kiz

It really is ashame that the surgeon didn't remove your gall bladder during your lap band surgery, that's for sure, but I did want to tell you my gall bladder scars are tiny. If I had a flat stomach, I would wear a two piece for sure with my gall bladder scars, and I don't think anyone could even see them. I had even forgotten all about them until I was having lap band surgery.

I had my gall bladder surgery before the Internet became so widespread, so I didn't have a message board or the abundant information at my fingertips as we do today. I never knew about gas being used to expand my stomach, so maybe not knowing made a difference, but I didn't have any sort of post surgery gas related pains. Granted, I only had a little after my lap band surgery, but it was enough that I would have noticed had I experienced it before.

I was also nursing and caring for a new born baby (who's almost an adult now..yikes). I think I tend to snap back pretty quickly after surgery, but my gall bladder surgery was even easier than lap band as far as recovery due to not having port pain.

Best wishes to you, and I hope everything goes well.

I'm not a vegetarian, but I like them, and keep a box in my freezer for a quick, easy, and healthy Protein meal. Personally, I don't find them to be very similar in taste to a hamburger, but they are the shape and I use the same Condiments. I think I've only had Morning Star Farms.

Never heard of such a prohibition. I could eat soft ground meats and soft fish during my soft food stage after two weeks. Solid meat Proteins are generally very important for bandster's satiety, but there's exceptions to every rule, particularly when it comes to band rules. I would probably investigate some band vegetarian menus for good ideas for non meat and filling meals.

I had my gall bladder removed several years ago, and from the beginning, there's been no noticeable difference in the way I digest food including fats. I've never had any pain as a result of not having a gall bladder either.

In addition to what Hummingbird said, you can stop getting them altogether by going to User CP and then click on Edit Options. Go to Messaging & Notification and select No Email Notification in the scroll down for Default Thread Subscription Mode.

Thanks SO much Kiz... I'll pick some up today. So the enzymes break down the egg white slime? What IS that anyway... it it something the body produces post op to help slide the food thru? I find I tend to urp up just slime very often and until some of these posts... thought it was just me. SO glad I got on again! I have lots of problems with the slime so if these help it will be a godsend!

JoJo, brings up a good point. You really should be able to handle solid meats, although a lot of people have issues with very dry meats. You also mentioned that you're sliming very often. A very small unfill might make a big difference in your food tolerance. If you're able to handle more solid meat, you might find that you have the same or even better level of satiety between meals.

As far as the slime, I would think it's something that's produced to help move food along, and it kicks into high gear when the body needs its. But that's just my guess.

The papaya enzymes helps break down Protein, so it really helps some of us, others say it doesn't help at all, when meat isn't going down the way it should.

Tequila...........................

Sunrise

.

So was it Kit that mentioned some chewables that help. I am a huge trader joe fan but am not familiar with what the pills do and how fast they work... can you filll me in. I'm heading there this afternoon and if they'd keep me from embarassing situations at lunch I'd love it. I have to lunch with clients and have taken to ordering Soup or getting a tuna sand and picking at the sandwich fillings only... when feeling brave... to avoid sticking. even tuna is an issue at times. I try to not show it but it must show in my face since often somebody will ask me if I'm ok. I say fine and excuse myself and go releive myself of my lunch... hence soup these days... and that is not a good long term alternative.

The papaya/pineapple enzymes only cost in the neighborhood of $3 at TJ's, so well worth the try. They're in the Vitamin section. I've only had to use them a handful of times, and I've taken three. An example of when I've used them was when I was at a rib place on vacation, and my husband and I were sharing a rack of ribs. After a couple of bites, I could feel the meat getting tight. I was going to stop eating but decided to try the enzymes, and I felt things loosen up in less than a minute, and I was able to eat dinner. Another time, it was with left over roast beef, and I started to slime (thankfully, I was at home), and after chewing a few enzymes, I was back to normal within a minute.

What is PB'ing? I've seen it mentioned several times and cannot figure out what it means.:sifone:

Also what is the brand name for the papaya/pineapple enzymes from Trader Joe's that are chewables.:frown:

I don't have TJ's here, but may be able to find the brand at a health supplement store.:huh2:

I have the Realize band and that forum doesn't seem to get much attention. :sad: So I hope I can play here.

PB is short hand for "productive burp". Generally, it happens when you don't chew something thoroughly enough, the band is too tight, or it's a food that a bandster just can't tolerate. The food comes back up pretty much in a solid piece, not after digestion has started. You'd also probably have "slime" (a lot of thick saliva) first.

The papaya/pineapple from TJ's is TJ's brand. For bandsters that have had good luck with it, have used various brands, and I think often it's papaya only. One person mentioned that they had used Walmart's and it didn't do the trick, but other brands had worked for them. I'm not sure what they'd used though.

I'm glad you liked it too. Her progression during the week cracked me up, and boy, there have been times that I could relate to those exact feelings.

You can go to the top part of a thread and click on Thread Options to subscribe to a thread. If you post on a thread, you're automatically subscribed. I'm not sure if that's something you enable/disable though.

Then, go to Quick Links at the top of the page and click on it to see all the threads you're subscribed to. You can also get email notification if for threads you're subscribed to when new posts are made. You can enable that function under your User CP, Edit Options.

This is dedicated to everyone who ever attempted to get into a regular workout routine.

:thumbup:

Dear Diary,

For my birthday this year, my husband purchased a week of personal training at the local health club.

Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football

cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead

and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named

Christo, who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and

model for athletic clothing and swim wear.

