travelgirl

Scary!!!!!!!

I FOUND IT!!!!!!!!! Why? Here's an explanation I copied from another WLS support site. It's really good info: Vagus Nerve: The Vagus nerve is the longest of the nerves. Its name is derived from the same root word as "Vagrant," and "Vagabond." (A wanderer; a rover. - Wandering from place to place and lacking any means of support.) From the Middle English vagraunt, probably alteration of Old French wacrant, present participle of wacrer, to wander, of Germanic origin. This "Vagabond" originates in the Cranium but wanders from the brain stem through organs in the neck, thorax and abdomen, all the way to the first third of the colon. It has motor functions in the larynx (voice box), diaphragm, stomach, and heart, and sensory functions in the ears and tongue. It has both motor and sensory functions in the pharynx (sinuses) and esophagus. Stimulation of the vagus nerve is thought to affect some of its connections to areas in the brain that are prone to seizure activity. It is a "Hot Topic" for research in areas of Depression, Obesity, Epilepsy, and is responsible for some phenomenal sensory and motor responses even without WLS. Emotions running high? Feeling a lump at the back of your throat that you didn’t put there? That’s the Vagus Nerve at work. Can’t tickle yourself, except the roof of your mouth? (try it) Because when you try to tickle your armpit-The same nerves that perceive the tickle also "know that it’s coming," and thus the "surprise" aspect that allows "tickling" to occur have been preempted. But- Roof of the mouth? Different selective dumping of info prior to reaching the brain. That’s the Vagus nerve "sharing" some info with sensory and motor controls while "not telling others." The Vagus nerve is known as a "mixed nerve" meaning it both receives input from the body and sends signals to various muscles and organs of the body. It is the primary nerve of the Parasympathetic Nervous System. It isn’t an even mix, though, about 80% of the axons inside the vagus nerve are sending signals from the body to the brain. The Vagus nerve consists of Five Components with distinct functions: --Brancial motor: (special visceral efferent) Supplies the voluntary muscles of the pharynx and most of the larynx, as well as one extrinsic muscle of the tongue. --Visceral motor: (general visceral efferent) Parasympathetic innervation of the smooth muscle and glands of the pharynx, larynx, and viscera of the thorax and abdomen. --Visceral sensory: (general visceral afferent) Provides visceral sensory information from the larynx, esophagus, trachea, and abdominal and thoracic viscera, as well as the stretch receptors of the aortic arch and chemoreceptors of the aortic bodies . --General sensory: (general somatic afferent) Provides general sensory information from the skin of the back of the ear and external auditory meatus, parts of the external surface of the tympanic membrane, and the pharynx. --Special sensory: (special afferent) A very minor component. Provides taste sensation from the epiglottis region. A simplified explanation to describe "how it works"- Rather than sending signals out from brain, or bringing sensory info back to the brain, it does both, and it allows "pieces parts" or "stations" along the way to communicate with each other without directly routing through the brain. It controls much of the movement of the mouth and let’s the esophagus "synch up" with back of tongue motions in order to make swallowing possible. And signals the lower organs of the digestive tract to adjust activity when "food is on the way!" The Vagus nerve also sends signals to and for those "unconscious" or reflex reactions- such as swallowing when not thinking about it consciously. Often the example given is- "swallowing while sleeping so you don’t drown in saliva." It is associated with Nausea governing factors, Relaxation, (particularly pulse rate) digestion synchronization, etc.. It’s "Fence-sitting" behavior as both Voluntary and Involuntary signal provider, makes it a key factor in most Bio-Feedback processes for reducing stress levels. How does this effect or associate with Bariatric Post-Op patients? Signals from the Stomach are "distorted somewhat" and often Disrupted or damaged by the Gastric Bypass. The signals from the pouch often trigger the Vagus nerve to "fire" unique reflex responses. The Vagus nerve transmits the signal to the brain when we are full. It seems to "drop off" some info to other stations on the way to the brain. It is responsible for Diaphragmatic "Dry Heaves" that some experience in the early days following Bariatric Procedures, and longer term is often associated with rapid gastric emptying. Many Post-ops claim to have their nose start running when they take "that last bite" just before feeling too full. Some experience sneezing or hiccups if they eat a bite too much. Both are actions inextricably bound to Vagus nerve signals. Many claim to get a "runny nose" with one bite too much food for their pouch, and hiccups from eating too fast. Many Gastric Bypass Post-ops have similar odd signals associated with the connections that the Vagus nerve makes along it’s wandering path. Complements of DxE...he originally posted this on March 5th, 2007 & I found this very helpful. He is a wealth of information.

Faithmd posted a very interesting article (with pictures!!!!) on this very subject here somewhere......I'll see if I can find it, and I'll post the link or the article if I can.

How long was it, and what was it like?????? I saw that packaged with some scales in Target last weekend when I was scale shopping. I ALMOST bought one, but finally decided that I didn't "need" the dvd, so I went with another scale.

