donali

Being too tight (resulting in vomiting) and yet having a greater capacity for food is not a good sign. You could very well have a slip, and I would go and have a fluoro so your doc can check on the position of your band. If the band is still in a good place, then I would get a slight unfill so that the "good" food doesn't get stuck, and you can actually fill up on some Protein, veggies and fruit and feel satisfied without having to reach for the more easily consumed sweets. You do know that vomiting is the #1 cause of slippage, right? So you want to avoid that at ALL costs. Really. Good luck, and let us know how the fluoro goes!

I'm sooooo jealous. Can anyone give detailed instructions on the side thingy???

I have read that the calcium in milk is too coarse for humans to use - that it's meant for baby cows, not humans. Cows don't drink milk to make milk - they eat nothing but greens and grains, which supply all the calcium they need not only to keep their own bones healthy, but with enough left over to create a high calcium milk for their offspring (to build big, heavy cow bones).I don't think this is a very popular stance, as the government seems hellbent on pushing milk products on the public, and I don't even know how true it is, but...The argument that no other adult animals on this planet need to drink milk (of any species, let alone a different species) to supply their calcium needs seems kind of significant to me, and implies that humans probably don't need to, either...FWIW

This is some info I found last year regarding the vagus nerve. Sounds pretty important, and scary to mess with according to these sites?!?! lol http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddise...gastroparesis/ http://www.answers.com/topic/vagus-nerve http://www.bartleby.com/107/205.html It would be interesting to know if/how often the vagus nerve is a complication of banding or unbanding. Anyone suffer from this? Anyone know anymore??

(((Leatha))) So amazing that the journey can be so different for the SAME person with two different bands... I wonder what the real cause is? I wish your doc would pay attention to your motility issues - I think that's a pretty big deal... xxoo

Hi! Congrats on your progress, and keep on keeping on! You can do it! rah rah rah!!

Here you go!!

Hmmmm.... My post didn't appear... It said something to the effect of: Beautiful!!! Congrats!! I'm still not up to the pain of getting a tattoo - for my bday present I settled for an eyebrow waxing. *ouch!!* They still are tender!! lol I know, what a weenie! Great tat!! Whoo hooo!! Welcome to the tattooed gentry!!

(((Janet))) Welcome back, and congrats on your band!! Good days are ahead, but make sure you take it super easy the next 2 weeks minimum, no matter how good you feel!!

Penni - you too. We have already lost some very valuable people that I still miss terribly. The board really will change permanently if all the original, caring, thoughtful people exit. Then it will be just like Smartbandsters, or any of the other Yahoo! groups where a few "tell it like it is" regardless of empathy rule. That's why I left those boards and came here, and post almost exclusively to this board alone.

(((Leatha))) Please stay in touch - email me any time. Drop in here at least occasionally - what would we do without our "Leathal Woman"?!?!?! xxoo

I personally love the "XXX" threads, and try to post even if I don't really have something to add just so I'll get the notices when they update... lol BUT, I can certainly understand why many people don't like them. Clearly title-ing the thread is mandatory courtesy, I think. As far as an adult board, as much as I enjoy these discussions, I probably wouldn't go to the trouble to log in to a seperate, specifically adult thread board. I like it all mixed up, and I'm mostly here for keeping up with old friends, offering occasional "good" advice (IMHO! lol), and then the comedy and other stuff that comes along. Just my .02...

Anything that moves the stomach up and down vigorously (PBing, gagging, vomiting, deep breathing for singing, what have you) should be avoided until after you're all healed, IMHO. Have you tried the tongue scrapers? They are more likely to NOT make you gag. They're like a long flexible plastic popsicle stick that isn't quite so wide. Supposed to be very effective. I have less problems with that than I do with brushing my tongue... *gag* lol

I think he'll come around in time. It is a huge change for others - not just for ourselves. Try and make it a point to sit with him at the table while he eats and make conversation, just like the "old" days if it doesn't drive you too crazy. If it does, tell him this phase is TEMPORARY, and you'll be more like your oldself before he knows it. You may want to write him a little love note about how his love has changed your life, and how much he means to you, if you think his self-esteem is low. (((hugs)))

:hail: *jealous* Someday maybe I'll get to meet NJChick, too... :hug: And you, GrizGirl! I don't suppose the "Griz" part is for the UM Grizzlies???

