Tiffykins

I'll try to cliffnote it for ya and anyone else reading: Banded October 2008 Flipped port from very early on Begged with surgeon to help, he ignored my complaints for 4 months all while I was enduring chronic pain, along with puking on Water some days, couldn't eat most meats, the pain got so bad and 4-4.5 months into my band experience, my port was no inaccessible and had migrated, this was causing it to tug/pull on my stomach. Fired band surgeon started seeking revision to VSG (it was not available when I had my band) I set everything up with our local bariatric surgeon on base (I am seen off base) a civilian surgeon placed my band Fast forward to 8 months (June 2009) for my revision Doc knew going in to NOT perform RNY under any circumstances.If he couldn't do the sleeve, he was to remove my band and leave me fat. He got in there was able to do the sleeve with the band removal. The band was encased with scar tissue around my stomach, the tubing was wrapped around tissue in my abdominal tissue. My stomach tissue was horribly damaged, but he had to proceed with the sleeve because he couldn't salvage a portion of my stomach. 2 days post-revision on my final leak test, I swallowed the stuff, felt intense, double me over, pain in my abdomen, I knew I had a leak. Rushed back into surgery for a leak repair. My stomach could not be salvaged where the band had been placed, and was sewn back together from 2 separate pieces. I had anesthesia complication which landed me on a ventilator, and in ICU for 5 days. Upon waking up, I had drains placed, and then another 6-7 days in the hospital, I was then sent home with a pic line (it's a big catheter that is placed in my arm and led to my heart, and was fed TPN (total nutrition) via that line. I came home with home healthcare nurse to take vitals, change dressings and take blood every couple of days. That was for 2 a little, over 2 weeks that I lived life that way. After 22 days, of nothing by mouth, no water, no ice chips, NOTHING, the TPN was decreased, my drains were removed, and the leak had healed and I could start Clear liquids. I did those for 17 days, progressed to full liquids for a full week, and then mushies. I was then hospitalized around 7 weeks out due to abscesses in my abdomen and pelvic cavity. Microscopic bacteria hid out after the leak repair (even on antibiotic therapy, my body had been so weakened and could not fight it off) and then formed abscesses, hospitalized for another week, 2 more drains were placed, heavy antibiotic therapy, along with pain meds. I can't remember how long those drains stayed in, maybe 2-3 weeks. I was finally released for regular activity at 3.5 months post-revision. I was able to eat regular food, but I had to stick to mushy/puree/extremely soft Proteins until the 3 month mark because my stomach just could not tolerate food. My husband was deployed to Afghanistan during this entire time, not allowed to come home. I struggled not only physically, but mentally, BUT I can tell you I would do it all over again to live the life I have today. As of this past January, I had lived fairly complication/issue free. I lost weight, hit goal in 6.5 months, have no food intolerances etc etc. I would have random food issues, but nothing to cause alarm, it's just life post removing a large portion of a severely damaged stomach. Oh I had my gallbladder removed at 8 months post-op. However, in January, I had a bad case of gastritis, and recovered from that issue. As the pregnancy has progressed, I have obviously gained weight, I have another human taking up space in my body, and pushing things around, and for the last 4 months (out of 7 months of pregnancy) I have random true stomach pain(not abdominal, but actual stomach pain) with eating. After testing, and further investigation by my ob's and surgeon, it appears that I have permanent nerve damage from the band to my abdominal wall and possible diaphragm which causes these random pains to occur and the pain radiates from my stomach, to my rib area all the way up to my shoulders and through my neck. This pain is often called "referred shoulder pain". A lot of bandsters deal with it, and some blow it off, but it's nothing to play with, and it's often a sign of other issues. I don't miss my stomach at all. I don't miss the horrific fills and unfills, I don't miss puking on water. I don't miss not being able to eat good foods. I love not being hungry. I was starved with the band, I'd eat the "right" foods, the food would move through the banded area, and I'd be starving again. I have zero regrets. Even my band situation made me realize a lot about myself, my challenges and what I wanted out of a surgery.

Many congrats ! ! ! As for maintenance, the advice/recommendation I was given is to add healthy fats via foods such as avocados, nuts, Peanut Butter, cooking in olive oil etc etc. Good solid, healthy fats without changing my portion size. I had to add carbs to get my losing to start, and I added back all foods in moderation, tiny bits at a time. Just adding in 100-200 calories per day with a healthy snack. It took about 4 months to get my weight stabilized, and I had the 5lb bounce around that I was comfortable with for my sanity. Throw in some almonds, pistachios, peanut butter with 1/4 of an apple, or some wheat thins. That's pretty much what I did.

Those directions are (from my understanding) not for therapeutic dosing. It's for people who suffer from occasional heartburn. I'm assuming you're talking about OTC and not RX Prilosec. The regulations are different for drugs that make it OTC status so I'm going to say that is the reasoning why that is on the boxes. I've been on a daily PPI since being around 6 weeks, so over 2 years I've popped a PPI. Up until January of this year, I was on Prilosec 20mg RX once daily. I had a bad case of gastritis was switched to Nexium 40mg once daily, put on Carafate 4 times days for a week, and then got pregnant. Prilosec is not allowed in pregnancy so I have stayed on Nexium through the pregnancy, and will probably continue the PPI once Tatum arrives. I will probably switch back too Prilosec because that RX is free for me (on base through the military), and Nexium is filled through our mail order system, and while it's super cheap, free is always better LOL.

