S@ssen@ch

Poor Paul. I wish I could give you a big hug or at least some advice worthy of Sue Johansen. She always seems so down to earth and on the money with things. Maybe your wife needs a hormone burst. Slip her some of those libido stimulating herbs. :confused: :eyebrows: I suppose you could always start the party.

First, you need to make sure you're taking small bites, chesing them well enough and allowing enough time in between bites. I can't say that this is what's causing the problem, but it sure does sound like it may have started it. Second, once you started this irritation it's like a domino effect. The irritation causes swelling which makes you basically tighter because of the swelling. After you have a PB, you need to give your body a break. Drop back a food level until the irritation has resolved itself even if it takes a day or two. My recommendation would be to go back to either liquids or mushies for a day or two then work back up to regular foods before you try it again. For your question on why this happens...........when something is caught or stuck in what we call the stoma (the area of the stomach where the band has made your stomach tighter) the stomach produces lots of mucous/slime to help lubricate whatever it is that is stuck and help it move. Often, that mucous only backs up and needs to come back up hence the sliming that you cough up. Sometimes it works and helps the item pass. By retching, you bring up the offending item (and the slime). The retching is contractions of the stomach trying to bring the article up. It puts you at risk of band slippage if done too frequently. If you are somehow causing the retching, and you are doing it regularly, please reconsider. See the advice I posted at the top and if it doesn't help stop this, contact your doctor......you may be just a tad too tight.

I was always told 3 oz of Protein, 1/2 cup veggies, then carbs if there's room. Usually, that fills me up before I get all of it in and I'm satisfied for at least 3 or 4 hours before I'm thinking about eating something else, unless my meal has consisted of too many carbs (which do not satisfy). I like the idea of the 10 minute thing, but what I've always done is eat slowly and as soon as I feel as though I've had enough (I don't mean full, stuffed or over-full) I stop eating. Chew well, eat slowly and listen to your body's subtle signs and you'll know when you've had enough. Everyone has their own subtle signs. For some, it's a sigh or a hiccup. My nose runs. You'll have your own.

I'm gone on vacation for a few days and look what I miss.........geez. I just wanted to add my 2 cents here because I really like oral sex, both giving and receiving (and I'm fortunate enough to have a husband who's just as eager as Funny's). It's kind of the first course of a great meal, it wets your appetite (pardon the pun). For me, the pleasure is both physical and mental. I derive great pleasure from knowing that I'm giving pleasure. The moans, the curled toes, the gyrations.......they get me ready for more. Part of great sex, any kind of sex, is giving yourself to your partner. That's intimacy. Whoever mentioned communication was right, but communication comes in many forms not just verbal. If you know a person's wants, needs, desires, etc......body language can be paramount. How the heck did I get off on this tangent? Oh, well........... Where's the sale on Pineapples again? Thank God Hubby likes those, too.

I've just finished (well, sort of) the Sacred Heart Diet found on a thread here on LBT. It's kind of like the cabbage soup diet, but the soup is much better and you have much more variety with your daily meals. By day 4, I had lost 5 pounds. BUT, because the first 3 days don't have any significant protein I was feeling a little dizzy and on the third day I broke down and had a few bites of chicken. I also experienced some terrible cramping in my feet at night. That tells me I wasn't getting enough potassium, so I stopped the diet other than having the soup for lunch with some roast beef and fruit for snacks. Ordinarily, I don't fall for these fad diets. But after looking into this one I felt that other than the low protein intake for the first couple of days it was a fairly good choice. If I'd do it again, I'd make sure I had some protein EVERY day AND, I'd get some potassium every day. Also, this diet has gotten me more constipated than I have been in a long time. Who would have thought it considering all the fruits and veggies? So, anyone reading this and considering that Sacred Heart Diet.........start on your stool softeners now or eat lots of prunes on fruit day. :Banane20: Now, the real test for me is going to be keeping those 5 pounds off. It's hard for me to believe that it was water weight because of the weight loss I've been working on, but I suppose it could be. I'll be watching, I'll have to be vigilant about my dietary choices until I know it's more of a permanent loss. Now, for those who feel the need to warn me about these fad diets....AGAIN, I am not one to diet (usually). I've been banded over a year. I try not to live with a "diet mentality", rather I try to learn to live healthy and make healthy choices most of the time. However, if you've been reading my journal you should know that I've been on a very long plateau with short-lived losses of 1 or 2 lbs. My doc thinks I may even have a leak. Although I do not have to explain my reasons to anyone, this diet has been met with some controversy on the original thread and I don't want anyone to either label me or jump to conclusions. I did this diet to help keep me motivated and to see some loss. Without some positive outcomes I lose hope. I know myself and that's what happens. So, with that said, those are the reasons I did it, no more and no less. It may be selfish. It may be shallow, but the behaviors are deep-seated and I would have continued to sink into the black hole of despair.

