GayleTX

Does your fill dr. not use a flouroscope so he can do a barium swallow after the fill?

Just one of many things......I can get behind the wheel of the car and drive again! I parked my big ol' 'land yacht' DH bought me so I could squeeze behind the wheel and go somewhere if I had to ......and bought a cute little mid-size last week! There's no stopping me now!:clap2:

The most successful losers I know are the ones who had the lapband surgery and then ate and lived as if they had the gastric bypass. It's a great combination. The bypass is only effective for about 18-24 months....after that you're on your own...the hope is that you will have learned new eating habits by then. The band is good for life....can be adjusted as your needs change. Many doctors and infomercials say that with the band you can eat what you want, just less of it, and lose weight. Well, maybe a few people can but nobody I know. And even if you did you probably would not improve your health much (we didn't eat healthy before wls or we wouldn't be fat). So getting a lifetime tool like the band and then eating right (lots of Protein, a few good carbs, very little refined/white/starchy carbs), lots of water/tea, don't drink with or right after meals, good regular exercise (you don't have to become a marathon runner...just move your body like healthy active people do). And keeping a good fill in your band as you lose is very important so you don't overeat.

I know that a number of people in the Panhandle who had MX surgery go to Dallas to Dr. Maese for fills. He is Hispanic and his father and uncle are both pioneers in the lapband field in Mexico (Monerrey I beleive) and he is very experienced and quite skilled at fills. He's in Highland Park.....Preston Cardiology Wellness Center...214-234-0330. He did all my pre-op work and all my fills - he uses flouro every time and does a good job.

Hmmmm.....have you been eating dark chocolate? spicey foods? Been taking meds that might irritate your esophagus? Eating late at night? Overfilling your pouch? That's about all I can think of right off.....other than a band that decided to tighten up on you. That's what happened to me. I thought my band was fine, but had symptoms of ulcers, lots of acid reflux for about 4 months. When they did my EGD, my 'diagnosis' was wrong - my band was just too tight. Got a slight unfill and I'm fine now. Hope you get it under controlled.....acid reflux is miserable and it can do damage to the esophagus. Take care!

I have a friend whose dr would not give her a fill for 6 months because she was still losing the 1-2 lbs/week. But it was because she is a mature, disciplined person who was very compliant with the proper eating guidelines. He finally gave her a slight fill and it has made her life much easier.

Mine was 62........now I'm about 35, I think - after 18 months. I did not want a bypass mainly because after a couple of years it is not every effective - I knew I needed a tool that would help me the rest of my life.

For 3-4 years before I had surgery, I was not able to get out of bed without holding on, sometimes using a walker the first hour or so - couldn't hold up to get thru half the grocery store (and I only went to little stores!) - had to get a bench for the shower, couldn't stand up long enough - had to cook sitting in a chair......you get the picture. I was in my mid-50's when it started - I retired at 56 because I couldn't get from the parking lot to the building ----you get the picture. I blamed all these ailments on arthritis (and diabetes, blood pressure, gout, heart problems).....thought I was ruined for life. But I decided that I owed it to my family to try to do something about my health. Didn't figure it would help much (scared to hope, I guess). Anyhow.......50 pounds later I waddled my way into the gym and pulled myself up on the treadmill and walked .1 of a mile. A week later I was walking .3 of a mile. Within 2 months I was walking a mile a day. As the pounds fell off, and perscriptions fell by the wayside one by one, I could stand up straight and walk farther and farther ( and the walker got thrown out). Now.......18 mo. later - I'm pretty much a normal person. I dont have a great figure but it's sure a lot smaller one. And I won't ever run a marathon, but all I asked was to be normal. I've lost 160 pounds and my little daughter-in-law says she can't keep up with me when we go out together. And my sweet husband, who waited on me hand and foot for 3-4 years, can sit in his recliner while I cook and clean. It's still a miracle to me every day and still gettting better. My heart aches for you - I understand so well how you feel - and I do hope that this surgery can be half the blessing to you that it has been to me.

For arthritis, I use Tylenol or just tough it out. There are perscription pain patches are are helpful but you have to wear them all the time because they are narcotic and you can't be on and off them all the time just like anything else that's addictive. I also use the adhesive heat patches on specific painful places - that seems to help some.

Right, Jack........and some people we would not want in our lives if they had not had their coffee!!!

