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Everything posted by cduval04
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3days post op
Right after surgery and the day after in the hospital. I was doing better than expected. I actually could not wait to get home and have my gold standard Cookies and cream whey Protein. About 3 hrs after getting home, I removed the scapolamine patch from behind my ear (didn't know it was 72 hrs thought it was 24. A couple hours after removing it, I got nauseous and have been ever since. Every time I even look at the Protein powder, I want to puke-not b/c they taste bad-but because all of a sudden the didnt appeal to me at all. However, I tolerate Jello, sf ice pops and broth fine. My dr said the most crucial thing immediately post op is Fluid. Prob is I can't even get that in either I'm sposed to get 64 and I can barely get 32 in. I asked her to PLEASE prescribe some of the Patches for me, and she said they don't usually write scripts for those but prescribed me zofran, another anti-nausea med. I've taken it twice (4mg dose) and it's really done nothing except make me indescribably itchy, and give me headache and diarrhea) I can't be having that with so little fluid intake or I will end up back in the hosp. I tend to be very sensitive to EVERYTHING and did have some issues with motion sickness pre-op ( I ride the bus & train a lot to commute) I have tried nauzene chewables and I have those sea-bands that press on the accupressure point for nausea, nothing is working, only that patch helped. Even when I do get hungry, I only want jello pops and broth and cannot tolerate the protein. I ordered the unflavored powder from bariatriceating.com hopefully it will b here soon and I can put it in broth until I graduate to mushies in 4 days then I can start putting it in pudding, yogurt etc. Did anyone have prolonged nausea like this after removing their patch or just since u woke up? What can I do about this, b/c right now I NEED more fluid and I know that. It seems every day I wake up I feel worse than the day before. Tips, please? I don't know why she can't just prescibe me the patch, maybe I will cal her again and tell her the zofran is not working ***side note: I have cankers all over my tounge, is this a reaction to something in my roxicet or more likely from a lack of essential nutrients? Anyone else have this? Thanks in advance. Btw, the gas is finally starting to exit me.
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in hospital
Ya no nausea for me at all yet-(knock on wood but it'll come eventually....everything seems to hurt more than yesterday..but my incions itch which means they are healing(or it means I'm allergic to the dermabond or the purple ink that it is colored with lol)...they put one of those Patches behind my ear I think that has something to do w/ the abscence of the nausea It took me like 15 hrs to drink that 32oz...I didn't chug it all at once lol. Same with the Jello. 1.5 snck size cups over like 16 hrs..anyway I'm glad I'm peeing now. No gas yetn although I have gas pains I haven't even tooted once.....do they allow u to take gas-x?....does it actually work in our situation? Thanks for all the help guys!
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in hospital
Ive put out an additonal 1300ccs or so since my last post...I lost count at like 5 bags but an educated guess is that I'm probably on the 8th or 9th bag of lactated ringers since I got here...I think each bag is 1000ccs not sure though.....so I still have quite a bit of fluid ine.....but at least its coming out....I also probably havent taken enough oral fluids becuase I haven't "gotten to kno" my new stomach yet and I am afraid of hurling ive only had about 32oz by mouth plus about 1/2c jello and 1/4 cup of chicken broth since I got here yesterday....I am just petrfied of puking...I dont know if there's such thing as "vomit-aphobia" but if there I have it...last time I puked was summer of 1999! ya I remeber i becuase lets just say it was one of those memorable pukes...if you catch my drift....I'm sure I probably will at least once cuz I wll probably push my limits, but I hope not at least for a while...and if I do it in the hospital they said they were going to keep me another night...and I'm set for discharge in a few hours...so I wuld not want to blow that.....cant sleep in these hospitals..
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in hospital
thanks....ive lost track of my total but I've been on a 200cc drip every 1/2 hr for 10+ hrs + finally managed to get out a pathetic 150ccs......I could have probably been peeing hours ago if I had registered in my drugged out brain that the commode I had over the toilet was too small it was a standard sized commode like not for LB patients, (the bigger one was sitting off to the side in the shower lol...smart hospital....believe me if there was a faucet in the bathroom i would have turned it on a LONG time ago but there's just a shower - the faucet is outside the bathroom in my room) and therefore literally squeezing me "shut" (women, you might get what I'm saying a little better) I should start peeing my brains out soon now that I took the commode off and theres a space for it to exit God, the obvious things we miss on pain meds lol + the "inconveniences" of being a fatty lol.....not for long I'm on the other side now!!!
