notateechanow

Thanks, Sue---and I totally agree. Fortunately, I was "up" last fall when he last weighed me. I was never weighed when I was hospitalized, so he was shocked that my post-surgical (unclamping of my band) weight was actually 5 pounds LESS than it was in October. SO...that weight was still more than I usually weigh---but more than 5 pounds lower than where I am now. No worries. I will make this work! I'll just have to work my a$$ off, literally and figuratively, for the next few weeks.

Hey, all---been a month. I'm struggling. I have an appointment with Dr. R on the 24th. If I've gained weight, he will not "re-clamp" my band.....are ya kidding me?! I've had this hardware for 3+ years and you won't allow me to have it again if I can't maintain without it?! So....working hard with journaling my intake, focusing on eating well and doing all of those things I thought I had internalized 3 years ago.....evidently I did not. Who is in for the next meeting? Happy New Year!

Hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving. I've solved the mystery that surrounds a "slipped band" and how you'd know if you have one!! Mine may have slipped a few months ago, when I was in the ER for dehydration....but I had a trip to the ER on Friday and finally came home yesterday. I had to be stabilized before they could fix my band. I was so dehydrated that my IV's wouldn't stay in place..the veins kept collapsing. Dr. Lautz (not my surgeon) was on-call over the holiday weekend and had to come in to do the unfill on Saturday. The resident who tried to do it failed--not once, not twice, but jabbed me at least 5 times before I told him to call a surgeon or I'd do it myself. (I know my port is slightly tilted and difficult to hit, but even the PA's are able to do it!) Thankful I was able to call Tiny before meeting Lautz as he told me to consider revising to GB---she warned me he might. When I asked why, and explained that I'm less than 40 pounds from goal, he couldn't really give me a good answer. Incidentally, I made the choice to have a Lap Band because I wanted the least invasive procedure. I'm not now, nor have I ever been, looking for the quick fix or surgical alteration of my stomach. So everyone asks at one point or another HOW you know if your band has slipped----Tiny, I remember you saying this way back when---when you eat something that sits in your stomach and it comes back at you without feeling stuck, a few hours or even a day later. I had a ton of pain in my lower abdomen and swore it wasn't my band! Apparently it's that "referred pain" my surgeon has mentioned before. So my band is still in place, but it's been "unclipped". I was told I can return in 4-6 to have it re-clipped. I will probably wait a little longer, but we'll see....I was tremendously impressed by all of the nursing staff at the Faulkner. They were amazing! If I had to be stuck somewhere without food or drink for 4 days, this was the place to be! Hope I'll see you guys at the support group meeting. Is it next week or the week after?

Sorry to hear of your trip Jennifer. That is a total bummer. With regard to your fill level---something to keep in mind (and I sincerely hope not to sound condescending with this. Please accept my apology if I do. It's genuinely not intentional!) with regard to your band. The intention of the band isn't to make you feel "full" faster. It's to make you less hungry. "Normal" weight people eat until they're no longer hungry---whereas most of us have always eaten until we're full. The reason Dr. R asks if you're hungry between meals is to gauge your level of hunger, not "fullness". Your goal in eating needs to be to eat until you're no longer hungry and to reach a level of fill in your band that makes it so you're not hungry until the next meal time. So while I'm sure he means well by putting you off to see Phyllis or the other dietician, you need to remember the point of the band. If you're experiencing more and more intolerances, then it's time to really consider whether you're hungry when eating. As your fill increases, so too will your intolerances. Also consider the speed at which you eat. If you're eating too fast or slider foods, you will not feel as full. Dr. R's focus is on the mechanics of the band, whereas it's the job of the dietician to help you work out how to make it better work for you. Hope that helps. Again, I apologize if it sounds b/tchy. It was a concept that I have to keep reminding myself, even 3 years into this journey.

