lisacaron

Indigestion could also be caused by the hormone changes going on in your body. Eat things that are soothing for you right now. Go back to early band basics and try to consume things that are light on your tummy but still nutritious. Tea is a wonderful thing and very helpful with breast feeding as well, so have some warm tea (decaf) Have some ice pops, make some sugar free pudding and use whole milk for that little bit of fat you need right now for the baby. Give your body a break it's been through a lot! Your not on the bandwagon right now to lose weight you are back to healing phase again. So eat what you need to for the baby but keep it easy on your band and your tummy for digestion. Go back to mushy foods for a bit, put things in the blender and see how your feeling in a few days when you get to your Dr. appointment, let us know how your doing and what the doc says. Feel better soon!

Well I'm gonna earn some easy money then!! We named the team Smallsville, out of the three of us I am still the largest one with the most to lose but it's a motivator and it's been fun coming up with names and logo's and a theme...and even a super spreadsheet they can keep track of their calories in vs. out and steps taken per day to share and keep on track. I bet that works for 1 whole day but it was fun putting it together Lets see if I hear any grumbles from other contestants along the way...

I would let the Dr. know what is going on as well and see if they can work with you to get the care you need from them. After all they did the surgery and they should have some kind of follow up care available to you as part of the surgery that has already been paid for through insurance. Also most times if there is a fee, I hear there is a "cash" fee and an insurance fee...so see what they can do for you....I thought under this Obama care it was mandatory for everyone to have healthcare coverage...so how do you lose coverage? I have been hearing that a lot from people all over that they lost coverage...just curious.

There are also Protein shots you can take they are low in carbs and high in protein, you can also look for soy protein and tofu. You want to find things that are going to help your band work and more solid protein. How about fish?

Good call Bandista! That is definitely true, and Equal does it to me, too much of it and I have a headache!

OK so I'm gong to join with a couple of my co-workers they all go my back and I theirs! Now we need a team name....any ideas?

Ah my hubby and I benefited together. We both were banded at the same time. Our family dynamic has changed in that we eat more home cooked meals. Often times my husband will cook if I am at work and he is home or if I am home early or on a weekend we will cook something up together. It's a win win win in my book!

Unlike other WLS the lapband does not have a malabsorbtion issue. You will be able to digest anything you swallow fully. As some stated above larger pill may pose an issue in swallowing depending on several factors after surgery. I personally have never had any issues with swallowing any medications even larger Vitamin pills. The best advice is to see the surgeon and ask them how they would suggest for you to continue your meds as you are most likely on a cocktail that needs to be consistent for stability. It should not be an issue even when you are in the hospital and after banding, but they can guide you and help you to take your meds after surgery in a way that will work best for you, your band and your medical condition.

There is probably NO refrigeration other then the cold outside air and a cooler that will soon be out of ice. Protein bars are a great start! Cans of tuna another great one if you are OK with no mayo and eating out of the can. Soups can be eaten the same way if they have a fire you can always warm a can of soup up that way. There is also Tuna that comes in bags and often flavored and you can just open and eat that way or with some crackers. The same can be said for salmon and a few other fish and chicken products you can find right near the tuna. There is beef Jerky that stays dry and does not need anything done to it. A jar of Peanut Butter works bring a spoon you can clean and re-use. I would steer clear of cheeses and all other dairy since there is no where to keep them cool and using the mechanical toilet does not sound lovely. Have fun on the trip, and most of all stay warm and dry!

The weather is a big factor for me also with the changes in pressure bringing on cluster headaches. I have no trouble swallowing pills so I will take Advil or Extra strength Tylenol as needed. If you can't swallow them, they are available in liquid forms and they do not taste badly at all. When I get a fill since I am going back to liquids and mushy for a few days my body will sometimes fight back and I get a headache. So it could be a bit of a combination of things going on for you, but you should defiantly check it out with the doctor on your visit. Always better to seek medical advice then be sorry you didn't later is my way of thinking. I hope your feeling great again soon!

I echo all the sentiments above. Feel better and try to relax, when your tense it makes breathing more difficult. Just try to find a peaceful place, try to be as comfortable as possible and breathe slow deep and easy. The body is an amazing thing, I hope your feeling better quickly.

LI lady keep following this thread and we will post updates soon.

