RestlessMonkey

Honestly my doc said our hair will fall out because of the trauma of surgery. And I'm not kidding you about your body digesting it's muscle (and heart is a muscle) to provide the Protein it needs for basic cell function etc. Fat provides energy but not protein. SO you won't just burn fat! You will lose muscle mass and that is no way to stay healthy and keep weight off. I don't "like" the shakes at all. I want food to be food, not sweet chocolate (or vanilla or strawberry) gick! BUT you do it because you have to! Some people say they pick a vanilla and then buy davinci sugar free syrups, or various extracts, to flavor them up. You might try that. But you are hurting yourself badly by not getting protein in; please don't do that! The surgery and new band lifestyle are big steps; don't just hurt yourself because you don't like the shakes any more! In fact we're taught, even once we can eat again, to eat protein FIRST and then veggies, then fruit, and finally grains. We have to get at least 60 gms of protein a day. So please take care of yourself. You're not alone, but you will regret it in the long run if you lose muscle instead of fat. :thumbup:

Oh and FYI in my family we don't say "I ate the whole sleeve"...that's too clothes-ish. LOL we say "I did a whole line of crackers". No we've never done crack or any illegal drug, but that "do a line of cracker" just seems to fit with the whole mindset. :thumbup:

You know what? I understand. I love saltine crackers. What you need to do, actually, is just go toss them and throw water or something icky on them. I've found that it is so much easier to resist temptation when there IS no temptation! LOL Funny but true, you know? You don't need an analyst. You're just human, no need to pay the big bucks to have that confirmed. But be strong and toss 'em. You'll feel better.

You definitely need adequate protein or your body will pull it from your muscles and that includes your HEART. Do you want your body literally eating your own muscles and heart? I'm sure you don't! Not to scare you more, just so you know why it's important! So find some protein source you can tolerate, ok? There are different brands, and soy and whey (different types) so search until you find one you can tolerate, ok?

sleep well! Hope it turns out to just be a nasty 24-hour bug! :thumbup:

I wouldn't take ambien...for one thing, no Water for a while. For another, you may just vomit it up and the point is to let your stomach chill a little! AND if you "sleep" through it you might aspirate, actually. That, my girl, could kill you! You were probably just kidding anyway! Once you've gone a few hours without vomiting, try a little water. Your sister had the right idea but while you are so nauseated that you vomit it back up, it's best to just stop and let things settle down a little. Once you can keep it down, Gatorade really will help you feel better. Don't have to drink oodles either, just a pint or so. :thumbup: Glad you're doing better!

DuckyH not everyone has bad gas pains; I didn't! I slept on my side the 1st night (night of my surgery....although I did use a pillow to brace my torso!) and night 2 I slept on my tummy(as is usual for me). I used 2 doses of "heavy duty" pain medication and otherwise did fine with tylenol. I felt great, no nausea, no issues. I hope you both have an easy surgery and recovery like I did! :thumbup: Honestly the head cold I got on 9/16 caused me more misery and distress than getting the band has done! :smile2:

I've been able to lose, but never able to keep weight off and build on that. I am fairly optimistic that, while I will have to do the "work" in picking healthy foods etc, the band will help me keep weight off. Glad to meet another Positive thinker! I'm sure your wife and son are so proud and happy that you took this step for you and for the future!

I too plan to move in 2-3 years. I figured by then I'd be pretty "normalized" fill wise etc; and if I have an emergency, whomever WILL treat me. But I'd like to know what other people say; I guessed if necessary I could always come back for a visit and use my Dr. Cavazos when adjustments are needed.

