Fort Bend Band

Sorry you are going through this Trish! I know it is miserable! I do think the virus made your swelling much worse. None of us like to get some of our fills taken out but on the other hand if you see no signs of improvement in the next couple of days then you really should get some relief. Getting dehydrated is also dangerous! One time I was too tight but was being too stubborn about getting some fill taken out. Eventually, I became weak from not enough nourishment and fluids and that it not the right way to go either!

You are very restricted it sounds like but many times it is what it takes to keep the weight coming off. I have been very tight like that before and it usually does get bettwer after a week or two. When you are too tight (at least from my experience) you throw up very easilt and have trouble even drinking liquids. Many of us are tighter in the mornings than in the evenings and I am not sure why that is but I know it is very common. I think as long as you get food and fluid in you and keep it down you are ok. On the other hand, if you feel completely miserable and fweel like you have a poor quality of life because you can barely eat then you should think about getting some taken out. Some people like to be fairly tight while others can't tolerate it. I think you shouls give it a little time but again if you have trouble keeping small portions down then you are definately too tight.

I have learned at cocktail parties to take a little bit of a few things. I have noticed that if you get a huge plate of something then it is very obvius when you only eat a small amount but when you start with a smaller portion it is not so obvious. You can always go back for more. At restaurants I frequently get appetisers as my meal and tell them to serve it with everyone elses meal. I also drink before the meal sometimes even alcohol but stop when the food comes and do not drink again for at least 30 minutes. You will probably find that some days you can eat almost anything pretty well and other days you have trouble eating. I try to eat smushier stuff in public if I am having a bad day.

I have heard on average it takes 2-4 fills to get it just right. It is that "sweet spot" that you will heard other bandsters talk about. Get another fill as soon as your doctor allows. They want to be cautious because if they put too much of a fill your stomach can swell too much. Try to be patient with yourself! You will eventually get there but it is not a quick process.

I saw Dr. Oz on Oprah once talking about all the fake fats and that our bodies don't know what to do with the fake stuff. I prefer full fat, can tolerate low fat, and hate fat free (tastes like plastic to me). I do have to say I have stopped losing and still have about 30% of my excess weight. I think I would have lost more if I had a better diet but I just can't seem to let go of some things.

I was wondering how successful liposuction is for someone who has been banded. I have not lost any weight in months and still have about 30% of my excess weight. I do not need to look perfect I would just still like to look better and less lumpy in my clothes. Does lipo just make somewhat saggy skin sag even more?

Sorry you doctor is putting you through this. You may want to consider going to another MD for fills unless your fills are free with your current MD. My doctors rule is that you can have your first fill 4 weeks after surgery. Then, you can have each fill thereafter as long as in has been at least 1 month and you have not lost at least 5 pounds in that month. I never felt my fill that strong until after the 3rd fill. I was told on average that it takes 2-4 fills to get it just right. Doesn't your MD get it that if you could have just eaten less and exercised all on your own you would have done it a long time ago? Good luck!

I got a great and very accurate scale at Walmart made by Weight Watchers. I love it! It was affordable and when I go into a doctors office with the real scale mine is always in line with what the the doctor's scale says.

I was sooo nervous and some of the negative responses I had received were floating around in my head like "it's so drastic" and I remember thinking "what am I doing? should I really be doing this?" Then I remembered what my MD said. He said none of the complications that could occur are life threatening but that the diabetes and high blood pressure that were around the corner are. He also said that if I could lose the weight on my own that wouldn't I have done it already. After the surgery and I was in pain I remember thinking "what have I done to myself?" The pain goes away quicker than you think and I can say now it is all TOTALLY worth it. I feel better, look better, and am much more confident. Be patient it is not easy or quick but completely worthit!

I had two small children when I got the band..not as young as yours...and thank goodness all potty trained. I think you willl find that you are really out of comission for about three days. I was lucky and have a supportive husband that stepped up to the plate and really gave me a chance to heal. You cannot pick them up but you can let them crawl in your lap to snuggle as long as they don't poke at you. The child car seat is difficult but mine learned to get themselves in and then I could fasten them. You will make it through! Hang in there! It is worth it!

I want to congratulate everyone that has come so far with their weight loss! There are many that do not even make it this far myself included so far, but I'm working on it! In talking about saggy skin I say that when you are dressed it is usually not noticable. I have never seen a person that had weight loss surgery that I thought lokked better beforew the surgery than after. Not only do you look better by you are healthier! I still have issues with my body as well. I have some saggy skin and my stomach looks like a deflated balloon but I try to think of positive things when negative thoughts come to my mind about my body image. I was in a bathing suit last weekend for the first time since losing the majority of my weight. At first I was self conscious. Then, I thought about that I look better than I have in years and life is too short not to enjoy it. Hold your heads high and be proud and forget about the skin!

I have heard several comments such as "Oh, I would never do one of those weight loss surgery procedures. I know someone that did and now they have so many wrinkles and look old!" The funny thing is one person I know that said that is now scheduled for the band! I think it is just another case of someone knocking someone else down to try to make themselves feel better for what ever reason. I personally have never seen anyone that looks worse after gastric bypass or the band. There may be some extra skin but so what. Most people look and feel better and are in better health than before surgery...and that's the whole point!

Jodie W. congrats on your beautiful baby! Having kids really does help you focus on what is important in life and when you become a mommy I think you work on raising kind people that would not intentionally hurt someones feelings. I bet your aare a great mom!