Can you have yogurt yet??? I actually would chew up the vitamin, and then eat some yogurt, wait the 30 minutes and then start drinking.

Are you taking them on an empty stomach?? Early out, I had to take my vitamins right after a meal or I'd get the icky taste in my mouth or the little vitaminy tasty burps.

Water and liquids are fine. I take mine, and start downing coffee/water/tea whatever liquid I want. I'm sure I read that some PPIs take 7-14 days to fully kick in. Prilosec took about 10-12 days to fully kick in for me. Gaviscon comes in liquid and chewables. I'm not sure about tablets/capsules. I don't find Gaviscon horrible, but tastes/preferences are individualized kind of like the Protein drinks/shakes or chewable Vitamins.

Make sure you are taking the PPI on a completely empty stomach. 1 hour before eating, or 2-3 hours after eating. Most of them do take time to build up in our systems for maximum efficacy. I'm sorry you are suffering, and hope you get some relief soon. Maybe check with your doc about using Gaviscon until the PPI kicks in fully.

From my understanding, he is no longer in practice.

liquids in, liquids out. Once you can eat some yogurt, it really helps with the GI tract imbalance. It is frustrating, but you'll have relief soon.

I've had both so I feel like I comment and tell you my experience, and with confidence can tell you that the problems with the band are not worth your time, energy, frustration, risks of complications, and pure hell. I can say my band horror story with you, but don't want you to think that my experience is unique. It's very common, and more and more patients are seeking revisions or having to have their bands removed because of permanent damage. This topic has a lot of good information: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/23383-considering-lapband-read-this-first/page__pid__197846#entry197846 I will be more than happy to share with you the gory details of my experience, but here is some statistical information regarding the band. This information is from the makers of the band. http://www.lapband.com/en/learn_about_lapband/safety_information/ You can check my blog on here for sleeve research links, statistical information, and then make an informed decision. No one could pay me to have or recommend a band. Not even to my worse enemy. It's not pleasant, and while it is advertised as reversible, what the surgeons(who still push the band) and the manufacturers neglect to tell you is that once the band is in place, it can be removed, or revised, but they never mention the amount of damage your stomach tissue may have after removal.

I counted total carbs. I didn't have the time, energy or desire to worry about net carbs. The one thing that made things easier is that I honestly didn't have room for much more than 30gr of carbs from dairy and some green veggies. I'm not a fruit eater, never have been, probably never will be. I couldn't drink milk due to lactose intolerance so the carbs I got were from cheese, greek yogurt and green veggies and/or pinto/black/refried Beans I ate as a side item a few times a week. I tried to stick to veggies that scored lower than 55-60 on the glycemic index because that kept the carb count low on those foods.

Just wondering. . . I don't think surgeons do anything wrong necessarily, and I just thought I would ask since there's a couple of sleevesters on OH with the same issue. I wasn't trying to say any surgeon did it "wrong". I promise it was just out of curiosity more than anything.

Who is her surgeon??? I only ask because I've heard of this a couple of times with 2 separate surgeons that have a different technique.

You're in bandster hell, and unfortunately, this "elusive" sweet spot doesn't exist. Even the long term bandsters admit that it's just that "elusive" and many bandsters never find it, or get restriction with the band. I wish I could give you hope, but it's becoming a more common issue with the bands. I'm sorry you are struggling, and would recommend just pushing Protein until you can get restriction. I know that band life is tough. I had every issue within the first 3 months of having mine, and so grateful I was able to revise. Keep us posted, and hope you get some good answers on possibly revising.

I'm not a huge fan of meatloaf, but it does typically go over fairly well in my household. Plus, John likes Meatloaf sandwiches the next day. So, I thought I would share this with everyone. Everyone knows by now that I'm pretty carb conscious. Well, this will be good for those of you who are on the soft food/regular food stage, or for those who want an alternative to the typical "bread crumb, oatmeal, or crackers" that meatloaf recipes use as a binder. I followed the reviews advice, skipped the salt, and used reduced sodium tomato sauce to cut down on the salt content. I also don't add the chili powder. I use Garlic Powder, cayenne pepper, parika, onion powder and coarse ground black pepper. I also used lean ground venison so the Protein count was a bit more. You can also substitute with Ground Turkey. eggs 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon garlic salt 1 tablespoon garlic pepper seasoning Directions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce. tomato sauce, crushed pork skins, and eggs. Season with chili powder, garlic salt, and garlic pepper. Mix until well blended. Form into a loaf, and place into a greased loaf pan. Bake, uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Here's the nutritional information for the base recipe. I'm sure the sodium content would be less if you modify the recipe. Nutritional Information All Protein Meatloaf Servings Per Recipe: 8 Amount Per Serving Calories: 318 Total Fat: 25.5g Cholesterol: 129mg Sodium: 1124mg Total Carbs: 3.2g Dietary Fiber: 1.1g Protein: 18.5g VIEW DETAILED NUTRITION About: Nutrition Info Powered by: ESHA Nutrient Database

The rack are the antlers. Bigger antlers as trophies. It's more the sport of hunting and not for the "meat". Let him go, let the BIL teach him, all of our friends take their deer to a processing place, just like for cattle. They process deer there too so you won't have to worry about all of that unless your BIL just likes to field dress them himself. Not my thing, I've hunted, and I'll pay someone to process it LOL.

