Your Post-op experience

I am going to be banded on Monday.  I have never had any kind of surgery or anesthesia.  My husband says I will close my eyes, and then I will open them and be in the recovery area, like no time has passed.

Is that how it was for everyone?  What about afterwards, were you hot, cold, nauseated, tired?  How was it for you.

Well, off to work now,, everyone have a great Friday!

For me the surgery was really a piece of cake. I am lucky in that I react well to anethesia and have a high pain tolerance. Yes, you will feel like no time has passed. You'll get drugs that will put you right out and wake up in recovery. For some people anethesia does cause nausea. They will give you something for that if it happens. You might wake up cold, that's happened to me. You will probably be tired. Tired in general, plan to rest for at least 2 days or so after surgery. Congrats on your impending surgery!

I had out-patient surgery.
Yes, I said hello to my doctor -- remember being wheeled out of the prep area and then remember waking up and being asked if I wanted a popsicle.

What I wanted was to get up and pee ---- so I did.

I stayed in recovery for a little while and then went home (surgery at 7:30 -- discharged at about 11am).

My husband drove me home, I went into the house and slept for about 2 hours - then, was up and down the rest of the day --- walking gently around the house, sipping water as best I could.

I took some liquid extra strength tylenol at bed time because I did not have enough pain to justify taking pain meds.

I was up and dressed the next day -- even drove myself to the Library and grocery store late that afternoon (since I was more than 24 hours from pain med/anesthesia).

I had a very easy recovery ---- took a nap every day for about 10 days (I work at home, so I am able to do that) ---- and was walking a few miles (slowly) every evening about 3 days post op.

My experience: went to the hospital 5:am by 7:30am i was in the Operating room (Had to walk into the room). It took them a while to find a vein :/ which sucked cuz i hate needles and they just kept pooking me. When they finally found the vein I was out!!! my surgery was suppost to start at 8am, by 10 i was already in the ICU(thats the time i remember to look at the watch on the wall..) yes felt like no time passed!!!  Felt very drousy and nauseous and with alot of pain where they put the port. Nurse gave me strong drugs for pain so i was sleeping on and off for a few hrs.. Had to drink liquid ugh was 2 full to even drink an ounce in an hr lol Got up to go to the bathroom(which is very painfull but with the nurse help i got up twice) more meds and nausea (nurse didnt give me more meds for nausea, so i puked!!) after puking she gave me nausea meds :/ they make u drink all this water i couldnt drink i was so full so asked the nurse for cups of ice and finally finished around 4pm i was on my way home...
Im very bad with meds so decided not to get the prescription so i got some tylenol pm. i wanted to just be asleep!!! bad neck pain, throat pain and no sleep for about 5 days... after 5 days i was able to sleep on my left side (port is on the right)

Advice get up and walk while you at the hospital, dont get all worked up it really is nothing you will be feeling good in no time :)

May god keep you safe!

The band is a very simple procedure. Almost never any complications DURING the surgery. Recover is quick. You will probably have some gas pain after. Get Gas-X and WALK. Some ppl experience nausea after surgery so make sure the Dr. prescribes something for that.

Now that being said...........With the band all the bad experiences occur AFTER surgery. 1-4 years seems to be just tons of complications. Although I have seen ppl with slips, esophageal dysmotility and erosion in as little as one month!!!!!!!!!!!!! Slips/erosion/leaks/dysmotility/port problems/HH. The list goes on! :-(

Do yourself a favor and have a WLS with possitive long-term results!!! I can almost guarnatee than in a few years you will wish you did!

My surgery was done as an outpatient.  I had the option of staying overnight but I wanted to be in my own bed, cuddling with my puppy.  I had pain the 1st day, but it really wasn't all that bad.  I ended up with a lot of trapped gas and made my roommate walk our complex at about midnight a couple of times and I used gas-x strips a few times.  I do tend to get nauseaus with anesthesia so I threw up immediately in the PACU, but that was the end of that.

Really by far one of the esaiest surgeries and recoveries I've ever had.

i'm one of the one's who DON'T do well with anesthesia....i remember waking up in recovery and just kept yelling "help" (or at least, i think i did)...so, my hubby was made to wait longer than normal to see me.  I asked the nurse for this, as he also had our 9 year old son with him, and as I told the nurse "i need to know I have my act together before Nate sees me".

