live2canoe

Hi Rae - Welcome to LBT. We're glad you found us. This is wonderful site full of great information and wonderful caring people. We'll look forward to hearing more from you soon.

I don't know anything about 'Lite 'n Free'. Where in MX is your surgery going to be? Mine was in Tijuana with Dr. Kuri. He is a very respected Band Surgeon. Do you know who your surgeon is? Everyone on this board will do everything we can to help you - we just need some more information from you. Whatever you decide to do, make certain that you have follow-up care lined up here in the States. That's critical. Just ask DeLarla (Lisa) - she'll tell you all about the trials and tribulations of trying to go it alone when you get back home. Good Luck to you.

Great photos. I wish this surgery had been available when I was your age! Talk about feeling OLD! You'll be very happy you did this now, and not waiting until you're over 40 to take control. Good for you.

I am interested in the brachioplasty. Will it leave visible scars running down your arm, or will they be able to hide the scars in the crook of your elbow or maybe your armpit? I went to a plastic surgeon years ago about my arms, and decided against the procedure because he would have left a scar that ran from the crook of my elbow all the way up to my armpit. I'm curious to know what you have learned. My lunch lady arms (inherited from my grandmother) are outof control!

I think if you read this thread http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5928 you'll find that there are a bunch of us who felt no restriction, and could eat anything, and did indeed gain weight, until their 4th or 5th fill. At 1.0 cc or .5 cc per fill, it might take you even longer to get to the fabled 'sweet spot'. Hang in there. It WILL work.

Karen - Amen! Sounds like you're a great Mom. It's wonderful that your daughter has a better more effective choice to manage her weight than we had when we were kids. Your daughter is lucky to have you as a Mom.

Ouch! I know how badly that hurts. You don't need to be reprimanded or chastised - you already know what a mistake that was - your body told you. Think of it this way - You've already learned a valuable lesson!

We're glad your not lurking anymore! I found out about the lap abnd and had the surgery about two months later. I couldn't get there fast enough. It's been a long, slower road for me, but I am at a stage now where I can say 'It was worth it!' Good Luck and thanks for posting.

How different my life would have been if I had had the opportunity to be banded at 16. I would not have had a lifetime of self doubt and loathing. I would have been happier with myself. I'm not sure what different roads I would have taken, but I can imagine that a whole new world would have been opened up to me. The teeanage years are trying and troubling enough, let alone if you're trying to go through them MO. Gastric ByPass for teenagers? No way. But the Lap Band? Heck yeah! If it was that easy to eat right and exercise, none of us would be on this board. Why expect our children to do something we couldn't? We certainly don't want them eating twinkies in the bathroom!

I had my surgery in Mexico. I also went for one follow-up visit and a fill. I thought Dr. Kuri was a very caring man. I have had no problems at all with my band (knock on wood) I was also very fortunate to find a local band doctor who would do my follow-up care and fills. I am happy with both.

Let me be the frst to congratulate you! May your recovery be rapid and uneventful and may you feel restriction right out of the gate! Welcome to the other side!

If you can 'eat alot - just like before' I say you need a fill. You went to the trouble of getting this wonderful tool - why not use it to it's full potential? If we could do it on our own, just by eating right, none of us would need a band. Good Luck!!

Holy Cow !! It's taken me SIX months to lose 25 pounds!! If you ask me, you're doing GREAT!

I made the choice to go to Mexico and have Dr. Kuri perform my surgery. I also made the decision not to tell anyone, for the very reasons you have said. I have had no (zero, zilch, nada) complications from my surgery. I had Dr. Kuri give me my first fill and after that, I found a local (2 hours away) doctor for the rest of my follow up care. I found Dr. Kuri to be a very capable surgeon, and the facilities, while not pretty, were certainly adequate for the job. Besides, I was desperate and couldn't afford a US surgeon. Follow Alex's advice and make sure you have local doctor available for follow-up care upon your return. Good Luck

