♥LovetheNewMe♥

Sorry for your troubles. I am 23 months out from my surgery, I personally have not had issues but I work with two who have and both have had there bands removed, both at about 3 years. One girl had struggles the entire time and never really lost weight and they considered her a band failure and removed the band and did the gastric sleeve on her. The other girl had very similar propblems to you, she did lose all her weight but had multiple issues along the way with reflux, GERDs, stuck episodes episodes, etc. They let out her band and left it alone for a while, than she gained 20 lbs so they put fluid back in and she did well for a while but 2 months ago she started having pain all the time and was not able to eat anything. Xray showed the band had slipped, and had the pouch had developed a pocket. She decided to have the band removed but insurance will not pay for any other surgery becasue her BMI is in normal range. The only way she can have another band or procedure is if she gains her weight back. I know this must be very frustrating for you and it scares to read about this and know people it has happened to. If my doc told me he could possibly fix my band I think I would let him try, if your insurance will pay for the revision or you can afford it. I like you have had good weight loss success. My friends doctor also told her (he is my doc too) that he would never put a band back in her becasue once this starts to happen generally it continues to happen again and again. I wish you luck and success with your choice.

Stephanie, your comment above about not getting stuck in a public place made me chuckle. I still remember my first time, I was so embarrassed. We were at our favorite Mexican restaurant. I decided to try some chicken fajitas and two bits in it got stuck. I kept trying to push it down and I could feel the pressure building up in the back of my throat, I excused myself to go to the restroom and it was busy. I was panicked, what was I going to do. I headed out the front door and went to the far end of the parking lot and throw up! I was so afraid someone saw me, I quickly went back in and sat down and started to cry at the table. That freaked my husband out and it was a long time before we did the eating out thing again. Now, I always scope out where the bath room is and carry a small bag in my purse in case this happens again. I did learn to not try and push food down with liquids it just builds up the pressure and makes a bigger mess, it also taught me not to eat chips and to chew my food. Everyone usually has one or two stuck episodes while banded, it is pretty gross and awful but you learn really fast what being stuck means and how to prevent.

Welcome and good luck in your journey. The band does work. Make sure you are well informed and mentally ready for the changes you are about to encounter. I am a firm believer in counseling and support groups. This is a life style change and the more informed and supported you are the better the out come. The band is a tool only and all the work is on you. It is not a diet but it does require changing your bad habits and developing new healthy behaviors. It can be challenging, frustrating and discouraging at times but keeping a positive attitude, holding your self accountable and believing in yourself goes a long way. Please let us know how we can support you in your journey. As stated above, you need to ask the questions now, learn from others success and mistakes. We have all had our ups and downs and have learned so much from each other. Good luck!

Welcome and glad you have done well. I am 2 years out also and I also have had great results with my band. I have found the foriums very beneficial throughout my journey.

I used mine to pay all my co-pays and incidentals that my insurance did not cover. My out of pocket was only about 700 and I payed all of this with my flex.

Usually after a fill my doc has me on liquids for 48 hours post fill. All of our surgeons are different and have different requirements. My last fill it to me over a week before I was able to eat a cup of food and not PB but with time and patience and remembering to chew I learned to eat again.

The band does work but you have to go into it with your eyes wide open and realize this is not a one stop shop and fix all. You have to change your behaviors and have to develop a healthy life style. You get out of lap band what you put into it. Everyone loses at different rates. It has taken me just shy of two years to lose 120 lbs and to be at my goal weight. I have had plateaus along my journey but I have never given up and have always tried to learn from my mistakes and my frustrations. There are cases of Lapband failure and there are people who do not do as well as others. But there are also people who have gastric bypass that lose weight and gain it back if they do not change their behavior. I love my lap band and it has worked very well for me, I have learned to make healthy choices and develop healthy ways that make me feel better about myself. Good luck to you and let us know how we can help support you. Please talk to your councilor, your surgeon and nutritionist, they are your best source for helping you make your decision.

I did after my last fill in Jan. i felt it in the back of my throat for weeks, also when the took out the old fluid and instilled the new, I felt an exterme amount of pressure in my chest. That was the first time that had happened to me. I will say even though you are eating and drinking ok if the discomfort continues I would call my fill doc and discuss this with him. Good luck.

