Ms.Mel

JenniB, You may be OK taking pills with water, but as you get more restriction, you may find that pills do not go down as easy. I've had more than one "stuck" moment with one of my vitamins. This caused me lots of problems. Now I request my meds from the dr. in small pills or in liquid form. I have also moved to chewable vitamins. My favs are the Centrum Silver chewables. I don't mind the taste or the texture. I've tried the Bariatric advantage and I could not handle the taste or the texture. In reality the taste isn't too bad, but after awhile I just didn't couldn't handle them anymore.

I posted this quite awhile ago and since then I have had to be unfilled 3 times. the 3rd time I was throwing up blood. They figure it was because of the long term (16+yrs) use of the NSAIDS. I am no longer taking them and am not allowed to take any kind of NSAID again. I just wanted to send out a warning to those of you that are still taking them. Not saying that this will happen to you, but please be cautious. I'm getting my fills again, but it is now a slower process. I've lost about 60 lbs in about 16 months, and I'm going at them at a much slower pace. take care ....

hi ChaCha. i too, deal with arthritis. i was taking an anti-inflammatory (nsaid) and after an irritated pouch, an unfill, and dehydration, i was unfilled and was told to stop the anti-inflammatory meds. i went on Arthritis strength tylenol and have been in pain since. i wish that i could give you good news on this issue, but alas, i don't think there is any. I am in constant pain and have decided to take my nsaid drugs occasionally and not on an everyday basis. I'm going to see a joint specialist this January in hopes that he has some good news for me. I'm pretty sure that a knee replacement is in store for me, as i know that my knee is in bad shape. I will be checking back occasionally to see if anyone else has anything to add or any news that i haven't heard of. Take care.....

Hi I didn't have to give up my arthritis meds, but i was strongly suggested to stop taking them just after i had to have an unfill--due to illnesses, intolerances, allergies. I was taking an Nsaid for osteoarthritis. I am now taking Arthritis strength Tylenol. Believe me it isn't the same but it helps. My goal was to get enough weight off so that I will stop hurting. However, with almost 50 lbs gone, I am moving a lot more and it seems I hurt a lot more....go figure.

Hi I thought I'd check in to see what the 50's gang was up to. The new makeover of this website looks good. I haven't posted in quite awhile but I have been lurking for several months. This one post caught my eye and I just have to comment.... What exactly are you worried about... the hunger or the vomiting or the possibility of another cancellation??? Your best bet is to take time to read, Read, READ all the valuable information that the internet has to offer regarding the lapband. This forum as well as many others, is the best place to start. Keep asking questions...

Hi Debbie, I worked with my PcP and my pharmacist and they found pills that were small enough for me to take, and also found a couple of pills that could be crushed or dissolved in Water. It took them a few days to find pills that I could get down. I agree TALK with your Dr. They will help you find something that works for you. You are one of the lucky ones.....I have lost about 40 lbs. (ticker doesn't match actual weight loss) and I still deal with high blood pressure and bunches of pills. I guess it is mostly heredity and no so much my diet after all--RATS! Keep the lines of communication open with your surgeon and Primary Care Provider.--They will find what you need!

I'm glad you pain finally went away. Hope all is well with you.

I had back pain in about the same area that you described (just below my sholder blade and just to the right of my spine). I had this pain for about 3 months. I figured it had to do with the way I was sleeping. Since my surgery I had to change the way I slept. Before surgery, i tended to sleep on my stomach, and since that was a little difficult I must have been trying to sleep in a different position Causing different muscles to be used. I also think that the pain may have been because of the weight loss and learning to use different muscles while my incisions healed. My work often has me sitting at my desk and I had to learn to hold my self up rather than slump. It has almost been 4 months since my surgery and I don't have that pain anymore. Hopefully your pain isn't anything serious.

Your post states that this is "...for women who've had weight loss surgery of any kind at least nine months ago." Does that mean that this is not for someone 4 months out of surgery? Please i would like to know....I think I would like to go Thanks,

Melissa, Welcome. Go the the discussion forum page and then scroll down to frequently asked questions. Under the sub forums, go to forum frequently asked questions. There is all kinds of information there about how to do what. My next peice of advice, is to take the time to look over this whole site. There is a lot of great information here. There are other sites as well that offer just as much information. Take your time and read, read, and read some more. Good luc

I found out that i couldn't tolerate any of the whey Proteins either. I found this one and it tastes like SF grape koolaid--not bad. I drink it mixed with Water, but I'm sure it can be mixed with just about anything. It's called Liquacel. I bought it online through colonial medical--here's the website: Liquacel - 1 oz Packets :: Medical Nutrition :: Dietary supplements :: Colonial Medical Assisted Devices