Grits are not a good choice for anyone trying to lose weight, especially someone who is supposed to be putting Protein first at every meal..... A 1/2 cup serving of grits: <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD noWrap colSpan=2>Total Carbohydrate 11.72g</TD><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3></TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD noWrap></TD><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3></TD></TR><TR><TD noWrap colSpan=2>Protein 1.34g Not worth it!! :omg: </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

NSAIDS are damaging to the pouch, stomach and esophagus but one or two now and then is not going to eat a hole in any of them right away. Just don't use them on a regular basis. (I learned this the hard way.....bleeding ulcers from taking arthrtiis meds and ibuprofin 2-3 times a day....had to have transfusions and took me a long time to recover).

Early mornings are hard for most bandsters.....the band seems to curl up in a fetal position at night and want to stay there! I learned early to start the day with a warm drink or two and give it time to loosen up. I'm not hungry til middle of the day, but by then I can usually eat - not that I really want to - I don't have much appetite, but I can get it down pretty well. As for coffee......I think most surgeons say avoid it for 6 months or so. I never drank coffee in my life til a few months after surgery and now I drink quite a lot.....warm drinks just seem to make my pouch happier. I mix my Protein supplements with coffee and really enjoy them.....my fave is nectar brand Cappacino - I mix 1 scoop with a little Water, stir it til smooth, add 1 1/2 c. coffee and some FF creamer (it's also good with just plaiin warm water, tho). At night, I usually use chocolate powder for my bedtime protein either in coffe/water. If you are using protein supps, the decaff coffee tastes just as good as the regular IMO. As for pop, Inamed, the band manufacturer, literature says 'no carbonated drinks' forever. They are not good for anybody anyhow, so it's a good habit to break even before wls....not easy, though, is it. Tea and Chrystal Light and Kool-aid help out.

Yes, aspirin in an NSAID and it, along with many other similar meds, is damaging to us (and 'normal' people, too!). Here's a list of all NSAIDS that we should avoid. Aspirin (Anacin, Ascriptin, Bayer, Bufferin, Ecotrin, Excedrin) Choline and magnesium salicylates (CMT, Tricosal, Trilisate) Choline salicylate (Arthropan) Celecoxib (Celebrex) Diclofenac potassium (Cataflam) Diclofenac sodium (Voltaren, Voltaren XR) Diclofenac sodium with misoprostol (Arthrotec) Diflunisal (Dolobid) Etodolac (Lodine, Lodine XL) Fenoprofen Calcium (Nalfon) Flurbiprofen (Ansaid) Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Motrin IB, Nuprin) Indomethacin (Indocin, Indocin SR) Ketoprofen (Actron, Orudis, Orudis KT, Oruvail) Magnesium salicylate (Arthritab, Bayer Select, Doan's pills, Magan, Mobidin, Mobogesic) Meclofenamate sodium (Meclomen) Mefenamic acid (Ponstel) Meloxicam (Mobic) Nabumetone (Relafen) Naproxen (Naprosyn, Naprelan*) Naproxen sodium (Aleve, Anaprox) Oxaprozin (Daypro) Piroxicam (Feldene) Rofecoxib (Vioxx) Salsalate (Amigesic, Anaflex 750, Disalcid, Marthritic, Mono-Gesic, Salflex, Salsitab) Sodium salicylate (various generics) Sulindac (Clinoril) Tolmetin sodium (Tolectin) Valdecoxib (Bextra) Note: Some products, such as Excedrin, are combination drugs (Excedrin is acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine). Note that acetaminophen (Paracetamol; Tylenol) is not on this list. Acetaminophen belongs to a class of drugs called analgesics (pain relievers) and antipyretics (fever reducers). The exact mechanism of action of acetaminophen is not known. Acetaminophen relieves pain by elevating the pain threshold, that is, by requiring a greater amount of pain to develop before it is felt by a person. It reduces fever through its action on the heat-regulating center of the brain. Specifically, it tells the center to lower the body's temperature when the temperature is elevated. Acetaminophen relieves pain in mild arthritis but has no effect on the underlying inflammation, redness and swelling of the joint. Paracetamol, unlike other common analgesics such as aspirin and ibuprofen, has no anti-inflammatory properties, and so it is not a member of the class of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. * Naproxen Sodium " Naprelan contains naproxen sodium, a member of the arylacetic acid group of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)" "The chemical name for naproxen sodium is 2-naphthaleneacetic acid, 6-methoxy-a-methyl-sodium salt, (S)."

Thinner and younger in every picture!! Proud of you!!

