Melissannde

I've had knee pain for quite a while. I seriously doubt it has anything to do with fills.. but everyone is different! Mine is from various causes.. being overweight for so long and from stressing them too much from vigorous exercise. I take my Vitamin T (Tylenol) every morning [bad joke]. It's just recently become more manageable since I've started a few things... Please ASK YOUR DOCTOR before trying these.. Added extra D3 to my vitamin regimen. I take Glucosamine/Chondrotin with MSM three times a day. I just started this week taking a small amt (1 or 2 tablespoons) of dried tart cherries at night (At night because Cherries have melatonin which helps with sleep). There's research that shows that cherries have an ingredient that works very similar to pain relievers. This article explains it better than I can. Tart Cherries - What are Tart Cherries and Tart Cherry juice? There's also cherry extract which comes in capsules and has less sugar. I will try it when I run out of my dried cherries. The dried ones I found have only 100 calories in 1/4 a cup.. so I'm getting only 25 to 50 calories per night in my small dose. Not all that significant (for me.. YMMV). You may also benefit from strengthening the muscles that support the knee. I go to the gym and do leg extensions on a machine and that has helped too. You don't have to go to the gym. You can do them at home with a beanbag or a bag of rice on your ankle. Sit in a chair and put a weight on your ankle and raise and lower your foot. Do a set number of repeats (8 or more if you can manage it). Rest a bit, do another set. As you get stronger, increase the weight. Get a referral to physical therapy and they can teach you more exercises to help you. Hope some of these ideas will work for you.

It's normal to be hungry. The band doesn't completely take away hunger, it's just supposed to diminish it to where you have more control over what you eat. :mad2: When I have stuck episodes, I definitely have warning. There's discomfort in my chest area.. at times it's been bad enough that if I didn't know I had a band, I'd think I was having a heart attack. Let me emphasize that this level of pain is only OCCASIONALLY that bad. Usually it's just really uncomfy. It's not exactly vomiting either. It's more like baby spit up. There's usually no nausea and there's almost no bile taste to the food that comes back up. Once you get rid of the item that's stuck, you're back to feeling normal again about 99% of the time. I have had episodes where I did want to go find some phenergan, but that's not a usual occurrence. Try not to worry about real food. Welcome it. In fact, my weight loss didn't really take off until I was on solid food again. Take tiny bites (pencil eraser size) and chew chew chew. Eat slowly. Don't wait until you are overly hungry to have a meal (this will help avoid "first bite syndrome" which often leads to getting stuck and having to refund what you just ate). Everyone has slightly different experiences. You'll probably get differing responses. Next question? :frown:

You might consider contacting Obesity Law. They don't charge unless they get results. I think the attorney you want to talk to is Walter Lindstrom. Best of luck to you.

I found some clips on hulu.com I've never seen the show either.

The size of bites I was told to take is the size of a pencil eraser or a small pea. I don't always use that small of a bite, but I do when I'm having issues. I've also heard it suggested to use child or toddler size utensils, or even a cocktail fork to help keep the bites small in size. I've never done that, just put small amounts on my spoon/fork, but it might not hurt to try. Hope you feel better soon.

I had a radiologist once who had me drink milk for contrast instead of barium. worked quite well. if you suspect you might have diarrhea from the barium, take some immodium with you and take a dose after the exam is over.

U go girl! They're offering a free bootcamp at my gym.. I keep thinking about it... I've done bootcamp b4 and came out of it with some knee injury..so before I do it again, I'll have to talk to the instructors. Make sure your trainer knows about any joint issues you might have. Otherwise.. GO FOR IT!! You will LOVE LOVE LOVE the results.

I found papaya at Walmart in the vitamin aisle. Good luck.

