TopTier

I just attended Dr. Olsofka's seminar yesterday. He was very frank and very enlightening as well as reassuring. He's also very thin!

Wow! Great job!:smile:

Maybe try actually upping your daily calorie intake by 100-200 calories every other day for a bit to see if that doesn't trigger something.

I LOVE some of these answers to you! IGNORE, IGNORE, IGNORE (To which I would add: DELETE, DELETE, DELETE) ". . . you don't look like my Dr." ". . . looks like you don't have any tact." Too funny! But imagine carrying around three 10-lb bowling balls! That's how much you shed! That's totally awesome! I lost just under 30 pounds since my banding, and nobody has said anything yet, except the woman at the Korean restaurant we go to. As I was leaving, she ran up to me and grabbed me by the shoulders, "You lose weight? You lose much weight?! You look awesome!" I almost shed a few tears! People who don't see you often will notice. Even if they don't, be proud! Be VERY proud! :wink2:

I don't know how long ago it was that you stopped taking it, but it's my understanding that medicines such as those need to be weaned off. They take a few weeks to begin working (to build a level up in the body), and will take a few weeks to be completely out of the system. But it's best to check with your doctor regarding that AND the proper way to stop taking an anti-depressant. Good luck to you!

I will have to agree that my palate has changed. It's not that I crave different things, it's that some of the foods I used to eat don't taste the same anymore. I find some of the ones that contain high fructose corn syrup taste funny and feel funny on my tongue. I only know this because I snuck a bite of a hostess chocolate donut. It was really nasty. Too sweet and felt like it coated the roof of my mouth and my tongue. But I think that has more to do with my after-surgery complications (ulcer erupted) and the meds I'm now on for it. But whatever it is, it's enough to keep me away from all my old "weaknesses"!

My daughter tells me that sometimes high levels or extended use of antibiotics can cause bouts of lactose intolerance. I never really researched it, but she said her doctor told her that is what caused hers (she was taking antibiotics for an acne problem). EDITED TO ADD: Okay I did a quick google and this is what I found re: antibiotics and lactose intolerance: Medications. Certain antibiotics can trigger temporary lactose intolerance by interfering with the intestine's ability to produce the lactase enzyme. http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/digestive/lactose_intolerance.html

Well, I was going to suggest grabbing a low cal popsicle or sugar free fudgesicle until I read through the post again. It's good you plan to see your doctor. I also like the comment that you may want to investigate what some of the side affects of your anti-depressant is. Also, on a side note, and it probably doesn't apply, but here goes, you may be craving carbs, and your daily calorie intake (before bedtime) may be too low. So you many want to down a 100-calorie carb snack once or twice during the day. Good luck to you. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be for you!

It's really hard to know without knowing your eating history. How many calories a day do you consume? How many do you expend (through exercise of any kind)? Do you drink fluids (Soup is a liquid, so is chili) with your meals and/or an hour to hour-and-a-half after? Do you drink additional calories? There are any number of reasons, but the key is the fewer calories in (@1,200, give or take 100 either way), combined with moderate exercise will (should) give you the 1 to 2 pounds a week you were expecting. I would start with a daily food log of any and everything I put into my mouth (include portion size). Then after a week, it should be pretty easy to see where your diet needs to be adjusted. And remember: no fluids/liquids with and after meals. Good luck to you.

As many of you may already know, I was banded on June 24 and was doing fine until that weekend. My stomach started bloating, became distended and filled with gas. I was also in a great deal of pain and was admitted into the hospital that Monday after surgery. After various bariatric tests, and about 4 days in the hospital, the doctors declared: Diabetic stomach. This is where the nerve endings in the stomach aren't working properly and the stomach can't release its gas or other contents easily. They gave me some meds to help do that and sent me home. Four days later I was back in the hospital, still with an even larger distended stomach and now non-stop pain behind my breastplate, similar to a heart attack. A nose tube shoved down into my stomach to help empty the contents (why did they not do that the week before?!), didn't give much improvement. Morphine every 2 hours. . . ugh. Finally they did an upper GI scope to peek around in my gut. What did they find? Ulcer. Ugly Mutha, too. Looks like someone stubbed a cigar out in my stomach. Finally got the right meds and am home and mostly pain-free right now. The problem? I just noticed looking through my materials that lap bands are NOT recommended for people with ulcers! oy. I'm not going to get it removed unless they absolutely positively tell me I have no other choice. I've already lost just under 30 pounds (the hard way!), but even as this is healing, I'm still not in the "hunger" stage (or as others call it 'bandster hell'). I never ever ever feel hungry at all and have to set alarms to tell me when to eat. Even then I have to eat an "ulcer friendly" meal. So, has anyone else had to deal with ulcers, either before or after lap band surgery? If so, any tips? :wub:

