Cocoabean

Usually the post-op phases are short enough that our surgeons don't worry much about mal-nutrition. Does that mean that we don't feel horrid while on them? No. We are used to eating much more than we are providing. My surgeon allowed me to consume as much as I wanted/could tolerate during liquid/soft food phase. But mine was very short. I was moving to solids about a week to 10 days after surgery. Really keep your Protein level up and add in a bit of fat if needed, that will also help sustain you. Not a bunch of fat, healty fat in small amounts.

It was totally you, all the way!! You caused it! It better not, Alex! I went into withdrawls! My hubby wanted to know WHY I was talking to him and not surfing LBT!

Definitely give them a call about the warmth. Sorry that happened. Doesn't sound fun at all! Feel better!

There's no way I could eat 5 oz fish and 1 cup of veggies in one sitting. Maybe a green salad. I hope the new doctor is able to help you out. Feel better!

Welcome to LBT. WLS is the final step for most of us. We have tried and tried. Much of our society looks at us as failures. We are not, we are in need of a medical treatment. Obesity is a disease. WLS is a treatment of a disease. Depressed people used to be locked away by society. Now there are medications. Should they not accept treatment? If you needed a new heart valve, should you not accept that treatment? If you have pain in your leg, should you amputate? Certainly not immediately. You should see if it is a bruise. If it is, let it heal. If a sprain, put ice on it. If it is a hairline fracture, put a cast on it. If the break is caused by cancer, you try chemo or radiation, or surgery to remove the cancer. The last resort would be amputation. So it goes with WLS for most of us. We have tried conservative treatments. We arrived at surgery as a final straw after years of diet, exercise, and sometimes medications. All of which have failed us. Don't be embarrassed or ashamed of the need for medical treatment. Ever.

What he said. Until my second to last fill I could comfortably drink while eating. It didn't matter to my satiety level either way. Then I could sip with my meal. After my last fill a couple months ago, if I sip with a meal, it upsets the delicate balance and BAM, stuck and hurl. It just isn't worth it. I usually have some Water sitting nearby, but it goes untouched as soon as I start eating. It happens naturally after you've been stuck a few times.

Or you get to the public toilet and there is a line! ugh Or the public toilet backsplash into the eye, have you done that yet? Toilet paper or seat cover into the Water first stops that, if you have time. And beware of auto-flush. I got a face shower once. DH was shocked that I had washed my entire face after a stuck episode, to include my bangs.... uh, no dear..the restaurant has auto-flush... DOH! He, too, can spot that I am stuck before I know I am, "oh great, you have THE LOOK!" "I'll be right back."

Army Girl, I never, ever in my banded life lost a pound a day. I was banded in February and started getting my fills in May (it should have been April, but I had big trip planned, so postponed..I did NOT want to be out of the country and have trouble!). Losing a pound per day for extended periods with a restrictive procedure only is not mathematically likely. You need to create a deficit of 3500 calories a day to do so. My body burns about 1300 calories just to exist every day. So, I'd need to burn an additional 2200 calories EACH DAY to lose a pound a day. Not counting burning off what I'd consumed. I'd have to run about 20-22 miles EACH DAY to do that. If your weight is higher, it takes more calories to exist, so you can create a larger deficit when you reduce your intake. But losing that much fat every day with a band, not likely. I did not start feeling restriction until my 3rd fill near the end of June. And that is when the weight loss started for me. My surgeon did not push me to "diet" while the band was not helping me. He said why push you to eat like a bandster when you are not one yet! After my third fill I started losing. Not quickly, and not steadily. When I lost it would be in fits and starts. one pound this week, two the next, up one, same, same, same, get a fill, down 4, same, same, down one, down one, up two, same, same, down one, down two. It was very annoying! Like you, I'd see people losing like maniacs, so unfair. But you know what? Overall, it was going down, down, down. And it kept going down. From your ticker, it appears you are a lower BMI bandster. That sort of leads me to think that you will lose slower like I did. When it was all done, I'd averaged 3/4 of a pound per week. And over 70 lbs were gone. And they've stayed gone for two years now. Try not to focus on the weight loss. Focus on the habits that will take you through life as a bandster. Smaller portions, small bites, chew well, exercise, don't drink with your meals. As those habits come through, the weight loss will come.