My bariatric surgeon actually suggested it to me a good while before I finally decided to meet with any Plastic surgeons. I lost about 70 pounds in the first year. I'm 5'10" and a very muscular build. Even though I'm still wearing a misses size 14, I likely won't be much smaller. My surgeon asked if I wanted a referral at that point---I waited until the end of my 2nd year, after losing another 45 pounds. At this point, the charts say I should lose another 30 pounds. I've maintained my weight for over a year and a half--give or take about 10 pounds. I will be having surgery on my 3rd anniversary of banding. I intend to keep losing, but at this point, the extra skin actually gets in my way. I wasn't someone who gained weight late in life, like many of the other LB people. I don't have a weight I intend to "get back to" as I have always been overweight as an adult. Despite being a division 1 scholarship athlete in college, I still wore a size 18/20 for most of school. I've spent nearly 20 years with horrible stretch marks in my abdomen. In fact, my PS asked if I had ever had any other kind of surgery because some of the marks are so deep. So....I'm not looking to wear a bikini. It's not a vanity thing. I'm looking to make life easier. I expect to lose several inches in my lower abdomen, though I don't anticipate losing my in my actual waist. We'll see what happens. My PS knows how much I weigh. I'm active---run regularly and workout. I could be more comfortable if not for all of the bouncing of my extra skin. I can't wait!! Their requirements were that my weight was stable and that I was merely "overweight", not obese. I'm self pay. Nothing covered by insurance because I've been meticulous about taking care of my skin to avoid rashes. If I didn't think this was the right thing for me, I wouldn't be investing so much money in this.

Tiny, my 3 year "bandiversary" will be mid-Dec. While I'm still not where I "hoped" to be, maybe my problem is that I didn't PLAN to get to goal. Unfortunately, life got in the way. We've all had our struggles, but I'm still closer to goal than I ever imagined humanly possible for me. I never kept any of my clothes from my biggest weight---and I wish I did. It's a nice way to reflect on how far you've come! We watched a video last month at my brother's from probably 4 or 5 years ago....my nephews couldn't believe how large I was back then. Sometimes it helps to reflect on how far we've come, rather than wallowing in how much farther we have to go..... Last weekend was the 3 year anniversary of KNOWING I would absolutely have the surgery. My grandmother was very ill and I knew she would soon die. I spent her last days struggling over finding something appropriate to wear to her memorial service and funeral. It was an absolutely horrible experience for me. While I'm still about 30 pounds over where I want to be, I will NEVER allow that to happen in my life again. You can't control what stressors come into your life and put the focus off of weight loss. Good luck tomorrow. Hope it's the fill you need.

Elizabeth from Dr. Vernon's office just returned my call. All 4 (who knew we had 4?!) dietitians are at a conference. None returned her e-mails or pages sent nearly an hour ago. She thinks it's a safe bet that the meeting WILL NOT BE TONIGHT!!! I originally called the receptionist at the Faulkner to find out and they put me through to her. Sorry, gang, but Holly, thank you so much for the heads up. Left a message for Phyllis on her voicemail, so if it's next week, I'll let you guys know!

I'm tentatively scheduled for 12/14 for a TT and lipo and wondered the same thing. I have a lot of excess skin as I've lost over 115 pounds. I'd still like to lose another 30 or so and worried that I haven't done enough to get closer to that before the surgery date. However, after talking to my surgeon, she assured me that having this done and losing another 20 pounds would not be an issue---it would be like any other person losing 20 pounds and it would unlikely leave much skin after. I've been putting this off for over a year now and am nearly 3 years post banding. I'm only tentatively scheduled because my surgeon is pregnant and due a week after my date....with her first child. When I went to my first consultation early last spring, she wasn't pregnant yet. Just my luck. I don't so much worry about the size of my pants so much as I look forward to finally being able to wear my pants where they were intended to be worn, not way up over the muffin top!! I can't wait. I just hope it goes off as planned!! 5 weeks to go!!!

Just called. (Thanks, Holly!) Phyllis IS out of town.....according to the calendar there IS a meeting. However, after asking a few more questions, I was told that they will call me back. So, I guess the answer is----DON'T make plans to drive all the way over until I hear back from them!!!

