Fort Bend Band

I think you have inspired me. I was so good about walking and bike riding for the first year. Believe it or not I have been banded over two years and still drop some pounds here and there. I have struggled to be consistent with my exercise but definately feel better and lose more inches when I am exercising. I needed to see these post to get back into the swing of it. Thanks for the sound advice everyone!

I was at at BBQ over the weekend and I have recently lost some more weight after being banded over 2 years. One of the guests and a friend that I do not see too often also has a band. She had been very thin and then got a new boyfriend and had some fliud taken out when they were vacationing so she has probably put on 20 pounds but still looks great in my opinion. I am not a skinny minnie I am a size 14. My friend noticied I had lost weight and went on and on about how I am getting too skinny and then told my husband that if I lost any more weight I would not be that attractive. I was just speechless. Was she really talking from the heart or being jealous? It made me very self conscious which I have made great strides on and I just didn't know what to think.

I did not reallt start to feel rerstriction until after my 3rd fill and I have heard this is common for a lot of people. You will not be able to even go on a binge once you are more restricted because you will probably puke if you try. I think you should try to get into touch with what is making you feel like binging. I still have that uneasy feeling sometiome that I want to binge and it is unially stress related. Hang in there! It will be much easier once you have proper restriction.

Well maybe the scar tissue is the answer for those of you that continue to suffer. I know most of us seem to have occasional discomfort especially if we eat too much or food gets stuck but those of you who suffer non stop for a long time...it just shouln't be like that!

We should all ahve good friends like that! Good luck with the approval!

I have to say to anyone out there that thinks the band is the easy way out nothing could be farther from the truth! You go through a lot and you still have to work at it. It definately brought up those failure issues and feelings you were just talking about for me because the band weight loss was so slow that for a long time it did not seem like it would work for me. I had all those shameful feelings at failing at yet one more "diet" but as time went by the puonds slowly came off. I have never regretted my decision to get the band for for those people that act l;ike you took the easy way out...tell them if it is so darn easy them let them have a go at it!

I did not know that if you have a long stall in your weight loss it is usually time to get a fill. I have since learned that but it is normal to go through some no weight loss periods. Eventually, you get tight enough that you know you cannot tolerate another fill. Then all you have left is to pick healthier choices in what you eat as well as exercising.

Kimberl- I think the hardest part about the band is the pain the first week, then learning your new stomach and new amounts you can eat. I also had to deal with not using food as a crutch anymore. It also sucks when you are eating something yummy and it just doesn't go down right...then you have some discomfort and don't feel like eating anymore. Finally, the hardest part is being patient. I went for months sometimes without loosing a pound (exercising too). I think some people's bodies try to hold on to the fat at all costs so it can move very slow. You still have to work at it.

I paid for my surgery on a credit card as well. I just plan to drive my old car for a few more years than I would like to. The band is a slow journey but totally worth it. I look better, feel better and do not constantly mentally beat myself up about my weight anymore. I am still over weight but I can buy my clothes in the regular size departments now...gosh that feels good! About the soy...I think the Chinese restaurants make it taste pretty darn good!

kIMBERL, my friend is a vegitarian (HER HUBBY IS BANDED NOT HER) but I can tell you whether you are banded or not it is not healthy to get too little protein. You can get a lot of protein in soy and other beans. You should be able to eat almost anything just less of it. You will just have to focus extra hard on the proteins! Finally, if you self pay you most likely do not have to have a psych eval. I was self pay and have a great MD but it was supprising how little they required of me. I have a friend who is trying to get her insurance to cover and she has had to jump through all kinds of hoops.

I thnk two weeks off of work is perfect! You feel a lot better by then. I took two weeks off and could have gone back sooner but was glad I took the time to let my body heal. By three weeks you will be feeling pretty normal. You can feel the port when you press against the skin where it is and I do have to say I thought of the Alien movie for a long time when I felt it. You will be too sore to touch there for the first few weeks byt now I can push all around it with no discomfort. Good luck!

I was told the same thing by my doctor at one fill and it really hurt my feelings and made me feel ashamed and embarrassed. I do not always eat perfectly but who does? Most of use would not need the band if we felt in control of our food. Anyway I convinced my MD to give me another fill that day and guess what? I finally got to my sweet spot. I love my doctor and I do realise that he was trying to give me good advise but we still know our bodies better that anyone else! Sometime you still have to advocate for yourself. My doctor was able to agree later on that maybe I did need that fill and I do think the doctors have so many people that expect the band to do it all for them that they make this comment sometimes because they want to make sure you are trying to have some personal accountability. I do want to sympathize with you too because I also felt like crying that day when my doctor threw the "good choices" thing in my face.

I want to say thank you to all of you for being the voice of reason! I am going to have some fill taken out today. I have been suffering with being too tight for too long because I was finally losing again but my friend who also has the band was just diagnosed with an ulceration on the outside if her stomach from her band being too tight. She says it feels like fire all of the time and that sounds even more miserable! I will just have to step up my exercise! Thanks again for helping me use my brain!

I wish I knew that even though the pain is pretty bad the first few days that you feel much better fairly soon. I wish I knew that I would not poop for several days and when I finally did it was like rabbit pellets since you are eating so little at first. I wish I knew that you have these strange emotions because you used to just mindlessly snack and then you have this restless feeling you do not know what to do with. I wish someone told me that it may take up to three fills to start having real restriction. I wish I knew earlier that if you don't lose at least 5 pounds in a month get a fill. I wish I knew that there would be stagnant time with no weight loss but if you remain persistant you will get there. I wish I never slacked off from exercising. I can say it is absolutely worth it!!!

