Tracy46545

Here is a quick look at just some of the problems found when mixing herbal preparations with surgery: Echinacea This herb often is used for preventing or treating viral, bacterial or fungal infections. Because some people can be allergic to echinacea, those with allergies or asthma should be cautious of using this supplement at any time. This also is true for people with pre-existing liver conditions. Echinacea may diminish the effectiveness of immunosuppressant drugs so people who are having any kind of organ transplant should avoid taking echinacea for several weeks before surgery. Ephedra This herb promotes weight loss and increases energy. Ephedra is known to increase blood pressure in some people. A rise in blood pressure during surgery could lead to danger, at worst a heart attack or stroke. Ephedrine can persist for an entire day in your blood stream, so don't take this herb for a few days prior to surgery. Garlic Garlic inhibits your platelet's ability to aggregate, or clot. This means it can become harder to stop any bleeding. It's a good idea not to take any kind of garlic herbal preparation for at least a week before surgery. Ginkgo This herb is taken for a number of conditions, including improving mental alertness, reducing dizziness caused by altitude sickness or vertigo and erectile dysfunction. Ginkgo also inhibits the platelet-activating factor, part of the normal blood-clotting process. This effect can make it harder for your body to heal after surgery. Stop taking ginkgo at least 36 hours before surgery. Ginseng Ginseng is thought to protect the body against stress. Unfortunately, it also may lower the glucose (sugar) in your blood. This could be a serious problem for a person with diabetes and could even cause a dangerous blood sugar drop in people without diabetes. It's a good idea to stop taking ginseng a week before surgery. Kava Kava commonly is used to treat anxiety. Kava may act as a sedative and might interfere with traditional sedatives given during surgery or shortly after surgery. Kava could interfere with the anesthetic medication that you receive during surgery. Try to discontinue kava at least 24 hours before your surgery. St. John's Wort This herb is widely used to treat mild to moderate depression. St. John's Wort also can increase the metabolism of medications. This may interfere with drugs used in organ transplants or anyone who may need to take an anticoagulation medicine after surgery to stop bleeding. It is a good idea to discontinue St. John's Wort at least five days prior to surgery. Valerian This herb is used to calm anxiety and promote sleep. Because valerian may have some addictive qualities, it is a good idea to taper use for several weeks before surgery.

Chancie, Honestly...I used to wonder why I"d be so sleepy after a spaghetti dinner. It was the Pasta..overloading my blood sugar! Now with the spaghetti squash I'm getting in an extra vegetable, a lot less calories and carbs and adding alot more Fiber. I love to cook it, separate the strands and lightly saute it with a bit of olive oil, roasted garlic and grilled onions, then press it into a casserole and top with buffalo mozzerella, Prego meat sauce (or my homemade Bison sauce) and shaved parmesan on top. bake for 30 min at 350. Beats any baked spaghetti I've ever had and I don't get sleepy afterwards! Tracy

the 7.5% of income number is correct. You can claim transportation to and from, and all testing......however, don't bother trying to claim the expense of all those dang Protein supplements we can't tolerate. It's considered nutrition and is not tax deductible even for medical necessity. I sleep with a tax man... lol Tracy

Easy to swallow recipes! Easy to Swallow - Home enjoy! Tracy

They're not necessarily low-cal, low-carb, or high protein....but we all know how to make substitutions....Once I have an idea of a recipe I can tweak it... lol Tracy

I'm having surgery in Mexico, staying in the hospital 3 nights, a extra night in the hotel (if necessary) and then flying home to Chicago. Is your first day after surgery Day 1 of the post op diet...Or is the day after you're released from the hospital Day 1? Tracy

Cool Beans...so on the way home if I get woozy I can possibly have a Water based Protein Shake? (surgery on Monday...flying home on Friday...oh crap..that's only 4 days..nevermind) Tracy

The first time I went down (for my band surgery), my sister and I ate in a resturant at the Lucerne....can't remember which one. My sis had mexican type food, I had a steak. Eh...wasn't overly thrilled but I'm pretty picky about my steaks. When I went back down this past January to accompany a friend for her sleeve, we ate lunch in an Italian style resturant at Lucerne resort. Her carppacio was served still frozen. I can't even remember what I had, I think some sort of pizza. For supper, we had Chinese food... Mexicali has a HUGE chinese population and their cuisine supposedly rivals that of China Town in any major US City...My lapband was acting up due to flying and I tolerated very little of it that day. However, the Lucerne staff was kind enough to put my "doggie bag" in the fridge with my room number on it and sent me to one of the resort resturants to warm it up for the next nite's supper. Most of my meals while I was with my friend were eaten at the hospital cafeteria...excellent authentic food, reasonably priced, excellent service. One night that I was down there I asked my driver to stop at Applebees so I could get something easy. They're all truly very accomodating. I may be staying an extra day at the Lucerne (after discharge from the hospital). Nina assures me that the Lucerne has a "clear fluids" menu just for Dr. Aceves's patients.. lol Tracy

