shortgal

Does your Dr. know you have reflux? Did he/she prescribe anything for it? You could ask for a RX or ask if you can take OTC Prilosec.

Good Luck You might want to check out the "twenty year old" group on the forum. Look under "support" section on the forum and look for "age related groups". I'll bet you'll find a few other athletes and definitely you'll fins other banded people your age.

You sound too tight. when was surgery or last fill?

Talk to your Doctor. Vomiting is not good for your band can lead to slipping. Perhaps your Dr added some fill in your band at time of surgery and a little can be removed, so there might be a solution, please call.

Most times they hit my port first time, once they had a little trouble. It's really not that bad and the whole thing is over fairly quickly. I was kind of nervous about the fills also, but ended up to be not so big a deal and worth any little discomfort.

I have the same problem, no solution yet. I read on the forum, someone suggested PB8 tabs. Havent' picked them up yet, but will. I have not heard of the two things you've mentioned, let me know if you try them and if they work. Are they tablets? Just read about the devrom, but one review says it eliminates odor but not the gas. I really would like to stop the gas itself. They do have chewables which is a good thing. The PB 8 is a pro biotic.

High Protein, low carb is great but you must know the calorie count of what you're taking in. cheese is protein but high in calories and fat. Easting a lot of beef? Higher in calories and fat than chicken per oz. So you have to track the calories, as well. And it's true that once you've lost 30 to 50 pounds, you need even fewer calories to maintain that loss and even less to continue to lose at the same rate. It is almost impossible to continue to lose 1/2 pound every day after some initial weight loss. And if you don't have great restriction yet, then just maintaining your initial weight loss, should be considered a success. Continue with your fills and track your calories and protein for one week.

My Dr.s office does the same thing, they take out all the current fill ( to check the amount) and then replace it all plus the additional new amount. Some times a person might be too tight and then a slight unfill is done. That might happen in the same day. Pateint gets fill in the a.m and by aft. realizes it's too tight.

I would suggest you get copies of your old records and have a consult with a bariatric surgeon here. That way the Dr. can review your old history and help you decide if you are a candidate for another band or a different weight loss procedure. Have you checked with your ins co. recently to see if it's a covered procedure and asked what their requirements are, if it is covered?

Thanks Cindy, I guess we all our so proud of each other becasue we know how much it means to us and how hard we are working for it. YOU have done incredibly well. And you have proof, I mean your pants actually fell down!

Not familiar with the "mini" GB so it's hard to say, but as for lap band vs. gastric bypass, I did not want the malabsorption issues and the re-routing of my intestines. I figured god gave me a stomach for a reason and I should use it. Now the band just goes around my stomach, so that made more sense to me. Lap band is a less risky surgery and that rapid weight loss with GBP just makes people look so "gray" and "gaunt" for months before they perk back up. GBP was Not for me, but everyone has to do what they think is best for them.

Less in, less out. Higher Protein is also the reason, as our bodies use it up differently than carbs. I would not expect to go once a day anymore. Getting more fiber in your diet will help, but it's hard to get the recommended amount ( 25 to 30 gms a day) from food with lower calorie intake.

Have you done any online search of the med name and looked for more info?

I have PB'd once ( got a black berry stuck) and it was about 6 weeks after banding. I did not chew it well enough or took too large a bite. I have not slimed. It wasn't like vomiting ( i hate to vomit). It just sort of came back up in a big burp. Having these things a few times is probably to be expected, having these issues a lot can usually be controlled. If you allow your band to stay too tight after a fill or forget to eat slow or forget to take smalll bites than it will happen more often. Taking small bites, chewing well are all new behaviors you need to learn, some people "learn" faster than others. If I found myself sliming or PB a lot, then I would consider my behaviors first and if I'm not the problem, then I would consider that my band might be too tight and get a slight unfill. some people resist the unfill because they are afraid weight loss will slow down. It's ok to lose slower with the band, that's how it's supposed to work, but we are human and we get impatient sometimes.

Many of the people here are one to two years out from surgery, but there are a few on here that have been banded since 2004 or 2005. I guess the rest just move on with their lives and the surgery becomes a faded memory. I have seen some banders that reach goal, say they have a slight unfill once they start maintenance. The good thing is the band is adjustable, so we have some options. We can generally add some additional calories each day once we're at maintenance, but we should always eat Protein first, then veggies, then small portion of carbs. For me, once I'm at goal, I would like to add whole wheat bread and more dairy as my extra calories. The bread for Fiber and the dairy for Calcium.

I would look for a seminar nearby and call the surgeon that sponsors it and ask if you need to register in advance. Then I would call my ins. co and ask them if WLS is a covered procedure and what their requirements are.

