okiekatt

I swear this chit just doesn’t want to let go, get pissed! but use it to win this brutal game of tug-a-war! do what you got to do, just don’t let it win! we have fought this with shakes, pills and programs, we now have the ultimate fighting weapon WE ARE SPARTACUS!!!

TYVM! it didn’t hit me until this morning that I should have just called him, it was 3:00am on a sat and I thought that the hospital would call him once I got there if they felt it was needed, but found out today that he is no longer affiliated with that hosp. Thank you again guys, this is such a learning process and times like this it is good to hear someone elese say they would have done the same thing, I somewhat felt silly for even going, the doc at hosp told me that vomiting blood is very common that it doesn’t take much to make that happen......did feel better when I left tho : ) They gave me IV Protonox and Phenergan, which I thought was ridiculous because I wasn’t nauseated. In about 30mins will be getting xrays to see if there is a slip

I had a stuck episode Friday did not want to throw up so I had fought it for about 4 hours and it finally cleared on its own, later I ate some cream of chicken soup, and it was horrible felt like someone sitting on my chest hard to breathe, after about 3 hours I ended up throwing up the soup at first, then clear flem, the more I tried to fight it the worse it would be and then it was blood every 15 mins for 4 hours, it wasn’t a little steak it was handfuls after 3 hours of freaking out I woke up my partner and off to the ER we went. What I have learned from this experience: #1 ER nurses and doctors do not have a clue about lap bands, AT ALL #2 Throwing up blood does not mean you are dying (my bad) #3 If you have a sever stuck episode it needs to be followed with 24 hours of clear liquids. #4 After a stuck episode never ever try to drink or eat in a reclined position. #5 As much as you want to just lay down and die, walk walk walk vacuum do laundry etc. laying down it only gets worse, #6 Morphine is not all that yesterday I was unable to keep anything down, this morning so far I have had 1/2 cup water and 1 cup tea, I will take is slow, and see what tomorrow brings if it isn’t better or gets worse I will call band doc and have it checked to see if it has slipped, but as of today I am hoping it has just gotten irritated and swollen. Of course all this is my very unprofessional opinion just my very personal experence.

Hello Everyone : ( I am so sorry, I know what it’s like, not only to hear the words you have a leak but everything that leads up to it, the weight gain feeling like a failure the disappointments with each fill thinking this might be the one to restrict me, getting the lectures on what to eat and how to eat each time I went in, I was going in every 3 weeks for 5 months before they told me they thought I had a leak and it was confirmed on a port a gram, had to have a second surgery the do a port replacement. I finally reached my "Green Zone" 1 year and 4 months after my 1st surgery Its been a struggle but I have not given up yet, but I do feel you pain

You will do great! is that s superman shirt you are wearing? save it for your pre and post pic THAT IS AWESOME!

If I came to this forum pre banded and read that the band does not make you full, it satiate you, I do not know if I would have made this commitment, when I first read this being stated I really wanted to chime in but over the last few weeks it really does appear that there is certain "click" here and didn’t really want to be crucified ....Through my entire journey every professional has used the word "FULL" even when I go in for fills, they ask if I feel FULL between meal?......... all I know is that I just ate my 1/2 cup of lunch and I am "FULL” as hell and if I ate another bite I will puke. just sayin ...it is what it is As far as the band leak they are not always found using fluro, I had two fills done with fluro and I had to have a Porta Gram done before they found mine but mine was in the port itself.

if it makes you feel any better I went every 3 weeks for a fill for 7 months before they told me i had a leak and needed a second surgery ...... then I had to wait a month after the second surgery to get my first fill and then so....... long story short 1 year and 4 months after my first surgery I am now in the green zone lol hopefully that will make you feel better lol what I am really wanting to say is ...you will be there before you know it, stay strong and be patient .... so sorry you are having this bad experience tho I hate it when they have to dig around and I hope you will not have to have a second surgery

Hello sylviau, good question, I am way to tight in the mornings I have recently changed to a warm cup of coffee with one scoop of vanilla unjury, gives it that heavy cream and sugar taste (yummy) great pick me up, protein intake, and helps things move through the system a little faster. every once in awile I will have an egg over easy.

