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:clap2::clap2::clap2: What AMY said... :clap2::clap2::clap2:

I'm so sorry you're struggling through this--I had the tough gas pains, too. It's no fun. My left shoulder pain was partly due to constipation after sugery (barium + liquid diet - Fiber supplements ). My post-op instructions said I could use Milk of Magnesia after the first week. Let me tell you, that's when the gas pains finally went away for good! M.O.M. doesn't cause any abdominal cramping, loose stool, or urgency. It works by bringing more liquid into the intestinal tract. It just....er....well.....hm..... it's like wetting your "Slip 'N Slide"! Anyone remember those? Yes, I too was a child of the Sixties...

Name.......Challenge Start Wt...Current Wt.....Challenge Goal..To Go Huntersmom...... 174........... 172........... 159............ 13 SWEETY.......... 202........... 200........... 180............ 20 MJsafari........ 268........... 260........... 238............ 22 captdanbo....... 211........... 211........... 185............ 26 PaulaD.......... 216........... 216........... 199............ 17 Stefanie42467... 206........... 203........... 175............ 28 Suzzzie......... 349........... 349........... 320............ 29 glindab......... 277........... 269........... 250............ 19 MM.............. 242........... 235........... 218............ 17 finallythin..... 254........... 254........... 225............ 29 BeckieT......... 259........... 259........... 239............ 20 Miscontext...... 303........... 303........... 275............ 28 ja9va........... 207........... 202........... 182............ 20 wombat712....... 180........... 177........... 165............ 12 Texasmom5573.... 252........... 252........... 230............ 22 Waters.......... 214........... 213........... 190............ 24 lessnless....... 206........... 195........... 179............ 16 MissDarlene..... 223........... 223........... 195............ 28 o2bthin..........238............238............215 ............23

This is exactly where pharmacists earn their pay. You are a "special needs" customer now, and deserve a little more assistance. Ask them to note on your account that you are a bariatric patient. Be a pest. Ask your pharmacist about EVERYTHING, even your over-the-counter meds. Some have coatings specifically to protect the meds from your stomach acid, and so can't be crushed without losing effectiveness. Ask about masking taste, etc. I'm lucky--I have an old-style compounding pharmacy a quarter-mile from my house. I'm thinking about asking the pharmacist whip up an answer for buffering my Aleve (I have joint pain, and I try to avoid prescription pain meds). I know it's an OTC, but it's worth paying a little extra for a "spoonful of sugar" to help the medicine go down.

I take the Centrum Silver chewables. Silver doesn't have any Iron, for those of us women who don't menstruate. I also take the Viactive Calcium Chews--tastes just like a Tootsie Roll. Pre-band, I always had a hard time taking a daily Vitamin. Too hard to swallow. This is much easier.

Name.......Challenge Start Wt...Current Wt.....Challenge Goal..To Go Huntersmom...... 174........... 172........... 159............ 13 SWEETY.......... 202........... 200........... 180............ 20 MJsafari........ 268........... 262........... 238............ 24 captdanbo....... 211........... 211........... 185............ 26 PaulaD.......... 216........... 216........... 199............ 17 Stefanie42467... 206........... 203........... 175............ 31 Suzzzie......... 349........... 349........... 320............ 29 glindab......... 277........... 277........... 250............ 27 MM.............. 242........... 235........... 218............ 17 finallythin..... 254........... 254........... 225............ 29 BeckieT......... 259........... 259........... 239............ 20 Miscontext...... 303........... 303........... 275............ 28 ja9va........... 207........... 202........... 182............ 20 wombat712....... 180........... 179........... 165............ 14 Texasmom5573.... 252........... 252........... 230............ 22 Waters.......... 214........... 213........... 190............ 24 lessnless....... 206........... 197........... 179............ 18

I just got my first fill today. I was on the table for < 2 minutes. I didn't feel the needle at all. The nurse handed me the barium to swallow, and I said I wanted to wait until after the needle went in, in case I jumped. The Doc looks up and says, "It's in, kiddo". I was honestly more concerned about the row of "internal staples" I saw just along the edge of the pouch on the fluoro screen. Turns out, it was my bra closure (big ol' dummy).:faint: I am a LOT tighter after my fill, and I can't imagine eating solids right now. I had some broth and warm chai earlier, so I think everything is OK, but this must be what restriction feels like. :whoo:

OOOoooo! Just read your blog--I want a S.L.U.T. tee! :eek: The height of barn fashion consists of boots that hide manure stains, skintight deerskin breeches, and shock-yo-mama tshirt sayings to draw attention away from those skintight breeches. My current favorite tee reads, in shaky handwriting: "People like you are the reason people like me need medication"

That I am an award-winning amateur photographer, and a nationally ranked equestrian. Where's that llama-ridin' banana icon?!?!

