leatha_g

Just in case there are patients of Dr. Jamie Ponce in Georgia, I want to make certain this is NOT him. This is about a Dr. in Mexico, dr. ponce de leon. Amazing what people will do for money. Sadly, they probably already have way more than the folks they are stealing from.

Actually, this was a letter posted by another bandster on a Yahoo board. I just found the explanation quite sensible as even though I've been re-banded there was never a true diagnosis of 'slippage' by either of my surgeons. I know that I got way over-filled at the time my film was taken that appeared to be slippage and I speculate that this is exactly what happened to me. I think I was a victim of circumstance. I could be wrong. Either way, it wasn't my daughter who had the problem. So far, my daughter is still a size 6. I pray for her constantly, that she'll never have to face this issue.

You might try Crystal Light or Minute Maid now has a Light juice Drink with only 10 calories, Propel Water is very good, Fruit 2o is good. Anything to get in your water. It's really one of the MOST important aspects of being banded. I often use nectar whey Protein mixed with my water just to be sure I get the protein I need.

I'm getting excited too! I need a break!

Some symptoms of slippage would be a sudden onset of reflux at night, pain and vomiting, especially when 'trying' to eat or drink. I've heard it said in bad cases of slippage that the stomach is prolapsed and it's almost as if anything that is taken in almost bounces on the stomach and comes directly back up. This would be the acute signs. However, there is a more silent type of slippage that seems to be sliding up and down the stomach, without such acute symptoms. That being said, I'd like to paste a post that I found to be most interesting from the 'slippedbands' Yahoo board. **************************************************** Just wanted to give everyone a quick update on my daughter's band that we thought had slipped. It's been a while since we've posted, sorry. Basically, we had just been doing our fills at a radiologist's office, and he was the one that said the band had slipped and we should get it taken out (quite a drastic response, eh?) Anyway, we decided to take a trip to Mexico to see our surgeon, assuming she'd need an operation. In the meantime we took out all the fill and she gained 20-30 pounds. When we got to Mexico, the surgeon checked her band--xraying while she was standing up. Basically, there was no slippage, the band had been filled too tight. He says slippage symptoms are very severe, that what can be diagnosed as a slipped band can just be a too tight fill. When a band is slipped, he said the stomach basically bends over on itself and it is difficult for someone to even swallow their spit--those kind of symptoms. He thinks a lot of American doctors are looking at the xxrays of the stomach expand like it is meant to (above the band), clicking the xray, and assuming the band is has slipped down. SO, we spent a lot of money to find out that the band was working properly. SO, I'd be cautious when your doctor says it's slipped...I'd have them xray it when I was standing up and remember that the stomach is supposed to expand some above the band, but it doesn't always mean a slip. He said that the American doctors who haven't had as much surgical training on the band often pull away alot of tissue or muscles or whatever surrounds the stomach leaving quite a bit of room for the band to move around, but some of the Mexican surgeons use a technique where they just pull away enough tissue to thread the band around the stomach in the right position. The remaining tissue that has not been loosened up makes a channel for the band that makes it very difficult for the band to move anywhere. He said has never had a truly slipped band because of this technique. Our surgeon also said that because our doctor was using only contrast Fluid to fill the band, it somehow gets thicker and slowly causes more and more constriction on the band. He says they (mexican surgeons) have learned that they should use only half contrast and half saline solution. He also mentioned that the saline slowly and gradually evaporates or somehow is absorbed into the body and that is another reason why people with only saline may need another fill from time to time. We all know the band is fickle--sometimes seeming tighter than at other times. He said that people make a mistake by not switching back to fluids and letting their stomach heal after vomitting or PBing. There is swelling that occurs from this trama and that to continue eating as normal only compounds the swelling. If a person keeps vomitting that leads to more swelling, etc. and sometimes a slipped band is diagnosed when it really hasn't slipped. Sorry this is so long, but I thought it was good information and made a lot of sense to us. He added fluid back to her band and she has been doing great. I'm proud of her because I know this has not been an easy go. It is hard to retrain yourself to eat correctly and chew right and keep away from sticky foods. She has never been sorry she got the band, though. **************************************************** This makes a whole lot of sense to me.

I'm certainly crossing my fingers and toes and everything else that all your tests will reveal is the 'go ahead' for your surgery. I hate when they keep us in limbo. But, I'd rather know if I had some health challenge BEFORE undergoing surgery. Either way, we'll all remain here rooting for you and we'll be here to support whatever the future sends your way!

Happy Happy Birthday Delarla!! Can't wait to celebrate with you when we get there!

I'm really sorry you're feeling so badly, Tellie. I really do think after a few days you'll be up and running again and hopefully you will decide it really is all worth it! I'm so much more relieved to know you got this taken care of. Just rest and take care of you for a few days! Try to walk as much as you can and this too shall pass! Hugs to you... been there, done that. It IS tough!

