giveyouthemoon

On the asprin/nsaid issue...they tend to "stick" to the stomach lining while they break down. In a normal person they can cause ulcers. In a banded patient, they tend to linger right at the stoma. If you continue to take them over time, it will likely erode the stomach lining and you need the band taken out.

This is a topic not to be solved here on an internet board. Talk to your doctor. This is important stuff!!

Hmmm. That could be a problem. The anesthesia can cause some folks to get a little bound up. It had the opposite effect on me, I had to dash for the potty.

Is he uncomfortable? If so ya'll may need to buy stool softeners. If he's feeling ok (not all backed up) then I suppose let nature take its due course.

Not to get all woo-woo and therapy-like on ya'll...but here's what I finally figured out in my almost three year band journey.

Yes, I too ate way too fast pre-banding. And post-banding. It's been hard.

What I finally figured out is that eating fast is part of "going numb" that eating gives me. Eating is a way to cope with all the crap. And I found I *like* to just turn off and eat...and eat...and eat.

Eating slower forces me to stay present when I eat. And staying present means I eat slower, enjoy my food more, eat less and am more satisfied.

Now, easy for me to say, eh? Harder to do.

Here's what I do. Put a bite of food in. Put the fork/spoon/chopsticks/whatever down. Chew. And chew. And chew. Let it SLOWLY go down the ol' gullet. When it is TOTALLY gone, then pick up your utensil of choice and have another bite.

Another problem I have is I start slow then start to pick up speed. What I'll do then when I notice it is put down my utensil....take a deeeep breath. Then another. Then start again.

Chew and chew and chew.

:rolleyes2:

I had reflux before surgery. For about two years after surgery, I had none at all. It's back and mainly because I'm a bit too tight, and I know it.

A Prilosec a day keeps it at bay. I'm not slipped, all is well. Just a cruddy side effect. Eating smarter helps it too. I'm back doing lower carb and will probably be able to stop the Prilosec pretty soon.

So that was a long answer to your question. Yes, getting the band and reducing your weight and eating smarter will all help alleviate reflux.

Good luck!

Hmmmm.....I thought you had to wait a year after surgery to donate? Wow. I waited a year, but have donated both blood and platelets since.

Guess you gotta ask the Blood Services in your area.

Biotin doesn't make your hair stop falling out, it makes it grow back faster and healthier.

My doctor lets you eat full meals at your own discretion. I had a bean burrito from Taco Bell.

Mine too. He says "give it a try" when it comes to foods after a fill. Right after a fill I can usually eat a lot. For me it doesn't "kick in" until the next day.

Yup, lost quite a bit of hair. I ate plenty of Protein (often more than the 60 grams daily recommended). After a while it stopped.

My hairdresser recommended Biotin and it helped my hair to grow back faster and healthy. Biotin is the best for hair and nails.

The answer I heard was that the Fluid fills up your pouch making you unable to eat a whole lot without filling up.

I do know that Fluid doesn't just slide through the pouch, it drains out slowly (think of a funnel).

So, the effect can be kind of like drinking with a meal if you eat while there is still fluid in the ol' tummy (meaning it helps wash food through making you eat too much).

That being said, for me I usually need to drink a little warm tea before eating to help me eat. But I try to get the tea down and give it awhile before eating.

First of all....tell your doctor. Why would ANYONE keep information vital to their health from their physician? Please, for your sake and your family.

Second, when I got my band, I was a recovered bulimic. Had been recovered about two years.

After my banding it was great....for a while. Not able to binge. It was free from it and it was great.

But as I lost weight I began to realize I hadn't fully addressed my demons. I'm struggling again now and am seeing an ED specialist because the bulimia returned with a vengeance. My therapist says she sees a LOT of both RNY and band patients. As another poster said, the band makes it REALLY easy to vomit.

So since your bulimia was never diagnosed it means you haven't had the chance to work through the demons behind it. There is both a deep emotional component to and ED AND a physiological. This is concerning.

All of this doesn't mean you can't get a band, but PLEASE do not go into this surgery without the help of a good therapist, preferably one with background and experience in eating disorders.

Good luck to you on your journey. Don't underestimate the emotional ride you take when you get a band.

Chew and chew and chew, but yes, salads are fine. I eat them almost every day.

