DELETE THIS ACCOUNT!

I agree with SueBee, track everything you eat. It's great your eating less food than you used to but that doesn't necessarily mean less calories. Weight loss boils down to simple math: When you burn more calories than you consume you lose weight. Tracking calories is the easiest way to assure that happens.

The way I got through it was spreading my calories out through the day. If I tried to eat 3 meals a day only, I'd have been horrifically cranky and hungry. It just wasn't happening. So, I had little meals/snacks every 2 hours. I also heavily focused on Protein. For me, it worked. I was able to still stay within my 1000-1200 calorie daily allowance without being starving all the time. It also allowed me to continually lose weight even though I was in bandster hell. It sucks!! Hang in there!

He tried to give me 3cc my first fill but I was immediately gurgling Water back up so he took 1cc back out. Since then, my fills range between .5cc and even as small as .1cc. I currently have 5.2cc in my 10cc band

I was wondering the same thing. This thread is very worrisome.

You can lay however is comfortable.

It's actually all over the place if you Google him. If you contact Allergan, the maker of the Lap Band, they will verify which band he uses apparently. I found this: "If you are considering Mexico for your LAP-BAND, you should always make sure that the LAP-BAND® devices and implants they use are exact same devices currently approved for the United States. Allergan, The maker of the LAP-BAND, can be contacted directly to confirm whether a surgeon in Mexico uses the older generation LAP-BANDs. An extremely important question to ask Allergan is when was the last time that the Mexican surgeon purchased last-generation devices from Allergan, and how many devices did they purchase. The answer can often be very enlightening. Coupled with looser medical regulations, the possibility of outdated equipment and possibly less experienced surgeons, you must heavily consider if the actual “real” cost, including travel, is worth the potential risks." If I were you, I'd check with Allergan just to see if he's updated his practices. I mean, it is possible. I don't want to discourage you from getting the band- at all. I just don't want to see you end up with a band that will cause you more problems. Or, ask his office specifically which generation band and what size they use. If they say the bigger current ones by Allergan or Realize- you're all set. It's just the old 4cc one you don't want.

Weight loss comes from eating less calories than you burn. The fills help to suppress your appetite making it easier to eat less food but the band's job isn't to physically stop you from eating. Here's a great explanation from Dr. Simpson: "The Lap-band is NOT about Restriction When talking about the band, some patients talk about restriction. Let's first be clear about one thing: the purpose of the band is not restriction; the purpose of the band is to lose weight by suppressing the appetite. When band professionals talk about restriction we are talking about something totally different than "restricting what a person eats." In fact, many band surgeons avoid talking about restriction so as to not confuse patients. The band works by dimming the appetite, and this provides a conscious control and decision made by the patient, it does not work by "making" a person do something, or keep them from eating too much. The Lap-band works by suppressing your appetite As a result, you are less interested in food between meals, making it easier to resist temptation. The analogy is when you are near a vending machine when you are hungry-- what do you do? Probably find yourself with some junk food that is not a part of your plan. But, when you pass a vending machine when you are full, it may not even catch your eye. Having the appetite dimmed makes you less tempted by the many food choices modern living throws at you - -this is what the band does, by suppressing appetite you become less interested in food." Here's the entire article, it has a lot of great info: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html Best wishes.

I think you totally "got it"

I know this is none of my business, but I say this out of genuine concern. Please reconsider using this surgeon. It says on his website he uses the 4cc band. The 4cc band is very outdated and no longer used in the US. The reason it's no longer used is because of it's very high rate of complications. There are reputable surgeons in Mexico that use the newer, safer, bigger bands. I urge you to consider one of them. Your health is worth it and I would truly hate to see you go through more hell because of the 4cc band. Best wishes.

I think it depends. How did your band slip? Did the band come lose and move or has your stomach prolapsed through it? What caused the slip?

All you can do at this point is stick to your doctor's post op diet. The Protein Shakes will help but it will be rough while you're still on liquids. Hang in there, it gets easier.

It could be an umbilical hernia. I would make an appointment with your doctor.