Okay, I promise if you can cook a chicken breast you can cook venison. If he's a good hunter, and not worried about the "rack", tell him to bag a younger doe and that's the best venison with the least amount of gamey flavor. Tagging and bagging old, male buck deer with tons of testosterone makes the meat suck. There are hoards of recipes on the internet for venison. The key is not to overcook it, and marinading steaks just right. I use standard marinade, Lawry's steak and chop, is a favorite of ours for venison. Also, having it ground up into venison sausage, or ground meat makes great chili, Soups. Cooking isn't always the key to gamey tasting venison. Age, and health of the deer are the big contributors. And, I eat sh*tpots of jerky and have since hitting regular foods. Red meat actually works better for my sleeve than chicken.

I was the same way, and since I couldn't tolerate Protein drinks/shakes, my surgeon was elated once I could get protein from food. I was advised to cut out all supplements if I could get my protein grams from food sources. Sounds to me like your doing fabulous ! ! !

Oh yeah, it's not cheap by any stretch of the imagination LOL. It is a special thing for me. I love that I have friends who hunt, and we get venison every year for free.

So, this is just my experience, and I went through the same thing at around the same time. Our transit time changes around the year mark or at least this is what I've been able to gather from talking to those that went before me. I don't know why or how to explain it, but I could see that mushy foods went through faster which led to being able to eat a little more. 1/4 cup is a mere 2oz, BUT I understand your fears. I had them too. Now, the one thing I can say is that I still max out at about 3-5oz of dense Protein which is the same that I was eating at 8-9 months post-op. But, if I add any type of food lube, be it steak sauce, gravy, even say to take a bite of meat, then eat a bite of potatoes, or other soft veggies, I can fit in a bit more. Which I'll be honest is kind of nice. I mean I always hated to eat just one thing on my plate, and I did it for a very long, long time because that was my new habit and way of eating. But, it is nice to have a few bites of meat, and then a few bites of green Beans, and/or potatoes. I still do not experience physical hunger, but I noticed that food moves out faster than it did the first 6 months which allows more food to be ingested. Your stomach will reach a max capacity. There are things that effect transit time, and how fast the moves out or hangs around in there. Also, my slider foods have changed dramatically.

It is "sweeter" than beef, and not as gamey as venison. I'm a meat snob as well, okay well during my losing phase I ate what I could and that included lots of ground beef and turkey. It's an extremely lean meat so seasoning, in my opinion, is the key to bison/buffalo meat. I personally do not think it tastes like hamburger meat at all.

It seems that 60-70gr is the recommended for women. 80-100gr is pretty standard for men. I couldn't get in 80 grams for several weeks. 60 was about all I could push in even once I got to mushy/purees/soft solids.

4 meals with each meal consisting of 15gr of Protein per meal will give you the 60gr of protein per day. 2oz of chicken is about 14gr of protein, 2 eggs is 14gr of protein 1 egg with 2 cheese chunks is 13gr of protein Make your tuna, chicken, egg salad with Greek yogurt and you'll get your protein in with a few more grams via Greek yogurt.

I'm such a rebel LOL. No seriously, I'm still on Nexium, was on Prilosec until January, and switched to Nexium after a gastritis attack. Anyways, I have had breakthrough reflux a few times, and it's hell. Plus, I was told to never stop "cold turkey", but to wean off when I decided to do so. I "might", heavy on the might, wean off after the baby is born in November which will put me at almost 2.5 years out. From the other vets, they noticed their hunger came back, and they had to cut certain foods. Well, I live on spicy foods, so I haven't weaned off yet. I kept saying "oh I'll wean off when I hit X months out", but never followed through with it after reading others that had tried before me. Admittedly, the hunger returning scares me more than reflux (well except with reflux there is the lovely Barretts esophagus issues), but we'll see how I feel in November/December of this year.

Just my 2cents: Society is much more accepting of obese men. Women are taught from a young age that fat won't get you a boyfriend. Fat won't get you a good job. Fat won't get you anywhere in life. With men/boys, "big boys" are doted on, pushed into sports, and even sometimes celebrated. As for the number of women seeking WLS, it's been shown that women are far more health conscious, seek medical advice for ailments while men just deal with them, we go every year for a pap smear once we're sexually active which includes a physical, a breast exam, pap smear, etc. Men typically don't start physicals unless there is something majorly wrong, or they hit age 40. Sadly, it's the main reason why men die earlier than women. Preventative medicine is typically sought out by women over men. I've read a few articles on men vs. women, and they all concur that women will go to the doctor long before a man will for the same "issue" be it a sinus infection or an aching back. Something about "societal pressure" for men to be appear strong, healthy, and not "weak".