donna12

ok, here is what I had to do: 2 weeks of protein shakes, the ones I found that I could tolerate were GNC's brand Lean Shake Swiss Choc. If you have one near you they will most likely let you taste one before you buy. I also bought IsoPure in grape for a clear protein drink, it had an after taste but I tolerated it. I did this 3 times a day. Make sure you have protein shakes packed with protein so you don't get hungry. In between meals I was allowed sugar free jello, sf popsicles, broth, oh and I ate that broth like it was my last meal let me tell ya. The first 3 days were pure hell, excuse my language, but it was. Your body is detoxing from sugar and carbs and all the fatty foods its used to eating. I got dizzy, headache, almost passed out, thought I was going to die, litterally, but I did it. And if I can do it anyone can, believe me! After about the 4 day it gets easier. I would sit down with my mom at the dinner table with my cup or bowl of broth and have that as she ate and knew that in the long run I was doing this for my health and well being and this was short lived. And before you know it day 14 came and I headed to the hospital that morning and boy was I a ready camper. To this day I still keep the GNC protein shakes around for something quick or after a fill. I'm 6 months post op and a week and half post op with gallbladder. You can do it. The purpose of doing it is to shrink the fat around your liver so that your surgeon can work around in there easily.

gallstones are caused by cholesterol is what I was told with that said, I always had good cholesterol, go figure, when he got in there mine was FULL of gallstones. And to answer your question above, yes rapid weight loss does cause you to sometimes have your gallbladder removed or most likely or so I was told again and in my case it happened. I'm having a hard time healing from gallbladder surgery because mine had grown to my liver and he had to cut it away and I bled profusely and now I am having non-stop diarrhea and low grade fever so not sure if I have some kind of infection. Going tomorrow for some test.

thank you pebbagirl, I'm tryin to hang in there. having tests done tomorrow to see if there is an infection of some sorts.

Don't know if it's my "gallbladder removal hell" surgery from last Monday effects or if I have a bug. Ran a fever last night and have had diarrhea all day today. I have heard you will experience diarrhea after eating with your gallbladder removed, guess that's true...can't I catch a break? First six months of my lap band have been off/on sick with my gallbladder and last week went in for surgery for that and now this, sheesh. On a good note, got up this morning and had lost 2 lbs, woot woot!

Cheryl, thank you so much for the info and no, no one told me anything about the side effects of getting my gallbladder out, i.e. diarrhea. I just read it and remembered my ex mother-in-law who also had the surgery years ago always used to get diarrhea. I do try and limit my high fat foods now but there are times I do indulge, for instance, this past week, a friend brought over a casserole because I had had surgery and it was made with creamed Soups and chicken and slices of butter and Ritz crackers on top, very rich, called Chicken on the Ritz, delish but I'm sure very high in fat, I did eat it a couple of times and bam, diarrhea. As far as milk products, I don't drink milk but I do like cheese, like low fat string cheese. You aren't going to believe this but I came home with NO paperwork regarding my gallbladder, the only paperwork I came home with was aftercare of wounds and if I ran a fever which here a week and half later I am. I am also taking a strong dose of Cipro which may be contributing to the diarrhea, I don't know. I plan on calling the dr when he gets back from lunch. Thank you again for the info. Donna

how do you cope, what do you do everyday about eating and going? help??? At first last week I was constipated due to all the pain meds but yesterday, well last night and all day today I've had diarrhea. Don't know if I've got a touch of a bug or what because I am running a low grade fever. I've taken 3 Lomotil and it won't stop it and thats stronger than Immodium.

