donali

Glitter, you did right. I'm looking for responses to banded, was banded but had it removed, and not yet/never been banded. I wish I had broken the band removed category up into subcategories, but that can always be another post...

Sighing is a very common "soft stop" sign that you have had enough. I guess burping could be, as well, although a lot of bandsters burp waaaay more after being banded than ever before. Some people have a little sneeze, some people have a little hiccup. It's good that you're recognizing your soft stop early!

Roflmao!!!!

Dody, here's the info about why NSAIDs can be dangerous to the band, and some thoughts on carbonation. http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=12442 These types of medications can cause ulcerations in non-banded patients, so are particularly dangerous for banded patients where the medication in pill form has a chance to be caught in the upper pouch or stoma and lay against the stomach wall, burning a hole in the lining of your stomach and possibly increasing your risk of erosion. Also, it's not just the physical presence of the pill in the stomach that is problematic. There's something about the way the drug works in our bodies that causes increased susceptibility to ulcers and bleeding. liquid Tylenol is generally recommended as an aspirin substitute, but always check with your doc before taking any medications. ALWAYS check with your band doctor before taking any kind of medication. Many band docs will closely monitor those patients that must take NSAIDs for whatever reasons. http://lyberty.com/encyc/articles/nsaid.html NSAIDs : non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Aspirin (Anacin, Ascriptin, Bayer, Bufferin, Ecotrin, Excedrin) Choline and magnesium salicylates (CMT, Tricosal, Trilisate) Choline salicylate (Arthropan) Celecoxib (Celebrex) Diclofenac potassium (Cataflam) Diclofenac sodium (Voltaren, Voltaren XR) Diclofenac sodium with misoprostol (Arthrotec) Diflunisal (Dolobid) Etodolac (Lodine, Lodine XL) Fenoprofen Calcium (Nalfon) Flurbiprofen (Ansaid) Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Motrin IB, Nuprin) Indomethacin (Indocin, Indocin SR) Ketoprofen (Actron, Orudis, Orudis KT, Oruvail) Magnesium salicylate (Arthritab, Bayer Select, Doan's pills, Magan, Mobidin, Mobogesic) Meclofenamate sodium (Meclomen) Mefenamic acid (Ponstel) Meloxicam (Mobic) Nabumetone (Relafen) Naproxen (Naprosyn, Naprelan*) Naproxen sodium (Aleve, Anaprox) Oxaprozin (Daypro) Piroxicam (Feldene) Rofecoxib (Vioxx) Salsalate (Amigesic, Anaflex 750, Disalcid, Marthritic, Mono-Gesic, Salflex, Salsitab) Sodium salicylate (various generics) Sulindac (Clinoril) Tolmetin sodium (Tolectin) Valdecoxib (Bextra)<O:p></O:p> Note: Some products, such as Excedrin, are combination drugs (Excedrin is acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine).<O:p></O:p> Note that acetaminophen (Paracetamol; Tylenol) is not on this list. Acetaminophen belongs to a class of drugs called analgesics (pain relievers) and antipyretics (fever reducers). The exact mechanism of action of acetaminophen is not known. Acetaminophen relieves pain by elevating the pain threshold, that is, by requiring a greater amount of pain to develop before it is felt by a person. It reduces fever through its action on the heat-regulating center of the brain. Specifically, it tells the center to lower the body's temperature when the temperature is elevated. Acetaminophen relieves pain in mild arthritis but has no effect on the underlying inflammation, redness and swelling of the joint. Paracetamol, unlike other common analgesics such as aspirin and ibuprofen, has no anti-inflammatory properties, and so it is not a member of the class of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. <O:p * Naproxen Sodium " Naprelan contains naproxen sodium, a member of the arylacetic acid group of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)" "The chemical name for naproxen sodium is 2-naphthaleneacetic acid, 6-methoxy-a-methyl-sodium salt, (S)." No carbonation (CONTROVERSIAL - many do anyway) The number one reason cited for this is to avoid “stretching” the pouch, as carbonation expands. Personally I don’t buy that, since the pouch is not a closed system and gas can be belched up to relieve pressure. I would be more concerned about the high acid content and the possibility of that damaging the lining of the stomach. Regardless, some docs say “okay”, some say “never”, some say “as tolerated”. And regardless of what their docs say, some people indulge in carbonation. Some find they are unable to handle carbonation, as it is just too uncomfortable. Others have no problems with it, and still others will make some effort to eliminate at least some of the carbonation before drinking the beverage, either by letting it go flat naturally, or helping it along somewhat by stirring, shaking, etc.