I am not a statistics person...but if I interpreted it correctly... 15% had their bands removed by 7 years, by 10 years, 22.8%. At the same 7 year mark, excess weight loss for bandsters with bands in place is 46.3%, which is lower than RNY at 58.6% at 7 years. They go on to say that including people who lose less than 25% of excess weight, the failure rate of banding is 51.1% over the long-term. They say that in 10 years bandsters have adverse events in 52.8% (none potentially life threatening), and 41% in RNY, with 8.6% being potentially life threatening and 1 death. What isn't mentioned is what could be/would be considered an RNY failure. Which I realize maybe is not something that can be measured as for a band. Perhaps "failure" of RNY is included in the excess weight loss figure, as bypasses are seldom reversed and cannot be removed. So, I supposed failure would be lack of weight loss or weight gain. So, why they would separate that out for bands and not bypass seems to skew the info to me...but it was not my study! :-)

wow, pshychnurse! Did they say this is due to the band or just something that happens? Thanks for sharing the info.

One of my dear mother's favorite sayings! Rest her soul.

Someone else recently posted this same issue. She is going to see her doc ASAP. Here's the post: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/140868-pain-under-left-rib-cage-4-years-post-surgery/page__fromsearch__1

You are welcome. Thank you! Just so you know, I was banded in Mid-February and my losses didn't really start until the middle of summer when my fills kicked in. The first time I really experienced my band in full force was toward the end of June when I ate something I should not have at the county fair..I got stuck. Get another fill, let the band help you.

Hey Horsegirl! I am not big on stats, either. But it's good to know. If it happens to you, the odds are 100%. That's the way I look at it, anyway. For me, I try to keep up with the ever changing world of medical information. Knowledge is power. I also see my surgeon once a year, and he checks me over and runs tests. My PCP checks my blood for the usual stuff plus Vitamin levels. Do I worry about complications? Not really. Do I know they could happen, certainly. Signs and symptoms are in the back of head. If something happens to my band, I will deal with it then. My banded life has taught me to not be afraid of WLS. Bypass scared the bejeezus out of me. It still does to a degree. I didn't feel my health was "bad enough" to warrant it, although the qualifications for both surgeries are the same. My personal feeling was that one should need rapid weight loss to risk the malnutrition that can be caused by bypass. But if I lose my band, I'd certainly consider it now. So far, I am extremely happy with my band...have I had "adverse events" as in the study? Probably, depending on what they were using as an adverse event. I have vomited. I've had diarrhea, constipation. Were the last two cause by my band? I dunno. The first certainly was. But if I were part of a study, I'd have to list the last two and they'd go into the database. Best wishes in your upcoming surgery!

While I am no doctor, I'd guess you'll be hitting the green zone before too much longer. As a side note, my losses were never steady. If I had a big loss one week, I could expect a month long plateau. Then I might lose steady for a few weeks and post a small gain the next. But the overall trend was downward. Also, I have days where I can eat more and days where I eat less. Days when I am hungrier than others. Being banded is a journey, not a sprint.

Explaining to servers that yes, I really did like the food, I am just full. I worry about eating in a group, because I tend to not pay as close attention to what I am eating so that I can enjoy the group. I've ended up stuck more than once that way. Along those same lines, eating with a group of people I don't know who notice I haven't eaten much then ask if I am feeling OK. I am very open about having had WLS, but it still can be weird sometimes. My most embarrassing stuck episode...I was juror #3 (front row of jury box) in a high profile trial. At lunch I took some medication then ate. I was in a bit of a rush. As I returned to the courtroom I realized I was sliming. The pill got stuck with lunch piled up on top of it. I only had time to grab some paper towels. So, there I was in front of God, a judge, 2 defendants, 4 lawyers, another jury across the courtroom (two trials, one court), and a gallery full of family and reporters--sliming and drooling into my paper towels until the 1st break.... Ah, the good times!

I don't count calories, nor do I measure portions. I haven't since being banded. Perhaps it is all the years of yo yo programs, but when I was banded I NEVER wanted to weigh and measure or journal a meal again. Since being banded I have focused on the Protein in my meals, eaten to my satisfied signal, then stopped. I do avoid my trigger/slider foods so as to not start a binge. But even treats are not off my menu. That's the thing about bands, they aren't one size fits all. :-)

Feb 15 will be 4 years for me. 70 lbs gone and easily maintaining!

Sounds like you have a good surgeon! Mine discussed RNY and Band with me, and had the same response for me. Sleeve was not available when I was banded. Remember, weight loss is slower with banding than bypass. I was ok with that. Best wishes in your decision.