Welcome, Baby! I hope the info session went well for you. I know there are other programs in the area that do not charge a program fee, but one of the very important aspects of this program is the aftercare----the visits with the nutritionist and the support groups. Many of the area hospitals do not offer these, and I've personally found them to be essential. (I had surgery 3 years ago this Dec.) Let's face it---this can be a VERY lonely experience. Your surgeon likely will never have actually had the surgery, and few friends have, if any. Having a group of people to help you through this is essential. One major word of advice---the surgeons in our program will operate at either the Brigham or the Faulkner. You can do follow up appointments at either one as needed---but the Faulkner offers only private rooms. I had mine at the Brigham, but I think others would agree that having your own room would be a fantastic benefit!!! The support group meets at both hospitals, as well. It would be a good idea to attend one if you're really interested in having your surgery at one of these hospitals. We have all sorts of people in our groups---from prospective patients to some as many as 4 years+ out. Hope you've gotten some answers to your questions. If not, shout them out. People will answer when time allows. Good luck on your journey. :thumbup:

OH, Tiny...my issue was that I gained that much in like 3 weeks!! I've been at 3.5 and 4 CC since my hospital visit in early Sept. I just started working out again about 3 weeks ago. Yep--totally coincided with my weight gain. I'm not a believer in that whole "muscle weighs more than fat" thing. I know I was hungrier when I started working out. I ate more. I ate healthy, but tended to eat more fibrous foods and not enough protein. Funny enough---I saw him today. I was in by 4:19 for my 4:30 appointment. I never even had a chance to fill out the paper that we do before each appointment. I was out before 4:30. He didn't even mention my weight gain! He simply told me it was "a good time for a fill". Oh, and to think I agonized about it!!! So he put me up to 5.0 cc's. Hoping the restriction will help with the hunger!!! Staying away from Halloween treats and candy hasn't been easy.....

A few days late and a few dollars short---been crazy with work and life. Sorry I forgot about the meeting this week. When is November's meeting? I go back in next week for another fill. Been at 4.0 for about 6 weeks now. Working out again and not losing weight, though I'm not shocked. Tova, I know you mentioned you gained when your band was all let out--I'm seeing Dr R. next week, and for the first time have gained nearly 10 pounds. I'm a little nervous about how he's going to be about it. I figure I'm eating all the right stuff now, just WAY too much of it. I'm hungry all the time---tummy grumbling, the whole 9 yards. Just a little anxious about what he's going to say.... Hope you guys are well. :wink2:

I agree with everything that was previously said---the most successful banded people are those who have had success losing weight in the past, but who struggle with keeping it off. The Lap Band will not lose the weight for you---it's not like gastric bypass that forces your body to function differently. Many people are not successful with the band, and it is absolutely possible to "eat around" the band and to gain weight. I had nearly all of my fill taken out a few months ago after having tolerance issues. (This isn't all that common, so no worries!) I've gained about 10 pounds. However, pre-banded life would have been a great deal more. I have been able to keep it in check and with regular visits back to my surgeon, intend to return to my previous weight and even lose a few more pounds. The Lap Band won't lose weight for you. You must make life changes. However, the life it has given me far outweighs any type of "buyers remorse" that I may have encountered along the way. Any frustrations I've had have been somewhat temporary. When I encounter those, it's time to return to my surgeon, nutritionist, or find support on here. I wish you the best in making a decision that fits with your lifestyle.

Thanks, BetsyB. That's actually one of the reasons I decided to go to the hospital. They ran blood tests when I arrived, and thankfully everything was ok. I was just horribly dehydrated.

I'll warn you now that I'm going into details, so if you're easily grossed out, please don't read this! I've had my band for 2.5 years. I've had two fills and subsequent unfills in the last calendar year. After an unfill over a month ago, I had a slight fill (putting me 1.5 cc lower than my highest fill level) on Monday. The week progressed fine and while I had difficulty eating a few solids initially, there were many I could eat without issue. By Thursday I started struggling with keeping anything down---but it doesn't feel like a band issue, believe it or not! My band doesn't feel tight. I'm not getting any reflux. I just drink or eat and nothing seems to "go through"....and I eventually get uncomfortable and end up pushing whatever I've eaten or had to drink back up. I was PMS'ing about a week before my fill and was tight then and it felt differently than this. I haven't had a BM in several days---and I've lost 7 or 8 pounds. I am insatiably thirsty, though. I don't feel sick and again, it doesn't feel like a band issue. I'm wondering who to call---my primary care doctor or my surgeon?! I've tried popsicles, solids, liquids, etc. I am so thirsty that I'll drink anything in large quantities, knowing fully well it won't stay down---but I'm so thirsty that I can't help it! I have tried taking laxatives, but those require me to drink something and I've no success keeping them down. Suggestions? Ideas? Which doctor do I call??