Well, we knew I had a minor hiatal hernia and acid reflux. But my history just never showed or was consistent with an ulcer to begin with. I always just presumed it was my hiatal hernia acting up. The bloating and distension of the stomach caused the ulcer to s-t-r-e-t-c-h out and inflame and go hyperactive. So the diabetic stomach actually triggered the ulcer to get really hairy on me. They did a biopsy for h. pylorii and it came back negative. They also did a second biopsy of something else while they were there, but I won't get the results back from that til next week. Here's the thing, since it's not the bacteria, I won't need to go on any 2- or 3-step antibiotic treatment to attempt to eradicate h. pylorii. That's a good thing. And I'm pretty sure I know how it developed. This is really bad and I really really hate admitting it, but I most likely brought this on myself. I have had daily aches when I get up in the morning for the last 10 or so years. About 8 years ago I discovered that if I take 2 Extra Strength (500 mg each) Bayer Aspirin - with stomach coating - when I first get up, I can manage throughout the day much easier and with less pain. So that's what I did. Every morning. On an empty stomach, 1000 mg of Bayer Aspirin. I didn't intend for it to be a daily regime, it just turned out that way. I convinced myself (what is it they say about 'denial'??) that because it had STOMACH COATING that I would be fine, no harm, no foul. Apparently I was wrong. And this is most certainly NOT something I EVER told any of my doctors. Another No-No. I've been very bad!

HH: Please trust me when I say that I don't take disagreements and such online personally. With very few exceptions, most people on line don't know me (nor I them), and so all they can base an opinion about me is on snippets of text (minus any additional non-verbal cues). I completely understand that they may form opinions of me based on that, but I also understand that it's like describing an elephant after only looking at its trunk! I truly respect everyone I encounter, even though I may not agree with them from time to time and even though I may be somewhat blunt when stating my opinion. I appreciate your comments and that you can understand how difficult the last 3 weeks has been! They did not do a scope prior to the surgery because I didn't realize I had an ulcer, nor did I have typical ulcer symptoms. They DID do a series of upper GI scans and xrays, including one with some like pop rocks like stuff you swallow, which, I was told, theoretically "flattens" the inside lining of the stomach to try to "catch" indications of ulcers. Apparently this one is is an odd place, not sure what is "odd" about it. Oh well. I am very much trying to stay on track with both the lap band diet and the ulcer friendly one. I just didn't want them to say, "Well, you have an ulcer, gotta take it out!" Noooooo!!!!

Absolutely incredible, and very inspiring. I have issues with Proteins as well. I have some pre-kidney disease issues going on and proteins aren't very well tolerated. So it's tough to tread that fine line on limiting my proteins, but getting enough to be healthy!

2Fly, you are an inspiration!

Indiogirl, that's a very wise suggestion! I like the idea of the SF fudgesicle since it usually takes me quite a while to eat one of those, compared to the puddings. . .

As my mom often says, "This, too, shall pass." But why does it have to pass so flipping SLOW?! Anyway, I probably would have given in and gotten the shake. I'm such a weakling! Hang in there just a bit longer. See if your Doc will let you at least eat scrambled eggs. When I was in the hospital, the meal prep guys list those as "liquid". Thought that was weird, but maybe your doc will too? At least it will give you the sensation that you are "eating" if he does!

:thumbup: That's awesome!

Besides, your stomach is still healing. So if you are taking small bites and eating slowly, then you should be okay. My doctor generally doesn't even attempt a first fill until 6 weeks out. He wants a good, strong scar to form to keep the band in place. He also says that it's not unusual for people to actually gain a few pounds during this time, but, for him, that's okay. Because you still need to make sure your stomach is healed properly before you head into the deep end of the pool! Good luck to you! I'm confident you'll find a good rhythm and be ready for your first fill in no time!