I know we are talking about warm drinks but I do have to say since someone mentioned not being able to have sodas anymore...I used to be a total Diet Coke addict. Since the band I have become addicted to Crystal Light's Peach Tea. I make one to two pitchers a day for my family and everyones loves it! Very flavorful and almost no calories...can't beat it!

I too have been going through a similar thing but have no hair loss. The hair loss is a sign that you are not getting enough protein and that is not good. I would consider getting just half a cc taken out. Then you should still have a lot of restriction but not so bad that you cannot eat. I think that once we get to tight the stomach gets inflamed and irritated and the throwing up only continues this. You can try just soups for a while and see if it gets better. If not you really need less restriction. You may lose slower but you shouls still lose and try to start walking or riding your bike and then you might be able to keep losing at the same pace. I know it is easier said than done but exercise is good for us all anyway!

I like hot chocolate as well and you can get the sugar free with marshmellows too if you look. Also, Starbucks has fat free and sugar free vanilla Frappuccinos and Lattes that are delicious! There are always alternatives with less calories. Don't feel like you have to give up the things you love!

I think all of us thought "what in the heck have I done to myself" during the first few weeks. Try to stay poitive. It really does get better and better each week. The pain gets better, the gas gets better, the shoulder pain gets better. When you are on the other side and you look and feel so much better you will feel that it was all worth it but I know that it is hard to focus on the positives when you are in pain. Also, remember that your stomach is swollen and irritated around where the band was placed so you have to go easy. If that means only a few sips and then stop for a while than do it and once the swelling goes down you will not feel it so much. Hang in there it is a slow process but well worth it!

One big point I always make with the "couldn't you do it on your own" crowd is that I was always able to lose weight but I also always gained it back plus an extra 10 lbs and the band doesn't let you gain it back. It is permanent weight loss. For the one that is put down in her support group I think you should just say out loud that you feel like they are discrediting you for your hard work. A lot of them do need to know that you still need to work hard. I was in a support group for a while and I was a very slow loser eventhough I consistently excercised. It would annoy me when people would complain that they only lost 20 pounds but they were also not exercising and eating sweets all of the time. I think you will be a benefit to the support group if you let them know that to get great results you have to work at it!

I personally told everyone I am close to. Some do say hurtful things and watch what you eat which is really annoying. As time goes by (I have been banded about 18 months) you are not so sensitive. You also are more willing to tell more people especially when you start looking better. I think you lose track of who you told and who you didn't so its best just to be an open book so you don't look like a liar. I also strongly believe that when you keep secrets you feel shame and that is not what the band is about! I hate it when people say it is the easy way out! Nothing could be more difficult but it is totally worth it! Another thing I can say is that the lap band is a very SLOW process so some of the less supportive people may be acting like it is not working at first which make you feel like a failure but if you hang in there eventually everyone will see it works and then you have the last laugh!

My md said he would give me a fill every month that I did not lose at least five pounds. Eventually you will get to the sweet spot I promise! I had a very rough beginning and felt like I was failing yet again at weight loss. Be assertive on getting fills and you all will get there!

Think about all of us that have no bariatric coverage at all! There are a lot of us ou there that have charged $13,000 on credit and that sucks. The great thing I can say is I am down 50 pounds and look and feel sooo much better! I will be paying this debt off dfor a long time but I LOVE MY BAND!

I have a story that is more like a Karma thing releted to weight loss. One of my friens grown son started dating a "big girl" as they would all say. I would ask as time went on if they were getting serious. The parents would say that their son really likes her and she treats him so good but that he just has trouble with her size...they told their son maybe he could get her to consider the band like I did. I said that a person really has to want to do this for them and not for someone else. I reminded them that their own son was no skinny minnie (harsh but true). I also told them that she seems to accept him as he is and with all of his faults and that he needs to consider how good she is and not just a persons looks. Recently, the girl broke up with him and he acts heart broken and in love now. They all say how awful that she broke their sons heart. I personally think that the girl was smart and has self esteem and could feel his hesitation. I certainly do not wish him heart ache but maybe next time he will be able to see that inner beauty is way more important than anything else! By the way, she was beautiful on the outside too!

I think that losing your hair and it's texture change is directly related to not getting enough protien in your diet. Protein drinks are good but they still are not as good as eating meat or fish. With protien suppliments and powders your body does not absorb as much protein as it does from real food. Step up eating protein and see if it helps. My MD always harps on eating your protein first and then worrying about veggies and starch if you can fit it in. Also, my good friend had the gastric bypass and she lost a lot of hair. When it grew back in it was wierd for a while but eventually went back to normal so hopefully it is a temporary situation. Finally, to the others talking about companies not having WLS on their plans. Unfortunately. this is becoming more and more common. My insurance has no coverage for any Bariatric anything...period. This is more cost effective for companies and what they pay in the short term for their employees health coverage. Unfortunately, they never seem to realize they will pay out more in the end with their employees having Diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart problems related to their obesity. My company is now even talking about making the employee pay more out of pocket for their health insurance if their BMI is over a certain percentage. I hear many companies are thinking about resorting to this. I think it is still an acceptable form of discrimination!

Wanda, you will eventually feel better! Every time you get a fill, especially the first, you have some discomfort and soreness and sometimes increased gas all over again but it does get better. Your stomach tends to swell a little each time you get a fill. That is why they do not put it too much all at once. Be patient and go back to smushier foods and soups until you feel better.