Melinco

Both Mucinex and Mucinex D (like PP said) are great for getting that gunk out of your chest. In fact, one man at the support group I went to last week said that he takes the Mucinex regularly as he gets lots of sinus drainage and that helps thin it out so in the mornings he doesn't hack up a huge loogie (sorry for TMI) that has built up in his pouch. The Mucinex makes it thin enough that it goes through the opening into the lower stomach. Plus, the surgeon actually told him to do this. Good luck with it! Colds suck no matter if you're banded or not. I hope you have a quick recovery.

I'll be getting my first fills next month (was banded 12/17). I set up both of my appointments for 4:00 p.m. so that I only miss an hour of work (luckily doctor is only like 10 minutes away). Side note, my doctor does the first two fills within a week of each other as he said the first fill doesn't last long, and he wants you to get to the green zone as soon as possible. If you've had fills before, which time of day do you prefer to get them done due to the after effects? Or does it really matter? Since I've not had a fill yet, I'm just wondering what to expect afterwards. Thanks in advance for your input!

Just back from lunch. I could only eat less than 1/2 the salad (it takes forever to thoroughly chew romaine lettuce!), and one bite of a spring roll. The rice paper was just so hard to chew up. In fact, I have a feeling I probably swallowed a piece of it that didn't get thoroughly chewed. I actually ran out of time eating (we get an hour for lunch and it took about 12 minutes to go and get it and come back). I had to concentrate so much on the chewing that I didn't even get to read during lunch. Oh well. Thanks again for all the suggestions. I will make sure I have left overs or something planned from now on!

Thanks for all the ideas. I definitely won't be doing a hamburger and fries. I decided to get the salad I mentioned earlier from the Chinese restaurant next door as well as the spring rolls. I figure, if I can eat the rolls, I have at least 3, possibly 4, meals out of this. If not, then I'll give them to my husband tonight. By the way, the chicken in both the salad and the rolls is boiled, not fried, so it is very tender.

I didn't list local eateries (like Chinese or Mexican food restaurants). Although I got to thinking that a Chinese restaurant just down the street has a Spicy Thai chicken salad that has romaine lettuce, sliced red and green bell peppers, red onion, big chunks of chicken breast, and a really good spicy dressing (not a cream based dressing, actually kind of similar to an Italian dressing). I haven't really eaten too many salads yet, since they are quite watery (you know, from the lettuce) but am thinking this might be a good alternative. They also have chicken spring rolls (not the fried kind) that contain chicken breast, fresh cilantro, cucumbers, rice noodles, all wrapped in fresh rice paper, but that may be too much (too much food as well as too many carbs and not enough Protein - although they are really yummy and actually pretty healthy in my pre-band days) - plus I'd be a bit concerned of being able to really chew the rice paper well.

I didn't pack my lunch today, since we went out yesterday after church to lunch to Celebrate our pastor's birthday, and then we had leftovers (from Saturday) for dinner last night. What would you say would be a good thing to grab from a fast food restaurant? I'm already 3.5 weeks post op and on solid foods. I'm starting to enter bandster hell, so I'm able to eat more than what I'd prefer! lol I have the following restaurants near me: Taco Bell Wendy's McDonalds Subway (but I'm not eating bread) pizza Hut (salad bar - no pizza) What would you recommend? Thanks!!!

I had my surgery on 12/17 and took off the 17th through the 12/27, returning to work on 12/28. Granted, I was able to take advantage of the holidays (we were closed 12/24 & 12/25 - we're closed on weekends as well). I probably could have gone back on 12/24 (if we were open), but not really before then. I defnitely could not have gone back before 12/22 as I was still on high power pain meds and was unable to drive. I'd recommend talking with your doctor. My doctor sent me home with a pain med pump that delivered the pain meds directly to my incisions, and I was not allowed to drive while I had that in. I also had other pain meds I was taking which prevented me from driving. So find out what his protocol is for pain meds, and that will help you decide when you can return to work. Also think about where your incisions will be and the kind of clothes you can wear. I found wearing my bra pretty irritating. Good luck with it! It really won't be too bad.

As of this morning I'm down to 259.6. My goal is 254. So only 5.6 pounds to go. Yeehaw!