Glad your children are better and glad your home and doing well. Not the best way to start your journey but a true test on coping. This is one of our biggest challanges in WL. Learning new coping behaviors is key to our success, enjoy the home made soup and good luck to you on your journey. Just remember you can do this and it is worth it, every new behavior you learn and everytime you don't turn to food for comfort is a milestone in your journey. Best of Luck!

Well.................... a very deep subject. So my fellow bandsters, new found cyber friends I want to share my success with you and help you to understand that this process is possible but you have to jump in with both feet and be 100% committed to this process. So I will go back to the beginning. High my name is Diane and 2 years ago I was morbidly obese. I used food as a coping mechanism for every aspect of my life. I ate when I was happy, I ate when I was sad, I ate when I was stressed and i would even eat and lie to myself about the fact that I ate. (Sound familiar) Well one day, I not only had to take a long hard look in the mirror but I had to recognize that my body was no longer coping well with the extra weight on my 5'1" frame. I weighed 252 lbs at my heaviest(Check out my profile, I was very "FAT" there is no other word to describe me. Oh yes I did have a "NICE" smile, still do but now I have cheek bones) I like many of you had tried many WL options from fad diets to Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig and also like many of you I FAILED! Notice I said "I" failed. You see all of those "DIETS" worked but what I failed to do was truly embrace the changes that were needed in my life, the changes that I needed to be successful. But I now believe I had to fail in order to succeed. I see myself just like any addict, I had to hit rock bottom before I truly could commit myself to changing my life. When I started on this site I chose to pick a name that I could grow to love, a.k.a. my user name LovetheNewMe. The other decision I made when I signed onto this site was to be honest and give back as much as I was taking away. I like many of you read and sat in the back ground for many weeks and tried to learn, not only from the successful but also from the struggles. If I could pick three things that have made me successful I would have to say they are "Me, Myself and I" I am sorry to burst anyone's bubble but the Lapband is not why I lost weight, I lost weight because I have learned how to eat and I have learned what a portion is and I have learned that you get out of this what you put into it. If you sit on your butt and expect the weight to fall off, or have your band so tight that you can only drink liquids or puck back half of everything you eat, YES you can lose weight but YOU will not keep it off. You have to embrace the concept of the band, the band does not prevent you from eating the junk food, actually the band encourages you to eat junk food. I know your all thinking this women is flippin crazy. But think about it, when your band is tight and protein will not go down what do you lean toward. SLIDERS! Foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value. I have read over and over on this blog that people had the surgery so they would not have to count calories, track their food or exercise. Well good luck to all of them because I know me, I am the queen of manipulation and I was real good at telling me that it was OK to eat the fast food on the way home from work and still eat dinner because no one saw me eat it but LITTLE olé me, myself and I. So, what is my point... You have to embrace a healthy life style and you have to remember that what you lose you can always gain back if you do not embrace a healthy life style. It really is true, You are what You EAT!. You have to learn to eat like a thin person and think like a thin person to be a thin person. I am still in the phase of my journey that I am a thin person but there is still a FAT girl living inside me that still struggles to get out some days. I am determined that the "FAT" girl in me is gone forever. I keep pictures of me at my heaviest in plain site, in my house and office. I do not want to ever forget how far I have gone. Just looking in the mirror does not always do it for me, a picture is worth a thousand words. Yes I have reached my ideal body weight, Yes I have dropped from a size 24 to a size 4 (no that is not a type "O") I still log my food every day, I still weight and measure my food, I eat off a small plate, I lay my fork down between bites, I do not drink with meals 30 min before or 30 min after meals, I do not graze, I do not eat unplanned snacks, I do not succumb to peer pressure and I DO exercise 4-5 days per week. The best advice I can give any bandster is: Follow the rules Keep in touch with your WL Surgeon Drink Water Exercise Set realistic goals (Boys and Girls we did not get FAT over night and you are not going to get thin over night. To lose weight you have to decrease your intake and increase your activity. Your body is a living, breathing machine and you to have burn calories to lose weight and the only way I know how to do this is to exercise. It still takes 3500 calories less than your body needs a week to lose one pound per week. That calculates out to 500 calories less per day than your body burns. You have to learn what your body needs just to maintain your current weight. There is a very narrow balance between what you need and not eating to little. If you eat to little your body will think you are starving and eventually stop losing weight.) Learn to eat healthy( The reason you have to do this is because of rule #5) And last and the most important, EAT YOUR PROTEIN. (It has been proven that bandsters that heat 70gms or more protein are more successful with weight loss) Protein make you feel fuller longer and takes longer to digest thus decreasing your desire to eat. And last bit of advice and probably the most important; Learn to love your self, believe in your self and know that you can do this. Anything is possible with hard work and dedication. So here is the old me beside the new me. Good luck to all of you who are just startng or those of you who are struggling. If you are struggling, forgive your self and move forward, if you are just starting or thinking about LBS, know you are going to have to work hard because this is a Life Style Change and just having the surgery and the band does not mean you will lose weight. LovetheNewMe

