Cocoabean

I just tell people thank you for your concern, my doctors and I will decide where I should stop based on my health. My primary care doc wants me to lose another 10 lbs, but is not unhappy with where I am compared with where I was. I've been at the same weight for 2 years now...and people still ask me when am I going to stop losing..uh about 2 years ago.

Lap Band literature says 1-2 lbs per week. I lost an average of 0.75 a week. Very slow. But I was OK with that. I started at a lower BMI, and was not an exercise fiend. It took me 2 years to lose my excess weight, and I've kept it off for a little over 2 more.

Give your doc's office a call if it isn't in your post-op instructions. Every doctor has different post-op instructions. I would think the receptionist could answer that question, the surgeon is probably pretty consistent throughout his practice.

Remember, bands don't generally have any fill upon installation, or if they do it is a small amount. You are starting over like when you got your first band. The first 4-6 weeks are for healing, not losing. You need to go through the whole process of getting to your green zone again. You are doing very well! I lost 4 lbs the first week post-op, then nothing until my second fill. If you think you might be truly depressed, seek professional help.

Just get 'er done. You should only see a healing up line where the port is. You might have a lump underneath, sort of like ... well, took me a while to come up with something...(thanks to my DH!!) it's sort of like that little bottom rib, but generally has a bit more fat over it. Now that I've lost my weight, my port is barely visible when I stand up. When I was losing, it could not be seen at all. I could always feel it if I pressed on it. If you have true bandages on, take them off, you want to be sure you are healing ok underneath. If they are steri-strips, they will come off as you shower and wash over them.

If your current insurance covers lap band, then they should cover fills. When I request a fill, I have to have prior approval to see my surgeon. First...check your insurance coverage Second...either ask your primary care doctor for a referral or call a surgeon directly

My thoughts would be the same, as the sleeve is restrictive only like a band. Of course it would depend on how many calories you can consume after the immediate post-op phase.

I've always carried my weight all over. So back in the 80s when it was cool to wear pants tucked into boots, I was left out. And again now, I watch my BFF wearing her skinny jeans tucked in and say, "grrrrr!" Oh well, 'twasn't meant to be, for me. But you still have 30 to go, here's hoping!

Is it red or hot to the touch? If so, call your surgeon ASAP. It can be a sign of erosion. If it feels different than it has, call anyway. Even if just to speak with your surgeon about it. I get slight pain from time-to-time around my port. Often if I have eaten too much. I can't explain why. I talked about with my surgeon's nurse practitioner, she suggested switching to a low profile port. My port is right along waistbands of many pants, it can be uncomfortable. But a revision to a low profile port is just not in my budget.

Nope, I cannot wear boots that are over the calf. Never could, still can't. The DO make wide calf boots. But I don't like to mail order shoes, and most of them start at a size 7, I wear a 6.

Day three was about the worst for me, then it got better. Hang in there. Stay on top of it with pain meds, don't wait for it to get too bad. Take the meds when you get to level 3 of 10. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

The two bands thing I don't understand either. As far as the one bite...perhaps that was the straw that broke the camels back, as it were? We may one day find her as a case study such as the one I located, especially if there were indeed two bands. On the other Shirley post, I posted where this can affect the lungs, also. I am starting to believe this is what happened to her, at least in part. As someone else theorized, perhaps an infection spread and caused the seizures and cardiac arrest.

Thanks for the update. I hope the next few weeks are uneventful for you and you have a speedy recovery!

If you really really can't get them down, call your surgeon and ask what you can do instead. He may have some suggestions that we don't. I think after 3 or 4 days of only Protein shakes, I'd be ready to vomit them out my nose. All doctors are different on what they allow. Mine was not worried about my calorie intake during my immediate post-op phase. That part was not about losing weight or calorie control. It was about healing up and getting ready for fills. I think I didn't have to do shakes because I wasn't on liquids long enough to need the added protein they provide.

