Banded14yr

I have a friend who lives in Montana and is looking for a doctor to fill his band. He has the Realize band and was banded in Mexico. Does anyone know if Dr. Rohrer will fill patients that were banded in Mexico? Thanks for any info... Tricia

Caffeine is a stomach irritant. You want to try to avoid stomach irritants as they can thin the lining of the inside of the stomach and can cause erosion. The band itself doesn't erode, but the stomach itself can become thin enough to where the band comes through the lining of the stomach and is now on the inside of the stomach.

Hello Slimmy, I've been at my goal for a little over 3 years now. It took about a year and a half to reach my goal. I lost 155 pounds. The band is my miracle tool. Even though I have to do some of the work, it helps me with eating because I can't eat that much anymore, I tend to make wiser food choices. I don't feel good if I fill up on junk food. I love my band!

I've had the band for almost 5 years now and have lost 155 pounds and have maintained for a few years now. The Lapband rocks!

I also suffer from being cold all the time. My Iron levels are low and I'm not real good about taking my daily iron, but I know if I were I would feel better. I would get your iron level checked if it's not your thyroid

I'm trying to help a couple of friends that will be banded in July (in Mexico) find a fill doctor in the United States. They live in South Mississippi. Does anyone know of a doctor in Southern Mississippi that will fill someone that was banded in Mexico? I've already contacted South MS Surgical Weight Loss... They are wonderful, but very pricey. Any help would be appreciated~! Tricia

Boy how time flies! As I approach my 4 year Bandiversary, I started thinking how the Lapband has changed my life or how I had to change my life to live with the Lapband. First off, I thank God every day for showing me there was an option and giving me the opportunity to have the Lapband procedure. Like most in my situation, I tried every diet that always ended in failure. I almost got to the point where I wouldn't want to diet because I KNEW I would gain the weight back and probably gain more. It was a horrible vicious cycle that I lived in for years. Living with the Lapband was a continual learning process for a while. I tested foods to see what I could eat and what gave me difficulties. I tested out drinking with meals and not drinking with meals. Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way on a lot of these issues, but the key is I learned and now the changes that I have made in living with the Lapband are part of my normal way of living. I don't even think about it anymore. One of the most frustrating things about the Lapband is obtaining proper restriction level. On one end, I wish doctor's would be a little more aggressive with the fill amounts, on the other hand, I think that working your way up to the proper restriction level is the way to go to avoid getting filled too tight which can be very uncomfortable and dangerous. I think that more discussion needs to be made about preparing one's self for life after the band which includes the cost of adjustments/fills and the expectation of how many fills it may require to achieve proper restriction. For self payers, many people use all their financial means to pay for the actual Lapband surgery and then don't have the funds to get adjustments afterwards. This creates frustration because you just paid a lot of money and went through surgery and now want to lose the weight. Sounds reasonable....... But many feel like they wasted money when they don't lose weight after the surgery or they feel like they can eat like they could before the surgery which is true until the band is adjusted properly. So if someone is scheduled for surgery and they ask me about the band, I make a point of preparing them for after surgery. I also try to tell them that their patience level will be tested to the max until they get their bands filled properly. I've heard this said by many and it's so true "It took us a long time to become this overweight, we're not going to lose it all overnight" It may take some time to lose weight with the Lapband, but with a little patience and following some very basic rules, you will lose weight and you will be successful. Things that have changed for me after I was banded: I don't drink with meals. I found that this flushes food from my small upper pouch into my lower pouch which enables me to eat more food. This kind of defeats the band doesn't it? I don't want to eat more food, because this little thing called weight gain occurs if I do . Not drinking with meals was probably the hardest thing for me to get used to, but now I don't even think about it. I still take small bites and have slowed down while eating. I found that taking smaller bites and slowing down while eating actually fills me up quicker. I also don't look like I'm inhaling my food anymore, which was a very unattractive habit that I got into pre-band. I listen to my band. It tells me when to stop eating. Oh, I've tried to argue with my band in the past and tell it that I could eat more even when it warned me that I have had enough, but for some reason the band was always right. I paid a small price for trying to fight the band. I would feel horrible until the food passed through the band. Sometimes I would PB (not pleasant) and learned very quickly that it's just not worth fighting the band. It knows best, so now I listen to it. I try to stick to protein foods first. I'm not always good at this, but it's something that I feel is very important for Lapbanders. I have also found that when I eat protein foods first like chicken, fish ect... then I don't require as much food to feel full and I stay fuller longer. Not to mention the benefits to my health for eating protein. Since I can't eat as much as I used to, my food choices have changed. Before the band, I would eat horribly. It's because I could eat a lot of anything I wanted. So if I wanted to snack on chips before dinner, no problem. I would still be hungry enough at dinner to eat it, then have enough room for dessert afterwards. I now chose quality over quantity. I do this because I know I can't eat a lot, so what I DO eat becomes very important. I have found that if I eat chips now, I will fill up on them, and I won't feel hungry to eat what I should be eating. Then I end up feeling awful because "foods" like chips drain my energy if I try to use them as my source of nutrition. Don't get me wrong, I still eat things like chips, but I make a point of not eating them when I'm hungry because I know that I will fill up on them and won't eat what I need to be eating. So I will have junk food occassionally, but usually with my meal and have very little. I don't eat dinner late in the evening. I have a cut off time for dinner. I make sure that I don't go to bed for about 3 hours after I eat. I also don't drink a lot of fluids at night and I religiously take 2 Pepsid AC chewables before I go to bed. I believe that these things have decreased my chances of having acid reflux at night. So yes, the Lapband has totally changed my life. With almost 140 pounds gone I'm feeling terrific! I feel that the minor things that I have changed in my life (with eating) due to the band are so minor and so worth it to help insure that I keep this weight off. Don't get me wrong, I don't struggle to keep the weight off, which is fantastic, but I believe that the minor changes that I have made have contributed to this. The Lapband won't do it all. You'll need to help it some, but once your band is adjusted properly, the band will work for/with you instead of you working for the band. Life is wonderful! Tricia