1 scoop of vanilla Unjry to my black coffee takes the place of the cream and sugar, GOOD STUFF, I get my protien, warms up my band so lunch goes through a little easier, a little pick me up and helps things move through the system a little faster WIN WIN

Same thing happen to me last Sunday, thought I was going to have to go to the ER but I knew if I did they would completely empty it, and there is no way I was going to start all over, once it gets irritated it will let you know! in the process of all this my daughter told me she wished she would have gotten a lapband when I did, I just looked at her and asked even after seeing me like this, she said "Absolutely"....really made me think and I also am going to try to get to some support group meetings, now that I am in the green zone I need a refresher course on the rules plus at the same time learning a few of my own, Glad you are ok, sure makes you wonder am I to tight or just need to be more careful, learning process for sure!

hello, not familiar with tulsa i did get something in the mail from usa that does fills out of tulsa, I am from oklahoma city and use dr gornichec at intergris hosp he charges 150.00 for private pay or if you dont want to go through your insurance, he also files insurance as well , not sure if that is much help but thought I would throw that out there.

Skdeleon, I can feel your frustration and I can completely relate, I was spending months on months getting fills every three weeks, and never feeling any restrictions, I was getting a lot of the same responses you are, it made me feel that I was not working with the band or trying hard enough and That is what made me feel like a failure, then I found out I had a leak, after my second surgery and second fill I still was not feeling restricted when I went in for a 3rd fill my doctor also said I was where I needed to be and instead tested my metabolism and said it was low, after another 3 months and Reading Alex’s post “Finding the Lap Band Green zone” I knew I was not there. Basically went into my doctors and begged for a fill they gave me .25 cc ….And IT DID IT! I GET IT! So if you are struggling with hunger I would very much suggest a fill, The green zone dose exist and I know you are not a failure.

Before I was banded one of our reps was banded and I would see him about every 3 months and every time I saw him he would get smaller and smaller I never really said anything because I figured that is all he heard all day long and he was probably sick of hearing it, and maybe a bit of jealousy played a big part too , now that I have been banded I really REALLY wished I would have told him how great he looked and how one day I wished that I could be banded too. I started this journey at 239 and got my first compliment at 209 I went on atkins before getting band fixed and dropped to 192 and was getting daily compliments from my patients, family, coworkers and friends but as soon as I stopped atkins I gained back fast to 210 I am now in the green zone and at 198 and loosing aprox 1.5 a week but nobody has noticed or dont want to jenks me again LOL

JennyPenny I can so completly relate but Please don’t give up, I went in faithfully every 3 weeks for fills for 7 months after I was banded in April of 2011, it wasn’t working for me I would get a fill and be starved by the time I got home, next morning fighting all the urges that come with hunger, after 7 months my doc told me I had a leak.....I was very depressed but in a sense, happy that I could get it fixed and the band might work, after my second surgery and my second fill they had a horrid time giving me a fill and then halfway home I realized I was overfilled, with that experience it took me 6 months to get the nerve to go in again, some things where getting stuck but most of the time my appetite was very high, he also decided I did not need a fill, again feeling like a failure and that this is and was just not going to work for me, 6 months later I went in and basically begged for a fill, I had been here to this forum enough to know what I should be feeling and at no time in the last year have I truly 100% experienced this "green zone" they gave me 1/4 of a cc and I am now in the green zone I GET IT! no breads, eat slow, no soda, 3 small (less the 1/2cup) meals a day and full for 4 hours, and all the other little things you hear about, good and bad, I am here the GREEN ZONE I have averaged a 1.5 lb. weight loss per week, and I am so glad I didn’t give up, so please don’t give up it might take longer then you had expected and it might just take a drop or two but just know you will get there eventually.

Never was a coffee drinker, until now, my band is very tight in the AM and coffee with a scoop of unjury makes the perfect band warmer/relaxer, I get my protein, a little pick me up and it seems to help things move through the system a little faster. no problems and my doctor has never said not to.

My last fill was 1/4 cc and that has took me from feeling unrestricted to the green almost red zone 1/4 THATS CRAZY! the last fill I got was 1cc and I got half way down the street and had to run back to his office for an unfill. tricky little things they are

WOW! you have been very dedicated and strong through everything, you have been through A LOT! And you still have not given up and that says a lot! I was going in for fills every 3 weeks for 7 long months before they told me I had a leak, had second surgery Sept of last year and 3 weeks ago almost a year later I finally for the first time reached my green zone maybe closer to the red but too afraid to have a unfill right now, I give you kudos for hanging in there I know it can be hard. the only and only thing I Could suggest is to trade your Starbucks Frappuccino Lights for a regular coffee with a scoop of Unjury vanilla or if you prefer a mocha try the chocolate splendor, I finally had to let go of my morning sweet tea and now I am finally seeing the scale move. But I still get my caffeine, the warming effect on my band, less calories and it just seems to help things move through the system a little faster, Good Luck hang in there!