(((Vines))) The band already HAS helped you lose weight, but there are obviously other factors that MUST be addressed by a physician. Once the underlying problem(s) are identified and resolved, the pounds will start disappearing. The band helps people eat less without suffering hunger, which allows them to eat less long term, which keeps the weight the lose off. However, if your weight issues are not due to your eating habits, then a band is going to have little effect on your weight. The band is SCREAMING at the docs that there is something ELSE wrong, and the docs are so dense that they will not listen JUST to you (they're certain that if you are not losing weight it's because you eat "too" much). Now that you are banded, and they KNOW how tight you are, they have to really listen now, and seriously consider the fact that your excess weight just may be, JUST MAY BE due to some other reason. So if they finally pay attention and FIX that other problem, then the band did end up (indirectly) helping you to lose weight.... Sh*t. Okay, what I SHOULD have said was: Patient: "Doc, when I bang my head against the wall, it hurts." Doctor: "Stop banging your head against the wall." So in reality, though, it's good that you keep weighing and seeing that the weight is not going down so that you can demand that they fix the TRUE problem. If you had just listened to me it would have taken even longer to realize that your weightloss is not in proportion to calories in vs. calories out, and treatment of the true problem would have been even more delayed. (((Vines))) MAKE them look harder for the real reason for your obesity, now that you can prove that they CAN'T "blame" it on you.

Most level-headed voice of reason: Alexandra Most irresistable: Megan Most Missed: Bright Most welcomed back: WhippleDaddy Most incorrigible: DeLarla Most Sage: VinesQueen Most Upbeat: NJChick So many more that I simply adore... This site SO rocks!!

I'm not familiar with the tatertot casserole you refer to - potatos can be tricky, but without a fill you probably won't have problems if you go carefully, chew well, and mix in other food textures. As long as you're chewing, sauce with hamburger shouldn't be a problem. The bottom line is, though, you will have to see for yourself...

This journey is about HEALTH. If you focus on the weight part you will miss the beauty of regaining your health. So, you want to go back to nebulizers and oxygen tents? How on earth can you say that this is not working for you?? You are not gaining new weight, you have a list of NSVs a mile long. I know, I know, I know. Just about EVERYONE has gone into this thing with the intention of losing "weight". How much more rewarding, though, is it to be GAINING LIFE. And every single person here who has had an NSV is GAINING LIFE, regardless of what the scale says. I can't really tell what your total weightloss has been - your first post says 35 pounds came off before a full three months, and then a pound a month since. If you were banded in 3/05, and have lost 47 pounds (my best guess), then you are AVERAGING almost 4 pounds a month. That is nothing to sneeze at, and is a completely healthy rate of loss. Your BMI has gone from 47 to 39.6. How on earth can you say the band isn't working for you?!?!?! This fixation on the scale is your personal way of sabotaging yourself. You can argue as much as you want, but the truth is the scale is NOT a good indicator of your success, and if you really insist on using it that way then you must WANT to be disappointed in your progress, because girl, you have NOTHING to be disappointed about. The scale is one of the many reasons that "DIETS" DON'T "WORK". People rely on the scale for feedback on their progress, and as soon as the scale stops moving downwards they quit, give up, say "What's the point???" The POINT is your HEALTH. And Vines, if you can't take an honest look at the HEALTH you have gained then nothing I can say is going to make a difference. Patient: "Doc, it hurts when I press here." Doctor: "Don't press there." In a world without scales, can you honestly say that you would not be THRILLED at all the positive changes in your life since 3/05? In a world without scales, wouldn't you just be OVER THE MOON that you no longer carry a puffer? That you can run for the bus? YOU are in charge of your world. Make it a world without scales, and see the truth about the transformation you are making into a healthy being. The end.

