Leila

I'm glad it's helpful, sometimes people feel I come across as a know it all. I wouldn't use it for more than a week at a time, if constipation is an ongoing problem the best bet is to really try to work more fiber and liquids in your diet. Also try to figure out if you are taking any medications or supplements that are constipating, the biggest offender is often calcium carbonate based calcium supplements. Having a calcium supplement that is not sourced from the carbonate kind and that is blended with a magnesium supplement will not only not constipate you, but can help you get regular. If you have a hard time getting in plain water, don't limit yourself, and try other low cal or calorie free drinks to help. I drink water, V8 juice, tomato juice, and diet iced tea, occasional crystal light, regular tea, and warm broth all regularly to keep my liquids up, I try to always be sipping something. If I get constipated I drink some apricot nectar too, it has as much as a benefit as prune juice, but tastes a lot better, just heavier in calories as it's full juice so I don't go overboard on it. The V8 and tomato has some fiber too.

Oh, and try not to use aloe vera juice all the time, it does have a laxative effect and it is the type of chemical laxative (many are from natural sources) that will with chronic use cause laxative dependency. Most laxatives they recommend you use for no more than a few days in a row, otherwise you weaken your own bodies process. Papaya enzymes are papasin which is a protease enzyme - it will only break down protein, not starches or fats or any other foods. You can buy broad spectrum enzyme blends at the health food store and in some pharmacies that are targeted to help break down a wide variety of foods.

Thankyou, it's nice to hear other women's experiences with this. I'll have to have a big vertical incision because of the size and location of my masses, but I'm okay with that, right now I'm just happy it's something fixable, treatable, and not life threatening.

thank you again everyone!

Thanks everyone, you're all so sweet! Everyone should be excited and happy for their weight losses and the good things. It's nice to come here and see people with good news! I'm the exact same weight as last week, no loss, no gain, and I'm fine with that right now. Very happy I haven't gained, I've been eating a lot more high cal, high fat foods with the stress, and I'll get back on track this upcoming week. I don't want to focus too much on the negative... I'm happy to hear everyones light hearted news, comments, etc, and don't worry about if you are being insensitive or if I'll be offended or anything like that. I'm a VERY hard person to offend! Hugs back! XO Leila

No change for me this week, even though I spent 24 hours in the ER on IV with no food, argh. I've had major health issues which have made this last week a virtual write off, glad I haven't gained actually. Congrats to all those down and maintaining this week! keep up the great work!

I relate, my open poly marriage has been a beautiful loving one for 14 years. I respect peoples choice, and peoples choice to be monogamous. I would never get involved with someone who was cheating on a partner. I respect other peoples commitment to monogamy. I respect other peoples decisions to be poly/open. I don't respect people who make commitments and then break them via cheating - it's not something I'm comfortable being a party to. I've heard from a number of people on here that are in open, poly or swingers marriages, many who want to keep it private from other people on here they don't feel would be open to it, not wanting to risk friendships. A couple of them very traditional Christian folks in every which way, except for that part of their lifestyle, fearing rejection from friends online and off. It's always sad when people feel they have to hide who they are from people they care about out of fear of rejection or persecution. I can't do it, I want to be appreciated for who and what I am, or not at all.

Thanks for all the support guys. Here's my update - I just spent the last 24 hours in emergency, I had really bad pain and nausea and had to go in. While I was there they did more tests, so with the ultrasound and a CT scan the ob-gyn specialist determined that I have 3 fibroid masses, 2 are 5 inches in diameter, one is 5.5 inches in diameter - basically 3 big grapefruits. Because of their location in the uterus, and the fact that they grew as agressively as they did, the specialist strongly recommends a hysterectomy. Even if they removed the masses and left what was left of the uterus intact, odds are new fibroids will form and grow rapidly from the remaining uterus, and I'll have to have repeated surgeries to keep removing fibroids. Since all fibroids grow from uterine tissue, if they remove it, I will never have fibroid problems again. My ovaries aren't compromised at all, so I'll be able to keep them, and that's what's important to me. I'm just so relieved and gratefull that it's not cancerous. So surgery coming for me probably in October, they will have to open me up pretty big vertically, so I'll be adding a big new scar to my collection... ah well. It could have been a lot worse! Thank you everyone for prayers and support. Now just waiting on finallizing the mortage for the house!!! It is all looking pretty good everything considered. I feel gratefull and blessed.

