BetsyB

Well, I don't think it's an ER issue; I'd call my bariatric surgeon. How long have you been banded? It's pretty common to have liquid stools for a period of time postop, followed by stool that is part liquid/part solid. And painful gas is very typical. But I'd be most comfortable calling my surgeon--whether freshly banded or not---to see (a) if s/he wanted to do an assessment (your abdominal distension and discomfort seems to perhaps warrant this), or (:smile2: if s/he had good suggestions for comfort measures you can take. (For me, walking, a hot Water bottle, and Gas-X were miraculous. But really--give your surgeon a call.) ETA: If I've misunderstood and you've called the bariatric surgeon with no good response, I guess I would try an ER in a hospital where banding is performed; I'd want the ER docs to have access to input from a bariatric surgeon, if need be.)

It's completely normal to be completely overwhelmed when newly postop. You eagerly anticipated surgery--then BAM! Reality set in. And there are lots and lots of changes. Plus, you're starving--which makes everything more difficult to tolerate! It gets easier--I promise. I was hungry pretty quickly postop---within a day or so. My doctor starts patients on pureed Protein (in tiny amounts) on Day Three, so I was okay...but still genuinely hungry. And that persisted until I achieved restriction. Still, I stuck with his plan--which taught me good habits, took a lot of the guesswork out of eating (which was good, because it hugely removed the Overwhelmed Factor), and gave me a leg up on losing. Try to remember that this is a process. You're early in the game, so no one expects you to have mastered everything yet. Over time, you'll reach a comfort level with your band. But right now, you're a newbie. (It doesn't help that things like anesthesia, surgery, meds, and hormone fluctuations due to loss can wreak havoc on mood in the early days.) It's very frustrating, but so, so normal. And it really does improve.

Check with your doctor. I was cleared for exercise without restriction after my 4-week check.

Johns Hopkins does not recommend no meat; their actual stance can be found here. (Sometimes, releases are attributed to certain institutions that really do not support their stance. This seems to be the case with what you read.) Johns Hopkins: Nutrition|Weight Control on choosing lean meat The article states: I notice that you've been told that nuts and nut butters are a good non-animal source of protein. While they do contain some protein (and about an equal amount of carb), they should primarily be considered fats. (For example, Peanut Butter has about 4 grams of protein, 3 grams of carb, and 8 grams of fat per tablespoon.) The fats are heart-healthy, and nuts/nut butters certainly can be part of a good, protein-rich diet, but they provide a big calorie bang for the protein buck, and probably should not be relied on too heavily, given that their calories come mostly from fat.

Another celeb who "stopped drinking and started eating right" and has had an astounding loss is John Goodman. He looks so much healthier---and while I suspect bariatric surgery helped him achieve his loss, I guess the important thing is that he is so much healthier. He was headed to an early grave, for sure.

Skip flaxseed oil--because once the seed is cracked and the oil extracted, it oxidizes quickly, and its Omega benefits are lost. Plus, the seeds themselves are rich in Fiber and phytonutrients that the oil lacks---so while a bottle oil flax oil is a pretty nice oil, it doesn't offer the benefits of flax at all---just nice oil. Start with whole seeds--and crack (you can crunch it between two spoons) or grind right before using. Store the whole seeds in the fridge between uses. I grind and sprinkle a tablespoon or so over cottage cheese or yogurt, or whiz it into my smoothies. It's pretty calorie-dense, so I stick to a tablespoon a day, unless I'm low on calories and fat.

Yes, it can safely be crushed--but it's gross. Liquid Lorcet is available; it is the same drug (hydrocodone plus acetaminophen), and goes down much more easily.

I think exercise is perhaps the most crucial part of the equation--especially when it comes to reaching goal (rather than just "losing a lot") and maintaining goal weight. I can't imagine not incorporating exercise into the new lifestyle--it defies logic, if one's goal is to lead a longer, healthier life (and look better--because it factors heavily into that, too). I do agree that exercise doesn't have to be punishing or daunting. Lacing up a pair of sneakers and walking is a perfectly good way to incorporate exercise into your life.

Excess skin is not related to weight of loss, contrary to popular belief. It is related to the degree to which it was stretched, duration of obesity, whether there were previous gains and losses (including pregnancies), genetics, age, whether you smoke, and other factors. The only thing that rate of loss has to do with it is that, if you lose quickly, the excess skin becomes more evident sooner. Truly--that's something to put out of your mind. As for other safety concerns related to loss, talk with your doctor. Mine is fine with a very low calorie diet and rapid loss, as long as certain health indicators are intact. (He does routine blood testing, etc.)

I haven't seen any peer-reviewed research linking the band with autoimmune disease, so I'd be inclined to view it as coincidental. I'm very, very sorry that you're experiencing these distressing symptoms, though--and hope you get to the bottom of it quickly.

I hope you get to the right fill level. That said, no matter what your band is doing, you need to consistently do the things that promote loss---regardless of the scale feedback. Right now, you're playing games with yourself, and it's causing you emotional distress. No matter what the scale tells you, you need to exercise. Routinely. No excuses. That's the way to create the success you want to experience. Same goes for eating properly. Is it hard when you aren't properly adjusted? Yes. Do it anyway. The band isn't going to do it for you--you need to develop and maintain these habits for a lifetime. The time to start is NOW---not some arbitrary point down the road when you have better restriction.