I've just finished (well, sort of) the Sacred Heart Diet found on a thread here on LBT. It's kind of like the cabbage soup diet, but the soup is much better and you have much more variety with your daily meals. By day 4, I had lost 5 pounds. BUT, because the first 3 days don't have any significant protein I was feeling a little dizzy and on the third day I broke down and had a few bites of chicken. I also experienced some terrible cramping in my feet at night. That tells me I wasn't getting enough potassium, so I stopped the diet other than having the soup for lunch with some roast beef and fruit for snacks. Ordinarily, I don't fall for these fad diets. But after looking into this one I felt that other than the low protein intake for the first couple of days it was a fairly good choice. If I'd do it again, I'd make sure I had some protein EVERY day AND, I'd get some potassium every day. Also, this diet has gotten me more constipated than I have been in a long time. Who would have thought it considering all the fruits and veggies? So, anyone reading this and considering that Sacred Heart Diet.........start on your stool softeners now or eat lots of prunes on fruit day. :Dancing_biggrin: Now, the real test for me is going to be keeping those 5 pounds off. It's hard for me to believe that it was water weight because of the weight loss I've been working on, but I suppose it could be. I'll be watching, I'll have to be vigilant about my dietary choices until I know it's more of a permanent loss. Now, for those who feel the need to warn me about these fad diets....AGAIN, I am not one to diet (usually). I've been banded over a year. I try not to live with a "diet mentality", rather I try to learn to live healthy and make healthy choices most of the time. However, if you've been reading my journal you should know that I've been on a very long plateau with short-lived losses of 1 or 2 lbs. My doc thinks I may even have a leak. Although I do not have to explain my reasons to anyone, this diet has been met with some controversy on the original thread and I don't want anyone to either label me or jump to conclusions. I did this diet to help keep me motivated and to see some loss. Without some positive outcomes I lose hope. I know myself and that's what happens. So, with that said, those are the reasons I did it, no more and no less. It may be selfish. It may be shallow, but the behaviors are deep-seated and I would have continued to sink into the black hole of despair.

Hey, I've been doing the Nioxin shampoo, scalp treatment and follicle treatment for about a month. I have been able to notice a significant difference in the amount of loose hairs in my brush and on my sink. My hair seems fuller, but I'm not sure why. I really haven't had time to grow more, I think the Nioxin changes the texture a little. I haven't done the Vitamins. I figure I'll do that if the shampoo/treatments don't show enough results. My stylist speaks very highly of Nioxin's results. In the past, long before I had my banding done I noticed my hair was thinning. I went to a dermatologist then. He couldn't find a d*mn thing wrong with me to explain why I was losing my hair. He told me that my Iron was "a little low" and maybe I should take iron supplements to help with the hair loss. That was of no help. So, GOOD LUCK with the dermatologist.

Thanks Funny. It's amazing how good it feels to see that scale going down again. I would hope that anyone keeping up with this thread would understand your intentions by now. LOL Besides, haven't we all "been there, done that" with diets before? It's just that very reason (among others) why we got the band in the first place. No one wants to do a diet like this long term, but it's fun to see such amazing results. Now, to maintain that loss..........hmmmmm