In my opinion they all suck. Were you told to use them by your doctor or nutritionist? I was not. My surgeon moved me to a full liquid diet at 3-days and then to solids at 1 week. He says NO shakes. Period. I am to eat my calories. No liquid calories at all. I bought tons of the stuff pre-op assuming I'd need them only to be told I was not to. I was to be on Clear liquids and then move on to real foods fairly quickly. Over the years, I have broken that rule when I've had a bad stuck episode, or I just get bored and want to boost my Protein without needing to eat (yes, I just really said that!) When I am in a hurry, I'll do Carnation Instant Breakfast, it doesn't have as much protein as shakes, but with milk, it has about 14g. In the shake arena, I like Isagenix, you can order online, it is the only one that I have found I like. But shakes are purely a personal preference thing.

If you cannot get liquids down, call your doctor! Dehydration is nothing to mess with. If going down slow, sip, sip, sip. Get some gatorade and get as much liquid down as you can. Getting hydrated will help loosen the band as well.

Losing any weight before you get to your green zone is awesome! The dietician can shove it. My surgeon said he didn't care if I gained weight during the first couple of months. If I could lose weight without a band, I'd have done it. As far as he was concerned without proper fill, I didn't have a band. Lap Band's website says we can expect 1-2 pounds per week loss. It does not stipulate male vs. female rates of loss. You are doing just right. This is your journey, not hers. You do not need to starve to lose what she says you should be losing. This is a life-time event. You WILL get there. Enjoy the journey, be proud that you didn't let her send you into a binge, that is awesome!!

Mine is on the left side of my abdomen. I am a left side sleeper. It doesn't bother me at all. I can easily feel my port with my fingers, and due to a recent blood infection I have lost 7 lbs (only good thing to come out of it) so now my port can be seen just a bit. I was down 9.5 lbs at my most sick, it was quite evident then. The Lap-Band brand makes a low profile port, many people switch to that after they've lost their weight.

You might give your surgeon a call about the night cough. That can be a sign of a too tight band. A very slight unfill can do wonders. Are you vomiting at night? In your sleep? If so, please call your doctor. Did you get majorly stuck on anything after the fill? As in could you have some swelling going on? I know for me, after a fill I have a huge learning curve. I am more likely to get stuck, and when I do I have significant swelling. I'll do liquids for a day or two to let that go down then slowly introduce solids again.

Never believe what you are told on the phone...they make mistakes, too. Find it in writing. Ask them to email the policy to you. But do get the names of the people you are speaking with, and the dates and times of the calls. Most companies have their policies online. The information is usually on your card. I found my companies (BCBS CA Access + H M O) website, signed up, got the policy info there, got their brochure info (federal employee), called the company twice and spoke to two different people. THEN I was satisfied I had the information I needed to proceed. I am glad you found the new information!!!

I would revise to something else. If I could not keep a band, I'd work with my surgeon to choose what was best. But I know myself, and I know that I NEED surgical intervention to keep the weight off. If my insurance would not pay for revision, then I will be right back to being obese, and will be looking to change insurance companies to one that will cover it. I am fortunate to have some choices.

Glad to hear it!

I always have a learning curve after a fill. The good news is that once you reach your green zone, you won't need to get fills very often. I go about once per year for a little top-off.

Vaccine Help Obesity 9.06.pdf Thanks, Humming Bird. I should have stated it as the only slip I know of is when the stomach comes up through the band, no stating as fact that this is so...sorry folks... I looked through pubmed for upward slip info, the studies all talk about gastric prolapse, which is where the stomach comes up through the band. OK, more searching revealed it is called Anterior Slippage or, paragastric Richter's hernia. It is pretty rare, can cause necrosis of the stomach. Here is a link to the study: http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/15802063 And a paper with a case study about it is attached. Gastric Herniation.pdf

What I don't understand is how a band slip could strangle the esophagus. A slip is actually when the stomach slips up through the band, not the band slipping up on the stomach. A slip is not a defective band, it is a complication. When we are very ill we sometimes have a hard time hearing what doctors are telling us. I was in the ER two weeks ago with sepsis. My hubby had to tell me much of what the doctors were telling me after we got home. I was just too sick to hear it or care. I do hope Shirley's family are able to get answers as to what happened. My prayers are with them.