Acadia

If you can't take them whole, though you should be able to - I was able to take six small pills every day after surgery then back to my normal 12+ after that (mostly vitamins) - then call your pharmacist. Wheelchair is 100% correct - your surgeon will not know. First try to take the pills one at a time - WHOLE. If they feel like they get stuck take a sip of hot tea to help them dissolve just enough to fit through the stoma (hole between lap pouch and stomach). If you have issues with any of them call your pharmacist and ask if they have a smaller pill (even if you have to take two to get the same dose), a liquid, a different size / type of capsule. Tell them your situation and they can determine what you can and cannot do with your medications. A little note - by two weeks out I was taking a large 'horse pill' size Omega-3 capsule, so you won't be restricted for long but please stop crushing them - you're only risking hurting yourself by doing so.

If you want fast relief - and I mean fast - 1 L of Water mixed with 2 tsp non-iodized salt. It's a basic salt water cleanse. Mix the salt with some hot water to dissolve, mix that with the rest of the water, and it's easiest if you just chug it honestly. Then be near a toilet. It will make for a salt imbalance in your digestive system (a safe thing) and will cause your tissues to release Fluid to even out the imbalance and those fluids will get you going. Mark off about 2-3 hours for this because once it starts it doesn't stop until it's done. You will be worn out but you will also be cleaned out completely naturally and chemical free and quickly.

I had two weeks prior, two weeks after, then a week of liquids (not clear), a week of mushies, a week of soft. I imagine your Dr will have you on something similar and not a full four weeks of clear liquids after surgery. However, the first 4-6 weeks after surgery are for healing. Keep that in mind.

Popcorn was a slider for me. I haven't built up the courage to eat it again since gallbladder removal because I had a severe attack after a bowl of popcorn one night but damn it was tasty stuff.

I hope your surgery went well.

You may think you heal 'like wolverine' but your insides are being jostled about and were very roughly handled during surgery. You may not feel the pain but that doesn't mean your organs aren't still healing. Back up or suffer the consequences later. A doctor who says "do it if it feels good" is an idiot. Your Dr should know better, your tissues are still healing.

Delayed fills are completely normal. They happen for several reasons: when the fluid is put in it pushes fluid from the tubing into the band, and it takes a bit of time for that to distribute equally around the band when fluid is put it it applies pressure to the stomach - even if it's just a tiny fill - and that causes a slight inflammatory reaction that builds as the body reacts placebo effect - you expect to feel a fill, you don't feel it immediately, you subconsciously eat a little less to see if it helps, it doesn't so you go back to eating normal but oops the fill really did take so you feel tighter a week or more later The last sounds ridiculous but it happens. Your body will react to how you feel. Just know that each fill does impact you - even if only a tiny bit - and when you're talking about a hole the size of a dime, that tiny bit can be a lot.

There's a reason pain medications are prescribed - they help alleviate the pain (usually only a little bit) but more over they make you sleep. Sleep is so incredibly important the first week of healing because your body can actually heal during sleep, it can't heal as well when you're awake. Take them knowing they are helping you heal. Just as you would take antibiotics for an infection. It's not weakness - trust me, the pain meds won't take all of the pain away. But your body needs some sort of pain relief to allow you to: 1) stop compensating, tightening muscles, flinching, etc. 2) sleep to heal 3) allow you to move and walk, which is necessary after surgery 4) help you forget how bad this feels when you need other surgeries ; )

Definitely sounds like it. Since you're only four days post opp you're still on liquids your options are limited ... but, if you can get your hands on a couple of papayas (fresh or frozen) and blend with Water and ice you can have yourself a nice very thin papaya drink that will elevate your potassium. Unfortunately potassium supplements are known for dropping your potassium before raising it so try to raise it naturally first.

