paracelsus51

Yep, although the acai has some nutrients, it's not some miracle cure or diet aid. Cleansing is another scam. Your body cleans itself all the time. Starving and drinking various liquids won't do anything for you. Save your money.

Beano works for some stuff. I developed a great never ending gas problem after they tried me on Niaspan (high dose niacin). I found that the only thing that helped was probiotics. Gasx only helps your stomach, like an antacid. There are all kinds of brands. I like the Digestive Advantage. There are different formulas for different problems, including gas relief. They are decently priced and do seem to work. You can also print coupons off of their website.

You will find people who've had either surgery who aren't happy with the choice and others who are thrilled. Bypass wouldn't have really helped me with the GERD. Overkill. I don't want to lose weight really really fast as I don't want all that hangy skin. I also don't want my innerds messed about. With the band, I can have a fill, unfill, or have it removed with no real damage. I am suspicious of anybody who flat out poo poo's anything. That usually means they've met that one guy who also doesn't believe in seatbelts.

I stayed at the Comfort Suites Denver South too. It was very nice. I got a really good deal on car rental and hotel. You can buy some Clear liquids before surgery. I would totally recommend staying that third night. See if you can arrange to make up your class, or pick another day. I did not need to stay the night at the hospital at all. The surgery center is connected to the hospital if anything happens, which is highly unlikely. You will be sore the first few days. Dr. K gives you all your meds before surgery, which is wonderful. Mostly getting up and down will be very painful. I stayed in the hotel room the entire day after surgery, having no desire to go out. The next day I flew home after riding in the car most of the day, so sitting through a class would be doable. I read about Dr. Brown too, but chose Dr. K as I could not find much info. I was also impressed with Dr. Ks office. They responded post haste to any inquiry and I never had to talk to voicemail. Once I talked to him I was very comfortable. I talked to him in person and found him easy to talk to and ask questions. He also was not pushy. They made sure to talk to my mom too and make sure there was someone there for me.

Yep, don't stick with a doctor who is not treating you correctly and who doesn't listen. I switched to a doctor in the next town as the one here, although he is nice, you always feel like you are slowing them down from getting to the next patient. They have a schedule and if your body doesn't follow it, it's your fault. They filled me, set off my reflux and then were upset with me for wanting some fluid removed. Yea, dont' need that kind of stress. New office is MUCH friendlier and ready to listen and give answers. They also have this idea that they need to treat everyone individually.

I keep having Water weight too. My ankles don't swell nearly as much as they used to, so I can't complain. I haven't been losing much at all, but I just got back on chewable food and I have no fill. They might try it again in a couple weeks. I am supposed to start back to water aerobics in September when the new Y opens, so that will probably help. Stomach is very touchy, so I am never sure about the reflux, but I can eat tomato stuff and I couldn't do that before the band, so it must be doing something. You can go no carb for quite a while, pure Adkins. I went pretty low, but I needed some fruit now and then. I haven't touched bread or crackers since the before the pre-op diet. I just get bored with meat and veggies. We're not allowed any overtime where I work. It would be nice so I could pay down the bills, but, oh well.

I got my band to help control my GERD, after gaining nearly 70 pounds eating to appease my stomach. That is, the expensive prescription and over the counter drugs didn't fix it, so I ate breads and crackers all the time. Now, as someone who loves food and cooking and baking and eating, this wasn't an easy decision. There was no amount of willpower was going to stop the eating out of fear. I don't use a therapist, but I do have good support from family and friends, some of whom have the band. I still love to eat, more so now that I can have solid food. I am at seven weeks out and have all told lost 30 pounds. I still overeat when it's my TOM, but it's a couple hundred calories instead of a couple four thousand. I haven't touched bread or crackers and it has helped with the GERD overall. I've a long ways to go, but I did the research and the thinking and asking before, so few surprises.

Wow, it's great you have a doctor who discusses things with you. Mine has a schedule for everyone and you just get a fill, even if you are loosing. It caused me problems, but I've changed doctors and hopefully the new one has your doctor's concept of one treatment schedule does not fit all. Congrats on your success!

