claraluz

There is only one problem that I know of that would truly be a band emergency and that is if the bottom stomach moves up and through the band. It's very rare. But it did happen to my band doctor who has the band herself. It's an emergency because if that happens you won't be able to eat or drink anything. So if it happens (I'm sure it won't) you won't have to worry and guess. You'll know immediately that you have a serious problem. You will need to go to the EC and they'll probably need to take the band out. I do think it's true that worry is a symptom of being banded. We've all heard of things that can go wrong and when we feel a little change - say we are PBing more or burping more or whatever - we wonder whether our band has slipped or perhaps even eroded into the stomach (which has happened to someone on this board). But most often these changes mean nothing. It just takes time to get to know and trust the band. nancy

I really hope you are able to find a doctor who is willing to follow you and do fills, etc. Many doctors won't follow another doctor's patient. Did your doctor say that he won't provide follow-up care? Or is it just that you can't afford to fly there all the time (which is understandable). I can't exactly remember, but I don't think I had a follow-up appointment except to get my first fill after five weeks (most doctors say 6 weeks). My doctor wanted me to be on liquids for two weeks and then mushy food for two weeks. After that I was able to eat solid food. I wouldn't necessily be worried about danger signs at this point. I don't think it is really unusual for you to still be feeling tired and sore. It is very easy to worry a lot in the beginning stages of being banded because you experience a lot of new and alien feelings. But I think in general, as long as you are able to get adequate nutrition and fluids down and as long as you are not infected (fever, redness and swelling at the suture sites) you are probably OK. Good luck and go find that follow-up doc! Nancy

Congratulations to you! It's great that you set some NSVs as your goals and that you kept track of when you met them. What a great idea! Nancy

If you are going to get a lawyer, you might think about going to obesity law. It is a law firm that specializes in this sort of thing. I didn't challenge my insurance denial. I just paid for it myself. But now I wish I had at least taken it one step farther. Nancy

Bottom line is it increases the risk of surgery - any surgery. If she is relatively young and healthy, the risk will be less. If she's been smoking for 30 years and has heart or lung problems, the risk will be greater. It also will tend to make her scarring worse. And if she is concerned about sagging skin after weight loss, it will tend to make that worse and if she wants to have plastic surgery, they will probably insist that she quit smoking. This is because smoking decreases the blood supply to the skin. The above are the true, biologically based facts. Obviously there will be many people who smoke and come through surgery without any problems, just as there are many smokers who never get lung cancer. Nancy

Aw, that's so great. Thanks for sharing it with us. Nancy

It is found in drugstores, Vitamin stores, grocery stores. Nancy

I don't know if I posted this previously, but my dog takes heart medication (analapril). He needed a refill and I wasn't going to be able to get to the vet's office before closing, so the vet said she could call the script in to my regular pharmacy. I nearly fainted dead away when I went to pick it up. It was going to cost more than $50 more than the same prescription costs at the vet's. I bought one pill and went to my vet's for the rest the next day. Oh, and my dog's cardiologist calls me about once a month to ask how he's doing. Ever heard of a people doctor doing that? Nancy

Jewish: gefilte fish (might need to mash it up a little) with horseradish. Matzoh ball soup if the matzoh balls are soft and fluffy. Nancy

Babs, congratulations on the outstanding weight loss! I know what you mean about carbs being hard to resist once you start because I have that problem too, but the reverse is also true: After no more than three days of sometimes white-knuckled discipline in eating right, the carb craving usually lessens dramatically. I will just echo what everyone else said: You know how to be successful better than most of us do. That hasn't gone away. Good luck! Nancy

