donali

(((Penni))) I am speechless. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that this would happen to me, let alone to so many people here over the past year. It is mind numbing and incomprehensible. I wish I had some sort of sage advice, having been the first here to go through it, but all I can really say is: There IS life after the band. Every day, though, I am reminded that I was banded once. Not just by coming here, but I can still feel occasional restriction. I can't say that it's helped me any to maintain the shed pounds, but I DO think about it almost every time I eat, and know that I wouldn't be eating certain things or certain quantities if I still had the band. It's too easy to slip back to old unhealthy ways, so be vigilant if you can. I continue to look for ways to be vigilant for myself, and mostly I eat very well. Alas, even eating well is no cure for eating too much. You are in my thoughts, and I send you the very best of wishes. *hugs*

(((Francesca))) May you heal up quickly.

Vlal - YOU have to put yourself higher on your priority list. Honestly, you're still in a splint with a broken arm?!?! Honey, drop everything right now and go get yourself taken care of - you are THAT important - really. You HAVE to. Now GO!!!

Whoo Hooo!! Sue is back and doing great!!! I couldn't be happier! xxoo Keep us posted, OK?????

(((Whippledaddy))) I'm sure my beloved Max welcomed him and helped him through the transition - he loved other dogs. I picture them frolicking together. *sniff* He loved cats, too, so I'm sure kitty Milo got a grand welcome, as well. Our beloved pets are the background music of our lives, and when they move to the next level the silence is deafening. I miss Max (10/01) and Sadie (2/02) everyday, and one day I will have another four legged companion to share my life with. But for now I hold the memories close, and tell him daily what a great friend he was, and how much I continue to love him.

Okay, so you did a barium swallow... WTF?!?!? How on earth can you (they) determine whether or not you have a LEAK from a barium swallow?!?! I have never heard of this method to detect "leaks". As far as erosion goes, unless the band has compromised the stomach wall in at least one place ENOUGH for the barium to flow around it, you're never going to detect erosion that way. If all I had had in June of 2004 was a barium swallow, I would have been told everything is okey-dokey - it would have showed good restriction, and the barium would have been flowing through the center of the band just like it was supposed to - and I was at 40% erosion. Sorry to not be jumping up and down with joy about your results - it's not that I'm not happy for you, it's just that I don't think your barium proved anything except that: 1. You're banded 2. Your band is in the right position To test for leaks you would have to do some fill tests - if it were a slow leak it might take a long time for the fill level to change significantly. They would need to use some sort of contrast Fluid to fill your band and then watch under fluoro to see if it leaked out somewhere. As far as I'm concerned, you know very little more than you did before you had the barium swallow... OH - and I just remembered that you don't even have a port to DO fill tests, so again, I have to ask what was the point of the barium swallow... Even if you DID have a leak, there's nothing they can do about it without a port. When (and if) you ever DO have a port installed, I would insist that they replace the whole tubing at the same time, just to be safe. The tubing can't be that expensive... xxoo

Francesca - so sorry you're having a hard time of it. I hope and pray you're up and about again soon. (((hugs))) xxoo

FABULOUS!! What a rush!! Super Congrats!!! :banana

(((Michelle))) - Welcome home, and so glad you are safe and sound. Your Casper2 will be a big help to you in the next few months, I think. So glad you're sticking around, and thanks for all the info passed on from Dr. O. Heal up quick! xxoo

Being a HAPPY bandster doesn't mean you are a bandster without complications, from small annoyances to major problems that must be dealt with surgically. This is a support group, and a support group implies a place to go where you can get help/support of some kind. This group is not intended to "sell" the lapband procedure to anyone. If the possible complications that are happening to real people RIGHT NOW are too much for you to take, than you shouldn't have the surgery. MOST people don't experience dire complications, but almost everyone experiences the occasional PB, stuck feeling, battling with too much/too little fills, weightloss that doesn't meet their expectations, funny noises, odd pains. THIS IS THE REALITY. This doesn't mean we're unhappy! You have to be willing to accept the bad with the good. If you're not able to stomach the possible ramifications of being banded then you should look into other alternatives. I loved my band - I lost over 100 pounds with it. I do not regret having been banded, even though I had to have mine removed due to one of the less frequent complications. Don't turn a blind eye to the possibilities - good or bad.

(((Lisa))) *weeping*

There has to be another factor besides calories in/calories out for some people, like Vines and Candy. I don't know if a complete workup by an expert endocrinologist would shed any light, but I KNOW that this is NOT your faults. I know that doesn't make you feel any better, because it doesn't make you any thinner, but obviously lower calories and exercise is not the answer your bodies were looking for, at least in the short term. Living a healthier lifestyle, however, has to remain a priority in your lives, regardless of how it may or may not affect your weight. Basing your follow-through for eating healthier and exercising on whether the scale moves downwards is diet mentality at its worst. We have to make healthier choices for our LIFE - weight then becomes a seperate issue. I think it's a mistake and a disservice to ourselves to think, "Well, my healthy eating/exercising isn't making me thinner, so to H*LL with it!" I think we miss the whole point then. Make the docs to the appropriate tests. There HAS to be another explanation, and I'd be demanding answers from the professionals. (((hugs)))

YAAAYYYY!!! So glad for you, Jonathan!!