Respectfully, DH has been an RN for 25 years, and I'm in nursing school. BRAT diet does work although it's best for diarrhea...and you don't have to ingest all 4 at same time, or ingest all 4. Applesauce is bland but is an easy source of energy. Banana has natural type paregoric and can slow the bowels down. Toast can absorb stomach acid and calm it down. You can pick and choose from the menu. But it's best to stop all water for a few hours to let your nausea abate. :thumbup:

While you're waiting, quit drinking for a few hours. Once the nausea subsides, try a LITTLE bit of Water...like a few swallows, less than an ounce. If you can keep that down about 20-30 min and the nausea doesn't come back, drink a little more. If you can, get some gatorade (sugar free if you want) it will help keep your fluids and electrolytes in balance. Don't eat until you are nausea free and can keep liquids down well, then do a bland diet (for kids they say BRAT diet...bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) don't know about the rice and toast for you, depending on restriction, but some applesauce or so on until you're feeling better. I think your band will probably be fine but you need to break the drink/vomit/drink/vomit cycle. Unless you got a fill in the last week or 2?

well I guess just quit looking when they draw your blood or start an IV! LOL It is odd that you fainted, though. You'll be fine, I'm sure, as long as your doctor is aware and on top of things! Good luck! :thumbup:

I had diarrhea. Because I didn't take the drug w/morphine (opiates can constipate you) I had diarrhea and was told it was the anesthesia. It lasted about a week. It wasn't bad, just troublesome. The shoulder? MOVE! WALK WALK WALK! the more you walk, the more it dissipates. When mine hurt terribly, I'd rub it or have my husband rub it and it quit in about 1-2 minutes. You can use a heating pad if you want (i hate heating pads but lots love 'em LOL) just don't use it over your surgical sites until you check w/your docs office; some use internal sutures that dissolve over time and if you get the area too hot it CAN prematurely dissolve them. Just hang in there; it gets better. Walking really does help your body break the gas down and reabsorb it. Some swear by Gas x but it never touched my shoulder pain, but walking and rubbing it when it got TOO much did the trick.

They should've taken your blood pressure and are you diabetic? Have you felt woozy before when they have drawn your blood in the past? Just realize that post op liquids means nothing that you chew (even eggbeaters, unless you're drinking it yuk) LOL because when you chew and digest your stomach churns and it can rip the sutures holding your band n place. So it is REALLY important. My doc has his patients on one week clear (No Protein shakes nothing but Water, broth, and sugar free popsicles and SF Jello that is chewed. have you ever chewed just plain old jello LOL?) the second week we were allowed to add Protein Shakes into the mix. If you've never fainted before, don't have blood pressure issues, and don't have diabetes, I guess it was a fluke but it sounds to me like they should've checked you out more. You know better than me, though! :thumbup:

I was told just fluids for 24 hours post fill. If you were told the same, it's possible the pudding was too much too soon. Didn't you have to drink in your doc's office? If so, did it go down and stay down ok? If it did, you may just be agitated from the pudding. BUT you can't go too long w/out water; we dehydrate pretty quickly.

I was "borderline" but not on any medication for diabetes, and I've felt fine. I agree w/Slim-n-tn; call your endocrinologist. See, for me borderline, I had no drugs, didn't check my own blood sugar, etc. I was hungry until I got on mushies; is that maybe what your husband is experiencing? What symptoms? If you guys know it's low blood sugar, then please call his endocrinologist right away!

You do know post op you pretty much HAVE to be on liquids for a while to allow your stomach to heal where the band is placed? It's good you and your surgeon have a plan of attack now so that you can heal well without fainting again! Good luck!

Not me. What did they do when you fainted in the office? And what "cheating" did your doctor approve? I was hungry but I handled it.

A better plan would be to ask your wife to hide the crackers from you.

NO experience here w/Dr Rose; you may want to look in the "Doctors and Hospitals" forum, or enter the name in the search bar at the top right. Good luck!

No experience; you may want to look under the "Doctors and Hospitals" forum, or enter his name in the search bar at the top right! :thumbup:

Ok is your surgery on MONDAY? (10/13) or thursday (10/16)? Apparently you really are excited! Welcome and good luck! :thumbup:

Welcome! I'm 53 and was banded 8/29. While I'd be glad to answer your questions, this link has pages of "surgery day stories" that should answer most of your questions. If not, you may PM (private message!) me or post here and I'll help if I can! Good luck! http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f178/surgery-day-stories-64287/

lynnlynn you might want to start another thread for this.... but I suggest asking your surgeon.

What did your surgeon recommend? I'd use his guidelines; everyone is different.