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Yes, I have a 9cc Realize band. My surgery was January '08 and I'm doing great with the band -- no problems and I now have nice restriction after 4 fills. Although the Realize band has been used in Europe for many years, it is new to the USA. I believe doctors in the USA began using the Realize band in the fall of '07. My doctor uses both the Inamed and the Realize bands and says both are quality products. Good luck on you lap band journey.

I live in Tecumseh and would also like to meet with some fellow banders in the area. Meeting in Chelsea or Grass Lake works fine for me. Just let me know when and where. Thanks. Leah

Hi Rose, Good to hear from you and congratulations on your weight loss. That's terrific! Well... as of yesterday I can officially join this "over 67" thread. My surgery was on 1-21-08 and my lapband journey has been going well although frustrating at times. I've lost only 20 lbs even though I've been exercising and eating 1000-1200 good calories a day (except for 4-5 days in which I went up to 1600cal.) But, that's okay because I don't yet have good restriction. Some times I'm dying of hunger but thus far have been able resist any "bad" foods. But, I am getting tired of having to use so much will power. After my second fill three weeks ago, I had perfect restriction for about 5 days (it was so cool!) and then it went away. Had fill #3 today so we'll see if this fill does the job. Keep up the good work, Rose.

I hope you get a response to your post. I've seen similar posts in the past but they seem to get only a few responses from seasoned bandsters. But, I wouldn't take that to mean there aren't many long-term successful bandsters. I think it means that the long-term successful bandsters don't spend much time on bandster forums because they are too busy leading their much-improved lives. I have found a bandster site on yahoo groups which has many many long-term successful bandsters (9years even) who post about how they continue to successfully live with their bands. It was very encouraging to hear these long-term bandsters sharing their successful band journeys and dealing with their day to day lives with their bands. So... yes there are many many successful long-term bandsters out there leading much-improved lives who, unfortunately, just don't happen to frequent and post on lapbandtalk.

Did your surgeon mention the "Gastric Sleeve" as an option for you? When I went for my lapband consultation with my surgeon he described the "Gastric Sleeve" as an option. At the time I was a bit miffed because I had already decided on the lapband. Quickly, he realized I wasn't interested and was on board with the lapband for me. Surgery went great, 2 fills thus far have been great, and I now have very comfortable restriction. I have no regrets to this point. Although I certainly ate sweets and carbs before lapband my increased weight came mainly from eating huge portions of 'healthy' food. So the band has been perfect for me. I eat the 'healthy' food' and the band just keeps me from eating too much of the healthy food. Staying away from sweets and bad carbs has not been a problem for me. Having said that, I have read a few posts on this site from people who have been successful with the labband who say that in hindsight they probably would have opted for the "Gastric Sleeve." I haven't researched the gastric sleeve but the few things I've heard about it, sounds promising and it does not have the malabsorption issues of the RNY. Good luck in making your decision.

You say that you haven't had a fill yet. After I was banded, but before a fill, I was starving and felt just as you describe. But, now that I have had 2 fills (5cc.+1cc=total of 6cc in a 9cc band) the band is working very well. I have only mild restriction with this amount of fill but it is enough that I can eat any type of food and comfortably stay between 1000-1200 calories/day. The lapband tool is now working for me and allowing me to lose weight as I had hoped. Hang in there and get your fill/s until you have adequate restriction and you'll cease being disappointed with your band.

I'm sorry to disagree with you but... your story is very exciting and sexy. Any one who can start on this lapband journey and travel the LONG road to goal weight has an exciting story to tell. Although there are many bansters who lose weight with the band, the number who actual reach goal and maintain goal weight are much less. We certainly need stories of those who lose any amount of weight with the lap band but we especially need repeated stories from those who lose all their weight and stay there. Question: Do you get hungry since you no longer have a fill? Thanks

Thanks for posting Chickie. You are an inspiration. I visited coffee Talk to see your photos but wasn't allowed to use the site since I am not a member. I notice that once you made it to goal, you unfilled your band. Didn't the hunger return after you unfilled the band? How do you maintain your weight without some sort of restriction? Also, I'm amazed at how quickly you lost the weight since it appears that you are not very tall and we shorter ones with a little less to have weight to lose often lose weight more slowly. I'd really like to hear more about your story. Thanks

Thanks for the post. Good to know that you and your dad have had only minor complications and still love your bands. Any more long-time banders out there? Would like to hear from you and your experience(s) with the band. Thanks

I too would like to hear from people who have had their lapbands for an extended period of time. It is wonderful to hear the stories of successful bandits who have had their band for one and two years. But, I can't help wondering... where are the people who have had their bands for 3,4,5,6 years? Are they still successful and are just so busy leading their improved lives that they don't have the time/or need to read/post on this site, or have they NOT been successful so have lost interest in this site?

