addy

Bless your heart, I can't imagine losing a son. Thanks to you for his service. I weighed today and nearly freaked out, 5 more lbs!! So today I am starting my Dr.'s restart program. It is similiar to the two week program we had to do to have surgery. I am determined at this minute, but I have to "cook" homade cornbread, beans, etc.... and I have done the same as you realized that I can chew it to the point of mush. I also got back on Coca Cola that I love!! My husband is my enabler. He will bring home Coke and candy (I am a chocoholic). I just have to stand firm. I did it before, I can do it again. And, so can you!!! Congratulations for losing 70lbs!!! That is great! We need to love ourselves and just get back on the wagon. We knew we needed a band, that is why we got one. Congrats, too on the 5 day pouch diet, how did you do? Good Luck and have a great day : ))

It has been a long time since I have been on here. I don't know why, it was a very helpful site when I was first banded and then as I settled in to my band, I slowed on the site. I have had several surgeries and am restricted in exercising, I was doing really good maintaining, even though I really wanted to lose more. I lost several pounds in a surgery that had complications, I sure wanted to keep that weight loss. However, getting better led to weight gain. Back to my maintained weight. Now, my brother is dying with liver cancer and I am on exercise restrictions and PT, so I am eating everything that I see. I had to have some fluid removed because I was having reflux so bad, so I thought that would help me lose. NOT!! I started gaining, so back to adding to my band. I am not eating properly, so of course, I am not losing, I am gaining!!! I have gained 10 lbs, which doesn't sound like much, but I will bat my eyes and have gained another 10 and so on and so on. I feel like I did when I first started, kind of "what do I eat" what do I not eat" trying to eat right and then getting side tracked during the day. Tomorrow I resolve to start over. I tried to do the restart with slim fast, but I couldn't stay faithful to it, so I am just going to start eating properly for my band. Praying for willpower. Nite

Hi all, haven't been on for quit awhile, just wanted to say hi to all the June bugs. Congrats to you all, looking good. I am still 30lbs from goal, back surgeries, complications and life in general, but I will get there. Still so glad to have lost what I have and KEPT IT OFF!!!:thumbdown: Well, just browsing around the site and wanted to say hi! best wishes, addy

Way to go Policeman, don't give up! Let us know how it goes, we are praying for you. addy

Policeman, If you have insurance approval, you should only have to pay your copay, right?? That and any deductible that you would have. The dr. office should be able to give you the quote, and hospital too, to allow you to get the money gathered:mad2: doesn't make sense. My doctor and hospital told me up front I would have to pay $$$$ dollars for my deductible, before surgery. You need to ask to speak to the billing supervisor. They can even call your insurance company and find out how much of your deductible you have met. Someone is just dropping the ball. I will be praying for you. God Bless, addy Don't give up! If you have to, and can, go the self-pay route, no hospital is going to turn down money.

SoCalCass, I had my surgery on June 6, 08. I had a hiatal hernia repair also. My dr. asked me if I had a hx of reflux and because I told him I had a "bad" hx, he scheduled me for and EGD, they did find one, and he fixed it during surgery. He did however, tell me that they always check for those when they do the surgery, because you will have reflux if they don't fix it then. Just ask your dr., to calm any fears, I am sure he will fix it if he finds one. If you had a hiatal hernia so big that they could not fix it, then believe me you would know it. You would have horrible reflux, and besides they can fix them anyway. They do surgeries for HH all the time, without doing bandings. They call it a Nissan Fundiplication, fancy word for laprascopic HH repair. Think good thoughts. addy

I know that this sounds like a broken record, but those glycerin suppositories were a God send to me. I was just like you, couldn't drink very much. I literally started getting malnourished. I was just constipated, with a little of nothing, but a little of nothing that was blocking me up to my eyeballs. Instant relief with the supp. I had to use them a couple of times a day for a few days, now I have only used them once or twice since. Just so nice to know they are there. I will never be without them. I hope you all have great success and less and less gas pain. addy

bartendergreg, I am so sorry to hear about your infections and the trouble you are going through. I just wanted to let you know that I will be praying for you. Praying that you will be totally healed. God Bless, addy

Chuck, Congratulations on the loss. Thanks for giving encouragement that the gas will be less or go away when we start eating solid food. I mean it makes sense, we have 25 feet/miles?? of intestine and with all that liquid diet there is nothing in there but air. Had to use the suppositories again last night, they are my help!! It rained and I did not get to walk, walking has helped more since I am eating soft foods. It didn't help at all when I was full liquids. I do see the light at the end of the tunnel and this time it is not a train :Angel_anim: Hang in there everyone, we wil laugh about this next year. addy