These look like marmasets. I have a cousin who has one and it's about a year old and still only about 8 inches tall. He's adorable, but will bite the sh*t out of you. lol.

lol, i eat the Chicken of the Sea brand all the time. It's a great, quick way to get in your protein.

Woohoo!!! That's so awesome!! Not far away at all. You go girl!!

Welcome Katy!! You're so lucky that you were able to do this so early in your life! This will hopefully allow you to live a wonderfully healthy and active life for many many years!! Good for you!

But... we don't have absorption problems? All our parts are intact. ???

Glad you said something, Sue. I have been seeing this over and over in some other forums that I read. All this new protocol for measuring foods. Some of them are being told to use those little souffle cups? ugh... That is absolutely gastric bypass protocol and it's very scary because of course everyone wants to believe 'their' surgeon is the smartest. But it's very evident that GP eating regimens and thinking is creeping in and some of these people are scared to death to drink continuously on liquids or eat any more than 1/2 cup at a time. It's totally bogus information and it's beginning to run rampant with so many new docs jumping on the 'band' wagon, so to speak... Scary.. I'm sure Inamed has done lectures on this but it seems these folks are returning to their offices and re-writing the rules.

I'm SOOO jealous!!:cry :cry :cry LOL, actually, I was married over 20 yrs. I do miss the closeness and the companionship and well.. yea, I miss sex darnit, but I don't miss dirty socks or having to always let someone know where you're going to be or rushing home from work if I'd rather go out to eat with friends or locking my doors and catching a plane to Vegas when I want. Everything is a trade off, I suppose. Ahh, the days of reciprocal backrubs... sigh..

Wouldn't hurt to try just a tad. You can always go back and have it taken out. Just don't let yourself be over-filled too long it's really dangerous to your band to be too restricted. I'd talk to my doc. Good luck to you!

lol then it's just dirty Water.. lol. swee-tea is some awesome stuff made correctly. my grandmother used to make hers in a glass jar and bring it with her to Texas. lol. 'course we drink swee-tea in Texas too. Only, I really prefer mine a bit weaker and a little less sweet. no mint, puleeze...

Mine are in Pine Prairie and Turkey Creek. I absolutely love it there. And one of the best summers of my life was spent at Toledo Bend with the most handsome young Indian boy across the way.. lawd, lawd... how I do remember dem days..

Welcome to LapbandTalk.com!! Please feel free to browse through the many posts. There is a wealth of information and experience in all the sections of this forum! I think you'll love this place. There are some great people here!! Please let us know if you have something specific unanswered!

I LOVEEE cajuns. I have lots of family in La.. Some near N'awlins and the rest in some teeny tiny places near Alexandria.

Yep. This is very common. Until your first fill, maybe even second or third you have no restriction. This is the time that you have to start employing some of the guidelines for the band. Protein first, veggies second, other stuff if you still have room. It is very common that once the tummy seems healed and hunger returns new bandsters semi freak out because they had some idea they would wake up with restriction. I'm surprised you don't recall reading it from other new bandsters in your research. It's tough. Some people even gain back the weight they lost in the beginning. It helps if you can begin using some of the eating practices such as laying your tableware down between bites, no drinking during meals, exercise, exercise, exercise, Water, water, water. The restriction will come. It's all a process which takes time. Don't panic.

http://www.lap-band.com/ has a surgeon locator on it's website. you can go there and put in your location and Inamed will send you all the Lapband certified physicians available. Good luck to you!

Let us know how you're doing. Where are you getting your fill? I'm gonna have to go for another myself. I notice SOME restriction, but not nearly enough to have me losing. It's like starting all over for me, but I'm still SO much better off than I was a year ago. We're all still gonna have to set up a dinner or something here in Texas. Maybe you'll need to come up and do some Christmas shopping.. (wink, wink)

I have run into a few things I can't eat, but mostly I eat proteins such as chicken breasts, turkey filets, baked scrod, tuna salad kits, crabcakes. I am single, so it's easy for me to do something like call the local Schwan's guy and have him deliver many of these types of foods directly to my house. It is a bit more expensive, but for me, it works out great. This way, he brings it to me. I don't have to go to the grocery store and be tempted with everything else quite as often as I would if I bought everything from there. I turn the oven on, spray a foil covered cookie sheet with PAM, stick a portion of baked scrod into the oven and 30 minutes later I have one portion of very good baked fish and maybe a few spears of asparagus on a dessert plate. In restaurants, I order the appetizer unless I just want something off the entrees, specifically. Then, I just tell the waiter I'll need a doggie bag right up front. Most appetizer menus have crabcakes, salmon cakes, shrimp cocktail, coconut shrimp etc.

Way to go!! Glad to hear you had a good experience. I've heard nothing but good things about Dr. Ponce!! Good luck to you, this is really the hardest part.