Carasue, Congratulations on your recent success with not drinking with meals. It really does make a difference and you've proven that by losing 5 pounds! Way to go!! I don't even think about drinking with meals anymore. It's just become as "usual" as it used to be drinking with meals.

cherieinnv, congratulations on your upcoming surgery and to a new start to a new life :-) I know that you're nervous, but it's also exciting to know that you'll be starting a new chapter in your life. Please keep in touch on how you're doing.

carasue, If you don't lose any weight for at least a 2 week period and if you feel like you can still eat too much, then you probably need another fill. Please try to not drink while eating, I think you'll notice a huge change if you can do that. You're just flushing the food through your band if you drink while you eat. You'll notice your restriction level will be better if you can hold off on drinking for an hour after you eat. If you have tried not drinking with meals, how is it going?

Mom2twins, I had the same doubts and questions before my banding. I didn't think it would work for me and I certainly didn't know how it would be living with the band long term. We're all so used to trying every diet and drug out there to help us lose weight where we promptly fail at whatever we try, so why should the Lapband be any different? The wonderful thing about the Lapband is that it's with you 24/7. You can't "start your lapband" tomorrow like you can a diet. Congratulations on your upcoming surgery!

Carasue, Every doctor has different ways that they do their adjustments/fills. I only got a fill if I stopped losing weight for more than 2 weeks and I felt that I could eat more. That more than likely is an indication that as I lost weight, my stomach also shrunk a little therefore making the band lose around my stomach. I wasn't on a set schedule. I only got a fill when I needed one. I haven't had a fill in over 2 years now. It sounds like your doctor may be fairly conservative with your fill amounts if you're getting one every 6 weeks. Do you feel like you have adequate restriction?

