glitz99

Have had my band 10 years and love it, lost 50# but after the years weight creeped up, I went for a fill in Dec and then again in March only to find out I have a leak in the tube near the port. It was repaired and doing ok so far but was wondering if others have had similar experience and/or how their recovery and weight loss journey continued (or not) after repair. Thanks bandsters!

wouldn't it be better to gather this info in a poll?

I agree with Julie G. I would go back and don't be shy. It also took me about 4-5 adjustments to get to a good spot I could live with.

Hi there, I am a lap-band vet (4 yrs) and should know better but need some advice from fellow bandsters. After being rather unrestricted (2.0) for about 1.5 years. I went in for a fill. I was so close to goal - 15 lbs- that I wanted to try and make it. Now I have 3.0 , it's been 1 month. It is super quirky (lol). I can drink coffee, milk, juice's, protein shakes more or less ok but water is much harder to get down. as for eating. sometimes i can eat 6-7 oz and sometimes 1-2 oz is hard. Has anyone else had this problem? I like that I've dropped about 8 lbs but I don't know if this is worth it. :help:

thanks for your suggestions, I've not tried the papaya yet, so i might, has anyone else tried this? as for your question on band opening, it is so individual. on my last fill (before this tightening), I had it for over a year and noticed it loosened a little even though I didn't lose much weight (only a few lbs.). it loosened to the extent that I wanted to tighten it so I could lose my last 15 to reach goal. but even when it was loose, it would occasionally tighten up and then i'd pb, get bad heartburn or what not but that was pretty unusual. guess the answer is it depends on your body. have you noticed any loosening so far?

In answer to the following, in my experience, a little slime is normal/ok. My first fill in Mex. was a DISASTER and was way too tight. I slimed a lot then and had to go to emergency in US to get some taken out. I am tight right now (3.0) and still slime sometimes. I couldn't find any way to fix so I just dealt with it. good luck!

For me it is kind of tight but seems to be doing the trick-lol !

when i drink water, it is room temperature.i am rather restricted and not eating much but have sort of at a plateau. how many other folks have experienced this and how long does it last?

Thank you all so much for the info in this thread. I have the SAME thing. All the replies here are helpful and I am going to get my mystery port pain checked out. .. Please keep us posted, Ginger. -glitz

i, too, lost probably 1/2 my hair. luckily i had lots before and its very thick. protein and vites seem to help a little but c'est la vie, ma cherie. at least for me,it is but a small price to pay... I LOVE MY BAND!!!

THANK YOU for posting that. I just noticed this recently (have had my band for 1.5 years now). With PMS, I crave and can eat so much it's almost like there's no restriction. Once it gets here, everything restriction wise goes back to normal (allelujah).

Hi Alex, Sorry for the late reply. I just wanted to thank you for responding to my question re: reflux and also follow up. Luckily I had some fill taken out and the reflux disappeared immediately. i may have gained a lb. or 2 but i feel so much better, not stuck eating mush. also i had some terrible leg cramps going on and that disappeared too! i guess i'm glad i had the band loosened. i need to watch it more, but it feels so much healthier. i just wanted to say i thank you for your advice, agree with it and am glad that i listened to my body rather than stay uncomfortable for fear of a few pounds.

I decided to continue this thread since it is rather recent instead of staring a new one. I have had a tight restriction for about 5 1/2 months (2.75 cc). Since January, I've had lots of issues with restriction and an irritated esophagus. About 1 week ago, I got sever heartburn, it feels like near the stoma and lower esophagus. i take pepcid or tums and it subsides but i pretty much get it any time I eat. also i have pb'ing where gooey saliva (yes the technical term) comes back up even though the food/liquid or whatever passes through the band or so it seems. sometimes i vomit a few times a week (especially lately) the dilemma l is that i like this restriction and the weight that it is keeping me at but don't feel like dealing with reflux and vomit. does anyone have any advice or experince a smilar thing? i appreciate any insight you wondeful bandsters may have and wish you all the best. -g 215/155 , 5'7" Banded 12/2003

thanks for all your input. i just wanted to follow up on what the status is with my protruding port. it is still protruding but the pain has subsided. about 10 days after my inital post, i had some sharp pains and went to my GP. she thinks it is like a muscle pull or irritation. i have been careful with how i sit and not doing situps and i have not had pain lately. hopefully it is nothing ... best wishes to all the bandsters out there. -glitz