Also, beware of veggies with skins, like tomatos and cucumbers. Those give me troubles and I've had to limit them in the salads I have to get them through the band.

If given a choice, go for the overnight stay. There is no way I could have left the hospital that day and been ok. I know plenty of people here would disagree. I'm just saying, if you get the choice, take it.

Good luck!

And it keeps going. The other day I put on a (gulp) skirt size 12. Yes. I said Size 12. WHAT!?!?!?!? And it fit. I didn't buy it cuz I didn't like it, but it fit perfectly. Damn....size 12. Is this me?

I ran out of the store and told my bf who hugged me tight. He's great support.

I agree with Jack, when you are in the "transition" period, you may not want to buy a ton of clothes. I gave away a lot of stuff with tags still on since I was losing so fast.

Yay!!!!! NSV happiness!!

To echo what others have said. I also have this issue. Try ceasing eating earlier (like hours) before you go to bed. I stop at 7:00 and go to bed at 10:00. Most of the time this fixes it.

But this is well and truly a sign of being too tight. I am, in fact, a bit too tight (for two weeks of my cycle and a bit too loose for the other two weeks), but we tried taking out a bit of Fluid and I could eat everything in sight. The dr and I agreed to a skosh too tight for a few weeks each month is ok since I am getting close to goal.

But keep a good eye on this. Best to mention it to your doctor.

Wheetsin, you nailed it. That list is exactly right. Nicely done!

I regret not capitalizing more on the first 6 months, when is when the weight was really flying off.

I second that emotion.

I also regret that I can't eat a Big Mac anymore...but then did I ever really need it anyway?

This has not always been an easy road but it has always been a fulfilling road. It's quite a journey!

How about the myth that since Lapbanding is reversable, means it's not "permanent". As in what was said to me by a RNY'er..."oh, it's a shame you didn't choose a permanent solution..." What?

And how about that Lapbanding (or any bariatric surgery) is "taking the easy way out". Ugh. This has been one of the hardest things I've ever done.

Yeah...so since I've been banded I can't hold my drinks like I used to. Where I could drink four now two puts me way over the top....

And yeah, alcohol relaxes the esophagus and stomach, so it makes it so you can eat more (unfortunately).

Two things to remember for next time:

1) eat first or get something small to graze on when the first drink gets there

and

2) plan what you are going to eat for dinner BEFORE you finish that first drink..so when you are all happily loopy you already know what to order and won't drift over into crap foods.

(secret #3, don't be hard on yourself! you'll be fine!!! )

More Protein is fine, just make sure you are drinking plenty of water! It help your body metabolize it better.

Random, random, random. I can never tell one day to next, one food to next. It ALL depends.

Are you recently banded? My tummy made lots of rumblies right after being banded. Like it was growling but I knew I wasn't hungry. I chalked it up to "adjusting".

Also, did you recently take a drink of liquid? It will gurgle a lot in the beginning too.

I don't think about it unless I'm eating. When I'm going to eat it's always very much on my mind.

The other night was laying down reading, not thinking about it until my fourteen pound cat placed a paw and all her weight smack dab on my port. Ow.

kacee - I realize this wasn't the point of your post, but just my .02... ALWAYS be careful with frozen stuff like the marg. It will clamp down your esophagus (I think the cold contracts the esophagus or maybe the pouch). I suspect it was the marg not the tacos that did you in.

If I get something really cold like that (sometimes even iced tea will do it to me), I wait SEVERAL minutes to let the pipes warm up again before eating. Otherwise it's a certain PB.

You have to find a way to see a doctor, like ASAP. Bad reflux is the first sign of a slip. At the worst, a slip. At the least, you are overfilled. I'd say if it is this bad there could be something horribly wrong.

Get thee to a doctor and don't delay, ok?

Does it help if I tell you that you are totally, completely, 100% normal? In fact, I'd be worried about you if you *weren't* a bit depressed.

The big emotional journey coupled with the remainders of anesthesia in your system can make for some wild mood swings. Go with them...it's all part of the journey.

By the by, this might not make you thrilled, but at over two years out, I still sometimes get really bummed out by not being able to eat whatever I want.

I yearn for a cheeseburger, I really do.

But this is all part of the ongoing headwork I do. There but for the grace of a really good therapist go I.....

Good luck, you are doing great!