DonnaB

I didn't experience the post-op weight gain julesings, but I've read about it here on LBT lots of times. Liquids and bloat. Drink lots of water and hopefully it will come back off in no time. Welcome to LapBandTalk! Good luck with your weight loss journey.

My doc recommends 60 grams of Protein or more per day and a MINIMUM of 64 oz of Water. 64 oz is not that much - I use bottled water to keep track of my daily intake. I prefer my water to be room temperature, so, every night before bed I set out my four 16 oz bottles on the counter and drink them throughout the day. I try to finish them before 8 pm or I tend to wake up during the night to go to the bathroom! Thats the worst of the water drinking! lol But I will say this, my weight loss is more steady if I'm drinking at least the minimum amount of water recommended. My nutritionist recommends 3 meals and 2 or 3 Snacks per day. The meals should be around one cup and the snack considerably smaller. I didn't do well with the one cup meal, I do much better using FitDay.com - it's a food journal program which tracks everything from what you eat, to how many calories and nutrients, to how I felt while eating! It's pretty good, you should go check it out. If I keep my calories to around 1200 per day I lose weight steadily. If I go over 1600 calories daily the weight loss slows WAY down. Anything over that, weight loss stops entirely. Everyone's body size and lifestyle are different. FitDay (the downloadable version) also assesses your resting metabolic rate through a series of questions and makes recommendations as to what your daily caloric intake should be and how many calories you have to restrict in order to reach your goal weight by the goal date you select. The online version of FitDay is free and is a great way to decide if you're going to use it. The downloadable version costs $20 and was the best money I've ever spent on myself! lol I realize that I've strayed from the band basics but I know this information will be useful to anyone who is looking for basic info. Good luck on your weight loss journey.

Love the 'Board PB' analogy Jack. Hopefully we've yacked up all the crap that was stopping us up and can finally flush the toilet and move on. Leave it to Jack to find the right words to express our collective constipation! LOL

I'm not. Ick. :speechles

I hate them too, but for the exact opposite reason! lol They're so gooey and so soft you can't pick them up without squashing them into a dough ball. Gross. I would have preferred it the way you got it! lol You shouldn't HAVE TO eat a donut with a fork. Ick.

Hey ScaredyKatt! lol If you weren't scared right now, you wouldn't be normal. If you've done all the research and understand what the band can and can't do, you understand how the band works and that a lot of your success depends on the choices you'll have to make every day, every meal, that you've chosen the best surgeon you can and you're sure of his abilities and credentials, and you're ready to make a committment to becoming healthier and happier . . . . take a deep breath and jump. There's nothing I can tell you which will alleviate all your fears, you have to look deep into yourself and decide what is best for you. I know this is a tough decision but nothing worth having is every easy, is it? Good luck on your decision and on your weight loss journey Katt. Welcome to LapBandTalk.

Not such an embarrassing question, huh? I think almost everyone goes through this post-op. Lots of good suggestions here. You can't take THIS suggestion until you've reached the solid food stages, but I have discovered that 1/8 cup of raw almonds every day keeps the mail moving quit efficiently. You have to be sure they're raw almonds. For whatever reason, the good cholesterol in raw almonds becomes the bad cholesterol when they are roasted. I think this is true of all nuts. Of course if you're allergic to nuts this remedy is a really bad option! lol I bought a large bag of raw almonds and separated 7 mini ziploc bags of 1/8 cup servings so I don't evereat them - they're so tasty! - and eat them mid-morning as a snack. Don't go crazy on the almonds - they're pretty high in calories but 1/8 cup is within reason at approximately 88 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 3 grams each of carbs and Protein. Wherever possible I try to use natural remedies it just seems like a better way to go.