Boy how time flies! As I approach my 4 year Bandiversary, I started thinking how the Lapband has changed my life or how I had to change my life to live with the Lapband. First off, I thank God every day for showing me there was an option and giving me the opportunity to have the Lapband procedure. Like most in my situation, I tried every diet that always ended in failure. I almost got to the point where I wouldn't want to diet because I KNEW I would gain the weight back and probably gain more. It was a horrible vicious cycle that I lived in for years. Living with the Lapband was a continual learning process for a while. I tested foods to see what I could eat and what gave me difficulties. I tested out drinking with meals and not drinking with meals. Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way on a lot of these issues, but the key is I learned :cool: and now the changes that I have made in living with the Lapband are part of my normal way of living. I don't even think about it anymore. One of the most frustrating things about the Lapband is obtaining proper restriction level. On one end, I wish doctor's would be a little more aggressive with the fill amounts, on the other hand, I think that working your way up to the proper restriction level is the way to go to avoid getting filled too tight which can be very uncomfortable and dangerous. I think that more discussion needs to be made about preparing one's self for life after the band which includes the cost of adjustments/fills and the expectation of how many fills it may require to achieve proper restriction. For self payers, many people use all their financial means to pay for the actual Lapband surgery and then don't have the funds to get adjustments afterwards. This creates frustration because you just paid a lot of money and went through surgery and now want to lose the weight. Sounds reasonable....... But many feel like they wasted money when they don't lose weight after the surgery or they feel like they can eat like they could before the surgery which is true until the band is adjusted properly. So if someone is scheduled for surgery and they ask me about the band, I make a point of preparing them for after surgery. I also try to tell them that their patience level will be tested to the max until they get their bands filled properly. I've heard this said by many and it's so true "It took us a long time to become this overweight, we're not going to lose it all overnight" It may take some time to lose weight with the Lapband, but with a little patience and following some very basic rules, you will lose weight and you will be successful. Things that have changed for me after I was banded: I don't drink with meals. I found that this flushes food from my small upper pouch into my lower pouch which enables me to eat more food. This kind of defeats the band doesn't it? I don't want to eat more food, because this little thing called weight gain occurs if I do :tt1: . Not drinking with meals was probably the hardest thing for me to get used to, but now I don't even think about it. I still take small bites and have slowed down while eating. I found that taking smaller bites and slowing down while eating actually fills me up quicker. I also don't look like I'm inhaling my food anymore, which was a very unattractive habit that I got into pre-band. I listen to my band. It tells me when to stop eating. Oh, I've tried to argue with my band in the past and tell it that I could eat more even when it warned me that I have had enough, but for some reason the band was always right. I paid a small price for trying to fight the band. I would feel horrible until the food passed through the band. Sometimes I would PB (not pleasant) and learned very quickly that it's just not worth fighting the band. It knows best, so now I listen to it. I try to stick to protein foods first. I'm not always good at this, but it's something that I feel is very important for Lapbanders. I have also found that when I eat protein foods first like chicken, fish ect... then I don't require as much food to feel full and I stay fuller longer. Not to mention the benefits to my health for eating protein. Since I can't eat as much as I used to, my food choices have changed. Before the band, I would eat horribly. It's because I could eat a lot of anything I wanted. So if I wanted to snack on chips before dinner, no problem. I would still be hungry enough at dinner to eat it, then have enough room for dessert afterwards. I now chose quality over quantity. I do this because I know I can't eat a lot, so what I DO eat becomes very important. I have found that if I eat chips now, I will fill up on them, and I won't feel hungry to eat what I should be eating. Then I end up feeling awful because "foods" like chips drain my energy if I try to use them as my source of nutrition. Don't get me wrong, I still eat things like chips, but I make a point of not eating them when I'm hungry because I know that I will fill up on them and won't eat what I need to be eating. So I will have junk food occassionally, but usually with my meal and have very little. I don't eat dinner late in the evening. I have a cut off time for dinner. I make sure that I don't go to bed for about 3 hours after I eat. I also don't drink a lot of fluids at night and I religiously take 2 Pepsid AC chewables before I go to bed. I believe that these things have decreased my chances of having acid reflux at night. So yes, the Lapband has totally changed my life. With almost 140 pounds gone I'm feeling terrific! I feel that the minor things that I have changed in my life (with eating) due to the band are so minor and so worth it to help insure that I keep this weight off. Don't get me wrong, I don't struggle to keep the weight off, which is fantastic, but I believe that the minor changes that I have made have contributed to this. The Lapband won't do it all. You'll need to help it some, but once your band is adjusted properly, the band will work for/with you instead of you working for the band. Life is wonderful! Tricia

I would start the fill process again, but maybe request small fills to ease your way into the proper restriction level. I realize that this could get costly, but it might be worth it to keep from being overfilled. Good luck in whatever you decide to do!

Mindy, Yes I did just change it. I realized that the one I had was a couple years old, so I thought I would put a more recent one up. I had lasik surgery so no longer wear glasses. :-) I thank God daily for the Lapband.

Hello famrika Yes, my new birth date was 7/26/04 :-) - I'm getting ready to Celebrate my 4 year bandiversary. I haven't had my band checked for about a year and a half now. I was seeing a local doc about every 6 months to have my labs checked, but after a while, the doc said that I really didn't need to come back unless I developed problems. I eat fairly normal. I don't eat a whole lot of anything though. I think it's normal, but other's that don't know I have the band don't think it's normal;). I don't eat a lot of breads anymore. I've totally cut out diet cokes and it's rare that I have a cup of coffee. pizza, diet cokes and coffee were a large part of my "diet" pre-band. The funny thing is, I don't miss any of it! I weighed almost 300 pounds when I was banded and now weigh 155. I'm 5'10 and wear a size 8. Needless to say, life has been very good for me with the Lapband. I don't ever gain any weight. Occassionally, I'll lose a pound or two, but for the most part, I've maintained my weight for over 2 years now. Feel free to private message me if you have any more questions. I'll be happy to help if I can. Tricia

If you're not able to hold fluids down, this would concern me. I believe that I would be calling my doc to arrange for an unfill. Are you taking small sips?