LAN2k

My surgeon did the same thing for me. Ultimately I ended up getting a script for Aciphex-one tiny yellow tablet a day, zero side effects. It doesn't come in a generic but I only make a $3.00 co-pay.:001_tongue:

That's great! Can you tell me what the brand name is on that? Do you have a link for purchase online?

Thanks. Consider yourself lucky that you can eat a bit more, comfortably. Believe me your sleeve won't allow you to over-do it. What's important (and I'm learning), are your food choices. I have found that refined carbohydrates, like cake, cookies, chips, crackers, etc. are eaiser to eat but foods such as these are not the foods that you will lose weight with. Tonight it took me 35 minutes to eat a few broccoli florets and a 4 oz piece of white roughy filet (fish). My mother looked at my plate after she was done with hers and said (I don't know why I even cooked you eat nothing!) That I eat like this is such a change from before I had the sleeve. She ate more like an 8oz piece of fish at least a cup of broccoli and a large baked potato w/butter. I couldn't eat like that if I was paid to. Also get out there and excercise. I plan on riding my bicycle as soon as the weather in NY warms up! It's still so cold outside.

Most of us have some initial hair loss but after around the 6 month mark the loss slows and regrowth does eventually occur (although I haven't seen it yet). There are hair vitamins and biotin, evening primrose oil, special shampoos and formulas that may help. Also in my case all of my fingernails (which were natural and slightly long) became brittle and cracked and broke--all of them, even my toenails became brittle, and cracked.

I think you will be alright because you went to your doctor and are reaching out for guidance and from what I see you just got some sound advise. I hope you will try hard to keep calm and take one step at a time. I'm not so sure you should eat some of the foods you've been eating this early out. I'm curious to know where you had your surgery? It's not often that a person starts eating soft food so early after surgery although I have read posts where some people have. I wish you well and hope you stay connected to this message board.

Sorry this is troubling you wannalise. Maybe take a baby step back and try eating and drinking a little bit slower and/or less. Somebody also mentioned that sipping on something warm before a meal helps to relax them and makes things go down easier. Another thing that I do when that feeling of tightness happens and I'm not sure what may happen, I stand up and pace...my immediate family is used to me doing that and it really does help to alleviate that stuck feeling. Since I've been sleeved I am more comfortable standing while eating even drinking than I am sitting. Hope that helps.

I just had a follow up appointment with my surgeon, originally scheduled for the6 month mark, anyway he told me that I can stop taking the prescribed antacid I take daily, (Aciphex 30mg)! He said to see how I feel and if I experience reflux then take it. I have not stopped yet though since my PCP, (who I love) thinks I should stay on it for a year. As well as breaking down food, stomach acid kills off bad bacteria like H-Pylori... I wish I could be sure about what to do... I'm confused.

I don't know exactly what I'm doing by blogging this post except that I feel the need to save it and be able to read it over and over again. That is all I can say about it at the moment..and this is what I'm feeling as a result of reading it... I stopped taking the antidepressant I was on for a couple of months post op. and those feelings of despair are seeping into my reality. I am trying to deal with things with less medication and more of me or should I say reliance on God, (my higher power). I'm tired and weary and yes still afraid of the unknown. Not having food as my coping mechanism produces all sorts of stress reactions in me. I feel isolated and lonely and I've life and death fears randomly running through my mind. I am trying so hard to be OK, to find my way of accepting my altered world. I went to an OA meeting today and it was packed with all sorts of people who spoke their feelings good and bad. I wanted to put my stuff out there with the rest of them but was just stuck in my body, unable to move--feeling too weak, too hopeless. I still can't believe what I did. I forced myself to change, and like it or not I've got to face life and learn how to live it without the much cherished food of yesterday. It's like I need a road map to help me make my next move. It's like I've lost my way and like a kid lost in a huge department store I don't know where my parents are.

Sorry about your children...looks like you have a lot to contend with at this time. I hope that they recover quickly. I just want to mention that my boughie is a 40...and I was so relieved when my surgeon told me! I'm 7 months out now and my restriction is still (by comparison to pre-surgery), huge. I can not eat much more than around 4oz of dense protein, like chicken, or steak, even cheese, in one sitting. I am able to get in a bit more if it's a yogurt or very soft/mushie type food. It still freaks me out a little.:001_huh:

Why so low on the caloric intake? 400 seems a bit extreme. I was only able to get in about that early out of surgery and I felt like I was not getting in enough nutrition.