I am writing this to help new bandsters. I read a very similar story when I just starting on my journey, and it helped me a great deal. I thought I would 'Pay it Forward' I've posted my stats, with weights and dates and fill levels in my signature. You can see that at this point, more than 6 months after surgery, I've lost about 27 pounds. There are many, many people on this board who have lost this much just in the two week liquid phase after surgery. For quite a while, I would read everything on this board, but I wouldn't post, because I didn't feel like I had anything worthwhile to add. I did not have any restriction after surgery. I lost 10 lbs on the liquid phase. I was hungry - and I could eat anything! I waited and I went for my first fill 6 weeks after surgery - a very aggresive 2.0 cc's. I still didn't have any restriction. I waited another 6 weeks and went for another fill - I still hadn't lost any more weight. This fill simply brought me back up to my original level of 2.0cc's. It seems that it is common for several cc's of the first fill to 'become part of the appliance'. Still no restriction. Over Thanksgiving and Christmas I actually managed to gain 2 pounds! How discouraged was I? I felt like such a loser - and not in that good lapband kind of way, either! I was a self-pay, and had flown to Mexico, spent over $9,000 and I still wasn't losing weight. Just one more weight loss attempt I was going to fail at. I was glad I hadn't told anyone about my surgery - I wouldn't be able to explain why I wasn't losing weight, and I would be embarrassed. Then, on December 29th, I received my 3rd fill, and I finally began to see what everyone was talking about. I began to experience restriction. Not too much - but enough that I could hang of eating without a PB or the dreaded golf ball in the chest. By my 4th fill, in February, I had lost 8 more lbs - not alot mind you, but it was a loss. I was beginning to feel like maybe this thing might be working after all. With the 4th fill - BINGO - that was it! The fabled 'sweet spot'. My band is working like a charm and I am working my band. A few things to keep in mind: When people say that the band stops you from eating too much - they're right - what you need to know is that if you eat too much it HURTS! The band is not subtle and it can be very frustrating. There are times when you are truly, legitimately hungry and need to eat, and the band won't let you. If you have restriction right after surgery, you're lucky, but don't expect it. Remember that it takes between 3 & 5 fills for most people to feel restriction. I guess I am exactly average. Also remember, most people don't start to lose until they acheive restriction - again, I am average. And, most people lose between one and one and a half pounds a week with the band. Average again. I gotta say, this far after surgery, and so many fills - average feels pretty darn good! I hope this story helps someone.

Oh my gosh, Marsha! That must have been VERY frustrating. I hope you don't have a leak like our dear Vera! Can you get a fill under flouro to make sure? It would suck to have a band that didn't work like it was supposed to. Let us know how your fill goes.

Thank you all for the kind replies. I do feel like I am finally on the right track. Zoe, you're one of those I was referring to as having lost a great deal of weight right off the bat. Look at those stats. You were banded a whole tweeks before me, and you've lost 55 pounds!! Wow! And look at Pat - just banded in December and already down 32+ pounds. Alex, of course, is a role model for all of us. Anyway - although I am envious of those of you who have experienced rapid weight loss - I'm on my way and I don't feel as though I'll ever have to look back.

What a beautiful family you have. And you look fabulous, too. You have done a remarkable job with the band. Sorry to hear your little ones are sick. Please try and post more often - you obviuosly have gained a great deal of wisdom to go along with the all the weight you have lost.

Keep calm!! It's normal to be hungry after you heal and before your fill. I was banded on 9/15/04. I only lost 10 lbs after surgery during the liquid phase - and that's all I lost for over 3 1/2 months. In fact, I gained two pounds over the holidays. It wasn't until my 3rd fill at the end of December I started to feel any real restriction. My fourth fill, in February, has really started to work wonders. Since the end of December, I've lost over 17 pounds - that may not be alot by lapband standards - but I am very happy with it. I can really feel my band working for me. I was very frustrated and depressed those first few months - I knew I was going to be a lapband failure, but I followed the wonderful advice of everyone on this board, have hung in there and am now finally beginning to see results. My first 2 fills did nothing for me, but hang in there. Keep reading and posting. THe band will start to work.

Make sure it's really dry sockets. I had terrible pain after my wisdom teeth were removed, too. The dentist kept telling me it was dry sockets, and that basically I being a baby. Turns out that I had an abcess on either side if the wisom teeth. When the wisdom teeth were removed, the abcess drained into the sockets. I was a mess. I ended up in the hospital on i.v. antibiotics fpr a few days. You shouldn't be in this much pain for so long. Keep after your dentist!

Oatman is a cool place! WAAY off the beaten path. Haven't been there in years. Great Ass - oh - and the donkey is cute, too!

Amen, DeLarla. I will be keeping a keen eye peeled for the next episode! I love this stuff. Thank you Meagan for sharing your joy with us!

I've had 5 fills I think and I'm at 2.00 cc's. I got the last one just two weeks ago. Sometimes I think I'm not tight enough and sometimes I think I just eat the wrong things. What does it really "feel like" to be as full as you should be? Do you "know" when it's finally right? How much food should be enough? And Dr. Johnell's office is still so supportive. Are you still getting your fills there Kim? I am still getting my fills from Dr. Johnell (I am very impressed that you remembered that!) I'm at 2.6cc's and finally feel restriction. I can't really explain how I know it's right - I just know that I can't eat nearly as much as I used to - because the band stops me - and sometimes, not in a nice way! Restriction is what this is all about. Is Paula doing your fills for you? She's great - but very conservative at each fill. I've had long talks with her about being a bit more aggressive with some of my first fills - just to get to point where I felt like the band was working for me. I hope that with your next fill you can start to feel like your band is working with you.

You and I have lost about the same amount of weight - and you were banded a month after I was. Although I'd love a faster weight loss, Iknow that the slow steady approach is better. I didn't really feel any restriction until my third fill. The band seem to be working much better now. I guess what I'm saying is - and not very articulately -is that there are plenty of other people in your same slow weight loss boat. A good fill helps a great deal - and even though there are others on this board who have lost more weight, faster - we should not compare ourselves to them. Good Luck - we slow losers need to stick together!

Wine - lots and lots of wine! Works best on a Friday or Saturday night when used in conjunction with the couch, a good DVD and a heating pad!