The analogy between the finger and the stomach isn't quite a comparison of apples to apples, as the stomach is hollow, which would present less resistance to pressure than a finger with a bone running down the middle. I believe the rest of your theory is more likely - an irritation develops due to peristalsis (the stomach contracting to push food through the digestive system), and due to that injury the stomach starts to absorb the offending particle (the band). This is just my opinion, of course. http://www.dentistry.com/pdentalupdates_05.asp Most prosthetic implants safe during dental care by Dr. Jerry Gordon, DMD People who have artificial heart valves are required to take antibiotics prior to certain dental procedures to prevent a sometimes-fatal heart infection called subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE). The reason is that bacteria in the mouth during dental treatment can travel through the blood stream and infect the artificial valve. Those who have other prosthetic devices may be concerned whether their knee replacement or pin in their arm, for example, is also at an increased risk for infection after dental treatment. Fortunately, most prosthetic devices are safe from infection and do not require antibiotics prior to dental treatment....

This can also be known as esophegeal spasms - where even though you've taken a very small bite, and chewed it very very well, you still experience pain upon that first swallow. Generally "priming" the works with a hot drink and a small bite well chewed, and then waiting 10-20 minutes before really starting your meal will do wonders. I had that first bite pain for a month or two well into my banding, and then it went away. No, I don't think it had anything to do with my erosion, but who knows? It's a common problem, so I don't think it's erosion-related.

I am aware that the auto-percentages the poll calculates is not the percentage of removed bands vs banded. However, since the poll shows the actual numbers of each option, including the non-banded people in the poll doesn't negatively affect the results of the poll at all. It's a simple math equation using only the number of unbanded people divided by the number of banded people. This way everyone gets to participate, and I still get the information I'm looking for, and we get a vague idea of total ACTIVE members. A very vague idea, since not everyone will be moved to vote. Then again, if someone just can't be moved to vote, perhaps they're not really that "active" on this site. As of this post, there are 149 people voted as banded, and 7 people voted as unbanded. This gives us a percentage of 4.7 percent unbanded. The real problem is that I didn't differentiate between WHY people were unbanded, so I'm not getting the erosion percentage, which is kind of what I was looking for. But this will do for now.

That's what I've always heard, too. Although you can drink fast enough to create enough of a back-up to give the pouch a little stretch, helping you to feel full faster/longer when you eat. This is the water loading technique I describe above.