I feel I have to be really honest and hopefully some of you will have some words of wisdom for me. I can't remember when I last lost a pound. In fact, I've gained three. Although I had read before hand that the band is not magic, at first it seemed like it was. Fifty pounds melted off of me despite the fact that I basically wasn't following any of the band rules very often and was eating whatever I wanted. Well, the honeymoon's been over for months now and I've realized that those rules are there for a reason and that I can't continue to eat junk and continue to eat around the band if I want to lose more weight. But I've had a really rough time getting control of my eating and the really discouraging part is that I feel the same frustrations that I did pre-band. I really don't want to diet again because I feel that's part of what got me here in the first place, but I've about decided that dieting is what I have to do. Except I haven't been able to discipline myself to do it. For the past week or so, I've been focusing on following the Omega-3 diet rules. It isn't a weight loss diet, it's more of a diet that is intended to improve cardiovascular health, blood glucose levels, and mood. This has come about because after going down post-banding, both my blood glucose and my cholesterol were slightly high again. I've been eating healthier since I started doing this diet and I feel better, but I still haven't lost any weight. I've been in therapy for a year, so that is not the answer. I've been exercising fairly regularly all along and have recently stepped up the amount. I try to ride my bike every day between 5 and 7 miles. Or else I walk about a mile or so. Wimpy, I know, but I am very faithful about it. Restriction? It seems pretty good, I guess. I don't know, it's so hard to really know what the "sweet spot" is. I know that I am burping a lot and that sometimes I feel I need to burp, but can't. I know that occasionally I'll have a slime experience. But it still seems that I can eat a pretty good amount of food. For example, for lunch just now, I ate about 1/4 cup of firm tofu and about 2 cups of a fresh cabbage and onion dish. And I did not feel anything at all from the band. Does that seem like a lot? So there it is. I'm frustrated with myself and I feel like I'm in pre-bandlandia all over again. Nancy

Hi, everyone. Since you all had such great support, advise, and comiseration, I thought I would update you. I'm still doing the Omega-3 diet. It is not a diet that restricts anything - not even the amount of food. It simply involves minimizing your consumtion of saturated and polyunsaturated fats while increasing the consumption of monosaturated fats such as fish oil, olive oil, canola oil, and flaxseeds. It does involve eliminating most processed foods because they are high in the bad fats. The goal of this diet is to improve cardiovascular health, mood, the immune system, etc. Well, I've been focusing on this diet for about two weeks so far. I have not been perfect by any means - not even close! But the changes I've made have made me feel much better and more energetic. I still haven't lost a pound, but I'm hoping that as I get more practiced at this diet, weight loss will follow. We will see. At any rate, at least now I feel that I am on the road and not stagnating in a ditch at the side of the road. I hope that those of you who are also feeling like you're in a rut with your weight loss will find something that will work to move you forward. Wish me luck. For some reason sticking with a diet that makes me feel much better has never been my strong suit. So this may not be the final answer, but it is a step forward. Nancy

But just to re-inforce what Sue said, one of the effects of these drugs is to thin the mucosal lining of the stomach regardless of how the drug is administered - even transdermally. Nancy

Since you live in California, it would probably be easier for you to get to Tijuana. When I was researching, I spoke with Dr. Rumbaut. He speaks English as well as I do (and I also speak Spanish fluently) and I was able to speak to him directly, but he still uses a patient coordinator. Since I eventually decided to have my surgery in Houston, I did not realize that one pays extra for the coordinator. Are you sure that is the case? Nancy

Wow, you've had such a rough time. Here's hoping it all turns around soon for you and that your health is soon restored. Nancy

You really are doing great! Nancy

Thanks for the support everyone. I really mean that. Donali, what you wrote rang true for me. The difficulties I experienced when I was MO (instead of just 0bese) were much more serious than those I have now, so of course my motivation was higher. Am I somehow subconciously satisfied with my current weight loss? Well, I'm really not satisfied, but yeah, I don't feel the urgency about it that I did before. So I guess that is why my motivation is lower now. But I think I have to focus on my health, which is still being negatively impacted by my weight. I've got to keep my eye on that prize. Nancy

Tellie, I am so sorry, too, that you are going through this. Your original surgeon sounds like a bit of a jerk, if you ask me. I can understand feeling uneasy about the new surgeon. You can go to the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons website to see if she is a member. If so, this at least means she has done a minimum amount of bariatric surgeries and feels strongly enough about it to have sought membership. You can also go to ObesityHelp.com to see if there is anyone there who has used your surgeon and what their comments are. It's been a while since I've been to that site, but the last time I looked they had a feature where you could look up all the comments about your particular surgeon. Does your new surgeon have access to your patient chart (are she and your first surgeon in the same practice?) She should at least know your medical history. I think the advice about your husband telling his mother to talk to you about your medical problems is good. Hopefully, he will be able to go along with that. I definitely understand your reluctance to have surgery again and I'm sorry you have to. Of course you are the only one who can decide whether having the band is worth it to you. I wish you the best of luck, whatever you decide. Nancy