I agree, you need to deal with your dislike of doctors and get into one right away. Especially since you already have some erosion, a family history of bleeds, take NSAIDS, and have the band. Drinking just added gasoline to the fire. Black granular vomit is often a sign of old blood and nothing to mess with. I don't mean this negatively nor am I trying to scare you- but you're seriously a ticking time bomb. If you don't take care of this immediately the consequences could be severe down the road.

Yes. Or, if there band is too tight it could lead to pouch dilation too. If the band is too tight then food can get hung up and sit above the band longer it's supposed to. Because of this, it can stretch the pouch as more food piles in. It can also lead to band erosion.

Bottom line- always listen to your doctor regardless of what anyone else says. Especially online. I'm guessing the biggest reason people freak out on you is because most surgeons would never allow their patients to eat all that only 10 days after surgery. The majority are only on liquids or mushies at that point.

Here's how Dr. Simpson explains "restriction": "The Lap-band is NOT about Restriction. When talking about the band, some patients talk about restriction. Let's first be clear about one thing: the purpose of the band is not restriction; the purpose of the band is to lose weight by suppressing the appetite. When band professionals talk about restriction we are talking about something totally different than "restricting what a person eats." In fact, many band surgeons avoid talking about restriction so as to not confuse patients. The band works by dimming the appetite, and this provides a conscious control and decision made by the patient, it does not work by "making" a person do something, or keep them from eating too much. The Lap-band works by suppressing your appetite. As a result, you are less interested in food between meals, making it easier to resist temptation. The analogy is when you are near a vending machine when you are hungry-- what do you do? Probably find yourself with some junk food that is not a part of your plan. But, when you pass a vending machine when you are full, it may not even catch your eye. Having the appetite dimmed makes you less tempted by the many food choices modern living throws at you - -this is what the band does, by suppressing appetite you become less interested in food."

It's got a lot of stimulants in it, including caffeine and cocoa. It also has about 400% of the recommended B6- which can lead to nerve damage in the arms and legs. Here's a great breakdown of it. My personal opinion? I wouldn't touch it. http://www.livestrong.com/article/483267-saba-health-supplement-side-effects/

No one is shaming anyone. Guilty conscious much? I knew full well going into this there was a risk of complications- as there is with all WLS. I went into this educated and made an informed decision based on my research of Lap Band, The Sleeve, and Gastric Bypass. If I do have a complication in the future it'll have been worth it. I'm over 220 pounds lighter with a wonderful life because of my band.

Here's a very good article that explains how the food passes through the band and why it should take about a minute. "When food is eaten our oesophagus, or food pipe, squeezes bites of food down towards the band. Once food reaches the band, contractions of the oesophagus, called peristalsis, will squeeze well-chewed food past the band. In a person with a well-adjusted band, it can take between two to six squeezes of the oesophagus to get a bite of food across the band. One study suggests this process takes at least a minute." http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/171713-how-does-a-gastric-band-really-work/page__hl__pass+through+band

I actually slept on my stomach right from the first night after surgery.

That is a great way to distinguish head hunger from physical hunger. In the future, do you mind if I steal your advice for others?

You are doing (and look!) GREAT!!!

Actually, current studies show that food passes through the band in less than a minute. It doesn't hang around above it in the pouch at all. This is also why many surgeons are changing their rules about drinking with meals.

You talk like 60 pounds isn't a lot of weight! Let me put this in perspective for you: My 10 year old son weighs 67 pounds. You lost almost the equivalent of a 10 year old boy. That is no small feat!! That's A LOT of weight!! Don't ever compare yourself to others. No one is doing "better" than you are. Your journey is uniquely yours and you're doing beautifully at it. Don't be so hard on yourself

Granted this is strictly my opinion based on the advice of my own nutritionist, but some people's metabolism do need carbs. Carbs are energy. I just try to eat "good" carbs- like whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and potatoes. I try to stay away from carbs that are white (except potatoes) or anything with the words "bleached" or "enriched" on the label. For me, it works.