BEBBLY

Hi everyone, I was banded 8/7/2003 and are now about 10lbs from my goal weight. I have been experiencing a lot of restriction lately and am considering getting some taken out. My question is: when you are at your sweet spot does that mean you can eat a small size meal and be satisfied without feeling the golf ball or worse? I experience some level of discomfort or pain almost with every meal in the past 2 weeks. Granted there were a few meals in between that seemed to work well but most of them are very uncomfortable. Is that normal? Also does anyone know why I would feel this much restriction after 4 months of having a fill? I just want to know if everyone feels like I do at every meal? Any input would be nice. Mary

I too was scared when I started to research this procedure. But since I had tried everything to lose weight and failed, I felt I had to try this as my final attempt. I made the support happen. First off I only told my immediate family, not even my brother-in-laws know that I have the band. Why? Because I have seen them ridicule others fighting the battle of the buldge and I knew that they (both being naturally thin) would not understand. I even told my sisters and they are considering the band. Now after having the band since August, I have lost 40 lbs. and I hear them make comments to my sisters that they should control themselves like I do. It's sad and I feel bad but I am not sorry to have the band. I am not sorry that I fit into my little 16 year old nieces jeans! You have to know in your heart and make that decision for you. If you know some people are not going to be supportive then don't tell them. You will have ups and downs with the band. May be you will experience PB (in case you don't know, that's when something blocks the opening to your stomach and you throw up). At those times the last thing you need is for someone to say "I told you not to do this......". You will always find support here. So write to us if you want support or need to vent:D Good Luck Mary -------------- Banded 8/7/2003 197/150/140

I had taken Advil 2x before without any problems. But as they say there is always a first time. Ibuprofen is known to swell up the stomach. Perhaps because I already had a 5cc fill the opening was small to begin with and by taking advil my stomach swelled up too much and closed the opening. My doctor said that most people with the band have the same problem if they have enough of a fill that the opening is rather small. Personally I wouldn't take the chance. If one in a million I can avoid going through the pain, I would much rather just take another pain medication. Mary

Hi Anne, My doctor is dr. verboonen and dr. Ponce de leon of the Obesity Goodbye clinic. They are wonderful. If I lived closer I would go to them for all my medical needs. I could have gone to the emergency room locally but I thought by the time they fill out all their paperwork it will be morning. Besides I wanted my doctor who is experienced to take care of me. Their web site is www.obesitygoodbye.com Mary

Well let me give you all something to think about... my last post was 2 days ago on Wednesday morning. I had great restrictin, more than I had ever experienced. I basically went through my day without eating much and thought that it would pass. Well at around 7 p.m. I started to feel pain in my back and naturally I thought if I PB it should go away. Well it didn't and it continued to get worse. To make a long (13 hour) story short, I was up all night with pain. I was PB ing every 45 minutes to releive some of the pain in my back but by 8 a.m. that wasn't helping much either. So we headed for TJ. Let me tell you the 3 hour car ride with pain was not fun. By the time we got there, I could hardly walk over the boarder. But my doctor and his staff were ready and waiting for me. As soon as I got to his office, they put me on IV to give me medication to calm my nerves and to take down the swelling in my stomach. At this point I was in great pain and could not swallow my own saliva. And things got worse before they got better. I thought I was going to die from the pain and pressure in my chest. Well about 1/2 hour later I was calm (of course I PBd one last time and that releived some of the pain). Then I was taken to Xray. Everything was fine, nothing had slipped or flipped thank GOD! So my doctor did an unfill first to and then gave me a 2 cc fill. This was the most painfull experience of my life. My doctor said that my stomach was completely closed because I took Ibuprofen (advil). The swelling should go down in 1 to 2 weeks, at that time if I have no restriction I will get another fill. For now I am on liquids for 3-5 days. I am so happy to have such a good doctor. They were all ready to go once I got there and took great care of me. Moral of the story? Don't take Ibuprofen unless you want to kill yourself! Mary

