pain with band removal

Thanks Trishah, I know it is. Although I still can't believe that I was 96kg on the day of banding and I was 96.6kg on the day of having my band taken out. I know the sleeve is my last option and I will have to work very hard with it. I'm up for it!!

congratulation bslim.... I have to say that first piece of toast in hospital with a cup of tea is amazingly goooooood.

Hope you have a good recoup. Remember take it easy, you still need to mend.

This is the best thing you can do for yourself and I am happy for you....bring on June.

Well, I had my band taken out yesterday and it was definitely more uncomfortable than having it put in!! I was on fluids all day and this morning my surgeon came in and said I could eat!!! Thank God for that. I thought I was going to have to be on fluids for a couple of weeks. I'm home today and am going to have a lie down and milk it for all its worth (the only way I get any attention from my family). I feel pretty good. The stab wounds are sore but nothing I can't handle. I am now looking forward to the next stage - to be sleeved on 29 June. It can't come quick enough.

trishah wrote:

ha haaa BF I was worried bout the weight gain too till the two or three weeks before opti when I really cut loose and gave it my all... I am embarrassed now I think about it about how much food and alcohol I consumed in that short period. Buuuuut looking back I am glad I did it. Sleeved now I have no desire for food but I did manage to give my inner fatty a food funeral.

Sometimes ya just gotta go with it!

Yeah I know I just don't need anymore weight on as life a bloody stuggle at 200kg! I'd hate to get any fatter that that! I'd be pretty much house bound if I did, and I certainly don't want that to be my life, not worth living if it was.

Roll on 4mths I say! or sooner if I give the doc a bit of a nudge?

Scott

ha haaa BF I was worried bout the weight gain too till the two or three weeks before opti when I really cut loose and gave it my all... I am embarrassed now I think about it about how much food and alcohol I consumed in that short period. Buuuuut looking back I am glad I did it. Sleeved now I have no desire for food but I did manage to give my inner fatty a food funeral.

Sometimes ya just gotta go with it!

I had my band removed last Tuesday and was home the same day. The pain was managible with the use of some panadeine at night just to take the edge of it (the wound site hurt if I layed on my side - which is how I sleep) so just needed something to help with that (I only needed it for 2 nights)

I was back driving a day or 2 after surgery (felt fine). I did however have to make a trip back to the emergency dept for some repairs as my stitches came undone (not a nice thing to wake upto in the morning!) but it was all fixed within an hour or so so no big deal. I would recommend taking a week or 2 off just to get over the whole thing and just letting the body recouperate and to get the affects of anestetic out of the body. I still get tired at times and need a bit of a nap.

Now all I have to do is wait for 4mths for the Sleeve Opp! which is going to be hard to some degree but it has to be done so no use bitching about it - I'm bloody worried how much I will weigh by then though!

my two cents worth.

I booked off one week off work and had to take two. I got a painful 'stitch' on my side which felt like the muscle was stuck and everytime I stood up I was bent over. It's different for everyone but suggest one week at the minimum or advise your boss you may need extra time depending on how you feel.

I also couldn't drive for two weeks.

Good luck!!

Hi honey... just thought I would comment.

I found the band out not too band and could have gone to work 2 or three days after...but I was zapped...tired..a bit washy for about 6 weeks for some reason, prob a reaction to anaesthetic.

Doc said no driving for 2 weeks but I did anyway. No hunger afterwards that came a few weeks later when all the swelling etc went down so dont be surprised if you find your sweet spot after the removal.. but be aware the hunger comes back with a vengence.

I did find the tummy a bit more uncomfortable than band in ( logic says it will be because they have to dig it out) but I was more functional after the band out than in, if that makes sence. Up and walking straight after band out but not so after band in.

hope this helps... if it were me I would take a week off work just in case, as I think pain and recoup depends on the state your tummy is in after they pull the band out and how much they had to nock it around removing it.

Hi bslim,

Sorry, I cannot comment on personal experience as I had my band out and sleeve in the same op. Looking at these posts, though, it's any wonder you are wondering if 3 days off before returning to work will be enough?. I guess we're all different, you won't really know until Monday. Perhaps just let your boss know you plan to return a monday, but if your recovery doesn't go to plan, you may need another 1-3 days off..

Good luck with your proceedure on Thursday!