LOL! I can't believe I didn't even think about that! OMG, EVERYONE learns this trick in college or high school don't they? LOLOLOL

When I spoke with my doctor's Patient Advocate, she said that heating eggs quickly to a high temperature causes the protein to solidify into solid blocks making them very difficult to pass through the stoma. She said if you scramble the eggs "in the French way" (?) they don't clump together the same way. She then explained that the french way is in a double boiler. Apparently the eggs cook slower and the protein in them doesn't react in the same way. Who knows? Not me! I just know I'm not eating scrambled eggs again! lol She also recommended poached or over easy eggs (cooked with a spray instead of grease) rather than scrambled! Apparently this happens a LOT!

A friend of mine had her eyebrows done - it looked great. Sadly, as she get's older, her eyebrows are starting to sag below her eyebrow bones and the darker coloration makes this more noticeable. Yikes! I don't know of anyone who did eyeliner or lipliner. I can't think of a problem with that since the placement of your eyes or lips doesn't rely on your bone structure - I mean, your eyes will always be eyes which would be enhanced by liner. Same with lips I would think. Would the lip liner be the same color as your lips? Would it be pale enough to not look weird if you don't have lipstick on? Interesting thought. I'd like to know what you decide to do and if you do it I'd like to see how it looks. Can you tell I'm thinking it might not be a bad idea? LOL!

I'm sorry Penni but I have to agree that by leaving that thread in place without public comment by a moderator implies to any casual reader that the offending poster went unpunished. I also think that by leaving threads which have foul language and threats - both in blatant violation of LBT rules- indicates a tacit bias is being expressed. I'm not saying that you personally are responsible for fixing all the problems on LBT, I am saying that there needs to be some public action taken when one member threatens another. Furthermore, regardless of the deletion rules of LBT, any slander or foul language, particularly when it is directed at someone in particular, should be removed from publicly viewable threads. Since it appears that the moderators do not have the power to address this situation directly, I would be happy to forward my thoughts to the owner directly. What's his screen name so I can do that?

Wait it out. Don't try to wash it down, it will only hurt and will most likely come back up. My only PB was on scrambled eggs about a week ago and the sliming and heaving went on for six hours! Some people have sworn that meat tenderizer mixed with a little warm Water will help, some have posted about using Papaya Enzimes to stop a PB. I just know that water won't help. So sorry you're going through this. It SUCKS and I feel your pain. Scrambled eggs are from the devil and will never greet me from the breakfast table EVER again. Good luck Stitchy, let us know how you're doing.

I love the picture in the masks! LOL Looks like you were haveing a blast! Good for you! P.S. I bet he looks pretty darned good in that hat . . . and NOTHING else! LOL Congrats on the weight loss AND the HUNK!

Hey Bostongurl, Good for you. Being accountable can be very helpful. There are several threads on LBT about publicly posting food and exercise to keep people on track. I say, whatever it takes to keep you motivated and moving down the scale! Go for it!

I had a BAD first PB a week ago and have no fill to remove. When I called my doctor he said that when I was able to get liquid down, to sip COLD COLD COLD water which helps with the swelling and to take Maalox PLUS 4 times per day. He said it was important that the product is Maalox PLUS. I'm not sure what the Maalox Plus does except maybe sooth your irritated tissues. He said to even keep the Maalox Plus in the refrigerator so it would be cold too. If you can't keep water or clear liquids down you should definitely call your doctor ASAP. Sorry about the pizza incident. I feel your pain. My horrible PB was on scrambled eggs - can you think of anything more innocent than scrambled eggs? Apparently lots of people have problems with them and they are now on my permanent list of things I will never ever eat again! Actually, they're the only thing on that list so far! LOL

Yay for you Dody! Well, you were looking for a way to make yourself more healthy and you definitely found it! It just wasn't in the way you had originally planned! Seriously, I'm glad you found out about the problem before it presented itself to you with possibly catastrophic results. I agree with CCBSTX - the lapband probably saved your life and you haven't even had it placed yet! Good luck with your near-future surgeries and with the lap band when you finally get to get it! Keep in touch so we'll all know how you're doing.