Any doc who posts advice here is risking legal problems unless they also post a disclaimer that this is THEIR opinon, is not intended as medical advice, and does NOT create a patient/doctor relationship, :blah::blah::blah:. I have no problems with a doc posting here - I'm not saying that. But the TRUTH is, this is a non-sponsored patient board - not a doctor sponsored patient board. IF anyone here really, really, really needs a DOCTOR's advice, they need to contact a doctor in real life so that the doctor can give responsible, patient specific advice. IMHO...

Loulou - I do understand what you are saying. I attended a 6 month one-on-one program that addressed my underlying emotional reasons for needing/wanting/being driven to eat in excess. I honestly believe that for me, more than 50% of my problem is a genuine saitey issue - I'm just hungrier than the average Joe. BUT - I was/am definitely using food as a depressant drug to help turn off fears, anger, and uncertainty. Here's a post that I made outlining one simple thing my counselor had me do to help with the emotional side of my eating: http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=434 Another exercise my counselor had me do was to try and examine my fears, and take them to furthest extreme to help minimize the affect they had on me. So, for example, if I was afraid of losing my job, what would be the worst thing that could happen? I outlined how I would feel, how I might not be able to find another job, how I would lose everything I worked for, etc., etc., but finally had to come to the conclusion that eventually I would most likely find another job, and life would continue on. I have lots of fears, and taken to the extreme it always seems as though somehow I would keep going on. (((hugs))) Don't hesitate to PM me if you think I could be of further help. xxoo