Hi, I'm new to this forum so I'm not sure if I'm putting my comments in the right arena!! I was banded in October 2008 and have never reached the "sweet spot". I have either had too much in (and couldn't swallow anything) or too much out (and could eat almost anything). I lost 26kg and have now put on about 28kg. I am due to have my band out on Thursday (12/4/12) and my surgeon said that it will be a breeze and I can go to work on Monday but after reading your posts I'm not sure if I should take more time off? He said it was easier to take the band out than to put it in, but now I'm wondering if he's talking about him doing the surgery and not easier for me!!!!!! I am being admitted to hospital in the morning and going home in the afternoon. I did not have much pain at all when I was banded. I'm booked to be sleeved on 29/6/12 and am so looking forward to this date as I am so worried that I am losing control of my weight and will put on so much weight by the time I have the surgery.

Hi EBDani,hope you heal real soon..that pain with the band removal was horrendous for me and I too have a high pain threshold but that was just to much..I have given birth,had gallbladder out,band in ,sleeve and out of all, the band removal was far the worst of all..any way it all up from here for you..Good luck with your sleeve..cheers

Just chiming in with OUCH!! 5 days ago I had my band out and I'm still in agony. Weird as I have a very high pain threshold, and yeah it really bloomin' hurts. Have all these completely random bruises under my left arm, obviously something went down in the op....?????

Anyway onwards and upwards. Interesting to read some of your girls have gone onto cruise through your sleeves, that'd be the last thing I could get my head around right now. Yikes!! (Planning on behaving now band is out, see how long that lasts!!)

Hi Lisabell..Good to hear your feeling better..Feb-March will be here before you know it..enjoy the few months without the band..It was so good to be able to eat normal for a few weeks before my sleeve lol..Back to the band removal my surgeon did warn me that out of having the band in - the band out and the sleeve the band out would be the worst and he wasn't far wrong either..The sleeve for me was a breeze not much pain at all..Hope you are the same..wishing you the best of luck for next year xxx

Hi Ladies,

Thanks very much for the news. The pain is starting to go away now and I'm feeling much better. I saw the specialist yesterday and I should be good to go late feb/march for the sleeve.

Cheers, Lisa

Hi lisabell..I had that pain also..It felt like someone was in side my stomach ripping the muscle from my abdomen wall when ever I moved..but It did go away but took me 5 weeks to get over the pain from the band removal..I have had the sleeve now for 5 weeks and it was a breez compared to the band and you will love the sleeve its such a better life style compared to the band..cheers

Mother hen..How are you going? I have been thinking of you and would love to meet up and have a chat..noticed you work in a nursing home ! I also did before my son who is 18 months...there are a few nursing homes in Toowoomba..take care xx

Hi lisabell,

Congratulations on getting your band out.

I had my band removed on 3rd Oct and it was agreat relief. No more pain, vomiting, inability to eat properly, sleeping sittling up, etc. I can relate to what you are saying about burning pain in the port area. I can remember thinking something was going wrong, then I remembered that the port was stitched into position. It only took a couple of days to settle, so I'm sure yours will too. I had to return to work only a week after the operation and did fine. My work is in aged care, so extremely heavy work, I just went very careful and limited the amount of heavy work I did. I don't have an appointment with my surgeon until 19th Dec, which will hopefully give me a sleeve date. I will be taking 1 month off work. Not taking any risks with healing.

Cheers, Mother Hen.

Hi all,

It's been a week and a half since I got my band
removed (fri 4/11) and am still off work. I was ok for the first few
days then I started having a sharp burning feeling where the port was
whenever I stand up from sitting down (similar to a chinese burn). I
went back to the specialist as I thought maybe there was an infection or
something causing the pain but he just said it was healing pains. I didn't hve any stitches, just steri strips.

Did anyone else feel like this? I'm due back at work in two days and am not sure I'll be able to drive.

Thanks, Lisa

Hi bintang..I too love having the silly band out..and I must say I'm enjoying the freedom..no more vomiting,thing's getting stuck..The funny thing is I have no interest in going silly on junk food..thought i'd go crazy for food but no just enjoying eating salad's and meals..but I'm still looking forward to having the sleeve and having that bit of restriction..I have no Idea why I had so much pain with band out as I had no problems with the band going in and only had panadol one the first day and night with that..I't like I have a knot that rips when I bend or turn in bed..It just feels like some one is ripping my flesh from the abdomen wall..don't know if its internal stitches or what..The incisions were sore but their not the problem...I might ask for a xray or ultrasound next week if it hasn't gone as it's nearll 2 weeks since band out bit over it..

