Acadia

CheckYes: Unlike Acadia, I've never had to take extra Vitamins - well, I should say, I've never known I was supposed to take anything other than a multi but I just had blood work done so I am going to check with my doctor on the B12, Iron, vit D and calcium. (Thanks for that info, Acadia). -- You're welcome. Not everyone needs extra vitamins, but vegetarians often do. It's good that you're getting tested. Ask for the actual number and the normal range so you can tell where you sit, not just if you're high or low. You could be 1 point from hitting under normal and they'll still say you're within range. Since B12 can only be had naturally from animal products it's necessary to supplement. Though you may be fortunate to get enough from a Multivitamin, most vegetarians will become deficient and will notice that they're tired more often, will have lines or ridges on their nails, and will lose the moon on their nails. And once you are deficient you *cannot* get what you need from food. There simply isn't enough B12 in food to compensate. That said, as a vegetarian you can still get some from fortified Breakfast cereals, which have around 6 micrograms. If you are lacto/ovo: yogurt has about 1.4 micrograms per 1 c, 1 cup of milk has 0.9 micrograms, an egg has 0.6 micrograms, and cheese has about 0.3 micrograms per 1 oz. The iron, same thing, it's primarily from meat and most vegetarians don't eat enough Beans or dark green leafy veggies to get enough iron. The vitmain D isn't necessary if you get outside - without sunblock - for at least 30 minutes a day. Though these days most people wear sunblock so they don't get enough Vit D. It's good to get tested and supplement unless you're in the mid level. It's good you're getting tested, most people don't bother with Vitamin / mineral testing. I love a little hot baked tofu with a small amount of peanut satay sauce. That's one of my favorite meals. -- I love this too, it's a great snack. I haven't had it since being banded though. and no more Gelatin (gummy vitamins, Jello and some jello mousse puddings). -- There are vegetarian/vegan sources of gelatin and there are many products that are created to be similar to things like Jell-O but still vegetarian. When in doubt call the manufacturer and ask what their source is for the gelatin. Birinak Everyone is different, based on the food they eat and their activity locations (outside vs inside). It's great that you don't need supplements. Unfortunately not everyone will be so fortunate. Vitamin B12 can be very easily obtained from eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, and whey. -- If the vegetarian is lacto/ovo those are options, but a lot of vegetarians aren't. I'm severely lactose intolerant, so no milk or yogurt for me. Cheese is okay if it's a hard cheese (sharp cheddar) and less than 1 tbsp. Whey is okay for me if it has no lactose in it. Many people go vegetarian not only for environmental reasons (including animal welfare) but often because of food intolerance, so they will become deficient if they are not lacto/ovo or pesci. For me personally, if eggs are cooked into something (bread) I'll eat it but very rarely (2-3x a year) will I eat an actual egg dish (like quiche or souffle). Also - it's very important to know that once someone is deficient in B12, they cannot get enough from food and they do need supplementation either by pills or injections to get back on par. Vitamin D along with 15 minutes of sun exposure a day -- There's actually a pandemic right now for vitamin D deficiency. People are wearing too much sunscreen, which prevents the ability to create vitamin D from the sun. And because obese people are already at risk for deficiency, most of the US is deficient. And you're right, the only way to tell if you truly need Vitamin D (and other vitamins) is to get your blood tested every 6 months to a year.

Emla can work, but as you mentioned, it needs to be on for at least 30-60 minutes before your appointment. And it has to be put on then covered so it stays creamy on the area. If you aren't 100% positive where your port is then using it is pretty useless as it only affects the area it's on. You could as your Dr. for a prescription for lidocaine patches, same idea as emla but in a patch form. Easier to use, just cut to size, peel, and stick. Or ask for a lidocaine, xylocaine, or saline injection (saline's preservative will numb the area oddly enough). They usually use a 23 ga need for the lidocaine injection (not too painful) then a 20 ga or 18 ga for the actual fluid injection (lots of pressure). I just had my second fill on the 23rd and I have 2" diameter bruise around the injection area - and it went really well, one poke and around 10 seconds. So I'm very glad I had lidocaine this time.