What was your surgeon's response when you explained why you didn't want bypass? Was he on board with it? Did he say bypass would be better for you because.....? ANY WLS has its failures. Any WLS has its successes. What I lost at 3 and 6 months is inconsequential. The fact is, I lost 70 lbs and have maintained the loss with ease. It took my just under two years to do it, but I also didn't work very hard at it. I lost an average of 3/4 pound per week, but I did it with ease and without weighing and measuring my food or journalling it. Your experience may be different. Below is an outcome expectancy chart from my surgeon. I LOST 100% within 2 years and have kept it off since then. Typical percentage of excess weight loss at 5 years LAGB 50% Limited long term data available. VSG 50-60%Limited long term data available. GBP 55-70%

With meats, I can eat dark meat chicken, pork, and fish. I can eat some steak, but usually get sick of chewing before I get full. White meat chicken and hamburger just will not go down. The meats I can eat do need to be cut into small pieces and chewed well. Please note that chewing a large bite well is not the same as chewing a small bite well. Take your time between bites to be sure it has gone down ok. Concentrate on eating your Protein foods first. Substituting high calorie slider foods for nutritionally dense foods because they are easier to eat is not acceptable to me. If I am unable to eat ANY solid proteins, then it is time to see my surgeon. What do you mean by freaked out by having this Lap Band? Do you mean the fact that you have a foreign object inside you is bothering you? I can understand that. You say you didn't research your options very well, ok, can you move beyond that and start working with the choice you made? If not, what are your options now? Do you have the ability to revise to another procedure? Is that something you even want to do? Can you work with the nutritionist at your surgeon's office, assuming you have access to one, to help you with your food plan? I do hope you can find what will work for you.

Looking at the articles below, as obese people we are at increased risk of cancer..including cancer of the esophagus, as we are more prone to reflux. http://drphil.com/articles/article/149 Dr. Bruner cites research showing that men with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater — 100 plus pounds over their ideal body weight — have a 52 percent higher death rate for cancer. Women whose BMI is 40 or more have a 62 percent higher death rate. For both sexes, being overweight carries a greater risk of developing several types of cancer, including esophagus, colon, rectum, liver, gallbladder, pancreas and kidney. http://www.obesityac...tyandcancer.php How Does Obesity Affect Cancer? Perhaps one of the most comprehensive studies of the cancer risk faced by the obese comes from the American Cancer Society.¹ Nearly 900,000 men and women were enrolled cancer-free in 1982, and then they were followed for 16 years. Compared to normal weight subjects, men with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 40 were found to have a 52 percent increase in risk of losing life from cancer. A 62 percent increase in risk of death from cancer was found in women with similarly high BMI. For both sexes, cancer deaths from esophagus, colon, rectum, liver, pancreas and kidney were increased. Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma also took a toll on obese men and women. Specific to men were increased deaths from prostate and stomach cancers, and specific to women, deaths from uterus, breast and ovarian cancers were noted. Stepping back for a broader overview, the same investigators estimated that obese men accounted for 14 percent of all cancer deaths in males and that obese women accounted for 20 percent of all cancer deaths in females. Observing that only 6-8 percent of the population is severely obese to this degree, it is clear that obesity is at least related to an increased risk and that it may also be the cause of these cancers. Cancer of the Esophagus When acid from the stomach frequently washes back up into the esophagus, the condition known as reflux esophagitis can occur. This is a common problem for those who are obese, occurring more than twice as often as normal weight patients. Not surprisingly, cancer of the esophagus is also known as an obesity-related disease probably because the chronic irritation which produces changes in the esophageal lining, known as Barrett’s esophagitis, can progress to cancer. While recent reports of curing patients of this problem by radiofrequency ablation (image-guided technique designed to kill cancer cells by heating and destroying them) before it progresses to cancer are promising, the acid reflux must stop to prevent recurrence. Bariatric surgery procedures have great success in reducing weight, which will frequently relieve symptoms. Gastric bypass is a weight-loss procedure that has a clear benefit of relieving the acid reflux in the great majority of patients. Symptomatic relief is also noted in as many as 90 percent of patients with an adjustable gastric band, another type of weight-loss surgery procedure. This relief comes soon after the procedures, even before the patients lose weight. Perhaps this will translate into a lower incidence of esophageal cancer as well.

Hi Fluffy, I am sorry, I should have quoted Army Girl in my original post. It was in response to hers. But of course, open to all to respond.

Pip, thanks for posting your experience. Glad to hear surgery went well and you are recovering.

Your surgeon can check how much Fluid is in your band by withdrawing it when doing a fill, but it isn't exact--some generally remains in the tubing. There are other tests they can do to check for a leak. If you are newly banded, the most likely cause of that is swelling at the time of the fill that is gone the next day. While not a true indication of what restriction level you will be at, do you know what sized band you have and how much fill you have in it? Most people don't approach the green zone until the 3rd to 5th fill, sometimes even many more. Especially if they have a larger band.