I saw the TV show and I'm reminding myself and my DH (who's not banded but needs to lose about thirty pounds) of the "rules" on his show. We both used to eat way too fast. The band is helping me with that, but I am reminding hubby now, too. Like you Steph, I have trouble with the no distraction thing, but I'm working on it. Ate lunch at the table today instead of in front of TV. Exercise. Well, no doubt I could be better, but I did walk a few times, so I'm improving. Restriction: Still waiting. I'd call it mild, but definitely not enough. Haven't lost anything in one week, next fill is Thurs. Getting to goal is all well and good, but learning along the way, so we stay at goal is way more important. I think that's what you're learning Steph!

Lizzie: You have accomplished a lot in a very mature way. Good for you! Haven't we all been succesful and what a change in attitude for me. I was so miserable before having surgery. My weight kept creeping up and several years ago, I followed a weight watchers program on my own, no meetings and lost 30 pounds. It took me TEN MONTHS! Within 4 months half of it was back. I checked my ins ( a year ago FEB) and found out our policy covered WLS and attended a seminar, had a consult with surgeon, pysch and nutritionist. When it came time to submit to ins, I found I did not have the required five years of documentation. I have been overweight way more than five years, but didn't have the proof they required. Appeals, denials etc, ate up almost seven months of time. I got tired of it all and my husband and I decided we would self pay. DH is so great and VERY supportive. He saw how hard I struggled to lose that thirty pounds. I managed to keep off 15 of the thirty pounds by the time surgery finally came ( those 15 are not included in my ticker). Ticker starts at weigh in at pre-op visit. I am still struggling to get good restriction, but I am thrilled to death at the 32 pound weight loss. I have not weighed 184 pounds in at least twenty years or more. I've almost emptied my closet of the old clothes and I feel so much better and more confident. One NSV is, I hardly ever spill any food on my shirt anymore. I guess it's because I can bend over the table better, now that my stomach is down. I don't see my own "rear view" much, but my husband constantly tells me how much smaller my butt is. It's so nice to be able to go into a store and find something I LIKE to wear instead of just anything that fits. Not buying much tho, like the rest of you, I intend to get smaller still. So many little victories, but they all mean so much. A thin person could never understand these victories and how much they mean. Congratulations all fellow November Nymphs!!!!! 6 lbs to get to the 50% mark! Thanks for starting this Cindy, great idea.

October 07 Bandsters - Lap Band Talk Forum - The largest forum for Lap Band Surgery Discussion and Lap Band Surgery Support that link will take you to the Oct/07 group. I'm sure if you start a hello thread there, they'll welcome you.

I am getting a little impatient, but I also prefer to sneak up on restriction rather than be too tight! The older I get the more patience I have.

I don't understand why that happens either. I mean the fill in the band is the same now as it is in two weeks, perhaps it's just our stomachs reaction to the fill amount over time? For many people the fill does loosen up over time. I get swelling around the band after fills, so I feel tight for two days after and then it loosens a bit. I hope your next fill gives you restriction. I'm still waiting. I generally get small fills of about 1 cc ( first one was 2 cc's) and I still have only mild restriction.

I've seen other people post about being tighter in the a.m. as well. Some have a Protein shake, others wait a few hours and then have a yogurt at their desk or a Protein Bar. Your fill might loosen up a bit in a while. Are you staying hydrated at night? Too much sodium with dinner causing swelling? It might not be any of those things but you could try to see. Otherwise, you might have to stick with a shake until the fill loosens up a bit.

Welcome to the forum. I was self pay also ( have ins that covered it but long around to get them to pay and didn't want to wait anymore). It's a lot of money, but it's my money, and I intend to get my money's worth from the band. Paying yourself can give you a real good incentive to staying on track. It can be a long, but worthwhile process and by losing the weight slowly, I believe I am establishing new eating habits that will stick with me for the long haul. I am also learning so much. I thought my life (and food) as I used to know it would be so different after banding, but really it isn't. The first couple months is harder as you adjust to the new way of eating, but then you just blend it into your old life routine. I will still have new lessons along the way, but I am glad I have my band and I'm thankful my husband has been very supportive. Advice: Follow the Dr's instructions for pre-op and post op eating, it's important for healing. Be ready to be patient. The fill (adjustments) can take time and it can be hard to stick to the post op eating regimen until you get a fill that works for you. (I'm still waiting for my best restriction fill).

http://www.wlscenter.com/pdf/LifeStyleMag/Transfer%20Addiction.pdf This one is off the internet. I didn't read it yet, but looks like it addresses the problem and hopefully has some suggestions to remedy.

That seems like a reasonable decision for the time being. that way you have time to adjust to the changes of the band.