knotchy

Never heard of that one. I'd research it more before I did it. Ephedrine can raise your blood pressure and since many of us start this journey with high blood pressure, I'd just want to satisfy my own curiosity about any possible negatives before I tried it.

Good idea..I've been sorting through the massive amount of data online & plan to talk to my PCP. :cool2:

knotchy - what test did your doctor do to test your metabolism? And did you get a copy of the test results? What was he looking for and what were your results? If it was resting metabolic rate - what was yours?

Hi Cleo's Mom,

It was a resting metabolic test -- They covered the upper part of my body with a plastic dome while I was on an exam table. After my breathing stabilized they took some measurements. My resting calorie rate was ~1100 vs. 1500/1600 if I remember right. Didn't ask for a copy of the results but had them forward a copy to my PCP.

I had another one a LONG time ago were they put you in a plastic coffin like thing and measured the difference in the air temp as it went though. That was a most unpleasant experience, this one was not so bad & didn't take very long.

I don't know how accurate they are honestly. Have you had one?

Hi.

I was banded on 3/20, about 3 weeks post-op. Doing good but haven't lost much weight :drool: Most of my weight came off during the pre-op diet, only a couple of pounds since surgery. Not fully back into my exercise routine & I know that will help.

Last week of mushie stage -- hurray for that. Looking forward to "real" food again. Tracking my food, exercise & Water on the daily plate. I'm getting about 60 grams of Protein a day in less than 1200 calories....so I think that's probably OK. I found a limited client app for the iPhone which allows me to track my food on a more timely basis.

Hello Fellow Banders.

Because of my slow pre-op weight loss my doctor had my metabolism tested. It was about 30% below normal - apparently very common for those of us that have been on starvation-type diets in the past.

Now that I'm post-surgery he wants to deal with the metabolism since, according to their tests, I'm loosing lean body mass vs. fat (yes I exercise...about 5 hours a week). He's prescribed ephedrine (primatene tablets are one source). I've done a search and haven't seen this mentioned before. Anyone out there have any experience with slow metabolism or ephedrine? I would love to hear your thoughts.

thanks.

Hi All.

My surgery day was similar to many of those posted. Arrived @ 5:30am for a 7:30am surgery -- the first person in the chute for the day. Never been to SW Washington Medical Center but was impressed by the new building and (mostly) friendly staff.

Had nasty heartburn after, but minimal other symptoms - some pain but not much. The heartburn was vicious :frown:. The surgeon found & repaired a hiatal hernia.

Was released by 1pm after meeting the post-surgery criteria -- Water consumption, peeing, walking, breathing.

All in all...not a bad hospital experience but one I wouldn't want to repeat.

Yep, I cheated on my pre-op diet...several times. After the first month on liquids it got harder & harder to deny myself everything. Mostly it was the family dinners in the evening, or a night out with friends, that tested my willpower - during the day I didn't spare the diet much thought.

Will this sabotage my life after the band? Dunno the answer to that. I hope that the band helps with the frequent hunger, my guess is I'll be consuming a few more calories a day & get back some of my favorite (but healthy :thumbup: foods.

hey Melissa. Are you watching your blood sugar? I don't remember reading if you're diabetic. I am and when my DR put me on the liquids we adjusted my insulin & other diabetic meds as well as blood pressure meds.

I have to agree with the hunger...I thought I would surely pass out. It gets better once your stomach shrinks and I found that a quick 10 min walk whenever it gets really bad helps.

My DRs office sells a bariactric high Protein shake for a pretty penny. There's a hot chocolate that tolerable when you mix it with coffee - kind of a mocha:tongue2:

What I miss most is cooking. I love to cook but there's no way that I could do that & stay on course.

I too am in the various studies/appts process with OWLS. I spend 3 days at their offices next week. However, I am self pay, so it is moving along rather quickly for me. I think that no matter where you are having your surgery, the insurance just makes it a long process.

Wish I had more that I could tell you that would move things along. All I can do is wish you luck as you work through it!

Have you done your psych and med evaluations? Also, I am curious about what the physical therapist appointment is like. Any insights?

hi Lori. Good luck on your evals! I was exhausted after going through all the tests - they did mine over 2 days. I don't do well on standardized psych tests so that was fun trying to explain to them why I wasn't a wacko. The shrink started me on antidepressants & then I promptly gained 10 lbs. I was not at the top of the class :redface:

The consult with PT & Nutritionist was good and I liked them both. I didn't do much more than listen & nod.

Hello All...

I'm a pre-bander in the Portland area...going through the motions. I've been working with OWLS for over a year now on various studies, appointments, etc. How long does this process normally take? It seems very frustrating to me. Should I change doctors & look @ OHSU. Seems like some of you are happy with them. Any advice??

thanks!

Wow! An impressive amount of weight has been lost by the over 50 crowd...(not to mention by the younger audience too :wink2:)

Thanks so much everyone for easing my mind...It definitely sounds like it's worth the work.

Hi All.

I'm new here - just beginning my liquid diet to loose 15 lbs before my surgery in Feb. I've pointedly asked my surgeon what are the realistic weight loss number for those over 50. And honestly she was very evasive.

I'd like to loose 100+ pounds. Is this possible? How is everyone else doing?

hello fellow Oregonians!

I'm about 2 months out from surgery & just beginning my liquid diet, about 90 grams of Protein a day. Boy am I hungry! How long did it take for any of you to get over the "I'm starving" period?

I'm planning to have my surgery with Oregon Weight Loss Surgery, Dr. Emma Patterson. Any experiences to share? I've not had good luck with them or the Obesity Clinic -- lost records, hard to get appointments, etc. But I had my last appointment with Dr Raum...This is the guy for me! He laid everything out, answered all my concerns about reducing caloric intake and adjusting the massive amount of diabetic meds so I won't pass out.

I'm happy to see how much support there is on this site and look forward to participating.

Thanks pongomp for the advice!

Hi All,

Wanted to introduce myself to the group! I'm starting my liquid diet tomorrow which will last about 2 months with my surgery some time in February - date to be set in January.

I have to confess I'm terrified of failing -- so many diets, so many pounds lost AND GAINED over the years. I figure this is my last shot & need to give it my full focus. Wish me luck...