The bandster "rules" as I remember them (many of these rules are variations on rules for RnY patients to maximize the benefits of their pouch). These are not necessarily in any particular order: 1. The Water rules: I. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day.<O:p</O:p II. No drinking with meals - the liquid either washes the food through the pouch/stoma faster allowing you to eat more before feeling full, or it makes you "stuck" and you PB.<O:p</O:p III. Waterload prior to mealtimes so that:<O:p a) you're hydrated your pouch gets that initial stretching so that the "full" sensation can kick in sooner. Even though the water should pretty much drain right through, the stretching effect can last 30 minutes or so, which helps you to feel less hungry. To waterload - start drinking water an hour before you want to eat. About 15 minutes for you want to eat drink as much water as fast as you can until you feel full.<O:p</O:p IV. Wait at least an hour after eating before drinking again. Again, this helps the pouch stay full longer, maximizing the stretching/full sensation.<O:p</O:p 4. CHEW CHEW CHEW. Worst case scenario, inadequate chewing can result in obstruction requiring doctor intervention to remove the offending piece. Less drastic ramifications of inadequate chewing can be severe pain and/or recurrent vomiting until the offending piece has been expelled. 5. SLOW DOWN when eating. Eating too fast, even if the food is well chewed, can result in your pouch filling faster than it empties, resulting in the “golfball” feeling (which is really, really painful/uncomfortable), and/or vomiting the overflow. 6. Eat solid foods. Solid foods pass more slowly through the stoma, allowing the pouch to fill and create the stretch that turns off hunger and creates a feeling of satiety. 7. Protein first, veggies, and then if you have room, other stuff. Since your portions will become much smaller, you must make every bite count nutrition-wise. Get your nutritious foods in first before you indulge in empty calories, otherwise you will be too full to eat the stuff your body needs to be healthy. 8. Stop eating after 20 minutes. It is possible to eat so slowly that the pouch empties either at the rate of eating, or faster than the rate of eating, which means you can eat too much in one very long sitting. Limiting your eating to twenty minutes at a time helps keep your portions under control. 9. Avoid liquid calories. liquids generally pass right through the stoma and don’t create a lasting feeling of fullness. You can really go overboard on calories by consuming caloric liquids. (Yes, ICE CREAM is considered a “liquid”… ) 10. Keep up with your correct fill level - too loose and you will eat more than your body needs before you feel full. Too tight and you will resort to mushies/liquids and eat around the band (or vomit a lot, which is the number one cause of slippage). 11. No carbonation (CONTROVERSIAL - many do anyway) The number one reason cited for this is to avoid “stretching” the pouch, as carbonation expands. Personally I don’t buy that, since the pouch is not a closed system and gas can be belched up to relieve pressure. I would be more concerned about the high acid content and the possibility of that damaging the lining of the stomach. Regardless, some docs say “okay”, some say “never”, some say “as tolerated”. And regardless of what their docs say, some people indulge in carbonation. Some find they are unable to handle carbonation, as it is just too uncomfortable. Others have no problems with it, and still others will make some effort to eliminate at least some of the carbonation before drinking the beverage, either by letting it go flat naturally, or helping it along somewhat by stirring, shaking, etc. 12. NO NSAIDS!!!! These types of medications can cause ulcerations in non-banded patients, so are particularly dangerous for banded patients where the medication in pill form has a chance to be caught in the upper pouch or stoma and lay against the stomach wall, burning a hole in the lining of your stomach and possibly increasing your risk of erosion. Also, it's not just the physical presence of the pill in the stomach that is problematic. There's something about the way the drug works in our bodies that causes increased susceptibility to ulcers and bleeding. Liquid Tylenol is generally recommended as an aspirin substitute, but always check with your doc before taking any medications. ALWAYS check with your band doctor before taking any kind of medication. Many band docs will closely monitor those patients that must take NSAIDs for whatever reasons. http://lyberty.com/encyc/articles/nsaid.html NSAIDs : non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Aspirin (Anacin, Ascriptin, Bayer, Bufferin, Ecotrin, Excedrin) Choline and magnesium salicylates (CMT, Tricosal, Trilisate) Choline salicylate (Arthropan) Celecoxib (Celebrex) Diclofenac potassium (Cataflam) Diclofenac sodium (Voltaren, Voltaren XR) Diclofenac sodium with misoprostol (Arthrotec) Diflunisal (Dolobid) Etodolac (Lodine, Lodine XL) Fenoprofen Calcium (Nalfon) Flurbiprofen (Ansaid) Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Motrin IB, Nuprin) Indomethacin (Indocin, Indocin SR) Ketoprofen (Actron, Orudis, Orudis KT, Oruvail) Magnesium salicylate (Arthritab, Bayer Select, Doan's pills, Magan, Mobidin, Mobogesic) Meclofenamate sodium (Meclomen) Mefenamic acid (Ponstel) Meloxicam (Mobic) Nabumetone (Relafen) Naproxen (Naprosyn, Naprelan*) Naproxen sodium (Aleve, Anaprox) Oxaprozin (Daypro) Piroxicam (Feldene) Rofecoxib (Vioxx) Salsalate (Amigesic, Anaflex 750, Disalcid, Marthritic, Mono-Gesic, Salflex, Salsitab) Sodium salicylate (various generics) Sulindac (Clinoril) Tolmetin sodium (Tolectin) Valdecoxib (Bextra)<O:p></O:p> Note: Some products, such as Excedrin, are combination drugs (Excedrin is acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine).<O:p></O:p> Note that acetaminophen (Paracetamol; Tylenol) is not on this list. Acetaminophen belongs to a class of drugs called analgesics (pain relievers) and antipyretics (fever reducers). The exact mechanism of action of acetaminophen is not known. Acetaminophen relieves pain by elevating the pain threshold, that is, by requiring a greater amount of pain to develop before it is felt by a person. It reduces fever through its action on the heat-regulating center of the brain. Specifically, it tells the center to lower the body's temperature when the temperature is elevated. Acetaminophen relieves pain in mild arthritis but has no effect on the underlying inflammation, redness and swelling of the joint. Paracetamol, unlike other common analgesics such as aspirin and ibuprofen, has no anti-inflammatory properties, and so it is not a member of the class of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. <O:p * Naproxen Sodium " Naprelan contains naproxen sodium, a member of the arylacetic acid group of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)" "The chemical name for naproxen sodium is 2-naphthaleneacetic acid, 6-methoxy-a-methyl-sodium salt, (S)." 