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Karen, You will love it! I have had a slow weight loss but I have maintained the loss which is a big difference from other weight loss experiences. For that alone, the band is a success!!! where does your sister in-law live? If she ever wants a support local person give her my email: ja92uz@verizon.net. Have a great day...if you have any questions don't hesitate... oh and all my experiences at St. Mary's has been great too!!

BCraz WOW, you are doing great.... I wish I could say the same, I still have my struggling days, but overall I am losing. I go back for my first fill after my hernia surgery next week. It has taken a long time! Our thread has little activity... I hope all those June 07 banders are hanging in there and have a wonderful summer!

Hello Karen, My friend went to Dr. Shroder( spelling?) and really had an overall good experience with the doctor and staff. I had my surgery with Dr. Batista, Commonwealth Surgeons, the other group at St. Mary's. I have been pleased with them too. I had my surgery two years ago, June 7, 07. I had to have surgery again this April due to a hienel hernia and had to have a new band put in but the same port. I have my first fill next Tuesday. I am disappointed that I have to go through all this again, but the hernia had to be approved. I lost about 60lbs. If your sister inlaw had the surgery, she can tell you that it is only a tool. you can still eat around the band and gain weight, so you have to listen to your doctor and band. I also live in the Fredericksburg area! Good Luck with your journey!

One more thing I forgot to share... My daughter in-law has pictures on her facebook page that I just saw. My son and her wedding was July 7, 2007, one exact month after my banding. She has a picture of me and OMG, I could not beleive how fat I was, that was a true wake up call. Even if your weight loss is slow or you gained back some, remember where you started for additional hope!!!

Rhonda, I am not sure my doctor called it a Mushroom effect when I had the hernia, but my stomach was above my asophogas(?) and he said if I did not get it fixed it would mushroom over and cause a slip. He said I stretched out my pouch for eating to much. He yelled, or lectured( how ever you want to take it) that I was not measuring my food, which I was not. So I guess we need to do that for you never know what your eye is telling you, plus I remember weight watchers saying you could be eating less than a cup, so don't cheat yourself. You can eat more salad than a half a cup too for it is a lot of Water. I am trying now, but you would think after surgery #2 I would not snack...it is my hardest challenge! I am fine with meals, but then i want to eat Snacks, chips, even if they are diet/wheat. I need my head screwed off and back on...LOL! What do they do for an errosion? Are they worried about that? And spitting up blood? That would scare me. I was having pains under my breasts where I beleive the band is, but my doctor said that was still healing. It has gone now. I have a fill in two weeks so we will see what the band and pouch look like. How is your weight loss? I was at a stand still before my surgery and now after the loss from surgery I am again stuck, but that is my doing for my snacking above! I hope the fill process will help like when we started two weeks ago. Keep me posted and I will look you up on face book. Hang in there everyone.... every day is a new one!

Happy 2nd Bandaversary!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't beleive it has beent his long. Hope everyone is hanging in there, it is still a journey.

Insub, Glad to hear from you, wow Spain...that must be a life adventrue within itself! Why do you think you have a hernia? I actually felt nothing, well once they told me and I thought back of signs, I guess the signals were there. You should get it checked out for I was told it would cause a band slip. I think maintaining is what is so important, and with out the band at all where would your weight be? that is what we need to also consider in evaluating our success! I am doing fine now. Went back yesterday for my 4 week after surgery check up. I lost 10lbs after my surgery, 1 week visit. Since then I lost another 3, so it is coming off again. But I am at a stand still. I went back to the gym but felt pains and internal pulls, I just needed to heal. I have my first fill on June 23, wow, not looking forward to that process all over again!!! Suzzzzzzzzzzzie, glad to hear from you.. Hang in there. maybe you could go back to your doctor and get an adjustment. Do they have a nutritionist on staff that would work with you one on one? I know how hard it is, every day is a struggle. If we can get a band on our stomach we should be able to get it around our brain too! bigbaby, You are doing great!!! how are you doing it? Can you beleive it has been 2 years!!!!!!!!! Wow, I am glad to hear from all of you even if we are not posting every day.

Great news lose2regainme!!!!

Hello everyone, it has been a long time since I posted, and bad news, I am no longer in the Fabulous 40's, but the Fantastic 50's! I had a hianal hernia operation, it will be two weeks ago tomorrow. I had an UGI and it showed up on there at which time my surgeon said they had to fix it before it caused a slip or an emergency operation situation. When they went in my pouch was large, according to my doc due to me maybe eating to much, he fixed the hernia and put in a new band. I think it may have been that but also due to the hernia, and increase of pbing. Prior to the UGI, I was feeling fine, did not recognize that the food getting stuck may have been a red flag, I just thought it was my fault for eating wrong. The UGI was only to check on my band, rather than a flouro. I was not happy about surgery, but it did kick my weight loss back in action. I will have my two year bandaversary on June 7. I hope to be closer to my goal. I have a fresh start! Fanny Adams, you are doing great. good advice about the fills to Michelle, you don't want to get to much fill in your band. I am not eager to get a fill this time around. Michelle, I realize the eagerness to get to the "spot" just listen to your body... good luck.

