotic was 2 tsp and the pain killer was 3 tsb. It doesn't seem like a lot but it was. I took me 40 minutes for me to drink my painkiller (and without water cause water meant more more liquid I couldn't take in...which made it worse because the taste was just horrible) The next day I wasn't crying as much but I still felt that same restriction. I couldn't take water down plus my mandatory meds. So I googled the same thing again and cried again, and I was particularly attached to my mother and brother. I would not let them leave my side for nothing! I begged that they stay with me because I was afraid to by myself. So my mother laid in my bed with me while she watched her novelas and I cried and stroked her arm telling her not to leave me. She missed work the next day to be with me. The 3rd day I didn't cry until the evening when I started taking my pills for all my comorbidities. I had to crush them in applesauce because it was the only way I can get it down. So I started crying because the applesauce hurt going down but it was the only way I could take my crushed pills (I first tried crushed mixed with water and it was horrible to even get it down because of the taste) So I cried and my brother who is a nurse was already annoyed by me and by my irrational thinking and reasoning that he sort of gave it to me straight and told me "WHAT"S WRONG WITH YOU?" and him just yelling at me made me cry even more and I backed into a corner like a wounded animal and he said "look at you!? you're backing into a corner like I'm going to hit you!" I cried more and felt like no one understood me and the pain that it took for me to sip water or take my meds. The next day I was a lot better and didn't cry anymore.

Today is the 30th and I'm doing a lot better. I'm not depressed anymore or crying. I'm back to myself again. Laughing and joking with my family. Those first 3 days were horrible and I don't know what came over me but I felt as if something else, some other force had took over me. Looking back I don't even know who that person was. Like I said, I'm doing a lot better 5 days post op. My family is especially happy that I'm back to normal. And now I can sip liquids like I could before I got the band. well, not has much intake but enough to keep me satisfied and happy. I've been on the clear liquid diet for 4 days...i was told to do 3 days but decided to do 4. This morning I moved onto full liquids which includes, sugar free pudding, yogurt without granola or fruit pieces, or seeds, and cream of Soups, and cream of wheat...I ate pudding today and it felt like I had swallowed a burp with my pudding, it didn't hurt but it there was some discomfort but I decided to eat it more slowly and it's getting better. I'm on the full liquid diet for 2 weeks, then I move on to pureed for 4 weeks, then soft foods for another 4 weeks, then finally regular food after that. I mapped it out on my calendar and i'll be done with my food stages on November 7.

By telling my story I don't want to scare anyone out of getting banded. I just thought that I would be honest on what happened and what I felt the first couple of days. Please, know that it does get better with time. The pain starts to subside, the soreness goes away, and you'll be able to take in a little bit more liquids then you think you can (just not too much).

I also cried on the 3rd day because I had to start nursing school on the 30th and I was a wreck thinking that I wasn't going to be able to go to school and I was just going to end up crying all the time. Today was my first day of school and it was no big deal. Everything went well. I didn't drive myself though.

The most annoying thing those 3 days were getting in and out of bed, the soreness in my neck and back, and arms. Also, I'm a belly sleeper and I've been having to sleep on my back and cautiously sleeping on my side that doesn't have my port. BENGAY really helps with the soreness a lot!

Edited August 31, 2010 by peacelives10