I don't mind a misspelling, what was your surgeons name?

I say go for the antibiotic as soon as you can get it. If you don't need it, it won't hurt you - unless you are becoming resistant to antibiotics. If you need it, the sooner you start taking it the better. I'm not saying this to scare you, I'm saying that on the chance that you do need it, sooner is better. Let us know how you're doing OK?

I had my surgery in Monterrey, Mexico with Dr. Roberto Rumbaut. The hospital he performs surgery in is one of the hospitals designated for use by the President of the United States if a hospital is needed while he is in Mexico. The San Jose Hospital was the nicest, cleanest hospital I've ever been in - the U.S. hospital where I had a different surgery several years ago has NOTHING on this place - and that was in VERY affluent North Dallas, Texas. I have a "live" person to talk to anytime I want, day or night. If I have a question or a problem, I call my doctor directly - I have his cell phone number. If he's not available immediately, his associate DR. Horatcio is available, I have his cell phone number too. If I ask, Dr. Rumbaut himself will call me back as soon as he IS available. Additionally I have a nutritionist, a patient advocate and a whole office staff of people willing to help me out when I need information or advice. My fills and unfills are free for life if I choose to go to Mexico to have them done, but instead, I researched and found a highly reputable doctor here locally who I use for my follow-up care. If I hadn't been able to find a doctor on my own, Dr. Rumbaut, who proctored LOTS AND LOTS of U.S. doctors who are now performing this surgery in the U.S., would have used his contacts to locate a local doctor for me. If I ever need to have my band removed, Dr. Rumbaut will do it free of charge. He will also replace a port if need be, free of charge. In fact, EVERYTHING related to my band is covered by Dr. Rumbaut for life. Its true, I will have to pay for the hospital if I need surgery again but I can handle that. I'm not trying to be ugly, but its always better to make comments based on things you KNOW about rather than what you think you know. Having said all that, mysherrijo, I think you should do what YOU think is best. If the surgery is going to cost about the same amount of money, you might want to have it done closer to home. After all, its not a race. Lapband weightloss is slow and steady so waiting the six months and having it done here might make more sense for you. It would be easier to have the doctor who performed the surgery be available for your follow-up care, just because you won't have to locate and research ANOTHER doctor stateside whom you trust to care for you. I understand that once you've decided to go through with something, you want to do it NOW! lol Thats normal. But honestly, what were you doing six months ago? That was December! See? Six months is not that long. Do what you think is best, but first and foremost DO LOTS OF RESEARCH. Don't choose a surgeon based on his location or availability. Choose a surgeon for his credentials and certification. Don't be a guinea pig for a new lap band doctor to practice on. Do find a surgeon who will give you references from patients - and talk to the patients. If you do choose to have surgery in a foreign country, find a reputable doctor locally for your follow up care BEFORE going to have the surgery. It's pretty important. mysherijo, I wish you the best of luck on your weight loss journey.

Hi texastina, Welcome to Lapbandtalk. When you had surgery they pumped your abdominal cavity full of gas so they could see to do the surgery. The pain you feel is the gas which they could not, when your surgery was complete, entirely remove from your body. They get as much out as is possible but the gas migrates and gets trapped in places. For some reason, probably related to anatomy - which I won't even claim to have an understanding of (lol) - the gas causes pain in several places. Some people have the pain in their left shoulder, some have it in their back between the shoulder blades. Some unlucky people have it in several places at one time. It will go away eventually. Everyone is different but I've heard it can stop within a short period of time like 2 days (that was me) or for as long as several months. I don't understand why it varies so much but it does. It will stop when your body has absorbed the gas through your bloodstream to your lungs and you exhale it. Another way to get rid of it is through passing gas. Hopefully you'll be one of the ones who doesn't suffer with it for very long. A position I recommend to help reduce gas pain is this: Stand next to your bed, facing the bed. Bend from the waist and put your forearms on the bed with your forehead resting between them. You can bend your knees a little if it's more comfortable but try to keep your fanny sticking up as high as you can - I sometimes propped a few pillows between my hips and the bed to rest on. It looks crazy but it really helped me, and has helped several other people that I know of with their gas pain as well. Lastly, if you feel the urge to pass gas - do it. My husband had NEVER heard me pass gas before my band surgery. I would rather have exploded than pass gas before my lover! OMG! The humiliation! OK, I finally got over it! And it only took 14 years and a laparoscopic surgery! Good luck on your weight loss journey. Keep in touch so we'll know how you're doing. BTW, there is a group of Dallas area LBT members who meet once a month - usually in Irving - and you're more than welcome to join us if you'd like. Go to the Texas forum and scroll through, you'll see the thread there about where and when we meet - either that or PM me for the info.