It's all normal and it's hell. Let's put this in perspective. You're saying you've lost 9 lbs since surgery. The first 6 weeks you shouldn't be losing, you're healing, so really you've lost 9 lbs in 6 weeks, which is 1.5 lbs per week - a perfect amount to lose each week. Granted yours has been over a certain amount of time but that puts it into perspective you ARE on track. Are you taking your measurements? If not, start. They show a better picture than weight. If you're hungry drink a small Protein shake or a glass of light soy milk (60 calories). It fills you up without dragging you down and is beneficial. If I wake up in the middle of the night starving - I drink 1 c of soy milk (usually with a tbsp or two of chai because I hate plain soy milk), totally gets rid of the hunger (and thirst, which can mask itself as hunger) and I can lay down immediately thereafter. You may also need MORE calories: 1,000-1,200 is the standard for losing weight but based on your BMI (which, if you're around 5'6" that puts you around 340 lbs), you should be eating around 1,800 - 2,300 to lose weight nicely. Sounds odd but it's true. For me to maintain my current weight I need 1,742 calories, to lose 1 lbs a week I need to eat 1,242 a day OR work off 500 calories a day. If you are around 340 lbs and say 35 years old and 5' 6" you need 3,382 calories to maintain that weight. To lose 2 lbs a week you need to reduce that to 2,382. Lower than that and you're heading into starvation mode for your particular body size right now. So increase your calories. And don't feel bad about it. Increasing your calories will help your body learn not to hoard the food calories you're eating. You may find that increasing your calories (in a healthy way of course - an apple for a snack with some Peanut Butter, glass of soy or Protein Shake, an extra piece of sliced turkey on a sandwich) will help kick start your weight loss again. For exercise, look up a local boxing gym, boxing is an awesome workout even for those who can't walk much, even in a wheelchair you can do it. Wear a back brace to keep you stable. Trainers will be able to help you. You're doing well - it takes time.

Yes, you can go down up to two sizes depending on your current size and normal fluid retention in your feet. Most of the weight is actually fluid and not fat in the feet.

Definitely go in and see your Dr. and ask them to do a complete unfill and measure the Fluid and a refill - under fluoroscopy - then a barium swallow while refilling. That will tell you: 1) How much you currently really have. 2) If your band is in the right position. 3) If the fluid is flowing freely and why. 4) If your pouch has expanded or slipped down a bit (making for a bigger pouch). 5) And as your Dr refills, and you swallow the barium fluid s/he can watch how the restriction is to see if there are issues - the band may not actually be on right. Once you know all of that, then you can deal with the fact that the band isn't about restriction but about hunger suppression and you can relearn how to eat based on the images you saw.

This is very normal for abdominal laparoscopic surgery of all sorts and can last the rest of your life. This happens because there is a particular nerve that goes up your body from your diaphragm to your spine and the fibers of that nerve (which touches almost every organ) also pass through your shoulders ... and your stomach. When you eat, you apply outward pressure on the pouch which causes the band to apply inward pressure on certain nerve fibers, those same ones talked about earlier, and all of that pushes down a bit on the diaphragm, and all of that combined sends pain signals (referred pain) to your shoulders and back. Even for non lap band, nerves are damaged in the process of surgery (it isn't done delicately - watch a few videos, it's violent) and when someone eats or moves or breathes deeply, or bends funny or all sorts of things it can trigger that referred and displaced pain. Unfortunately there's nothing you can do about it. For lap band people, just try not to over eat to reduce the pressure.

It's best not to eat for at least four hours prior to a fill to give your stomach time to stop churning after a meal (which can happen for hours). But, since you're already in the post phase, go on fluids for a few days. Don't eat if you're not hungry. Do fluids, then mushies, then soft, etc. If you're not able to easily consume mushies or soft food every 4-5 hours by Tuesday then go in for an unfill of about half. And next time, don't eat ; )

1. A fill applies pressure around the stoma (hole) and makes it smaller and applies pressure to the nerves around the stomach which can sometimes include a specific nerve that can dim your hunger. 2. What are you eating? You say you don't feel satisfied, but do you feel not hungry when done eating? Satisfied is irrelevant honestly, you eat for nourishment and to quell hunger. For the pain in your chest, sounds like gall bladder pain, ask your Dr. for an ultrasound of your gallbladder (explain that you sometimes have pains for nearly an hour 30-60 minutes after a meal and that they are in the middle of your chest). Also - write down everything you eat and measure your food. You should be eating 1-2 cups of food per meal. 3. Every two weeks is too fast, a fill can be delayed by up to four weeks. You don't have to go in every two weeks, just tell him you feel more comfortable waiting through a whole month because women's bodies go through different changes throughout the month and you know your body (he won't argue). And keep your fills small - some people talk about 5 cc fills at once, that would have had me in the ER - it sounds like your fill, while small to some, was good start - like mine was. I was at my sweet spot with a single 1.5 cc fill. Who knew? I didn't, and I went in for another four weeks later for another 1.0 cc because everyone else on here (almost) needed more and I was too full for two months (while billing issues were worked out) and it was hell. I've had that 1 cc removed, and since had my gall bladder removed (last week - my experience is on the board with all the details) and my Dr left my fill in because I'm in the green zone. FILLS My first fill (dates in my signature) was easy, over in a few minutes, done under fluoroscopy. Provided great restriction (reduction of how much I could eat and what I could eat) and appetite suppression. My second fill (dates in signature) was easy as well and also done under fluorscopy, but I did doubt if I needed it and I should have listened to myself but I didn't. It went well, but I could tell the next day I was too full but wanted to give it a bit to see how it settled (some days I could eat some I couldn't - then I started vomiting regularly). Right now I'm about 0.10 - 0.25 cc from perfect. Only because I get hungry around 3 hours after a proper meal and I'd prefer that be 4-5 hours. Take it at your speed - there's no rush.

