Hey 50 & over gang We have a new spot

[phyllser 3]

Thanks for setting up this post for over 50 gang. I was banded 12/08, just had a fill to 8cc. I am half way to capacity.

Since this fill I am having significant reflux, burping liquids, burning in throat. I have lost 5 pounds in one week, can only eat about 5 bites, but I am constantly burping. Prilosec helps, but still having gurgling in my stomach.

Anyone else had this? My dr. wants me to take Carafate 4 x a day, but it causes burning in my throat. Don't know if I should be concerned enough to call Dr. Up to this fill, I was eating anything and everything and had gained 4 pounds.

Thanks:smile2:

It sounds to me like you need a little bit taken out. If you can only eat a few bites and are having that much trouble, it sounds to me like you are too tight.

[jollygreen1955 0]

Hi, I'd like to join this group too. I was banded on 8/31/09. Although my family and friends are very supportive, I sometimes feel like I will bore them to death talking about my band! Now this may seem silly but I have a heck of a time figuring out how much I have lost. Do you all count from the very beginning when you started all the presurgery appointments, or are you counting from your surgery date. Logically, I reason that my highest weight was at the very beginning but when I count from there I feel like I am cheating. So, bottom line, on your tickers, are you counting from post surgery?:Yawn:

It sounds to me like you need a little bit taken out. If you can only eat a few bites and are having that much trouble, it sounds to me like you are too tight.

regretably you are to tight ...so am i now and spoke to my surgeon ...and I decided it was better for ME to have it tighter since I am on restrictions due to my asthma and have loads of things in my life... for me it took 2 months to learn how to handle the tightness...but I really only eat slidders and he knows it

I think that you should get some of the fluis removed and stick to base foods (non acid) like milk

when I eat chili...omg

so...it is a personal decision

good luck and get advice from others and then decide

I wasted 2 years never getting a fill...you can read my blog..so my decision is from desperation

:sad::sad::sad::sad::sad:

[Pam92 0]

:Yawn:

Hey this is great. Having someone to talk to who understands what is it like to lose weight at 50 +.

My surgery is scheduled for Dec 9th. I am nervous about it. I am sure it will be okay, but have been reading some stories in other sites and it is a bit scarey. Any suggestions on how to prepare both mentally and physically?

Thanks for letting me join in.

Pam Sichel (Pam92)

Dr Steven Patching - Sacramento

Surgery scheduled 12/9/2009

[melloways 0]

If you've found a food product that has made your weight loss journey a lot easier, please post in the new thread "Great Food Finds" in the food and nutrion forum.

[Mimilou2004 13]

Pam92, welcome to the site. The biggest chalenge will be to rev up your aging (LOL) metabolism to keep losing. Keep walking, watching your calorie intake, and exercising with hand held wts. Best wishes.

Mimi

[Band_Groupie 3]

Hi, I'd like to join this group too. I was banded on 8/31/09. Although my family and friends are very supportive, I sometimes feel like I will bore them to death talking about my band! Now this may seem silly but I have a heck of a time figuring out how much I have lost. Do you all count from the very beginning when you started all the presurgery appointments, or are you counting from your surgery date. Logically, I reason that my highest weight was at the very beginning but when I count from there I feel like I am cheating. So, bottom line, on your tickers, are you counting from post surgery?:Yawn:

Hey pd...I also count from the beginning weigh in at the beginning of my six month pre-op diet.

Thanks for setting up this post for over 50 gang. I was banded 12/08, just had a fill to 8cc. I am half way to capacity.

Since this fill I am having significant reflux, burping liquids, burning in throat. I have lost 5 pounds in one week, can only eat about 5 bites, but I am constantly burping. Prilosec helps, but still having gurgling in my stomach.

Anyone else had this? My dr. wants me to take Carafate 4 x a day, but it causes burning in my throat. Don't know if I should be concerned enough to call Dr.

Up to this fill, I was eating anything and everything and had gained 4 pounds.

Thanks:smile2:

I had this problem after my last fill. It's something you have to be very careful about. The burning means you're causing damage to the esophagus. Heatburn is one of the most common side-effects of banding and can be the normal burning or just a lump-in-the-throat feeling (globus sensation), or both.