OregonDaisy, I understand the search for a final solution, for the band can be frustrating. however after looking at the sleeve, to me this is drastic, they are stapling or removing part of your stomach. unless, I don't understand??? I would think this would be a drastic step and it also states like any other wl surgery you can gain your weight back. I know my doctor would not do it if I failed with the band, unless in no way was it my fault. This is just my opinion. Good Luck.

RTEEST Wow, I can't believe that your doc is waiting and not suggesting surgery? you have been through so many steps that didn't work. As I said, when I had the Upper GI it was due to my initiative to see the doc for a regular visit just to make sure I was doing OK. it was then they decided to order the UGI. As soon as they saw it they scheduled me for surgery, not emergency, but as soon as possible for they wanted to prevent any further problems with the band. Did either doc suggest it? I know if you don't have the band, most docs will treat the hianal hernia with meds, but with the band it can cause other problems. Cleo's Mom, I am glad you are going to go to a surgeon that is with a group that has met the Excellence criteria. Mine has and they have been doing band and gastric for a long time. My doc even warned me that if when he went in and saw I may have caused a problem with the band due to not eating correctly or not following "band rules" he was taking it out and not rebanding me. He is for patient success. I was glad I was ok. OregonDaisy, what is the sleeve? Is there a web site on this? Something new every day! Wishin4, I agree with WasaBubblebutt, you need to go to the doctor. You will only hurt yourself. Well, 4 days afte surgery and feeling good. I hope this time it works.

Wow, I am glad I found this thread, I think LOL! I had a Hiatal Hernia and a band readjustment on Wednesday. I will be banded two years ago and had little problems with the band, however after my upper GI I was told I had the hernia and the doctor did not want to let it get to a point of slipping the band. Thinking back I do beleive I had an increase of food tough going down and more pbing. I just chucked it up to eating to fast or eating the wrong things. but I never had problems during the night. Actually the Upper GI was scheduled as a check up, must have been instinct. I hope after reading all your situations I am off to a good second start and everything goes well. I am seeing this as Chapter Two! I did get a new band, a new type, can't really say, I will ask on my week visit. My surgeon said my pouch was very big and that it was due to me over eating, however when his assistant showed me the pictures of the upper GI she never pointed that out. I am sure I ate more than the 1/2 cup as directed. I am hating the liquid diet and the after surgery gas pains, but due to not having to replace my port I am recovering better. Let me know how you are doing! Janine

Hello Everyone, I am glad to see BigBaby, Suzzzie and Rhonda still posting, holding on to our thread! And some new names as well. After my last post during the holiday's I posted my struggles with being stuck with my weight loss. Well, I rejoined my gym the end of December and started to go on a regular basis and lost 10lbs to then come to a hault! I was starting to have an increase in food getting stuck, and felt I hadn't been to my doctor in a long time so I made an appointment. They scheduled an upper GI rather than a flouro since I did not want a fill, which resutled in me having a Hietal( can't spell it) hernia. The stomach above my chest/diaghram was large and they did not want to wait for it to mushroom over my band and cause more damage or an emergency surgery sitution. So on Wednesday I had the hernia repaired and they had to replace my band. They did not replace the port, which is making my stomach area less painful. I still have about 4 little puncture areas where the doctor went in. He said my pouch above my band was very large too from eating to much, that may be somewhat true, however the upper GI did not show it that big, his physicain assistant did not point it out to me. I have no Fluid in the band at this time and I have to START ALL OVER!! I am taking this as a fresh start to regroup. He told me if it was eroded or slipped he was not going to reband me for i was not following the band" rules". I am glad that was not the case. I am thinking of keeping the band empty for a bit to be sure all is healed before I begin to put any pressure on it. I went back to our day one of posts trying to refresh my memory. and I did see how we all gained some weight in the hospital. it was disappointing when I got on the scale yesterday and was up 6lbs when I haven't eaten a thing in 5 days! I am back on the liquid diet until next Wednesday. do you all remember that? I have the awful gas pains and the stomach roars! I feel pregnant! well, hope all you are doing great. Are any of you on Facebook? let me know and if you want a new "friend". talk to you soon. How is Stef?