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in hospital
well can't say I can relate the last part of that lol :wink3: but it has now been 12 hours for me since I peed......I've had Water, chicken broth, and Jello......I've never experienced anything quite like it...it's like someone stuck a shield up there.....then again I have never had any kind of surgery to my abdomnial cavity
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in hospital
yeah thats exactly what it feels like....I lost my "pushing" muscles....I don't know how to explain it better than you did......so....now how to convince them I just need time, and not a catheter.......they said they cleaned my out bowels completely while they were in there so I'm not expecting a #2 for a while, but how long was it before u peed? my venodyne boots fit fine this morning and now they are popping off when they inflate...I am going to have to ask for a lg instead of a med if I dont start PEEING soon....uuggghhh sooooo annoying
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in hospital
I am in the hospital on my 3rd bag of saline.....each one is 2000mL (for those of you not familar w/ the metric system thats about equal to 1.5 gallons...I have tried to pee 3x since I woke up from sugery at 10ish this morning....each time it feels like I'm going to....but nothing comes out after I sit for 5 min...they did an ultrasound of my bladder and said it is pretty darn full.....they are going to put a catheter in me and REALLY don't want that.....has this happened to anyone? surgery was at 7am its now 6:15pm last minute thoughts?? why can't they just give me a diuretic?
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December 20th!!
Ya that's the one jess! I'm looking forward to trying it-havent found a bad review on this forum yet!!
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December 20th!!
I am very "picky" with the protein supplements too...I have hated a lot of them so I was really dissapointed to find out on here that the unflavored powders were not really "unflavored", but then I was looking through this forum and found this post on one of the threads: I found an awesome product at bariatriceating.com. today was my first day to use it so i was a bit nervous. but you go their site and click on shop and protein powders. it is called BE Pure Isolate Protein. IT HAS NO FLAVOR AND NO TEXTURE. No Fat no or low carbs (i dont have the package in front of me). It mixes with anything. I promise. i drank it with chicken broth for lunch today and it turned it a little milky but no bad taste or grit. I praised God for this. Cause i did not want to drink a RTD shake. they are too thick and too sweet. please give this site a try. they have other flavors also. But i know that i would not make it through this pre-op plan without it. Good luck ! this poster sounds pretty confident...plus on the website one of the testimonials reads: I ordered your PURE Unflavored Protein and I just have to tell you I am a big fan. So often people say that their unflavored Proteins are not truly unflavored and that they smell - your product is truly unflavored, top quality, no smell. I mix it with my decaf latte and get a Protein Drink that is heavenly. Thank you – Tammy Edwards I seriously think I might try this one, as soon as i get sick of milky/sweet shakes and Powerade zero and SF Jello and popsicles. This stuff really sounds iike it's legit and I am willing to risk my money on it. The site is www.bariatriceating.com and they also have some other really good looking shakes called "inspire" in like a million different unique flavors.
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December 20th!!
OMG I am so getting nervous now......I called for my surgery time yesterday and it is at 7:30 am they said I have to arrive at 5:45am. The hospital I am going to is almost 40miles away takes a lil' over an hour with no traffic, so we are going to have to leave at like 4:30 and doctors orders were to wash abdomen with hibiclens right before coming to hospital so I am going to have to wake up at like 3-3:30am.....I really don't care though I would rather that than 3pm. my surgery will be over b4 9am.....kind of like when I woke up for black friday except the "purchase" is a new lap band lol Good luck to EVERYONE I should go to bed now b/c god knows I probably won't get any sleep tomorrow night!!
