donna12

I know this isn't any consolation to your problem but I weigh every day because of fluid retention. I got on the scales this morning and had gained 2 lbs and looked down and my ankles were swollen so after church this morning I came home and have since then taken a lasix hoping to get some fluid off. I feel you, no matter how little or how much, as hard as we work on it, it's still hard to take in looking at the numbers.

For starters I had lunch out of town on my way to a dr's appt in Nashville today so my mom and I stopped at a Cracker Barrel. I ordered child's grilled chicken tenders and green Beans, you get 3 chicken tenders they are about the length size of your finger and I give some of my beans to my mom. Now, usually I can eat all of it but today I had to stop at 1 chicken finger and 2 bites of beans, don't know if I was stuck or full, the food just felt like it was right at the top of my throat. I didn't PB, didn't slime, didn't salivate as usual. Then for the last 2 nights I've experienced heartburn and had to take TUMS and I take Omeprazole every morning to prevent this, what's up? My NSV, I can finally cross my legs, woohoo, haven't been able to do that in 20 yrs, feels good.

good article, thx. I will ride it out over the weekend and see if I can get in Monday. Thanks for your help. Nighty night. My head is bobbling, it's 1:00 am here in KY and I need to hit the bed! Have a good weekend.

thanks Missy. Question, I'm not losing major weight tho. Well, I've lost 6 lbs in 3 1/2 weeks. I'm due to go in for a fill on the 28th. I thought I had heard that about the heartburn but wasn't certain. I mean, today was weird at lunch, I usually can tolerate chicken in tiny bites but since my last fill, I'm getting stuck on toast, chicken, fish. Its making me resort to things to eat like a bowl of beans tomorrow that mom cooked the other day, yes protein but slider in a way, you know. I hate to have any taken out, oh gosh I do, I wanna lose but I certainly don't want heartburn/reflux and acid coming back up and eating away at my esophegus (sp?). I hate to bother him over the weekend about this, would you call tomorrow and discuss or would you ride out the weekend and wait till Monday and call to see if I can get in?

CVS, Rite Aid, I'm sure even Walmart Pharm might even direct you if they have it.

You can Mag Citrate from any drug store like Walgreens etc.

Chez is right, you don't want to end up in the ER. I went 7 days and finally called my surgeon I was so miserable, he told me to drink a tiny bit of Magnesium Citrate and boy did that ever get me moving, its nasty but it cleaned me out. Didn't cramp with it, guess I was just impacted.

thanks ya'll. Yes my stress level is to the max right now. Although I've been divorced for what will be 2 yrs this coming June I am still dealing with legal matters with my ex on our marital home as my name is still on the mtg after all this time. I am having to take him back to court and my mom is having to pay for legal fees as I am not working and can't afford it. And there are some other issues going on that are very stressful. Thank you all for letting me know it's ok not to eat unless I'm hungry.

I know some of you say breakfast is the most important meal but this morning I got up and totally was not hungry and did not feel like I could eat so I didn't. A couple of hrs later my mom suggested we go shopping in a neighboring city (30 mins away) and we did lunch at Red Lobster. We shared flounder and coconut shrimp, I was only able to eat a half piece of fish and 1 shrimp and a 2 bites of baked potato, brought the rest home. Tonight, again, was not hungry so I decided I better eat something so I ate a few bites of canned pineapple and then a greek yogurt (finally got hungry for the yogurt but was too late for a meal). Im under a lot of stress and the stress has me depressed. I'd like to get back to my 3 small meals a day.

yes you can lose without exercising, I'm down 60 lbs but it has taken me 9 months and I say that sadly because I haven't been able to exercise during my journey for health reasons. I'm just getting to the point to where I am able to walk outside for some activity and take it from me, you need to exercise, the weight will come off quicker, you tone your body (I have loose skin) and you need to introduce this part of activity into your new lifestyle. I can't wait till I'm 100% and can join a health club and workout. My arms are grossly flabby, my inner thighs are flabby, you don't want that. I carried my weight in my rear and legs and some in my stomach and yes my arms have always been big so I have to live with the flab, I can thank my grandmother for that one. Get into the gym girl! You can do it. As far as the weight gain, it's normal at first until you get your fills and start feeling restriction but try and limit your intake to 1 cup of food at each meal.