Michelle, thanks. I may take you up on that. My doctor pretty much already considers me to be a success. I've lost almost the average amount of weight that people with the band lose. But of course, I want more! And just in case there is anyone here who is trying to decide whether or not to get the band, let me say that there is absolutely no way I could have come this far without it. I would do it again in a heartbeat. And considering how I've been eating recently, without the band I would have gained all my weight back by now. It's just that now the "head knowledge" I had about the band not being magic has become more than theoretical. I know for sure now that it's real. Nancy

Donali, My therapy really isn't focused on food, though that has been a part of it. I feel there's really no mystery to my eating problems. I almost never overeat or eat anything unhealthy in the morning or while I'm at work. But at night, eating high-carb junk on a more or less continual basis seems to solve all my problems (for the moment). It helps me relax. If I'm feeling bad, it makes me feel better. If I'm bored, it's something to do. If I want to take a mental vacation, it helps me to zone out. I do have other very effective ways to do all of these things. Exercise helps with almost anything that ails me. Cooking and listening to music is a great way to relax. But those methods involve a lot more time and energy than grabbing a bag of popcorn. The irony, of course, is that eating right and exercising makes me feel much better than popcorn ever could! So why don't I stick with it? I do know why I overeat and I do have other ways of achieving the same goals. But sometimes it's just a matter of finding the discipline. And sometimes I don't know how to summon the discipline. I've done better for the last week or so, as I say, but that's a pretty common phenomenon, too. A few weeks of eating right and then I lose the discipline and turn to easily to old, bad habits. Babs, Thanks for your kind words. You've done great!! I do feel better just putting the whole truth out there. Nancy

Welcome and congratulations on being banded! Oh, yes. Swallowing the gum, been there, done that. I've sworn off gum forever! Nancy

I, too, am sorry you are feeling so discouraged. First, don't despair about the possible leak. The band is just very complex sometimes. During fill procedures I have found that whether or not they can withdraw all the Fluid they put in sometimes depends on my position. So if they have probelms, sometimes they will tell me to lay down or sit up and then they can withdraw the full amount. I did have a leak, but now my surgeon uses a more viscous liquid in my band rather than saline and it doesn't leak out. I can't remember the name of the substance, but I can find out if you want me to. Believe me, as far as re-gaining weight faster than you can blink an eye, I've been there, done that. I think any kind of dieting including Weight Watchers makes it much more likely that you will regain the weight because it messes with your metablolism. Sometimes I am tempted to go on a diet, but I resist the urge. I believe the band helps us to eat less and change our whole approach to food, something that I am definitely still working on. It doesn't come easy, but it does come. Best of luck to you and remember you can come here for support anytime. Nancy

Wow, you look great! There definitely has been a big change in your appearance! Congratulations! Nancy

OK, I know this is the biggest of all no-no's and I certainly didn't mean to do it. I was chewing gum and talking and I inhaled and. . . (no jokes, please). Anyway, I called my doctor's office immediately to ask for advice and guess what? The office closed at one. I called the answering service and the lady said Dr. Spivak will not respond to calls unless it involves bleeding or throwing up. I asked whether a nurse could be paged and she said no. I don't have a lot of restriction right now - very little, in fact. I don't know whether I should try to drink Water - or not. What should I do? I can feel the gum in my throat (because I have not tried to swallow it), but I don't actually have that stuck feeling or a golfball sensation or anything. I'm not salivating or anything like that. I will never chew gum again. I don't know how I could have been so dumb. Any responses ASAP will be appreciated. I'm panicking. Thanks. Nancy

Unfortunately, I expect many, many people will turn away from the band based on that show. And yes, they were citing an old study. It was the first study done with U.S. surgeons, meaning all the surgeons were very inexperienced. When I was considering the band, I read that study and that turned me away from the band. The study reported a 60% complication rate. I can't remember why I ever decided to reconsider the band. I think it was because I was so afraid of RNY and I was desperate, but in the meantime I wasted about a year when I could have already been banded. I have yet to see anything about the band in the mainstream media that is positive, unless you include Sharon Osbourne, but since she usually says she had gastric bypass it doesn't count. Nancy