And then there's my doc who advises a combo of weight & measure. 3oz of Protein and 1/2 cup of veggies. I use a digital scale to weigh my meat at home and at the beginning a measuring cup for veg. I now know that my big serving spoon can hold about 1/2 cup.. I know what 1/2 cup looks like in my various bowls.. so I don't always measure veg at home now. I don't carry my scale or cups with me when we eat out. On those occasions I visual my meat the size of a deck of cards or the palm of my hand. Veg about the size of a tennis ball. Very common to hit plateau's .. or we perceive them as plateaus, but when we look back, we really were losing, just not as fast as we thought we should be. Change up your exercise. Do something different or increase intensity or start doing intervals. Hire a trainer once a week. Look at what you're eating calorie wise. Can you shave off a 100 or so for a week.. does that bust the plateau? If not, try adding that 100 back plus another 100. Give that a few days and see what that does. I felt like I was stuck back in May.. so to encourage myself I started taking my measurements. I recorded them monthly and it was helpful to see that although the scale movement had slowed way down.. the inches were coming off. Sometimes I think when they put the band in us, they remove the patience gland. ::grin:: I've been losing around a lb a week, but I want it to be faster like in the beginning of my journey. It's a long long journey. Today I was able to comfortably wear a pair of jeans that a month ago was painfully tight. So, I know things are changing.. and they will for you too. Hang in there. Keep the faith.

It very well could be hormonal. Fat makes a type of estrogen and as you lose weight, your estrogen levels will be unsteady until your ovaries start taking back over. And really, although you're probably feeling pretty good by now, it often takes a minimum of 6 weeks to really get over surgery and there can be slight reactions to surgery for much longer. Give it some more time, make a date for you & hubby one weekend. If you can swing it, rent a hotel room, etc. I'll bet you'll be back at normal or even better before too much longer. If it doesn't get better .. consult your Gyn. They may be able to offer some suggestions.

It's been 21 years since my last section, but I remember the section as being a whole lot worse. With a band you don't have a brand new life to try to take care of while you're healing.. uh.. wait a minute.. maybe you do.. LOL Anyways, banding I think was much easier.

you could try teeny tiny sips of hot tea. But take it very slow because if you add too much Fluid too fast, you'll make things worse. Warm liquids tend to make the band relax a little and that may be enough to let what is stuck slide on down. some say walking around helps, some folks say the chicken dance works (never did for me), some say sip (again, teeny sips) pineapple juice, some say take papaya enzyme. Both the pineapple juice and papaya enzyme are supposed to help speed digestion along. I think it just takes time myself. I know when I first had these feelings, I thought to myself If I didn't know I had a band, I would think I'm having a heart attack. Anything is possible, but I doubt you'll tear the pouch with a corn tortilla and some chicken. Next time leave off most of the tortilla and make sure the chicken is moist. Chew chew chew.. tiny tiny tiny bites. Hope you feel better soon.

Hi Neenee, I'm not familiar with BoJangles, but wings shouldn't be a big concern (unless they were fried.. not such a good choice). The bread and the french fries.. now there's part of what is keeping you hungry. Has anyone told you about white carbs (bread, rice, Pasta, potatoes and all colors of corn) and how they can make you hungrier? These are all what are called High Glycemic Index foods. High GI foods have the ability to make your blood sugar spike, then drop it lower than before you ate. When the blood sugar drops.. your body reacts by saying.. I'm hungry.. feed me!! Try omitting these things from your eating plan, cutting way back or at least going to whole wheat versions. I do understand.. I love good bread and it took me a while to wean myself off of it. I can have a little bit now and then, but I know if I do, the next day I'm going to be fighting hunger all over again. It's so not worth it MOST of the time. Do some research on Glycemic Index/ Glycemic Load. It's very enlightening. There are some techniques to use to get around the blood sugar spiking and scientists are learning more about this all the time. The candy isn't helping the situation. Ditch it or give it away. Until your resistance muscle gets a little stronger, it's just too hard to have it around. Yes, exercise can make you feel a bit hungrier. Try having a small protein snack after exercise. A string cheese stick, a snack size cottage cheese ..something like that. Your doctor was wise to limit the amount of fill. While you might not feel it yet, it's not uncommon for a fill to take up to 2 weeks to make itself known. If he had filled you enough for you to feel it now and then it kicked in again in 10 days.. you'd be TOO TIGHT. Not a pleasant thing to happen at all. I've been too tight. It's not fun to have pain with every bite that you swallow. Then you start having pb episodes. You really don't want that. Also you should know that it may take more than one fill to achieve appetite suppression. Eat your protein and drink lots of water and other low calorie things between meals. A small (low calorie) healthy snack that has some protein is probably ok if you can't make it between meals. Ask your doctor/nurses/nutritionist for guidance on this. I know you're frustrated, but this is a long journey.. a marathon, not a sprint. You can do this.. we're all rooting for you.