The bandster "rules" as I remember them (many of these rules are variations on rules for RnY patients to maximize the benefits of their pouch). These are not necessarily in any particular order: 1. The Water rules: I. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day.<O:p</O:p II. No drinking with meals - the liquid either washes the food through the pouch/stoma faster allowing you to eat more before feeling full, or it makes you "stuck" and you PB.<O:p</O:p III. Waterload prior to mealtimes so that:<O:pa) you're hydrated your pouch gets that initial stretching so that the "full" sensation can kick in sooner. Even though the water should pretty much drain right through, the stretching effect can last 30 minutes or so, which helps you to feel less hungry. To waterload - start drinking water an hour before you want to eat. About 15 minutes for you want to eat drink as much water as fast as you can until you feel full.<O:p</O:p IV. Wait at least an hour after eating before drinking again. Again, this helps the pouch stay full longer, maximizing the stretching/full sensation.<O:p</O:p 4. CHEW CHEW CHEW. Worst case scenario, inadequate chewing can result in obstruction requiring doctor intervention to remove the offending piece. Less drastic ramifications of inadequate chewing can be severe pain and/or recurrent vomiting until the offending piece has been expelled. 5. SLOW DOWN when eating. Eating too fast, even if the food is well chewed, can result in your pouch filling faster than it empties, resulting in the “golfball” feeling (which is really, really painful/uncomfortable), and/or vomiting the overflow. 6. Eat solid foods. Solid foods pass more slowly through the stoma, allowing the pouch to fill and create the stretch that turns off hunger and creates a feeling of satiety. 7. Protein first, veggies, and then if you have room, other stuff. Since your portions will become much smaller, you must make every bite count nutrition-wise. Get your nutritious foods in first before you indulge in empty calories, otherwise you will be too full to eat the stuff your body needs to be healthy. 8. Stop eating after 20 minutes. It is possible to eat so slowly that the pouch empties either at the rate of eating, or faster than the rate of eating, which means you can eat too much in one very long sitting. Limiting your eating to twenty minutes at a time helps keep your portions under control. 9. Avoid liquid calories. Liquids generally pass right through the stoma and don’t create a lasting feeling of fullness. You can really go overboard on calories by consuming caloric liquids. (Yes, ICE CREAM is considered a “liquid”… ) 10. Keep up with your correct fill level - too loose and you will eat more than your body needs before you feel full. Too tight and you will resort to mushies/liquids and eat around the band (or vomit a lot, which is the number one cause of slippage). 11. No carbonation (CONTROVERSIAL - many do anyway) The number one reason cited for this is to avoid “stretching” the pouch, as carbonation expands. Personally I don’t buy that, since the pouch is not a closed system and gas can be belched up to relieve pressure. I would be more concerned about the high acid content and the possibility of that damaging the lining of the stomach. Regardless, some docs say “okay”, some say “never”, some say “as tolerated”. And regardless of what their docs say, some people indulge in carbonation. Some find they are unable to handle carbonation, as it is just too uncomfortable. Others have no problems with it, and still others will make some effort to eliminate at least some of the carbonation before drinking the beverage, either by letting it go flat naturally, or helping it along somewhat by stirring, shaking, etc. 12. NO NSAIDS!!!! These types of medications can cause ulcerations in non-banded patients, so are particularly dangerous for banded patients where the medication in pill form has a chance to be caught in the upper pouch or stoma and lay against the stomach wall, burning a hole in the lining of your stomach and possibly increasing your risk of erosion. Also, it's not just the physical presence of the pill in the stomach that is problematic. There's something about the way the drug works in our bodies that causes increased susceptibility to ulcers and bleeding. Liquid Tylenol is generally recommended as an aspirin substitute, but always check with your doc before taking any medications. ALWAYS check with your band doctor before taking any kind of medication. Many band docs will closely monitor those patients that must take NSAIDs for whatever reasons. http://lyberty.com/encyc/articles/nsaid.html NSAIDs : non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Aspirin (Anacin, Ascriptin, Bayer, Bufferin, Ecotrin, Excedrin) Choline