PrettyThick1

Greetings everyone, I just got a call that True Results will be going out of business, this came as a huge disappointment to me because the location I schedule my fills at is near my work. Now I have to go back to the surgical center where I had my procedure done and my doctor only does fills one day a week. I don't know how well this is going to go, I can't take off work to get maintenance once a month - here in Houston, if it's not near you then it's far away. Anyway, I just thought I would share this with any other TR patients who had not yet gotten the phone call.

I'm seeking advice from anyone who has had the band but had it removed and had 2nd WLS. I'm not sure if the band is going to be a permanent solution to my weight problem and would like any advice.

So this is hopefully my last walk of shame. Since True Results went out of business, I now have to get my fills done by the surgeon who performed my operation. That's really a good news/bad news thing because now I have to take off a 1/2 day to get to the appointments on time, Houston is big and it takes forever to get from one side of town to the other - that's the bad news. The good news is that he makes me more accountable for my actions or lack there of. He was disappointed in me and said "so, we're right back where we started...and that's not good" and proceeded to put me on a very strict diet: only drinks with 0 calories, no food for Breakfast - only a Protein shake, lunch and dinner with no Snacks and nothing after 8:00pm, not even a carrot stick. So, today my current starting weight is 214.5, my goal is 175-185 at the lowest. I've been as small as 137, but I looked sick. I feel sexy around 180 so that's what I'm going for. I'll keep you posted.

Hey guys, it's been a while! I am here to do a public walk of shame and to admit that maybe the band wasn't the best choice for me. I'm about 4 years post-op and had great results until the first time I got the stomach flu about a year ago. Having the flu meant that I was constantly nauseated and throwing up, so to prevent any damage I had 1cc removed from my band. So I went from being in the green zone and losing/maintaining very efficiently to gaining - quickly. I went to get the Fluid replaced but I could never find my "sweet spot" again - either it was too tight, or not tight enough. Long story short, I've basically gained back all the weight I lost. I have scheduled an appointment for later this month to determine if I've slipped (kinda think I have) or I just need to get back in the swing of living the banded life the right way or if I want to take the plunge and go for a more strict procedure. Either way, something has to give. One of my favorite singers died because of weight fluctuations and I've done that a lot in my life. I hope this helps someone and if you have advice, by all means please share!

Hello! If you've had great success with trimming down your midsection with waist trainers and/or creams, please share what you used with me. If you have pics, that would be outstanding! Thanks in advance!

There's a certain stigma about having WLS and while some of us are very private, others are just as open. I am of the latter group. I told my coworkers, my friends and my family about my decision to get the Lap Band and I don't regret it for a second. Yes of course, there were people who wanted to warn me of the dangers (how do you know if you don't know anyone who's had it done) but the flip side of that was that many of them were curious. They either didn't know much about the procedure or they thought about getting one or knew someone who was considering it. Well, fast forward 2..4...6...8...10 months post-op and she's down 100 pounds. Those who were skeptical, became believers and those who were on the fence and had the means to get it done, got it done. So my openness became a blessing to 8 people, 5 of whom I've still never met (friends or family of someone I told). I only posted this to help someone who can't decide if they want to reveal their WL secret or not. There's nothing wrong with having a procedure that will extend your life and give you more quality years. Being silent is okay, but openly discussing it is liberating and you could actually be helping someone and not even know it.

I'm a few years out but I didn't hide it from anyone. I told my loved ones and coworkers without hesitation, I'm a very open person and trying to cover up why I would be melting away wasn't gonna work for me. I was surprised at how supportive everyone was (except a few) and how many had questions because they were either curious or wanted information for themselves or someone they knew. I felt like my honesty would be a blessing for someone and it turns out it was a blessing for 8 others who had battled their weight since they could remember.

You go boy and don't you stop!

Mine wasn't removed, but I had 2cc's out of the 5cc's in my band when I got a stomach virus that caused me to throw up hourly. Well...it didn't take long to pack the pounds back on and make matters worse, I haven't been able to find my "sweet spot" since then - it's been over a year. Long story short, I'm basically back to my starting weight again. I go see my surgeon on Thursday and we'll talk about my options or if he can get me stabilized again. If you have the opportunity, I'd revise to something else.

The beauty of WLS is that you can gain a few pounds but lose it almost immediately by getting back on track. No fear!

