Hey 50 & over gang We have a new spot

[phyllser 3]

I, too, get the Centrum silver chewables for my Vitamin. For my Calcium I use the Citracal petites and can swallow those okay. My dr office recommended calcium citrate vs Calcium Carbonate so that is why I get those. There's been a couple occassions right after a fill where I was kindda tight and had to cut the calcium in half. I also cut my glocosamine in half now as those are so big. My vit B, Biotin I can take no problems. Good luck to you and welcome!!

Have heard that carbonate vs citrate discussion before and it makes sense, but the calcium citrate is really hard to find. I tried the petites, too, but still had trouble getting them down. Doesn't make sense to me that they are almost SQUARE!! If the object of making them "petite" is so they go down easier, then WHY SQUARE!! I just couldn't swallow them. So I went back to the chewable even though they are calcium carbonate.

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

I don't have any trouble getting the Citrical Petites down. I would think if you used a pill splitter, it would make it even easier.

It really depends on how tight your fill is as to how hard it is to take all the Vitamins and supplements.

I take any meds vitamins or supplements with warm Water. Warm opens the band. I just take them slowly with a lot of water.

[Katydid 0]

Hi Everyone,

Thankyou for your concern and helpful suggestions with my problems.

I rang my surgeons office yesterday as I said I would and found that he had just arrived back from overseas that morning. He'd gone straight from the airport to the hospital and was already operating. His secretary contacted him and he squeezed me in to see him during his lunch break today.

He emptied the band completely and told me to go back to eating everything blended and sloppy. I'm not to eat or drink anything after 6.30pm as when you lay down everything that has not properly trickled through the band tends to come up again. The not eating is ok but the not drinking is going to be hard because it is heatwave weather here right now. He thinks that is what has been the problem. The bowel problem is not a blockage because I do pass Water occasionally, so I guess that is through actual food not getting through.

I should've written a list of questions etc to take with me as by the time I got to his appt in the city after dropping my folks off at their Hydro Therapy session up in the hills, I was just plain flustered and forgot so much of what I wanted to say. Silly me.

Anyhow, I have to see him again in 2 1/2 weeks time.

I had Soup for tea tonight but it was still sore going down and still the wretched burping.

Best wishes to all.

[deedee16117 0]

Hi Everyone

Lot of activity lately on here. I have begun getting my e-mails again as well they were missing for awhile and my Blackberry was awfully quiet.

I am not having a smooth time of it lately. For one thing I am not losing like I felt I should - not looking for a great loss but something. Banded on 8/25 and barely down 40 lbs., 10 of which I lost before the surgery. The last fill was a good hit so much so they had to take out 1 cc before I left the office. So I figured the problems I was having was just me and learning how and what to eat. I think I do a pretty good job at the not drinking but lately it seems that everything I eat comes right back up. Last nite it was Soup, today not much of anything and up it came. I think the prime suspect is pasta! Now I am Italian so this is not a great discovery for me. Breakfast was fine and it consisted of scrambled eggs with a little cheese and one thin slice of bacon. No problems there.

I see the doctor next month and I don't know if I should have some taken out or just try and stay with it and determine what is "normal" for me. Does anyone else have these problems? Last week I started walking every morning on the treadmill 2 1/2 miles before work but I have a very sedentary job and as much as I tried by the end of the day my pedometer did not hit the 10,000 steps! I am starting to get frustrated and I don't want to fall off the wagon so to speak. This past weekend we had a lot of snow and got stuck in the house - even though I had plenty to do to keep busy and I did, I still managed to eat Cookies - lots of them. Amazing how easy those go down and never come back up!! But food is giving me a problem. I have read that stress makes the band tighter - I have had some of that too but I am getting concerned about this throwing up all the time. Any suggestions? I need to have this weight loss start to move on a consistent basis or I will lose all of my momentum.

Thanks for listening to me whine!!

Deedee

[janke129 0]

Hi, My doctor told me that if I ever start throwing up a lot to call her office, day or night. I have read that your body changes and some foods that you have always eaten do not agree at this time. That does not mean that you will never be able to tolarate the same food in the future. I hope this helps.....

[flowers 0]

I am not having a smooth time of it lately. For one thing I am not losing like I felt I should

Deedee I don't personally think it's normal to throw up. If you go on liquids for 2 days and still throwing up, then to me you are too tight. On the other hand, I get annoyed that my fill doctor wouldn't fill me tighter, when I hear of others who lose because they can't really eat. My fill doctor does the fluro and the barium swallow test and looks at how fast the barium reaches your stomach and wouldnt go tighter.

I wish I were losing faster too. I'm going to do a variation of the 5 day pouch test and see if that jump starts me. I did have some of that special K Cereal, but only had Protein Drink the rest of yesterday for day 1 (I felt the need for the fiber). I'v read some lost 5 lbs on this, so far Im down 1/2 lb. I had been 175 1/2 last week, and 175 this morning, we will see if it drops me down for tomorrow's weigh in. I wanna lost it fast as much as the next person, but I just don't. I don't think everyone loses at the same rate, so I don't beat myself up if others lose faster. There will always be someone who can shed the weight faster. Just keep on track most of the time. A small cheat occassionally to me is necessary so you can keep going and not feel deprived. Keep on trying and maybe your doctor will have some wisdom next visit too.