I've been vegetarian since 1995 and have been able to be quiet successful with it in three countries. Two of which had virtually no 'premade' vegetarian products. Definitely watch what you're eating - track it in something like LiveStrong where you information stays private (free sites get permission to use your information as they see fit). If you eat a lot of carbs just make them Protein strong, like oatmeal, Beans, protein enriched Pasta. Eating carbs isn't a problem, it's which ones you're eating. ie. don't eat french fries regularly, chips, etc. MY FAVOURITE RECIPE My favorite recipe is Tofu wraps (I originally had these at the Los Angeles Athletic Club then created my own receipe). The full recipe (with photos) are here: http://curvyfitness.com/wrap/wrap.htm Yes, I fry the tofu, but as I say in the entry, "Once everything was done cooking, a mere teaspoon and a half of oil was missing, so three full blocks of tofu absorbed only a tiny bit of oil." You have to have the oil at the right temperature. And once you make all of this tofu (doing many packages at once is ideal) it freezes beautifully and you just put it in the fridge to thaw then add it to anything you make. The texture is fantastic, the flavor (Mrs. Dash or something similar - a powdered spice) is great, and it can even be microwaved and eaten just like that. SOY Soy testing has only been done in animals. Human testing has never been done. So though mice show reproductive issues when given 25 grams of soy per day, humans have not yet shown the same results. However, based on the animal testing that has been done scientists believe there may be reproductive issues over the long term if a human is fed large amounts of soy since birth. The benefits (lower cholesterol, lower risk of cancer) outweigh the potential negative aspects. I personally wouldn't be concerned with the amount of soy you're eating, especially since you'll be eating much less than an average person due to the size of your pouch. recipes Some of my favorites are: Veggie Tacos: taco shells, light sour cream or greek yogurt, Boca crumbles with taco seasoning, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, taco sauce. (makes enough for 3-4 meals, great the next day) Veggie Shepherd's Pie: Boca crumbles with light mushroom soup and small sweet peas is the base, the topping is mashed potatoes with corn niblets and some garlic, a little bit of Kraft parm cheese on top. Freezes well. Roasted Veggie Fajitas: take any veggies you like, slice them in strips, put them on a few sheets of parchment on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt (sea salt) and olive oil, bake around 250 for about 45 minutes, get some thin tortillas, add veggies, light sour cream or greek yogurt. Usually the veggies have enough flavor to avoid any additional seasoning. Freezes well. Veggie Chili: a can of garbanzo beans, can of red kidney beans, can of white kidney beans, can of veggie 'pork and beans' type beans, 1/4 c ketchup, small can tomato paste, chili powder, garlic powder, onion, boca crumbles if you like 'beef texture', corn, peas, shredded carrots, broccoli buds (just the tops so it's little bits of green), and I'm probably missing a few things. A lot of the pre-made veggie meals are great too. Stick with Indian and you'll get a lot of protein, flavor, and a nice balance of amino acids. Mexican is great, red beans and rice give you a complete protein. Oatmeal. If you include eggs you can very easily add them to most any meal that makes sense. IMPORTANT NOTES You will need to take B12 for the rest of your life (sublingual taste good). You may need Iron supplements (1 long release every 3-4 days). You will likely need Vitamin D (5,000 IU/day). You will need Calcium citrate daily (citracals petites). You will NOT need Vitamin C or E. So do not take extra of those.

I use The Daily Plate / LiveStrong. It's $45/year for the gold plan, which allows online and app access, full backup of all of your data, sharing your data, tracking of any and everything, adding meals and recipes (so it figures out the nutritional values), forums, challenges, and much more. Granted it costs, but 12 cents a day is a very small cost for such a thorough site and most importantly - a site that will not take control of your information. For anyone using MyFitnessPal, you should know that you have given them permission and ownership to anything and everything you upload including information, your photos, your journal entries, etc. They can use your name, your username, your photos, your entries, anything you post at the site for their own gain. Including selling the information. And that doesn't apply to just them but also their affiliates, their sublicensees, their employees, etc. I don't know how you feel about your personal privacy but I'm willing to pay 12 cents a day to make sure my information is kept private. From their site: “User Content” is any content, materials or information, not including personally identifiable information (e.g., first and last name, address, phone number, email address, etc.), that You upload or post to, or transmit, display, perform or distribute by means of, the Website, whether in connection with Your use of Services or otherwise. YOU HEREBY GRANT MYFITNESSPAL AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AFFILIATES, REPRESENTATIVES, SUBLICENSEES, SUCCESSORS, AND ASSIGNS (COLLECTIVELY, THE “MYFITNESSPAL PARTIES”) A PERPETUAL, FULLY PAID-UP, WORLDWIDE, SUBLICENSABLE, IRREVOCABLE, ASSIGNABLE LICENSE TO COPY, DISTRIBUTE, TRANSMIT, PUBLICLY DISPLAY OR PERFORM, EDIT, TRANSLATE, REFORMAT AND OTHERWISE USE USER CONTENT IN CONNECTION WITH THE OPERATION OF THE WEBSITE, SERVICES OR ANY OTHER SIMILAR OR RELATED BUSINESS, IN ANY MEDIUM NOW EXISTING OR LATER DEVISED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION IN ADVERTISING AND PUBLICITY. YOU FURTHER AGREE THAT THE MYFITNESSPAL PARTIES MAY PUBLISH OR OTHERWISE DISCLOSE YOUR NAME AND/OR ANY USER NAME OF YOURS IN CONNECTION WITH THEIR EXERCISE OF THE LICENSE GRANTED UNDER THIS SECTION. YOU AGREE TO WAIVE, AND HEREBY WAIVE, ANY CLAIMS ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO THE EXERCISE BY THE MYFITNESSPAL PARTIES OF THE RIGHTS GRANTED UNDER THIS SECTION, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY CLAIMS RELATING TO YOUR RIGHTS OF PERSONAL PRIVACY AND PUBLICITY. YOU WILL NOT BE COMPENSATED FOR ANY EXERCISE OF THE LICENSE GRANTED UNDER THIS SECTION.

