Search the Community

I get this stubborn mucus as well mucinex does not help me. It's like the mucus just won't leave. I have done some alternative medicine during these times like acupuncture or foot massage. It helps every time. Those darn post nasal drips can go on for weeks for me and I hack and hack. Good luck. You also may try a Neti pot or hot water with peppermint oil and out a towel over your head.

yes it can. I'm surprised your doctor allowed you to swim, or even go into the pool after just a couple of weeks post-op. My doctor told me six weeks before I could get in the Water. I agree with the other posters that you should probably follow up with your doctor just to make sure everything is OK.

Day 6 was when I crashed also, I started to feel weak and shaky and grumpy beyond belief. Once I moved on to full liquids the addition of a little substance to my diet made all the difference in the world. You say you move to mushies thursday, can you not have full liquids before that? I'd recommend calling your doctor and telling him how you feel. Such low intake for a full week is hard on the body, some can take it better than others, he needs to know so he can possibly allow you a little more substance so you will feel better.

Just starting week 5. I can eat between half a cup and 3/4 cup of food in general. Solid Proteins, maybe 2oz, they feel very heavy in my stomach. I cannot eat eggs yet, for some reason they feel like I am eating glass, no idea why. Takes a good hour to drink a 12oz shake.

Wait six weeks ro return to normal on all fronts was the rule for me

Hey congrats! I'm 3 weeks post op and I've lost 10 lbs since the surgery and 25 lbs all together. I'm excited and nervous about my first fill. I heard it's nothing to worry about, but still. My biggest fear is that the port will flip. Every time I move fast I stop and think "crap did I just make my port flip" LOL I know I'm a loser what can I say?!?! Good luck with everything and congrats again! :thumbup:

@@Karess Haivala I am five months out from surgery today. We have the same surgeon. I, too, was on blood pressure medication but went off about a month after surgery after my blood pressure dipped extremely low and caused severe dizziness and fatigue. My PCP told me to add more salt to my food and my nutritionist told me to eat fresh fruit. I did both, for a week, and it helped bring my blood pressure up. I have recently increased my fitness routine by an extra 30 minutes a day and one more day a week and have noticed the fatigue coming back. A couple of days ago I increased my caloric intake by 100 and added a banana post morning workout. That has helped a bit. I was taking in approximately 800 to 900 calories and for the past couple of days have gone up to 1,000 to 1,050. I do drink more than the 64 ounces of Water each day. I usually drink 80 to 90 ounces a day (with an extra 8 ounces during the night). Have you spoken with the PA or with the nutritionist about it yet?

I had this very same thing last week. I thought I was going nuts! It felt like constant hunger pains! I am on 40 mg of omeprazole a day. I took a zantac, and I took tums, and none of it seemed to help. When I called my surgeon, his PA told me to go ahead and add refried beans, and yogurt to my diet. (I was one week post-op) That did the trick. I think it all started after my first BM since surgery. All of the sudden it was like everything woke up, you know?

Thanks for all the positive comments and advice..I really appreciate that. I am now one week from surgery and afraid I may dislocate my jaw from all the gum chewing I am doing:lol0: I am really getting excited!

You are losing more than normal. My dietician said to plan on 1 to 2 pounds a week. You are doing much more than that. This is a marathon not a sprint. How much would you be losing without the surgery?

I had my bypass on the 7th and I've been so sick. I can't keep most things down. I have terrible pain anytime I do eat. I'm so miserable I've been to the emergency room twice. Meeting with ny surgeon on monday. Wishing ud never done this. Was anyone else this sick the first few weeks if so did it get better

Sounds like a week or a little more. that is great. wanted to make sure that I wouldn't be out for a month or so!!!

This is directly from Allergan/INAMED: The following are general guidelines for BioEnterics LAP-BAND System adjustments: 1. The initial adjustment postoperatively should occur at six weeks or more after operation and usually 1-2 cc of normal saline would be added for the 9.75 and 10 cm LAP-BANDs. The initial adjustment for the 11cm and Vanguard Bands is usually 4cc 2. The patient should be reviewed regularly (4-6 weekly) and weight and clinical status measured. If the weight loss has averaged less than 1lb per week over the period and the patient indicates there is not excessive restriction to eating, a further increment of Fluid should be added (usually 0.3 – 0.5 ml). 3. Where the average weight loss between visits has been greater than 2 lbs per week, normally no additional fluid would be added. 4. If the weight loss averaged between 1 and 2 lbs per week, additional fluid would be indicated if the patient felt he/she could eat too freely or found difficulty in complying with the dietary rules. 5. Fluid would be removed from the system if there were symptoms of excessive restriction or obstruction, including excessive sense of fullness, heartburn, regurgitation and vomiting. If symptoms are not relieved by removal of the fluid, barium meal should be used to evaluate the anatomy. Prior to doing an adjustment to decrease the stoma, review the patient’s chart for total band volume and recent adjustments. If recent adjustments have not been effective in increasing restriction and the patient has been compliant with nutritional guidelines, the patient may have a leaking band system, or may have pouch enlargement or esophageal dilatation due to stomal obstruction, band slippage or over-restriction. http://www.allerganandinamed.com/pdf/health/94163_04_LB_Product_Data_Sheet.pdf It's on page 12.

