La_madam

I had to have my band removed

I tan all the time and did 1 week post op..just dab some sunscreen over your incisions, it is what I did, had no problems it workedgreat. and my scars are not darker because of my tanning but I was lucky my Dr. made such small incisions to begin with.

I had girgling at 18 months post op..thought nothing of it..then had an endo and found I was eroded and a severe case of gastritis. . You might want to ask your doctor about this. My Dr. reccomends an endo at 15 -18 months post op. I know of another bandster who had the gurgling andshe too was eroded. Dont want to scare you just giving you my scenario with my gurgling.

NO definately NOT! Ever see the Movie Shallow Hal??? Perfect example. If a man did not want me when I was heavy, no way would I give hi mthe time of day when I lost weight and believe me it has happened to me several times since I lost weight, men that never gave me an ounce of attention when I was heavy now think they can flirt with me..I dont think so!

I sent mine over a week ago to IL, anyone from IL get a package yet?

I really had no misconceptions, I did extensive research for many months prior to my band. I spoke with people who were banded, emailed Inamed constantly.Read up on everything I possibly could about the band, joined the support groups before being banded. The thing I think most people here have misconceptions about is the pace of weight loss, with the band the weight loss is much slower then the bypasss and the band is not a magic wand, we still have to do some of the work. I read about peoples frustrations not loisng quick enough.

PBing on purpose is the ticket to slippage!!! Plain and simple! For those of you who do it. Stop! Are you crazy to risk losing your band like that! Chrerish this tool you are fortunate to have. Use it wisely! It makes me sad to read that you people are doing this on purpose. Did your doctors not tell you the risks of pbing often???

It has been 9.5 months since I had my band removed. I have gained 4 lbs back in that time. Each day is getting harder and harder for me so today I joined weight watchers. I need the accountability of weighing in every week with a real live person, it seems to motivate me and keep me on track. It is only 12.00 a week and to me that is minimal if I can lose a lb here and there or maintain this weght loss I had from my band. It is actually a good program and I know of several who are having great success with it. This is one program I never tried in the past ( tried every other diet) I feel doing WW with 90% of the weight lost with my band I can get to my goal weight of 150. with out my band Had I done only WW to lose all of my weight I know I would of quit since I had over 100 lbs to lose, but since I only have 28 to get to my 150 goal I feel very possitive I can do it with the help of WW. Iam allowed 24 points a day, so far today I have eaten 3 egg whites and 1 piece of dry wheat toast to equal 3 points. for a snack I ate a bananna to equal 2 points I have 19 points left for the rest of the day, point tracking is easy, I always thought it would be a pain in the butt , I was wrong Wish me luck :eek:

Thanks Barbara465 I recieved my gift today. What a beautiful Angel. I love Angels, they are all over my house. I also love the coaster /plaque " Sing like nobody is listening" I can not sing for Beans but when I sing I sing like no body is listening so it is perfect for me and the pampered chefcookbook will come in handy for me. I just this week got a new oven and have not been able to cook for over a yr.due to my old one breaking on Thanksgiving last year. I love to cook and to try new recipes. Thank you so much for all of the gifts. I love them all!

Sent mine out Saturday to where the weather is frightful and freezing

This is most likely your soft stop signal, it is your signal of your bodt telling you to stop. For me I got an ice cream headache, others I have heardfrom got a runny nose, a hiccup or a pain in the shoulder. Listen to your body..if this pain in the jaw only happens when you are eating then I would bet it is your signal to stop.

NSV's are far more important then what the scale reads. Do not let the numbers on the scale dictate your success or failures with the band. SIt down and make a list of all of thethings in your life that have changed since the band. Are you happier? healthier? Is your family happier? Buying cuter and smaller size clothes? Not needing to take blood pressure meds or other obese related meds? Do your feet and joints ache less now? If you answered YES to any of these questions then you are not a failure!

This is for all of those who are participating in the Xmas exchange this year. Please post 3 things you would like to recieve or things you collect etc.. this will make it easier for your secret Santa to shop for a gift. For Me: 1. Candles 2. Anything with Angels ( I collect Angels) 3. Lotions, Perfumes anything that smells good.

as long as you are able to eat solids without PBing on them on a regular basis and you are able to drink liquids with no problem this is normal. Many bandsters can not eat until later in the day.

Hi Welcome, do not worry, you are normal. Try having some protein shakes , the protein will help curb the hunger and keep you satisfied longer. One thing that worked well for me was blending my protein drinks with lots of ice, they werethickerand kept me full longer. Hang in there this is not how your life will be, it iwll amaze you once you start gettingyour fills how littleyou think about food. There is light at the end of the tunnel. We all were once at where you are now.

