shortgal

The OTC cough RX for diabetics usually say "DM" on them.

So encouraging to hear that some of you can tolerate popcorn nuts, apples. I'm hoping I'm one of the lucky ones that can tolerate these foods down the road. At six weeks out I have restricted myself to easy to eat foods and avoided foods that I fear I'll have problems getting down. I have tried a little cereal to help, that was just before my recent fill and haven't been ready to re-try it. I used to eat Raisin Bran years ago, but changed to a lower carb cereal ( Special K Low Carb) and recently bought one of the Kashi cereals to try ( Go Lean). I have to check the nutirtion labels for how much fiber and then experiment with how much daily fiber "moves" things along. It's not the "quantity" of evacuation, but rather an issue of how frequent ( 5 days is too long) or how difficult it is to pass once I'm ready to go. (Hope I said that delicately enough) Thanks for some great suggestions!

Blood work several years ago indicated my B-12 was very low, so I started getting injections (monthly) at my Dr's office and still get them after several years. I find if I skip a few months, it goes right back down. From what I've read some people do not raise their levels with pills/vitamins,( they are just not absorbed by some people unless their injected) so you should try the pills for six months and then have your levels checked again. I keep wondering if there isn't a correlation between my acid reflux and my b-12 levels, so now that my hiatal hernia was repaired, I guess I'll be able to see if there are changes in my b12 levels.

Read the post at top "Main lap band surgery forum" by Wendell about how th band works. I think it is a grat explanation of fills. It helped me to understand why we get fills, we have restriction for a while and then need another fill until finally we reach the magic sweet spot. It is just a process for banders and along the way, I think it teaches us how to eat better anyway.

Wow, over 100 lbs and you've had moving and kids going off to school. Look at what you've accomplished! Way to go! I color my hair every month and don't want to ever know how much of my head is truly gray. Who shaves their legs regularly in the dead of winter unless getting a pedicure or seeing their ob/gyn for an appt? Ha! Six 6? I was never in a size 6. Buy something great, if you can afford it after all the college tuition and enjoy the half empty nest. We know you're stressed but please celebrate all your achievements! And not with bad food! Oh and I love and miss apples and have not had one yet since my surgery. Hope my band likes them later.

Does the flax seed come already ground? Do you buy it in regular or health food type store? I like the idea of adding the natural kind of fiber. I will try the wheat germ and look for other ways to add it to food. all great ideas, thanks

I was told NOT to use the Protein powder during the first two weeks. Isopure CLEAR protein has 40 grams of protein in each bottle ( I think the bottle has between 16 and 20 oz in it). It is premixed ready to drink. So if you consume One bottle a day and one atkins shake you've gotten in 55 grams of protein. Two bottles of the Isopure Clear and you'll have 80 grams of protein. It's comes in a variety of flavors and I still use them after fills so I can get in enough protein. GNC sells them.

One point on WW equals approx 50 to 70 calories depending on the fiber and fat content in the food. so if we take the avergage of that at 60 calories, then at 27 points you might be consuming over 1600 calories. At the lowest range figuring 50 calories for every point you'd be at 1350 and at the higest figuring 70 calories for every point you could be at 1890. It's easy to figure that with nutrition label from packaged food and the WW sliding scale they give you to figure points. If you don;t have one of theose red sliding scales ask them for one. So when having carbs aim for high fiber like whole wheat bread or brown rice and limit your serving size of those. Stay away from fats and lower your points. I never lose weight on WW unless I keep my daily points to 24 and then I lose 3 pounds a month. But that was without exercise.

You can find some web site for the band manufacturers and some of them have suggested post op diet routines

dissolvable sutures and glue! Some of the sutures are sticking out at the end of the incision line, like Dr. Watkins described. The office removed some at my last visit, but a few are too short to get, so I have to wait for them to dissolve. I didn't vote. Wasn't sure if I should vote as Glue or stitches!

Totally outrageous! I am NOT a universal health care advocate, but we must make insurance companies NON PROFIT organizations and put more decisions in the hands of Doctors.

Hi Dr. Watkins, Nice to see you are still posting and helping us. I'm wondering what type of band you use and what is the "average" cc fill for the majority of your patients. by this I mean: how often do you spread fills apart How many cc's at each fill And when patients reach near their goal weight how many cc's do they end up with. Again just averages, I realize every patient is different. Do you suggest patients do an unfill before flying? And if yes, how much is taken out? Do many patients have a problem flying with their band? Thanks! Shortie

Glad to hear you got a lot accomplished yesterday. do you have to do an upper GI series as well? I had my gallbladder out years ago, so I didn't need the ultrasound and I had a upper GI several years ago because of acid reflux and that test diagnosed a hiatal hernia. I was glad I knew that ahead of time b/c Dr. Erlich was able to fix it at the time of surgery and it wasn't a surprise for him to go in and find a hernia that we didn't know about. You're lucky about your insurance. Our insurance is pretty good on most things, but not on bariatric surgery. I started the process with Dr. Ehrlich last Feb. and got a big runaround from my insurance. After waiting months and going through denials and appeals, I just didn't want to wait anymore. So bottom line is we self paid and within a month of that decision, I was done! I'm happy I'm changing my life. I know the first struggle is to get the weight off and I know even with the band I will struggle to keep it off. I honestly feel the "help" of my band will allow me to do that. Let the CT group know when your date is set!

