Elisabethsew

The water bearer... Aquarius!

LOL. Thanks, I needed a laugh!

Hair loss can be heredity and/or due to a vitamin/mineral deficiency. You can have a normal hemaglobin and hematocrit and still have iron deficiency anemia. Ask your MD to do an iron panel on you (iron, ferritin, total iron binding capacity, iron saturation). Also, a lack of B vitamins and not enough protein intake can lead to hair loss. A simple blood test will give you some answers and the appropriate treatment.

What you describe in your post are the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety disorder. Paxil has been shown to treat panic attacks but you need professional help (medication and therapy) to deal with the depression. I would caution you NOT to say you have feelings of suicide if, in fact, you don't. I am an RN and, if a person is expressing suicidal ideation, there is something called "2 PC." What 2 PC means is the hospital gets 2 physicians to consent to involuntary hospitalization in a psych unit. Therefore, it doesn't matter what your wishes are. You are deemed not competent and others will make medical decisions for you. In writing your post, you cried out for help. Realizing you have a problem and realizing you need help are two big steps to wellness. For now, make a list of "have to do's" and "would like to do's." Involve your kids and hubby in cleaning the house but do it one room at a time. At work, don't try and do it all. No one can EVER do it all and you're doomed to failure if that's how you begin the day. Make a work priority list and do what's important first. When you look at the big picture you can become paralyzed. Instead, break the big picture down into manageable parts and set mini-goals. Once you make progress on mini-goals, life seems a bit less unfair.

[ame= ] [/ame] Someone emailed this to me... funny.

I chew a piece of pretzel until it's a mushy consistency, put the pill in the center, and down it goes without a problem.

I don't think you'll have any problem going on your vacation and you can certainly go swimming. The incisions heal over in 1-2 weeks. I did 2 weeks of full fluids post-op followed by 2 weeks of a soft diet and then went to regular food on week 5. Talk to your dietician about your vacation plans and she can plan a week's worth of meals for you.

I was on clear liquids before surgery and full liquids post-op. Full liquids included soup broths, fat-free, sugar-free pudding, yogurt (regular and frozen), italian ices, lite ricotta cheese and protein shakes.

My surgeon said no lifting of more than 25 pounds for the first six weeks after surgery. I went back to work after 8 days.

I haven't had any unfills but it sounds like you might be one of the few, but fortunate, people who gets restriction with very little fill amounts. Since you've been dealing with this problem on and off for several months now, it might be a good idea to have an esophogram and then, if all is OK, have a fill under floroscopy.

I had a routine of taking cup-a-soup packets, a ready to drink protein shake, 4 oz of tuna or chicken salad and a fat free, sugar free pudding. I never ate all I brought but had a "selection" to choose from.

I would not call myself "seasoned" but I am a critical care RN and can address the liver issue. As long as you're taking in low fat (<10% of total calories) and low sugar and getting in enough protein, you will shrink your liver and lose weight. From what you posted, it appears you're 100% on track!

The antibiotic will do the trick for the cellulitis. I'm sorry you had a rocky start and I'll keep my fingers crossed that it's smooth sailing from now on.

Congratulations and best of luck with an uneventful recovery. Get a lot of rest, get up and walk, and stay hydrated.

I've had 3 fills with no symptoms but many people have different experiences with the band so it doesn't surprise me that some people are negatively affected by a fill.

I had NO restrictions on caffeine pre-op or post-op. Best of luck to you on the up coming surgery.

