B-52

I had that happen to me once...could not draw out of the band...fortunately my port is right up under the skin, (no belly fat) and you can clearly see the port and tubing....and the kink was apparent as he pulled back on the syringe...so it was easy to massage the tubing with my finger while he worked the syringe. So yes, it can and does happen....

That's better than having people talk behind your back thinking you are terminally ill with cancer or something....

I could have not asked for better results from the band....don't know how I would have dome with other procedures, but what does it matter.... I asked my Dr. once why all the discussion concerning the band versus other procedures, popularity, success rates, etc.... He even asked me why I did not go for the sleeve....said it would have been easier. (?) He said he generally recommends other procedures over the band, and that he does not get as good results with the band as compared to others....reason is not because of the band, but because of the patients....patients have too much control with the band, It is adjustable, and the patient can choose how the band is adjusted to their comfort levels... If a patient feels they are too tight, then he is obligated to remove some Fluid, when in reality the band was not too tight but that the patient wanted to continue eating the way they wanted to. The opposite is true also.... Too much leeway, and hard to get everything, the band, the patient, and the diet (eating habits, foods) all in synch. The PA there, whom I get along with very well, is always telling me stories about band patients coming in to get fluid taken out due to upcoming weddings, holidays, or the simple fact they want to be able to eat their favorite Desserts again.... All she can do is roll her eyes...people just don't get it...she thought they wanted to loose weight. Guess not. Whereas other procedures, it is what it is....no adjusting, other than the patient....learn to live with it or not.

How much are you getting for communion? You need to lighten up...there will be bigger and more important issues.... Just saying....

Probably get a complete un-fill and give everything a rest for a while.... I've been told that this can happen when eating beyond the bands stop signals....but then it can't happen if food passes through the band at normal speeds, Interested to hear what your Dr. says....

I always like it when someone does research and tells everyone the way it actually is, and yet my own personal experience is the complete opposite....or is it all in my head and I'm just imagining it? I know for a fact, and have for years, food does not pass through my band normally, and as far as drinking, I cannot drink while eating, even if I wanted to..... Oh well, I guess I m not as successful as I thought I was...I'm really still fat and just don't accept it... Internet...what would I do without it....

The mere presence of the band, where it is placed, can stimulate certain nerves telling your brain whether you are hungry, need to eat, etc.... Some people get this from day one....some people need to eat to stimulate the nerves, some people need to get a fill(s) for this to happen.... and unfortunately, some people never experience this....relying on old fashion dieting techniques. I had a few fills, and ever since the last one I am never hungry, 2-3 swallows and I don't feel like continuing, and I totally have a lack of interest in food altogether....which also means no cravings....and head hunger is only that...in my head. It is not something physical....I have never felt full as many other people here have described....you could say I feel full 24 hrs a day, but in reality it is my brain telling me I am full, not the other way around.... As far as when and if I needed a fill, my Dr. always referred to the "Yellow-Green-Red" chart he has hanging on the wall, ask me a few questions, compare my current weight against the last visit, then determine if a fill is needed or not...After 3 visits, and 3 fills, I was finished and have not needed a fill since...... It is different for everybody....that is why it is adjustable....and everybody can decide where they want to be and how they want to work the band....or in my case, how the band works me....

How easy is it for you to lay flat on your back on the hard floor??? Try it for a few hours straight. Can do funny things to your spine, vertebrae, possibly pinching nerves,...

After I did my 2 week pre-op weight loss, I had my final appointment and weigh -in on a Friday, before a Monday morning surgery.... After the final visit with my Surgeon, my wife and I went out and I had what I call my "last Supper"...went to a place I knew I would never be able to go to again after surgery, and really "pigged Out"....my favorite all you can eat Chinese buffet, complete with a raw bar and sushi bar.... Then saturday and sunday, for the most part, I fasted and was good to go come monday... that was over 3 years ago, and yes, I have never been back, nor have I ever been able to eat sushi... I can only eat 25-35% of what I ate before,volume wise, and there are many foods my band will not let me eat at all...

Failed??? You may not understand this right now, but believe me someday you will.... But you have not even started yet.... At this early point, you are just hanging around the starting line preparing for the gun to go off... That's how it is with Lap Band surgery as opposed to the other bariatric surgeries... You need to lighten up and relax....for in 2-3 months you are really going to find yourself between a rock and a hard place... Do the best you can, try to learn all the lessons. You will need the things you are learning now later on down the road. And with all lessons to be learned, don't expect to ace every test...

And that folks...is what it's all about. Congratulations on your complete success....

I quit counting calories about 3 months after surgery....been in the green zone since 5-6 months after surgery.... My approach is, and has been, to eat normally, just a lot less than before surgery. And of course there are foods I will never be able to eat again with the band......and since I eat so little I make the best of what I do eat by choosing the best, nutritional foods I can, with protein first on my mind.... And I am not afraid to enjoy things dieters would never dream of eating....or drinking.