Sending all of you my love and best wishes. I'm thinking of you all - please come back as soon as you are up to it and let us know how you're doing. (((hugs)))

It is my understanding that Inamed does not "certify" anyone. FWIW.

Sue, I'm thinking about you and wishing you all the best on your upcoming DS! xxoo

Happy, Happy Day!!!

Happy, Happy Day!!!

There is a Yahoo! erosion board - http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ErodedBandsters/I know that some of the people on that board were banded in the states, and I think the gal with the worst horror story was banded in the states. However, the roll call database I set up there only has three records - mine, and two others. 2 Lopez, 1 Ortiz/Martinez. I honestly don't want to believe it's a Mexico thing - in fact, I posted on Michelle's eroded thread that erosion was NOT a reflection on reputable Mexican docs, that it just happens... But I could be wrong... ????

(((Jonathon))) Hang in there - as hard as being on liquids for 7 days over Thanksgiving, the band teaches us that deprivation is NEVER for EVER, like it seems. There will be other Thanksgivings, and other times to indulge. I know it will be hard, but crossing my fingers for you that the slip corrects itself in spite of the odds. xxoo

(((Michelle))) I'm mad. MY erosion was supposed to be the 1-3% for this board - NO ONE else was supposed to erode after me!!! *stomps foot* You're what, the fourth or fifth member of this board to erode? We need our own eroded bandster section of this board! So glad they caught it early, and that you're able to have it out right away. I remember how creeped out I felt once I'd assimilated the news, and I wanted mine out ASAP as well. Although the actual removal surgery was a horrible nightmare (time/pain-wise), once that part was over and they got my pain under control recovery was a breeze - honestly, it was almost like I hadn't even HAD surgery. I think the initial pain was from all the adhesion removals. People, erosions have NOTHING to do with where you were banded - this is NOT a reflection on reputable Mexican surgeons - this is just something that happens, and I tend to agree with Michelle - I think the 1-3% quoted rate is too low. We are SO SO SO lucky to have a board where the TRUTH about life with the band is allowed to be shared. I dare you to find any other lapband support group that has participating eroded bandsters on it - the other boards tend to run us off. Yes, it's a scary possibility. But I am here to say that there IS life after the band, and Michelle will be here to say it as well. The band is one of the best decisions I've made, and I was sorry to see it go. I need another one, big time, but it's still not an option at this time. I don't know if I will ever be rebanded, but I'm grateful that I was, once upon a time. (((Michelle)))

Passed up donut day. Actually, totally forgot. Passed up donuts at the brown bag yesterday. Didn't even cross my mind to have one. Ignored the whole chocolate cake at the coffee machine that took 2 days for everyone else to eat. IT WAS AS IF IT WEREN'T EVEN THERE!! The passing up of this stuff isn't what's so amazing - the AMAZING part was I didn't want it, wasn't tempted - no will power involved. How cool is that?!?! :banana

This information is so fascinating. It points even more to the fact that there is SO MUCH that we do not know or understand about eating, food, calories, hunger and satiety. The reason I say that is because people who have WLS who have a sense of satiety on a significantly reduced number of calories are generally freed from the feeling (and hence the psychological detriments) of "starvation". After banding, and once settled into my routine, I did NOT constantly think about food for about the first time in my life. I was not constanty hungry, I did not go through the normal phases I had previously experienced with "dieting". I know that in general I did not drop my caloric intake to such low levels, although I didn't really keep track. But during my liquid and mushy phase I know my calories were in the starvation range, but I felt fine. This was a six week period. To add to my personal experience in this regard, my sister had the RnY, and those patients are severely restricted in calories - not only in capacity, but also pysically, since the caloric malabsorption portion of the surgery is active for about two years in most people, and she also did not exhibit the normal symptoms of starvation - good energy level, health, etc. I'm beginning to think that the feeling of satiety must release its own chemical, or something, that prevents some of these negative psychological effects. I wonder if physically we experience the same side-effects of low caloric intake - i.e. lowered BMR, reduced muscle mass, etc. I think the answer is probably "yes". I know that I, for one, though, exhibit the "hording" phenomenon mentioned in the Minnesota starvation study. The buying of unnecessary items, the reluctance of throwing away items that are unneeded or worthless, the constant thought "I may need that someday"... VERY very interesting.... Now I have to go and try and remember when my true hording nature first made its appearance.... Thanks, John!

43 here. No big surprise, since that's what Vines got, too. Pisces Cusps Stick Together!! lol

ARGHHHH!!!! You are definitely in my thoughts and prayers! (((hugs)))