I am a week post op from having my gallbladder removed. Boy what a procedure for me it was! Surgeon got in there and it was so diseased, so many gallstones and it had grown to my liver so he had to cut it away from from my liver which resulted in me losing a lot of blood and having a drainage tube in my side and me staying overnight in the hospital, ugh. I'm home now and trying to heal. Last night I started running a fever. Today its normal, dr things I'm either trying to catch a bug or fighting off Pneumonia, he's keeping a close eye on me. @Mjv I hope you do ok with your surgery in January, you'll be up and out in no time. @honk, I eat a low fat diet for the most part, my symptoms were mostly nausea and some vomiting, I did experience some pain in my back but not stabbing pains. Boy has this been an experience.

when is cause for concern? I'm 7 days post op from gallbladder surgery today and 6 months post op lap band. tonight I started having pain at one incision and pain where a drainage tube was inserted, not on skin, inside. Low grade fever. My paperwork from hospital (had to stay overnight from surgery last Monday night to Tues because of drainage tube) said if I ran a fever of 101. to call but now its been a week, is there need for concern now? This just started around 5:30 tonight. My surgeon that did my lapband also did my gallbladder and he is on call 24/7 and would return my call I just hate to bother him with a low grade fever yet if something is wrong like an infection...??? Any suggestions?

Well, at about 11:00 tonight my fever got up to 100.6 finally I took some Tylenol and here it is 12:43 and its back down to 99.4, we'll see what the night brings.

I called and one of his nurses called me back and he told her since my fever was only 99.5 he thought I would be alright for tonight and for me to call his office in the morning and come in if I got worse. When I got concerned my fever was 99.5 then it went down to 99 then it is back up to 99.5 again so maybe it will stay there and not spike during the night. I am on antibiotics since surgery last week. My temp always runs low for me anyway like 97, I'm never normal temp of 98.6, heck I"m not normal...lol ya'll know that! ha. Thanks guys.

ok thank ladies, guess it wouldn't hurt and I don't want my fever to get too high later on tonight and then have my mom run me to ER and then I will have to wake him up, yikes! Thanks again.

No not really, I haven't noticed any change in my appetite at all in portion or selection. I ate as a banster as I had my fill 2 weeks ago and still am doing so as of today just so to keep me mindful of it but to answer your question, no no difference. I still am going about 4 and half hrs in between meals and a late night snack of string cheese or greek yogurt if I'm up at night.

I can't answer all your questions because I wasn't in the green zone yet but as I've heard from you on other post and you know I've just had gallbladder surgery I had 2cc's removed week before last, ate like I still had my normal fill. I had to stay in the hospital overnight due to complications and I'm assuming the IV made me gain but I gained 3 lbs which I'm a half lb away from losing it all again, woohoo, I'm not eating any more food than before and not hungry any more than before. I go back on the 20th for a fill, I'm sure he will only put in 1cc at a time, knowing my surgeon. Good luck on your procedure, prayers for you. Donna

just getting on here today as I've not felt well today and also taking care of my sick 73 yr old mother today too while on the mend. Thank you all so very much for the uplifting words they meant and mean so much to me. Guess I was just feeling down. And I guess we all will compare ourselves to other people from time to time and it will get better. I take your words to heart, thanks again. Donna

I'm almost 6 months post op with lap band and 6 days post op with gallbladder surgery, was down 46 lbs before last Monday but since the hospital stay and an IV overnight I've gained 3 lbs, ugh! I've caught myself comparing myself to others on here and their weight loss success, seems like mine is slow or not enough for me, but on the otherhand I'm proud of that number. With that being said, I have not felt like exercising since lap band surgery because I have had such a time with nausea, pain in back, vomiting off/on and gallstones and just now getting my gallbladder taken out this past week, another set back. I thought lap band surgery was hard enough, boy this has kicked my butt bouncing back. The pain meds are keeping me constipated, I know, just what you wanted to hear huh? and I've had to result in drinking Mag. Citrate on Wed. and tonight to get things moving. Today was the first day I went without a pain pill, woohoo, I think I'm on the mend. I had complications during surgery, lost a lot of blood, the surgeon said my gallbladder was so diseased, then he had to cut it away from my liver which resulted in excessively bleeding that he had to get stopped, ended up with a drainage tube in my side overnight in the hospital and it was suppose to have been a same day surgery. I feel like I'm starting all over again. My lap band surgeon did my gallbladder surgery, he took 2cc's out of my band in order to prepare for surgery and right now, at this moment I could eat this house! I don't see him again till the 20th at which time I'm sure he will do a fill of some sort. Anyway, just had to vent thanks for listening. Feeling like a failure!

