June 2009 Surgery

[Mandie 0]

YEA MANDIE!!! Welcome to the land of the banders!!! Glad all went well for you! Keep me posted on how you are doing. I am going back to work tomorrow!!! UGH!!! I enjoyed my relaxing time off. All my pain is gone just the port site is a bit tender to the touch. All bandages off except at the port site. But....come Tuesday I can start to go in the pool!! I plan on doing some Water exercises for the big ole belly and my chicken arms. I'll shrink what I can and learn to live with the rest!!!

Take care

Dot

Thanks, I am doing good, I have quite a bit of pain, well, I don't want to keep taking the pain meds, but when I don't I have alot of pain. How long have you taken off work? My port incision is really sore, I am not sure why it is worse then the others, the incision and right around it, I thought they put the port alittle aways from the incision? I'm not sure. I can't wait to get back in the pool. I miss swimming. I have been out of commision on it for over a month as I had 2 surgeries this month and really knocked me out of commision. I am doing good on the diet. I am surprised. Although I can't find a protien shack I can tolerate though. I don't know how many my husband has bought and I cant stomach. What type type of Vitamins are you taking?

Mandie

[updegraff 0]

Ok, let's start with the pain meds. Yes, I also took them every 4 to 6 hours but I have to say they knocked me for a loop and I was constantly tired. So.....I stopped taking them and just took one about an hour or so before I went to bed. I could keep myself busy during the day to try to take my mind of of it. My biggest pain problem was the gas pains. 1st. they were at the base of my neck and across my shoulders. Then they moved to the front from colar bone to colar bone! That hurt. Here's what I found with that. I took some gas x strips and popped one on my tongue when it hurt. I found walking and taking deep breaths helped. It hurt but it helped if that makes sense to you. Plus the port site pain. Sometimes if I turned a certain way it felt like something was pulling, pretty painful. Glad to say that has gone away and I am back to sleeping on my left side!!!

Protein Drinks, I found that I like the EAS chocolate and Coffe Late. The vanilla not so much. Don't get me wrong I'm not crazy about them. So I found at GNC a no flavored Protein Powder. I also have a 1000000 pound bag (kidding) of the EAS vanilla Protein powder. What I did with this is I used 1/2 a scoop vs an entire scoop and mixed it with the sugar free pudding and Fat Free Skim Milk. Not bad. Or I also bought some of those popsycle maker thingys and made frozen pudding pops out of it. GOOD tasting!

Vitamins I was taking Publix Brand children's chewable with Iron but to tell you the truth I mostly forget to take them. I want to get the Centruim liquid for adults and try to remember to take that. So far I have not found them.

Now I am on the soft foods and Tuesday will start the full foods. I am getting plenty of protein without the shakes, etc now. I have started eating off of a large saucer vs a dinner plate that seems to help me with quanity!!! I eat all the protein first then the veggies then any carbs if I have them on my plate at all.

Weight wise I lose 2 gain 3, lose 3 gain 2, etc.

I was out of work for 2 weeks (my choice). I decided I was 1 day shy of putting in for Short Term Disability (which I have paid into for years and never used it). So I was able to take off an additional week. Hey what the heck....that is about 800$$. I think I can use that.....maybe to buy some new clothes.

OK, sorry to be so long winded. Take care and keep me posted. Hope my noval helped ya a bit!!

Dot

[Mandie 0]

The dr gave me some liquid oxycode for the pain with some nasue pill as oxycode makes me sick, nice. I had the gas pain so bad yesterday it had me in tears, nothing was helping. I used like 3 gas x strips. It started in my tummy which I never get the gas like that, I usually have some gurbling then use a gas x, but this started going up my back then into my shoulder to the point I couldn't move my arm. It was so much pain. It last about 2 hours. I hated it. I have to sleep on my right side with a pillow under my left side to help support my left side or I am so uncofortable it hurts too much. I can't wait to be able to sleep on my left side and tummy again. I so know how walking and deep breathing helps, it has helped me alot. Well, got to get things done hopefully. Got alot of pain right now in the port site.

