Cazzy

Did u get some anti-biotics for your cough ? the movement of coughing alone is unlikely to cause any damage to a band as coughing is movement of your diaphram, not your stomach, if u think how much working out and doing ab crunches moves your tummy it doesnt damage the band either, it may feel like it as u are still only 2 months out post op but u should be fine, i often used to get fills have some restriction for a week or 2 then nothing, sometimes the band gets loose because we are still dropping visceral fat internally around our stomach and that will loosen the band. Hope u feel better soon ...

I agree no reason at all why u can get back on track. U need to start logging your food, and exercising. You lost a lot of weight beforehand and to stop now would be such a waste, once we start getting nearer goal we have to normally work even harder to shift those stubborn kgs .. i know i had to be even more rigid with food and exercise. I think if u struggle with enough restriction first need is to get a fill, then maybe do a food journal for a week or two and log what u are eating, sometimes this is a real eye opener. Then get an exercise regime worked out that will push you but will also be enjoyable so that u stick at it. Even if its not much to begin with regularity beats intensity when u start off again, i do exercise bike while watching tv and and my dumbells and resistance bands after, i havent let exercise interupt my life, just made it part of it. Good luck and dont give up !

7 ccs in a band your size really doesnt seem that much .. i think u should try and get another fill as soon as u can. The problem with the sleeve is that stomachs can be stretched, and often are with a bypass or sleeve and then u are back to square one with no options, with a band u have options tighter or looser or keep it the same ... There are many many people on this forum that have lost a lot more weight than the people u know, maybe u just know the wrong people With a sleeve there is nothing to stop u eating a buffet either or even a bypass, u have the same responsibility to eat reduced amounts of food whatever WLS u have so u may still have some problems with the sleeve. Give the band a few more tries with fills and eating correctly, and exercising, u never know the answer could be as simple as just another fill good luck !

I cant eat anything white and processed except dairy. So if i do want something like pasta its wholewheat same as bread, but i make my own so eat the nice crust still warm , hate rice anyways so no loss there

Its very common to gain weight whilst u are going through the fills stage, until u get some level of restriction/ satiety u have to rely on willpower alone, this is the time to start learning how to eat healthy and follwoing the banded rules of chewing lots, eating protein first keeping hydrated etc. My doctor warned me that i may put on weight at this time as it is common to do so, i chose not to by following a 1000 calories a day .. and exercising like mad

I did lose some hair but my age and genetics obviously play a part in that too,and hormones are hiding at my age. Biotin does help, it doesnt stop hair loss but promotes hair and nail growth much quicker than normal so u can replace the hair lost a lot easier. Some people do not have any hair loss at all, but long term loss of weight can lead to this, i also use the biotin shampoo and conditioner, i know this works as my eyelashes suddenly got much longer too. I had to take at least 5000mcg tho i was on a smaller dose and it did nothing .. All i can say is that a small amount of hair loss far outweighs a large amount of excess flesh

The problem u have is that unless u have enough fill in your band to start restricting how much you can eat and your feelings of satiety then unfortunately the band wont be able to help u much. The time before u hit this sweet spot / restriction is known as bandster hell and to be honest most people have to rely on sheer will power to get through this time. Its like u bought a new car and then expect it to run without putting petrol in it .. it just wont work .. try and find the money from somewhere or ask the place where u got banded if u can do some promotional work for them like going to their open evenings or something to get a reduced cost for fills .. I am in london but feel free to message me if u want

Rest as much as u can for the next few days it will help u recover from the shock of working again much quicker

I agree with what tmf has stated. What works for me is being my own expert with my band, what works for me may not work for others but in general if you follow the rules till u become your own expert then normally u cant go wrong good luck !

Took me around 3 weeks till i was a 100%

You are a star ! you have done so well and u are so busy too, i admire your enthusiasm and your dedication to making this work. Those of us who were banded early 2011 seems we did well , or maybe its because we were the slightly 'older ones ' .. i am still not normal on the bmi scale but hell i feel bones sticking out, nopt sure i want to feel them even more Good luck for your up and coming surgery then u will be in the superstar bracket !

I found that time sooo emotional i cant tell you, i am now 7 weeks post op from exactly the same surgery as u, i was 11 hours on the operating table lol but i can tell u that at week 5 to 6 things suddenly start improving drastically. I was totally unprepared for the emotional rollercoaster and it hit me hard, i had 9lbs of skin removed and a massive repair to my ab muscles which were almost non existant ... i am still wearing compression on my legs tummy etc as my legs are still somewhat fluidy due to there being so much loose skin on them too .. my arms healed great and i just wear compression of a night now, it does help keep the scars flat if u can continue to wear the compression on them .. i do my cycling on my exercise bike and started doing lighter strength training so light is at the end of the tunnel, lean on people, spend some money , go shopping make yourself feel better. I had to have a small unfill for the surgery so treated myself to a little more food. I still weigh the same as pre-surgery but will lose that again once i get my fill back .. I am sending a virtual 'hug' as i know exactly what u are going through .. just ask if u want any more support

I agree burying your head in the sand doesnt make u weigh any less. Thats like having a bill turn up in the mail and then not open it, u will still owe the money whether u open it up or not Isnt not weighing yourself part of how u got to your starting weight ? i know it was for me .. i never even owned any scales, now scales are my friend not my enemy

Sounds like fill time to me sasha ... try to do the fills on a more regular basis so u dont go through periods like this as u tend to regaian some old habits .. get that fill and good luck !