Me! Me! Me! Me! Me! I went into surgery thinking I was substituting pain for willpower. Eat right, or suffer the consequences! :eek: Instead, I got the Cracker Jack prize: no more interest in food! Who knew?!?!?!

I use FiberSure. They offer a free sample/coupon on their website. Fibersure.com It's a loose powder, 5g fiber per heaping tsp. It's completely tasteless, and dissolves in anything. I use two scoops a day in my Water bottle or my coffee. My husband uses it on his Cereal. I've also used the BeneFiber powder, but I like the FiberSure better--less gassy. My instructions say not to use FiberCon tablets, etc. My doctor recommends UniFiber, but I can't find it anywhere locally.

I had the same choice 18 months ago. I was diagnosed pre-diabetic and went on a diet specifically to avoid medication for diabetes. I lost 38 lbs in just 6 months, but less than 3 months later I was gaining again, with my blood sugar skyrocketing. I had surgery 2 weeks ago, and I'm still kicking myself over those lost months. I'd be thin and healthy by now! What was I so afraid of? Did I really think ONE MORE diet would be different? Your approval for the lapband may be based on your current BMI of 44. If you went on a diet and dropped to a BMI of 35 (that's probably 40-50lbs difference), would you still be covered for surgery, or would you have to "weight" until you'd gained everything back again? Where do you want to be this time next year?

I'm 18 days post-op, and I'm down 17 lbs in 5 weeks, 9 lbs since surgery. It doesn't seem like much compared to those who are on the liquid diets for weeks and weeks. My Doctor requires a sensible low-fat/low-carb diet for 2 weeks before surgery, and liquids for only 1 week after surgery, then on to mushies. I'm getting my first fill at 21 days post-op. I'm hoping it's a small one because I'm happy with the amount I'm eating and with my weight loss thus far. I'm NEVER hungry, and I'm only managing to eat about 1,000 calories a day.

I'm 2 weeks post-op, and I haven't been hungry yet. That's why the pre-op diet is so much harder than the post-op--after surgery, you just lose most of your appetite.

I was one of the lucky patients with the terrible gas pains after surgery. While I was allowed to move from Clear liquids to full liquids after 3 days, my stomach wasn't ready for it. :sick:sick:sick When my son was little, he had bouts of gas colic, and I remember this recipe helped him. I swear it tastes just like the rice pudding (kheer) served at Indian restaurants. Cardamom is the flavoring in chai/spice tea. It's completely unique, nothing else substitues well. It settles the tummy like a prescription drug. I've put it in my coffee for years, and everyone comments on it. Kheer (Rice Pudding) Drink 1/4 c Gerber "Cereal for Baby" Rice Flakes 1/2 c 1% Milk 1/4 tsp Cardamom 1 pkg Stevia or Splenda sweetener Mix all ingredients together in a coffee mug, and microwave on high for 45 seconds. 105 calories, 10g Protein

If I could stick to kale and blueberries, I wouldn't need a LapBand. :heh: I smell a crystal energy sales pitch...

Yes! I gained seven pounds the day of surgery. I gained SIX INCHES in my waistline--they're not kidding when they tell you to wear loose-fitting clothing to the hospital. I looked like a Weeble. I had two days of very low urine output--we're talking scant OUNCES a day--so I kept those pounds on for 3/4 days, but I had lost another four pounds (or ELEVEN pounds total) by my one week check-up. Two weeks out, I've actually lost one inch in my waist from my starting point, so everything seems to be back to normal...