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questions about pills
wow that was a big help....does the flaxseed oil really taste good? I guess if an 8 year old would take it, i could. Cuz I spent a lot of time looking around at Omega 3 gummies/softchews, and they all just sounded gross and even if I found one I liked I would probably end up trying A LOT before finding one that was tolerable and that is a lot of wasted $ I don't have lol. I ended up buying this stuff called coromega-its like a little ketchup packet that is citrus flavored, the guy an viatmin shoppe said all his customers like it and it does have a tart citrus taste but no fish taste, you can suck it out plain or add it to a smoothie etc. its has 350 of epa and 250 of dha. Although I could not try it cuz my surgery is monday and no-omega 3's allowed pre-op I had my bro and his GF try it and they didnt find it very good, but they can be overdramatic sometimes . If that doesn't work. I'm going to ask my nutritionist if omega 3 "mini" gels are ok. I don't know if you've heard of them but as far as I know 3 companies make them, one is made by a company called prothera, one is made by is NOW foods, and the other is made by puritans pride, (all easily located with a google search) and they all claim to be less than 1/2 the size of the regular fish pills, and prothera's site was the only one with a picture of the pill and not just the bottle, but I can't really tell from the pic the exact size, nor do I know which one is "actually" the smallest of the 3. Being an herbalist, have you seen any of the mini softgels? are they "mini" enough for us LB patients? Also some people on this board say they were told not to take anything bigger than a tic tac, and other posts I have read said they were told they could take standard sized capsules, so I'm a bit confused about that. I am confused as to the message are they saying "take them if you can tolerate them without gagging/throwing", or "even if you can tolerate them they are still not good for your band"? I think the other stuff wont be too too hard to find, its just I am really sensitive to gross tasting stuff and that is the last thing I was after LB surgery lol. So if the coromega and the mini softgels both don't work out, nice to know I have the flaxseed oil idea. One other question though. I have been reading up on omega 3's and found this article blip while researching Not all omega-3s are the same. The three main forms are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). EPA and DHA are considered long-chain forms of omega-3 and are found in fish, fish oil supplements, and algae extract. ALA, the short-chain form, is found in plant sources like walnuts, flax seed, canola and soybean oil, and, to a lesser degree, green leafy vegetables. The body needs to convert the short-chain version to a long-chain version in order to make use of it—but this conversion doesn't happen very rapidly, says Willett. So knowing this, are there any forms of flaxssed oil that provide EPA and DHA instead of just ALA? I've never delved into the flaxssed linseed oil business b/c I am not vegetarian, so that is new for me. thanks for the help!
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another noob protein question
ok, so in my little handbook/guide thingie it says that the best absorbed protein are the isolates, milk and soy. I get that, but a lot of the shakes like myoplex, muscle milk and pure protein (to name a few) consist of a "protein blend" which usually consists of milk protein concentrate, Caseinates/Casein and maybe a soy product thrown in there. So my question is does this really matter. Or should you at least get some isolates in (like isolates from 1/2 your daily protein) and then you can have some of the other kinds. I know all protein is not created equal, I just don't know how equal, so if you would please share how much of your diet these drinks are made up of.... sorry if I'm getting a little neurotic, but I just really don't want my hair to start falling out etc. b/c I am not absorbing my protein. Plus this is a whole new routine and there is so much to learn and so many rules to retain. Did your doctors specify type of protein? or just amount you should be having? thanks!
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questions about pills
ok I only take like 3 precription meds and they are all tiny, but a lot of the supplements I take are capsules with "contents in them" or super big horse pill Vitamins. The multivite, thats easy I can get a chewable. I also take an acidophilus probiotic for my tummy and to help prevent yeast infections, I think thatt wont be too hard to find a chewable. but other questons..... I take a fish oil supplement, and it comes in a BIG softgel. (I get the omega-3 ones from puritans pride, my whole family takes them they are a mix of like sardine, anchovy and mackeral oil) I will no longer take fish oil if I have to take it by the spoonful or in any other way as a liquid. SO does anyone know if you can buy "tiny" or small fish oil softgels? I dont mind if I have to take 4 or 5 of them, I just don't want to choke. ok now here is the tricky one. I take this amino acid called n-acetyl cysteine. I take it to help with OCD symptoms, mainly compulsive skin picking. It is currently being used in several clinical trials around the country for obsessive habits such as hair pulling, nail biting, and skin picking with promising results. It also is said to help prevent insulin resistance and diabetes. The thing is, it STINKS and when I say stink, I mean smell the bottle, make you gag stink. It's main odor is rotten eggs because it's primary component is sulfur. I would not take it if it were not in a capsule, the thought of opening the capsule and putting it in ANYTHING makes me want to puke. I may take it if it were in pill form. And then I take other things that are in capsules, like ginger for nausea, and valerian root for sleep. pre-surgery I am like the pill taking queen. I could put 20 pills in my mouth and swallow them down all at once with no issues. I don't know about post-op however what were your restrictions about standard sized capsules?? can you take them at all? please help I am mainly worried about the fish oil but any of these if you can help with suggestions, I would appreciate it. thanks!