Amanda, I too had a difficult time drinking water at first. I think it was because I was in the habit of gulping and not sipping. After each of my fills I have had to retrain myself to go back to sipping and not gulping my drink (First thing in the morning start off with something warm--it helps soothe your stomach). Now I take two or three small sips at a time and wait, then repeat. Eating and drinking has become a whole new dining experience. I am learning how to pause after each swallow. This way I don't pile too much in at a time--that's when you really feel uncomforable. When I was first home from surgery I ate a little bit at a time, and I ate often. My favorite thing to eat was egg salad. It went down easy and I could eat it without difficulty. I also caved in and ate things that we aren't supposed to, but I was told that I wasn't to worry about weight loss the first 6 weeks. That time is all about healing from the surgery. Don't beat yourself up for caving in. Tomorrow is a new day. As you can see from the above posts, protein shakes come in many different varieties. I found out that I became extremely intolerant of whey protein drinks for about a full month or so after surgery. Now I can tolerate them once in a while. (I have switched to soy protein instead). I spent a bunch of money on protein drinks that i can't tolerate. Papaya pills really do work. They don't taste bad either. Good luck and welcome to bandland:thumbup:.

Cobrien, you have asked some great questions. Personally, and this will vary with each individual, I think that it will take some work to change my habits and my love of food, because I tend to graze on junk. Yesterday was one such day. I made the mistake of buying a box of those 100 calorie snack cookies. Well, before i knew it I had eaten 4 of those packs. I won't be buying those anymore. I did the same thing with popsicles. So now to treat the kids I buy things I don't like. Much easier to control my grazing that way. Restriction does help quite a bit. Once you get the proper restriction--it may take a few months and several fills to get there--you actually eat much less and feel full longer. It is important to drink lots between meals (remember no drinking with your meal nor one hour after--it may vary with your dr.). I found that often times when I think I need to snack, what I really need is to drink something. I have put my crystal lite in the freezer to make it slushy and just love it that way! The more you drink the less you eat. Making sure you are hydrated also keeps those awful 'PBs' away. if you are properly hydrated it just seems to help the food go down easier. Remember the band is a tool. It is there to help you control your appetite. It will not do the work for you. The best thing about the band is that when you make mistakes, like i did yesterday, I just start brand new today. It's easy when you think of it that way. I met someone that also gained much of her weight back. It is possible because she began eating those foods that just slide right through the band--candy, cookies, cakes, ice cream, potatoes, puddings, etc--and she stopped concentrating on eating her lean protein first, veggies second, and then a few bites of starch and if there was room, a bite of sweet last. She also stopped being active (this is what I struggle with). But if you keep communicating online with people and with support groups, you will receive lots of encouragement and good advice from people with lots of experience. They can be a very motivating factor in your day to day life with the band. I know that they are for me. Good luck!

Wicked, My nutritionist practically said the same thing--however she did focus more on being active--and told me to watch for anything that may turn my focus to those bad things you mentioned. My focus has been going to online sites such as this one. I really love the interaction you can have with some of the people on them. There are a lot out there. This is one of the easiest ones to use, but there are others out there that are different. It is really a personal choice. My best advice is for you to read, read, and then read some more about your new lapband. There is a lot of information out there and there are a lot of informative people that are more than willing to share their experiences and knowledge. But more importantly, keep the lines of communication open with all of your Drs and nutritionist/dietician. They are the experts and can help you the most.

I, too, am a heart attack survivor with 2 stents. My pCP was waiting for me to bring up WLS and then once she realized I was serious, she was gung ho. She has been my doctor for 16+ years, so she has seen my weight yo yo and had seen me battle the different comorbidities. But before I could have the surgery, the anesthisiologist required me to have all the proper tests (stress test, angiogram, EKG, etc.) to make sure I was oK for the surgery. Then once that was all complete, I had my surgery. I am a very happy camper. I still take all my meds, but I have been told that the more weight I lose, I will probably have to have my meds changed. But for now, I'm feeling really good. Just be sure to follow your Dr. recommendations. Keep the line of communication open with each of your Dr.s and, if you have one, your nutritionist. They know what's best. Of course, keeping in touch with your support groups and on sites like this one is also a big help. There are a lot of people out there with good advice and they are also great at providing lots of encouragement. Good luck!