Ask the Dr, if you can do 2 shakes a day and then a low fat, low calorie dinner. Not all fat people have a fatty liver, but if they know you do, then it would be wise to follow the pre-op diet. I believe your Dr would prefer if you are going to "cheat" that you at least eat healthly low fat, low calorie and avoid sugar. The smaller your liver the better for your surgeon. Would you like to be the surgeon and be worried about nicking your liver during surgery? Just because Justin's Dr wasn't going to do an "open" procedure doesn;t mean your Dr won't. If you are unable to stick to a low calorie diet before the surgery, then how will you handle the period after the surgery and BEFORE you get good restriction?

There's a recent thread about PB'ing and I think it includes a poll. You can find it doing a search. "Search" tool is at the top of main page in Lt blue tool bar

I would ask your current Dr to make a referral for you and for them to give you a copy of your records for you to take with you to the next Dr. You might want to locate a Dr out West first and then give your current Dr's office the number and ask them to call and explain your situation.

Had my second fill today, mine is similar to socaldixiegal reply except I am told two days of "full" liquid and then two days of mushies and then onto regular tolerated foods. I feel a little tighter since the fill, (it took me longer than usual to finish my yogurt) not sure how long that feeling will last. Next appt is two weeks. I was told we'll evaluate hunger, weight loss etc and decide if another fill in indicated.

Please call your Dr. and ask about his/her specific instructions. They can vary from Dr to Dr and for different patients. If you have a higher BMI or if your bloodwork indicated a fatty Liver thru the LFT test, then a pre op diet might be indicated. The least you should be doing is nothing to eat or drink the day of the surgery. This is generally mandatory. I was on Clear liquids for two days and nothing the day of surgery.

100% fruit juices have a lot of calories and sugar in them. Yes, it's natural sugar ( for most of them) but still sugar. some add corn syrup, so read the labels. Check out the "light" fruit juices, they are lower in calories. You'll get Protein from any meat but you could add Isopure CLEAR Protein Drink. It comes in different flavors and has no sugars or carbs. You can buy them at a GNC (General nutrition store) or a Vitamin Shoppe. I like the Special K protein Water, they're flavored and I like the Propel flavored waters.

I am on "full" liquids for two day and then mushies for two days after a fill.

I stayed overnight. My surgery was done about 3:30pm and I was out by 11 am the next day. I have no co-morbidities. They did have some on and off inflating things on my legs and I was given shots to prevent blood clots. No morphine pump.

Maybe you just are noticing now b/c you can't have it, but every January, usually the first two weeks of the month, I guess because so many people diet, the fast food chains advertise these specials to get people to come in. I've noticed this for years! It's kind of like women not noticing pregnant women around, until they are pregnant, and then it seems you see them everywhere. Stay strong.

I sent the TODAY show an e-mail yesterday and expressed my displeasure with the comments by the People magazine woman. I could not find a web site for the People Magazine or they would have gotten one, too!

I was VERY groggy for hours after. I mean my legs wouldn;t even hold me up kind of groggy and can;t keep my eyes open at all kind of groggy. Didn't feel any pain at that point. when I was more awake, I had chest and shoulder pain which was from the gas they use to inflate your stomach more, so the Dr can work inside. The gas pain lasted four days. I asked for some pain meds in the hospital and took only two doses of a liquid pain med at home. Getting the liquid down the first few days was hard and after the fourth day, I felt much improved and started getting more liquids down. In the hospital I had an IV hooked up. I have had one other surgery ( gallbladder and I was very groggy after that one, too, so I guess it's just the way I am). If you're nauseous just ask for anti-nausea meds or if you have pain ask for pain meds. My incisions never hurt me at all, just the gas pain. Plan on resting, sipping Water once you're home and just do as much as you feel able to. You'll do fine, Look how many here on the forum got thru it!

Hey CTMAN: I was at the Dr's office today for a fill appt. There were no men there, so our appts must have been at different times. How did your appt go? I had my second fill today and I now have 3cc in my band. I know I was ready for this fill as my food intake was going up and so was my hunger in between eating as opposed from the first few weeks after surgery. I had nothing to eat before the appt. I had an Atkins shake when I got home. I noticed I had to drink a little slower after the fill. I just finished a small glass of V8 and that went down slower, too with a little gurgling. Today and tomorrow I'm to stay on full liquids and then 2 days of mushies before returning to normal food. I hope to get at least a week of feeling like I have to go slower and eat less as I haven't lost any weight in the last week. My next appt is in 2 weeks and I was told we'll evaluate my hunger, my weight loss and how well food is going down and then decide if a fill is necessary. Sounds like a good plan to me. I have to say this fill hurt a little more than the last, but different person did the fill?????