13. Be extremely careful of food/products that expand with water. Rice, Pasta, potatoes and bread are the most common food items that people have problems with. These food items either swell in liquids and/or tend to combine in the pouch into large, globby, sticky balls that are too large to pass through the stoma, which results in the “stuck”/“golfball” feeling, and/or vomiting until the offending piece is expelled. Eating these foods in combination with other, less sticky foods can often help reduce the incidence of problems. Fiber products, such as Metamucil and psyllium husks SWELL in water to many times their dry volume. VERY, VERY dangerous if this swelling takes place in the pouch. If you need to add fiber to your diet, try a non-bulking agent such as Benefibre. If you do taking a bulking agent such as Metamucil/psyllium husks, be sure to wash it through with lots and lots of water so that it will bulk in your lower stomach, not your pouch. 14. Avoid Vomiting/PBing (productive burping) at ALL Costs. Vomiting/PBing is the NUMBER ONE CAUSE of slippage. In addition to being the number one cause of slippage, vomiting/PBing usually results in (and/or from) an irritated stoma/pouch, which causes swelling. Continuing to eat after a vomiting/PBing episode is likely to increase your chances of repeating the episode, and people can be caught in a vicious cycle where they eventually will have to get an unfill to allow the stoma/pouch/esophagus to heal. The best ways to avoid vomiting/PBing: a) CHEW CHEW CHEW SLOW DOWN your eating c) Avoid overly dry foods. Help lubricate dry foods with gravy/sauces. d) Avoid/be extremely careful with foods that swell/recombine in the pouch, such as rice, pasta, potatoes and bread. Take extra care to consume these items slowly, and chew them very well. e) Avoid/be extremely careful with foods that do not breakdown well even with chewing, such as hardboiled eggs and rubbery foods like calamari. The “After the Vomiting/PBing” Rules: a) Stop eating immediately Do liquids only until the next meal. c) If you still have problems at the next meal, do 24 hours of liquids before trying solids again. d) If after 24 hours of only liquids you still have problems, you should probably make an appointment with your band doctor, and stay on liquids until you can be seen by them. e) If you are unable to tolerate even liquids after 24 hours you MUST see your doctor right away. Dehydration is a very serious risk. 15. Don’t Cut/Crush Pills without Doctor Approval. You shouldn’t have to break/cut/crush your medications as a general rule, but people on the tight side, or those who must take very large pills oftentimes will have problems. NEVER break/cut/crush a medication without checking with the prescribing doctor first. Some medications are meant only to be taken in whole form, and it can be dangerous to take them cut or crushed. Time-released formulas are a good example – cutting/crushing a time-released pill means you would get too much of the medication too quickly. 16. Get a prescription for an anti-nausea medication and keep it on hand. Phenergren is one of the common medicines for this, and comes in oral and suppository forms. If you have a tendency towards motion-sickness, make sure you take Dramamine or the equivalent BEFORE the motion-sickness activity – I believe 30 minutes is the suggested timeframe. Read the instructions and plan ahead.<O:p 17. Don’t Skip Meals. Eating regularly helps keep your blood sugar stable, and helps keep you from being too hungry at the next meal and then eating too fast or too much.<O:p 18. Exercise. Exercise is always an important part of a healthy lifestyle, and will help keep your metabolism revved and your goals on track. Exercise also increases muscle mass, which takes up less room than fat mass of the same weight. So even if the scale isn’t moving downwards, you’re losing inches – plus, muscle is what burns fat, so the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism. This is why men generally tend to drop weight more quickly than women – they generally have more muscle mass, so their metabolisms are faster. <O:p 19. AFTERCARE. FOLLOW-UP, FOLLOW-UP, FOLLOW-UP. Regular follow-up with a band doctor will help ensure your success and band health, and keep problems to a minimum or nip them in the bud. If your banding doctor is far away, make sure you line up an aftercare doc BEFORE you get banded. This cannot be stressed enough.<O:p 20. Be your own best advocate. Learn everything you can about being banded, and the common warning signs of trouble. TRUST YOUR GUT. If something doesn’t feel right, CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR. Sometimes relatively minor problems can escalate into major problems because of delay in diagnosis/care.<O:p 21. Find and participate in some sort of support group. Most people are more successful when they have a support group. Plus it's lots of fun, and you learn a lot about being banded, and life in general. 22. Do not lay down sooner than 2-3 hours after eating. Laying down with a full pouch can cause reflux. 23. Do not leave reflux untreated. Reflux is a symptom that something is wrong – you are either too tight, are eating too close to bedtime, or are suffering from an esophageal problem. Unfortunately, reflux is the bain of many long time bandsters. If you are already following the guidelines for reducing reflux then you need to see your doc for prescription antacid medication. It is critical that you do NOT leave this untreated, as stomach acid in the wrong places can cause severe damage, and create pre-cancerous conditions.<O:p</O:p "ACID REFLUX CAN KILL YOU. YOU CAN ASPIRATE STOMACH ACID, GET REALLY BAD PNEUMONIA AND DIE." - GeezerSue<O:p</O:p The only solutions I know of are modification of diet/habits, medication, reduction/removal of fills, band removal (worst case scenario).<O:p</O:p You may find that something specific you are eating/drinking is contributing to this problem. If you're not interested in having a little fill removed, you may try eliminating these things from your diet for a while, and see if that makes a difference: 1. acidic juices/fruits, like citrus 2. caffeine - coffee, tea, chocolate 3. spicy foods Guidelines for reducing/avoiding reflux (in order of least to most aggressive):<O:p</O:p 1. Do not over eat. 2. Avoid acid producing foods/drinks, like caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate), peppermint, citrus fruits/juice, spicy food. 3. Do not lie down sooner than three hours after eating.<O:p</O:p 4. Do not eat or drink 3 hours before bedtime.<O:p</O:p 5. Switch evening medications to morning if okay with your doctor.<O:p 6. Take an OTC med to control reflux.<O:p 7. Elevate the head of the bed (helps keep the esophagus above the stomach so there's no backflow). 8. Have your doc prescribe anti-reflux medication.<O:p 9. Get a slight or complete unfill.<O:p If these things do not help you, you must seek the care of your physician for additional help. 24. After the fill protocol. Most docs recommend doing only liquids for a day or two after a fill to allow the stomach to adjust to the new restriction and allow any residual swelling to go down. Also is a cautious way for you to test out your new fill level.