Hi Susie.. What is the latest on your band? I am having a similar situation and decided to post within this thread because it is so recent and sounds like what I am expriencing. I am 11 months post op (-55). For the past few weeks, my port seemed to protrude more than normal, but I thought that was due to weight loss. Before today there was no pain. Today around noon, a dull pain started. It felt like the cramp you get in your side from running. Funny thing, if I slouch, no pain. If I sit up, there is dull pain. Yesterday I did a lot of situps--like 80 or so. Also I laughed a lot this weekend since my best friend was visiting from out of town. I know I sound like a total wimp/baby at best and hypochondriac at worst, but is it possible that this could just be a bruise/muscular thing or from the experience of other bandsters does this sound like a flippage/infection issue. I appreciate any wisdom that my fellow bandsters would be so kind as to impart... okay, all the best to everyone... -g 12/2004 212/162 and counting 2.75 cc

i will try anything. i need to have SOMETHING left on my head.

I tried the TJ high high protein mix by METRX I think which said it had like 37 gm of protein per drink but it was WAY WAY too thick. I just took half of it and mixed it with soy and or fruit (mostly just soy). my trainer seems to think you should NOT mix soy and whey and that the different aminos "cancel" each other out. I could not find any proof but this guy really know his stuff so now i mix rice milk with whey protein. I agree with Rebecca that just try and get in as much as you can and make sure you drink water but don't get hung up on absolutely having to intake a particular # or you will go batty. good luck and keep us posted!

God bless this website and this posting. I have also lost TONS of hair since my banding last Dec 2004. My hair is long, really thick and there's lots but I just see hair on the floor, in the tub and less on my head. it is very disheartening but I was comforted to see that it seems like most of you had your hair grow back. thank you band community!

Hi Alex, I'm scheduled to have a slight fill on monday since my 2.5( in a 4 cc band) doesn't seem to be the 'sweet spot'. After weeks of feeling almost no restriction, the past coupla days, it's been great,very little hunger and a lot more control. when you had that experience, were you glad you went for the fill anyway?

solids

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to say hello. I am afraid I have been a "lurker" for awhile now and haven't been posting, but I have been thinking positive thoughts for everybody onboard. I have quick question. I have 4cc band (since Dec 03). I lost 35# and then had my band filled to 2.5cc. (In mid May '04) For awhile it was ok, but then I got really obsessive and ate very little. It made me a little spacy and nutty to say the least so my friends convinced me to eat a little. well that is an understatement, I can eat alot now - up to 2 cups of food probably and still not feel "full" or could at least eat more. I know a lot of it is emotional eating. Needless to say I stopped losing and prob. gained a few so my weight's been fluctuating between 170-175. Since it is 4 months later and no loss (even a little gain) do you think it would be foolish to have get the band tightened a little to like 2.8cc? At 3 cc, it was too tight and I felt like Water would not go down? but I am getting desperate, both to lose/reach goal and to get back "in control". I thank anyone for there insight and wish the entire community all the best!

i meant to reply last week!! you are right. the cafe au lait atkins is AWFUL!!! but i do love the chocolate and the vanilla is good too. i haven't tried a big spectrum but it is the best i've tasted so far and packs in a bunch of protein IMHO.

thanks for your kind wishes. am trying to hang in . i also have the inamed band. it is 5 cc.

I agree with everything that is being said. I have a really tight fill right now and am suffering. it is at 3 cc (a 5 cc band). i definitely could not dream of eating and can drink in such small sips it is a joke. It is not fun. My dr. said to wait and see if the swelling goes down before doing an unfill so I am trying to hang tight. In the mean time, I have had this tight fill for 3 weeks.

does anyone else have problems with even room temp water. i can't get room temp water or gatorade to go down. sometimes it all foams up and then comes back (sorry for the gross tmi(toomuch information).