muelle

First of all, congratulations on getting the band and losing 41 pounds! I joined this site a few days after getting my band in November of 2010, so I am almost five years banded. I haven't been on here in a long time becasue as one other post said, there was a lot of negativety and some mean posts. I just want to reassure you that if you follow your doctors directions, you should be just fine. I have had absolutley NO complications. The first year I saw my surgeon monthly, recieved small fills, and followed the rules. I lost 100 pound in 9 months and loved it. The only rule I didnt follow was exercising. Looking back, I wished I had. Through the second year I gained about 15 pounds, but was still happy with myself. I was fortunate and don't have much extra skin, but enough that I wanted to do something about it. So a couple months ago I started exercising on a Bowflex Max, and have dropped two pant sizes and 15 pounds. I just had another fill yesterday because, as I'm sure you know, as you lose weith the fat pad around your stomach shrinks and fills are needed. My ultimate goal is maybe ten more pounds, but if I don't lose another pound, I'd still be completely satisfied. Hang in there and stay positive! If you have any questions feel free to ask me! Good luck!

110 pounds and at goal

I personally feel hunger next to never. In the almost 2 1/2 years I've been banded, I've only felt actual physical hunger maybe a dozen times, and only for a short amount of time, less than 5 minutes. I have head hunger, but not physical hunger. From what I've read and seen, this is not the norm. Good luck to you on your journey!

I agree! My daughter was talking to a friend about the surgery (she was recently banded in February as well) and they were concerned it wouldn't work. She found an old picture of me (I was hard to photograph pre-surgery as well) and showed them before and afters. They didn't believe I was the same person. She showed me the picture and it was a confidence boost as to how far I've come. Congrats to you on your weight loss and good luck!!!

If you send these questions to my profile as a message, I will be happy to help!

I know every BC/BS plan is different. I have Highmark BC/BS and they do require the six month supervised diet. I had my surgery two years ago and my daughter had hers two weeks ago. It took 18 months and two different six month supervised diets to get my daughter approved. They denied her the second time and I appealed it. They said she had to see a nutritionist and a doctor every month, and she had only been seeing the doctor. Fortunately they approved the appeal, but I recommend you call your insurance and have them send you the requirements in writing and ask them to specifically explain the requirements to you. It is heartbreaking to jump through all the hoops and get denied. Good luck to you!!!

I was banded 11/29/2010 and get a stitch like pain in my left side just under my ribs occasionally. My port is in the same area, but the pain is not where my port is. You're right, it's not overly painful, but very annoying. I asked a PA at my surgeon's office and she didn't have an answer for me. I notice mine when I stand for a long period of time. I wondered if it might just be pulling on the mucsle? Good luck with your band!

Instead of mother-daughter lunch dates, we are going to have a mother- daughter fill date I have been banded for two years and three months, and after almost two years of struggling to be approved, my nineteen year old daughter was banded on Valentine's Day. She says it is the best Valentine's gift she will ever receive. I started at 244, and hit goal weight in nine months, then lost another 30 pounds by my one year bandiversary. After being told I looked too thin and ill, I gained 15 pounds and have retained my weight since then. I am able to do this without feeling like I'm missing out on anything, I eat what I want, just less of it, less often. I hope and pray my daughter has the same result as me. She has a bit more to lose, but I am positive she will get there! Good luck to all of you!!!

Birdie, I wish I could tell you how many calories I consume, but I don't now and never have counted calories. My surgeon always said, "Don't eat if you aren't hungry," but I only have actual physical hunger once a month maybe. Because of this, my eating schedule is horrible. Some days I only eat once a day around 4 or 5, but some days I eat a few times a day. I pretty much eat what I want, just a lot less of it I haven't been the best at exercising either, but plan on exercising with my daughter to help her in her journey. I read somewhere that a woman needs somewhere between 1800-2200 calories per day to maintain weight depending on activity level. I do make sure to drink a lot of water, usually between 68 and 100 ounces per day. I'm sorry this isn't very helpful, I have always been the atypical lapbander. Thank you and congrats to you too! Being within seven pounds is awesome!

Two years and three months later, and I still love my band. I have had no complications, and had such success with it that my nineteen year old daughter just got banded last week. I look forward to seeing her success as well. Good luck to all, and congratulations to all who have succeeded!!!

I would definitely check with your doctor, but I have occipital neuralgia and a bulged disc in my neck and have been prescribed an anti-inflammatory once daily and muscle relaxer three times daily. I have checked with my surgeon about the anti-inflammatory and he says they can be harmful if taken regularly for too long. I don't believe muscle relaxers are NSAIDS though I'm not certain. I only take them when I absolutely have to in fear of getting an ulcer in my pouch. Good luck to you!