Day Four was miserable for me. The worst of all days. But it gets better :smile:

Blah. I hate this kind of game-playing. Doesn't your insurance and/or surgeon require a battery of preop testing designed to show that you're a suitable candidate? If so, I'd approach my PCP in this way: "Doctor, before I have this surgery, I will see a cardiologist, a pulmonologist, and a psychologist. All will have to sign off on my suitability as a candidate for surgery. I may have to have a sleep study and pulmonary function tests. What I need from you is simply a letter indicating you believe that banding is a suitable way for me to tackle my weight issues. You've known me for long enough to know that I am serious about weight loss, but have not been able to achieve it independently. Can you please write the surgeon a letter stating that you support my effort to lose weight by this means? There is no liability risk; the risk of surgery itself is low, but besides that, I will need clearance from a number of specialists---and I will never see the inside of an operating room if I don't pass muster." My PCP's participation was not required for banding, but he was lukewarm at best when I told him . Not really negative--but lukewarm. He's done a total 180. He now recommends it to patients a lot.

It's been a no-go for me. I'd taken it (very successfully) for pain for years before surgery. I don't have problems with capsules postop; they do dissolve well before passing through the stoma. However, Cymbalta is not intended to be released from the capsule in the stomach. It is intended to pass into the small intestine intact. Its appropriate time release is dependent on this, and if it remains in the stomach (it can't pass through the stoma until the Gelatin cap dissolves), bioavailability is really skewed, and dosing becomes very, very difficult. My doctor is very skilled with meds, and also consulted with my pharmacist and pain doc. I've written a pharmacology textbook, so I'm no slouch on the topic either. And it's just not a great drug for bandsters. Opening the capsules is not recommended because again, the drug is meant to be released over time in the small intestine, and this route of administration bypasses that. (The exception to this is during weaning; some people find it useful to literally count out the little beads they take each day, very slowly tapering. I didn't need to wean that carefully; slowly reducing dosage over a few weeks was fine for me.) We went with a liquid SSRI instead. (Other antidepressant capsules often have the same time-release issue Cymbalta poses, and I have difficulty with pressed pills/tablets getting stuck.) I weaned off Cymbalta preoperatively with no difficulty. I did it slowly, according to recommendations from my pain doc, and had no side effects at all. Switching to an SSRI (Cymbalta's an SNRI) was pretty seamless.

Ha! No, I haven't had pasta--but I don't think low carb is for everyone, or even necessary for good loss; it just does the trick for me. salad is not a slider for me---but it is kind of hit and miss. I can have no problem at all, or one darn leaf can lie across my stoma in a way that prevents anything from moving for hours. Still, I love a good salad, and am stubborn. So I keep trying.

Well, waiting for motivation to show up isn't the answer. You have to do what you have to do, whether you feel motivated and fired up, or not. Think of the things we do each day---it's not like toothbrushing or making the bed or cleaning the cat box are particularly motivating. But they need to be done, so we do them. Same goes for efforts that support loss. So far, your loss has been good. I know it's demotivating when you don't see the results you'd like--but that doesn't buy you indulgences; you still have to do the same stuff. What are you eating? Are you journaling what you eat and your exercise? Fitday.com is really good for helping you get a handle on your energy intake/output. If you an afford it, a BodyBugg provides the same information, only a bit more accurately. Getting the scale moving in the right direction is motivating--but only to a certain extent. (If it did the trick, none of us would be banded.) So you really need to identify what you are willing to give up, what you're not willing to give up, and find a way to put those things together in a way that supports loss. Also, IMO exercise is the most critical piece of the pie. If you're not already incorporating exercise, it's time to give that some very serious thought.

For me, it felt very diet-like when I was working toward restriction. I reminded myself it was the last time I'd be hungry in the name of weight loss, and stuck with my doctor's plan--which is quite restrictive. That gave me a leg up, in terms of loss; by the time I reached restriction, I'd lost a good deal. Now that I have good restriction, it doesn't feel like a diet at all. When stomach real estate is limited, then the restricted intake feels just right. There are very few times when I feel restricted, or limited, or as though I "can't" have something. The "can't" feeling now is much more of "don't want"---I don't want to eat things that don't give my body what it needs. I don't want to eat something that will push me past "enough" and into uncomfortable "too much" territory. I don't want to eat something inappropriate if it will take up space that could be better used for foods that would provide my body with good nourishment. It all falls into place when you have restriction. The head games really quiet down when hunger is removed from the equation.

Thanks, everyone--the things I've gotten credit for (like the pudding in protein) have come from other sources. That one is from the boards at Bariatric Eating, where there are also a million really excellent recipes (not just for doctoring Protein shakes--lots of great recipes for that--, but for many foods.) Like Honk, I use romaine for sandwiches. I haven't yet had bread, and don't plan to reintroduce it any time soon. I also like Jachut's green smoothie recipe. It's great for sneaking in veggies and fruits. From a Weight Watchers board, I got the idea for pumpkin smoothies. I use vanilla protein, almond milk, about a quarter cup of canned pumpkin (not pie filling, just the plain pumpkin), and a dash of pumpkin pie spice. LOVE this, especially this time of year.

walk and wait....that's pretty much all you can do.

Welcome--glad you found us :biggrin:

I use a bariatric multi my doctor's office sells--because my FSA reimburses me. I've also used Bariatric Advantage, and like them. In addition, I take Biotin, Co Q-10 (at my surgeon's recommendation), Vitamin D, Omega oils, and zinc.

I low-carb with the band; I know I would not be nearly as successful without this approach. That said, I think it's worth trying to tweak fill level a bit; you had a lot of trouble at a higher volume of fill---but there is a lot of room between 7 cc and 8.5 cc. A LOT of room! I'd probably ask my doctor to fill in tiny increments; as you toe the line of restriction, that's often the best route to take. Low-carbing is so much easier with restriction. I wholeheartedly think banding was the best choice for me--but do have appropriate restriction. And THAT is what makes it possible to stick to the impossibly low calorie range and carb intake my body requires to lose.

No doubt about it--it was the best decision I ever made for myself.