Wheetsin: You might want to check lapband material that explains where the band is placed. Unless I'm mistaken, I think the band is placed around the upper part of the STOMACH (which creates the pouch), NOT around the esophagus. Also, from my understanding, although the Realize band and the older Inamed bands do NOT have a fill at the time of surgery, the newer, larger Inamed band does get a fill at the time of surgery. If you find out otherwise, please let me know.

Jennifer, You are just a few weeks behind me in the lapband journey. I was banded on Jan.21st. First fill was Feb.20th in which I was given 5cc. in my 9cc Realize band. The first 2-3 days after the first fill I had some restriction and it was great--ate small portions and was very satisfied/no hunger. But then... restriction abruptly disappeared and I was ravenous with hunger and wasn't due for a second fill until 4 weeks later. I emailed my doctor and told him of the situation. He said I could come in earlier for the 2nd fill as long as it was at least 14 days after the first fill. Needless to say, I was in his office on day 14. At that time he gave me an additional 1cc bringing the total to 6cc in a 9cc band. And guess what, restriction appeared and is still with me 2-1/2 weeks later. I'm so excited because the band is working perfectly--I eat small but reasonable meals and 3 small Snacks and I am completely satisfied (totals 1000-1200calories/day). I'm scheduled for a 3rd fill in 1-1/2 weeks but I think I will cancel it because I'm at perfect restriction right now (meaning I can eat any type of food without problems and become satisfied on a smallish amount of food). I've had no sliming or PB's but interestingly, this evening I ate chicken without chewing it as well as I should have and got a big case of noisy hiccups, felt like food was stuck, and had a bit of mild pain. Actually, it was kind of a nice experience (my first) because it not only gave me a warning but also let me know that the band is working great. Right now, I love my band!!!!!!!!!!!! Your band journey might be similar to mine or it might be quite different. Time will tell. Good luck with your band.

I LOVE/HATE the Atkins program. I HATE it because it is so very restrictive (at least the induction phase is) being allowed to eat fewer than 20g. of carbs/day. That's a hard thing to do. You end up eating pretty much only meat. But... I LOVE it because it allows me to quickly rid myself of cravings for sugar and flour. If I'm strict on the Atkins induction phase for 2-3 days, I lose all my cravings for sugar and flour. So I like to use the Atkins Induction Diet to get back on track with from my out-of-control eating. 2-3 days of Atkins induction, then switch to a high protein, low carb, sensible eating plan that allows me to at least eat green vegetables and a fruit once in a while.

Redtulips: Thanks for getting this thread started. Comparing notes with other people who were banded in the same month should be helpful and carry us through to accomplishing our goal(s) both weight-wise and life-wise. I had an interesting lap-band experience yesterday. My DH and I traveled 4-1/2 hours through sleet and snow so that I could have my second fill (nothing was going to keep me from having that fill!). Everything went great with the fill (absolutely no pain). 1st fill two weeks ago was 5cc. in my 9cc Realize band. This 2nd fill was 1cc. We had to hang around Cincinnati for two hours before starting for home just to make sure the fill didn't turn out to be too tight. I was told to start sipping Clear liquids and continue all the way home. I had come prepared with a huge bottle of Lipton Green Tea (sugar free--I thought) in the car so I started drinking the Green Tea. After drinking 36oz. of tea, of course, I had to make a bathroom stop. While in the gas station I spotted some fresh donuts/sweet rolls and had an instant magnetic attraction to them. I was so so surprised at my reaction because for two months (having been off all sugar and white flour products perfectly) I had not had any such reaction when seeing sugar products. I asked myself, "Why now? Has my old sweet craving/addiction returned?" I was really scared. I didn't end up buying a sweet roll because DH was there and because I'd just had a fill a few hours earlier. When I returned to the car I was shaken, wondering if I would have to struggle with sugar again. As I began sipping my Green Tea again, I, for some reason, looked at the content label. Holy Cow! This was NOT sugar free Green Tea--80 cal./serving. Okay, okay, now I know what happened. Just 3 servings of something with sugar in it had started my sugar cravings again. Well, it's too bad it happened but I learned a good lesson. What had happened is that when DH bought 2 bottle of Green Tea, the first bottle he looked at was sugar free and he didn't look closely at the second bottle right behind it. Unfortunately, it was not sugar free. Actually, I don't think this was a bad thing that happened because it proved to me that when I have even the slightest amount of sugar, I'm right back in to the "having to have it " mode. No, I wasn't mad at DH because he was so apologetic for what had happened. I ended up feeling sorry for him for feeling sorry for me.