50?!?! Must be your evil twin's age... Happy belated!!! xxoo

If only this thread had been marked properly, I wouldn't have had to burn out my eyes reading it... :omg: Shouldn't it be SIX "X's" before AND after the subject???

Thank you, thank you, LBT family!! :hugs: I had a great celebration - Mom and sis Cheryl took me to Cirque du Soleil!! It was SO cool!! I really want one of those human-sized hamster wheels! lol Then we had dinner at a Thai restaurant - yum! Yesterday SO and I shopped the malls, I got my eyebrows waxed *ouch!!*, and some more sparkly make-up and some fun earrings from Claires. Cheryl brought THE biggest b-day balloon I've ever seen to work, and a giant chocolate chip cookie (thanks??? lol), a little china planter and a card that says: When we were kids, you were always reminding me that you were older. Now I'm just returning the favor... LOL Mom got me a bathrobe and reflexology slippers, too! Whaa hoo! JessieBear and SherryW, thank you for your kind wishes on the other thread. TWO bday threads! You guys rock!! :kiss2:

Hey, Hey!! It was your birthday! Hey, Hey!! Happy birthday, to ya! Hey, Hey!! I hope it was happy! Hey, Hey!! Crystal rocks!! I have no idea what the above means, except for I was thinking of you, and send you the best (though belated) wishes! for February 19!!! :humble:

LOL I was sweating and praying, and thankfully it came out "in the end"... so to speak...

Once I had an awful time removing one of those "Today" sponges. I was sitting on the edge of the bathtub crying, thinking I don't want to have to go to the ER for this!!!

Pulled the cord to my magic bullet, and there was no magic bullet attached!!