I can attest to being able to move during twilight. When they did the egg retrieval during our IVF, I was under twilight. The time they went to get the first egg, I apparently felt it and moved my leg, about knocking the RE down! So yeah, part of being under GA is the fact that they "paralyze" you so you are unable to move.

I spoke with my sister in law who is an OR Rn. I asked her if it were possible to do the lapband using twilight and she said no it isn't. The reason for this is that when they fill your abdomin with the gas, it prevents you from breathing, thus the reason for the tracheotomy. They don't do traches when you are under twilight. It has to be general anesthesia. I think there may have been a couple other technical things she said, but it went over my head. I made it through despite the fact that I had a reaction to the paralytic medication. It effected me a lot faster than they thought, and unfortunately, I remembered it (the effect - not the surgery).

When I was checking with my insurance carrier, Aetna, who my employer uses (and self-funds), they said that while WLS is NOT covered, they would cover any complications, as long as it is not coded WLS. For instance, say I get sick, begin puking violently, and end up in the ER. As long as it isn't coded weight loss surgery (which it wouldn't be) it will be covered. Now I know that if for some reason I have to go in and have the band repaired, I'm footing that bill. My best advice is to become very familiar with your insurance policy, asking what is and is not excluded. Don't be afraid to ask for a copy of the certificate of coverage or summary plan document, where all of the exclusions are listed.

I didn't vote for any, although I guess I could say it was for my health. The main reason I got the lap band to lose weight is so that we can pursue our dreams of having children. We will need to use donor eggs or embryos, and in order to reduce the risk during pregnancy caused by my weight, I need to lose about 100 pounds. So while the looking good, fitting better in seats, better overall health are all bonus, trying to have a baby is the main reason.

No, I'm on solids. I had my lunch today, waited an hour, drank my water first, then went and got an iced tea with lemon from Sonic (since I can't drink any soda). I only took a couple of sips (not with the straw) and I could feel it.

Hi everyone, I think I'm identifying something that isn't agreeing with my tummy, that I never had a problem with before: iced tea with lemon! Has anyone else has an issue with this? I don't think it's the tea, I really think it is the lemon, as I've had hot tea with no problems, and iced tea with no lemon, no problems. When I drink it, I can actually feel a discomfort in my stomach. Is this common? Thanks!

My doctor said not to be surprised if I gain some prior to my first fill, and he said not to worry about it. It's normal. Once we start getting our fills, that's when the weight will start to come off. So I sing, Don't worry, be happy! (Ducking for the shoes being thrown at me!) :smile2:

There have been a couple of meals at a restaurant where I've taken the tiniest of sips twice during my meal. But if I'm eating at home or here at work, I don't drink anything until it's been an hour after I've eaten.

My doctor actually prescribed Aleve to begin using once my Celebrex ran out. I used it for about a week to 10 days. Now I just use Tylenol.

I had to keep a small pillow handy so that if I coughed, sneezed or laughed, I could grab it and hold it against my tummy. Otherwise it hurt! This lasted for little over a week. I think it's pretty normal.

When using scales to measure liquid, you have to be careful, as a liquid ounce by volume is different than the weight of an ounce. Let's think about it. A US gallon of Water weighs 8.3454 pounds. It contains 128 Fluid ounces. If you divide the 8.3454 pounds by the 128 fluid ounces, that equals 0.065198. Which means each liquid ounce weighs 0.065198 ounces. So when measuring for a recipe, you must make sure if it's calling for a fluid ounce (which you should measure in a liquid measuring cup) versus an actual weight where you'd use a scale. Hope this helps!

Hi Teresa, I didn't read any responses before I posted, so I thought I'd come back and respond to yours. My surgery was at 7:30 am in an outpatient surgery center. I was discharged at about 1:15 pm, and home shortly after. I was self-pay. I don't think you should be scared. You should be prepared, though. Make sure you have ALL of your prescriptions filled prior to going into the surgery. Know when you're supposed to take them, how you're supposed to take them, and whether any of them need to be refrigerated (I had to take a liquid antibiotic for the first week after surgery and it had to be refrigerated). Make sure you have your surgeon's number (mine insisted that I give him a call - regardless of time of day - if I had any questions or concerns). Take a pillow with you for the ride home, some comfy clothes (preferably something that zips or buttons up the front), and slip on shoes. My doctor installed a pain pump in my abdomen, which I took home with me, that delivered pain meds directly to the incisions. This helped with any abdominal pain. He also gave me a nasal spray pain med to help with the gas pain. So I think if you are properly prepared with all the Rx, pillows, liquids, etc., that you'll need, you should be okay at home.