Good news! The liquid diet will come to an end! More good news: This is the first step to beginning a new life - one that is lighter in many ways. Welcome to Lapbandtalk Soundman, best wishes on your weight loss journey. Make sure to come back often so we can keep up with you.

Even if you did opt for plastic surgery, you don't have to have augmentation. You can have a breast lift without having implants. Surgeons like to talk women into implants for some reason. They say you'll be unhappy if you have surgery and the outcome is small breasts. I guess not many of them have had to go bra shopping! lol I'd be thrilled with B cup breasts if they were in proportion with my waist and hips. Thrilled. When/if (please God) I reach my goal weight, I will probably have a TT and breast lift without augmentation. B is plenty big enough for me. I don't want to use my breasts as a flotation device! If you're starting out with a small C/large B - you probably won't have a sagging problem anyway. Good luck on your weight loss journey.

Don't make a decision to have surgery on the night you go to the infomercial. There are lots and lots of doctors out there performing this surgery and they're not all equal! Come back to LBT and discuss the specifics of the seminar. Who, where, what, when. Credentials. History. Proctored by whom? Etc., etc. Don't just jump in and hope for the best. Research, research, research. And come back and talk to us! :-) For what it's worth, I'm very happy with my lapband journey so far. I've been banded for not quite 3 months and have lost 30 pounds. I've had no complications. I would not recommend this surgery to my mother - I know her eating habits too well and I wouldn't want to put her through some of the side effects of the banded life. I WOULD recommend this surgery to my sister who is more adaptable and would benefit from the surgery. Both of those recommendations are based on their personalities and what I know about their eating styles. No one here can know what to advise you to do because they don't know you well enough. In the past when you've "failed" at a diet, you gave up? Because of my band, I CAN'T give up on my diet. If I ate a cheeseburger and fries it would HURT! Some people are willing to eat things because they want them, knowing full well it will hurt them. I can't do that. I think this is why the lapband WLS was the right choice for me. I'm going to keep up with my diet because I can't imagine putting myself through that kind of pain on purpose. If I was a sweets eater I'm sure I could defeat the band's effectiveness with candy or ice cream. I'm not addicted to those things so the lapband was the right choice for me. The aspect of weight loss with the lapband where I falter is exercise. I'm not a fan of exercise and that's something I'm working very hard to get over. I'm walking a couple of miles a day on my treadmill and have begun another, weight bearing exercise regimen which I'm going to have to force myself to do. THIS is the part of the lapband where my success is most vulnerable. I'll need a lot of support and the occasional butt kick to keep doing it, and I'm hoping that when I need that help I will have made enough friends here on LBT that someone will be there for me when I need them. All I can do is try. If I don't TRY, I won't succeed. Period. Now, the question is, are you going to TRY? What obstacles are you going to have to climb over? Are you up to the task? Even when it gets tough? Those are things only you can answer. Good luck Altoona. Let us know how you're doing and how the seminar goes.

You haven't said the name of your Mexican doctor. Who was it?

Pic isn't coming up ladysplenda.