Thanks for all the support guys. I just spent the last 24 hours in emergency, I had really bad pain and nausea and had to go in. While I was there they did more tests, so with the ultrasound and a CT scan the ob-gyn specialist determined that I have 3 fibroid masses, 2 are 5 inches in diameter, one is 5.5 inches in diameter - basically 3 big grapefruits. Because of their location in the uterus, and the fact that they grew as agressively as they did, the specialist strongly recommends a hysterectomy. Even if they removed the masses and left what was left of the uterus intact, odds are new fibroids will form and grow rapidly from the remaining uterus, and I'll have to have repeated surgeries to keep removing fibroids. Since all fibroids grow from uterine tissue, if they remove it, I will never have fibroid problems again. My ovaries aren't compromised at all, so I'll be able to keep them, and that's what's important to me. I'm just so relieved and gratefull that it's not cancerous. So surgery coming for me probably in October, they will have to open me up pretty big vertically, so I'll be adding a big new scar to my collection... ah well. It could have been a lot worse!

So, I just spent the last 24 hours in emergency with a lot of pain. I had the mass in my pelvic area finally diagnosed, it took an ultra sound, and a CT scan, and the ob-gyn specialist says I have 3 fibroid masses, all about the size of grapefruits. I will have to have a hysterectomy to have them removed, but will be able to keep my ovaries, and I'm just relieved that I don't have cancer. They will have to do a large up and down incision though do to the size of the fibroids. Thanks for all your support guys. I'm glad to hear most people are doing well, the ups and downs, of getting stuck, PBing, I guess are just part of the learning curve of having a new band, and re-learning how to eat now.

Am I welcome here? and will you please pray for me.... I'm not Christian, and I personally do not believe in "God" - however I'm a very spiritual person, and I believe in the divinity of all things. I also believe what everyone else believes is as true and as powerful for them as my beliefs are for me. I also believe in the power of prayer because of this, and the power of sending positive thoughts out to those in need. I have enormous respect for all beliefs, including Christianity. I would like to be able to send out my positive thoughts for those in need along with your prayers... am I welcome to do so? I would like to ask permission first, as I don't want to intrude, not strictly believing as you do. Also I need support, and request prayers from the willing. I'm scared, I discovered a large hard mass in my lower abdomen/uterine area last night, and went to emergency this morning, because I was too scared to wait. The Dr. said I have a large area about the size of a football, that is likely (hopefully) benign uterine fibroids. I go for an ultrasound tommorow. It's likely just that and not cancer, but regardless it's large enough that I will most likely have to have a complete hysterectomy. I'm also waiting on mortage financing for a home right now, I'm inbetween homes living in an RV with my DH and our little dogs. Please send prayers a good thoughts my way that I do not have cancer, that my hysterectomy will go smoothly, and that we get financing for the home we long for. Thank you. Leila (Live in Love)

Thanks Lila, I'm trying to put on a brave face, but I'm scared.

My babies... Iggy - the big brindle boy, and Bella - the little black female.

The bad news... I just found out I have a huge mass in my lower abdomen/uterus area, probably a massive benign fibroid tumor (hopefully that, and not something worse). It's about the size of a freakin football. The good news, the whole thing, and likely my uterus will have to come out, It's going to be easy to make my 8lb goal this month. Man I have a dark sense of humour... especially in times of stress.

Thanks for the support everyone, I'll keep you posted. socalgal3 - If it were me, I'd do two days liquids ONLY, then try a day of mushies, if that goes fine next day a day of soft foods, if that goes fine, then try regular solids again - If you start to PB again during any of that time, I'd go for an unfill asap - if you are overfilled and wait PBing all the time, you will do yourself damage, you increase chances of further complications down the road like slippage or erosion, and you won't lose weight overfilled - it's too easy to take in too many calories on liquids/mushies because they don't sit in the pouch, they don't let you feel full. There is no good reason to be overfilled, proceed cautiously, and if you continue to PB, unfill!!!!

Hey Junbies, I'm stressed and feeling down. I noticed last night as I was poking around at my shrinking tummy a hard spot, I felt around some more and could feel a large hard mass low in my pelvis area. I was worried and went to the ER this morning. The Dr. says I have a mass about the size of a football! That it is probably benign - fibroids. They will call me tommorow a.m. with a time to go get an ultrasound for a proper diagnosis. I was reading online and given how big the mass is, even if it is just fibroids, and how fast it has grown (it definitely wasn't there a few months ago!) I will probably have to get a hysterectomy. I'm bummed, and teary. Just needed a place that felt safe to vent my news and fears.