I had my surgery in an outpatient surgery center and did not stay the night. I've never had surgery before, so I wasn't sure what to expect, as far as recovery goes. However, I think I did fine. My husband was there to help me on and off the couch, on and off the toilet, the first couple of days. He sat right outside my shower as I sat on a step stool covered in a towel as I showered. I was able to walk in the peace of my own home, and just be comfortable (as much as possible). So no, I don't think it was necessary for me to stay overnight in the hospital. However, each surgeon is different, and I suppose if you're having the surgery done in a hospital setting, maybe their insurance requires an overnight stay due to liability issues.

From what I've read, you want to drink about an ounce every 15 minutes or so. Try getting those tiny cups (like what you might find on the top of a Nyquil bottle), which holds an ounce. Keep a bottle of Water next to you, fill the little cup, and sip on it. The first few days after surgery I didn't drink a lot. But then I could tell when I was ready (and able) for more, and started adding more fluids. Listen to your body. It will direct you. Also, the first two nights, I started out in bed, but after about 4 hours after sleeping on my right side (my port is on my left), I had to get up since my right should hurt so much from laying on it, and move to the couch, where I slept on my back propped up with several pills. I'd sleep for another 4 hours or so. Then my husband and I changed sides of the bed, so I could stay in bed all night, once I was able to partially sleep on my tummy. Now I'm back to my own side of the bed and I can sleep pretty much any way I want.

I'm 21 days out since my surgery. I haven't drank any soda, too afraid of possible pain or messing up my band, which I paid for myself. I don't drink alcohol at all, but I do know others do, but in moderation, as they are empty calories. How weird that your doctor does your fills by the amount of weight you lose! Mine does it based on my hunger level. I've eaten tiny bites of a Pillsbury crescent roll, maybe 1/4 of one roll. I've had 1/2 slice whole grain bread, well toasted. I've had a tiny bit of tortilla. I've eaten turkey, chicken, ham, beef meatballs, pot roast, without problems so far. I cut them into tiny pieces and chew the heck out of them. I haven't tried steak or pork yet. I haven't had any issues yet with something being stuck (except perhaps one of my antibiotics that I didn't cut in half), but I definitely do feel full with around 3/4 to one cup of food, sometimes less. I expect once I get my first fills, that will change. Good luck!

You can also think of it as a 6 lane highway. If there is a horrific crash that is blocking all 6 lanes, and the traffic can only get through on the left shoulder, then you're going to have all this traffic bunched up, going car by car, though the little opening. The area right before the opening (your stoma) is going to be full, but the area behind the opening (the rest of your stomach) will be free flowing. As the others said, once the nerves at the top of your stoma feel that it's full, then they send signals to your brain that says, Hey, don't eat any more, I'm full! And you stop. Then, as with any traffic jam, it takes time for all of the vehicles to make their way through. Once they do, then it's all cleared up, and now it is back to normal. Meaning, it will take you about 3-4-5 hours for the food in your tummy to get through the small opening, maintaining your full feeling, before needing a refill. Hope this helps!

I'm 3 weeks post op, and so far, my breakfasts have mostly cosisted of Carb Master yogurt (12 g Protein, 4 g carbs) and light string cheese (8 g protein, ? carbs). I'll probably stay on this for a few more weeks, or at least until I get my first fill. There is one guy at my local support group meeting who has been banded over a year that eats one hard boiled egg and four cucumber slices every day for breakfast. Not sure why, but that's his chosen breakfast. When you met with your dietician, did s/he give you a list of the acceptable foods? Perhaps you can look at it again, seeing something that you may have forgotten about. Sorry I'm not more help, since I'm a week behind you, I haven't yet graduated to a full breakfast. Good luck!