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Overnight in Hospital?
yup....its standard for EVERYONE at my hospital who's getting lap band to stay overnight...young or old, healthy or not healthy...sleep apnea or no sleep apnea.....but at least its just overnight...I can deal with one night...any more and I get a little crazy lol...the biggest frusteration I have is getting my normal meds that I take at home ON TIME!!! it seems like no matter how good the hospital is I NEVER get my meds on time...and it really throws my body off...so I have learned now to bring them and just slip them down when theyre not looking....and if they see me and say that I'm not supposed to have those...I say "look, I'm really sorry, but if you guys brought them anywhere NEAR on time I wouldnt have to bring them" even after I ask for them...it takes 1+ hours to finally get them....I am so obsessive with my meds at home....I just cant have that...throws my whole body off....other than that...I dont mind the hospital....esp. since the hospital I am going to isnt unionized so you can actually understand the nurses because they are not all foriegn...
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December 20th!!
mine is still a green light too.....phew!!!...she was a little dissapointed that I had only lost 3 lbs on the hmr....but I think 3 lbs in less than 3 weeks since I last weighed in is just fine...esp since I have a screwed up thyroid....its getting really close....I'm getting really nervous...good luck with everything...I will be thinking of you!!!!
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Did they weigh you on surgery day?
I was just curious, how many of you actually got weighed ON your surgery date b4 you went to OR? Is this more common than not, or vice versa?
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December 20th!!
Hey julie I am a dec 20th bandster too and right now I am on my way to dr. For final pre-op checkup....I am also VERY nervous that they will find a reason not to do it. I was scheduled for back in august, but at the time I was having some pretty bad depression/ anxiety and they pushed it back to dec 20th, so nothing is set in stone in my mind until I'm on the OR table! I have not told any friends except for a couple really close ones b/c I feel like I would be jinxing myself....my worst fear now is that I will get sick within the next week....that would be SO bad...as I sit here on public transportation, am trying to wash my hands A LOT and I even took a couple airborne tabs but don't want to take too many cuz they are chock full of Vitamins and I'm not supposed to be taking any vitamins/ supplements.....anyway don't want to jinx u but I WILL BE THINKING OF U ON THE 20th and everyone else that has surgery on the 20th. I much like a lot of people on here have been tossing this decision around in my mind for well over a year...and part of me still wants out, but I'm doing it no question. Its funny cuz exactly 3 yrs ago on the 20th I had 6 hour experimental brain surgery (5 hrs of which I was wide awake for) to help with the hoRible symptoms of my tourette syndrome....they put electrodes in my brain and wired them to battery packs in my chest, although they told me nothing was a given I was basically a guinea pig, the surgery has been incredibly sucessfull. Anyway, what I was trying to get at is this scares me much more than that did, cuz weight is something I've battled with since age 6, I was on so many meds when I was young to try to control my tics and none of them were helpful for my weight....I lost 80 lbs back in 2006 but then have gained back 110 since...I know so many people who are "up and down" people for their whole lives, and I just can't be that-it has to come off and stay off!!!! GOOD LUCK EVERYONE
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December Bandsters (Early Xmas present)
uuuuggggghhhhhhhh........is it just me that feels like someone stripped me of my willpower? I have totally gone off the 500 cal/day diet (5 HMR shakes) yesterday and today. my last preop checkup b4 surgery on the 20th is on monday and if I dont lose at least a couple pounds (last weigh in was 11/23) they are going to know I havent been doing the HMR strictly.....its just sooooooooo hard to even sit up consuming a mere 500 cals a day (I have missed two days of classes cuz my energy is so low), and those HMR shakes really get tiring/sickining after awhile..... good for you guys for not giving in to your hunger pangs....I don't know what the hell is wrong with me...hopefuly I can get down to business for the next 5 days cuz when I stick to it, the weight does come off.....I am such a strong person, but when it comes to food, I am easily defeated.....and when I get defeated...I have trouble not beating myself up about it......
