justhere4theshow

So, I have had a bit of trouble with stomach acid over the last couple of weeks. My surgeon increased my pantoprazole to twice a day about a week ago. Twice since then, I have woken up with acid coming up and choking me. I cough and sputter, and it feels like it goes up into my nose and into my lungs. This concerns me greatly because it is painful and now I am afraid to lie down, and I cannot sleep in my recliner (I'm a lifelong side sleeper) I have been suffering with bad hunger pangs and I know acid causes that too. Has this happened to anyone else? I think it may be related to my eating half a banana, but that is the only thing I can think of that was different. I also gained back three pounds in just a week, so I am very upset and discouraged at this point. I feel like my body is fighting against me a bit and I am letting it get to me. I plan to call my surgeon tomorrow. I have an appointment 8/22. If I can't get this under control, I am going to be miserable! Now I wish I had gone with RNY.

P E P C I D!!!!!! I have taken ONE dose and I have NO burning, and no pain when my sleeve is empty anymore. Thank goodness!!!!

I have had it pretty badly. I was taking Protonix with no relief. Doc added Pepcid and it was like flipping a switch. I no longer burn, and my sleeve no longer hurts when it is empty. I swore I was having hunger pain, but I believe it was acid causing it. It's gone after one dose!

Wow, that sounds rough!!! I am a former sugar addict myself. I didn't do anything structured when I got off the sugar. I just stopped. It's rough at first, but the freedom is wonderful! I would just run everything by your doctor and make sure it is safe, and then do whatever feels right for you. I hope you have good results; I know how miserable sugar addiction made me feel. All the best!

@@helenpgh Thank you!! I got out my WLS for Dummies book where I had written my weight and measurements. I had forgotten that I started at 238. I have lost inches from everywhere I had measured! I am feeling much better about things tonight. I also saw my doctor and they are going to work on my hormones and enlarged uterus. (I'm pretending it weighs 10 lbs just to make me feel better, LOL) Things will work out. I am making good choices and doing everything I can. The rest will be sorted out in time. Thank you for the support!

I am over this stupid stall. 10 days gone by since I hit Onederland, only to turn around and end up right back at 200 again. I am doing everything my surgeon said to do. I have fibroids and I am seeing my Gyn tomorrow about that. I cannot stand this! It's so frustrating...I don't mind the challenges; they are making me stronger. I do mind the fact that lately this seems like I made the wrong choice to deal with my weight. I never dreamed I'd be stuck at 200 lbs!

I was the same, with some intermittent reflux off and on. Nothing serious. Hopefully I can get my meds right and stop the burning!

Thank you!

I was dying for a salad for sooooo long. I hadn't had one since before mother's day (my last day before I started pre-op liquids). I thought I would never be the same without salad. I have been doing pretty well with most everything I have had a taste for thus far, and tonight I got up the nerve to have a salad. Hubby wanted hot wings from Zaxby's, so I ordered a side salad and a single chicken finger. I cut up the chicken finger and ate it first. I had room for three bites (small bites) of salad, and then I was just completely disappointed. I don't care for it because it seems so empty and useless. And now I am hungry after about an hour. Has anyone else concluded that salad is just a waste of our time or do you still enjoy it? I would rather single out a couple of my favorite veggies and have that with my protein. The lettuce is just not useful. Although I think I will try some baby spinach next time and see if it's better. What are your thoughts on salad?

I am finally free...I finally said goodbye to the use of food for coping. I had so much head hunger while I was on liquids. That was hard. I never cheated on any of my diet phases, I just felt a lot grief over the loss of the coping mechanism. I was slow to feel confident in my ability to change my relationship with food for the rest of my life. I was a sugar/carb addict. But, slowly I developed a healthier approach to food. I need fuel, not entertainment or comfort. I slowly but surely found the will to disconnect my entire life from food. I made peace with it. I now eat to survive and enjoy other things. I am no longer obsessed with what I can eat next. I just think about efficient ways to get my nutrition now. I can go grocery shopping without anxiety. I had full-on panic attacks at first; I just couldn't imagine my life without most of what is in that store. Now I am able to go in for what I need, and I ignore the other stuff. It's a good feeling. I am so glad I had the surgery. It has truly saved me. I now love myself more than I love food.

My thoughts exactly!

Normally those are comorbidities that require unsuccessful treatment attempts, but your insurance may not require that. Call your insurance company and ask for the requirements. They will probably just read it to you from your policy documents, but it's a good place to start. Doctors may be able to influence their decision if it's "iffy". Good luck!!!

I don't see why they wouldn't do surgery the Friday before a holiday Unless your surgeon is taking time off, of course. I hope you get a quick approval!! Good Luck!!