Had my surgery when I was 59....had a long list of medical issues, some very serious, life threatening....was seeing 5 different Dr.'s on a regular basis....throw my bariatric surgeon in and that makes 6....all medical issues have been reversed.... Even my heart attack, can't reverse the damage done, but I put others to shame when I take my annual stress test. I'm now 62, soon to be 63, and I feel and behave like someone 35 years younger....

My Dr., from day one, always said to me to "Learn to Listen to your band" I never understood what in the world he was talking about, but now I do.... It will tell me if I am doing something improper...it will tell me what I can and cannot eat...but like LadyVS said, it is usually foods that aren't good for you in the first place, so what does it matter... It may not be human...but it does communicate...sometimes just a whisper, sometimes it will scream at me....and by learning to listen, (with the right amount of restriction)it does handle hunger/cravings, it does limit my portion sizes, it does restrict me from eating certain foods, it does prevent me from making any big mistakes.... It was not easy getting there, did not happen overnight, and took a lot of behavior modification on my part to let the band do it's part....a balance... Granted, stuff happens, and we have no control over other things in our lives, other medical issues, that interfere with the band... When I read posts about failures, many times something else has happened, and because of that all the Fluid in the band had to be removed....with no fault of the user... Then there are other times....

If you just had surgery last month, then you need to fully understand what this lap band surgery is all about....just because you had this thing installed, it does not always mean it is going to do anything just yet....does for some, but that is a minority...the low end of the bell curve.... Now comes the series of band adjustments to find what is the best setting for you.... When I was where you're at...(I'm assuming you're recently banded) I actually started to gain weight as though nothing changed....then only after my second adjustment my weight gain/loss leveled off...then later after another fill, started to loose consistently ... It took me months for this to actually start doing what it was supposed to do......not overnight....or weeks even But hang in there...it DOES WORK!

I agree 110% with what HotButterFly says.... I would not call 100% rare at all...except maybe on this forum...there are many who have 100% success and simply have no reason and nothing to gain (except frustration at times) by hanging around this forum where perhaps 80% are still learning... I have been at this 100% success place for years now.... Does your boyfriend do anything for maintenance? Granted, this is not a diet and the word maintenance does not exist with weight loss surgery the same as it would... Being as you say, 100% successful, on tends to forget the band is even there...going about your daily business day by day.... But the band is there and needs attention now and then...if not, it will let you know....people at that point understand what I'm talking about. I don't know how long he has been at the place were he has completed all this, but people who have been can feel subtle differences when they happen and can usually have some understanding as to what from the daily routine has become different, If this is something he has no clue what may have happened, and not sure what to do, or what he usually does, then he should contact his Dr. as soon as possible...may be something completely out of his control.... A dr. will usually do a complete un-fil, accomplishing the same thing HotButterFly is saying....

As long as one is loosing weight, effortlessly, then that is all that matters...don't care what they are doing...there are people here who never had a fill and are doing just fine, and some need to find that "Perfect" balance between the band, and their new adjusted lifestyle.... Congratulations!!

In the beginning I found hat many of the "Rules" did not make any sense to me.....and I told everyone on my Dr.'s staff...they had me practicing then even before I had surgery.... I forget who it was exactly,m I think the NUT, told me they wanted me to start learning them now, because eventually they will have to become 2nd nature if I wanted to be able to live with the band...and that a lifetime of following bad rules is going to be a hard thing to break, so we start all out patients as soon as possible.... And she was 100% correct...I cannot get through a meal unless I follow certain rules...I would not tolerate the band if I tried to eat and do things the way I used to before surgery..... Plus I have found as I go along, I develop some new rules of my own....such as certain food types I will never eat again....

I have stopped loosing for almost 3 years now, and I can tell you it is an entirely different social structure now in more ways I can even mention.... Plus, I feel one gets back what one gives...so being slim, fit and healthy boosts ones own self confidence, self image, and overall vigor....making me more open, forward and friendly to strangers or people I first meet....I'll strike up conversations with just about anyone, anywhere, and any age..... So it works both ways. I'm 62 years old and I am enjoying life now more that I have in I don't know how long. Wish I had done this a long time ago.... People who knew me before when I was fat, have long forgotten and don't talk about it anymore...it is old news and I am accepted the way I am now naturally....and people I newly meet do not know I was ever obese.... This surgery had done so much in so many different ways...it's incredible!

I had my first fill of 4cc's 4 weeks after surgery.....was scheduled to come back 4 weeks after that....in between those appointments, after my first fill, I GAINED weight.... I showed up at the next appointment, discouraged and frustrated....my Dr. LAUGHED at me....said I didn't "Get It", but I will eventually...he then explained the whole process to me, Green Zone, etc, and what his treatment plan was to get me there....so he gave me a 2nd fill....and all that happened then was I maintained my weight...did not gain, nor loose..... The 3rd fill is the one that did the trick...sent me for a loop...it took me a while to adjust to it. I wanted to go back and get the fill removed but my Dr. talked me out of it....he knew it was me that was the problem, not a tight band....and he was right!