I am almost two years post op and rarely travel When I do, it's usually no more than four hours in the car. Thursday we took my oldest to college and spent roughly fifteen hours in the car in one day. Since then I have had pain in my left side, just left of my port. I noticed it started in the last four hours or so of the trip and feels like a pulled muscle or like a "stitch" in my side. I could feel my port "rubbing" on my ribs the last part of the trip as well, probably from not sitting with good posture. I am concerned because we have to travel ten hours two days in a row, and if it still hurts like this, I'm not sure what I'll do. Has anyone experienced anything like this? I am going to try heat today and see if that helps. Any help would be greatly appreciated

I have only experienced actual physical hunger maybe a dozen time in the almost two years I've been banded. I also don't really get a full sensation, more like a satisfied sensation. I too pretty much just eat for nutrition, but I don't see it as a bad thing. I love it

This breaks my heart to read I have three of the worlds greatest, most beautiful daughters, one of whom is going to have lapband surgery too. I believe strongly that we must tell our kids, especially our media influenced daughters, everyday how beautiful they are. My daughter that is going to have surgery has never let her weight hold her back, she always played sports and is very outgoing and popular. It sounds to me like you have tried not to let your mother's negative comments hold you back and for that you have proven you have the strength to succeed in whatever you choose to do. Hang in there and stay strong. You are beautiful.....period! Not, "you have a pretty face." Good luck to you!

I am almost 2 years post op and get the same thing occasionally. It is a signal for me that I have either eaten too much or am not chewing well enough. Good luck to you!!!

I had lapband surgery 11/29/2010 and have been what I consider successful with it. At the time of surgery my oldest daughter was almost 17 and at that time my husband and I gave her the option to start the process to get the lapband as well. At the time she declined and we completely supported her decision. About six months later after seeing my success, she decided to start the process so she would be able to get the band around her 18th birthday. Our insurance requires a six month physician and or dietician supervised diet, phych eval, and blood tests. We chose to go the physician supervised route with her, because that is what I did and it worked. Due to scheduleing conflicts, school trips and doctor on maternity leave, it wasn't six consecutive months, so our insurance denied her. She was so upset and wanted to just give up. I told her we haven't gone this far to give up, we will start the six months over and she will get her band then. The insurance made it clear they would deny an appeal, and that all she needs to do is start her six months over and they will approve it. The only issue with this is that we are taking her 400 miles away for college next Thursday, so I spent literally the whole day on the phone yesterday with the insurance, physicians, and dieticians trying to get someone to take her on. Luckily, I think I got it done. Thank you for taking the time to read my long venting story. I really just needed to get this off my chest while not letting my daughter see my saddness for her. Good luck to everyone!

Thanks to all of you for your great posts. I appreciate all of them and all of your advice/information. I have thought hard about her being young and if she can handle the changes. Since being banded myself, my whole familiy has changed their eating habits and I believe this will aid her in the long run. We also paid for the meal plan with her dorm, and they have some really great healthy options for food! Luckily she has always been wise beyond her years and the psychiatrist said she is a great candidate for the surgery, even being young. She will be going to the University of NE at Lincoln, and it is at their campus health center that I finally found a physician willing to do her six month diet and exercise program. She is so motivated and excited to use the awesome exercise facility on campus, and is taking her bike instead of her car as well Thanks again to all of you!

I love this topic My daughters are always telling me that my collar bones stick out too much and it's gross. Secretly.....I love it! Good luck to you!

I don't know if this will help, and sorry if it is too graphic, but post surgery, vomitting from being stuck is not like the vomitting you have done in the past. I was like you and would cry when I vomitted, and I hardly ever cry. Since surgery though, it really isn't the same, and I don't want to go into too much detail, but if you chew, chew, chew and eat really slow, you should not have any issues. Also if you get ill with a stomach bug and feel the need to vomit, you should get ahold of your doctor asap and get an anti naseau medicine. They work really well, and a lot of us banders have them on hand Good luck to you!

I need to go back to kindergarten I just re-read the original post and see that Mama Mama said she "can't" feel her port, not that she "can" feel it lol. Sorry for the mis read, my post probably didn't make sense, but like everyone else has said, it is normal to not feel your port as well I have seen many posts on here with the same concern, so you are not alone

It is very normal I have been able to feel mine since I was about a week post op. On the plus side, it should be easier when you go in for a fill Good luck to you!

For the first few days post op I had little cups, kind of like a medicine cup, to drink out of. I was told to drink 2 oz. every 15 minutes. At least I think it was 2 oz every 15 minutes, it was almost 2 years ago This way I was unable to accidentally gulp too much water at one time. Good luck!

Irish 1, my doctor does little fills on me because I will have restriction, lose weight, and need another tiny fill to gain restriction again. I've had 2 unfills, and both times were when I had more than .10 ccs put in. My doctor is great and pretty much relies on how I feel as to fill or unfill me, but I know different doctors have different opinions. Good luck!

More and more shoes aren't being made with support You may be better off buying a shoe with a removable sole and buying a good quality insert instead. Try a Skecher or an Easy Spirit tennis shoe, they are some of the more supportive and comfortable tennis shoe and not overly expensive. They also have a removable insole. Good luck to you!

Sorry for your bad experience I have had over a dozen fills and a couple unfills and have never had to be stuck more than once. I was horrified at my 1st fill when my surgeon told me he doesn't use a numbing cream 1st, but it didn't hurt, and never has hurt, one bit. I hope your fills get easier with time and this was just a fluke. Good luck to you!!!