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Weight loss during Pre-Op Diet
hey all I started my pre-op diet sunday which consists of 5 HMR shakes/day at 100 cals each. and it is not going well. A) I am VERY weak, tired and can't do anything and, I am not tolerating the shakes well, they give me gas, stomach upset (I think I might me a tad lastose intolerant), and its gotten to the point where I will have 2 or 3 and then I'd rather have nothing at all than drink another one. any suggestions? my surgery is on the 20th. does anyone else find that with this little calorie intake (which out bodies are not exactly used to quite yet, or at least mine isn't), your energy goes out the window? are any of you on HMR? I'm young 24yo and I just think on my 330lb almost 6ft frame, with 500 cals, no wonder I have no energy. I know the point of it to get us to lose as much weight as possible b4 surgery, but like I said, I am finding it very dificult to find the energy to exist, let alone exercise 30min/day 5x week (I am also on a lot of meds that lower my BP significantly and I have POTS (Postural Orthostatic Hypotension Syndrome) so 900mg sodium or whatever 5 shakes is something like that is just not cutting it for me...I'm used to much more)
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December Bandsters (Early Xmas present)
hey I'm dec 20th too! I know...us crazy people that get it done at the time of year where most people indulge haha. YES missgissel I feel the same way as I think do a lot of people, esp since thanksgiving WAS my last meal, and for christmas dinner and new years when we usually get chinese takeout I will be drinking crystal lite and eating jello, but I try to think its not going away, I'll still be able to eat those things after I heal, just in MUCH smaller portions and hopefully just a taste is all I'll want cuz I'll be full after that.
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Pure protein
the canned pure Protein is the ONLY supplement that I have found palatable so far, I need to find something else I am being banded on the 20th
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please help me find a protein supplement I like!!!
hello all, I am scheduled for my banding on 12/20 (knock on wood I have one more checkup/weigh-in on the 13th-I say knock on wood cuz I was supposed to have it in aug. but I had some depression/other pshyc issues going on and it got postponed, and then I had it scheduled a couple years ago and decided I wasn't ready so I actually wont believe it until I'm in the OR lol) and I seem to have been having a lot of trouble finding a Protein supplement I like. I guess I am very sensitive to highly concentrated protein and it all tastes yucky to me.... my requirements post op are 60grams protein per day, preferably in 3 scoops of powder with 20g each, or my RD said 1 1/2 bottles of Isopure sport are ok to cuz they have 40g per bottle. well news, i tried the isopure sport grape flavor bottle and it was gross-def not tolerable. if not tolerable b4 surgery, def not tolerable after lol. my rd said to buy and try b4 surgery so you can start as soon as you get home from the hosp. I havent tried a ton but I havent liked any of them except the one by worldwide sport protein they sell them everywhere http://www.sportnutr...s/products.aspx but those aren't on the "approved" list so I'd have to ask my RD and they can get expensive at $2 a pop on the "approved" list in my surgery paperwork are Isopure sport powder or premixed (premixed is out, dont know if the powder is any better) any
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sleep apnea questions
No she didn't say anything cept I was sleeping very Well I probably don't have it every test I have comes back neg one of my other drs said they will only wake u up and give u cpap if u have it really bad we will see in 2-3wks
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sleep apnea questions
hey I finally got through it....I took 75mg benadryl, 2.5mg of klonipin and 9mg melatonin woke up at 2 am she said she needed 2 more hours from me so I took 50 more of bdryl 1 more mg of klonipin and 3 more mg of melatonin......I know that sounds like abuse but I know my body and there was just no way I was getting to sleep. Plus I have a tolerance. I had told the tech that my normal bed time at home is no earlier than 1:30am so she kept asking "do u usually sleep like this? I said "I guess I just got lucky. What was I supposed to say I drugged myself. It's 7am tho and I def have a mild hangover. I have to stay at the hospital cuz I live far and have another appointment at 11:30 then another one at 1. I just wish there was somwhere that I could lay down I am not usually able to sleep in a chair even when I am extremely exhausted. in 2-3 weeks I will know if I have sleep apnea. Thanks for all your tips!
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sleep apnea questions
Wow that's weird I'm 24 too and I began to gain weight around 21 that is also when I got the inhaler the thing with me is I've never really known if I have hypertension b/c I have been on clonidine ever since I was 6 to help with my tourettes syndrome but its more common use is as an antihypertensive....I bet off if it i def would tho. I have pretty bad tachycardia though worst upon waking & I am on a beta blocker for that which lowers my bp even more.....I just hope I can find a way to sleep tommorow night.....I can't even sleep in my own bed on my $2000 latex mattress without being wired up like the unibomber lol.......do they help u if u absolutely can't sleep like do they give u something? Thanks for ur response!