Don't you dare talk yourself out of it! We are all here for all of you. After surgery will test you, I won't lie but in a week you'll be like, wow, I'm so happy I did this. It's the best decision I've ever made and I've been sick most of my 6 months post op due to gallbladder probs and I'm 4 days post op of gallbladder surgery right now but I can tell you lap band is the best decision I've ever made for myself and it will be for you too. You can do it! I know all of you are nervous as we all were, it's natural but keep in mind why you want it done and focus on that. Prayers coming to all of you!

I wondered the same thing as I had gallstones. I'm almost 6 mos post op and just had gallbladder surgery this past Monday and wow what a doosy. I had complications during surgery tho so it may not be bad on you. It was to be same day surgery but I had to stay the night in the hospital and I'm having a hard time bouncing back. Good luck

I had my gallbladder removed Monday and boy has it kicked my butt! As bad if not worse recovery than lap band. I am so weak, no appetite, trying to eat but just don't feel like it. Had complications with surgery and had to spend the night in the hospital with a drainage tube and came home Tues late afternoon. Coming up on 6 months being banded and now this, I'm zapped!

thanks everyone, yes I've been trying to walk around the house but yet so weak. I don't have much of an appetite yet I've gained 3 lbs since surgery, guess it could be fluid since I did have to spend the night in the hospital and have IV fluids. I'm not eating that much now that I'm home, go figure, puzzling.

I'm more nervous about this than my lap band surgery, guess I don't want to anticipate the pain, grrr. And recovery! Hope I can sleep tonight, if not it will be a long night and a date with my Kindle. Got to get up at 4:45 a.m. and I'm so not a morning person. Maybe I should call one of the high school bands to come play outside my window to wake me up...bahahaha Had to find humor in it somehow.

I was banded June 13th and I had an awful time with constipation after surgery and right now back at it again, had my gallbladder removed on Monday and had to spend the night in the hospital and they pumped me full of pain meds which can cause constipation. So tonight after taking 2 lax/stool softeners I finally broke down and drank half of a bathroom cup sized of Magnesium Citrate and within 2 hrs I'm going and going, yes it works and it is diarrhea now so you better be near a restroom. As others have stated it's nasty but the stuff works wonders.

well, I'm back! Oh my goodness, what an ordeal this has been. I got to the hospital ok, got in a holding room for surgery and it was suppose to have been at 8:15 but I didn't get into OR until 9:00. What was supposed to have been a rather easy and short 30 min operation ended up taking him 2 hrs. He said that my gallbladder was so diseased and full of gallstones that no wonder I had been sick from day one of my lap band surgery. I mean literally I had been living on Dramamine practically every day along with other symptoms. He said that he had to cut my gallbladder away from my liver and I started bleeding really bad and he had to get that under control. With all that said, I had to spend the night in the hospital Monday night and had a drainage tube draining blood and Fluid. It was along night, got only 2 hrs sleep that night, just in an awful lot of pain that night and was cotton mouth so thirsty so I kept drinking Water therefore had to potty every hour on the hour. Let's just say I was worn out by the time I got home late yesterday afternoon. It was good to sleep in my own bed. Experiencing a lot of gas and gas pains like the lap band surgery and let me tell you I would rate this right up there with my hysterectomy, a lot more painful than lap band. Today I took a nap for about an hour. And here I go again on the severe constipation road. Haven't gone since Sunday and feel really bloated. Have taken stool softeners and laxatives but if I haven't gone by morning I will drink a small amount of Mag. Citrate to get things moving along. Good to be back online. Well I'm off to take a pain pill. Thank you all for thinking of me. Donna

thank you all for the prayers and well wishes. Got up this morning at 4:45, still sleepy but I did get 5 hrs sleep. Not so anxious now that it is here. God Bless Donna

thanks ladies. I think I'm headed to bed now, getting sleepy as I got up early this morning for church and have done a lot today, errands including the task of Walmart on a Sunday afternoon, whew, the dog a bath, washed 4 loads of laundry, changed bed, cleaned house and all of this done after 1:00 and before 7:00 tonight. Walmart was a madhouse but got a few stocking stuffers for my mom/brother/sister-in-law. I will try and get online in a few days. nighty night.

oh no, I'm sorry. hugs to you. lots of liquids and much rest.