Mandie.

[Corliss 0]

The dr gave me some liquid oxycode for the pain with some nasue pill as oxycode makes me sick, nice. I had the gas pain so bad yesterday it had me in tears, nothing was helping. I used like 3 gas x strips. It started in my tummy which I never get the gas like that, I usually have some gurbling then use a gas x, but this started going up my back then into my shoulder to the point I couldn't move my arm. It was so much pain. It last about 2 hours. I hated it. I have to sleep on my right side with a pillow under my left side to help support my left side or I am so uncofortable it hurts too much. I can't wait to be able to sleep on my left side and tummy again. I so know how walking and deep breathing helps, it has helped me alot. Well, got to get things done hopefully. Got alot of pain right now in the port site.:mad:Mandie.

So sorry you are having so much pain. I had mine on 18th and have walked all over. The gas has been bad, but nothing unbearable. I have had no pain meds at all since last night. I can even sleep on my port side. I fear I not will be so pain free after the plastics tommorrow.

Keep walking. It will get better.

Corliss

[Mandie 0]

So sorry you are having so much pain. I had mine on 18th and have walked all over. The gas has been bad, but nothing unbearable. I have had no pain meds at all since last night. I can even sleep on my port side. I fear I not will be so pain free after the plastics tommorrow.

Keep walking. It will get better.

Corliss

Thanks, I keep walking, and it works. What do you mean after the plastics tomorow?

Mandie

[ChrisNYC 0]

My surgery is on wednesday and I'm starting to get really nervous. This is going to be my first surgery and there are a million things going through my mind.

Edited June 22, 2009 by ChrisNYC

[phenry 0]

upgegraf...that liquid Centrum is NASTY! Be prepared...you may not be able to swallow it once you know how it tastes! I was banded on June 12th and I have found I can swallow regular Vitamins just fine. My pain meds were pills and so was my antibiotic...so I figured...I could swallow a Vitamin and I can.

[phenry 0]

It's normal to be nervous Chris....you just have to justify to yourself why you are doing this and why it is needed. The surgery isn't that bad. It is all over so quick. People recover at different rates of course. Just follow orders to a "T"....the pain meds help so much. I personally didn't need them at all after 2.5 days. Then I started taking 1/2 a pill at night only to help me sleep. Walking and farting will be your best friends! Get the gas out and then you will feel SO much better. Stay focused and you will be fine!

[phenry 0]

I hope your pain gets better soon mandie!

[free2beme 0]

I was feeling a bit nervous about surgery tomorrow but after reading your posts I can see I have so much to look forward to. lol Seriously though, all the postings help to know what to expect and to know there are many others out there going through the same process and sharing their experiences for those of us following in their footsteps.

[TopTier 0]

It's normal to be nervous Chris....you just have to justify to yourself why you are doing this and why it is needed. The surgery isn't that bad. It is all over so quick. People recover at different rates of course. Just follow orders to a "T"....the pain meds help so much. I personally didn't need them at all after 2.5 days. Then I started taking 1/2 a pill at night only to help me sleep. Walking and farting will be your best friends! Get the gas out and then you will feel SO much better. Stay focused and you will be fine!

LOL!

I'm hoping you are right about the surgery being over quick!

I had a colonoscopy last week that lasted longer than this surgery is intended to last!

[ddorman67 1]

I am back to work today (just 4 days after my surgery). I feel pretty good!! I have a little bit of a cough, because of the tube down my throat and my tummy just feels really tense, rather than sore.

Good Luck to All with upcoming surgery dates.

[phenry 0]

pretty soon the two of you will be handing out advice like an expert to all the pre-surgery folks. LOL!

[esposa13 0]

I didn't have any staples---just disolvable stitches and terry strips as far as I remember/know.

Sally

[ddorman67 1]

No staples here either.