New Lap band

Good afternoon all,

Just got out of the hospital on Friday. Had lap band surgey on Wednesday.  Yesterday and today are the first two days that I quite honestly didn't feel like total crap.  Intense pain while I was in the hospital.  Once i came home, got to sleep in my own bed, feeling and doing much better.  Keeping up on my medications, even though I'm beginning to wonder if I might not need the pain meds as much during the day.  Definitely taking pain meds at night  if for nothing else to help me sleep.  

Drinking lots of water as I'm scared of becoming dehydrated.  I've been lactose intolerant at a minimum for years. The whey protein isolate powder makes me nauseous, throw up, sneeze, gag, and even seems to make me dizzy.  I've went to soy based Ensure and seem to be doing much better and tolerating it easier.  Supplementing with chicken broth and sugar free jello for clear liquids.  Go back to surgeon a week from tomorrow.  What I'm finding terribly hard is on TV this morning, Tim Horton's had the flat bread sandwich with egg and bacon.  That was cruel and inhumane punishment to someone that just had gastric surgey.  LOL.  

Just wanted to introduce myself.  I've been reading the boards for a while now, and there is a wealth of information and support.  I really appreciate everybody here.

John

Hi John!

Welcome aboard! I am 5 years out this past October and I   LOVE my BAND!!!!

Any pain, you might be experiencing is  from the gas trapped in chest. Best way to rid of it? Movement! Walk ! Stay away from the malls  (food courts) at this point because being on liquids bites!!!!! But it is temporary! I began walking  just 30 minutes a day immediately following surgery and worked my way up from there, now I walk typically 3 - 4 miles a day (or I do some form of movement). addicted to exercise majorly!!!

Hang around the Band boards  and there will always be some one around to help you along!! This is a journey, so enjoy the ride, and dont get too caught up in the numbers (I say that only now, I was so focused on going FAST!)

I am hosting the "Commit to be Fit"  posts here on the lapband forum. You committ to how ever many minutes you can handle, and it helps for accountability. Its a great way to get and stay focussed! And if you have any aches or pains, there might be something that someone else is doing that you may want to try for yourself.

Anyway, hang around and be sure to move !!!!!!!

prek3

Very nice to meet you prek.  I read your name as prik as in Thai food.    

I have a zillion questions, but I'll just ask them one or two at a time.  My biggest question is dealing with  the proverbial BM.    I've yet to have one.  I have a history of being constipated, even before surgery, and have been taking the Reglan as prescribed every 8 hrs by my doctor.  Having the gas, but according to my Dr. office it will help with that also.  Just not sure about then the feeling to go will come.  Not having any bulk from vege's, etc, seems like there wouldn't be much of a need to evacuate.  Maybe I'm over thinking this also, and being hypersensitive. 

The aches and pains I have in my back and legs are from neuropathy after an injury at work four years ago.  Not taking any medication for that as prescribed by my Sports Med Doc due to size and not having it cleared by my gastric doc.  So far the Lortab elixir seems to be handling this also.  I'm doing a lot of moving around, and take a 2 hour nap the past few days also.  Keeping my mind and hands busy with building a model improves many things too.   Haven't done that in years also.  Guess I'm going to be seeing many more changes as time goes bye.

Hi John!

Lots of water, exercise and you can add Metamucil ( flavorless powder, no grit)  to soup, crystal lite & to water,   and it  doesn't cloud up water).  * Not making up the exercise part, it really does help. My mom takes it due to affects chemo has on her.

Later you can continue to add it to yogurt, and all other foods . Ask your doctor about a stool softener., don't take anything with out your doctors o.k.

Not familiar with drug names so much, but I know narcotics can leave you constipated.

prek3

Me again,

OT. Begin taking your before pictures! There will be times you forget how far you have come. Keep looking at your body in the mirror, for men it happens soooo unfairly quick!!!!! It takes our head time to catch up to the physical changes.

Some of the best pictures I have seen, have been in front of door frames wearing same clothes for pictures. I wished I had done it that way. I still saw results but, it looks alot more obvious when you look back at the pictures.

Ok I will leave you alone now,

prek3

Congratulations and welcome. You are in for the ride of your life. Your life will change in many ways.

As for the evacuation problem you may find that with all the liquids you are drinking that things do move on through. I got a real surprised when I discovered "liquids in = liquids out".

Welcome to the losers bench.

Have you tried lactaid for the intolerance? I wasn't lactose intolerant until I got the band, now I can't eat dairy without the lactaid chewables. Also once you can take meds again you might ask about neurontin for your neuropathy. I have i it my feet pretty bad and this cleared it up within a few days. It is a great drug as drugs go,it isn't a narcotic, there is a very wide range of dosage (start low and can work up) and it doesn't interact with many other drugs. It is primarily for nerve pain. Good luck on your journey!

I take Neurontin ( Gabapentine) and Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril).  The Gabapentine is in a pretty big capsule, I might have a problem swallowing it right now because of swelling.  Probably could remove the active ingredient from capsule, but until I get clearance from Doc,  not going to do it on my own.  The naprosen  is a definite NO for sure.  Its 500mg big, and not sure if it is time released so breaking and crushing may not be an option...

Welcome, John, and congrats on the start of your WLS journey.

I take gabapentin now and I don't think I could have swallowed the capsule when I was banded. Whether you can open the capsule and mix the contents with food (like SF pudding) is a question for your doctor or a pharmacist.

My post-op pain was mostly from gas. It does eventually dissipate and moving around was the only thing that eased it for me.

Narcotic pain meds are constipating for me, so when you stop taking them, things should get "moving" more easily.

I'm lactose intolerant and can use whey protein as long as I take a probiotic called Lactose Defense (found with laxatives and the like at any drug store), and I use Lactaid milk instead of regular milk.

Jean

Hey there John and all!
I just had my band on Thursday. I came home on Friday afternoon. I'm hoping to work tomorrow ::fingers crossed::.

John, I just had a BM for the first time. I was told not to be alarmed. Just keep drinking tha****er and moving around as best as we can.

A question for all: Did any of you decide to not tell others outside your family about your procedure? At this point, I have decided to keep my procedure private. I'm wondering if that worked for any of you.

Thanks!
G