Well, congrats and good luck. It really is much easier than regular surgery. I didn't have a war with BCBS, my company just doesn't cover it, end of story. It seems to cover everything else though.

Wow, tough week. Hopefully they can find you a good treatment. Hepatitis of any strain is no fun. Between everyone, they should be able to get you on track. I had my upper GI on Thursday and I haven't slipped. Didn't think I had, but since they mentioned it, I had a very stressful week over it. Good luck Gator, here's hoping it's just needing an adjustment. The new doctor's office was much more helpful and actually answered questions and let me vent. I have been so stressed and freaked out I actually developed a rash, which I didn't know you could do. They completely emptied my band and took out more fluid than the other doctor put in, which means that the old place didn't empty me out on my first fill, so they had no idea what I actually had in there. They also told me I didn't ever have to have a fill if the band was working for me, they don't have a pre-set schedule. I could feel the relief almost immediately after they emptied the band. I have to go back in four weeks for another upper GI swallow test. Barium has not improved from last time. They did make me drink that whole thing to see if there was any reflux. Yuk. My stomach is very touchy and so they are just going to play it by ear. I really think it just needed some more time to recover and three weeks, six days wasn't enough. I am going on a bit, but MAN, I am so relieved!

Yep, don't feel you have to tell anyone. People are snoopy, but your personal life is none of their business. I don't know why we feel so guilty about other people butting in to our lives. I told a lot of people, including some at work. We are a small office, so they knew I'd be gone as I took 3 weeks off, and why and are very supportive as they've experienced my life with GERD that caused me to miss a lot of work and constantly visit the doctor and have endless useless tests, which is the major reason why I had this surgery. My best friend had this surgery around three years ago and attended the local support group. It turns out that most of the people in that group are bypass and not band, so she was getting a lot of info and answers that didn't really apply to the band and it got confusing. I am not much of a group joiner in person, so online works well for me, plus we can talk to each other.

I'm off tomorrow to have my partial upper GI. Hopefully nothing is wrong and they can take the rest of this fluid out and everything will go back to the much better way it was because it's not covered by insurance. I know I will be much more aggressive about making sure they just don't do things because they have a schedule. I am hoping for solid food, or semi solid food. I am losing weight, but since I drink everything, I have to run to the bathroom every couple hours or more.

They are constantly doing things here to raise money for different people. It's telling that even if they have insurance, the cost is overwhelming. I'm off on Thursday to have a partial upper GI to see if my band has slipped or the esophagus has enlarged. That would annoy me to no end. I am back on the liquid soft diet. They don't really think either has happened, but they have to rule it out before they do anything else. I hate when they say stuff like that. Now I developing the psychosomatic symptoms. I decided to dump the local surgeon and his office, where they cannot read notes and do stuff just because they have a schedule and not to fit the patient. I am going to the University med center where they have a GERD specialist who also is the head of the bariatric center. It's a fifty mile drive, but at least they are less likely to screw me up. There is no one else in my town. My GERD was nearly gone and now it's endless. I can't wait until Thursday. I'll probably develop seizures by then.

Yep, it's not a cure all and it's not magic. You still have to work. There are real risks in having surgery, so it's not to be taken lightly. The band is a tool and you may be totally successful with it, but like all tools, you have to understand how to use it and maintain it. Many failures are due to not doing what you are supposed to do, so make sure you are ready to commit long term. You can google failure rates and complications of both choices and you are going to find some pretty scary stuff, so read with caution and check sources and dates. Don't be scared into making one choice over another, make the choice that best fits your needs, even if that means waiting and talking to a dozen doctors.

My doctor suggested the band as a GERD treatment. The band creates a sort of artificial sphincter to help stop acid. Bypass wouldn't have done that. I also have a problem with having my innerds rearranged and sliced and diced. Both choices are going to have potential problems. Also, if you go with bypass and it doesn't work or you stretch out your pouch and start gaining in a couple years, you can have the band put in or have the Stretta procedure as options. I am hypoglycemic and have experienced dumping even without the surgery. I go way out of my way to avoid it.

