lxg

Hi Gloria, welcome to LBT! I am no expert, but I've been hanging around this website for a few months and have learned a lot and gotten a lot of support here. Glad to have you aboard. I am lxg (Lynne), 65 years young and was banded in August 2008. So far have lost 60 lbs and feel so much better, I can hardly believe it! I joined a gym (Curves) and work out 3 X a week, gave away my old clothes and bought some new ones, and put on a pair of regular waistband (instead of elastic band) jeans today! I can also cross my legs for the first time in years. I too had a hiatal hernia, which the doctor fixed during surgery and from that day on I haven't had any heartburn and no longer need to take prilosec or any acid relievers. I was also able to stop taking meds to control blood sugar (was previously pre-diabetic, now normal). As far as post-surgery shoulder pain, I was told that getting up and moving around as soon as possible after surgery reduces the incidence of gas. I'm sure everyone is different, but I didn't experience any gas pain at all. There was some local discomfort in the area of my port placement incision but that was quite minor and went away in about a week. You will probably be given some liquid pain reliever to take for a few days following surgery and that should help if you do experience any discomfort. The point is, I urge you to think beyond the surgery itself since that will soon be behind you and then you'll have your whole new life ahead of you. Your doctor will not approve you for surgery if he does not think you're a good candidate. Read all you can in these threads on LBT - it will help you learn how to make the band work for you so you can reach your goals. Good luck, and stay in touch!

Good morning, and thanks for your support! I haven't tried just swallowing the pills - guess I'm afraid they'll get stuck. I do chew the chocolate or caramel Viactiv with calcium, yum. My doctor has me on Vit. D & B12 (but they are BIG pills!) and I take Biotin to (hopefully) prevent further hair loss, since my hair has been falling out in handfuls since the surgery. JoannMarie - thanks for the tips about costco, there's a new one near me and I will definitely take a look there. Thanks for your help!

Hi Penny, thanks for your answer. I also have BP and cholesterol issues that are hereditary - all of the women in my family have died from heart disease or stroke, and my internist and I are determined that I will not be one of them! She is a bear on keeping those levels down, and I am happy to comply, I just wish I could find a better way to get the meds down. I take metoprolol (toprol) for BP, lipitor for CHL and evista to counter bone loss.

Hi Everyone, I've been following this thread for a while and finally got up the nerve to post. I've been moderately successful with my weight loss since being banded last August but I'm still taking pills to control blood pressure, cholesterol and bone loss plus several Vitamin supplements. Does anyone have good ideas to share about how to get these down??? I am SO tired of crushing the pills and mixing them with applesauce or pudding! The bitter taste comes right through, yuck :biggrin:. Thanks for your help.

No, not stupid, it's not that easy to find. Go to User CP (control panel) on Home Page, Click on "Edit Signature" and paste the ticker into the box. You can add anything else that you want to show under your post.

Wow, great news that your surgery went well and you're recovering so well! I'm very happy for you that your wait is over and you can now concentrate on losing the weight FOREVER! I joined Curves and hope it will help the weight loss. I've been going 3 X per week. Have an appt. on Friday with my PCP - she will check my BP, blood sugar (I was pre-diabetic but was able to toss my meds immediately after surgery) and cholesterol levels. Wish me luck, and I'll wish you a continued successful recovery. Lynne

You will not regret it, even self-pay this is the best thing I've ever done for myself. Best of luck to you, and stay in touch!

I had my surgery on August 20th and have lost 49 lbs so far! We must be band sisters -- let's keep in touch!!

PB is Productive Burp. It's when you burp/belch after eating too fast or taking too big a bite and not chewing well, and the burp brings up a lot of saliva; sometimes including some of what you were eating.

My FAVORITE green chile chicken enchiladas - so easy, yummy and lo cal too! 1/2 lb chicken tenders 1 small can diced green chiles 1/3 cup low fat cream cheese 4 flour tortillas 1 can Hatch green chile enchilada sauce shredded cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking dish with Pam and set aside. Spray skillet and saute chicken pieces until no longer pink. Remove chicken from pan, shred and return to pan. Add chiles and cream cheese, stir and cook until well blended. Meanwhile, dampen tortillas, wrap in a paper towel and heat 20 seconds in microwave until soft. Spoon chicken and cream cheese mixture down middle of each tortilla, fold tortillas over filling and place seam side down in baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over top of filled tortillas. Sprinkle cheese over top of casserole and bake in oven about 20 minutes or until brown on top. Per Livestrong Daily Plate, Kraft Low fat cream cheese is only 20 calories per TBSP; Hatch enchilada sauce is 25 calories per 1/4 cup serving. Mission 98% fat free flour tortillas are 80 calories each. So go ahead and splurge, no need to feel guilty! Enjoy! Best regards, Lynne

I'm newly banded Aug. 20, 08 and very excited to read these posts since a major reason for going thru the surgery was to reduce my BP and diabetes meds. So - less than 1 month after surgery I am down 22 lbs., off Metformin, glucose is NORMAL and BP meds are cut in half! Yippee!