There's cheese and then there's cheese. I avoid large amounts of full fat cheese (for reasons that aren't germane to the conversation). But the light baby bell cheeses or weight watchers string cheese or the light laughing cow cheeses are all on my "consume with moderation and no guilt" list. ::grin:: (I'm trying to be light-hearted.. there's no room for guilt in my new way of life/eating plan)

You don't have to lie. Not telling everything isn't lying, IMO. I tell people who aren't particularly close to me that I'm eating better (not perfect..lol) and working out. If they're close or if I see that they're struggling with their weight, I'm much more likely to share about my surgery. I have yet, in 19 months, have anyone say that WLS is the easy way out. Probably because most of the time people know how hard I'm working in the gym. Congrats on your 20+ lbs lost. :hi: I put + .. cause I'm sure it's more by now.

I agree. I've also been told that. There are the Protein "bullets" that you can buy various places (I've seen them at Walmart). I think there's 25gm in 3oz. Don't recall the calories.. I think 110? I'll sometimes measure out an oz of one of those to help my muscles recover from an intense workout. Not a routine thing.. I mention it to share that the flavor of them isn't too bad. Esp. since the volume is so low.

start (if you're not already) recording your food at a website such as thedailyplate.com, which is free for most of it's functions .. there are many other sites, also free. You'll find when you do start keeping track.. that there's Protein in things you never thought about. 1/2 cup of broccoli has 1.5 grams of protein. The oatmeal I eat has 7grams in 1/4 cup (dry.. 1 cup cooked). So, you may actually be getting more than you think. Good luck. (I rarely drank Protein drinks and had no problem getting my protein in. I still have more than 1/2 a tub left of a Protein powder that I bought pre-op. I still only drink them now if I'm in a huge hurry and don't have time to sit and eat quietly).

You may want to consider cutting out or at least cutting way back on the pasta. Pasta is generally considered a high glycemic food. High glycemic foods have a tendency to make our blood sugar spike way up and then when it drops down again, hunger comes back. Other high glycemic foods to avoid are white bread, white potatoes, white rice, all corn. I know.. all the "good" stuff that we love. Argh. Ok.. now that I've given you the bad news, let me give you something a bit happier to "chew on". ::grin:: If you really want to eat the pasta, change over to whole wheat, and cook it al dente (chewy). Cut back to 1/4 cup. Add in some extra (low carb) veggies. The lowest potatoes on the glycemic index are ones called Nicola. I can't find them where I live, but maybe you can. The next least damaging to use are red potatoes (or "new" potatoes). When I fix green Beans, I'll boil some of these with the beans and I'll have maybe 1/2 of a little one and lots of the green beans. Brown or Basamati rice is said to be lower on the glycemic index than others. Try substituting Quinoa in place of pasta or rice. It's got a fair amount of carbs, but is also a complete Protein. These are just suggestions about why you are getting hungry sooner than you would like and a way to address the problem. :hi: Do some reading on the Glycemic Index/Glycemic Load. It's very enlightening. Good luck.