Thank you for your great support as a moderator on LBT - not an easy volunteer job!!! And have an awesome birthday! :happybday2:

Good for you! Welcome to LapBandTalk! There are usually groups for people banded the same month. No one has started one for October yet as far as I can see. Though I am sure there are a lot of people on here getting banded same month as you - you could always start a new thread for October bandsters! Lots of great info and support here on the forums, if you haven't allready search out the FAQ threads for loads of helpful info. XO Leila

:welcomeB: ONEFLEW! Would love to hear more about you. GFG is a great group, we've had a bunch of new people joining this last week. :biggrin1:

The protein drink I took was over 8oz in size, and I was allowed to have as many ounces of other fluids as I wanted. I wasn't given a restriction on fluid levels at all. I was also allowed to mix my protein drink with other drinks, etc. I would take my protein drinks 3 times a day, and then I had additional protein powder I bought that was tropical fruit flavor and mixes clear/thin in water or juice. I also drank v-8 juice, skim milk, and dannon silhoutte yogurt drinks. I had about 1200-1400 calories total a day, and I aimed for 80-100 grams of protein a day. Protein is really important when you are healing post surgery. I did lose weight during that time as well, and protein keeps you feeling full, so little bits of protein continually throughout the day was key for me to keep me from feeling hungry.

:welcomeB: TO BAND LAND! :welcomeB:

Yes! not once, but twice. It took me three fills to get some restriction and still not perfect restriction. When does your Dr. have you go back on solids after your fill? You won't really be able to tell until you've been on solids. The band should never really give you restriction with liquids, if it does you're too tight. Also some people find the fill kicks in later, a week, occasionally even a couple of weeks, and wham, they have restriction. My Dr. has us do soft foods day of fill, and back to regular solids day after. For my first two fills it was obvious a day later I was still wide open - and yes, in the office with water right after the fill the water went down slow and made me burp. Everyone is different, you have to listen to your own body and your Dr.'s particular methods and advice and decide what approach you feel is best for you. I did my three fills one week apart, worked for me, but would be too much too fast for other bandsters. It's something only time and experience with our own bodies will have us figuring out I guess. And don't forget, liquids shouldn't get you full, the band is designed to work with solid food.

Like many others, my only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. I was banded just under 3 months ago. Yes I was nervous before, I had doubts and concerns, and right after when healing from surgery I would occasionally wonder if I'd done the right thing. Now I know, this has been life changing. I feel better than I've felt in so long that I can't remember the last time I felt this good, and that's less than three months out! Not just weight lost, but I have so much more energy, less stress, general well being and happiness is at an all time high. I finally feel like I have the tools I need to succeed at losing my weight and keeping it off.

Wheetsin - Neither of my parents has English as a first language, my father is a Danish Canadian, and my mother French Canadian. They also both learned to speak English by mutual German friends. So they have an interesting accent. I grew up with people from all different language backgrounds around me, friends of the family from all over the world. Growing up we also belonged to the Canadian-Chinese friendship association. Anyways, funny story, we had family friends who owned a cabin at what we were always told was 'Turd Lake' to our ears as kids. The people who owned it had accents, as did my parents, everyone said 'Turd Lake'. One day they put a framed map of the general area up, so we decided to locate where we are on the lap, us kids sat around and looked and looked... There was a First Lake on the map, a Second Lake on the map.... and, a THIRD LAKE on the map. None of the adults pronounced TH, all the accents made TH's hard T's. When we figured it out we were rolling on the ground laughing, we had been telling friends for summers that we had been vacationing at Turd Lake, alas it was mundanely just Third Lake.

I'm probably the odd one out, but I love spelling mistakes, typos, slang, crazy typing, people who write big, small, caps, break the rules, do things different. I like seeing peoples personality in their writing. It's like beat poetry. It's like an accent, or an affectation. It's... human. I love diversity. I'm from the linguistics over English grammar school of thought. When I studied linguistics in University and discovered linguists with their PhDs studied pigeon, slang, patois and other language variant forms with passion and acceptance, and as part of the constant evolution and revolution of language - I was in heaven. The correct spellings and proper English of today was once the common spelling mistakes and slang of the past! The common spelling mistakes and slang of today will probably be the proper English of the future! If you are grammar and spelling challenged... fear not, just adjust your thinking - maybe your just ahead of your times, and a pioneer in the language of tommorow. Not everyone reads your posts and cringes, some of us smile, some of us see your personality, or influences from what part of the world you're from, some of us delight in the perfection of imperfection, and the courage not to constantly edit, but let your mistakes just be. Weird, maybe. They never could cure me of my run on sentences.