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

It is definitely not normal to throw up on a regular basis and it's not good for the stomach/band. Pasta is a common food that people do have trouble with though. The reason that Cookies go down easier is that for some reason, crunchy foods go through the band easier.

If you're eating tiny bites and chewing it up until it's liquid in your mouth, and still throwing up, you should consider having a slight unfill. When we say tiny bites,

we mean pencil eraser size.

[Ruthi 60]

I keep hearing everyone calling this thing a tool but....if I pay( self pay LBdr here) $ 18K+ for a tool, I just figure it should get out of the tool box and do the job itself. Ok, there is the lazy me talking and I think I am at or very near my sweet spot so maybe that tool will work afterall. Just wanted to add my nickel's worth.

[dixiedoo 0]

I keep hearing everyone calling this thing a tool but....if I pay( self pay LBdr here) $ 18K+ for a tool, I just figure it should get out of the tool box and do the job itself. Ok, there is the lazy me talking and I think I am at or very near my sweet spot so maybe that tool will work afterall. Just wanted to add my nickel's worth.

OMG - I think this is hilarious - true - but hilarious. You've given me my chuckle of the day. I'm going for a fill tomorrow but I'm worried I'll be too tight. I can eat a cup of food and stop eating,sometimes have trouble eating more than that(nerves I think) but I am hungry again in an hour or so. I need a fill, right? That will make me not so hungry, right????

[Ruthi 60]

Thanks Dixie doo, I thought the same thing before one of my fills but I figured that is Water went down, food would too eventually. Being a bit tight at first is better than not tight enough and going through one more month waiting to lose the weight.

[sharsing 0]

hello 50 and over! I have posted in a few other spots thought I give this a try I turned 50 in Sept. Got my band on 12/29/08. The liquid diet part was no fun but I made it :thumbup:went to the dr. today he said I can start on mushies for a week then start trying some reg food as tolerated. I have lost 18lbs so far! I too have been on the weight loss roller coaster I am a chronic yo yo'er. Just kept gaining and could'nt tolerate it any more. I'm giving this all the effort I can to make it work. Wish everyone the best.

[Katydid 0]

Deedee I don't personally think it's normal to throw up. If you go on liquids for 2 days and still throwing up, then to me you are too tight. On the other hand, I get annoyed that my fill doctor wouldn't fill me tighter, when I hear of others who lose because they can't really eat. My fill doctor does the fluro and the barium swallow test and looks at how fast the barium reaches your stomach and wouldnt go tighter.

I wish I were losing faster too. I'm going to do a variation of the 5 day pouch test and see if that jump starts me. I did have some of that special K cereal, but only had Protein drink the rest of yesterday for day 1 (I felt the need for the fiber). I'v read some lost 5 lbs on this, so far Im down 1/2 lb. I had been 175 1/2 last week, and 175 this morning, we will see if it drops me down for tomorrow's weigh in. I wanna lost it fast as much as the next person, but I just don't. I don't think everyone loses at the same rate, so I don't beat myself up if others lose faster. There will always be someone who can shed the weight faster. Just keep on track most of the time. A small cheat occassionally to me is necessary so you can keep going and not feel deprived. Keep on trying and maybe your doctor will have some wisdom next visit too.

Hi Flowers,

Could you tell me what the pouch test is please and how to do it? My band was emptied yesterday because of constant vomiting and was still very painfull last night.

I had a glass of cold milk this morning which still gave me a nasty blocked feeling for awhile. Maybe I drink too fast.

My surgeon told me not to eat or drink after 6.30pm but I had to have a couple of glasses of Water through the night as it's too hot here at the moment. Anyway, on reflection, it wasn't only night times that I was vomiting.

I'm trying to be positive and keep visualising a good outcome but I'm so used to things going pear shaped that it's hard to stop the negative gremlins from creeping into my mind.

Time to get busy and keep my mind on other things.

Best wishes as always.

[Toyster 0]

What did you all eat or shall I say drink the first three days after surgery?

[Katydid 0]

What did you all eat or shall I say drink the first three days after surgery?

Hi toyster,

With my first banding 4yrs ago it was ice chips for 4days, then clear fluids for 2 weeks. With my 2nd banding June ,08 (different surgeon) I was straight onto sloppy pureed vegies and fluids.

I had no problems taking any tablets at the time.

Best wishes.

Edited January 14, 2009 by Katydid

[sharsing 0]

Hi Toyster, My Dr. put me on Full liquids, broth, Strained cream Soups, crysta lite,pudding, Jello, carnation instant sugarfree instant breakfast which i mixed with my protien powder also you can mix unflavored protien powder with broth I used lipton cup of Soup, I did'nt like the regular broth. this was only2 wks, now I'm on mushies.