sorta. you can always eat around the band if you try. not advisable, if you want to lose weight. It may have very early beginnings of digestion, but the churning and mixing with digestive juices really happens in the lower stomach. Hence the reason that food that is pb'd tastes almost as good coming back up as it did going down. you're right, solid, dense food doesn't immediately go through, but it doesn't stay in the pouch as long as previously thought. yes and no. my doctor does advise patients not to drink 30 min before or after nor during meals. I followed that for a long time, but have since changed my pattern. I now drink right up to the first bite, avoid drinking during the meal (but am not rigid about that if I need a sip for some reason) and don't drink for about an hour after eating. If this caused me to be hungrier sooner, I'd modify my behavior again. Some doctors are no longer giving out the no drinking with meals advice, saying sips are ok, just avoid large amounts of fluids. Follow what YOUR doctor advises as closely as you can. Not necessarily easier to digest, but things that are soft and slide past the band without causing pain. These type of foods are very often higher in calories or high glycemic. I think that's the reason that weight regain often occurs with a too tight band, rather than meals being too small in volume. I believe that is from statistical studies. "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." I am not a statistic, I am an individual. I plan, hope and pray to beat the average. I have so far with over 150 lbs gone in 19 months. I've been told that average is 50 to 100 in one year. Hope this helps a little.

i 4th the idea of calling the md

Whoops.. incomplete thought/posting on my part. What I meant was that I'd rather deal with the apron than to have the surgery without general anesthesia. Right now I'm flip/flopping back and forth on the idea of plastics. I'm 53.. can't see me having a bikini body ever again, and yet, there's only so much that spanx can accomplish. And since I'm not employed and dh is looking to retire in the next few years, can I justify the expense? I just dunno. Sorry for the confusion.

I have no clue on the reason for gain, but have a suggestion. Start taking your measurements. Record them now and check them again in a month. Note what you are wearing and measure wearing the same thing next month. My trainer says to measure as early in the day as you can before you get active to minimize the muscle swelling effect. I started doing this when my weight loss slowed way down and I was getting discouraged. I've seen a big change in measurements. Yesterday I took back to the store 5 pairs of shorts that I bought this summer, but had never worn (still had tags). They were too big. :hi: Getting thyroid and other hormones checked is a good idea. I love Zumba. Went to a Zumbathon (3 hours.. I did 2) weekend before last.. it was like being at a club .. minus the alcohol. Hang in there. Keep us informed of what you find out.

If the economy was better I would. 3 hour drive and expensive hotels and parking.. not right now. Maybe next year. Frustrating that the Oncologist I see doesn't have office hours on Thursdays or Fridays.. I could combine a checkup and the conference. Oh well.. such is life.

VERY very common to be tight in the morning with little appetite and to loosen as the day goes on. I lost only like maybe 2lbs during the mushy stage. Significant weight loss for me didn't start until I was on solid foods. Also very common because mushy foods are often high calorie and not very filling. This is the time for healing, not for weight loss. If some happens, great, but it shouldn't be your main focus right now. Something you could try.. don't know if it will work, but shouldn't hurt.. is to drink something warm (coffee, tea) when you first wake up (this is when I take my Vitamins.. with my coffee). Warm drinks tend to loosen your band a bit and then you might be able to "eat" instead of just drinking your Breakfast. This MIGHT put you on a more even keel..where you are fueling your body at a more even pace and it won't be screaming for substance by night time. I don't know your weight/height.. but 900 might be too low for you. If your body isn't getting enough, it can slow your metabolism way down. This is something you'll need to play around with to learn what works best for you. During the healing phase, I would wake up at night with awful stomach pains. I finally figured out that I was hungry! I took to taking a container of yogurt to bed with me.. when I woke up hurting, I'd eat a spoonful or two of yogurt, just enough to ease the hunger and go back to sleep. Would do this off and on all night. It's not recommended eating behavior in general, but during healing it's ok to bend the rules a bit. Hang in there, it gets better.