You could start by going back on the low carb diet to jump start yourself. Also, write down everything you eat. That helps me. I still eat ice cream, but a limited amount. If you have a mis-step, just begin again, now. And YES, it isn't easy at all.

I am five weeks out, so healing goes quickly. I could only have clear liquids for the first couple days. I don't feel full really. I just try and make sure I only eat a limited amount. You don't have much restriction right now so fluids go right through. I can't stand the protein shakes and I've tried many types. Just remember, as you will hear lots on here, the first few weeks are about healing, not losing, even though you may do both.

Thanks. I ordered two of the smaller ones which should be perfect for my instant breakfast.

My big cut is right at my waist line, so anything tight is a bad idea. I wear Lovepats underwear, which are the best I've found. Very comfy, non-binding and seamless. They also accommodate any swelling, which I have as a side effect of a hysterectomy four years ago. This surgery was so much easier than that one. I still appreciated the Lovepats.

Well, after only a month; that it only took a couple days after surgery to feel pretty good, that I keep having to repeat the same things to the local doctor's office because they don't read their own notes, and, even though I knew this, that I can't feel the band.

I am on the c-pap too. You get used to it and it really helps. There are dozens of different masks to try. Mine only covers my nose and some don't even go that far. You should at least give it a try, better than having a car accident. I feel so much better. I am not in love with it, but it really, really helps. How much weight would vary with how severe and what the exact cause of your apnea is.

I took three weeks off and took it easy when I went back last week. It took me a good three weeks to feel pretty normal again. The first day at work was killer and I went home early. You can discuss with your doctor how much time you would like. Usually they will just fill out the note. I see people who go back after three days, but I wouldn't have been able to handle it. The recovery for me was very easy, but I needed to nap a lot.

Good for you. I got my band to help with GERD and weight gain from that. I've never been skinny, so I am ok with that slow part. Yes, it is unusual for them to only fill you every three months, at least for here. They filled me at four weeks and want to do fills every month. Because of the GERD, the fills have to be small and they warned me I would just lose slower. Losing slowly vs feeling like you are having a heart attack, I'll pick the former. That and it's coming off with the real possibility of not coming back. Hearten up on that!

My mom just signed us all up for the YMCA. It doesn't open until September, but that's ok. Because of my skin cancer wound, I won't be able to get in the pool until then. I have joint problems, so doing regular aerobics and using some of the machines isn't possible. We don't have costco here. We have Sam's. Most premade drinks use that same liquid base, which I cannot stand. I am trying Protein Bars now that I can work on eating more solid food. I am going to cook up a roast and grind it up for meat salad. I've been eating a lot of prepared foods, which have a lot of salt, and not a lot of solid stuff. My GERD is still bothering me, but it takes a couple weeks or so for the symptoms to go away once I have an "attack". I really think they were just doing a fill because it was on schedule. I am not going in for another one any time soon. They want to do several small fills over the next few months. I don't think so. I don't see a reason to get a fill just to be a fill on schedule. Yea, laptastic, my best friend has the band and I've seen her and that is exactly what it reminded me of. I don't want to have that, so I have been slow in even attempting anything new.

I am just getting more and more amazed at what doctors do and say. Yea, I agree the comment was out of line. Yes, they lost weight because the sawdust bread diet worked. They broke down all their fat, muscle and organs to survive. You don't get enough calories, your body will do whatever it has to to survive. So, yes, you will lose weight, but you will gain it back with a vengence when you try and eat again. After my fill experience, I can't have anything gurgling up my esophagus. Fluid should just go through. It will take a couple weeks for the damage to heal. I just think as long as I am eating like I should and losing the weight, I will hold off on another fill. I honestly don't think that at four weeks out my body was ready either. I don't ever feel hungry, but I do feel the need to eat, or I know it's time to eat because I start getting dizzy as a reminder. I also never feel full, but I don't eat a large amount at one time as I am afraid I'll cack something up. What I am really trying to work on is getting not only enough calories, but get my Protein intake up. That has been the most difficult thing for me.