Sounds like you're too tight or there's an issue with the band placement. Ask your Dr. for a barium swallow under fluoroscopy, that will show not only how the fluid is moving but also if it's getting caught up or if the band isn't positioned correctly. Insurance will cover the x-ray.

If you're eating more just because you can then it's your fault that it's not working - sounds harsh but it's true. Even with restriction you can still overeat sliders. Measure out your food and make the mindful decision to not eat more. If you aren't happy with how much you're eating - don't eat so much. If you find you're not full and that you're hungry every hour, mind what you're eating. Are you eating whole grains and complex carbs and Protein? Or white crap? If you're still not happy, go for another fill. The band is there to help you - not to do all the work. Monthly Dr appointments may also help make you more accountable and may help your Dr realise you need more help. And ask your Dr to pull out all of your fill to measure it, it's possible you have a leak and that the 6 ccs you think have you may not actually have, which means that while you may have been trying you were no better off than prior to surgery and using will power. There are a lot of factors and while I may sound very harsh - consider yourself first then the band. It's like with computers, errors are usually user generated - but if not, then the machine must be fixed before it can be effectively used.

1-2 lbs a week is a good loss goal. 6 weeks out - six HEALING weeks out and 16 lbs, that's huge. You probably do need to eat a bit more - what's your caloric intake currently? Have a goal of 6-8 lbs a month. Knowing that some weeks you'll lose more some less. You won't be disappointed. Expecting 10-20 lbs a month is a fool's game. While some people can and will do that, it's not safe or healthy.

Try a normal size daily vitamin pill or snap it in half (they're safe to break in half) and take it like normal. You shouldn't have any issues. No need to use chewables or anything else. If it gets stuck, just drink some hot tea and it will dissolve it faster.

Talk to another doctor.

Pure body weight - the plank (probably the best), crunches (you only move up a bit not fully to your knees), bicycle crunches (legs in the air moving while crunching), reach crunches (legs straight in the air, crunch up to touch toward your toes), jack knives (butt on a bench, arms holding the bench, legs straight out in the air at a 4 o'clock angle, pull them bending up to your chest and return), squats (they hold your core in), boxing (holding your core in), they're all safe.

When you and anyone else is at the gym all they're thinking about is themselves and what they're there for. Don't worry about them. If anything, they're glad you're there taking steps most people don't. Now, use all of those people to your advantage. Find a few that you like how they look, when they finish a workout (never while they are working out) go up to them and introduce yourself and tell them what you're doing and that you have been watching them and would like to talk with them one day about some pointers because you want to do things right. They will not turn you down. They may not be able to do it that day but they won't turn you down. If the gym has a trainer (or trainers) don't automatically go with them - find out about them first, their history, their workout style, their goal for their clients, their motivation, etc. Once you find one you enjoy, then buy 3-12 sessions with them (usually done Monday, Wednesday, Friday - and you'll get a better deal the more you buy, it's usually around $55-85/session) and get all the foundation work of how to do your weight workouts. Ask if they gym offers 1-2 free sessions first. When you do your workouts do weights first - then cardio. And eat Protein 30-60 minutes BEFORE working out to give your body something to eat during the workout so it can get its quick dose of protein then burn fat. Now - all that considered, if they have any boxing classes, take those. They will give you the benefit of a weighted workout (your body weight) and cardio all at once - and they are addictive. Yoga is very good for keeping your flexibility up, do it when you get up and before you go to bed. You'll do great.

You may want to ask WHY your trainer wants you to do a cleanse. And a two week cleanse is not healthy. Not for someone who was / is overweight and is working out and healing. A 3 day cleanse - sure, common and acceptable to get sugars etc out of the body. Ask the why first and see if there are other solutions that will keep you functioning correctly. And I speak as a vegetarian who fasts (clear fluids only) between 1-5 days a month depending on circumstances.

Stand on the side rails, start the treadmill at 1 mph, start walking, hold on initially if you have to then let one hand go, and increase to 1.5 mph, walk for a bit, take the other hand off, increase the speed slowly. But before doing all that make sure your treadmill is level and steady, it could be rocking a bit which could throw your balance off.

If you have records from a Dr showing no issues in over 12 months with the band, most insurance appeals are successful.