need a confidance boost.....

[Vangirl 0]

Hi Anne Marie,

I am 32, also diabetic, and until I had the lap-band 4 days ago, I had never had surgery before either. I had all the same fears as you about surgery and imagined all kinds of awful scenarios. I'm a baby when it comes to pain, have a poor pain tolerance, and am scared of hospitals, needles, and medical procedures of any kind. So I absolutely know the fears going into something like this. What I can say is that each person's experience is different. Some people report little to no pain after, some people have a lot of pain. I'd say I am in the latter category. I had more pain than the others at the clinic the day I had the surgery. But even when the pain was at its worst, at no time did it feel so unbearable that I regretted having the surgery. To be honest, the worst pain I experienced from the surgery was the shooting pain from the gas in my left shoulder, and thankfully that was fleeting.

And as for fears going into the surgery itself, they gave me an ativan right before, and that really helped me not have a panic attack as I was getting onto the operating table. They also talked to me the whole time going into it to distract me from my anxiety. One minute I was looking at the lights above me and chatting with one of the doctors, the next minute I was having a dream. I woke up, saw the same lights, and it was all over. Yes there was pain after, but as I said earlier, it was never so horrible that I felt I couldn't take it. And this coming from someone with a low pain tolerance!

Right now, it feels like I've been in a car accident or have worked out so hard that all the muscles in my body are crying out in protest. Plus there's the gas, which is really hard to describe unless you experience it for yourself, and walking is the only cure for that. The incisions don't bother me, as my surgeon used surgical glue to bind them, so I'm able to shower without problems. That's the best I can describe the experience after surgery. Good luck with everything, I am sure you will be fine. I am so glad I made this decision and fought my own fears to take this life-changing step. I'm sure you will be too.

[AMJOHNSON 0]

thats funny you say that. I have been telling myself I will finally get some rest . I am about 440 lbs and can't sleep in a regular bed because it hurts my joints. I sleep in a recliner that is broken down from my weight. So I spend most of the night trying not to slide off the front of it. I have not had a good nights sleep for a while.