Hi all, I was banded June 6, 08. I too, had terrible, horrible gas, I thought I was going to die, and what have I done. My husband was going to take me to the hospital, I spent hours walking, laying on my stomach and running to the bathroom, with dry heaves of gas. I just knew that I was tearing up my banding, by retching so hard. I called the dr. she said just keep taking gas x, and walk. Some people just have more gas. The next day I spoke with the nutritionist she told me to try the glycerin suppositories. They did not want me to take a laxative because the rebound constipation was worse. I tried them and what a miracle!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was like instant relief, after all that liquid diet I had nothing to push out. I had one tiny little BM and that had plugged me up, all the gas was trying to go up, instead of down. I too, still have a pregnant belly :embaressed_smile:( It looks bigger than before, Dr. said that is normal, because of swelling of the port site and that will take 4-6 wks to go down. I am having to wear elastic pants up to my bra line, because I cannot stand anything to touch my stomach. My aunt had it 3 yrs. ago, has lost over 200lbs and swears it will one day just be gone. Well, hope this helps. I get my first fill July 8, has anyone had one yet? Does it hurt?? Going to do it anyway, just kind of wondering. addy

Hello everyone, I googled those Protein bullets and a post from this site came up. It told all about them. So search for whey protein bullets on here and read those e-mails. It also listed several websites to buy/check out other Proteins that helped them. Hope this helps. addy

Congratulations:thumbup: , don't forget those suppositories, if the gas x and walking don't help. They saved my life. addy

Hi all, went to first post op visit yesterday. Said everything looking good, port site is still very sore, said normal from manipulating the muscle to put port in, will be better in 4-6 wks. He said don't bend will increase intraabdominal pressure, still don't do strenous exercise or lift over 20lbs. Give it 4-6 wks to completely heal. I just started the not drinking with my food, :tt1: oh my gosh, that is going to take getting use to. I drink Water constantly and I reached for my "not there" glass 20x while I was eating, LOL! I have become a clock watcher, waiting for my hour to be up to drink. Friday starts my no liquid 30 min. before and 1 hr. after to start feeling full in my band. Scheduled my first fill for July 8th, little nervous about that, the needle and all. But, I am ready!! I am going to have to google the Protein bullets, cannot find them. We don't have a costco, we have Sam's. Thank you all for the hints and help. addy

Hello to all, I went out of town, last week, and am just getting back on forum. I hope all are well. I am feeling so much better. Eating soft foods, so my strength is getting back up. I am terrified of losing my hair. I have had two back surgeries close together and lost some of my hair from anesthesia. I was on another site and they said there are some "bullets" of Protein, that you can break over your ice and it comes in flavors and has mega protein. I don't like milk and drinking that whey protein stuff is killing me, ughh. I will post what it is when I get the info. I have asked name, where to buy, etc.... Several people said they love them. I did find out after feeling like I was going to die from dry heaving gas, the nutritionist said to try glycerine suppositories. WOW, what a relief. They had told me not to use a laxative, because the rebound constipation would be worse, but with all the liquids, nothing was going out, so bloated. They were a miracle relief for me, I had walked, layed on my stomach, you name it. I will never be without them again, just for "incase" LOL. Hope all of you are doing well. I go back for my check up today, was suppose to go last week, but they changed my appt. addy

Thanks so much for the info. What are the bullets actually called? The glycerin suppositories are at any pharmacy. I got mine at Wal-Mart, about $5 for 100. They are a miracle, or at least they were for me. They are just "little" waxy like suppositories. Dr.'s office had told me do not take a laxative because it would make it worse when I did start have a BM again, these are just perfect allow gas out, without making colon dependent, and gas hurts alot less going down than up. Let me know how your surgery goes, would do it again!! addy

Hi all, my name is addy, I had my surgery on June 6, 08. I also had a hiatal hernia repair. I am eating soft foods, and chewing everything! I go to dr. tomorrow for my 2 wk check up, they cx my appt. last week and changed it to tomorrow. I am soooo sore around my port site. Does this still hurt any of you? I was bruised so bad there. I also learned something the hard way, you all may know but I had HORRIBLE gas on the 3rd day and my husband was going to take me to the hospital, I was dry heaving air. With all the slim fast and then surgery with warm Water, I had nothing to push the air down. My nutritionist suggested glycerin suppositories. WOW!!! I want to tell anyone and everyone to use them. The relief was immediate! I would like to know about the whey bullets???? I don't like milk and that Protein shake whey stuff is really nasty to me. Those bullets sound good, poured over water. What are they called and is GNC the only place to get them? Thank you for any help and congrats and good luck to all p.s. where and how do you put your surgery date and get those timelines?? addy

Amanda, Hi, I had my surgery with a hiatal hernia repair also on June 6, 08. I thought I was going to die on the third day. The gas was so bad, I was having dry heaves from the gas. My husband was going to take me to the hospital. I spoke with the nutritionist the next day and she told me to try glycerin suppositories. With the two week slim fast and then after surgery just liquids, I had nothing to push the gas out. It was a GOD send. I immediately was able to pass the gas and felt such relief. I had tried to walk, lie on my stomach, etc... So try this and keep taking your gas x. I hope this works for you. Good luck, I am only going on 3 weeks, but regret nothing. addy

Hi, I too, had my banding last Friday. The 6th of June, how are you dealing with the gas pains?