Had my lap band over my RNY
I had my lap band over my RNY one week ago today. I feel great!! A bit sore in the port area, but all that does is slow me down a bit. Nothing intolerable. I also had some shoulder pain, which is common when the gas they use to inflate your stomach escapes after the surgery. That went away after a couple of days.
I was actually up and walking around three hours after the surgery, and met a man who also got a lap band that morning. We walked and chatted together.
Those of you with an RNY who are conisdering the lap band, I can only tell you that you cannot even compare the two surgeries in terms of recovery. The lap band is ... dare I say it, since I'll never be able to eat it(!!) .... a piece of cake!
I've lost ten pounds so far, but that is mostly bec ause I am not on full meals yet. Will keep you posted. At the least, I feel very happy and extremely grateful for my second chance to get it right.
Good luck to you all!
Zena
I was actually up and walking around three hours after the surgery, and met a man who also got a lap band that morning. We walked and chatted together.
Those of you with an RNY who are conisdering the lap band, I can only tell you that you cannot even compare the two surgeries in terms of recovery. The lap band is ... dare I say it, since I'll never be able to eat it(!!) .... a piece of cake!
I've lost ten pounds so far, but that is mostly bec ause I am not on full meals yet. Will keep you posted. At the least, I feel very happy and extremely grateful for my second chance to get it right.
Good luck to you all!
Zena
Titanium Blonde
on 8/13/08 5:23 pm
on 8/13/08 5:23 pm
Zena,
Come on over the the lap band forum. You will be more than welcomed there. A real good and supportive group of people. The surgery really is a piece of cake. It was so easy for me I drove myself home from the hospital. Much success to you in your new journey with the band. After you get to good restriction it is pretty much maintenance free. I liked your honesty about RNY to a previous poster.
Come on over the the lap band forum. You will be more than welcomed there. A real good and supportive group of people. The surgery really is a piece of cake. It was so easy for me I drove myself home from the hospital. Much success to you in your new journey with the band. After you get to good restriction it is pretty much maintenance free. I liked your honesty about RNY to a previous poster.
I've been waiting for your post!!! I am so very glad to see that you've done so well. How long will you be out of work? Did they give you liquid pain reliever or pills? What are you on as far as your diet? Did they put some saline in your band at surgery? Can you tell I'm excited?! I
am just waiting for my medical records so that I can go forward with my appeal. Keep us posted and you really might want to post over on the lap band forum...you'll find all kinds of lap band support and info.
Sue
am just waiting for my medical records so that I can go forward with my appeal. Keep us posted and you really might want to post over on the lap band forum...you'll find all kinds of lap band support and info.
Sue
"The Joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10START: 330 CURRENT: 274.5 lbs GOAL: 190 TOTAL: 55.5 lbs
Hi everybody,
Thanks for your kind responses. I will certainly check out the lap band forum part. Up to now I have only checked the revision forum. I guess I have now graduated!!!
I will try to answer some of your questions:
First of all, the "recovery" is really nothing. I did not take ANY pain killers. No, I am not a superhero (!) - the nurse kept offering them and I also came home with a prescription. I just did not need them as I didn't have any pain. Some "aches" - yes, a bit sore - yes. But no pain. The only discomfort was the shoulder pain. This is a result of the gas they use to inflate your stomach during surgery. It than "escapes" upwards and gets trapped in your shoulders. As pain killers wouldn't help that anyway, I just kept moving, doing gentle stretches, using a heating pad (very helpful) and taking lots of "GAS X" and burping a lot (my kids loved that and joined in!!).
In terms of being out of commission. I flew home from Toronto less than 24 hours later. By day two I took my kids to camp, went shopping and visited my mother. You really can do it all, BUT you are a bit sore, so obviously a bit slower. Also you have less stamina, so I had to stop and rest every once in a while. Given that the only thing I can compare it to is my RNY, lap band surgery is SUCH a breeze!!
As for filling the band, no they do not do that for six weeks. They put the band on my stomach (and pretty snug, I believe) and they fill it only to test it for leaks. I now go back in six weeks for a fill, and then two weeks after that for another fill. Then it is up to me to monitor my restriction and get fills/unfills until I hit that "sweet spot" everybody talks about. Of course, I am anxious to find it, but I have to trust that I will get there. I certainly plan to check out the lap band section and ask for advice there.
Can't think of anything else to say except that this was, so far, a great choice for me. I could not have handled yet another major surgery and a long recovery. I did not want anybody else messing with my insides, and, after lots of research, the lap band over bypass is very successful in the long term. That was important to me because I don't want to "experiment" with any new procedures and than have to lose even more self esteem when they fail.
Good luck to all of you and please keep me posted on your progress. I will do the same. Thanks for your caring and interest.
Zena.
Thanks for your kind responses. I will certainly check out the lap band forum part. Up to now I have only checked the revision forum. I guess I have now graduated!!!
I will try to answer some of your questions:
First of all, the "recovery" is really nothing. I did not take ANY pain killers. No, I am not a superhero (!) - the nurse kept offering them and I also came home with a prescription. I just did not need them as I didn't have any pain. Some "aches" - yes, a bit sore - yes. But no pain. The only discomfort was the shoulder pain. This is a result of the gas they use to inflate your stomach during surgery. It than "escapes" upwards and gets trapped in your shoulders. As pain killers wouldn't help that anyway, I just kept moving, doing gentle stretches, using a heating pad (very helpful) and taking lots of "GAS X" and burping a lot (my kids loved that and joined in!!).
In terms of being out of commission. I flew home from Toronto less than 24 hours later. By day two I took my kids to camp, went shopping and visited my mother. You really can do it all, BUT you are a bit sore, so obviously a bit slower. Also you have less stamina, so I had to stop and rest every once in a while. Given that the only thing I can compare it to is my RNY, lap band surgery is SUCH a breeze!!
As for filling the band, no they do not do that for six weeks. They put the band on my stomach (and pretty snug, I believe) and they fill it only to test it for leaks. I now go back in six weeks for a fill, and then two weeks after that for another fill. Then it is up to me to monitor my restriction and get fills/unfills until I hit that "sweet spot" everybody talks about. Of course, I am anxious to find it, but I have to trust that I will get there. I certainly plan to check out the lap band section and ask for advice there.
Can't think of anything else to say except that this was, so far, a great choice for me. I could not have handled yet another major surgery and a long recovery. I did not want anybody else messing with my insides, and, after lots of research, the lap band over bypass is very successful in the long term. That was important to me because I don't want to "experiment" with any new procedures and than have to lose even more self esteem when they fail.
Good luck to all of you and please keep me posted on your progress. I will do the same. Thanks for your caring and interest.
Zena.
Hi!Just wondering if you had to have the lap over RNY open or did they do it lap? I guess I should also ask if you had your original RNY open. I had mine open and realy want to have a revision but ideally I would like it laproscopically. Thanks! 
Welcome to the banded side Zena!!!! My gas was trapped in my diaphram and felt like a baby elephant was sitting on me for 3 days!!!! I've had 3 c-sections and this was easier by far!!!! Good luck to you and join us on the lap-band forum!!!! BTW...I love cake on special occassions too!!!!
(I've changed my goal!!)
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