I've been taking Nexium and papaya enzyme pills with meals also help (as does pineapple or kiwi enzymes...as someone mentioned pineapple). The PPI's (Nexium) are not good to take long-term as they shut off normal acids you need for digestion.

The only reason I didn't go for an unfill is that I wasn't having terrible problems and I never had a problem during the night (reflux that wakes you up means it's bad), and it was helped by the treatments. I'm doing great now, but plan to get off the Nexium shortly and see what happens...so I'm watching it closely. Don't hesitate to see your doc if it's not clearing up quickly...sometimes just a tiny unfill can make a big difference. Good luck!

[lynnt1215 1]

I have heard tht the papaya enzymes can be damaging to the esophogus. figure it is helping "digest" the food that is the issu and may be doing some of the same to normal tissues.

Just something I have heard

[phyllser 3]

I have heard tht the papaya enzymes can be damaging to the esophagus. figure it is helping "digest" the food that is the issu and may be doing some of the same to normal tissues. Just something I have heard

If that's true, I'm in BIG trouble! I've been using it for 2 yrs. It is an ingredient of meat tenderizer, I believe. My orthopedic surgeon has it on his list of things to quit taking 2 weeks prior to surgery. It helps me when I feel "stuck".

[Band_Groupie 3]

I have heard tht the papaya enzymes can be damaging to the esophogus. figure it is helping "digest" the food that is the issu and may be doing some of the same to normal tissues.

Just something I have heard

Hmmm...I'll have to look at that. I did a LOT of research on the heartburn and many sites mentioned the enzymes helping. I know there are many here who use them when they get stuck and I know they help breakdown Proteins, but I've never seen anything saying they're acidic or bad for the esophagus...I've been using them for 7 months or so. I'll look into it.

[jollygreen1955 0]

I have got to post this my MIL who is in great shape....just had some adjustments to her heart...but still like she says in GREAT shape... was just told she has celiac by the rehab hospital

It does make sense because whenever she eats bread she gets bloated not FAT>..she was never fat!!!!!

Could you believe this and at 89 I went with her when the dumb as$ doctor made at her age take that test that you go up your as$ and they found nothing wrong

EXCEPT me who told the dumb as$... at her age you should be ashamed of yourself, giving her that exam... which, knowing that he would have me there next time..told her he would never ever do her again.....

they found nothing (duh)

[Band_Groupie 3]

Hey 50's gals...I thought you might enjoy my blog here (on LBT) today as it's a 50's issue... Have a great weekend all! -BG

12/4/09 Happy pills

Posted Today at 10:12 AM by Band_Groupie

Tags

Yesterday I had my yearly OB-GYN annual checkup (sorry dudes, no details). I was ushered into the room by a very young morbidly obese nurse/or MA. Before I got on the scale she asked me what my weight usually is...hmm...I replied 'Well, I never know because I'm on my way down...I got the LAP-BAND®®®®!' (I was 180 on their scale fully dressed in jeans and after breakfast...down to 177 on my scale today, so that head is staying OFF!). Then the questions began about the LB...How much have you lost? When did you get it? How is it working for you? Have you had any problems? Do you have to keep going back to your doc...for? So I answered them all and then some...she was really interested. I told her she could feel my port...she thought it was on the outside of my body so I had to lift up my shirt to show her...then she asked if they have to open me up every time to do the fill...I couldn't help it...I started laughing (OK, how does someone in the medical profession think that? I thought most people knew, like I did, from all the commercials!)...then I explained the port, what it looks like, and how fills work. We commiserated about dieting (she's a yo-yoer, like me…and has lost up to 50 pounds before dieting, like me) and before they came looking for her (we were talking awhile) she left me with a 'I'll have to look into it!' I almost gave her my LBT name, but then I thought she might not like that I unkindly called my one PCP nurse 'Nazi Nurse'...you know, the one who wouldn't give me the 1 flippin' POUND I needed at my should-have-been first month weigh in (I did eventually bond with even her...over the Steelers).