Ouch! Violently ill because you were stuck on it, or ill because of the cheese itself? And I had a feeling that the tofu cheese was yucky stuff, hence the reason I couldn't say if it was worth a darn... The thought of it makes me cringe. I have had tofu a couple of times and not hated it, though.

If you must have cheese, I've seen tofu cheese, I can't remember what it's called, but it comes in individually wrapped slices like american cheese. Can't say though if it's worth a darn, or if it gets melty like cheese.... And, since you cut that out because of it's fat content and fattening qualities, I also can't say whether it's high or low in fat, sodium, etc, either.

Very interesting...

OK, educate me, Babygrl. Vegan is nothing with a face, or anything that comes from something with a face, right? And (purely out of curiosity, I'll ask) what was your motivation to go that route? Just something to try out?

RTL: You might be just a tad too tight. One of my most favorite things right now is Hormel no bean Chili over baked potatoes. YUM! Lots of Protein in that. I usually nuke a very small red potato for about 5 or 6 minutes, cut it in half and smoosh it up a little and then dump on the chili... SO good. Another fave for Breakfast is instant grits with shredded cheese in it. 210 calories, and 6 grams of protein! For lunch, I'll mix up some tuna and low fat mayo, and eat that on a wasa cracker. Or have a kid size microwave Dinty Moore Beef stew cup. I also like some of the frozen microwave meals. I always try to get the ones that are 250 calories or less, and I can rarely eat the whole thing. Snacks can be mozarella sticks, cottage cheese with salsa mixed in, or Triscuit thin crisps and hummus.... I always keep Kraft Handi-snacks SF pudding on hand for a sweet tooth, 45 calories Yesterday, I threw some frozen meatballs in my crockpot, dumped a can of cream of mushroom Soup over it, cooked it all day, melted some cream cheese in it when I got home, and served it over noodles last night. YUMMY! Sometimes if I'm feeling lazy, I'll toss some frozen chicken breast in the crock pot, with a can or 2 of Ro-Tel tomatoes, cook it all day on low, shred the chicken when I get home, and serve it over rice with a dollop of sour cream. Hope this gives you some ideas!

Well said, Wheetsin.

I bite my food all the time. In fact, I find myself taking smaller bites than pre-band, but still rather larger bites than I probably should. When I do that, I make sure that I chew really well, and swallow very small amounts at a time. Less and less frequently, I can still get myself in trouble by taking too big a bite of something and forget about my band, not chew well enough, and/or swallow too much at once, and I get an instant flaming golf ball. So I would suggest practicing taking very small bites.

*gasps* Do we have any other Feb '07 Bandsters out there lurking??? Hi, Andrea! Sounds like you're doing great! Don't have too much fun with your little hoodlums!

When reading that style of typing, I'm sitting here imagining someone so hyper that they're almost manic, maybe on an espresso buzz.... LOL! I wish you the best of luck, and keep us posted on your progress!

I'm staying on plan today because I was SO hungry yesterday that I ate two days worth of calories!

Hmph. I have dish, and I THOUGHT I had it set to dvr it, but apparently, I didn't.

Glad to hear that. We were out playing volleyball last night, and I missed it. I was so mad when I got home...

If he won't go, then go to councelling yourself. And tell him that you're trying to save your marriage. Suggesting it to him, and then not going yourself WITHOUT him tells him you're not really serious about it. Go anyway.

Yep! I think there's the initial glorious time when it almost seems effortless, and then when the honeymoon is over, that's when the real work begins.

Nobody wants to play wit' us! We must smell bad or somethin'.

I know many people who post here will tell you that it takes 3 fills or whatever to start feeling restriction. I'm going to tell you that it's different for everyone. I got good restriction, at least for a couple of months on my very first fill, which was 1cc in a 4cc band. Don't make the mistake of comparing yourself to everyone else here, because while you think you may see EVERYONE losing at an incredible rate, not everyone is. You aren't doing yourself any favors by trying to keep up with someone who is having unbelievable success.

You said yourself that you love him, and love is a very powerful emotion, and it can get us through the hardest trials. If you really do love him, don't give up until you've at least tried councelling. Even if he won't agree to go, it can help to talk to someone about it. I know that's why you're here, but it's not the same as talking face to face with someone, and who knows, maybe your husband will agree to try, if he understands how serious the situation is becoming.

Whatever you do, don't pray for patience unless you're ready for God to give you trials that help you grow in that area of your life. Every time I do that, it seems like 4,000 fresh new obstacles are thrown in my path. For example, there are a grand total of 5 stoplights in my hometown, and I have to go through 4 of them to get to the highway for my morning commute. If I'm running a little bit late, and I ask for patience, because some days I struggle with road rage, there will be 30 cars driving 2 mph between me and where I'm going, and I'll manage to hit EVERY light when it's just turning red. And sometimes for good measure, there will be a pedestrian walking at a snail's pace that I have to slow down or even stop for....Well, you get the idea. Be careful what you pray for!

I'd love to respond, but your typing style gave me a headache, so I didn't finish reading it. Good luck anyway!

Nope, the consult comes after insurance approval.

So have you met Dr. Steward yet?