Band out 4 days ago & getting sleeved in 4-6 weeks

Im in so much pain from band removal.  When will it get better?  I feel sick & I hate pain meds!! Im so scared to go into surgery again. in a few weeks to get the sleeve. Has anyone else been through this, i need some encouragement plz

I will be getting my band out soon as well!    I am sorry you are in so much pain!    The pain meds will help you relax to heal.   How long do they have you off work?    My friend used a heating pad for the pain.  Use a pillow to press against the old port area when getting up and down.  They say it helps!

This will get better for you!  I have kaiser and they won't let me revise, but if I could I would be sleeved in a heartbeat!!!   Try to just keep focused on the new skinny and improved you!

Good luck!!

You really need to take the pain meds, they give them to you for a reason. Your body has been damaged and you need to take something for the pain, even tylenol might help. Is there a reason why you don't want to take them? If you are afraid of getting addicted, that won't happen in just a few days of taking them. Not taking them will just make it take longer to heal because you will be so tense and miserable.

I dont like the way they make me thirsty & they make me feel drunk....Im taking them just sleeping it off, hoping I can just get better, I cant stand very long.  If im this sore now what happens in 4-6 weeks when he does sleeve?? Im a nervous wreck...

I know exactly what you are talking about. I had my band removed on 9/12 and the first 10 days were horrible! I've had my gall bladder out and of course the band put in but this was by far the worst of those 3 surgeries. And I know how you feel about taking the pain meds. I hate them too but it got to a point where I became desperate. And I ended up taking the percocet for 5 days in a row and then when I stopped taking them, I had insomnia, restless legs, anxiety, hot and cold flashes and I was sick to my stomach. My Dr said I must have been sensitive to them and it sounded like withdrawals. (From 5 days!) So I definetly understand your adversion to them.

Some things that worked for me... putting a small pilllow under my sides as I laid on my bac**** bags applied to the area(s) that I was feeling the most pain, and supporting my tummy when I stand up. If you are anything like me, when you stand up it feels like gravity really pulls at those incisions and you get a burning stabby pain throughout your belly. I literally had to push in (especially where they took the port out) to keep from that pulling feeling.

I am happy to report that it does get better. I am now 15 days out from band removal and I hardly feel much pain anymore unless I sneeze or laugh. LAst night my hubby made me crack up and those laughs quickly turned into tears because it hurt so bad. The other problem I am having is being bloated. I've lost 10 lbs since surgery but my belly is so big I had to go buy maternity jeans with the stretchy panel in the front. That didn't start until about a week or more after my surgery. The nurse says its common but can take 6-8 weeks to go away. I swear its almost as painful as the incision pains!

The other good news is that I've heard that the sleeve surgery does not hurt as much as getting the band out. Im nervous about that too. I just got approved for the sleeve yesterday (was supposed to have RNY at same time as band removal but my intestines are all screwed up so my only option is Sleeve which Im happy with). So my sleeve surgery will be in about 4 weeks.

I feel for you because I know exactly how you feel. It sure isnt easy and I was expecting a much easier recovery. If you aren't comfortable taking narcotics, how about 800mg ibuprofen? My dr also recommended a pain medicine called Tramadol which isn't a narcotic and isn't quite as intense as percocet, vicodin and the like.

Good luck! How much longer until your sleeve surgery?

Kayla

I have the stabbing pain where my port was when I stand also, its been 8 days.  I am on tylenol only now but I do also have restless legs bad.. I am suppose to have my sleeve around the first week of november, I go back to dr next wed.  I also hear sleeve isnt as bad as band removal, gosh I hope not:)

You should discuss this with your surgeon before the next surgery because there are many different types and dosages of pain medication. He may be able to give you something that doesn't make you feel so bad. The trick with pain meds is you need to start them before bad pain sets in, that is why they send you home with them so you can get started right away before the pain gets bad. Then you need to take them regularly before the pain sets in again, once it starts it's harder to stop than if you stay on top of it. Pain management is very important and your surgeon should work with you on it so you don't have to be so miserable. Good luck to you!

We hope you feel better soon and take your meds, they will help  

Thanks

Hi!  Sorry to hear you are in so much pain.  Did you have and erosion?  I had my band removed and the surgeon I was suppose to have makes you wait at least 2 months and the one I ended up, awesome by the way, makes you wait 4-6 MONTHS before being sleeved for the stomach to heal.

As bad as the stomach was it was a good thing too.  I also had pain where the port was.  When I got the surgery notes it stated that they had to cut the port, which was tipped, out of a pseudo capsule of scare tissue.  Than they had to cut out the pseudo capsule of scare tissue.  I also had adhesions some attaching to other organs.

The good news, getting the sleeve was less painful than getting the band or having it removed.  The weird thing is when I had the band removed they called the surgery at 9:15 and I was home at 1:30 with a 25 minute drive.  No diet plan or much for meds and they even gave me crackers in recover.  They treated it like it was nothing.  I was sent home with just Tramadol which isn't a narcotic. I didn't have any pre-op testing or diet.  Than I had to have all the testing to show I was OK for surgery and liquid diet for the sleeve.  Kinda crazy.

If you have questions as away.  Also check out the Band2Sleeve group here and share your stories.