What a good idea--to have a thread of January bandsters where we can have a little more continuous contact so we can get to know each other better. I noticed that the July 07 bandsters have a great thread going. Let's try to do the same. I was banded Jan.21st and like everyone else on this thread, I'm struggling with hunger big-time. Most of the time I can keep the eating under control, at least with the quality of food but sometimes not with quantity. Right now, I can eat anything with no problem--huge salads, popcorn, chicken. I had my first fill of 5cc. in a 9cc Realize band on February 20th. Had a little restriction for two days, then none. I was scheduled for a second fill March 19th but emailed my doctor about the problems I was having with hunger. He said I could come in early (as long as it was at least 14 days after the first fill), so I go in tomorrow for a 2nd. fill. I'm really happy about that because I am so anxious to have this band help me out a little... and better yet, help me out a lot! Let's stay in touch and help each other out. Okay?

Oh shoot! I don't know what to do. One minute I think I"ll get a second fill (scheduled for two days from now) and the next minute, I think maybe I don't need one. Before my 1st fill two weeks ago, I was starving and having to white-knuckle it to to eat properly and hold calories to 1600. After a 1st fill of 5cc in a 9cc band (Realize band), I had a bit of restriction for two days, followed by 6 days of being hungry again. These last couple of days I've been able to hold the calorie intake to 1000-1200 calories although I have to struggle just a bit with hunger. Weight loss these past 4 weeks has been about 1lb/week. Strange, but when I eat salmon or chicken, I can feel a bit of restriction so I eat only 3oz. to avoid discomfort with more. But... I can eat a huge bowl of lettuce/tomatoes/1oz.cheese quickly and without chewing carefully. How could that be? The question: Should I have a fill in two days or wait a few weeks? Thanks for any help you can provide.

When reviewing the validity of band manufactures' info, this old but true quote may give one pause:"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for supportrather than illumination." -Andrew Lang(1844-1912)

Yes, my surgery was pretty well covered by Medicare. I was very pleased with their coverage. But, I think that whether Medicare will pay, and how much they pay, depends upon the Medicare Plan you signed up for. My plan is through Secure Horizons which is absolutely great. Whether Medicare pays will, I think, depend upon whether your doctor is an approved doctor and if the surgery is done in a center of excellence. I did not have to go on a 6-week pre-op diet, only the 2-week pre-op diet required by my doctor. Question: I notice that you are 59 years old. Are you old enough for medicare?

Isuza, I'm curious to know what medical school you attend. You originally said you were on vacation for a week, but, the week has ended and you are STILL here. Perhaps I'm mistaken, but... I thought that medical school studies were so rigorous that a med student hardly had time to eat, shower, or sleep, let alone spend time on the internet flittering away their valuable study time. You seem to post at all hours of the day. When do you attend classes? Perhaps you attend an on-line medical school or take medical school correspondence classes (if such a thing exists, I doubt it). No, my hunch is that you work for a competing lap band company and are allowed, or encouraged to spend on-the-job time slamming competing lap bands. From your postings, it is obvious that you have way way more knowledge about lap band technology than the lay person. Unfortunately, you pick and chose from the data (both recent and out-dated) which supports your hidden (or not so hidden) agenda. It's unfortunate that you didn't chose to present an accurate and balanced reporting of the recent lap-band research. Then, you really could have been a valuable source of information to the people using this site.

Michelle-Thank you so much for your post of the "meta" study comparing the two bands. Perhaps your post will lessen the concerns of some of the readers on this site. My husband, who has access to on-line medical journal archives (because he is a physician) reached the same conclusion--the two bands are very comparable. And my surgeon concurs with your surgeon in regards to the two bands. Prior to surgery, when I asked him which band he would be using he said he prefers to wait until he is inside so that he has an opportunity to look at my anatomy (I suppose that means the size, shape, etc.). He ended up giving me the Realize band. I'm 6 weeks post-op now, have had one fill and everything is going great at this point. I notice that your surgery is March 5th--not long to wait. Good luck to you and keep us posted on your lap-band journey.