I had the exact same type of experience. My insurance was pre-authorized and told me AND the bariatric clinic that I had to have six months of pre-op appointments along with all of the other standard hoops to jump through in the meantime (nutrition classes, psych eval, upper endoscopy, classes about how to exercise properly, bloodwork, etc) At my third appointment with the bariatric nurse practitioner, I had completed everything. She told me that she thought BCBS was wrong about requiring me to have three more months of weigh-ins, and she made a phone call. I didn't even get excited about it, because I figured I would have to wait three more months after all, and I didn't want to get my hopes up. It was the end of the day, so I didn't wait around to hear if she got anywhere with BCBS; she said she would let me know. Two days later, an insurance rep at the hospital calls me and says "we need to collect your facility fee of $275 for your upcoming surgery". I said that's fine (still thinking it would be three months later)...But, when the rep gave me the confirmation of the payment, she then said "I'll contact your surgeon and let them know you're ready to go!" I asked exactly what that meant; "Ready to go when?"...and she said the magic words: "Your surgeon can schedule an OR for you as soon as you can do your pre-op diet." Still confused, I asked if she was talking about September/October...nope! I was in the OR two WEEKS later. Turns out my policy requires six months for bypass, but only three months for sleeve. So, it pays to have someone from your surgeon/program to help you with insurance requirements. If she hadn't double checked, I wouldn't even have had my surgery yet. So even though my recovery has been a comedy of errors (on my part), and I am losing slowly, I am glad she made that call to BCBS to get me ahead three months!

I think it's just surprising to me that my tastes have changed so much. I think I just lost my "obsession" with salad. Wow. It was the only healthy habit I had before surgery, haha...but I have also lost my taste for bacon, and I am now in love with melon of any kind. Before surgery I wouldn't have eaten cantaloupe or honeydew unless I was being held captive and that is all I had. Now I am in love with honeydew! I think what I have learned is that if I am not passionate about it and/or it isn't good for me, then it's just not a part of the way I eat anymore. Interesting. I am so grateful for this tool. It has helped me to make changes I never thought possible.

I chose the sleeve with my surgeon's guidance. I take a lot of meds, and I have a history of inflammatory bowel issues. It's not bothering me now, but could in the future. So, I didn't want malabsorption because of meds, and my surgeon said it would be better to leave my intestines alone. Sometimes there is no one deciding factor if you're young and have no co-morbidities, so it comes down to preference. Do lots of research from sources who have no vested interest in your decision. If you still can't decide, maybe your surgeon would have you lean more in one direction than the other based on your medical history and circumstances. Best wishes on your journey!!

@@JazzyV it is very overwhelming. For me, I think it was one of the hardest things I had ever done related to my eating habits and relationship with food in general. It helps so much to find out how tough you are as you go along in the process.

Eggs are tough for some people for a while. I still can't bring myself to even try an egg and I am almost 3 months out. You seem like you're getting a good handle on things; I hope it gets better every day!

Follow your doctor's order first, always. I have been taking about 8 pills in the morning and about 10 at night. I take them all together with a sip or two of a protein shake. No pain, just nausea that lasts about 2 minutes and then passes...my surgeon said I could take capsules and smaller coated tablets from day one, but anything big or chalky needed to be crushed and mixed with yogurt (thinned with milk) I have none that fit that description, and have done fine since right after surgery. My doc recommended the sleeve because I take so many meds; the bypass would affect absorption. This is just my experience. Always be safe and follow the rules from your doc

It will be a distant memory soon...I am so sorry; I hated my liquid phase. The only thing I can really say is that it will be worth it!

I agree that this behavior is dangerous and should not be validated. BUT, it's not a reason to talk about someone like they aren't present. That was incredibly rude. We'd all be of more assistance to each other if we deal with facts, not emotions. Yeah, it pisses me off to see someone squander a chance like this, when they can achieve better health and move away from self-destructive behavior, and then willingly choose to be non-compliant, but I don't think it helps to express that rudely every time I read something on here that I don't like or agree with. Why does everyone feel the need to be judge, jury and executioner? State the facts and leave it alone. We are not doctors and we are certainly not responsible for anyone but ourselves, so to get all shocked and act like that diminishes your credibility. These things happen. Edited for clarity.

I turned into a monster after my surgery. I am not sure if it's hormones, stress, or hunger, or any other mysterious phenomenon...but I am trying to overcome it. Here's the thing: If you have been where I have been, and you have something valuable for me to learn, I will read your stuff. If I know the answer to a question you have asked, cool. You can read my stuff, too. Let's just agree to disagree if necessary. Everyone has their own experiences. I am just ready to get on with it and lose this weight...no amount of arguing or being hateful is going to make me lose it, so it's wasted energy. That's all I wanted to say. Edited for clarification of a garbled sentence, UGH.

I was sleeved 5/23/16, and I was on liquids for 2 weeks prior to surgery and 3 weeks post op. I thought I would lose my mind, but I didn't and now I barely remember it. Just keep reminding yourself of the trauma that your stomach went through, and it needs TLC for a bit. It takes a while for swelling to go down. Lots of healing going on. You will get through it, and it's so worth it. Seems like a small bump in the road now that I look back on it. Hang in there; you'll be advancing your diet soon enough. I know it seems like forever!

@@serenaud, I am perimenopausal and plan to ask my doctor about it for sure. It has gotten better, but I generally lose weight everytime it gets bad, so I am learning to roll with it. I religiously take my vitamins and hit my protein goals every day, but I do have to limit my carbs or I don't lose. I have hotly debated this issue with my NUT, and she finally agreed to let me go low carb with her blessing because I am painfully aware of my body's low tolerance for carbs. I do eat fruit daily, so I get some. I can't eat anything white or heavily processed. I am finally getting into a good groove, so I probably won't worry about it as much as I did when I first posted this. Thank you for taking the time to post a response! I am grateful for the support I have received here!