Friends seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club

encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress.

________________________________

MONDAY:

Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was

well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Christo waiting

for me. He is something of a Greek god-- with blond hair, dancing eyes,

and a dazzling white smile.. Woo Hoo!!

Christo gave me a tour and showed me the machines.. I enjoyed watching

the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my

workout today. Very inspiring!

Christo was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already

aching from holding it in the whole time he was around. This is going to

be a FANTASTIC week!!

________________________________

TUESDAY:

I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door.

Christo made me lie on my back and push a heavy Iron bar into the air

then he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the

treadmill, but I made the full mile. His rewarding smile made it all

worthwhile. I feel GREAT! It's a whole new life for me.

_______________________________

WEDNESDAY:

The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the

counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a

hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to

steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.

Christo was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other

club members.. His voice is a little too perky for that early in the

morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY

annoying.

My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Christo put me on the

stair monster. Why the heck would anyone invent a machine to simulate an

activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Christo told me it would help

me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other crap too.

_______________________________

THURSDAY:

Butthole was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his

thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't help being

a half an hour late-- it took me that long to tie my shoes.

He took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran

and hid in the restroom. He sent some skinny witch to find me.

Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine-- which I sank.

_________________________________

FRIDAY:

I hate that demon Christo more than any human being has ever hated any

other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic,

anorexic, little aerobic instructor. If there was a part of my body I

could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it.

Christo wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any triceps! And

if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the darn barbells or

anything that weighs more than a sandwich.

The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition

teacher. Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach

or the choir director?

________________________________

SATURDAY:

Satan left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly

voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing his voice made

me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the

strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight

hours of the Weather Channel..

________________________________

SUNDAY:

I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and

thank GOD that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my

husband will choose a gift for me that is fun-- like a root canal or a

hysterectomy. I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would

have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

I use the clear dissolving Metamucil or Benefiber in my warm drink (coffee/tea/hot choc), and I can't even tell I've added it. Also, I try to get the most bang for my buck when I chose my foods. I buy the double fiber Nature's Own bread, Thomas' English Muffins w. 8 grams fiber, my salad base is almost always spinach, I sprinkle ground flax seed on salads, chili, etc. Speaking of chili, I make mine with 5 different types of Beans including green Beans. I buy the small cans of spinach, have 1/2 can for a snack occasionally. I also have 1/2 cup of high fiber Cereal (dry) every morning (Khashi has a high fiber/high Protein cereal), and I sprinkle Fiber One, All Brand (buds), blueberries, pecans &/or walnuts in my yogurt or salads. If you like prunes, they make a good snack. It's important to find the right balance of soluble and insoluble fiber in your diet for your system.

http://www.healthcastle.com/fiber-solubleinsoluble.shtml

Am I missing something here? You were banded a long time ago and can take care of you new incisions the same way.

Old thread revived.

Mine wasn't so much that it was too much, it was poor quality meat that I couldn't chew up well enough. I learned to just say no to tough meat..lol

Have you tried papaya pills for stuck or tight food situations? I have papaya/pineapple enzymes that I bought at Trader Joe's, and they're chewables. They can be little miracle workers. Someone mentioned that they bought some at Walmart that didn't work as well as others they had bought. You can find them on line, and I would think Vitamin shops, and possibly pharmacies. They're very inexpensive, so well worth a try.

I was just going to say chicken and broccoli! I learned to stop when my band says stop with that meal. I could tell the chicken was gristly and not going down well, but I took the proverbial one more bite. I also had chicken and broccoli at a different Chinese restaurant and the chicken was much more tender and I didn't have a bit of problem with it.

Welcome to LBT, Tammy.

The first step for my surgeon's office and others in my area is to go to a seminar to learn more about weight loss surgery options and their practices. The doctors &/or seminar facilitators gave us a lot of information, including a packet about various insurance companies and what they generally cover. Since I didn't have WLS insurance, I can't say for sure what the next steps were, but it seemed that at that point you were supposed to contact your insurance providers to get the nitty gritty details.

I'm surprised that you've been told to take so many Vitamins as well. Most bandsters report taking a multi-Vitamin plus a Calcium supplement. That's also what my doctor recommends (I take adult chewables). I've also added B-12 with my doctor's approval. Like most everything else, there can be a wide range of recommendations from our doctors.

I've been banded for over a year, and at my 12 month blood work check they checked everything from A-Z, and all my tests came back within the normal range.

As far as hair falling out, my personal belief due to Hair loss I experienced after previous surgeries and childbirth, it's hormonal. I started losing hair about 6 weeks after surgery, but within maybe six months it stopped and grew back as thick as ever. If it was due to a lack of Vitamins, it wouldn't have stopped as suddenly as it started, and I wouldn't have had regrowth.

I'm glad to know your doctor isn't selling the vitamins. That was a good question. How big are the vitamins? With good restriction, I'm not supposed to swallow a pill bigger than an M&M.

Bee ....

Bonnet

.

Off topic...

spot......

Puff

lost......

You're clearly to young for the Dick, Jane, Sally, Spot (the dog) and Puff (the cat) reading books. :bored:

nuts

Who didn't see that one coming?

Crazy

Who didn't see that one coming?

Trees

squirrels

.

You'll get answers all across the spectrum, but my doctor is fine with an occasional glass of wine.

We have private insurance through Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield. I had it before I had my band, so I don't know if it's a problem getting it post-band.

spot......

Puff