Mine are covered 100% (under fluoroscopy) - no copay. If memory serves my statement of benefits said they were billing the insurance around $521 and were getting paid around $485 (writing off the rest). Once my Dr. switches to office visit fills (which they can't currently bill for) then that cost may change.

Glad I'm not alone with the hiccups. I get them if I eat something just that tiny bit too fast. And then I don't eat anything more once I have them. It's kind of like a 'full' indicator.

Have you thought about taking something like Prilosec OTC? It is a Protein pump inhibitor and will reduce the amount of acid your stomach makes. If you're able to eat fine otherwise I suggest trying this for two weeks (ideally 2-3 months). It will help retrain your stomach a bit so it doesn't produce so much acid. If the reflux comes back after you stop, then you may need to find out if you have an ulcer or another issue. It could also be the food you're eating. Monitor when it occurs and what you ate in the hours prior. I hope that helps.

A completely natural cleanse (that is recommended and used by medical professionals) is a salt Water flush. Take 1 L of water and mix in 1 tbsp of salt. shake to dissolve, then chug it best you can. It will taste horrible. You will not want to sip it. However, about 15-30 minutes later you'll start cleansing your system. Do this in the evening when you can be near a bathroom for a while. You'll likely have several movements. It won't kill the bacteria in your system. It won't cause you to be ill from a reaction. It's completely natural, safe, and it works amazingly well. Make sure you have about 2-3 hours to spare for this. Seriously.

I was told straws are not a problem. They actually help you regulate your intake and some people (like me) drink a hell of a lot more with the use of straws.

To all of you experiencing no weight loss despite restricting calories - INCREASE your calories for at least one day, add an additional 300-500 calories (up to 1,000 extra calories), and DON'T workout every day. Workout every other day. By doing this you'll: 1) give your metabolism a kick, taking you out of starvation mode 2) allow your muscle to heal and actually build muscle, which burns more calories A week later, you'll have lost weight or inches or both. Do the calorie increase once a week or once every two weeks. Try to make your extra calories fat or Protein - limit your carbs for extra calories. The body will flush fat through (you may have diarrhea because your body will try to compensate for the increased food intake - but that also means the calories won't be absorbed completely) so drink more fluids these days. Note: you may gain anywhere from 3-10 lbs that first day after, it's generally due to salt and Water retention not actual gained weight, but around 5-6 days later you'll see that you actually LOSE weight.

It's unlikely you ruined anything. Just go back to liquids and soft foods like puddings, Soups, things like that. Right now you're healing, don't expect to be able to eat easily for at least another week or two. Also - ask your Dr. if you had any fill at surgery time. Some do and some don't. Mine did a passive fill, inserted a needle with syringe - didn't plunge - just allowed the band to pull in enough Fluid to set it at equilibrium. If you have a bit of a fill it may be even more difficult to eat solids so soon.

Surgery 01/14 First Fill 02/17 Second Fill 03/23

I haven't had issues with salads. I'd suggest if you make them at home to chop the lettuce into smaller pieces (less chewing), use very fresh crispy lettuce, and at restaurants eat only a couple of pieces per bite and chew. You won't know until you try. For me, things that get stuck: rice, Pasta, and bread. Stuff that doesn't get stuck: crunchy stuff (popcorn, nuts, chips) and liquids. My guess is that the former bind together, even if chewed well, whereas crunchy stuff is able to be more easily chewed into tiny pieces and doesn't stick together as easily. Slimy lettuce may get stuck, but I imagine you wouldn't eat it if you saw it was all wilted, brown, and nasty. : )

If I eat too much I get a stuck feeling, I start to salivate, I get hiccups, and a general chest pain. I've learned to stop eating before I'm full. Getting stuck is a horrendous feeling.

peacequeen -- Thank you. I normally try to respond to everyone, I figure it's only polite. kshallow -- If I had eaten just before I probably would have waited a little longer before going to the ER. Fortunately I hadn't eaten in many hours so I knew something was wrong and it wasn't band related. Jack -- Thank you. rottie69 -- Thank you. We're trained not to inconvenience people over 'little things' but you just never know if that little thing is actually something very serious. Though I'll have several hundred dollars in bills to pay, my family would have had $7,000-10,000 to pay for travel and a funeral if I hadn't gone and it was something serious.