Charity....you aren't getting anywhere near 60 grams of protein a day! String cheese averages about 7 gms protein and an egg is about the same...so you only got 14-15 gms of protein the day you listed what you ate. You really have to get the protein in so that your body doesn't start robbing your own muscle tissue to make up the difference! You should order some individual packets of Protein shakes. I'm quite sure they would ship directly from the various companies to Nicaragua. Also you could order dry egg whites (I'm trying to think of "lightweight" protein sources to save you shipping costs). If legumes are available to you...try using those as a protein source. Refried beans are a surprising good source of protein if you don't add alot of fats and cheese to it. I'll look at my protein resource file for more ideas for you. I realize that your location makes getting some of these difficult so I'll look for more natural sources. Do you have a crockpot? You can cook chicken thighs in the crockpot and they stay tender and moist when reheated. Good source of protein...easy to puree, make soups with etc. Tracy

Chandra I sent a pm to you about how to add a ticker to your signature. Tracy

lol Chandra, We've been chasing each other all our lives. I was born in Midland, moved to Bay City for age 1-4, then was adopted and moved to the more southern part of Michigan. Used to go to Ann Arbor every month for a club I belonged to. I am currently banded......have been totally unfilled since June 6, 2009. Cannot tolerate even .25 cc in my band without hideous reflux and vomiting. So on December 14, my superb surgeon, Dr. Alberto Aceves of Mexicali, Mexico will remove the band, and repair any damage that has occured as he does a VSG. (I have total confidence in him). I've been to Mexicali two other times and cannot imagine going anywhere else for a surgery. I'm self-pay, (no health insurance) and could go places that are cheaper...but the standard of care at Mexicali is stellar. I'm going alone and know that my "extended family"/ ie Aceves's Staff...will take wonderful care of me. Don't worry about your food intake...everything will moderate out. What Protein sources are you going to use in the first 20 days? I'm using unjury...have used it in the past and had no problems with it. I ordered 18 of the convenience packets in various flavors and will take the chicken broth and unflavored ones with me on my trip since I'm spending an extra day down there and might not be in the hospital. Once I go to full liquids I can use the Muscle Milk light which I've also used with the band. Let's stay in touch! Tracy

Hi Chandra.....I was born in Midland, MI! Best of luck with your upcoming surgery!!! Tracy

I don't remember anything in my paperwork about doing a bowel prep. I'll be vacationing in the Long Beach area for four days prior to my surgery day. If I have to do bowel prep it's going to seriously affect my plans for those four days!... I'm having revision surgery from Band to VSG. Does EVERYONE have to have bowel prep? Tracy

I'm anxious, a little nervous but determined. Most of my anxiety is because I'm going alone for the surgery and all the recuperation after. More worried about getting my vehicle from long term parking at O'Hare Airport in mid-December than anything. Weather could really make that a miserable event just five days post surgery. I spent some time this afternoon cleaning out kitchen cupboards and making some homemade chicken stock. I put it up in 4 oz portions to freeze for that first week of Clear liquids. I know something homemade will be much more comforting to me than something out of a box or a can. My surgery is 4 weeks away also...looks like we'll be sleeve sisters! Tracy

Mine is Dec 14th.....which means I get to have "full" liquids instead of "clears" on Christmas morning.....AAAAALLLLEEEEEEEuuuuuuuuyahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! Tracy

Add some CoffeeMate pumpkin Spice creamer.....oh .... my ...... god

I'm not sleeved yet but I am banded and I know that many people that have had bariatric surgery complain of inability to tolerate eggs. I personally get stuck on mashed potatoes every time UNLESS I drink with my meal (not a good idea). Eggs seem to go down if pan fried "over easy" or poached...but scrambled or in omelette's is an excercise in futility. It makes sense that the "crisp" (not sure if that's a cracker or a cookie) would go down easily...it's more highly processed, nearly pure carbs and will dissolve easily with just normal saliva. IMHO, Tracy

i'm doing revision surgery next month. What helped me alot was to simply spend several days reading EVERY POST on this site. The positive comments and success stories are awesome to read...but just as important is to thoroughly read the Complications posts. I think having a realistic overview of the "good, the bad, and the ugly" is the best way to decide on something that will strongly impact the remainder of your entire life. There are posts here about intimate issues, eating in public, dealing with stalls, dealing with comments from family and friends, dealing with doctors reluctant to "act" in an emergency, virtually a thousand thoughts and opinions. I'm grateful for this (and other forums) as they bring the information "up close and personal" much better than the innumerable "studies" done by the "experts" (most of who aren't fat and wouldn't know what to do about a food addiction if it bit them in the ass). Welcome to the site! Tracy

Thanks for the quick answer! Tracy

This is a good question. I am a private duty homecare provider for a man with Alzheimers. No stairs, no lifting, honestly probably no more "work" than being at home. I'll bet I can even manage a nap or two if needed. I'm having surgery on a Monday and plan to return to work on the following Tuesday. That's Christmas week so I'll have a short week with a break in the middle for Christmas day (no work that day). Is this realistic or do I need to plan on two weeks off work? Tracy

Hey Marilyn...I went past your old place last week! I was coming home on 331....lol Anyway..I've been to Almater Hospital twice before. Once when I was banded 9/15/07...and again this past January to help a friend while she got her sleeve surgery. I'm flying home on the 18th of Dec so I'll miss being there for your surgery but I will be sure to find you on the 17th! Can't miss a visit with a fellow Hoosier! tracy