Here's a recent study that I found: Jul 18 (Reuters Health) - Although technically more challenging, laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, a common type of stomach bypass operation, provides greater weight loss in severely obese patients than does placing a plastic band around the stomach to make it smaller, new research shows. Stomach bypass is also more likely than banding to promote the resolution of diseases often seen in obese patients, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Although multiple trials have compared the two procedures, this is the first study to focus specifically on patients with a BMI greater than 50 -- with super morbid obesity -- Dr. George Ferzli and his associates report in their article, published in the Archives of Surgery. BMI is a measure of body weight for height. Values between 20 and 25 are typically considered normal. Any value of 30 or greater is considered obese. This information is vital for patients considering weight loss surgery, Ferzli told Reuters Health, "because proper patient and procedure selection, proper follow-up, and proper long-term support are quite important in achieving the desired outcome." At the SUNY-Health Science Center of Brooklyn in Staten Island, New York, patients undergoing weight loss surgery decided which procedure would be performed, after receiving extensive counseling. To be eligible, the patients had to complete a supervised dietary and exercise program of 8 to 12 months without maintaining weight loss. Ferzli performed more than 315 weight loss procedures between February 2001 and June 2004. Among 106 super morbidly obese patients, 60 underwent stomach banding and 46 underwent stomach bypass. Stomach bypass took longer perform in the OR than did stomach banding. Moreover, patients treated with stomach bypass were hospitalized for a day or two longer. There were no differences between the operations in the rate of early complications. After 30 days, however, patients treated with stomach bypass had fewer complications than those treated with banding and also lost more weight. "We believe that the band requires significant will and discipline and compliance, otherwise the patient can get things by the restricted area, especially high-calorie liquids," Ferzli noted. Complications are likely to result from patients "not eating properly, trying to force things down by eat rapidly or not chewing properly." "In our experience, laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass appears superior to laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding in super morbidly obese patients," Ferzli and his associates conclude in their paper. There is a subset of severely obese patients for whom gastric band would be more appropriate, Ferzli added. "We now reserve gastric banding to patients who cannot have gastric bypass surgery, because of such conditions as liver disease or (stomach disease) and ulceration that require frequent endoscopy." SOURCE: Archives of Surgery, July 2006.

Wow, everyone is doing wonderfully. Congratulations! I was banded on 3/30 and have lost 45 pounds so far. The hardest part for me was the fill process. My surgeon makes you wait a full 8 weeks for a first fill and, when I did get it, it did nothing. The second fill was double the first amount and gave me some idea of what restriction was but it was this last fill (#3, 8 days ago) that finally gave me proper restriction. Only one person has noticed my weight loss but my clothes are getting baggy and I will soon need to go to a lower size. The current slacks that I am wearing were skin tight before surgery and now they're dragging on the floor and slip right on so I can tell I'm making progress. I haven't had any serious complications but have vomited once after this third fill. I didn't chew enough, got the golf ball (make it a tennis ball) feeling/pain and ran to the bathroom. NOT pleasant. Because I was not restricted until a week ago and could eat anything with no problem, I am now learning to take my time eating, chewing well, and stopping the minute I feel discomfort. Because of needing a total knee replacement (arthritis) I am unable to work-out at a gym. I have gradually increased the amount of walking I do, work out in the garden and, in general, have a lot more energy. As for a NSV, being able to sit in MOST chairs and fit comfortably ranks high on the list.

Fat-free, sugar-free pudding, yogurt (regular and frozen), meatballs, meatloaf, mashed potatos, peanut butter, chicken salad, tuna salad, chunky soups, soft cheeses, soft fishes.

I'm almost 4 months out and have lost 45 pounds. My surgeon doesn't do a first fill for 8 weeks post-op and I didn't get restriction until my last fill (#3) a week ago.

A lot of companies are excluding weight loss surgery and usually won't change their policy for one person. Also, contracts come up for renewal once a year so you'll need to find out when the next enrollment period is.

Watermelon was a soft food for me and it was fine.

What size band do you have and how much fill did you get on #1 and #2? I had no restriction on fill #1, some on #2 but got to proper restriction for me on fill #3 (total of 6.5 cc's in a 10 cc band). I get the signal when I am full and KNOW it's time to stop. What you experienced on fill #2 was the swelling from the inflation. Now that the swelling has subsided and you can eat anything, it sounds like you need a third fill. Some people don't have a fill "kick-in" for 1-2 weeks but that was not the case for me. Call and schedule fill #3.

OK, here's the RN in me coming out. If you're having "different" headaches than those you've experienced, it's time to see an MD, have a CT scan or MRI and rule out any pathology. Different people have different experiences with migraines. For me, I am sensitive to light and sound, feel sick to my stomach, and need to lie perfectly still in bed.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! You've done wonderfully and are a role model for others considering the surgery.