ThunderThighs

Please read my thread here..... http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f78/vacation-lap-band-flying-21102/

Okay, I am more of a lurker here, but I have learned so much from the others on the site, that I thought I would post my experience so that someone can learn from me too. Some of you may recall last summer I had complications of total blockage with my band while on vacation in Chicago. I had a hell of a time finding an emergency doctor to unfill me, just so I could drink water! I finally had to drive to Madison, WI and there was a doctor there that unfilled me, although he was very far from a lapband specialist! I think I could have unfilled myself better if I had the right tools! So, anyhow, fast forward to September 2006, I went back to Mexico and got my fill. I went with 1.7cc in a 4cc band. Felt great, before the complications in Chicago, I was at 1.9cc. About two weeks after my fill, I got so completely restricted, I was unable to drink Water again. So, back to Mexico we go. He took me down to 1.5cc. I felt great for about a month. Then I was completely restricted AGAIN! The doctor checked for slippage and everything else. Everything looked great. Dr. Romero said that he wanted me unfilled completely for 3 weeks to relax everything. So in three weeks, I go back and get 1.4cc and everything was great, AGAIN. Then between Christmas and New Years, I was completely restricted again. I suffered for about a week, thinking if I drink warm liquids and no mushies or solids, it will work itself out. New Years day, I was so dehydrated, hungry, weak, sick, I couldn't hold my head up. I called Dr. Romero in Mexico and he said to get down to Mexico ASAP. Now, mind you, I am on vacation in the desert with my family camping, so we have to pack up and get to Mexico and back out of Mexico on New Years day, YUCK. So we get there and Dr. Romero unfills me to 1.2 cc. Once again, great for about 6 weeks. This past week I started to get restricted to the point of barely even able to get water down. I went back to Mexico, and told him to take 1/2 out. So he didn't quite take 1/2, but took me down to .8cc in a 4cc band. I feel great right now. I feel like I am restricted when I lost all of my weight, which is a good restriction. So, hopefully this time it will work. What I don't understand is how come I had up to 1.9cc and did fine, and now I am all the way down to .8cc and feel like I have good restriction?? I watched what I did, what I ate, everything, and still had all these complications. I was so worried about slippage, but the band is perfectly in place! Dr. Romero has instructed me to take 2-3 teas. of Maalox 30 min after every meal to help this. Ew, yuck. But I am doing it, ha ha. I have lost 75 lbs and I am about 20 lbs from goal, and I feel that I will make it by the summer. I have no regrets about getting the band, I just wish that I knew why it is so different for me at different times. It drives me crazy sometimes! I just wanted to share my experience with all of you so that someone who is so confused with the same problems may relate.

Honesty is the best answer. Show them what the lapband is, explain how it works and tell them why you want it done. When you start losing weight, they will understand a little more. Little kids are very easily offended when the most important person in their life isn't honest with them. I know, I'm guilty of getting caught not being totally honest with my kids before. But, you know your kids, I don't. So, go with what you feel is best. And, good luck.

I can't eat anything in the morning! And in order to eat some lunch or dinner, I have to have a hot drink. But, sometimes, if I get up and drink a couple cups of coffee, I can eat a minimal amount for breakfast. If I do not start with a hot drink, I am doomed from drinking or eating all day.

I've been having the same problems! I went to Mexico twice last week and 4 times in the last month. I got a fill, and was fine, ate in Mexico, no problem. I got home and two days later, was so full I couldn't even hardly drink water. So, I went and got a little unfilled and things were fine, but I could eat as much and whatever I wanted. So, I went back and got more of a fill, and once again, ate and was drinking and everything was fine in Mexico. Two days later, I couldn't eat, drink or anything. The pain involved with being totally restricted is so awful! It's one of those type of experiences that nobody will understand the severity of the pain unless they actually experience it. So, yesterday I drove back down to Mexico and got a little unfilled. I was able to drink and eat brothy soups yesterday and today. So, I am hoping that things are good now. The good thing is I lost 5 more lbs, but a very bad way to lose those 5 lbs. Good luck and hope that you are doing better.