Because i sleep with a CPAP, my surgeon had me stay overnight.  once home, I walked as much as I was able to and slept. 

betsey

I honestly don't remember the first week or so after my banding surgery. I was in such extreme pain from the diaphragmatic damage that occurred during my surgery that I went into shock, stayed an extra night in the hospital and then don't remember anything but severe pain... shaking, crying, feeling like I was going to die.  And then wishing I would just die to be rid of the pain.

After the first week, I only remember pain nonstop... morning, noon and night.  After 6 months, pain. Reoperation to try to alleviate the pain. Pain. Pain. Pain. Band removal.

Hi!  Congratulations on your upcoming surgery! 

---- Yikes!  This is a long one! -------------
My 2 year Bandiversary is tomorrow.  Everyone reacts differently to anesthesia.  If you have any tendency now towards nausea (do you get motion sickness easy?  ever take a pain med that made your tummy sick?  If you've had children, did you get morning sickness easy?), then tell your anesthesiologist when you see him/her on Monday morning.

They will check you in at your local hospital or surgery center, and then take you into the preop ward.  In most facilities, you'll change into the gown there in preop, hop on a bed and anxiously await the surgery full out doubts and excitement at the same time.  The preop nurse will go over a lot of stuff with you & usually they administer an IV at that time.  At some point in PreOp, the anesthesiologist will come and review your medical history with you.  I have a hx of extreme nausea postop, so I made sure mine knew that (had to have a lot of foot surgeries due to an orthopedic problem).  He was really cool and said he would take care of it.  Shortly before surgery your surgeon will come in to see you you're doing.  Ask if you have any last minute questions.  By this point, I'd worked myself up into an unreasonable ball of fear.  My mom & husband said I looked like I was ready to bolt.  For some reason, the moment I saw my surgeon, I was completely at peace & ready to get to it.  They wheeled me into the operating room & I was FREEZING!  But then they gave me the happy juice & I didn't care anymore.  I fell asleep & woke up about 1.5 hrs later in the postop ward.

This is where any comorbidities you may have comes in.  I had a tendency towards high blood pressure when I was severely obese & borderline diabetic.  When I was trying to wake up, I could hear the postop nurses talking about it.  I was strangely not worried cuz I could tell they knew exactly what they were doing.  Once I was awake, my nurse was teasing me.  She said I was smiling in my sleep saying, "I did it!  I got my band. I did it!".  The best thing of all?  I had ZERO nausea waking up!!!  They continued pushing anti-nausea medication in the IV in postop.  Once in my room, they continued to give me anti-nausea medication via IV.  My doctor has all his patients stay o/nite in the hospital.  Lapbands are 1 night & RNY's are two to 3. 

Once in my room, my nurse and her medical assistant were attentive all night.  I was up and walking within about two hours after getting to my room.  That is not only the best thing for the gas pain but also extremely important to help avoid potential complications of clots and bowel problems.  For gas pain, I took the gas-x strips. What helped with the gas pain the most was just knowing it's completely normal for the pain & pressure to be there in your chest & up the left side of your neck.  Walk, walk, walk.  Sip, sip, sip.  I was really cold, but they kept bringing me these blankets they keep in a heater.

My only problem postop was that I had to pee so bad but not a drop would go out.  I was quite puffy (think StayPuff Marshmellow Man!!!).  Finally, they brought in one of those commode chairs.  So swollen with water retention, I was totally unembarrassed to try it.  I have no idea why, but it made it easier and I was finally able to urinate about 2 in the morning. 

Okay, all of that was TMI, but I hope it helps ease some of your nerves.  I could not be happier now.  Follow your doctors orders postop.  Drink A LOT OF FLUIDS!!!  Don't advance to mushies or solids until they tell you, and chew your little heart out - even when you don't have restriction yet. 

Again, I'm really happy for you!!!
Amy

Thanks you guys. Stragely enough, even though I have suffered from debilitating panic attacks for the last 5 years, I have no panic about this (yet?). I am not an extremely religios person, but I have kind of decided that this is not in my hands. If I go in and come out with no complications, that is what God wants. If I die on the table, that is what God wants. I have no control over that.