What an exciting milestone! I'd be practically giddy! Good job, Catherine!

Your pictures are awesome! You have a right to be so proud!

What pain in particular? The surgery was over so quickly and the pain meds were great. The gas got a little intense, but manageable. One thing I encountered that is extraordinary and not at all something that happens very often is that the placement of the lap band triggered a circumstance of diabetic stomach (my stomach expanded and swelled with gas and would not empty), which then ended up stretching an existing, but previously unknown, ULCER. I was in the hospital two weeks in a row after the lap band placement and was in serious (morphine-worthy) pain. But, fortunately, not a bit of the pain was due to the lap band or the surgery itself. So for me, the lap band recovery was easy. It was the OTHER issues that the placement triggered that were so painful. I'm pleased to report both the diabetic stomach and the ulcer pain have been resolved. Good luck to you.

I'm so disappointed! I just found out that my insurance company doesn't cover bariatric surgeries. I'm crushed. My husband sent me this when I sent him the email: He's so sweet! Now I must go the self-pay route. As he said, "what were you saving that money for, anyway?" Good point. But I suppose at the very least this means that I could probably get this done sooner rather than later, since the insurance company might have required some ridiculous "hoops" through which I would have had to jump. Oh well. Onward! Don't let it deter me!

Ladies, Wow. Did I get a left turn on my surgery recovery! I was doing fine all up to and through last Saturday. I was even taking a few laps through Sams Club. Then Sunday I started going backwards. I couldn't sit up or even stay awake for very long. And the pain in my upper belly was very bad. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the worst it was a -- 10! Finally, Monday evening, my husband took me to the emergency room. I was in severe distress. My STOMACH had filled with gas and bloated to almost 3 times its size! YIKES! And the "anti-nausea" medicine I was taking was giving me an adverse reaction, too, making me MORE nauseous instead of FIXING the nausea! They switched my anti-nausea from phenegren to fortran (?) I think. Anyway, with a few days worth of morphine dosing, some more bariatric tests to be sure everything was okay, then some meds to help break down the stomach gas, I'm doing much better. The stomach is still bloated, but it's tolerable and seems to be improving. I finally got home this afternoon. Apparently I have what the doctors referred to as "diabetic stomach," which they either a) made up to tell me something, or really exists and is a SONuvaBEECH! Apparently diabetics can sometimes have "nerve damage" in their stomachs that prevents them from creating the movement that moves gas up and out. Then add the lap band on top of that and holy cow. Ouchies! So they gave me some meds to break it up and move it out the other way. (toot toot!) I must say, I'm feeling more human today and looking very forward to the rest of this healing! All I gotta say now is, pheeeeeeeeeewwwweeeeeee. :tongue2:

I posted this in the forums, too: Ladies, Wow. Did I get a left turn on my surgery recovery! I was doing fine all up to and through last Saturday. I was even taking a few laps through Sams Club. Then Sunday I started going backwards. I couldn't sit up or even stay awake for very long. And the pain in my upper belly was very bad. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the worst it was a -- 10! Finally, Monday evening, my husband took me to the emergency room. I was in severe distress. My STOMACH had filled with gas and bloated to almost 3 times its size! YIKES! And the "anti-nausea" medicine I was taking was giving me an adverse reaction, too, making me MORE nauseous instead of FIXING the nausea! They switched my anti-nausea from phenegren to fortran (?) I think. Anyway, with a few days worth of morphine dosing, some more bariatric tests to be sure everything was okay, then some meds to help break down the stomach gas, I'm doing much better. The stomach is still bloated, but it's tolerable and seems to be improving. I finally got home this afternoon. Apparently I have what the doctors referred to as "diabetic stomach," which they either a) made up to tell me something, or :blushing: really exists and is a SONuvaBEECH! Apparently diabetics can sometimes have "nerve damage" in their stomachs that prevents them from creating the movement that moves gas up and out. Then add the lap band on top of that and holy cow. Ouchies! So they gave me some meds to break it up and move it out the other way. (toot toot!) I must say, I'm feeling more human today and looking very forward to the rest of this healing! All I gotta say now is, pheeeeeeeeeewwwweeeeeee. :crying: