WASaBubbleButt

Mine was 41, now it's 20.8.

Your stomach doesn't really get used to a fill. As you lose weight you lose some of the gastric fat around your stomach and that makes the band more loose.

You can't really stretch your band. You could run over the band with a truck and it's probably not going to change it. It is your stomach and/or esophagus that dilates, not your band. If you are eating and drinking together yes, you can dilate your pouch and/or esophagus and the only way to know if you have or not is to have a fill under fluoroscopy. If you have dilated one or the other then usually the doc will unfill you and put you on liquids for several weeks. Most of the time this will fix the problem. If not, rarely surgical repositioning is in order. I know what you mean about weight gain. I weigh daily because I'll never let it get out of hand again.

Since allllll these new people have suddenly shown up out of the blue posting on a thread that hasn't been busy in months just to tell of their wonderful experiences with Dr. G perhaps you should read this thread, too: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f11/anyone-heard-dr-francisco-gonzalez-tj-38041/index25.html First Dr. Gs office claimed his erosion stats were 4%. Then when this was brought to light suddenly people were caught with multiple IDs pushing Dr. G and dog piling anyone that didn't agree that 4% erosion stats were acceptable (global stats are 1.3%). Then the fake IDs were called out and Dr. G's office changed their stats to combine them all and hide erosion stats. Then they changed what they tell people to something to the effect of.. "of a group of 800 patients their erosion stats were 0.9%..." Well, who cares what the erosion stats of a hand picked group of 800 people are? What are the TOTAL erosion stats? Per Dr. Gs office it is 4%.

Per Inamed slip stats are more than double for US doctor's patients. It's not an opinion. They were quite clear about this at a lecture they gave about a year ago. Inamed explains the reason for the post op diet. When the surgeon places the band around the stomach he sutures it in place but the sutures are not what really holds the band in place long term, it's the scarring the body forms around the band. Six months after surgery if you look at a band it is covered in adhesions all the way down to the port. When you consume Clear Liquids your stomach does not have to work to digest food. It pretty well just runs right through your stomach. When you eat foods with more bulk your stomach has to work and churn to push the foods through your digestive system. In the beginning the newly forming strands of adhesions are frail and when your stomach is working and churning to push food through to your intestines it breaks those fine strands of scarring. Scarring never grows back in the same place with the same quality a 2nd time. So if you don't give the scarring a chance to form it's not going to hold your band in place well, long term. That means people are at higher risk for a slip months down the road. There really is a reason for the post op diet. Doctors outside the US have their patients on a post op diet of: 10-14 days of clear liquids, 10-14 days of full liquids, 10-14 days of soft foods, Then solids as tolerated. They have less than half the slips US doctors do. So to rephrase the post you are responding, it is my opinion that I agree with Inamed. ;o)

Sometimes we want what we want when we want it. We will run over and slam dunk anyone that dares to get in our way of getting what we want when we want it. Mindy is quite correct in what she is writing. That is just something you'll have to deal with. She isn't uppity, she is honest with herself as well as the world around us. You can call her names and insult her all you want. Sadly, it does not change reality one tiny bit.

Sooooo true. Since the US docs have been changing the post op diet from what the band manufacturers have been suggesting.. our slips stats are more than DOUBLE that of ANY other country. When they are sued enough times, they will finally begin following the band maker's instructions. I feel bad mostly for self payers. They don't have the money to pay for surgery time and time again.

Lap bands are never placed in a doctor's office, never. Surgical center or hospital, yes. But never a doctor's office. I've been complaining about newbie doctors wanting a quick buck for 2 years now regarding lap bands. I don't see it getting better ever. This is why for me Mexico was a nice option. Two nights in the hospital after my band and 4 nights after my sleeve. In the US bands are usually done outpatient and sleeves are outpatient or one night in the hospital.

No, you didn't mention doctors or nurses - I did. I was basically agreeing with you by saying that doctors and nurses don't like it either.

How long one stays in the hospital wouldn't have anything to do with the slip stats down the road. Nurses and doctors here don't like the lack of hospitalization either, it's the ins co's that are behind it.

There is quite a bit of discussion about your doc here: http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/Revision/a,messageboard/board_id,5360/ More specifically here: http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/Revision/a,messageboard/action,replies/board_id,5360/cat_id,4960/topic_id,3810534/ This gal used to work for your doc, she also had revision surgery by him and now she's having major problems. She's in the valley as well. I don't like her in the least but I do feel sorry for her. She's worked for Simpson, Schlesinger, and now Gitt. Thought you might be interested in doing a bit of reading.

I was just talking to someone else via email and I was expressing my opinion that when it comes down to it I don't think there is any significant difference in the bands. The reason I prefer Inamed is because of the port, not the band. They both do the same job. Period. You know, it's common to have addiction transfer after surgery. It would appear we know Rock's new addiction, posting the same stats over and over and over again with nothing new to add to any conversation. ;o)

Nobody asked what you do for a living, you offered that freely. Nobody asked where you work. Nobody asked your name, location, what doctors you work for, none of it. All I have asked you as well as the moderators is what level of licensing you have... if any. That just isn't personal contact info, that is defending your claims that you have more medical education than MacMadame and me combined. Playing victim here isn't going to work. You most certainly have given medical advice, you told someone when to do as her doctor instructed and when to disregard his advice. I posted the link and the quote for you. You are doing a lot of projection here, accusing everyone around you of doing what, in fact, it is you doing. How do you know what information I had when I was banded? The band did a great job for me. I lost my excess weight in 10 months. I did better than you so what is it that you believe I wish I would have known? No band would be beneficial for me long term. I had problems that were not related to the type of band I had, I'd have the same problems with any band. That's why I switched to a sleeve instead of another band. More projection? If you will notice I have not debated your stats. Show me the post where I claim your studies are wrong. *I* am the one that has posted previously that the J&J band does turn into a triangular shape. I am the one that has posted that if I were to get another band, and I wouldn't, it wouldn't be the J&J band it would be Inamed (if I wanted an FDA approved band, the band I would get otherwise is the midband). Since you can't climb out of the hole you have created for yourself you are creating claims and saying they came from me. They most certainly did not. I haven't made ANY of the claims you are throwing around. No, what I am saying is that you are claiming to be a licensed medical professional with more education than MacMadame and I combined, that makes you a BSN or better. As soon as you state just what licensed medical professional you are (and you aren't) then you most certainly are breaking the law. In most states it is a felony to claim you are a nurse when in fact, you are not. A woman on the OH board just got in trouble for that and the records are public and available for all to see on line. THAT is why you won't tell us what level of licensing you have, then you open yourself up for a world of trouble. So I beg to differ, it is you that doesn't have a clue what you are talking about. But you do know enough not to tell us your level of licensing. You created a hole for yourself that you don't quite know how to climb out of. But it is interesting watching you try.

Thank you! We trust surgeons to lead us in the right direction. Just because someone has a Realize Band does NOT mean they will not lose well. Thank you for a voice of reason and logic. It's a BAND. They all do the same job in the end. If I were to get a band (and I wouldn't do that again) I would get a Midband. If I chose an FDA approved band it would be Inamed. It's an opinion, nothing more.

Nooooo, actually you were not attacked for trying to provide statistical data, you were attacked for your arrogance, misinformation, and an inability to defend your bizarre claims. You were blasted for your lies. Face reality, it will hurt but you will recover. Honest. In the meantime we are waiting for you to defend your outlandish claims. You haven't done that yet. Any reason why? You have been receiving angry tones since you started posting in July. You are in denial. Arrogance and attitude belong to me, not you. ;o)

Rocky... darl'en... the correct response is that you could NOT care less what we think. Unless that was a Freudian slip?

LOL! You are too funny!

Sounds like your fill doc gave you an infection... hard to prove though. You need your port REMOVED. Then at least three months after your port removal and clearing the infection a port replacement in a different location. If you replace the port in an new location, you spread the infection to a new area. So you deal with the infection portless and then get a new port when the infection is totally cleared.

With banding a doctor can pump out 10-12 a day. That's a LOT of money. With sleeves and especially bypass they can only do a few a day because a sleeve takes twice as much time as a band and bypass... probably 5x as long as a band. But they cost more. I don't know exact numbers so I can't say for sure but I would think the bands afford them faster and easier money.

I am relaxed but thanks for the suggestion. Rockbandster has told people that their doctors are wrong, they have told people not to listen to anyone here, they have told people that they shouldn't post, they have insulted and degraded a great many people. Look through this person's short posting history and see the non stop responses to their nasty posts. People are told if they don't get the "right" band they won't lose weight or they won't lose it well. They are spreading misinformation, inaccuracy, and complete BS. Again, read through the responses this person gets to their posts and you'll see people are sick of it. To bolster their credibility they made huge claims that are quite obviously not accurate. After 4 months of this it's time someone calls them on their own words. If you don't like that, that's okay. Nobody said you had to like it. But I kinda think MacMadame didn't care for the insults, the newbies don't need to fear they got the "wrong" band, and the truth needs to come out. If this was the only thread... I'd agree with you. But it's not the only thread RockBandster has done this. Enough is enough.

Guess what I found? Ohhhh, this one is a gem. Now, to be honest this is exactly how I would speak in public. I am NO speaker so therefore I don't speak. But for someone who speaks to thousands of people about banding why is it that you struggle for medical terminology? Now, there are items that I don't know what they are called either such as the staple gun thing, I've referred to it exactly the same but *I* don't work in that industry, the WLS industry. I don't speak in pubic. I don't claim to have all the expertise that you claim for yourself. Check out this: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f278/realize-band-vs-lap-band-70603/index2.html#post972565 I'm really struggling to understand why an expert such as yourself with all this education and training that you refuse to tell us about, depends so heavily on research information from your doctor. You didn't know these things before he had to explain it to you? You know, I called it yesterday. I wrote that it sounded like you are parroting someone else's information. I proved myself correct. Now to give yourself credibility you pushed a bit too far with the claims of your background. The clinical studies, clinical setting, OR, speaker to thousands. Bah...

You give medical advice, someone was on a pre op diet and you told them it was okay to cheat. You told them to go against their doctor's advice because YOU believe a little cheating is fine: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f84/cheating-68188/#post904413 I kinda think you don't know more than most here. For someone that is soooo educated and lectures to thousands of patients don't you think it's kinda funny that as of 4 months ago you didn't know the shape of the stomach until your doctor told you so? http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f278/realize-band-vs-lap-band-70603/#post959674 One would think an expert such as yourself would have known that before their doc told them. Or this one: As of four months ago you were still depending on your doctor for your research. Someone that has worked in a clinical setting, an OR setting, Clinical Research, AND speaks to thousands of patients wouldn't you have known this before your doctor told you? As I recall from your posts according to YOU your doctor talked you into the Inamed band because you wanted the Realize band. But here is another gem showing where you get your info... for a speaker that educates thousands of people one would think you would have known this before your doc told you: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f278/realize-band-vs-lap-band-70603/index2.html#post973305 With all your expert knowledge why did your doctor need to push you one direction or another regarding which band you wanted? http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f278/lap-band-vs-realize-band-65276/index2.html#post959670 Matter of fact, YOU were going to get the J&J band until your doctor educated you in banding and weren't you just banded recently? As in a few months ago? June? http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f278/realize-band-vs-lap-band-70603/index2.html#post971924 Now, I just gotta ask. If you are such an expert in banding, you have done clinical trials, you work in a clinical setting, you work in an OR, you speak to thousands of people about lap bands... why is it that your doctor had to educate you on your own band? Do you want to give up the fake (unnamed) titles, big claims of your back ground, join the rest of us in this reality, and give up the crap? Or should I continue pointing out the obvious using your own words?

Pretty hard to believe considering you flat out refuse to tell us what you do. You have to admit, your credibility isn't great. According to your old posts there is no way you are anything other than an OR tech... if that. Immediately after you got your band you used terms such as "port thing" and many similar phrases. You don't have the knowledge of anyone licensed. Certified... maybe. I suspect the reason you flat out refuse to tell us what area of medicine you are supposedly licensed in is because in most (all?) states it is a FELONY to claim you are something you are not. You have mentioned four times now that since we don't appreciate all your wisdom you are outta here. More credibility issues, right?

Goody for you. You finally post something accurate. Actually we are still waiting for you to respond to the links MacMadame did post for you. You just kinda ignored them. Of course, they proved you don't have a clue what you are talking about. Could that be why? If you do not like YOUR band then go back to OR and change it. Nobody is forcing you to keep a band you don't like. Move on... move on to a topic you know about. If you have a Realize band.. weren't you just boasting on another thread that you lost a mere 90% of your excess weight in a year? (did I mention to you that I lost 100% of my excess weight in 10 months? Oh! I believe I did!) So what is your point? You told someone else to go back to OR and get an Allergan band. If your weight loss is so slow w/your Realize band and if the Realize band sucks so bad, why aren't YOU following your OWN advice? Darl'en, nice to meet you. I'm the one where you met your match. Now, leave the Realize banded folks alone and stop posting nonsense. Start posting balanced info and maybe someone out there will take you seriously.

So you are an OR tech. A 9 month course. Are you serious? You actually think we should take you seriously? Are you nuts? I lost 100% of my excess weight in 10 months, I have more education than you, I don't hide what my LICENSING is, and quite frankly you don't know squat about the politics of drug companies or anything similar. You are an OR tech! You are NOT a medical professional, you are an asst to us. Get over yourself for goodness sakes! Buggar off, leave MacMadame alone, and do as you have written FOUR times now. You have said you will go away, we are waiting for you to keep your word.