Name....Challenge start wgt....current wgt.....chall. goal.....To go Huntersmom...... 174.............. 172........... 159...... ..... 13 SWEETY.......... 202.............. 200........... 180............ 20 MJsafari........ 268.............. 266........... 238............ 28 captdanbo....... 211.............. 211........... 185............ 26 PaulaD.......... 216.............. 216........... 199............ 17 Stefanie42467... 206.............. 206........... 175............ 31 Suzzzie. ....... 346.............. 346........... 315............ 31 glindab......... 277.............. 277........... 250............ 27 MM.............. 242.............. 237.4......... 218............ 19.4 finallythin..... 254.............. 254........... 225............ 29 BeckieT......... 259.............. 259........... 239............ 20 Miscontext...... 303.............. 303........... 275............ 28 ja9va........... 207.............. 207........... 182............ 25 wombat712....... 180.............. 179........... 165............ 14 Texasmom5573.... 252.............. 252........... 230............ 22 Waters.......... 214.............. 213........... 190............ 24 lessnless....... 206.............. 197........... 179............ 18

Cerrin, Right back atcha. The first time I saw your siggy, I thought, "The only way there's a skinny woman in me is if I accidentally sat on one at the ball park" :eek::confused: All, I have found the ultimate (for-now, for-me, your-mileage-may-vary) Protein Drink. Tastes just like a Smoothie-King pineapple/orange/coconut fruit smoothie. YU--UMM: 1 scoop Jay Robb's whey Protein (Pina Colada) 1 packet Crystal Light On-the-Go (Sunrise Orange) 16oz Water (water flavored, duh) ============ 153 calories, 24g whey isolate protein Jay Robb's is available at the Vitamin Shoppe, or you can order samples online at Jay Robb Official Site - The Fruit Diet, Fruit Flush 3 Day Detox, All Natural Protein powders

That describes my experience exactly. I quit smoking with the nicotine patch a decade ago, and I remember being shocked at how much free time I had when I wasn't spending all my time smoking, or thinking about smoking. The patch did that for me. The band had done something similar with my food obsession. I just "forget to obsess". I know there may be tough days ahead, but I'm VERY optimistic.

That's the GREAT thing about their sample packs--you aren't stuck with a month's supply of patented Gag-A-Maggot. I found the nectar "Lemon Tea" to be the worst so far, but I'm a fine Southern woman, and I take my iced tea seriously.

And yes, all the labels on the cans in my pantry are lined up!!! Too much time on my hands.... ***SING IT*** Too much time on my hands...

Name....Challenge start wgt....current wgt.....chall. goal.....To go Huntersmom...... 174.............. 172........... 159...... ..... 13 SWEETY.......... 202.............. 200........... 180............ 20 MJsafari........ 268.............. 268........... 238............ 30 captdanbo....... 211.............. 211........... 185............ 26 PaulaD.......... 216.............. 216........... 199............ 17 Stefanie42467... 206.............. 206........... 175............ 31 Suzzzie. ....... 346.............. 346........... 315............ 31 glindab......... 277.............. 277........... 250............ 27 MM.............. 242.............. 242........... 227............ 15 finallythin..... 254.............. 254........... 225............ 29 BeckieT......... 259.............. 259........... 239............ 20 Miscontext...... 303.............. 303........... 275............ 28 ja9va........... 207.............. 207........... 182............ 25 wombat712....... 180.............. 179........... 165............ 14 Texasmom5573.... 252.............. 252........... 230............ 22 Waters.......... 214.............. 213........... 190............ 24 lessnless....... 206.............. 199........... 179............ 20

ME TOO! I was told to stay at home until I could eat at least 500 calories. Took me six days post-op to get there. I feel like Alice in Wonderland--a half-cup of Soup looks GIGANTIC now. I'm completely uninterested in food--might as well be a dog biscuit. I'm strictly eating for nourishment for the first time in my life. I went to the market by myself last Thursday, and even chocolate didn't look interesting. Now THAT'S freakin' magic...

I'm scheduled for my first fill on 09/21. My Dr requires you to have had no solids on fill day, and post-fill diet is clear liquids/full liquids/mushies (3 days). All fills done under fluoro, so a bit more aggressive. I'm actually not looking forward to it--I'm not hungry, I'm tolerating food well and I've lost 6lbs in the last 10 days. Why mess with success?