I did pretty well until day 4, then I kind of wigged out. I had some peanut butter with the bananas and it was all down hill from there. I've still been eating the soup for lunch, but have been eating a normal meal for dinner the last 2 nights. I lost 5 lbs, though. I was pretty impressed. I did not drink fruit juice and stuck with only the foods listed on the original diet. On day 3, I felt a little light headed so I had a few bites of lean chicken and felt a lot better. I also added 1 scoop Unjury to a quart of skim milk and drank that over the course of the "banana and milk" day. Word of caution, on 2 nights (I think it was the 2nd or 3rd and definately the day with the bananas because I only had 2 instead of the recommended 3) I had terrible muscle cramps in my feet that woke me in the night. That's a sign of inadequate potassium. It could be dehydration, but I know I was getting adequate fluids. A second word of caution. I don't know what the author meant by "after being on the diet several days, you will find that your bowel movements have changed." But, I can tell you that despite all that soup and all those veggies/fruit the "change" in my regularity was for the worse. And Honu's assumption that all we'd do was visit the toilet and literally flush our systems of waste was ludicrous. For the last three days I've been taking Fibersource and pericolace. I still haven't seen any results. I figure once I do "go", I'll lose another 5 lbs. LOL Good luck to all trying this as a way to get on track. I wouldn't recommend it as a way to live.

Chestnut here.........I think it describes me pretty well.

I hear your pain about being stuck. I've been there. I think we all have, to a certain extent. About your "cankles", watch your sodium intake and whenever you can.......elevate your legs. I get swollen ankles and feet sometimes. For me, it's when I sit all day at my desk at work and don't get up and walk every so often. I have to make sure I'm watching my sodium intake and getting up and moving. I've even started setting a timer at my desk to remind myself to get up every hour and walk around the office. Whenever they're swollen, I elevate them to help the Fluid even out. As long as your doc's aware and isn't concerned, other than the vanity of it I wouldn't get too bent out of shape. Do your best and it will pass.

A word of caution about the Isopure. (It can be found at GNC, by the way), Although the FLAVORS were O.K., they always seemed to leave a funny film in my mouth kind of like it was sucking all the liquid out of my mucous membranes. It was weird and it made me not want to drink it unless I ABSOLUTELY had to. If I had to have a ready made Protein drink, the Boost drinks are O.K. in a pinch. Both the regular Boost (not plus, which is yucky) and the Boost breeze (fruity) are tasty and come in several flavors. I also liked the SF Carnation Instant Breakfast drinks. They were probably the most tasty to me even though they may not have had quite as much protein as Boost.

I liked that movie "RV" with Robin Williams. We laughed out loud several times in the theater. Very funny. I think it helped that we have a travel trailer and could relate to most of the slap stick comedy. My kids loved Over the Hedge and Ice Age-2. It's all they talked about forever after seeing them. We saw X-men, the last stand. If you're an X-men fan, it was a very exciting movie. My hubby and my boys loved it. I thought it was good, but a movie I could have lived without. I have no desire to see Lake House, it reminds me of a movie I've seen before except the letters were transported in an antique desk through time from the original owner of the desk to the new owner of the desk. They fell in love, yada yada yada. I was looking forward to "Click", but the timing is poor. Hubby had to work this weekend and next we're out of town. BESIDES, my JOHNNY is returning to the screen next week. I gotta see Pirates-Dead Man's Chest if only to see Johnny Depp on the screen. And, for other Johnny fans, The Libertine is coming out on DVD this week. HIP HIP HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Man, this is scary. I personally haven't had that happen, but if it happened more than once or twice I'd definately let a moderator know AND, if it was the same guy, I'd put them on my ignore list.

Hopefull, It's not uncommon for the port area to be sore for a couple of months after your surgery. However, if you've lost enough weight that the port is visible and protruding......I'd say you have a problem. That means that you don't have enough tissue there to keep it hidden anymore. There are "low profile" ports available, but if you only had 75 lbs to lose I would wonder why your surgeon didn't put a low profile port in to begin with. I'd talk to my doctor, let him know the pain you're having and be sure to tell him that the port has become noticable. He may want to see you and consider a port revision to the low profile port. Also, remember that the port is stitched to your abdominal muscles. Any movement can be uncomfortable during your healing (Since you had surgery May '06, I would consider you still in a rather newly post-op period). Other bandsters have tried heating pads, ice packs, tylenol for the pain. But time is probably the only thing that's gonna help you here. Once you're feeling a little better, sex can be good but vigorous sex when you're still new may irritate the area.