I needed to lose 230 pounds....BMI of 62...lots of co-morbidities. I'm 19 mo. out and have lost 160 pounds with very little distress, just some acid reflux because my band was too tight for a while. If we eat right we can do. Some doctors (and infomercials) say that with a lapband you can eat whatever you want, just less of it. I know almost no one who can really do that, espcially if they need to lose much. All the sucessful losers I know eat by the same food guideline as the people who have had Gastric Bypass....heavy on the Protein (100 gr/day); no white starches; less than 40 grams of good carbs; no carbonated drinks; at least 1/2 gal. water/day. It took a while before I could begin to exercise and it's still hard for me but I keep plugging along. I'm off all eleven of the perscriptions I was on for many years (diabetes, heart, blood pressure, gout, sleep apnea, etc, etc.) and I am 20 years younger than I was this time last year. If I never lose another pound it's all been worth it. Best wishes to you and I admire you for taking this major step to get control of your life again. It's a wonderful feeling!!:clap2:

Sherilynn.....hi, there! You had an episode of acid reflux. I've finally learned not to eat or take meds late at night or it happens every time. I take an acid reflux pills every night, too. You probably got your esophagus irritated with the acid, which can make it swell a little, so you might want to stay on liquids or at least on mushies for a day or so and let it heal.

I know what you mean. I saw a group of people last week that I hadn't seen since before surgery but they were aware of my surgery.....they were nice about noticing my weight loss but the main comments I got were things like, "Oh, you poor thing....I know this has been hard on you" and pitying expressions on their faces, etc etc. No, being fat was what was hard on me.....this surgery and the new lifestyle has been wonderful!! :clap2:

Are you tracking your food intake? If you do, I think you'll see that in day that you listed that you are very short on Protein and too high in carbs. The starchy carbs (biscuits, potatoes, bread in the sandwich....all starches) always make our blood sugar bounce and make us feel hungry even when our pouch is full. If you'll eliminate the white carbs (rice, Pasta, potatoes, corn, white flour products) you'll be more able to get control of your cravings. Carbs such as the ones in green veggies are okay, but need to be kept under 40-50 grams/day if you are going to lose at a good rate. The egg and beef are only a tiny bit of protein.....and we need a lot (60-100 grams) every day for the rest of our lives! With a small pouch, it's hard to get in enough, so protein supplements are a tremendous help. Try tracking your food on a site such as FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal and work at controling the balance of foods. I know that many doctors say that with a lapband you can eat what you want, just eat less of it, but for most of us it just is not so. By changing our food intake we lose weight more easily and don't feel deprived....and we also get healthier. Best wishes to you.

I don't pay much attention to calories because I watch my Protein and carbs very closely. If you keep them in check, then your calories won't get out of hand. Most of the very successful wls patients I know do the following: 80-100 grams protein/day Less than 30 grams carbs/day (and those are good carbs, not starches) you might want to good "net carbs" or "impact carbs" if you're not familiar with this concept No starches.....potatoes, rice, Pasta, white bread, etc 64 oz water/tea Exercise Fitday.com or something similar is a great way to track your intake and to learn your food values.

Now that you've started fills, you need to go to the "fill" forum and do some reading......wish you had done it before your first fill so you wouldn't be worried. It usually takes 2-3 or more fills before you feel restriction. It also is common for it to take a few days or more for a fill to take effect. It also depends upon how aggressive your doctor is with fills. Many variables to this fill business and everyone is different.

Since your mom is on Alli, you may already know this......but you'll need to cut nearly all fats from your diet. If you don't, the Alli will make them go right through you, an 'oil leak' in the rear, for sure, if you eat much fat. Some people wear Depends when taking it. Of course, if you eliminate the fat from your diet, you probably don't need the Alli....you'll lose weight by doing that.

The medical supply company and technicians are supposed to be available to help you at all times.....give them a call. And do try other masks or nasal pillows....they make all the difference in the world.

Just be grateful you can have a surgery to improve your problem.......he can't. All you can do is proceed with your plans and prove him wrong with your success. A year from now you will have proof that you made a good decision. And he'll still have his same problem.

My guess is his office staff did not ever give him the message. I have been using Dr. Maese for all my pre-op tests and all my aftercare and he has been very attentive and helpful in all ways for the past 2 years. There are several different 'departments' you can call at his main number....ask to speak to his nurse, not just leave a message with one of the office girls. (for those of you who are curious about why a cardiologist is doing fills.......he is a cardiologist specializing in bariatric patients and is one of the most experienced and knowlegable doctors in Dallas in the area of weight loss surgeries and bariatric patient care. )