Good luck getting your bands removed ladies

I had mine removed in April after 10 years! There was very little pain for me (far less than the band going in) even though I had a h hernia repair and loads of adhesions removed as well. ALso the surgeon removing it was not the same one who put it in and he had a little trouble because the original surgeon had put a sneaky little stitch in a strange place that he couldn't find ... wondered why he was having so much trouble lol. I found that after the first night I had panadol for one or two days and didn't need anything else. I also didn't have stitches or staples (just a clear sticky square over each incision site (as I'm alergic to a lot of the tapes/steri strips etc. they use.

I am doing opti semi-strictly at the moment to shed a few kgs that I put on since having the band removed and am due to start it properly on around 7th October for 2 weeks before my sleeve surgery. I told my surgeon a few weeks ago that having the band removed was much more liberating than I expected. I hadn't really thought too much about it before surgery but I felt really happy to have this foreign thing out of my body. I'm doing so much better at eating healthy foods since having it removed as I'm no longer restricted and am not always looking for something that will go down easily without wanting to come back up (sorry, but I'm sure you all know what I mean).

ANyway, good luck on your journeys.
x

Hey Emma,

Good luck with your band removal next week....it seems to have come around quickly. You will feel instantly better with that horrid thing out of your body!

Hi Lisa,

I like the strawberry flavour the best in the shakes and the cappucino bars to have with a coffee in the morning. I also dont mind the vanilla but only if I add a teaspoon of coffee to it...makes it like an iced coffee and you can add splenda if you like it a bit sweeter. I quite like the chocolate flavour at night but only if I make it with about 50mls and then add hot water to it...makes it like a hot choc and nice for a cold night.

Steak might have not tasted great but how about that sandwich?!

Good luck - not long till November...the year is flying!

Love Cath x

Exactly 1 week today till my band removal!

Hi Ladies,
About to start optifast for a trial run. I had all of the fluid out of my band last week and have been going a bit mental....steak isn't as good as I remembered it four years ago. As often is the case the fantasy was better than the reality lol.
What flavours are the best and in what amounts did you find the best ie breakfast and tea and each lunch?
Band removal 4 Nov and would like to lose a couple of kg's or at least not gain with my new found freedom before the sleeve in a few months time.

Regards Lisa

Thanks guys..carebear I still have 2 pay $4000 for surgeon and $1200 for the man that knocks you out lol can't spell it hehee..and that's all at a discount as he usually chargers $7000 for sleeve but because I'm his ex band patient I get it at the discounted price ..Can't believe you got yours for free how does that work..why do some surgeons do this for free and some don't? hope some one can answer this for me!!! I'm glad your doing well carebear..how much have you lost since your sleeve?do you miss food? I know when I go on optifast I mourn food and get so depressed..is this what its gunna be like when I have the sleeve?sorry for all the questions but now that you have had the sleeve do you think you have made the right decision?.Jess89 I has to wait the 12months for my band 4 yrs ago and it does fly by very quickly..It must be hard seeing everyone getting done or nearly getting done as it makes you want 2 jump in on the train and get done NOW..I know what thats like..you will be there in no time sweet...

ooooo how exciting! 2 weeks! dont be nervous everything will go swimmingly :)

my band wont be removed until august next year, unfortunatly let my phi lapse and gotta wait 12 mths :(

oh well just trying to be super positive and gotta somehow atleast mantain this godforsaken weight.



Good luck! Cant wait to hear all about how the sleeve goes :)

L0L ye could make a fortune. I am already sleeved Lissy, had my band out and sleeve put in in the same procedure in July. I have had a good recovery to date...that damn voice though keeps saying " it's too good to be true, it won't last".. I am ignoring and becoming more confident with my sleeve each day. Sorry to hear you are still in such pain and discomfort freaking band! I was home after 3 days, I still needed the tablets for pain at nights so I could sleep, otherwise I was okay with just panadol. No pain at all after 1 week. I found my recovery from the sleeve surgery much less painful than the band surgery - I was expecting vice- versa. Do you have to pay for the sleeve surgery? I had no out of pocket expenses this time - same surgeon that did my lap band 3 years ago. Fingerstoeseyelegseverythingcrossed that the infection will clear up before the surgery. If not, have faith thait will be worth the wait if your surgery date is postponed.