I want everyone to keep in mind that the skinny rude people are really insecure themselves are are trying to "lift" themselves up by putting over weight people down. I really feel sorry for them. You know when a person acts this way they don't go home at night to a happy life or they would not feel the need to treat others this way!

Glorybound, I am so sorry that you are going through all of this and even worse that you had a doctor that knows nothing about the shoulder pain. My doctors office actually warns his patients about this but says it does usually go away in time. Mine was much better after 3-4 months. I have had the band for over a year but still to this day get shoulder pain if something does not go down right or I eat too much. I really feel like my daily walks helped. I have heard that some of the theories on this shoulder pain is that when they sew the band in place it is connected to a sheath of nerves that goes all the way up to your shoulder and that the extra weight of the band causes more problems for some than other. I also was a very slow loser and at times wondered if I made the wrong decision. I remained proactive and exercised and also got another fill when I felt I could eat more than I should. It took about 10 months for me to even feel like I had made progress. Remember that the band is slow and that you have to be patient. I hope in time you will feel at least some satisfaction with your decision.

Nice to see a fellow Longhorn looking sooo good!!! Hook Em Horns!!!!

The more fills you have the more you will find that you are very tight in the mornings. I usually have some soft or smushy stuff in the mornings. Sometimes by lunch I am still fairly tight but then in the evenings I can really eat. The band is a strange thing and seems to have a mind of its own sometimes. The longer you have the band you will figure it out. If you can eat way too much at lunch and are no longer losing it may be time for a fill. If you are losing at least 5 pounds a month then I would not worry about it.

I was a self pay. My insurance will not cover any time of Bariatric surgery period...so it was a no brainer for me. I used one of those checks you get all the time with your credit card statement that says "use this check and pay 4.99% financing until the balance of this check is paid off. It worked well. I will just have to drive my old car a few more years but the band has been totally worth it! I look better, feel better, and avoided the Diabetes and high blood pressure that was around the corner. Good luck!

You just keep it up NewHope and in no time you will not have to feel self conscious anymore! I certainly have more to lose and am still lumpy and bumpy but I can say I am not as self conscious as I used to be and I am proud of the progress I have made. As you lose I think you learn to be more forgiving of your imperfections. I also realized as big as I felt I was not this huge whale I had made myself out to be.

Bergdorf, I just want to send a little encouragement your way. This will work you just have to be patient. I was losing so slowly and people kept asking me how much I had lost. Sometimes weeks can go by with no weight loss. A coworker even said in front of me to another coworker that there is no proof the lap band works...using me as the example. The worst part of all is I started to feel that horrible feeling that we all get when we are coming to the realization that we are failing another "diet" once again. I would get a fill if I had no weight loss in a month and that kept my loss on a very slow but steady loss. After about 8 months people I hardly knew were asking me about my weight loss. I just think it takes a while for people to notice the change. I also think we lose sight of how much we have really lost because we see ourselves daily and do not notice the change as much. I have lost more inches than pounds and I think we just care what the scale says. I say try to exercise and be patient and you will get the rewards before you know it. Also, be proud of what you lost so far because it is nothing to sneeze at. Think about that it is permanent weight loss. When is the last time you were able to lose that amount of weight without putting it back on? Good luck everyone!

I lost very slowly as well. When I got to a size 16 from a size 20 all of the sudden a lot of people noticed. I do think that the person who said you get to average weight is on to something. I am certainly not skinny but not in the plus size section anymore either. I told some people at work that I did the band and then eventually got to the point I tell anyone now. I never knew if the rumor was going around and people were just asking to see what I would say. I really don't care anymore what people think! I escaped Diabetes and high blood pressure and look and feel better too!

Hey slow mover. I initially felt more shoulder pain when I ate lettuce and some veggies too. I believe (but I am just guessing) that it is because lettuce is more gas producing. I love my lettuce too much to stop so eventhough I went through periods were I had to stay away from it for a while I was able to incorporate it back into my regular eating. I did have to chew on Gas-X quite a lot in the beginning though. You may want to try slowly reintroducing it back into your diet and see if it gets better.

I was wondering if those of you that have ongoing shouder pain walk or exercise. I am not trying to be judgemental, it's just that I really believe regular walking helped work some of that out for me. I have had my band for almost a year and I do get occasional shoulder or neck pain. It is usually when I have gotten a fill. Walking and doing windmill motions (as a nurse at my band MD's office suggested) helped. I know how bad it hurts and I really do feel for those of you that have this as a recurrent problem.

Hey Julie, you look beautiful! You need to just sit back and enjoy all that you have accomplished! I want to say how much I admire your honesty! I think it helps all of us to feel better knowing that we all go through some hard times and bad days. You do not sugar coat everything which I think is important for those of us that may contemplate having more surgery. Cheers to the beautiful you on the inside and outside!!!

All I can say about your friend that passes out from sneezing is that you may want to try to consult with Hadar Spivak, MD. You can find his info at bandmd.com and I think he has done so mant successful band surgeries but also does research for all types of gastro-intestinal issues so maybe he couls help diagnose what went wrong. He is out of Houston, TX. AND i HAVE NO IDEA WHERE YOUR FRIEND LIVES BUT MAYBE A PHONE CONSULTATION COULD BE SET UP ARE A REFERRAL TO SOMEONE IN YOUR AREA.