Hey All, Many different factors in deciding my best route. One concern/question I have is the time it takes to recover from surgery and get back to work. Please tell me what surgery you had and how long it took for you to get "back to normal" in regards to work. Also your level of activity at work. My job is about 50% desk 50% active movement/standing. I guess I could always get a note from Dr. putting me on light duty for a few weeks. thanks for the info.

I had almost 3 weeks to recover and needed it. I was not in pain, but very, very fatigued. It was a full month before I started feeling like me again.

On the 2 week liquid diet I lost 23 pounds ... since surgery 8/4/15 I have lost another 67 pounds

I'm 8 weeks out from surgery and having trouble introducing new foods. Apparently in now lactose intolerant. I can handle cheese but not yogurt or milk. Also meats don't sit very well with me either. Fruits and veggies hurt my pouch and shakes make me gag now. I've been eating mostly eggs, beans, and cheese every day and getting so sick of it! Any suggestions? Also we eat almost every meal away from home... So grab and go is the best for us!

I felt compelled to write this testimonial after returning from Mexico where I received my lapband from Dr. Joya. I am a nurse from the USA, who has been dealing with weight loss issues for years. I tried many weight loss tactics which all resulted in failure, (lose 10 pounds, gain 15). I didn't have time for exercise, ( 2 jobs, kids, etc). and a million excuses for not being able to. Besides, with being overweight, I didn't have the energy and I lacked self-esteem, so there was no motivation for exercise. (I did try the gym for a short time, but that didn't seem to give me results. I seemed to eat more, since I was burning calories. Besides, I wasn't committed for the above reasons). So, in desperation, I realized I wanted to do something about my weight. I didn't want gastric bypass. That is too permanent, I am not sure about long term consequences and I need to be able to reverse what I am doing for my weight loss, just in case , down the road, they find harmful side effects. And that is where the lapband seemed the best alternative. I spoke with nutritionists who have said the key to weight loss is small, frequent meals. My problem is portion control. When I really like something, I don't control my portion size. It is difficult, since I am considered an "emotional eater" or "stress eater" too. I find satisfaction and comfort in GOOD food. So, the lapband appears that it will fix my greatest downfall, and that is portion control. Now, I had to decide how to go about getting the lapband done. Insurance wouldn't cover it. So, I had to pay cash. In the USA, cheapest was $11,000. In Mexico, it was $8,000. Now, my decision was, should I chance going to Mexico. I am dealing with a surgery and putting my life into the hands of someone in a country, that I am not familiar with. You know, you hear the stories, "substandard care, cockroaches, etc". Well, let me tell you. All of my fears were unnecessary. When I researched online MD's in Mexico, there didn't appear to be any negative comments on Dr. Joya. There is a lapband site not affiliated with Dr. Joya that adds comments on all lapband doctors and Dr. Joya was spoken of with all positive comments. So, let me tell you of my experience. After two years of deliberating. When I decided I wanting to get the lapband, I called Dr. Joya and was able to schedule my surgery within 2 weeks. I paid the $8,000 and that included everything ( no hidden costs). They paid and arranged the airfare, transportation (except back to the airport from the hotel, that cost $5), and all surgical related expenses. Nothing else came out of my pocket. Now here is my story of my journey. I arrived Mexico on Tuesday, (by myself). The prearranged taxi, by Dr. Joya was waiting for me. They brought me to the Cornerstone Hospital (nice, clean hospital, NO signs of filth. JCHACO, Department of Health would not have any environmental issues). They performed tests on me. They got my blood work and IV with one needle stick. After 4 hours and meeting key players dealing with my healthcare, I went to the OR. I was awake as I was transferred to the OR table and they applied monitoring equipment on me. I was thinking OK, where is anesthesia, I am ready for the good stuff that will knock me out. I was thinking, OK, I saw enough of the OR, when are they going to knock me out. And, before you know it, I am opening my eyes and the procedure is over. It only lasted 30 minutes. Pain was minimal, the staff was great at giving pain medicine in the IV. Don't refuse it, just keep asking for it. There is no need to be uncomfortable. I was able to walk to the bathroom that night, without any problems. I slept on and off through the night. Not because of pain, but because I couldn't believe I did it. The next morning I showered and packed for the Hotel. I didn't have any problems with any valuables missing. The key people spoke English. (the only thing I would suggest is bring a small translation book for Spanish when you speak to ancillary help). Just in case there is something you want. I wanted chicken broth, but the dietary staff didn't understand. So then they transferred me to the Hotel. It was a beach front hotel and under other circumstances, I would have had a blast at that hotel. But, since I just had surgery, I wasn't exactly up to "partying it up". I felt good, but not that good. I recovered that 2nd night in the hotel, taking my pain meds and antibiotics that Dr. Joya provided. The next day, Thursday, I was on my way home. I went to the shops next to the hotel for mementos, but found Puerto Varlet to be commercialized with Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Starbucks, Outback’s, etc. Hey, I thought I was in Mexico, but, I almost felt like I was back home. Except in Mexico, it was 79 degrees, not 20. There was a beautiful ocean, it was nice. So, I took a taxi back to the airport (10 minutes away) and I was on my way home. I got in Philly at 2am and drove straight to work at 5am. Yes, I felt that okay, that I went to work. I wouldn't advise you to do that, you should pamper yourself for a day or two. But, for me, it was unavoidable. Bottom line though, is that I was actually okay enough to do it. So, for anyone that is skeptical and wants to know if they should do it. I say go for it. You will not be disappointed. I received care that was comparable to care that you would receive in the USA. I was safe. The price was awesome and there were no extra expenses. I definitely would recommend Dr. Joya. He is professional. He has staff like Natalie, that "hold your hand" and walk you through the whole experience. And once you return to the United States, there are Doctors in your area that will monitor and fill your band as needed so that you don't have to travel back to Mexico. Not that I wouldn't love to travel back there, because I definitely would have Dr. Joya follow up with me. But, because of the cost of travel, it makes it difficult. I hope this information helps anyone considerin