and magnesium salicylates (CMT, Tricosal, Trilisate) Choline salicylate (Arthropan) Celecoxib (Celebrex) Diclofenac potassium (Cataflam) Diclofenac sodium (Voltaren, Voltaren XR) Diclofenac sodium with misoprostol (Arthrotec) Diflunisal (Dolobid) Etodolac (Lodine, Lodine XL) Fenoprofen Calcium (Nalfon) Flurbiprofen (Ansaid) Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Motrin IB, Nuprin) Indomethacin (Indocin, Indocin SR) Ketoprofen (Actron, Orudis, Orudis KT, Oruvail) Magnesium salicylate (Arthritab, Bayer Select, Doan's pills, Magan, Mobidin, Mobogesic) Meclofenamate sodium (Meclomen) Mefenamic acid (Ponstel) Meloxicam (Mobic) Nabumetone (Relafen) Naproxen (Naprosyn, Naprelan*) Naproxen sodium (Aleve, Anaprox) Oxaprozin (Daypro) Piroxicam (Feldene) Rofecoxib (Vioxx) Salsalate (Amigesic, Anaflex 750, Disalcid, Marthritic, Mono-Gesic, Salflex, Salsitab) Sodium salicylate (various generics) Sulindac (Clinoril) Tolmetin sodium (Tolectin) Valdecoxib (Bextra)<O:p></O:p> Note: Some products, such as Excedrin, are combination drugs (Excedrin is acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine).<O:p></O:p> Note that acetaminophen (Paracetamol; Tylenol) is not on this list. Acetaminophen belongs to a class of drugs called analgesics (pain relievers) and antipyretics (fever reducers). The exact mechanism of action of acetaminophen is not known. Acetaminophen relieves pain by elevating the pain threshold, that is, by requiring a greater amount of pain to develop before it is felt by a person. It reduces fever through its action on the heat-regulating center of the brain. Specifically, it tells the center to lower the body's temperature when the temperature is elevated. Acetaminophen relieves pain in mild arthritis but has no effect on the underlying inflammation, redness and swelling of the joint. Paracetamol, unlike other common analgesics such as aspirin and ibuprofen, has no anti-inflammatory properties, and so it is not a member of the class of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. <O:p * Naproxen Sodium " Naprelan contains naproxen sodium, a member of the arylacetic acid group of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)" "The chemical name for naproxen sodium is 2-naphthaleneacetic acid, 6-methoxy-a-methyl-sodium salt, (S)." 13. Be extremely careful of food/products that expand with water. Rice, Pasta, potatoes and bread are the most common food items that people have problems with. These food items either swell in liquids and/or tend to combine in the pouch into large, globby, sticky balls that are too large to pass through the stoma, which results in the “stuck”/“golfball” feeling, and/or vomiting until the offending piece is expelled. Eating these foods in combination with other, less sticky foods can often help reduce the incidence of problems. Fiber products, such as Metamucil and psyllium husks SWELL in water to many times their dry volume. VERY, VERY dangerous if this swelling takes place in the pouch. If you need to add fiber to your diet, try a non-bulking agent such as Benefibre. If you do taking a bulking agent such as Metamucil/psyllium husks, be sure to wash it through with lots and lots of water so that it will bulk in your lower stomach, not your pouch. 14. Avoid Vomiting/PBing (productive burping) at ALL Costs. Vomiting/PBing is the NUMBER ONE CAUSE of slippage. In addition to being the number one cause of slippage, vomiting/PBing usually results in (and/or from) an irritated stoma/pouch, which causes swelling. Continuing to eat after a vomiting/PBing episode is likely to increase your chances of repeating the episode, and people can be caught in a vicious cycle where they eventually will have to get an unfill to allow the stoma/pouch/esophagus to heal. The best ways to avoid vomiting/PBing: a) CHEW CHEW CHEW SLOW DOWN your eating c) Avoid overly dry foods. Help lubricate dry foods with gravy/sauces. d) Avoid/be extremely careful with foods that swell/recombine in the pouch, such as rice, pasta, potatoes and bread. Take extra care to consume these items slowly, and chew them very well. e) Avoid/be extremely careful with foods that do not breakdown well even with chewing, such as hardboiled eggs and rubbery foods like calamari. The “After the Vomiting/PBing” Rules: a) Stop eating immediately Do liquids only until the next meal. c) If you still have problems at the next meal, do 24 hours of liquids before trying solids again. d) If after 24 hours of only liquids you still have problems, you should probably make an appointment with your band doctor, and stay on liquids until you can be seen by them. e) If you are unable to tolerate even liquids after 24 hours you MUST see your doctor right away. Dehydration is a very serious risk. 15. Don’t Cut/Crush Pills without Doctor Approval. You shouldn’t have to break/cut/crush your medications as a general rule, but people on the tight side, or those who must take very large pills oftentimes will have problems. NEVER break/cut/crush a medication without checking with the prescribing doctor first. Some medications are meant only to be taken in whole form, and it can be dangerous to take them cut or crushed. Time-released formulas are a good example – cutting/crushing a time-released pill means you would get too much of the medication too quickly. 