Perhaps we could have a small get together when your in town

Would you think that others that might join the contest and might know about your WLS would think you had an unfair advantage over them? It is a money pool and it's based on the percentages of weight lost, in teams and individuals so it's pretty fair all around. Unless of course you weigh in on the first day with weights in your pants

Congrats Kandy. Your surgeon knows what he needs you to do before your surgery so have confidence in that. Not everyone has to be on a liquid diet for a few weeks or even on any at all. So don't worry about that, and just follow what your doc's told you to do and your going to do great! Keep us in the loop as you move forward and come back for any support you need. See you on the banded side soon!

My company's wellness program holds a contest every year called Weigh to Win. It's an incentive for employee's to take better care of their overall health, to promote healthier eating, encourage physical activity and create a supportive work environment.. It's loosely based on the Biggest Loser idea I think though having not watched that program I can't really say much about it. I know in the past that there has been some major success stories with this contest, and our wellness department is top notch. They will send out motivational and helpful e-mails along the way, and our very own Dr. B will over see the entire event. That said, these are the guidelines: Guidelines: Weight loss should be the result of healthier eating and exercise habits. Employees are on the honor system and should participate in a healthy and fair manner. My question is does being a banded person give an unfair advantage in a contest such as this? What do you think?

Hi Rick, As I approached the green zone or sweet spot as you call it in the very beginning I was able to eat as I always had with my band, a little smaller portion perhaps and a little longer between meals. As I truly crossed into the green zone a week or so after my last fill, I notice that I am totally eating smaller portions and going longer between meals. I also have noticed, that when I am stressed, or if someone upsets me or just looks at me the wrong way sometimes (it's usually my kids or one annoying co-worker) my stoma will cinch up and that first bite is miserable. Often times when that happens I discard what ever it was I was about to eat because I have now lost all appetite for it. When I do resume an appetite and/or I need to eat something, I will often give myself a primer as you call it and have a cup of tea or decaf coffee before sitting down to eat. I know the warm feeling relaxes my insides, and mentally it helps me to unwind a bit so that when I eat even if I was upset and uptight before I am now relaxed and ready to eat something. For years my meals were always wrought with frustration, at the table or jammed on the run from one thing to another. I can no longer do that. That said..however I do not "always" need to do that. I am usually able to eat without needing something warm before hand. My advice would be to make an apt. with your doctor and have your band checked under floro to see how things are moving in there and then decide with your doc if you need an un-fill or if things are working as they should be for you.

Ditto that! Well said!

I'm sorry to hear that you are having these issues. I honestly hope that your doctors can help you to resolve some of your metabolic issues and that in the future the band surgery might be something that can assist you further, or perhaps even be revised to another surgery. That is the beauty of the lapband surgery it is not permanent and you are not stuck with it for the rest of your life. It can be removed and/or modified to another surgery option if one is right for you. Had you chosen another surgery you would be stuck with it for the rest of your life. I wish you much health and happiness in your future, don't give up on yourself.

Many on the site have had great success with the band. Myself and hubby included, I'm sure you are going to learn how to work your band and be a great success as well. What I have found is that it takes that mental mind set to learn and understand yourself, your eating habits and once you have the band how it works best for you. It does not happen over night. It is a process, for me and the hubby we have taken that process slowly and not rushed it through. That is the way our Dr. works, we are evaluated once every 4-6 weeks and go from there to determine if we need/want a fill or not. The first 8 weeks we were in our healing phase after surgery and no fills were done. For as many people and as many doctors and surgeons you will find on the site you will find different ways to work the band. No one way is all right or all wrong, it's subjective to each and every person and the best judge of it is your own doctor who will be caring for you and your band post op. I love being banded it was one of the best decisions I have ever made for myself and I know my hubby echos that for himself. Congrats on your decision, and we are all here to be supportive each other even when we agree to disagree.

Hi Butterfly, When I was having lots of issues with my BP my Dr. did a check on my kidney function and found that my output was low. For me it was dehydration issues and electrolyte balance issues due to some digestive issues I was having at the time. (Pre-band) I'm just putting this out there, maybe ask your doc to run a panel on you to be sure that is all working well. It was my vascular surgeon who caught the kidney issue for me while checking on an aneurism I have. All this is pre-band and not band related, but you never know what can help so I wanted to share.

Tara you look great!

Your a beautiful woman, and you have worked hard to be where you are! Shame on those who make others feel that they are somehow less. Don't let it rob you of your happiness, it has been hard earned and we all know it!

I agree. We are all usually a very good natured bunch of supportive people. Once in a while we do come across the wrong way, and get under each others skin as we all do have our opinions. Sometimes the BS that comes from them can create an awful stink (sorry just had to go there and lighten the mood a bit!)