One thing I learned when eating beef/ prime rib etc...I would take me bites of meat with a bite of veggies. canned green beans worked best. Somethingto do with the veggies and meat together on my fork in my mouth helped to get it down better. I have also heard others try dipping sauces when eating beef...like BBQ, ranch something to lubricate it a bit. Very wise of you to stay on soft foods andliquids for a few days. You are possibly one of the lucky ones who has restriction without a fill. I was one of those for the first 9 weeks post op. It is a learning thing, you will find things that you can andcan not eat with trial and error. Good Luck

The good thing about the band Vs. the bypass is weight loss is slower so the chances of flabbiness are less. Also eating your 60 grams of protein helps with not getting flabby. If you are not eating enough protein you can lose lean muscle mass which makes you flabby. I lost over 100 lbs in 18 months. and I have no intentions of getting any kind of tuck or skin removal. you should be OK

I was walking around downtown TJ shopping the day after my surgery. You will be fine, the pain is minimal, the worst you may have is gas pains, and not able to enjoy a full Christmas dinner, I had my surgery right before Easter, so Easter dinner was a drag I was on liquids but as far as being mobile physically I was in great shape. but mentally I just missed the food

Cheryl, your surgery was just 4 days ago. I will bet you that the reason you are having trouble taking the meds right now is that you are still very swollen from your surgery. Give it some time for the swelling to go down. This may just be a temporary thing. I had problems taking meds in the beginning too, but as each day went by things got better and once I started getting my fills I was still able to take meds, the key is to take them with a big glass of water preferably warm water, it opens you up where as cold water restricts. wash the meds through your pouch.

Do these spasm happen after you have just eaten? I ask because there is something called the soft stop. This is a sign where your body is tellingyou that you are full. I have heard from others that they get a pain in their shoulders, others have the hiccups, for me mine was an ice cream headache, others get a runny nose. SO if this is happening after you eat or during your meal this could be your bodys signal telling you that you are full since bandsters never get that "Thanksgiving" full feeling anymore.

Amen! I was a successful bandster. I would never consider the bypass. I would be obese for the rest of my life. Bypass for me is way to risky too many possible complications and side affects from it. I had a friendtell me the other day he was having the bypass after seeing my success the entire way with the band. I asked him why would he have the bypass and take the risks and deal with dumping and malabsorption issues for the rest of his life when he can have the band. His answer was the success rate was quicker with the bypass. Quicker is not always better. Most bypass patients I know look unhealthy, pekid, flabby and suken in faces because of the rapid weight loss. Not to mention the higher risk of gaining the wieght back after the 1-2 year window of opportunity once their pouches are stretched out. Just my opinion. Go with your gut, listen to your heart. DO not let anyone deter you from your choice what ever it is.

Yes, I did,I had esophagitis. I got esophagitis from a horrible PB and did not follow the rules after a PB. Have your doctor take a look at your esophagus. If you are still bringing up food this often, you are too tight. Only living on liquids is not how the band was designed to work. Don't risk slippage, call your doctor, go in for a small unfil of .2 or .3 cc's. Give your esophagus a rest. Otherwise this will just continue as a vicious cycle. My band eroded. I will never know if my esophagitis played a role in my erosion or not. They were several months apart. 1.8 cc's in a 4 cc band is a sizeable fill for some and not for others but if you can not eat solids without bringing it up then I would say it is your enemy. Is your Dr. aware of any of this? I ask because I know from my own experience that if I could not eat solids without bringing it up my Dr. would have me is ASAP for an unfill. Call your Dr. be wise, do not jeopardize your band, this is to be a lifelong tool. You are fortunate to still have yours take care of it. What good is it to you, if you are not losing weight and living on liquids? This is not how the band is suppose to work.

Way to go Sue, this is a great post, I am happy to hear you are doing so good.Keep it up, 35 lbs is nothing now.

Start your day with Protein, hard Proteins, they will stay in your pouch longer and satisfy your hunger longer. carbs will only crave more carbs so you wil lbe hungry sooner and often. Also look forsome kind of soft stop signal from your body telling you that you are full. for me it was an ice cream headache, others get a runny nose or a hiccup or a pain in their shoulder. maybe yours is the heartburn. Remember just becasue you can eat it does not mean you shouldeat it, the band is a tool not a magic wand we still have to do some of the work. Also loaded with carbs. Water load between meals, this will help you to feel full..more protein less carbs will also help. Hang in there you are not alone . I was once where you are at. it gets better. Justtakes time, it is a learning thing