16. Get a prescription for an anti-nausea medication and keep it on hand. Phenergren is one of the common medicines for this, and comes in oral and suppository forms. If you have a tendency towards motion-sickness, make sure you take Dramamine or the equivalent BEFORE the motion-sickness activity – I believe 30 minutes is the suggested timeframe. Read the instructions and plan ahead.<O:p 17. Don’t Skip Meals. Eating regularly helps keep your blood sugar stable, and helps keep you from being too hungry at the next meal and then eating too fast or too much.<O:p 18. Exercise. Exercise is always an important part of a healthy lifestyle, and will help keep your metabolism revved and your goals on track. Exercise also increases muscle mass, which takes up less room than fat mass of the same weight. So even if the scale isn’t moving downwards, you’re losing inches – plus, muscle is what burns fat, so the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism. This is why men generally tend to drop weight more quickly than women – they generally have more muscle mass, so their metabolisms are faster. <O:p 19. AFTERCARE. FOLLOW-UP, FOLLOW-UP, FOLLOW-UP. Regular follow-up with a band doctor will help ensure your success and band health, and keep problems to a minimum or nip them in the bud. If your banding doctor is far away, make sure you line up an aftercare doc BEFORE you get banded. This cannot be stressed enough.<O:p 20. Be your own best advocate. Learn everything you can about being banded, and the common warning signs of trouble. TRUST YOUR GUT. If something doesn’t feel right, CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR. Sometimes relatively minor problems can escalate into major problems because of delay in diagnosis/care.<O:p 21. Find and participate in some sort of support group. Most people are more successful when they have a support group. Plus it's lots of fun, and you learn a lot about being banded, and life in general. 22. Do not lay down sooner than 2-3 hours after eating. Laying down with a full pouch can cause reflux. 23. Do not leave reflux untreated. Reflux is a symptom that something is wrong – you are either too tight, are eating too close to bedtime, or are suffering from an esophageal problem. Unfortunately, reflux is the bain of many long time bandsters. If you are already following the guidelines for reducing reflux then you need to see your doc for prescription antacid medication. It is critical that you do NOT leave this untreated, as stomach acid in the wrong places can cause severe damage, and create pre-cancerous conditions.<O:p</O:p "ACID REFLUX CAN KILL YOU. YOU CAN ASPIRATE STOMACH ACID, GET REALLY BAD PNEUMONIA AND DIE." - GeezerSue<O:p</O:p The only solutions I know of are modification of diet/habits, medication, reduction/removal of fills, band removal (worst case scenario).<O:p</O:p You may find that something specific you are eating/drinking is contributing to this problem. If you're not interested in having a little fill removed, you may try eliminating these things from your diet for a while, and see if that makes a difference: 1. acidic juices/fruits, like citrus 2. caffeine - coffee, tea, chocolate 3. spicy foods Guidelines for reducing/avoiding reflux (in order of least to most aggressive):<O:p</O:p 1. Do not over eat. 2. Avoid acid producing foods/drinks, like caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate), peppermint, citrus fruits/juice, spicy food. 3. Do not lie down sooner than three hours after eating.<O:p</O:p 4. Do not eat or drink 3 hours before bedtime.<O:p</O:p 5. Switch evening medications to morning if okay with your doctor.<O:p 6. Take an OTC med to control reflux.<O:p 7. Elevate the head of the bed (helps keep the esophagus above the stomach so there's no backflow). 8. Have your doc prescribe anti-reflux medication.<O:p 9. Get a slight or complete unfill.<O:p If these things do not help you, you must seek the care of your physician for additional help. 24. After the fill protocol. Most docs recommend doing only liquids for a day or two after a fill to allow the stomach to adjust to the new restriction and allow any residual swelling to go down. Also is a cautious way for you to test out your new fill level.