Cindy, My surgeon, while a truly skilled surgeon, isn't much of a talker---I've come to know my band fairly well after nearly 3 years and know how sensitive it is to any fluid retention in my body. As women, we're so prone to it anyway, but I'm particularly prone for so many reasons---PMS, not working out, lots of sodium in my diet, etc. I think this time around it was likely stress. As I said before, I've been up over 7 cc's. I was only at 6 this time. I also haven't been able to workout for nearly 3 months because of foot surgery....and I'm thinking that all things just combined to cause some major constipation that put a lot of pressure on my band. I'm headed back to see him in a week or two. Not sure he'll have any ideas. Lesson learned, though----no matter what the reason, when I can't keep liquids down for more than a few hours (it does happen to me from time to time, but never for this long....) I'll call the dr. :thumbup:

Just wanted to update and thank you both for your advice. I managed to go to the ER and get out unscathed. I spent only 3.5-4 hours there---was rehydrated with 2 bags of IV fluids. They ran a few blood tests to be sure all was ok. My regular surgeon came in to remove saline from the band because no one in the ER felt qualified to do it themselves. (OK, BIG relief that they know their limits. Was VERY impressed with the entire staff, too!) They removed 3 cc's. Yep. Ton, but at that point, they could have unfilled it entirely and I wouldn't have cared. So I've finished a vanilla milk shake and am off for a nap. Feeling human and very appreciative of your advice. I likely would have waited til Monday for office hours if left to my own devices! Thanks, ladies!!!!

Been thinking about having my dr. paged. Not so sure I'd like to just go to the emergency room without knowing if anyone might be on call who can handle it.....I'll wait til 8:30 or 9, so it's a decent time. I took my thyroid meds about 20 minutes ago and am working hard to keep it down. We'll see how that goes. Not looking very promising right now. My tummy is making funky noises and I'm starting to get warm chested...

Banded 12/12/07, Down 119 pounds and aiming to drop another 11 by my 3 year bandiversary.

You'll relieve yourself of a lot of stress if you stop worrying about what your nutritionist will say by putting on some sturdy shoes and just walking a little bit. It doesn't matter if you walk around your own house, down the block and back a few times, to the mailbox, etc. You will feel SUCH relief when you just do something and stop worrying about being judged. You're PAYING your nutritionist. She's just there to support you. Maybe what you need is to talk with her about how you're feeling and see what she suggests. Just be honest. If she gets mad, remind her you're visiting her for SUPPORT, not judgement. This is all about you. Keep it that way. You've made a huge commitment to yourself already. She just wants to be sure that you're going to follow through....

You were banded just a short time ago---it's possible your body is still acclimating to your new way of eating. Are you getting enough protein? I also feel less sluggish after I've had a chance to move. I'm not sure what your definition of "exercising" is, but any movement is good for you, even if only a 15 minute walk in the morning and one in the afternoon or evening. Movement of any kind will get the endorphins going and will help. Are you working with a dietician? If so, you may want to journal your eating for a week and have him/her look at it. You're only 6 weeks out. Our bodies all respond differently. Be sure to continue to get your rest. Try to move a little. Stay hydrated and try to keep as well balanced in your eating as possible. Good luck!

I'm with you on the frustration from the unfill. Not only did I not do well with my fill last month, they took out that fill AND an extra .5 CC three days later. UGH. Anyone know the date of the next meeting? Thinking Faulkner must be on the 13th, but not confident....

Sorry to hear about your frustration. Just don't let that stop you from working out and doing what you know is right. Now would be a really good time to start taking measurements of your body, if you haven't already. The measurements will be more accurate for your efforts, whereas your body/weight will be different depending on water retention, certain foods you've eaten, etc. I remember well how frustrated I was between 4-8 months post-surgery. If not for the NSV (non-scale victories) I'm not sure I would have been able to keep it up. Hope that helps.

Jennifer, I've been up as high at 7.0 cc's in my 10cc (I think...) band. I've had a few fills/unfills and am currently around 5.0. I had a fill the last time I saw you guys at the meeting to take me from 5.5 up to 6.0, but was horribly sick and they took 1.0 out. UGH. Frustration is that so many things affect my band---bloating, PMS, stress, etc. I find that mine is more loose when I workout and get rid of any bloating. I still have a lot of food intolerances, even at 5.0...