I completely understand, I think you are probley doing the right thing, please keep us updated, I might be right behind you lol

Hello KImj384, How long has it been since your last fill and how long after it did you start feeling this way? I am sitting here in the exact same place as you, after my last fill 2 weeks ago I was so happy that I was finally in the green zone for the 1st time since my surgery over a year ago,but in the last few days it seems that it has tightened a bit, at least in the mornings, I have ordered some Unjury to add to coffee in the mornings (even tho I am not a coffee drinker) it has really great reviews and with the warming effect I think it will make lunch time a little more pleasant, from what I have read is that the band loosens as you lose weight, for me going for an unfill seems redundant especially since they only added ¼ of a CC . I’m going to try and tough this one out, but I will be keeping a close eye on this topic, hope things get easier for you. Thank you for posting!

Hello Fellow Bandsters, I have finally reached the "Green Zone" and so excited with this renewed faith, I was wondering how long it will last, I have heard as you loose weight you band will loosen, it has taken me sooooooo long to get here I am hoping that it will last for awile, Can you tell me when you have been in the "Green Zone" how long it lasted for you? TYVM

I was getting fills every 3 weeks after surgery for 7 months 2 were under fluoro before they told me I had a leak, each time I had hoped that this time would be it, after my second surgery on my 2nd fill, I was on my way home and my chest started getting this pain and I couldn’t even swallow, ran back into the office for an unfill, , 4 months later I saved up the money and got up the nerves to get 3rd fill, and my doctor did a test that showed my metabolism was low and gave me some pills sent me home with no fill, the pills did help but.......I never had that full feeling you hear about, eating a cup or less and being full for 3-4 hours sounded like exaggeration to me ...so 4 months later after my last attempt to get a fill 11 months after my second surgery and 1 year and 3 months after my first surgery, I walked in his office and pretty much begged for a fill, and they gave me...ready for this?? 1/4 of a cc .......And it WORKED! for the first time EVER I get it! I really never think about food, mornings I am too tight to eat even my protein drink goes down slow, at noon 2 scoops of tuna from subway and dinner half a can of enchilada soup I don’t eat the same thing every day, that is just an example, it is crazy kewl when it works and I wake up each day hoping that it hasn’t stopped it’s been over a week and I find this overwhelming excitement thinking this is it!!! I really felt that last week was going to be my last attempt, it wasn’t working, wasn’t going to work, and would never work, I was just going to be one of those people that the band just didn’t work for. Very sad and very depressing BUT NOT ANYMORE! So, if you are like I was please never give up its hard and so so depressing if it’s not working for you find out why,,you might have a leak or you might just need a teenie tiny adjustment, just don’t give up

When you are in the "green zone" you know it.....I got a fill every 3 weeks after surgery for 7 months before they told me I had a leak, each time I had hoped that this time would be it, after my second surgery on my 2nd fill, I was on my way home and my chest started getting this pain and I couldn’t even swallow, ran back into the office for an unfill, , 4 months later I saved up the money and got up the nerves to get 3rd fill, and my doctor did a test that showed my metabolism was low and gave me some pills sent me home with no fill, the pills did help but.......I never had that full feeling you hear about, eating a cup or less and being full for 3-4 hours sounded like exaggeration to me ...so 4 months later after my last attempt to get a fill 11 months after my second surgery and 1 year and 3 months after my first surgery, I walked in his office and pretty much begged for a fill, and they gave me...ready for this?? 1/4 of a cc .......And it WORKED for the first time EVER I get it! I really never think about food, mornings I am too tight to eat even my protein drink goes down slow, at noon 2 scoops of tuna from subway and dinner half a can of enchilada soup I don’t eat the same thing every day, that is just an example, it is crazy kewl when it works and I wake up each day hoping that it hasn’t stopped it’s been 1 week today and I find this overwhelming excitement thinking this is it!!! I really felt that last week was going to be my last attempt, it wasn’t working, wasn’t going to work, and would never work, I was just going to be one of those people that the band just didn’t work for. Very sad and very depressing BUT NOT ANYMORE! So, if you are like I was please never give up its hard and so so depressing if it’s not working for you find out why,,you might have a leak or you might just need a teenie tiny adjustment just don’t give up

wtg!! welcome summer with the new you!!

WTG! Welcome to WONderland!!! I love it here but I get so worried that they next time I step on the scale it will change. holding tight!

WTG! congrats! I love hearing NSV ....last weekend I put on last years bathing suit and it didnt fit ....not just loose or baggy didnt fit, but look down the front and see my toes didnt fit (tankini).....I serously had to sit down to take it all in.