Dear Stuck, This happens! You will have multiple "stuck" episodes over the next few years. I expected to be close to goal by the end of 1 year. Well guess what it did not happen. I had lost I had dropped from 252 to 170-180's which was good but to me it was not good enough. I sometimes thought I would never reach onederland in the band world and once I got there I got stuck again with 30 lbs left to lose. So I did what you are thinking about, I hired a personal trainer about 7 months ago and he has helped me reach my goals and basically I know have "body by Justin" It has been hard work but it has been so worth it, he has me eating better than I did my first year and ahalf of being banded. He has helped my self esteem and has helped me hold my self accountable. I get what he calls one cheat day a week, I can do what I want but guess what I don't If I want something say like a glass a wine, I plan it into my daily meal intake. I am one of those crazy OCD banders who log their food and yes I count my calories and measure my food. The one thing the trainer told me it I was malnourished, I was no way eating enough protein. I now eat between 90 -120 gms of protein perday. It is amazing how well I feel with exercise and eating right. If I can lose 120 lbs you can do this. Also remember to take your measurments, I have scale victories and meaure victories and they are never in the same month. Good luck to you!

As far as your question "is this normal". The answer to that would be yes. Everyone is different and it sometimes multiple fills before you truly get full use of the band. The one thing I want to remind you of which all of us have had to come to grips with. The band is a tool, this process is 90% you and 10% band. You are what you eat and even the band alone can not make you lose weight. This process is slow and it really is a life style change. Personally I fight my demons weekly, old temptations will always be there and so I work at it everyday to make sure I remain true to banded living. Even 2 years out and at goal weight for several months now, I still write down all I eat, i still weigh and measure my meals. I don't want to ever gain my weight back, this is my life now and I have to live it to the fullest. So if you can not controll your hunger between meals, you are not filling full after about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of food for 3 hours at least, you need another fill. Talk to your doctor, I still see mine every 6 months even if I am having no problems.Good luck to you and believe in your self, this process does work for most, but it does take a lot of accountability to yourself. You have to own this!

Agree with both of the above. The only time I have experienced PBing or vomiting it was self induced. I eat to fast, I eat the wrong food, I take a drink while eating or I fail to chew my food. if you follow the rules, your chances of doing either are limited. But if you find your self in the situation that it does occure, research what you ate so you can avoid this in the future. It is not pleasant.

Your band is a little tight. But this is how my third fill went that I had in January this year. It took me 3 weeks before I was really able to eat a full meal like I was suppose to. I am stubborn and hate fills and unfills. so as long as I was able to drink, take in enough protein between protein shakes and soft foods I stuck it out. You should not have pain, the pressure your feeling or discomfort as you stated is the full feeling. You should be able to eat about 1 cup of food total of solids. I generally have swelling after a fill and mine seems to last a little longer than most, I have been very sensative to my fills from the beginning. I would suspect you have never felt this much restriction before and have been able to eat most anything you have wanted since surgery. If your band is working properly, you have to really chew your protein and you really can only eat about 1 cup or less at a meal. You ususally have a soft stop before you get to the uncomfortable feeling, for all that is different, it may be a burp, a hiccup or a full feeling in the back of your throat. Your doctor or NP is your best source of info, call them and discuss the situation and tell them what you can eat. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids, it is easy to get dehydrated.