It might be an idea to increase your very small meals to 4 to 5 times a day and add some snacks, keep your calories low and keep up your protein intake. Drink plenty of water too, half a cup 3 times a day when u are unrestricted i would have found impossible too. Some of you are still healing so u need to watch portion sizes, so increasing how many times a day u eat will not overload your pouch by too big portion. Snacks u can have 0 fat greek yoghurt, hot tea and weak coffee with skimmed milk, 0 fat cottage cheese, sf jello u can make that with skimmed milk too, look under the food and nutrition section here for more ideas. U should be able to feel a lot more satisfied on maybe 1200 calories a day, This isnt an easy time, and i was warned that many people can put on a few lbs during this period, but that isnt inevitable if u watch what u eat and keep the will power going .. good luck

Prune juice is a great natural way of moving things along, or miralax or something like that .. check with doctors office to see what they recommend.

Your throat always sufferes post op as this is due to the tube they put down it, more thana likely its perfectly normal and it will go in a few days

As u are self pay i would find another surgeon and just go for it .. make sure all the boxes are ticked with things like fills and added costs etc and that they come woith good reviews etc .. dont let this curve ball u have been thrown put u off, get on that phone and find another surgeon ... hoping for a good outcome for you There are plenty of Canadian bandsters here maybe one of them can help you with some more info on other surgeons

I think u are doing great, this isnt a fast weight loss solution and this should have been explained to you prior to surgery. Weight loss till u get to your sweet spot/full restriction with fills, will depend on your willpower mainly and wise choices with food and exercise ... the average weight loss is normally 1 to 2 lbs per week, u seem to be bang on target. This time post op up to 6 weeks is for healing and getting used to the new eating regime so dont be too impatient u seem to be doing fine as u are

There is recent evidence to suggest that with small sips u can drink during and after meals , the article is in the magazine section on here, i will often drink tea or coffee 30 mins after my dinner and have no problems at all, just reduce the time by 5 mins each day and see what your optimum time is after a meal to drink, everyone is different so there arent any rules that are set in stone .. in general yes but just try it slowly reducing the time and see u may find 30 mins is fine for you too i always have soup before my evening meal followed immediately by dinner and i never have problems with that either.

If the fluid is in your ankles then u need to raise your ankles higher than your heart and they will drain , i am 6 weeks post op with fluid in my legs from my abdominoplasty and i have to sleep with my legs higher up till my lymphatic system kicks back in .. but put yout feet up they will drain naturally.

It sounds like u are a tiny bit overfilled, if u cannot drink water or warm tea etc without sliming then u are over filled and need to get a small amount taken out, i suggest u go back to your lapband doctor asap and get a small unfill, it doesnt have to be all of the fill u had but u will become dehydrated otherwise . Did u eat after your fill or go on liquids for a day or 2 ? u might have made yourself swollen by sticking on food, but when u cant keep water down u have to do something so looks like its a trip back to the docs

hi and welcome , i think that u may be getting some of your information mixed up a little from the rules for a bypass. The reason bandsters dont drink is normally more to do with empty calories than any physical difficulties, obviously with a lot to drink u tend not to be so rigid in your resolve to make good food choices but u have to consider that u are only young and life still needs to go on for you. We also dont really suffer from any real lack of Vitamins if u are eating a well balanced diet, whereby bypass has malabsorbtion issues the band doesnt so we do take a mutli Vitamin to support our healthier eating style and exercise regime but its not essential .. The success of the band will depend on you and it might well be best for you to go to a seminar and maybe get a psych evaluation regarding your suitability for the band. It wont make good choices for you and it wont control things as much as u may like .. a lot of the success will be down to you and your resolve to make the band work. Hopefully u can lose the weight without the band but get all the information u can if u do end up needing surgery. What i would do is maybe get the information from those people who are banded and not from your mum who hasd a bypass and not a band so might give u wrong info. Maybe some of the other 'younger'; ones can respond to u and let u know about life after being banded good luck !

Awesome news James , i know how good i felt when i left the 300's and i know how hard u are working, keep it up and i hope to be posting when u enter onederland too !

Normally people who are so negative know very little about the band or what they do know is based on media hype and horror stories. Did they give u any negative feedback about remaining obese and what that can do for your health ? .. this isnt cosmetic surgery it is a medical proceedure that if u didnt need it u wouldnt get it. There are far more success stories on here than failures and mostly its up to u how successful u are .. yes like any surgery complications can happen but the risks with this operation are really not worth even thinking of comparing them to the risks from obesity related complications, you are doing this for you .. to be honest its nothing to do with them .. just tell them u are asking for support not an opinion, opinions on medical matters u leave to the doctors not friends and family