Hi moe128, I too am lactose intolerant. There are some milk products that my body can tolerate and then somedays I can't tolerate anything. I found out just after surgery, that I became extremely intolerant of any kind of milk product. I found a grape flavored Protein that I can add to Water and it tastes like sugarfree koolaid. It's not bad!! You can get it at the following address: Medical Nutrition :: Dietary supplements :: Colonial Medical Assisted Devices It's called liquacel. I spent a lot of money on Protein drinks that had whey and were still labeled as lactose free. I was miserable..... My advice, is to buy samples and try them. After surgery my nutritionist said that some people find themselves intolerant of a lot of things--I was also intolerant of the fake sugars for awhile as well. I have tried several and this one I can handle. Good luck!

Msnika, Bamagal said it all, "...your body [goes] into "starvation mode" by eating far too little. You're sending a signal to your system that there's a famine... albeit a self-induced one." I was told the very same thing. Can you imagine being told to eat more??!!?? Never in my entire life have I ever been told to eat more!!!! I had cut my fats and carbs intake too much. I was eating between 800-950 calories a day. I increased my caloric intake by eating more of the good carbs and I allowed myself a little more fat. Well, it worked. I lost 2.8 pounds in 6 days. Soooo, hang in there. This is one of the many good places to get good advice and learn a lot of great information about our bandland journey. Congratulations and good luck on your journey.

Vicki, what a wonderful story that you have shared. It has hit home to many of us for many of the same reasons:closedeyes:. Thank you so much for sharing. I agree with stranger that the theme is "better late than never"--How true. Congratulations on your anniversary.

Just one more thing to add to what Athinnerdenise said..... Someone on another thread (or site) mentioned that the heat and humidity was affecting their tightness. So, With everything that has been mentioned and with what I have also experienced in my very short time with the band, you are not alone in this. Take care and keep reading and asking questions. You not only help yourself but you help others, like me:rolleyes:, see that they are not alone in their journey through this new adventure. Good luck!

Thank you Lisa for asking this question. I was wondering the same thing. It seems like I may have been trying to hurry up the process. Even though my nutritionist gave me a "heads up" on what to expect when it's time for a medication change. She told me to really pay attention to how I'm feeling. Pay attention to moments when I feel light headed or a little dizzy when I get up too suddenly. Am I sleeping more than usual. All of these are signs that may indicate a need for a medication change. Everyone that has responded pretty much states what I was told. I guess it will happen gradually and usually one medication at a time. Just pay attention to what your body is telling you and thanks for taking the step and asking for advice. Good Luck!:biggrin2:

Sarah, be sure to mention this to your Dr. I spoke with my surgeon about my medications, because I have to take a handful of meds, and his first suggestion was to talk with my primary care provider. My pcp spoke with my pharmacist and they came up with meds that are smaller and easier to take. I was even given a liquid med for the first month or so after surgery. This helped until I knew what I could or could not handle. Some of my meds say to take with food and my Dr. told me that a cracker or two will be sufficient. So, check with your Dr. They are usually very helpful Good luck.

Hi, I hope you get to feeling better as the days go by. Just remember that this too, will pass. The grabber is an excellent tool. I used mine everyday. May I suggest something that really helped me to get out of bed for a couple of weeks after surgery? I tied a rope to the foot of my bed (the leg) and used it to help hoist myself up. I also put a chair next to my bed. They both helped for a few weeks when I was very sore and there wasn't anyone around to help me get up (When the bathroom called I had to get up and get moving fast). Best wishes for a quick recovery and with your new best friend, the lapband. Best thing that ever happened to me.

SanDiego... How right you are about this!! I struggle with wanting to cook. I used to love it. I am trying very hard to love it again. I know that It will do me nothing but good in the long run. It definitely takes more planning and time. Ch4life.... I wish you luck in finding a veggie that you can live with. I'm the opposite. I love veggies (and I used to love the pastas, potatoes and rice:rolleyes2:) and not the meat so much. I have changed my likes and am willing to do without so many carbs. Now I go for the good carbs. But am still trying to find or learn to cook meats that I can tolerate.

Congratulations to both of you! In response to your inquiry about what to expect when you wake up and in the days to follow, I wish I could just write down a pact answer. But in reality, everyone seems to have such different experiences. As for me--I woke up about 2 hrs later, felt a little groggy, not sore, but ready to go home. I rode home (2 hr drive) without any problems. My intake appt was at 10:30 released at 3pm, home by 5pm. No problems the first few days. Did develop severe diahrrea. Dr. was very helpful. I was very sore for about 8-10 days. Getting out of bed was tough. (I tied a rope around my bed legs and used that to pull myself up. Hey, it worked!) My suggestion is to take the time and stroll through the many different posts and the many different lapband sites/forums that are out there. You will find a wide variety of experiences. Take care, and listen to your Dr. and nutritionist and read, read, read.