Mamajava, I'm at just about the same place as you are (in more ways than one--I'm from Tecumseh, MI also. I was banded on 1-21-08 and for 3-1/2 weeks I had some sort of restriction, probably from the swelling. Hunger was minimal. Then, all of a sudden I was starving. Instead of eating 800 calories I quickly went to 1600 calories, although I was able to eat only healthy food during that spell. After my first fill yesterday (5cc in a 9cc Realize band) I felt some restriction right away, even with water. But, today there seems to be less restriction. Perhaps that is because I'm on pureed food today and the food slips through easily. Should know in a couple of days if I have 'real' restriction as you seem to have at this point. If you should want to meet and talk "bands" just PM me and I'll give you my email address.

I’ve been following the many posts about the merits of the Inamed vs. the Realize lap band. And, for a few days, I found it a bit disconcerting to have the Realize band trashed so vehemently by one poster. I thought, “Oh my goodness, do I have “a hunk of junk” in my belly!” How could that be? I certainly had taken my time in choosing the type of bariatric surgery that would be best for me, and I had been very diligent in finding a highly competent and experienced lap band surgeon. Because there is a learning curve that goes along with doctors honing their skills at implanting the band, I wanted a surgeon who had successfully completed a zillion lap bands. I wanted a surgeon who had excellent stats in regards to lap band complications. After an extensive search, I found a doctor who had completed over 1200 lap band procedures (not quite a zillion), had excellent lap band complication stats, was selected as a Proctor for both the Inamed and the Realize bands, and practiced in a Center of Excellence. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> Although I had seen both the Realize and the Inamed bands up close and personal, I, not being an engineer of medical technology, could not discern which band might function better. It didn’t make much sense for me to choose a band based upon which one was most esthetically pleasing to me. However, if the band were to be placed around my neck instead of my stomach (and thus be visible to those around me), I might have felt more inclined to offer my opinion as to which band should be used. No… instead I deferred to my doctor to make that decision. You know, the one whom I had so carefully chosen because of his competence and experience and amazing complication stats. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> I don’t really think that my doctor is going to risk his superb medical reputation, or put his excellent complication stats in jeopardy by putting ‘a hunk of junk’ in my belly. He uses the Inamed and the Realize band because he believes BOTH to be excellent bands. Isn’t it great that we the consumers have two companies making quality bands. Because of the competition among band manufacturers, we are likely to see further improvements on lap band technology. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> Oh yes, yesterday I had my first fill at my doctor’s office (Dr. Trace Curry). It was so exciting to see my Realize band on the fluoroscope screen and see the barium slowly moving through the band. It was comforting to see my Realize band functioning perfectly.

I’ve been following the many posts about the merits of the Inamed vs. the Realize lap band. And, for a few days, I found it a bit disconcerting to have the Realize band trashed so vehemently by one poster. I thought, “Oh my goodness, do I have “a hunk of junk” in my belly!” How could that be? I certainly had taken my time in choosing the type of bariatric surgery that would be best for me, and I had been very diligent in finding a highly competent and experienced lap band surgeon. Because there is a learning curve that goes along with doctors honing their skills at implanting the band, I wanted a surgeon who had successfully completed a zillion lap bands. I wanted a surgeon who had excellent stats in regards to lap band complications. After an extensive search, I found a doctor who had completed over 1200 lap band procedures (not quite a zillion), had excellent lap band complication stats, was selected as a Proctor for both the Inamed and the Realize bands, and practiced in a Center of Excellence. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> Although I had seen both the Realize and the Inamed bands up close and personal, I, not being an engineer of medical technology, could not discern which band might function better. It didn’t make much sense for me to choose a band based upon which one was most esthetically pleasing to me. However, if the band were to be placed around my neck instead of my stomach (and thus be visible to those around me), I might have felt more inclined to offer my opinion as to which band should be used. No… instead I deferred to my doctor to make that decision. You know, the one whom I had so carefully chosen because of his competence and experience and amazing complication stats. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> I don’t really think that my doctor is going to risk his superb medical reputation, or put his excellent complication stats in jeopardy by putting ‘a hunk of junk’ in my belly. He uses the Inamed and the Realize band because he believes BOTH to be excellent bands. Isn’t it great that we the consumers have two companies making quality bands. Because of the competition among band manufacturers, we are likely to see further improvements on lap band technology. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> Oh yes, today I had my first fill at my doctor’s office. It was so exciting to see my Realize band on the fluoroscope screen and see the barium slowly moving through the band. It was comforting to see my Realize band functioning perfectly. And, I must say, my Realize band is also esthetically pleasing to me. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p>