I try to get a minimum of 64 oz of water in me per day. However, I do not always get that. I know that dehydrated feeling. So, this is what I've done that helps me. I have a cup that I've measured how much water it holds. And I use the same cup every day and I know I have to drink 4 of those per day of water. When I finish the first one, I tell myself "3 more". So, I basically force myself somedays to drink the water necessary. Other days, I drink 8 or 9 of those cups of water. It is something I am very conscious about. I guess what I am trying to say is that if you have a problem getting the fluids, you will have to force yourself to be more aware of your fluid intake. You will also find your weight loss increase with increase of water intake. I read somewhere once, that a huge percentage of people are dehydrated and don't even know it. Good luck and hope that you are able to find a solution to increase your fluid intake.

Whew, I'm not alone! I was having the same problems of being able to eat the wrong foods, and I fell off my regimen diet. I just went to Mexico to get a fill and I told them I wanted a good restricted fill. So today, I've only been able to eat the portions that I was eating when I lost most of my weight. I know the things that I absolutely cannot eat, and those are mostly the "bad" foods, which always make me PB when I am restricted. By having good restricition, it makes me mentally make the right decisions with my food. I especially wanted the restriction with the holidays coming up!!

Rice is my big no no food. If I eat rice in any form, plain, with sauce, anyway, I regret it. I will pay with severe pain for at least an hour, sometimes a few hours. I cannot drink, eat or anything after eating rice, it's horrible!

I had a fill, my third fill 5 1/2 months prior to my trip to Chicago. That is why it was so strange. I wasn't having any problems or complications, my restriction was perfect! I requested the unfill and it was granted. Although it wasn't encouraged, it wasn't discouraged either. I was advised to watch what I ate and to remember that the band was still in place and I needed to remember that.

Funny that I ran across this thread. I just got back from Hawaii. A week before I left, I got a complete unfill. Now, before everyone gets upset, let me explain why. Some of you may have read my story in the lapband complication forum about how I went on vacation to Chicago and after I flew there, I was completely restricted. So restricted, I could not drink Water at all. I spent 2 days trying to find a doctor who could unfill me, much less knew anything about the band. This was very scary for me, for my family and made our vacation very stressful. Needless to say, I had to drive to Wisconsin and found a doctor to unfill me, but he was horrible at the procedure! I was severely dehydrated, I hadn't eaten for 4 days and I lost 6 pounds in 4 days. Thank goodness for insurance because this whole ordeal was almost $4000 in medical bills, I paid $50 co-pay!!!! I didn't eat, so it wasn't something that I ate that made me completely restricted. I've been told sometimes the pressure from flying can do this. So, move ahead 2 months. My son was playing high school football in Hawaii (We live in California). What an opportunity for the whole family to go to Hawaii. I was scared to death that this would happen again, where I would become completely restricted. So, I made the decision to get unfilled. Not so I could enjoy food while in Hawaii, but so I wouldn't experience something again like I did in Chicago. I wasn't willing to risk it again. I am fortunate enough to be able to drive to Mexico and back home in a few hours and I went today 2 weeks after getting unfilled and got my fill back. I feel much better. Being unfilled, I felt like I was missing something, I was constantly thinking about it. Now, did I enjoy food? Yes. Was it worth it? Yes and No. Yes because I had no scary episodes of being completely restricted. No, because I did gain weight and the food wasn't all that great anyhow. Would I unfill for vacation? No, never, not unless I am flying. I don't fly hardly ever, it just so happens I went on two trips this summer. I would never get unfilled for a cruise, for a vacation, etc. just so I could enjoy my food. That isn't the purpose, as I think most have expressed here already.

I will be going in a few weeks, PM sent to you.....

I don't burp as much as I used to, but if I can't burp now, it's a sign of a pb coming on. So I am always proud when I can burp while eating or drinking!