I'm assuming you are referring to post surgery and your asking if it's normal to be able to eat a bit more further out. If I've got it right from my experience I'd say yes --but, not all that much more. For me it varies from day to day. But at 7 months out I eat between 2-4 oz. of dense protein, and up to 6 oz of stuff like yogurt, cream of wheat, soup...etc. Hope that helps.

Thanks. I appreciate you sharing your experience. I might add that xanax gave me a greater feeling of wellbeing than does the Clonazepam, however that feeling was short lived making it necessary for me to take it more frequently and/or at higher doses. Also after being on xanax many years ago while on a doctor supervised weight loss program where I had to take oodles of Vitamins and the drug Phentermine, I suffered horrible withdrawal symptoms when I ran out of my xanax and my doctor was away. I'd been on a daily dose (I think it was 30mg) but I don't recall if it was once or twice a day. Recently after WLS I tried the xanax again but that feeling of well being was short lived so I switched to the Clonazepam and its working for me. Thanks again and continued health, happiness and success in your WL journey.

Tiff I'm sorry your going through this now but I think it is very prudent of you to be concerned. Thank you so much for sharing, I think of you as a sort of "mentor" for us all. I have not reached goal weight but it's not hard for me to understand what you are encountering. Mini-Me's suggestion may be a good place to start. It would be helpful if anyone out there who is further out in surgery and has had these struggles would come forth and offer some advise? I just want to say that I am confident that there is a solution and you will find it. I will hope that you will keep us informed as things progress. Needless to say...your in my heart and my prayers. xx

Hey Les, I thought it was spelled with a "K" Klonopin...I do take it and I agree it does help with anxiety, and it's long lasting without projecting a false sense of reality. Thanks for sharing your personal experience, I'm really glad you did. BTW, I take the generic brand: "Clonazepam", do you?

I haven't noticed this when taking a Bcomplex however I did feel that way while on a generic of an antidepressant called Remeron. It felt like I could eat the same amount in volume as I used to, but in reality I was unable to put away the same amount so I found myself grazing. Weight loss was nearly at a stall but came down a few lbs.

Great question. You may pay a small fee by checking online resources that generate reports on doctors for any medical malpractice lawsuits and other stats, etc. Maybe you can call a law firm that handles med malpractice cases and get advise on how to do your own investigation. I agree with you in getting the facts from sources outside of the surgeon practice and affiliation. Hopefully someone here can chime in with some resources you can use. If you do come up with a method of getting the facts on a surgeon please post it so we all can learn from your research. I'm thinking of plastic surgery down the line and I want to be very sure of the surgeon I use before I have anything done.

Thanks! I was taking 30mg of Remeron, every day before I went to sleep at night, an SNRI, (Serotonin-Norepinephrine-Reuptake-Inhibitor), It helped to lift me out of that dark place of doom I was in while stimulating my appetite (I'd been repulsed by nearly everything)...It really did help me but my desire to eat increased too much (about the same as before I had the sleeve). I recently stopped taking it altogether, (since last week). I hope I'll be okay and not go through extreme withdrawal symptoms. I am hoping that now that 7 months have elapsed since I had my surgery my innate coping mechanisms have kicked in and I'll be able to mentally handle...my life, naturally. I'm still taking a small dose of Klonopin in generic form, (.5mg as needed for anxiety), and I take pharmaceutical grade fish oil and Vitamin D3, 5000IU daily. Thank you for sharing with me what is working for you. All the best-Lis

I Laughed Out Loud just now Tiffy... I know what it's like, (the neti only helps some), both my mother and I have sinus stuff going and its becoming more than just seasonal. I'm going to see if my mother will give the neti pot a go. I hope you'll find relief. Let me know how you do with whatever works for you.

