Boy how time flies!

As I approach my 4 year Bandiversary, I started thinking how the Lapband has changed my life or how I had to change my life to live with the Lapband.

First off, I thank God every day for showing me there was an option and giving me the opportunity to have the Lapband procedure.

Like most in my situation, I tried every diet that always ended in failure. I almost got to the point where I wouldn't want to diet because I KNEW I would gain the weight back and probably gain more. It was a horrible vicious cycle that I lived in for years.

Living with the Lapband was a continual learning process for a while. I tested foods to see what I could eat and what gave me difficulties. I tested out drinking with meals and not drinking with meals. Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way on a lot of these issues, but the key is I learned :cool: and now the changes that I have made in living with the Lapband are part of my normal way of living. I don't even think about it anymore.

One of the most frustrating things about the Lapband is obtaining proper restriction level. On one end, I wish doctor's would be a little more aggressive with the fill amounts, on the other hand, I think that working your way up to the proper restriction level is the way to go to avoid getting filled too tight which can be very uncomfortable and dangerous. I think that more discussion needs to be made about preparing one's self for life after the band which includes the cost of adjustments/fills and the expectation of how many fills it may require to achieve proper restriction.

For self payers, many people use all their financial means to pay for the actual Lapband surgery and then don't have the funds to get adjustments afterwards. This creates frustration because you just paid a lot of money and went through surgery and now want to lose the weight. Sounds reasonable....... But many feel like they wasted money when they don't lose weight after the surgery or they feel like they can eat like they could before the surgery which is true until the band is adjusted properly.

So if someone is scheduled for surgery and they ask me about the band, I make a point of preparing them for after surgery. I also try to tell them that their patience level will be tested to the max until they get their bands filled properly. I've heard this said by many and it's so true "It took us a long time to become this overweight, we're not going to lose it all overnight" It may take some time to lose weight with the Lapband, but with a little patience and following some very basic rules, you will lose weight and you will be successful.

Things that have changed for me after I was banded:

I don't drink with meals. I found that this flushes food from my small upper pouch into my lower pouch which enables me to eat more food. This kind of defeats the band doesn't it? I don't want to eat more food, because this little thing called weight gain occurs if I do :tt1: . Not drinking with meals was probably the hardest thing for me to get used to, but now I don't even think about it.

I still take small bites and have slowed down while eating. I found that taking smaller bites and slowing down while eating actually fills me up quicker. I also don't look like I'm inhaling my food anymore, which was a very unattractive habit that I got into pre-band.

I listen to my band. It tells me when to stop eating. Oh, I've tried to argue with my band in the past and tell it that I could eat more even when it warned me that I have had enough, but for some reason the band was always right. I paid a small price for trying to fight the band. I would feel horrible until the food passed through the band. Sometimes I would PB (not pleasant) and learned very quickly that it's just not worth fighting the band. It knows best, so now I listen to it.

I try to stick to protein foods first. I'm not always good at this, but it's something that I feel is very important for Lapbanders. I have also found that when I eat protein foods first like chicken, fish ect... then I don't require as much food to feel full and I stay fuller longer. Not to mention the benefits to my health for eating protein.

Since I can't eat as much as I used to, my food choices have changed. Before the band, I would eat horribly. It's because I could eat a lot of anything I wanted. So if I wanted to snack on chips before dinner, no problem. I would still be hungry enough at dinner to eat it, then have enough room for dessert afterwards.

I now chose quality over quantity. I do this because I know I can't eat a lot, so what I DO eat becomes very important. I have found that if I eat chips now, I will fill up on them, and I won't feel hungry to eat what I should be eating. Then I end up feeling awful because "foods" like chips drain my energy if I try to use them as my source of nutrition. Don't get me wrong, I still eat things like chips, but I make a point of not eating them when I'm hungry because I know that I will fill up on them and won't eat what I need to be eating. So I will have junk food occassionally, but usually with my meal and have very little.

I don't eat dinner late in the evening. I have a cut off time for dinner. I make sure that I don't go to bed for about 3 hours after I eat. I also don't drink a lot of fluids at night and I religiously take 2 Pepsid AC chewables before I go to bed. I believe that these things have decreased my chances of having acid reflux at night.

So yes, the Lapband has totally changed my life. With almost 140 pounds gone I'm feeling terrific! I feel that the minor things that I have changed in my life (with eating) due to the band are so minor and so worth it to help insure that I keep this weight off. Don't get me wrong, I don't struggle to keep the weight off, which is fantastic, but I believe that the minor changes that I have made have contributed to this.

The Lapband won't do it all. You'll need to help it some, but once your band is adjusted properly, the band will work for/with you instead of you working for the band.

Life is wonderful!

Tricia

Words of wisdom...Thank you so much for posting this. It will be very useful to me and I'm sure to others as well.

There is something I am not understanding. I get a fill every 6 weeks for the first year. I have only lost about 15 pounds after 5 months. Does one not have to continue having fills until they have lost all the weight they need to lose?

Carasue,

Every doctor has different ways that they do their adjustments/fills.

I only got a fill if I stopped losing weight for more than 2 weeks and I felt that I could eat more. That more than likely is an indication that as I lost weight, my stomach also shrunk a little therefore making the band lose around my stomach.

I wasn't on a set schedule. I only got a fill when I needed one. I haven't had a fill in over 2 years now.

It sounds like your doctor may be fairly conservative with your fill amounts if you're getting one every 6 weeks. Do you feel like you have adequate restriction?

One person in the chat room said that it took 5 fills to get the proper restriction. I think I may be learning to live with the lapband and breaking the addiction to food. I am not sure about adequate restriction. I have been drinking with my meals and that was not working. I have stopped, so we will see what happens.

Tricia,

thank you so much. 4 years is wonderful and it is great tohear that you are so happy even now. it is scarey to go into this without knowing other that have been banded and that it will affect the rest of my life. thanks again for tellin your story. SC

Thank you for your detailed history of "bandhood." I get banded in less than 2 weeks and am really nervous, even though I am ready for this big step. Your success story helped me a lot.

Mom2twins,

I had the same doubts and questions before my banding. I didn't think it would work for me and I certainly didn't know how it would be living with the band long term. We're all so used to trying every diet and drug out there to help us lose weight where we promptly fail at whatever we try, so why should the Lapband be any different? The wonderful thing about the Lapband is that it's with you 24/7. You can't "start your lapband" tomorrow like you can a diet. Congratulations on your upcoming surgery!

carasue,

If you don't lose any weight for at least a 2 week period and if you feel like you can still eat too much, then you probably need another fill. Please try to not drink while eating, I think you'll notice a huge change if you can do that. You're just flushing the food through your band if you drink while you eat. You'll notice your restriction level will be better if you can hold off on drinking for an hour after you eat. If you have tried not drinking with meals, how is it going?

cherieinnv, congratulations on your upcoming surgery and to a new start to a new life :-)

I know that you're nervous, but it's also exciting to know that you'll be starting a new chapter in your life. Please keep in touch on how you're doing.

I have not been drinking while eating and it has made a world of difference. I have lost five pounds. I have a 14cc band and was restricted 5cc a few days ago. I am finally losing and can relate to the wonderful story. I hope I keep losing. I am getting used to not drinking with my meals.

Carasue,

Congratulations on your recent success with not drinking with meals. It really does make a difference and you've proven that by losing 5 pounds! Way to go!!

I don't even think about drinking with meals anymore. It's just become as "usual" as it used to be drinking with meals.