Toddy

I had to have my restitched and my surgeon added plication (folding the stomach in and stitching it - similar to a gastric sleeve). Plicating the stomach with gastric banding has been shown to cut way down slips. If that had not been an option, I would have definitely gone with the sleeve. I don't want to ever have to try to manage my weight without some kind of help!!

I love this post!! I, too, was going to keep my surgery a secret. I ended up having to tell two of my good friends when I went to dinner with them one night shortly after a fill and got stuck. The one I thought would be most "judgmental" about my surgery was also obese and a serious diabetic. Well, after I "confessed" to surgery, she showed a lot of interest in the process and actually ended up jumping through all the insurance hoops, has now had the surgery, has had great success and, best of all, she's completely free of having to do daily insulin injections!!!! I like to think my "coming out of the closet" might have even saved her life !

We all have physical changes over the course of a long-term marriage. You have to love the person within! My husband loved me at my smallest and largest. I love him at his smallest and largest and even though he had a wonderful thick head of hair when we met, and now has almost none, doens't matter.. I love the man he has matured into over the years!!

As someone who was banded and then had a band slip, then opted for revision with plication... I just wshh I had done banded plicaiton from the outset!!! If band with plication isn't an option, please look at gastric sleeve. I didn't research the sleeve because I didn't want something that wasn't reversable... after having the band alone, I am a firm believer that weight loss surgery is great... and I hope to never have to struggle with weight loss without one tool or another!

I, too, don't eat if I'm not hungry. I do however drink A LOT of water. If I'm short on protein I will try to get that in through liquids if I'm still not hungry.

You say you have "tweaked" the amount of fill you have... tweaking is what you do when you're very close to the green zone. Sounds like you're nowhere near the green zone. Every doctor is different, and some are EXTREMELY conservative with fills (I think these type are more interested in your money than your health). I am still trying to find the green zone after having surgery to repair my band in November. My first fill was 2 cc's; my second fill was 2 cc's; (still zero restriction); my third fill was 1.2 cc's (just starting to feel some restriction); just had .5 cc's this week and I'm getting close to the green zone in a 10 cc band. I know if you're self-pay it must be very frustrating to spend all that money to get to the green zone, but if you don't ever get there, yes, the $16 k was a waste. Hang in there and keep trying. It's worth it eventually. And if your doctor is one of those very conservative with fills, try looking for another doctor.

I felt so good after my band repair and plication that I re-arranged my living room furniture by myself less than a week after surgery! And although I didn't suffer any consequences, I definitely would not recommend that to anyone!! I felt rather stupid after the fact! Generally speaking, if there's a problem with your band, your body will find a way of letting you know -- just listen to it!

Every doctor is different so no one can really answer that question except your doctor. Call their office, I'm sure they'd be happy to help -- I would hope, anyway!

When I was in the green zone, I could not gulp, I could only sip. That told me that I had proper restriction... and I long to get back to that green zone!

What studies????? Maybe if you're having wls because your spouse is a prick about your being overweight, then I could definitely see that kind of marriage failing -- especially once you lose weight and get your confidence back and realize what an ass you married. However, if you've got a good marriage and a supportive spouse before wls, I think your marriage will be just fine.

Good job! I have found that most of my weight gain on cruises is due to fluid retention and comes off fairly easily. Still, it's hard to get back on the wagon and be successful and it appears you've done it! Congrats!!

An eighth... a fourth... still amazing and many congratulations!!!!

I spent day 5 in the ER certain something was horribly wrong... After all the tests, nothing at all was wrong. I've had a complicated history with the band, but I can say that I would do it again. One of my favorite sayings: Nobody said it would be easy, but it will definitely be worth it!

Hope you follow his advice to the letter! I irritated my band while on vacation last July and knew I should go back on liquids, but didn't. I did the exact same thing in October, and ended up with a slipped band, another surgery, and am just now trying to get back some restriction. I won't make that mistake again!!

The weight that you want to be (and even the weight the charts say you should be) and the weight that your body can maintain comfortably can be two completely different numbers. You need to recoginze the number your body is healthy at and happy with and get over the mental "numbers". Then you will be at the right weight.

I doubt your band has slipped. It is very early in the healing process for you. If you're eating oatmeal, and mashed potatoes, they should be very, very runny! Also, remember very small bites! As far as being very hungry in the beginning, before you've had enough fills to reach restriction, is so normal that we have given it a name: Bandster Hell. Do a search on this site and you will see that you're in good company!

Sorry, double post!

Like I said, this is the second time around for me. I know the band rules, how the band works, etc., and was very successful until my band slipped, and since then have been able to maintain. I'm interested in hearing from anybody that's had a complete unfill and then been refilled to know if the fills the second time around were different.

Low fat/low cal Chinese take-out is almost unheard of... But in the small amount you should be eating with the band, it can't be too bad to eat once in a while.

Egg drop soup, IMHO, would be an all liquid. Mine ate pizza the night before my surgery... I was almost homicidal... I think it would have been "justifiable"!

I've been on this site for well over a year... this has to rank in the top ten best posts I've read!

Well, one year ago I was really looking forward to this day because with only(?) 72 pounds to lose I thought I'd be at goal by now. Instead today is the one year bandiversary of my FIRST band surgery. I am down 46 pounds. I weigh exactly what I weighed on the date of my SECOND band surgery with plication in November. I only have 4 cc's in my band right now and don't feel any restriction at all whatsoever, and I get hungry often because I can't eat very much at one time, so I'm just glad that I'm not gaining. To be perfectly honest, if it wasn't for being able to feel my port, I'd feel like I hadn't ever had any surgery! I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever see the green zone again. I was there twice after the first surgery and it felt wonderful -- eat a little and didn't even think about food for a good four hours or longer! Anyway, earlier this week a friend that knows every detail of my surgery journey asked me if it was worth it and would I think it was worth it even if I never lost another pound. I didn't even have to stop and think about it. YES, it was and has been worth it. I'm down 46 pounds, off blood pressure meds, don't feel all self-conscious about being the fattest person in the room! I've moved to a new state where I know absolutely no one, and I love the fact that when I meet people here they never knew that fat me! I have a new doctor that I hope I like as much as my original band doctor! I hope we'll get me back to restriction and by the time I have my second surgery one year bandiversary I will actually be at goal weight!!

I would hope that anyone old enough to look into wls would also be mature and smart enough not to take advice on a layperson's forum as actual medical advice

I had that extreme fatigue and weakness after my original band surgery, too! It was a lot worse than the pain or the gas. My worst day was the seventh day, and things improved dramatically after that day! Good luck!

Yep, what Mis73 said is correct. Add up all your out of pocket medical expenses and if they total over 7.5 of your adjusted gross income, it is deductible... that's my understanding at least.