Cover your scars with awesome tattoos, I can see a pretty floral design masking those.

Congratulations and Welcome! WLS is universal and so is any page on this site. We are all in this together!

I'm in the same boat, trying to get back on track after gaining a lot of what I lost. Maybe being forced to see my surgeon again is a good thing, perhaps it will get me back in the right frame of mind again. Good luck.

Most of us have been in your shoes (get ready to buy more shoes, when you get little...your feet will too!) before and we've had to shut them up in our minds...they just keep at it. Anyway, you know what you want for yourself and how you choose to go about it is your business. WLS has come a long way since the days of patients dying on the table - let that be the least of your fears, you'll be just fine. As you become the butterfly within, those naysayers will still say "you didn't need it" but you keep on shedding that cocoon anyway. We are your support group, we've been where you are and have had the same fears and reactions, don't let it get to you. Come here and be reassured whenever you need to.

I got mine when I had my procedure, wherever you get your fills done should have them just ask. I think every patient should get it automatically in their goody bag.

I think we've all been there. Be patient, the time will come and go before you know it and when it gets really tough just think about the first few days after having your surgery - it's going to be more pain than you've probably ever felt in your life. Just prepare for your new lifestyle change, eat the foods you love (you may not be able to eat them later) and chillax.

Do you have the Bariatric Patient card? If not, you should get one and keep it with you whenever you dine out. I've never been told I can't order from the kids menu or pay the kids price at a buffet.

Welcome to the other side! I know today you are in band hell, you're wondering to yourself "WTF did I do to myself" and "will this pain ever go away"? It's a pain that I will never forget and hope to never have to repeat. But to answer your questions: I wasn't hungry - the first week I could barely stand the sight of food. You'll be fine on liquids for a few weeks, it's really all you will want. I don't know how large those tablets are but right after surgery you're going to be swollen so you more than likely will have to crush them to get them down. You don't want them to get stuck...trust me. You'll be fine, you'll have to make a few adjustments but in time you will get to know your band and have a better understanding of what can and can't go down. I wouldn't try to swallow anything larger than a baby aspirin for at least 6 weeks. Good luck, you'll be fine.

Please keep me posted on your progress. Thanks for sharing!

Hey Bayougirl! It has been forever...that might be a part of the problem. Checking in, posting and reading other posts seemed to keep me on track. I think I'll try to do better about participating in the forum. What is GB? See...I've been away far too long.

No, you shouldn't really feel any different right away. For me it takes 3 weeks to know what type of effect the fill will give me. When I was first starting out, each fill meant giving up a food that I could eat just fine the month before. Please do follow the rules on the 48 hours on liquids, it does make a difference even if you can't tell.

Getting banded will be good for you, the more fills you get the less desirable it will be to drink alcohol. I'm not here to judge, so please don't take it that way but you should really stop drinking; that road is going to get rough for you and it's simply not worth the "fun" you think you're having right now. Love yourself more, you deserve it.

I had 1cc removed when that happened to me the first time. I hate that for you, it's been a year and I haven't been able to get back to green since, so I've basically gained all of my weight back.

A friend of mine has had the same device for more than 11 years. She went from being an invisible 450 pound woman to a show stopping glamazon and is still maintaining her gorgeous curves.

I'm recently back on the wagon after going for nearly 2 years with bad habits but in that time I gave up smoking, too. The two combined with a less than half-full band is a recipe for fatassism, which I developed over the course of 6 or 7 months. I've buckled down, gotten 2 fills and am losing weight again but I have a problem. Going that long without getting a fill, being loose and eating whatever I wanted has made me forget how to eat the right way and I've been having a lot of problems. I'm also taking a medication that seems to tighten the band, but tomorrow is my last day taking it so I won't go so far as to get an unfill. Unfortunately, I am very tight. There are times when Water won't go down, so I dare not try to eat my favorite foods: fish, beef, chicken, crawfish...the list goes on and on. If I don't loosen up after the medication is gone then I'm going to get .25cc's taken out - it sucks that I have an appointment scheduled for Thursday to get another fill. I don't know if I need it or not until the meds get out of my system. But I wrote all of that just to say: I really miss food and being able to eat like normal people. I love being a lower weight, but I loved food a lot too.