mrsto

Hiddenstar - I'm interested to know the ingredient in the Metagenics probiotics. I've taken Natren Healthy Trinity on and off for a few years, and found it to be pretty good. But I have silent reflux, and sometimes it's pretty bad. My throat will swell up during the night, and I keep swallowing (what feels like) a lump. A lump that never goes down, because it's actually swelling from acid. I get hoarse during the day because my vocal chords are also affected. My ear nose & throat doctor diagnosed it, and put me on Omeprozole. I don't think taking that drug for long periods is a good idea, because it blocks the absorption of some b Vitamins. I'd love to go a more natural route…like probiotics….if they work on it. I'm familiar with Metagenics, and have taken other products by them. But I haven't ventured out into their probiotics. Sounds like I may have to check it out.

Wow, so sorry that you had to go through all of this. Sounds absolutely horrible! I have not gone through it, but I hope that the lingering issues resolve for you, sooner than later... I'm just curious….. Band erosion is one of my biggest fears. Do you know what caused it?

If someone struggling with obesity asks me, I tell them. But anyone else…..I don't discuss it. Once a year my next door neighbor has a holiday gathering at their house. It's a morning thing, and I hadn't seen many of the neighbors since the last gathering. Many of them acknowledged my weight loss, and when asked, I responded with "eat less, exercise more". And the bottom line is, that is exactly what I'm doing. The only person who knows about my surgery, is my next door neighbor on the other side of me. SHE had a lot to do with my decision to have the surgery. We lived here for a good three years before she and I got to talking, and she told me that she had gastric bypass surgery about 8 years prior. I was shocked, because I had no idea that she was ever morbidly obese. A couple of year ago, she had to have a tune up to that surgery, and the doctor who did it, ended up being the doc I went to for my surgery. Anyway…..she knows, but no one else "needs" to know. Anyone obese and struggling, I'm MORE than glad to share my experience.

Thank you for your beautiful post this morning. It's heartwarming, and you are amazing. Bravo to you for a job well done. You are certainly reaping the benefits for all of your hard work

There have been many times where I wanted to "tell" about the surgery. But each of those times I stop myself. Too many (from ignorance on the subject) think that WLS is the easy way out; the surgery does all the work. I do not have the time or energy to educate these people, and it's easier to simply keep it to myself. The people who matter in my life, know about it. All of us here know that the band doesn't do the work for us. It's just a tool to help us eat less, and stay satisfied for much longer on small amounts. Can we eat right through it? Absolutely…..I've done it. WE do the work, and I don't want to engage with anyone who doesn't understand that. Too much energy; energy that I can spend on more important things Readygetgo - you handled that beautifully. I understand the casher's question, as I myself have asked the same of people I've seen drop a lot of weight. I always want to know what route they took; Weight Watchers, Atkins, simply eating less & exercising more… I'm always interested, because it's been my lifelong struggle. The reality is, no matter what path we take, we're ALWAYS doing it alone….even if we're going to a diet doctor! Every single choice of what we put in our mouth in any given moment, is a choice we make…alone. The band is no different than any other weight loss route.

Well said….

Fabulous! I know how great that must feel

One more thought….. How many cashews do you eat for a snack? One ounce is about 160 calories, so if you're eating more than that, it could be an issue.

Amen Jim!

I'm so with you one the email part……first thing that jumped out. Aside from being the A-hole that he is, what a spineless poor excuse of a man, to make those comments via email. Reminds me of the guys I dated, that didn't have both feet in the relationship. And my self esteem was such, that I didn't even see it. I went through plenty of those types before I found my wonderful husband. All the predecessors were me learning that I really did deserve the brass ring. When I met my husband I was wearing a size 8. I ate myself up into a 22, but his love and attraction never waned. When someone loves you, they love ALL of you. My suggestion is, cut this guy off like the cancer that he is. I'm with all above…..you deserve so much more. But the key is, you have to believe it.

I used to eat chicken all the time, but not so much since surgery. I haven't had any stuck issues, but if it's not cooked exactly right, it takes a lot of chew work to get it to the point of going down. When I do eat it, I try & stick to dark meat. Also, I make sure there is some type of sauce on it. Chicken Cacciatore is a great lower fat dish, and the tomato based sauce makes it easier to eat.

Donna - I'm so sorry to hear this. Life certainly throws punches out of left field! But at least now you have an explanation for what's been going on with you, and you can learn to manage it. Not always easy, but I feel confident that you can do it. And even MORE important now, that you eat healthy and take good/better care of your body. I think it would be a good idea to talk with your surgeon about all of this. If this new drug may cause vomiting, he may want to empty the band until you're past the adjustment phase. Just a thought….. Please keep us posted.