Tiff I have been suffering with a sinus condition for a while now and I bought myself a netty pot and I use it religiously, (before I go to bed & in the morning after brushing my teeth). Here is what I add to the luke warm Water that I fill the netty pot with and a glass I gargle with. I first boil some water then adjust the temperature by adding in some cold water to bring it to a luke warm temp. I add a pinch or so of sea salt and a dropper full of colloidal silver (it is anti-fungal/viral/bacterial), I don't taste anything but gargle first. Then I take the netty pot with same solution in it and run it through each nostril. I am able to go without nasal spray day and night. Before that I was using Rhinocort. Naxonex and Flonase did not work for me. There is a machine you can buy but it's alot more expensive than a netty pot. It is a really good contraption though to thoroughly cleanse the sinus cavities using the same solution mx I gave you. Here is a video ...[nomedia=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YrG_KJJpC8]YouTube- SinuPulse Elite - Advanced Nasal Sinus Irrigation System[/nomedia] Here is a link where you may purchase but you can search yourself for the best purchase price-http://www.natlallergy.com/prod/1761/sinupulse-elite-sinus-irrigation-system-for-nasal-washing-and-misting.html?sid=GOOGLE&eid=GOOGLE&tid=g_csrs_p_sinupulse_system&gclid=CNTk_snUhqECFV1-5Qodw12Jyw This is the best antimicrobial etc...silver I think. It is the one I use and this is the link where I found it to be sold at the lowest price. I get 3 bottles at a time. Invision Intl - Silver 100 - Optimal Health Concepts The first time it came to me with two bottles broken. I called the guy and he sent them to me over night no problem. I get the 2oz dropper bottles. In any case I hope you find a good solution that will work for you. -Lis

Keep up the good work. You look great.

Hi Lisa, thanks for detailing the "scope" procedure you had. I too was sprayed with that numbing stuff a couple of months post surgery when I had an upper endoscopy to check things out. The thing that FREAKED me out was the spray the anesthesiologist sprung on me right before they put me into the "twilight" zone. I felt like he was an exterminator streaming insecticide down my throat and I was so upset because I felt like I could not swallow-but before I went into an all out panic, I was asleep. Prior to my sleeve surgery I was required to be examined by a gastroenterologist. He did an upper endo without having my throat hosed down and I just went off to sleep...no problems. Anyway....All the best to you...I hope you get the clearance you need for the sleeve surgery.

Yay Aetna & congrats to Vibris! Best wishes along the way. Keep us posted.

I am taking biotin and evening primrose oil along with bone and joint liquid formula...I hope it will help.

I found Uncle Bens Healthy Grain Creme of Wheat (7 gm protein), mixed in w/1 scoop of Solgar Vanilla Bean Whey powder (16 gm protein), (or Jay Robb vanilla 25gm protein), a soothing and tolerable breakfast food..eaten slowly teaspoon by teaspoon. cook the creme of wheat with water to the consistency you like best, and then turn the flame off while in the sauce pan, I add some milk (I use either goat milk, almond milk, or hazelnut milk) then I whisk in the whey powder, add stevia or sun crystals-(a stevia/cane sugar mix 5 calories)...sometimes I'll add a tablespoon of raw agave nectar or pure maple syrup for added flavor. The whole thing amounts to almost 30 grams protein and it's sustains me well into the afternoon. I also mix the whey powder in with my yogurt, let it sit about 5 minutes and mix it again. I love vanilla Greek or Stonyfield now makes an organic Greek yogurt in caramel and chocolate flavors. The breakfast cereal and later the yogurt for lunch, add up to about 50+ grams protein...It works for me very well but each of us has to come up with our own plan of eating...I just thought I'd put mine out there in case you want to give it a try. I'm 7 months almost and I still have trouble with some denser proteins like meat...You are early out so just be patient and you will find ways to get in the nutrition without sacrificing pleasure.

You can add GHI to the list. I was approved within days after my surgeon's submission. I'm on LI in New York. Where are you having your surgery? I hope you don't mind my asking. At first I was looking into Mt. Sinai Hospital, in Manhattan, a Dr. Kini (If I recall correctly), and later on I found that Syosett Hospital had a "Center for Bariatric Excellence" and within their team of 'Speciality Surgeons' I found one who does the Sleeve Gastrectomy and he really simplified the process for me. I was treated very well from the get-go and post op his availability has been near perfect...in fact I just saw him for my 6 month follow up and it was a very pleasant visit. He still wants to see me again in 3 months...and reminded me to come to his monthly support groups. I hope we get news of your approval very soon. Best wishes...and keep us up to date.