TulipStar

I went to a seminar and the Dr. said that at one point that he would have said "it will last forever". However, now he hesitates to say this because there have been a couple cases recently from those who were banded over 10 years ago in Australia/Europe that have had to have it replaced. IMO, it is no big deal if you have to have surgery many years down the road. I have to have revision surgery on a port flip bc it came unstitched from my muscle. Things like this just happen, but the good results from the band outweigh potential complications.

My port flipped and I am having revision surgery on the 28th of November. I had only my lapband for 7 weeks before it flipped. My dr said the recovery time should be quicker. I have to go back in the hospital to have it done. He said he will just reopen my port incision. Remove the port and put a new one in, stitch it to the muscle and sow it back up. you will be fine. Good luck!

Hi Sharon, Thanks for the well wishes!! Happy Thanksgiving to you too. I was not so good today. I did go to the gym, but I am way too full right now.... But, I can say that I haven't had any candy/chocolate since August...made it through Halloween and everything. Good for you being so good!!

Most of the time, it's not so much the food as the time of day for me. If I try to eat anything cold or bread in the morning, then I will get stuck. The first stuck food that I had was a mini-muffin. You just have to wait for it to pass. It's either going to go down or come back up. It can be a painful process. Someone once posted on this board to hold your arms straight up towards the ceiling and that will help it pass. that works for me if I am starting to slime and it doesn't want to go down.

WOW! That is great news! Congratulations

My hubby was so AGAINST me getting the lapband. When I first wanted to go to a seminar about it, I asked him to go with me. He asked "for what?!" I said that I needed his support and he asked me "like how". I told him that just him being there with me was support enough. He really didn't want to go...he is against all wls. However, he went with me and he was "sold". He thought it was a good idea from then on. It is hard to verbally say the kind of support you need. YOu just need that person to support you by listening and being there when you need them. I said the same thing to other members of my family.

I've only been banded for a short time and now that my fill leaked out I can eat anything. However, during my brief restriction I could not eat dry chicken or doughy bread. I could not eat anything cold in the morning.

I have been using mine for 6 weeks and have lost 18lbs since I started using the bug. My friend wants to buy one. Does anyone know of any discount codes that work??

You can drive as long as you are not on pain meds. Be careful though, I still had pain if I took turns too fast or bumps. Also, getting in and out of the car was a slow process.

Introducing Sassy Sue....

That is so bizarre. She obviously has her own issues and is putting the blame on your situation. I think that afeter 25 years she could at least pick up the phone. Hang in there. You only need positive people in your life right now! (((hugs)))

JLB, I have to go to the hospital and go under again. However, he said I won't have the breathing tube. Instead, it will be a mask like they use when they do dental surgery. That is good news bc the coughs and phlegm after the original surgery hurt so bad!

Great thread!! 1. Fit comfortably in an airplane seat and not feel like I am imposing on someone else's space. 2. When I do travel internationally (Asia for example), not to have people point and laugh at me. They are all so skinny, they literally think I am a spectacle. 3. Weigh less than my husband. 4. Get pregnant 5. Run a marathon

I can't wait to get this fixed. I am hungry again...and it sucks!! Oh yeah, forgot to mention that he is also going to replace my port with a smaller version. He said that as people lose weight, sometimes their port starts to stick out and they want it replaced with a smaller. Since he said he can feel mine just fine (the large one) and it is close to the surface, he is going to replace it with a smaller one so it can't be seen as I get to be skinny!

My insurance would not approve it...I had Dr. letters and even pictures of rashes, etc. Then I appealed through the company I work for and they approved it, so the insurance covered it.

Surgery already!! Wow that is FAST! congratulations! I have my revision surgery with Dr. Marsden on the 28th.

Linda, It wasn't anything that I did. Even my surgeon said it wasn't my fault. It is just one of those things... it's a potential complication. It is one of the top 3 complications with the band (along with slippage and band erosion). I am one of the "lucky" ones.

I think it is a combo of both... I once lost 110 lbs and I had the extra tummy skin removed (AKA "pannus" or "apron"). The surgeron removed 12lbs of skin and fat. YUCK!

Bratz, I just found out today that my revision surgery is the 28th! He said I will be under light anesthesia, without the breathing tube. He said it will be like when they knock you out at the dentist office. My surgeon was so apologetic, he said that he thinks its because he used dissolvable sutures for the port and they didn't hold. He said that he is going back to regular sutures for all surgeries. He said of course that I didn't have to pay a thing and even better, I will have the surgery at a center closer to my home. woohoo! Thanks for the well wishes everyone.

I travelled during my pre-op diet with a colleague who didn't know I was having surgery. I was the driver, so when we landed he wanted to go to lunch. I suggested something fast and when we got to Subway, I told him, "I think I'll pass, I have some Protein powder and will have a shake instead". Later for dinner, (I was allowed to eat a light dinner) I ordered a salad and he followed suit. Just go. You can do it!

I just wanted to give everyone an update. I met with my surgeon this morning and he is as devastated as I am. He said that this is the 5th time this has happened to him and he has done well over 500 surgeries. He also said that he started using dissovable sutures for stitching the port and since he started that, I am the 2nd person who has had a flipped port. So, he is switching back to regular sutures. He told me that I ruined his week. I was like "YOUR WEEK!!" He was kidding, but pretty upset with the situation. My revision surgery is scheduled for the 28th!

Tomecia, You are going to drive yourself nuts!!!! relax relax relax! Since your insurance company is changing does that mean you will have to get approval from Aetna?

Hello! I have PCOS too. I have had it for 17 years, but I was diagnosed 10 years ago. I was first confirmed through blood work and just recently within the last year, I saw my polycystic ovaries on ultrasound...it is amazing how covered in cysts my ovaries are! It has been so challenging to lose weight and SO EASY to GAIN weight. People are often amazed that I can easily put on 40lbs in a month. The lapband is helping, I think it really helped me to get that "jump start". One of the main reasons I chose to have the lapband is to be able to conceive easier and do IVF after I get to a certain weight. Of course I want to do it for my health, etc. But I was to start a family sooner than later. I am not getting any younger!! Chickie, were you on meds before for your PCOS? If so, after you lost the weight, have you stopped taking your meds?

Tomecia, It took 11 weeks from the time that LBS submitted my paperwork. I know it's hard, but the only thing you can do it just wait... The reason mine took so long was that UHC was about to deny me, so LBS pulled the request until the got a stronger case together. (My BMI was not consistently over 40 for all 5 years). On the other hand, I have a co-worker who had the surgery in March and it only took him 3 weeks to get approved. Hang in there...it will be here before you know it!

Screw those people! They are just trying to bring you down. I had a lot of issues with people in my life. Even a "concerned friend" beforehand who tried to "intervene". The truth was that she wasn't my "friend" bc if she was, I would have felt comfortable telling her about the surgery. I have a long family history of issues with my parents. Through therapy, I have found the best way for me to deal with this is to write them a letter to let them know how I feel. Sometimes I send the letter, sometimes I don't. To be honest, I have only had to send a letter to my Dad once. This was about 6 years ago and I set the boundaries. I told him I loved him, wanted to have a relationship with him, but he had to treat me with respect and cut out the verbal abuse or I wouldn't have a relationship with him until he could act decent towards me. He called me after I sent that letter after 6 months of not talking. Now he pretty much stays within the boundaries I set. If he feels like he isn't going to stay within the boundaries or he is mad at me, he just won't talk to me for 2-6 months. I am ok with that if that's what he has to do to deal with his issues. You are doing this surgery for you. So tell your brother to take a hike. Don't feel guilty about Thanksgiving, you are doing the right thing. HUGS!