I hated EAS brand that my surgeon was pushing so I found GNC's brand Lean Shake already mixed up in a bottle Swiss Choc., pretty tasty and 25 gr of protein. Still keep them around for when I'm tight in the mornings or for something fast.

different: was 6 mos post op and had to have my gallbladder removed, have my good days of regular and then days of diarrhea just depends. Can never tell. Glad the pain and nausea are gone tho.

I lost a friend during my surgery journey. Haven't spoken to her in 9 months. Never once did she call to see how my surgery went or anything. I've tried numerous times to contact her and nothing. She is on the heavy side and the three of us friends one who had had gastric bypass is skinny now and then I decided to have lap band so maybe she felt left out idk but she doesn't speak to me anymore. We had been friends for 20 yrs.

Carrie, make sure your protein shakes are loaded with protein. Mine had 25 grams of protein when I did them, that will keep you statisfied longer and you won't feel like you are starving.

well let's just say I've had my "stuck" episodes plenty of times because of not chewing well and taking tiny bites and then there are times that I am not mindful of my bite size and watching tv and get stuck, do not do this, so still learning curve here, but other than that, life is good. 6 mos out I had to have gallbladder removal surgery. It is hard at times but so worth it. I'm so happy with 59 lbs gone and looking forward to losing more in the coming months. I know you will too. Your pre op diet is very hard, it was the hardest part of all of this but if you stick with it, it is so worth it. You can do it.

You can do this! We've all been there. The first few days are awful! Like CG said mine too was 2 weeks of liquid but I was allowed broth and sf jello and sf popsicles. Stay busy and think and look at the big picture and why you want the surgery. I'm only 9 mos out and it's bliss at the other end.

My surgeon and all are different, says I can drink right up to a meal but wait an hour after. Why and what is the purpose of not drinking before a meal? I mean the liquid goes on down into the lower part of the stomach doesn't it? Just wondering and still learning and wanting your opinions. thx

thanks everyone! It does make sense now, I guess I didn't know that the fluid or my glass of water didn't go on and pass thru to my lower stomach right away and it also makes sense that it was liquidfy the food I put in my stomach if I drink right up to my meal or fill my pouch and expand it with liquid and food thus stretching. Thanks for all the different opinions and insights. As always I don't drink with my meals and dont drink for at least an hour after.

Oh no Obieewok, I don't drink while eating, I can drink right up to my meal and then I wait an hour after to drink again. My question was why do some surgeons say no drinking 30 mins prior to meals?

I have been in such pain in the center of my chest for about 2 hrs now and have taken 3 Gas X and nothing gives, I've walked, beat on my chest, done crunches and still chest pain, the gas won't move. OMGosh, I didn't have it this bad when I had surgery. I ate cottage cheese for dinner tonight, makes me not want to eat it again if this happens. Sheesh!

hopefully this will do the trick, thank you again.

no but I have some, thanks, I will take one now, thank you so much for the suggestion.

someone on here finally told me to take a sip of Sprite or carbonated drink so I did and the fizz brought it up, it worked. I immediately threw it up. Talk about relief. I was stuck for 5 hrs with that piece of broccoli and in so much pain.

as for me 2muchfun summed it up, I do the same, with the exception of broccoli one night I was stuck on a tiny piece of that stuff for 5 hrs, it was horrible and very painful till finally I got on here at 2:30 am and someone on here told me what to do to get it up and I did it and it came flying up and out, thank God! Needless to say I haven't had broccoli since, lol. My stuck episodes lasts anywhere from a few mins to 45 mins at best. Hope you feel better. Take it easy on your band for 24 hrs.

that gurgling sound and coming back up sounds like my stuck episodes and PB'ing episodes I have which is not good for the band. I am dealing with the same issue as you, I look at my food and it is soooo good and want to eat more but can't and know if I do I'll be sorry and on 1 occassion have and believe me I was sorry, it came back up, I puked, won't do that again. My soft stop indicator is a hiccup for me and I know to stop but I do sometimes have that gurgling sound in my throat or esophegus and I know I better not put another bite in or it will come back up, I have either taken too big of bite or not chewed well or wrong food choice that didn't agree with my band.