If you are working out with weights (heavy enough weights you can only do 5-8 reps per set) and doing toning exercises (like squats, pushups, situps, etc.) and losing weight slowly (1-3 lbs/week) then you shouldn't have a problem with loose skin. The areas where it would be a problem are the breasts, stomach, upper arm, and upper thigh. If you take your weight loss slow and stay active with muscle building, rather than just fat loss, then you'll give your skin a must better chance to recover. Your tattoos will look smaller, and you may loose a bit of detail, but the color will be a bit more concentrated because the color 'beads' under the skin will be closer, so there are benefits.

reverie - Thank you. It was not pleasant but the hospital staff were great. mattie7632 do you suppose new heart problems could present in such a short time? - Heart problems can happen at any time. Even with a normal EKG you can actually actively be having a heart attack. It's rare, but it can happen. You can also throw a blood clot or a piece of plaque can become lose and cause a stroke or heart attack - with no notice. Since a 'normal' EKG is slightly different for everyone, and unless you have something to compare it to a Doctor won't be able to tell if yours truly is normal, you can't always rely on a normal EKG meaning that you're not having heart issues. These days there are rapid blood tests that can be done to detect cardiac enzymes and Proteins that indicate heart damage. These enzymes ebb and flow during heart damage and these tests can detect them as they're rising (usually about six hours after the start of the heart attack) and even up to 36 hours after a heart attack. Some proteins that indicate heart damage can be detected for up to two weeks after damage. There is also a blood test for pulmonary embolism (D-dimer) that is done when you present with chest or back pain if PE isn't obvious. This is why, even though the pain went away, the testing continued to ensure that it wasn't minor heart damage that was simply masking itself. Considering we're all in the process of losing weight, and due to being overweight we are more prone to having high cholesterol and high blood pressure, we're all at a greater risk for plaque and its release into the blood, which can lead to a stroke or heart attack. Soon2besexynslim -- It's great that you went in. There is one member on the boards here who just a few weeks ago had chest/back pain and went in and she had a PE in both lungs. If she had ignored her pain she likely wouldn't be here today. Oceangirl6 -- Thank you. Phranp -- Thank you. It was quite scary, but I knew that it was the right thing to go in. Women often won't go to the hospital if they have chest pain or problems breathing because they think they're going to be an inconvenience and they're embarrassed. We're taught to ignore our pain and brush it off, and especially with us, where we have a foreign object in us, and we're at higher risk for issues to begin with, it's so important to heed our body's warnings. PeaceQueen -- Thank you. I'm working on it. Taking it very slow. It's definitely a long journey! Trish151 -- You know, I thought about that as well. The nurses were really interested and thought it was great that I'd already lost and that other than that episode of chest pain I hadn't had any issues. I think at least one of them, who was more keen to ask questions, will look more into it. Fortunately she's at one of the better hospitals that offers it. k-baby -- I do feel better, thank you. I asked about my gall bladder and my Dr. said that it could be the issue, and if it happens again that they'll check more into that, but everything was fine with the blood tests they did and the CT showed that there were no stones. That said, the things that cause an increase in gall stones include: being female, being on birth control, being over weight, losing weight too quickly (catch 22 isn't it?), if you're on drugs that lower cholesterol, and diabetes. It's surprising more of us don't have gall bladder issues with all of those things against us!