My life has been completely changed since my mini gastric bypass! I can do so much more. I'm an active person and for the last four or five years, I haven't been able to even work out. But since surgery, I have transformed back into the person I am. I work out at least 5 days a week now, including weight training twice a week. I'm still losing weight this summer, so one of the ways I can honor myself is to keep on going and not let anything get in the way of that. I will continue to make right choices, log my food and exercise, and enjoy the changes to my body, mind, soul, and spirit. I'm hoping that maybe I'll be able to get to my goal weight and be really toned by the end of summer but we'll see. Oh, and I definitely see a few more clothes in my near future!! (I can already wear a few of my daughter's tops-she's a size 7...shhhhh...don't tell her that-I want to do more work on my arms though before I actually wear them out [emoji6])

Summer officially starts next week. It is a great time to think about what you will do over the next few months to move forward on your weight loss surgery journey. You are a deserving person, and you can think of your efforts as a way to honor yourself. What can you do so that come Labor Day and the end of summer, you will look back on Summer 2017 and be proud of yourself? Will this be the summer that you… Get weight loss surgery? Train for a 5k walk? Try a new healthy recipe each week? Spend 5 minutes a day planning and logging meals? Share how you plan to celebrate yourself and get healthier this summer! It would also be great to know what you are using for motivation.

Hi there- I have them too. They are getting milder though as each day passes. The nurse told me it could be the pain meds. I am three days post op today.

I am totally starting to draw a blank. I have my first meeting with my surgeon next week Monday. I wanted to be prepared with some questions I had, but my brain has totally frozen. Can you help me resurrect my brain with questions that I NEED to ask?

I remember the stalls. It felt like they would go on forever, and my weight loss was done. Your weight loss now will have more stalls, more patience is required, and you will have a better time of it if you find other things to focus on. Just forget the scales. Join a gym or start a new class, stay with protein/high fat foods and your body will slowly (very slowly) release it. Don't try to wake your body up or shock it with diet changes. Just stay the course and it will stop being stubborn and release the last of it's fat. Most people do not slide into home base reaching their goal weight in 2 weeks. We will gently glide into our goal weight after months. 99% of us go into stall after stall the second year of the surgery. It's going to take as much time to get the last 20 or 30 lbs off as it did to get the first tonage of weight off. Frustrating, but reality. As I said, find something else to think about. It's hard cause my DS and weight was all I thought about for 2 years. But the more I tried to get the last 20 lbs off, the more stubbornly my body hung onto it. Drove me crazy.

Same with me and my husband three years now. We had a perfect recovery. My oh my wish we had the surgery 20 years sooner!