If the things you're getting stuck on are anything more than a liquid you may just have some residual swelling. After a fill and after a PB, we are irritated and swollen. Try going back to liquids for a day or two then gradually moving back to the soft foods. I'd probably even do mushies for a day in there to give your poor tummy a break. You wouldn't want to keep irritating it and let it swell so much liquids hardly pass (including your saliva). However, if you're having problems with liquids...........you're definately too tight. You may still be too tight, but until you get past the initial irritation phase which can last up to a week or more you'll have to wait to see how you tolerate foods. The esophageal motility is probably only adding to this, but it's probably not the only problem here.

:coolB::woot::Banane48::Banane41::drum: Congratulations................:mod:

No regrets here. Getting the band is the best thing I've done for myself. Other than the dark gall bladder days, I can't say I've suffered at all. I feel great, I look great. Life is great!

Well, I have 4 of the 5 "F's", Fair, fat, Female, and fertile. I wasn't quite forty. Mine started giving me fits about 3 months after surgery, but docs didn't quite know what it was. (Esophageal spasms my ass :mmph: ) Had it out 10 months after surgery. Long time to wait when it's torturing you.

Honu, there's no cabbage in the Soup and unless one chooses to eat cabbage as a veggie on the "veggie days" this wouldn't be a concern. Ordinarily, I don't fall for these fad-like diets. I've learned the hard way that they may help you lose weight initially, but they definatlely don't work in the long run. However, everyone has their own story and their own reason for trying what may sound outrageous to others. Personally, I've been on a plateau since February. A true plateau where my clothing sizes have stayed the same, my body shape and measurements are the same, the scale wavers only a pound or 2 in both directions. I've had a fill and thought things were back on track. Yes, I have restriction. I just need a kick in the pants and to see some progress here. One loses faith and hope. In my eyes, the three days with little or no Protein are not much different than the liquid diets we've had to suffer through during various stages of banding unless we've supplemented. And no where was there a law strictly forbidding us to add our protein supplements to this diet, if we felt uneasy about it. I'm trying it to help me get both my body and my mind in a place where I can get back on the losing track. The soup is wonderful, but I'm sure that after 7 days I'll wish I'd never laid eyes or taste buds on it. Oh, and piperbaby........chives are chives, a herb. Green onions are thicker, found in the veggie section. Are stick-like, white at the end and green at the other. They have a very mild flavor and are often eaten as a snack. And, if you don't like green pepper I don't think it would hurt to leave it out of the soup........although they do add a great flavor to it IMHO.

It's hard to say if you're really too tight. After a sliming and vomiting/PB episode, you really should give your band/tummy a break by dropping down a notch. That means, go back to mushies or even liquids for a day or two. The sliming or vomiting irritates your stomach and may cause swelling and irritation. That would make eating solid foods even more difficult to get down. In addition, chicken may be a trigger food for you. Often, chicken is viewed as one of those high risk foods for bandsters. Now, if you can't even get down liquids.........I'd say you're too tight. So, what I'd do is drop down a level or two of your diet. I'd probably go down to a liquid at this point, since you've had 2 episodes. Do that for a couple of days. By then, any swelling and irritation should be better, if not gone. Slowly work your way back to regular foods. You might even want to take a day of mushies or soft foods. Remember that chicken might be a troublesome food for you and chew it well or even lube it up with gravies or sauces before you try it again.

You guys are inspiring me. I think I'm gonna go out and try this. If that soup/stew is so darn great, I just may have to try it. I'm a soup lover by nature so I think I could do this.

I agree with Funny. Speak to your doctor about your concerns. There should be some simple tests to determine the functionality of your liver. And, other than the liver being fragile for some reason it should tolerate the moving around caused by the procedure. Because banding isn't malabsorptive, the liver really shouldn't be under too much strain post op other than having a little extra waste to filter (our body produces more waste with weight loss). Talk to your surgeon. Tell him your concerns. If you've already been through other surgeries, you should have some recent blood work. Offer to send him the blood work or at the very least put him in contact with the other doctors handling your case.

I know Star has taken a lot of criticism for being so tight lipped about how she's lost her weight, but I commend her for being firm in her beliefs and not wanting to be the spokesperson for any weight loss intervention. It doesn't matter whether she's had surgery or just gotten down and dirty with some high priced professionals who've helped her. She's done it and that's all that matters. Now, let's hope she has learned and can keep it off. That's the real struggle for all of us.

Unforgettable....................also a great first dance song