Hi Alicia, I'm sorry to hear your are going through this. I hope my latest information helps. I found out that if you take Ibuprofen, it will make your stomach swell up therefore making the band tighter. I remember my problems began when I took Advil last week to relieve cramps. Not knowing this and being ultra sick yesterday, I took another Advil to cure my headache (the one I got because I could not eat anything)! So my doctor said that the tightness could last up to 2 weeks. Although I can't imagine going through this for another 2 weeks I am relieved to know what caused it and what's happening inside me. You mentioned that you tried soup and PB'd, have you tried strained soup, so it's just the liquid? I find that very comforting. Also you might try eating at different times to find what works for you. For instance I can eat more at dinner than I can at Breakfast or lunch. Good Luck Mary

Hi Kelly, Thank you. Yes I am stressed. I own my own business and going through home remodeling right now so "STRESS" is an under statement. It frustrates me because I was ok for the past 4 months. I had the occassional golf ball but nothing like this. Of course my family panics and they encourage me to take some out but if things only go back to the way they used to be I'll be ok. Hopefully things will go back to normal soon. Thanks again, Mary

Hi Chris, I originally wanted to lose 65 lbs. and lost a bit of that weight prior to surgery. I have lost 42 lbs. since being banded in August. Mary

Hi Kelly, I have been super restricted for about 2 1/2 weeks now, and it seems to be getting worse. Like right now I had one small bite of a sandwich and that was it. I felt pain in my back and stopped eating. Did you experience pain? Is that the reason you had some taken out? I have a 9cc band and my doctor gave me 5cc fill on my first and only fill. He said that I would not need another fill and to call him when I have lost the weight. Well I am 10lbs from my goal and am considering an un-fill. Just wanted to know about your experience. I also noticed that you said you gained weight when you had the fill taken out. Is that because you ate more? Any suggestions? Mary

Oh my GOD. I have been feeling exactly the same way and very scared something might be wrong. I have been very tight for the past few days. Unfortunately for me, I am going on a cruise today which means no food for me. Almost anything that I eat gives me the golf ball feeling. I PB 2x yesterday. So I thought I should do a Protein drink just to get some nutrition. I drank only half of the can because it felt like it was stuck. So I went to bed. At around 1:30 a.m. I got up cauphing. I could taste the drink in my throat so I am not sure if I was PB in my sleep or the fact that my head was lower than my body might have pushed the food back. I hope this passes, I am very scared that something might be wrong. Mary:(

Hi Marsha, I was banded by dr. verboonen in TJ on Aug 7,2003. I was very pleased with everything. The cost was $8500 (although I think it's been increased to $9000) but it included everything, tests, surgery, hospital stay and hotel stay. I was very well taken care of. I think Dr. Verboonen owns a floor of the hospital because I was put in a private room with my own nurses that checked on me every 15-20 minutes. It was great care, one that I would not expect in the USA. Good Luck, Mary

This is a problem than runs in my family. Try a glass of prune juice or a couple of prunes a day, this shoudl make a difference. I also make myself a small bowl of shredded lettuce and have it with lemon juice and olive oil, seems to keep things moving.

I made a goal for myself and that was to be able to fit in my 16 year old nieces pants! Well let me tell you after months of being banded and looking at her wear tight jeans, last night I finally told her "take off your pants so I can try them on"! With much hesitation and a bit of giggling, she handed over her pants. Well they fit! A little tight but I zipped the pants and everyones jaw dropped. Granted that my niece has put on a little weight in the last 2-3 months but still to be able to wear her pants... priceless. Just stick to your goal, I never thought this day would come but it did and it is possible. I feel like I got a fresh new shot of energy and love my band even more. You will undoubtedly go through ups and downs but just keep reminding yourself of the things you look forward to and you will soon get there. My next goal? Raid her closet! Mary:D

Your BMI is 42.2. You will definitly lose some of the breast with weight loss.

Thank you I'll keep that in mind. I think it's been bothering me because today has been one of those days that things just don't go down. And the fact that I am stupid and as good as I look now (15 lbs. away from goal) I feel sorry for myself. Part of it may be because I am going on a cruise in 2 weeks and already feel deprived. I know I AM STUPID!!! Thanks for listening, Mary

Does anyone know any fill doctors with reasonable fees in Southern California? I am thinking of getting a little un-fill and don't want to drive to TJ. Mary

I had surgery with dr. verboonen. He is a wonderful doctor, very caring and knowledgeable. I was very well taken care of and have recommended him to others. You can visit his site www.obesitygoodbye.com Mary

Antonio, You seem to be dodging the million dollar question.... WHO WAS YOUR DOCTOR? If you don't want to answer just say so!