Where are you in CA? There's a good active SanDiego Bandster group - I'm sure you could find several banded buddies for on/off line support and MX trips. Look at my post in CA - I post the link to the SanDiego Yahoo! group.

At the moment, you are too tight. Whether or not that is because you have too much fill, or are irritated/swollen from the recent fill, I could not say. Do you do liquids for a day or two after your fill? That's usually recommended. If you stay on liquids for five days, and are still too tight after that, then I would recommend a slight unfill. If after 5 days of liquids you can handle well-chewed food then you're fine, and you're just irritated at the moment. However, if you cannot tolerate any liquids for more than a day or two, you MUST get an unfill regardless of the reason for being too tight. Either that, or be put on an IV to stay hydrated.

Paul - that is sheer genius!! That's the exact kind-of idea my Dad would have come up with. Geez, I miss him...

You could take a digital pic of the box, enlarge it to whatever size you can accomodate at your local Kinkos/SaveOn/Walmart whathaveyou, mount it onto cardboard and then cut it into the jigsaw puzzle idea.

I went from 48.9 (morbidly obese) to 32.3 (obese) in 17 months. After my unbanding I'm going in the wrong direction again....

Oh - reading further on that site: http://www.liverdoctor.com/Section4/fattyliver.asp Again, FWIW. One site, one doc's opinion...

Vines, I think that is excellent advice. Tonya, you should certainly require that your surgeon be experienced in doing successful surgeries on higher BMIs. Of course I had to go google stuff right away (LOL), and I found a very interesting link that didn't really have to do with what I was looking for in specific, but seems to have a lot of pertinent info on the liver's function in weight control: http://www.liverdoctor.com/Section3/13_weightloss.asp FWIW - I'll probably pore over the site more. I'm thinking a liver cleanse for me is definitely in order.... (((Vines))) xxoo

Okay, I hope that's true. But surely Tonya's liver isn't covered with 57 pounds of fat? However in your case, your doc didn't make it a requirement, and did your surgery anyway, even with an extra 10 pounds. There are a lot of surgeons out there making it a requirement, and then sticking to their guns. Even SAYING that the pre-surgical diet is to prove you're "serious" about losing weight. The pre-surgery diet requirement would go over a lot better for me if the doc was very clear that it was ONLY to shrink the liver, and what would happen if I didn't/couldn't lose the weight he wanted. I would also probably google search to see if I could find any collaboration of how a quick fat loss diet affects the liver, and how much fat is generally on a liver... I'm not against being safer, but I am against jumping through needless hoops... We're already suffering. The docs should also be handing out prescription appetite suppressents for the time frame they expect us to drop the FAT. I do clarify that it's supposedly FAT they're concerned with, not WEIGHT in general. Don't mean to be argumentative, but I do feel touchy on this subject (ya think?!?! lol). xxoo

I'm sorry - I'm having a hard time buying the "personal safety" thing... If it's safe to operate on Tonya at 513 pounds, then anyone already weighing less than that should be good to go without losing the ARBITRARY 10%... I can't believe her liver would be THAT MUCH LESS FATTY after losing 57lbs than someone already starting out at 513 lbs, who would ALSO be required to lose 10% of their weight before surgery. I honestly believe this is just some kind of power play, and yet another way to punish us for being fat and "unable to control ourselves" - the surgeon's way of "proving" that we are or are not ready to make the necessary changes. SUCKS. I'd look for a surgeon that understood obesity better, personally... JMHO...

I think LBT IS a good representation of the lapband population. We have 4,692 members. IF all 4,692 were banded (which I know they're not), at 3% erosion we could expect that about 140.76 members might erode. Since all the members here are NOT banded, lets just say only HALF ARE banded - that would be 2,346. Of 2,346 banded people, at 3% erosion we could expect about 70.38 members might erode. Let's say only 1000 of us here are actually (or were... ) banded. Of 1,000 banded members, at 3% erosion we could expect that about 30 members might erode. I think we've had at most 15 members erode (I think that's a little high, but I'm just guesstimating most of all this anyway... ). If 15 represented 3%, the expected member base would be 500. Surely at least 500 of the members here are actually banded? It's hard to know with so many lurkers/researchers. Maybe we could set up an anonymous poll so that all members could report if they're banded or not, and then we could do some percentages from that info.

Yes, both Penni's pic #2 (first one, but labeled #2) and my first pic are looking down into the pouch above the band. Penni was unfilled, but I was not - my pic is showing my restriction at 2.6cc. Please note that from above, everything looks hunky-dory - it's obvious that a barium swallow would funnel through the opening in the pouch - not flow around the band. Also please note that once the barium has come through the stoma, there was no chance for it to flow around either of our bands, as mine was just coming through the stomach walls, and Penni's had not yet cleared the stomach walls, so the stomach walls/band would have been a "solid" wall for the barium, and barium-wise, all would look fine.

I'll answer for Penni - Yes, the camera passes through the stoma, and the pics of the band eroding are being shot from inside the lower stomach, looking back up towards the throat. Penni's erosion looks much worse than the pics of mine did, and I was supposedly at 40%. Mine looks like it's just bulging through a thin lining of stomach, whereas you can really see the actual band in Penni's pics. I'm reattaching mine for comparison's sake (not trying to steal your "thunder", Penni - I'm sure you're interested in the comparison as well).