DELETE THIS ACCOUNT!

I am so incredibly sorry for your loss, it's heartbreaking. But you have to realize the Lap Band cannot and does not cause stomach cancer. It's so awful your mom developed cancer but it has absolutely nothing to do with the Lap Band. It's just an unfortunate coincidence.

That's awesome, Steph! You should be very proud of yourself!!

It could very well be either an incisional or umbilical hernia. Unfortunately they're common among obese people because of the stress of the extra abdominal weight. But, I'm no doctor and you could have something totally different going on. I'm just speaking as someone who's had many hernias over the years.

((hugs!)) No one is going to gloat- and if they do they're a moron. I'm so very sorry you are going through this. This is exactly why it makes me so angry every time I hear of someone getting the old 4cc band in Mexico. You trust your surgeon to do what's right for you and they make quite the hard sell why it's "better" than the newer, bigger bands. I truly believe they take advantage of the patient big time. As far as I'm concerned, you didn't screw up, you were another victim of Medical Tourism trying to make a buck. I'm really glad you're able to get it replaced for a newer, bigger band. You've done so awesome losing so much weight despite your struggles. I'm sure it'll be a breeze by comparison when you get your new band. Best wishes

Good luck! I had a tummy tuck this past May (also hernia repair) and I love it. Because of the size of my apron (he removed over 12 pounds of skin) I do have abnormally big scar going almost to my back, but I can't begin to tell you how awesome it feels to not have the hanging tummy anymore. I have become a total clothes horse because I love shopping now that I can wear whatever I want without having to hide my stomach.

But the band isn't meant to "force you to stop eating". So often people getting their bands tighter and tighter expecting it to physically stop them from eating. They then end up with bands too tight, slips, and other serious complications because of it. Not to mention a lot of the foods people tend to overeat are sliders, anyway. chips, chocolate, ice cream, and many other foods liquefy the moment you eat them and because of it you can eat them like you didn't have a band at all. Even with the band, we have to take responsibility for what and how much we eat. The band isn't magic, it's just a tool. What Nana stated above is sadly true and wise words to take to heart.

It means your emotional eating is something to keep in mind and deal with. Support groups and counselors are a great resource. I too am an emotional eater (and a binge eater and a grazer) but I'm aware of it and spent over 2 years in counseling to deal with it. It doesn't mean the band isn't for you at all, it just means you'll have to take it into consideration. The fact some can't have bread isn't restriction, it's simply a side effect of the band for some. I can eat bread but dry meat is a no-no for me. Restriction is the physical act of the band tightening around your stomach, not restricting what you can or can't eat.

It has nothing to do with my vocabulary, it's everything to do with bariatric surgeons who now have a much better understanding of the band. I didn't write or edit this article. These aren't my words, they are the words of Dr. Simpson who is one of the leading experts in the field. The problem (again, as Dr. Simpson states) is the fact most bariatric patients don't mean restriction in the way the surgeons do. The band's job isn't to be the food police or physically stop you from eating anything. Because people often misunderstand the meaning of restriction and think it will, they end up too tight and with slips as a result. I'm sharing this article because I see a lot of people who are clueless around here lately and I'm hoping maybe this will help them so they don't become another failure statistic.

Terry you're very fortunate then. Unfortunately, it will be a couple years before "day 1" and the regulations stating private insurance must follow the same guidelines and standards as Obamacare policies- including hefty fines if they don't. The good news is, you'll be grandfathered into your current plan. The bad news is, at "day 1" that you could see your monthly premiums jump dramatically. It really depends on your employer though and I hope they don't have to for your sake.

When was your surgery? How much have you lost? How many calories a day are you eating?

Good luck! I've never had a problem with a grilled cheese, I think it's because the bread is crunchy.

With all due respect, the last thing I need is a biased webinar. I've read the actual bill. It took me a couple months but I read all 1000+ pages of it. I doubt the people holding the webinar can say the same. I am completely aware what it's really about, what's true, and what's not true. Because I've read the actual bill, I'm pretty confident in my opinion that it's complete crap. It may have been started with the best of intentions but fails miserably in execution.

Weight loss comes down to math- when you burn more than you consume, you lose weight. The simplest way to assure that happens is to track your calories so you can be sure you're not accidentally eating too much. If I were you, I'd start tracking calories. Best wishes.

Actually, you should never feel "full" with the band. If you're eating until fullness you're likely eating too much. With the band, you should be eating until satisfied or no longer physically hungry. Have a look at this link, it'll help: http://drsimpson.net...estriction.html

Welcome! 60 pounds since June is amazing! Congratulations! WOW!!

I take a Centrum Chewable daily.

The best way to know if you are losing inches is to take measurements so you can track it. If I were you, I'd start taking your measurements now. Weight loss comes down to math- when you burn more than you consume, you lose weight. The simplest way to assure that happens is to track your calories so you can be sure you're not accidentally eating too much.

Sunday was only 4 days ago. You can't realistically expect to lose weight every day or even every week. That's simply not how it is. The average weight loss is 1-2 pounds per week with the band (not per day).

Are you exercising? If so, it's very possible to lose inches without losing pounds.

You can have a slip without any symptoms, actually. It's rare but it happens. You can also have a slip while still keeping things down without an an issue. In fact, some people can actually eat more because of a slip. There is no one-size-fits-all. There's a huge array of possible symptoms.

As far as keeping your own insurance- yes you can. However, there are very strict stipulations to that. When "day 1" happens and Obamacare is fully active, if you have insurance through an employer you can keep it. You will then be grandfathered in at whatever your current coverage is (though there's no guarantees on premiums). However, if you leave that coverage at any time, you CAN NOT go back to the same plan. If you get married, your spouse would have a different plan than you. If you had a baby, same thing. Essentially you could work with a new employee at the same company and you could have totally different insurance because you were grandfathered in and they were hired after "day 1". This is what the actual Obamacare bill says, btw.

Talk to your surgeon, tell him what's going on, and let him decide how to best help you. Btw, you aren't supposed to get your fills right, your surgeon is. Let him do his job.