I use 2 Flinstones chewables, 2 Calcium chewable and 1 sub-lingual B-12. I have taken advil without a problem but interestingly enough I use to take at least 7-10 advils a month before getting banded. I used to get terrible headaches- the kind that made you wish you could cut it off! But since being banded (8-7-03) I have had the need to take it only 2x! Go figure! As for the prune juice... oh my God we buy it by the case load in my family because everyone seems to have that problem! When I feel the need I just make myself a small salad and a nice helping of olive oil & lemon juice. It tastes great and does the job well. Mary

Congrats Donali! Do you still put mini goals for yourself. I know my goal is 5 lbs. at a time. I just wanted to mention that during Thanksgiving, I definitly ate more and since I was eating very slowly I had no problem with my meal. I also indulged in desert. So I was almost certain that the scale would show the gain. Much to my surprise I stepped on and had actually lost 2 lbs. I sometimes have to remind myself to eat more and take in the calories. I think after years of dieting and cutting calories this has become such a challenge. My mind is still set on cutting calories when in fact I am supposed to take in 1200 a day. I think I am only taking in 700-800! Mary

I agree with Donali, It seems Antonio is somewhat upset at everyone with a successful band! We are sorry that things did not work out for your and your daughter but you have to realize with every operation there is a risk. You either think it's worth it or not! The procedure was explained in full to me and complications too. I was also told that complications are very rare and I mean serious complications not the occassional PB! Over all I am thrilled with my band and wish I had done this sooner. God willing I will not have any complications in the future either. Just out of curiosity, is there anyone in this group that has had their band longer than 5 or 10 years? I would love to hear how things change with time. Mary

Hi Jaime, Yes I had the Midband. So the instructions are different. On page 12 of the hand book it says: The day after the operation: liquids only (water, milk, tea, broth) The 3rd, 4th and 5th days: semi-liquids only (thinck soups, purees, yogurts, baby foods) Then eat as normal but: 1- Stop eating as soon as you feel satisfied. 2- Everyday you must have some animal Protein. 3- Drink between meals, and never fizzy drinks. I think it may have to do with the fact that the midband is flexible and it is not a rigid ring placed around the stomach. I was also sent this great CD that goes through the entire procedure. The CD was made for physicians because it does get technical as well but I got it through my dad who is a doctor. So instructions are different from band to band and also from one doctor to the next. I have been reading other posts and I do notice that my instructions were not as rigid as others. May be it was because I did not have as much weight to lose so they didn't need to put me on such a restricted diet after the surgery. I don't know.... Mary

Michelle: Thank you I feel better knowing that I am not alone. I feel exactly the same way except sometimes mine really hurts. But I did notice that the first few bites set the tone for the rest of the meal. I have to pay more attention and take it easy when I start to eat. Thanks. Leo: You're jealous of me? That's funny because I am jealous of your weightloss! I read your site everyday and think why can't I lose the weight as fast as Leo. But you're doing great & you will definitly meet your goal before the end of December! Maybe we can meet in TJ one day. Do you plan on going back anytime soon? I might go after I reach my goal to take out some of the fill but have not decided yet. :cool: Donali: You always give such detailed information. I learn alot by just reading your responses. This may seem like a stupid question but how is reflux different from a PB? Mary

Hi Everyone, I have been freaking out since I read about removing the band. I have the midband which my doctor said is a 9cc band. He gave me 5cc fill on my first and only fill - which after reading about other fills seems to be quite a bit-but he told me I would probably not need another fill to get to goal. I pretty much have pain with lunch and dinner (Breakfast seems to be ok since I eat Cheerios), unless I have Soup or eat super slow. The pain is not too much and most often I can continue to eat after taking a couple of deep breaths and drinking some hot Water. I keep food down ok. And if I feel like the food is not moving I usually drink some hot water and I'm fine. I just want to know if this is normal? Is the band too tight? or does everyone feel this way? I am 16 lbs. away from my goal and would hate to have to remove the band. I thought about going to a radiologist to take some X-rays to make sure things are where they need to be. Please put my mind to rest. Mary:(

Good for you Shana! Just think how much lighter you'll be by the end of 2004. You may want to sit in the back of the class, that way you can stretch and move as you wish. But after a week you should be just fine. Just be careful not to lift heavy books for at least the first month. Let us know of you progress. Mary