So last night I was sitting working and suddenly felt this really tight dull pain in the center of my chest. I figured maybe it was temporary, so I walked around (sitting wasn't comfortable), then I tried to lay down, squat, bend over, any and every position and everything hurt (and I'm sure entertained my neighbors). Then I realized I wasn't breathing well. The pain was right behind the bottom of my sternum, prime area for all sorts of issues. After 30 minutes it was getting worse, even after a GasX and two tums just in case it was indigestion (even though I hadn't eaten in 5 hours). When that didn't help I went to the ER. Heart attacks present differently in women and I wasn't going to take the risk. So I got to the ER, said that I had chest pain, shortness of breath, and that I had a lapband. I got an EKG immediately, got registered about 10 minutes later, and the pain started to dissipate about 10 minutes after that. Several nurses were interested that I had the lapband and wanted to know how well it was working for me, it was nice to get positive questions. They inserted a large IV (big enough for contrast), took six vials of blood, then I went to the room and waited on the Dr. I was hooked up to a heart monitor, O2, etc. so I was fully monitored. The Dr. came in, checked my heart, all was well, the EKG was fine (and was compared to my pre-surgery EKG). He asked for me to get a couple of meds to counteract the reaction I would have to the contrast and got me signed up for a CT. When the Dr. and I talked about the band he said that the band sits right at that point so it was a concern that I had that pain and that it suddenly stopped. It could signify all sorts of things. They called my Dr. (who works at the same hospital) and he agreed to have them check it to make sure it was positioned okay, so in I went for a CT with contrast. After that, they said everything was sitting fine, the lapband looked good, it hadn't moved, and there was no reason they could figure for the pain. However, the doctor made a very big point to say that it was good I came in and didn't just assume it was nothing. He has seen women come in too late after a heart attack, when they get there they talk about how it was so subtle, by that point their heart is almost totally dead. Same for the band, my Surgeon was concerned because you just never know what a foreign object is going to do. So though I was fine, the ER was completely receptive to my situation, my concerns, and did not look down on me for having the lapband or for going in with chest pain that then went away shortly after I arrived. They still gave me exceptional care and were very open about the band and how it could be affecting my situation. I made a point to tell them when I had it done, that there were no complications, how much of a fill I had, when I had my last fill, my ability to eat and drink, and with all of that they had no reason to do an unfill or exploration. They understand that you know your body and how it reacts. If you have a band, be 100% honest with the ER, the doctors, the nurses, everyone. You never know who is going to treat you or how they will treat you and the more you tell, the more they know, and the better care you'll get. And if you have any chest pain, back pain, or abdominal pain that doesn't go away after 30 minutes - and begins to affect your breathing - go to the ER. Don't risk your life because you're embarrassed or think it's nothing.

Everyone is different and all sorts of pain can come about depending on how things are placed, what was moved out of the way during surgery, how you moved after surgery, and so much more. It will get better. It just might take some time. I honestly thought it would never stop, then one day I was able to sit up without a towel at my abdomen. I was able to sit on the toilet without bracing on the sink with one arm. You'll start to notice little things showing that things are getting better.

Remember, you may not feel your fill right away. It has taken some people up to four weeks to feel their fill.

Definitely call them. You may be continuing to vomit at this point because your band has slipped so a call will help determine if you should come in for an unfill, and if you ask them to do it under fluoroscopy they can get a good look to make sure it hasn't slipped.

My port is deeper and I did get the lidocaine beforehand, but it stung (as it's known to do) and they offered me the option not to have it next time (there was no option the first time because my port is really deep). I've also had experience that injecting with saline solution can also cause numbness just long enough to get an injection (read more: http://infusionnurse.org/2010/03/24/numbing-with-bacteriostatic-normal-saline/). It won't sting and you'll get the same effect. However, rather than take two injections I'll put a little lidocaine patch on the area 30 minutes prior to the fill and that will numb the area enough to get the deeper injection with no pain. I found my port area was tender for a day after the first fill so I'd like to prevent a little bit of that. As for the stomach bug, you don't want one with the band, with vomiting you could have your band slip. I've heard of some people on here using Phenergan/Promethazine suppositories. They stop the vomiting and you don't swallow them to get the effects. It's around $50 for 12 of them and they're good to have around for when you do start vomiting, you can stop it quickly and safely.

I had surgery on January 14th and my first fill on February 17th. My second is scheduled for March 17th.

Knaroz makes a very good point about increasing your calories every now and then. If you plateau, have a day where you add 300-500 calories to your day (it's easy) and it can kick your metabolism up. 600 is way too low, at 1,200 you should be losing nicely 1-3 lbs per week depending on your activity level. You will go into starvation mode if you don't eat more, and you don't want that. Any Dr. who says you should be eating 600 calories is nuts -- unless they're doing a very specific VLC (Very Low Calorie) diet to get you into a level of ketosis (very high Protein and very high fat diet low carb) which can help you lose quickly. But you're generally only on the diet for 1-2 weeks max because it's horribly unhealthy and can cause damage in the long term.

I like to use an old fashioned stove popper, it works great with a little olive oil and some sea salt. This is the one I like to use: http://www.amazon.com/Wabash-Valley-Farms-25008-Whirley-Pop/dp/B00004SU35/ref=lh_ni_t_ Fresh popped popcorn just tastes better.