Got up the courage to get on the scale this morning. Lost a pound - yay! All that paranoia for nothing

Ditto - hysterical!!

Alex - here is a url to a post from today. My response, quoting CarolinaGirl, runs together. It's #299. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/288811-hey-banders/page-20#entry3264556

I'm thinking yes but I don't want to find out. Cherry pits seem to be bigger than most Vitamins I take. I picture the stoma to be about the size of the hole in a straw. Sometimes even less. If you've ever seen Catfish's video on his fluoroscopy you'll see the hole is not very big. You've done very well with the band and I'd only recommend a fill if you start to plateau for a few months and begin to get hungry 23 hours after a meal? If you're losing slowly now don't rock the boat. jmo tmf Hmmm…… I think mine must be the size of a peach pit! - LOL

Can you please provide me with an example or two ? Are you using the site or app ? I'm using the site. I just looked back where I had the separation issue, but today they're separated. Seriously…I'm not losing my mind. Yesterday, you couldn't tell whose quote was whose….it was one big run on comment.

This may sound dumb as hell, but I almost wish I'd get stuck ONCE, just so I know I have the band!! On the other hand, I've always been afraid of stuck, PBs, etc., so I'm careful most all the time. But even still, I have gone a bit brain dead from time to time, and still…..nothing stuck. Is it my anatomy?? The only thing I did have happen, was at a party two weeks ago. I drank mucho plenty of wine, and ate whatever appetizers were out. I ate a little bit of the dinner (chicken & salad), but mostly wine and finger foods. They had karaoke, and every time I took a breath to sing, little burps came out. No one heard it, but it was so frustrating. I had that issue for a good hour or two. I only have that happen after drinking too much. Eating too much doesn't cause it, but throw in the alcohol, and I become a little burp machine

I wouldn't describe it as pain. More like discomfort from the pressure on my esophagus. Like a soft golfball under my sternum for a few minutes. Stuck means that I have to stop eating "pause", and wait for the food to pass. I think for me, it's just an accumulation of food that builds up from eating too rapidly or from eating too big. I rarely ever get stuck from one single bite of food that I failed to chew or was too big. I do recall this last fall one time where I nearly swallowed a cherry pit. That, would have been painful and would have meant a trip to the ER. tmf tmf - something as small as a cherry pit would get stuck? I'm trying to figure out where I am in the scheme of things. I can still swallow a Vitamin tablet without issue. Maybe I need a fill? I'm struggling to hear the band signals, as I did early on. But I've already got 7.5cc's in a 10cc band. I guess I should be glad that I haven't had any stuck issues, but I wonder sometimes……is that normal? Believe me, I'm not a perfect eater all the time. Meaning, I might eat a bit faster, or take a bite bigger than I should. I know everyone is different, but?? I'm going to see my doc this month. I need to address these things with him.

My post-op diet drags out a full year. The last thing he allows back at the 12 month mark, is slab meat; steak, lamb/pork chops, etc. In the beginning, every (either) 14-28 days, different foods were added back. I was doing so well, so I asked him…..is the post-op diet progression about healing, or about retraining our new eating habits. He said that it's ALL about the healing process. He also said that the patients who leap ahead of schedule, are the ones who end up having problems. Contrary to what I heard people post in another thread, HE is the doctor, and he knows what is best. The other thread I refer to (don't remember the title), but someone was asking about eating something prematurely in their early post-op diet. About three people posted something along the lines of "what does the doctor know, he doesn't have the band". Really?! I had to read that twice because I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Unbelievable…. Like telling a cardiologist that he doesn't know what he's talking about, because he never had triple bypass surgery. Anyway….sorry for the mini rant….. I agree with the above poster that said you're probably fine, but move forward and follow your doc's post-op plan closely. It really is important, and in spite of what some people tell themselves, the doctor doesn't need to have a band to know what's best. Geez……still shaking my head on that one

Totally agree… And with the drinking comes eating. Why even go down that road so close to surgery? This is a big step, and I'm sure you went through a lot to get to this point. Passing up a few holiday drinks is a very small sacrifice, for this huge life changing surgery.

Actually, the most common kidney stones are Calcium based, not Protein. I had them years ago, and had to have a partial nephrectomy to remove them.

Ditto for me. Some foods do struggle making it through the stoma however and I occasionally get stuck. Is stuck always painful, or is it sometimes a sense of food "pausing" before going all the way down? I don't think I've ever been stuck, but maybe I have? I always think of "stuck" as a painful event.

I was shocked that the scale stayed the same. HAPPILY shocked

Terry - so sorry to hear about your mom. That alone, is very difficult to deal with. Glad to hear that you're back on track. It's hard sometimes, but once you're back in the swing, things feel so much better.