You're right...with that attitude you won't make it.... If I was so perfect, then why in the world would I need or want surgery? I had surgery because I could not stop the hunger, the cravings, and the non stop eating..... Pre-op diet? What a joke...I don't know why your Dr. wants you to do it...mine did not. It was the insurance co, that wanted it just for the record, I did at least attempt a medically supervised diet, in other words for the record I explored and tried all possible avenues to loose weight, AND FAILED....THEREFORE surgery was my only and last resort. BTW, I had to do a 6 month pre-op diet, and just like any one of the 100's of diets I attempted, it started out well for the first 3-4 months, then I started to cheat, and finally started to gain all the weight back. Very typical for me, and they should have not expected anything different.......... But again, that was my Dr. and my Insurance co.'s approach...everyone should follow their Dr.'s orders....not mine. It was the 2 week diet before surgery I stuck out because at that point nothing was going to prevent me from this surgery. Cake?? I had a fantastic piece of carrot cake just a few nights ago...and generally get some kind of dessert when we go out to eat. And I by no means consider myself a failure...I have lost every possible pound I can without loosing essential body mass - muscle....and I still enjoy life, and food....just not nearly as much food as before....and I get my daily Protein, Water, Vitamins and exercise. People look at this surgery in many different ways....to me, I am not on a diet....yet many people here on this forum look at it that way, and carry over the same attitudes and apply the little gimmicks and motivational quotes, etc. Sometimes, if I did not know any better I would think this was a Jenny Craig website and not a Bariatric Surgery website. Like catfish87 said, NORMAL people eat cake....and I am NORMAL!!! It is the NEW NORMAL, but I eat what I want, when I want. Hang in there, and hopefully after a few months or a year after surgery, you will begin to "Get It"...I know it took me a while, but I finally did and it has been HEAVEN ever since. Complete freedom from all that other nonsense other people go through 365 days a year.

About 6 months after surgery I began to get these sharp pains, like a knife, in my abdomen. Very painful. Freaked me out too, so spoke with my Dr. about it.... What he said was happening to me was this...the port was anchored to the abdominal muscle wall with sutures...as I lost weight, and was eating less on a daily basis, not to mention exercising, my stomach was shrinking and getting firmer....since the port was placed when I was fat, it was now stretching and tearing as my abdomen shrunk... It eventually stopped, never to happen again. BTW, with so many stories about flipped ports, I wonder if this is something my Dr. does and not many others...

I am coming up,on 4 years....have been 100% successful for well over 2 years...I have not had a single problem...not one. This has been the easiest thing I could have ever done...,no hunger, portion sizes completely under control, unable to overeat no matter how hard I may try....if I wanted to that is...I cannot cheat if I wanted to. Goal weights have come and gone...my body stopped loosing when it decided it was finished loosing, settling at a good body fat % in the "Fit-athletic" range....don't care for BMI's...to me they're worthless, unless you are just starting out. I have not gained nor lost any weight in over 2-1/2 years....I live day by day, without even thinking about it...just go about my business...eat what and when I want....and I don't want much, and when I do I choose good healthy nutritious foods...no calorie counting, no portion measuring. I do keep a close watch on my daily Protein intake, as well as Water. And I go to the gym every chance I get...feel like crap when I don't. I do not fear parties, holidays, family picnics, cruises...whatever...the band is the band is the band, no matter where I am at or what time of year it is,,,the band does not change. The first 4-6 months was pure struggling, and frustrating to say the least...felt it was a big waste of my time and that I made a big mistake......but once my band got properly adjusted, and most importantly after I GOT ADJUSTED TO THE BAND, it HAS been a magic wand the whole way....it is a NEW NORMAL...not a diet...will never have a need to go on a diet again...not as long as the band remains a constant, then so will I. I know everyone has their own story of success to share, but you asked for one and this one is mine....100%...Finished! And proud of it.

There will come a day when you will weight yourself at least twice a day and each time feel absolutely invigorated and motivated.... I went to see my cardiologist today....got on the scale and YES! take that and add a BP of 106/60, and a pulse of 60....not bad, not bad at all is all the Dr. could say.

The port is supposed to be anchored to the abdominal muscle.....which would be below layers of fat and skin....as you loose fat, it becomes more towards the surface..... I have lost all belly fat, and there is only the skin layers covering my port. there fore yo can see it as plain as day...every nook and cranny, including the tubing running out the side for a few inches before it goes deep. As much as I want to show off my body, I choose not to wear shirts that are too tight because you will see a big lump.... but as someone said, it's a small price to pay for getting a new body and a new life....would I rather be fay and unhealthy both physically and mentally - socially and not have a exposed port? NO WAY!