　

It's fun for me to get to talk about the LB, since only DH knows about mine. I have to tell all the medical people I see (it was on my form I filled out there at the OB-GYN; ‘surgeries you‘ve had’), so it’s always interesting to see the reactions. Pre-band I got ‘You’re not heavy enough to need that! You don’t look like you need a LB!’ from every medical person (even my pre-op requirement ones) except my LB office and one of my PCP nurses (and she had a LB). Now I always get the comments of how great my weight loss is and lots of questions. It’s been a nice change…I went from having to defend my decision to compliments.

　

I saw a new doc there for my exam as I wanted to talk to someone new about HRT’s (hormones). My first doc there, I loved, left the practice, so I saw an old guy there last year who put me on an Estrogen/Testosterone pill at the first mention of hot flashes. I think I mentioned last year that I stopped taking the pills the first month. I went to my PCP for my physical and he suggested I stop taking them after I complained about sudden morning dizziness and joint swelling/pain (my fingers). Since then, I’ve been paying attention to articles/TV about HRT’s and it seemed to me that they do wonders for some people, and there are all kinds of ways to approach it, so I decided to try a new doc there so I could get a new approach. Well, she discussed the pro’s and con’s, patch, different meds, etc. She didn’t agree with me that they needed to check my hormone levels (I had a partial hysterectomy so it’s harder to determine what stage of menopause I’m in). I was concerned about trying a patch because I’m allergic to all kinds of adhesives (even band aids). She was concerned about me even being on an HRT because one of my sister’s had a mini-stroke in her early 40’s…I suggested that I’d rather have the hot flashes than a stroke (I told her I'll just lay on the tile floor and and alternate pressing my face cheeks to the cool tile). So she suggested something new, since my main complaint is the ‘burning up red face’. She gave me an Rx for a very low dose of a form of Prozac…yes, the anti-depressant drug…I’m going to be on ‘Happy Pills’.

She said they’ve found that women have found that a happy side-effect is that this has helped many with the hot flashes…interesting. I had all the usual concerns about taking an anti-depressant when you don’t need that part of the effect, addiction, etc. (not to mention I'm tired of adding pills when everyone else here is getting to get off of theirs), but she quelled my fears with how super low the dose is, etc. …she couldn’t possibly have thought I was depressed because I was beaming talking about my LB with her too…it’s not possible that I could get much happier!

　

Happy Pills! I’m not making fun as I know depression can be a very serious disease (it’s touched my extended family too) and medicines do help a lot of people, but I had to laugh when she told me which pill. My GF’s/neighbors and I get together now and then for a girl’s night out, or more likely for a girl’s lunch out. We have a running joke when one of us is complaining about our kids, teens, husbands or we’re stressed out that we need some ‘Happy Pills’…and hey, two of their husband’s are doctors…they could be our “Happy Pills dealers’…OK, just kidding, again…maybe you had to be there to think it’s funny. We’re planning a girls holiday lunch out soon and I can’t wait to tell them I’m on Happy Pills…they‘ll have a good laugh!

　

OK, I AM wondering if they’ll help me even a tiny bit through those stressful moments with my extended family (remember the holiday drama)…or my teens…DS1 is coming home for the holidays soon and it’s been ‘his turn’ in life to be the argumentative one…I’m predicting a few stressful moments over the holidays now that he’s had a dose of having freedom to be his own boss at college.

If I tell you I had no stress over the holidays…you’ll know for sure it was the pills.

So watch out folks…if you thought I look at the world through ‘rose colored glasses before’…well, I can’t even imagine LOL.

Look you can get some too...in candy flavors...

...or camoflaged as a first-aid kit!

Edited December 4, 2009 by Band_Groupie

[jollygreen1955 0]

:wink2::biggrin:

and I am not on happy pills

:wink2::lol:

[IndioGirl55 32]

That was too cute - alot of pple in my office are on happy pills as we call them too from anti depressants to xanxa

[lynnt1215 1]

Happy pills, what would life be without them.

[lynnt1215 1]

H-E-L-P

seems I can eat almost anything most of the time, but then on occassion can eat little. going to the doctor tomorrow and think I should get a fill. any suggestions??

I have gone back to my stress eating. I know I should be able to control this, but can't.. Lots of issues with my daughters and that hits me hard.. Work is extremely stressful.. no way to control those issues..

Any help, words of wisdom, suggestions is greatly appreciated