Very personal decision but I decided to be totally and completely honest. Now I did not sing it from the roof tops, but I told all my close friends and family I was having surgery. I was afraid of the negativity or maybe I should say the people who would think I took the easy way out. Wrong, this is harder than any diet I have been on. My advice is tell people when you are comfortable, you will need the support and when eating with others it will stop you from having to always explain why you do not eat certain foods.What ever you decide to do, just remain focused and honest with your self.

Jim, great blog. What is an experienced Bandster. I find that a very thought provoking statement, i am almost 2 years post op and still have days when i get to comfortable with my band and my life and do something stupid like try to force the stuck food down with a drink of something. I also find my band is tighter in the morning and extremely tight when i am stressed. I have to constantly make myself eat breakfast and work past my restriction. You are also correct in this is not about restriction, it is about satiety, bandsters who rely on the band restricting them are like a time bomb waiting to explode. The use of the band his to come from within and you consciously following the rules and making healthy decisions. I really did not learn to fully use this tool until having it for a year. I do not rely on my "fills" to control my eating, i go through highs and lows when that appetite suppression is optimal and times when it just plan sucks and i feel like i could eat an entire cow. Head hunger is real and it is mind over matter and continually going to support groups and reminding your self of this will take you far in this journey. You are doing amazing but you are smart to realize that "You" and only you can make this work. Good luck to you and please join us on myfitnesspal.com, a group of us from this site routinely log our food and offer support to one another daily. My name there is same as on this site. Good luck to you!

Trial and error will be your friend for many months. What goes down today my not go down tomorrow. It took me a year before I finally got the hang of eating healthy with a band and it took me another year to really embrace what living with lap band meant. You and only you can learn your body and what keeps you satisfied and prevents you from snacking and cheating. Finding healthy snacks to munch on is key, in my early days I learned to love Soy Chips and nuts, Parmesan cheese chips and almonds. I rarely snack these days but in the beginning small treats like this helped me stay focused and not deprived. good luck to you.

Excellent article Jean, I have had great success with lap band. I have only had 3 fills in 2 years. My band has helped me have the to gain control and confidence in myself and my choices. To be honest what the band has really taught me is to chew my food and enjoy my meals and pay attention to what I am eating. I do hope other read this and realize that true success and failure with WLS has one common denominator. Me, myself and I. thanks for the reality check!

Hey Deb, Good to see you posting. I do identify with what you are saying, these day it is easy to make healthy choices. I enjoy healthy food and no longer have the cravings for snack foods. I spurge occasionally and allow myself a treat but it is always small and I plan my treats and count them in my total daily intake of calories. I know understand how thin people stay slim. They watch what they eat, if the do splurge they make up for it. I have to laugh sometimes, when I think I have had a bad day and eaten to much, that usually can be translated into, Diane at 1200 calories and didn't reach her protein intake. Hope your doing well with your joruney. Best To you, Diane

Changing to a low profile port is a surgical procedure. I have a low profile port, I can fill mine but it does not protrude very much at all.

I did some searching, there are some u-tube videos about this process. I think it would work for small amounts of lose skin but not for major issues. This is very similar to Thermage but it is using a lotion that the devices pushes deep into the skin. I understand the principle is to rehydrate the skin, trying to add collegen and rebuild the elastisity. The device with products ranges from 366 to 450 US dollars. You have to the do the procedure frequantly to maintain results. This is just a quick look!

No I have not read about it but will do a little reasearch on it. Thanks for posting!

Sounds like for 1 month out you are doing great. Patience is key to this journey, it takes time and patience and it is a lot of work. Exercise is key to the success and developing routines. Glad you are tracking your food on fitness ap, I have found this very helpful and one of the keys to my success these past 2 years. Yes I still measure, weigh and track what I eat daily. I want to make sure I am getting my protein and eating healthy. Good luck to you from South Carolina.

I have been banded for 2 years have not had problems to date but I have had friends that have had issues, band replaced, removed and revisions. Our physicians do not fill immediately after procedures due to manipulation of the band and possible swelling. Usually liquids for 48 hours after any procedure and than 3-4 weeks later a fill. Good luck to you, I know after your revision you will be able to refocus and get back on track.