Jean McMillan

Cheri, I can't give you medical advice or make up your mind for you, but I'll tell you that I took HRT for about 8 years. I don't think it affected my weight, and it did relieve the menopause symptoms. I stopped taking it because of the cancer risk, and thankfully didn't have any symptom rebound from that. I have an acquaintance who takes something called bioidentical hormones that don't pose the cancer risk. She gets them from a local compounding pharmacy and her insurance doesn't cover it, but she says they're helping her symptoms. Jean

It's hard to keep up a sustained weight loss effort for a long time. A good first step would to be schedule appointments with your surgeon and dietitian, get a band refresher course and pep talk, and maybe get a fill (depending on your current restriction).

Thanks for your praise of Bandagon, everyone! That means more to me than you can know.

Yes, it's the giant encyclopedia one. You'll get the best price by clicking on my Bandwagon ad here on LBT (at the bottom of the forum page) or by going to http://jean-onthebandwagon.blogspot.com and clicking on one of the purchase options (credit card or PayPal) on the left hand side of the page. books ordered via PayPal can be autographed to you; just specify that in the space provided when you place your order. Thanks for your interest! Jean

The 17.95 price is when you buy it from me. When you buy Bandwagon and Bandwagon Cookery together, they're $15 each. The version sold on Amazon is the 1st edition, which is out of print.

Me, I revised to the sleeve because I feared the possibility of malabsorption of the medications that keep me out of the psych ward if I had the bypass. I sure wouldn't choose the sleeve as a "solution" for reflux. It would be like pouring oil on a fire.

Another thing to keep in mind about the sleeve: reflux is very common in sleeve patients, so that they have to take PPI's, at least in the first few months, if not forever. Please don't tolerate the reflux you already have. I've learned the hard way that it can do a lot of damage to the esophagus that (if the damage is bad enough) can lead to a pre-cancerous condition called Barrett's esophagus and/or require a difficult surgery to improve esophageal function.

Having the same amount of fill restored to your band doesn't guarantee the same degree of restriction, unfortunately. For one thing, you lost 17 lbs just before that unfill, and when you lose weight, the fat clinging to your stomach shrinks, so your band feels looser (something you didn't notice because you were dealing with extreme tightness from the stress, etc. of your trip. Maybe you just need another fill. The best person to ask is your surgeon.

Aw man, what a nightmare. Especially when you started out with such a good support system. I hope that at least the worst of your medical problems resolve soon. I too have fibro and know there's no quick fix for that.

Today is the 5th anniversary of my Lap-Band surgery. Despite all the medical misfortune that's happened to me since, I don't regret my band surgery at all. If I had it all to do over, knowing what I know now, I would do it again. Not only did my band make it possible for me to lose 90 lbs, it helped prove to me that I can succeed at weight and health management. Here's a before & after comparison.

Hey, someone's got to take care of me when I'm old.

I always knew you were a cry baby, and this proves it.

Keep your hands in your pockets, girl. Those big balls are already spoken for.

I love your avatar photo!

No, my surgeon wouldn't replace my band or even re-fill it after emptying it to treat esophageal dilation in February. So I had my Lap-Band removed in April and revised to the sleeve in August. But as my signature line says, I'll always be a bandster at heart. I'm having a hard time adjusting to my sleeve and I'm missing my band a lot right now.

And to Celebrate this special day, you should all please send a donation to: Jean McMillan Day, Inc. P.O. Box 12345 Boondocks, TN Just kidding!

I can't say it better than Missy did. I just want to mention that both PBing (which usually comes from the esophagus) and vomiting (which comes from the stomach) are bad for bandsters. They pose a risk of band slippage, and PBing also causes upper GI irritation and inflammation. So I suggest keeping an anti-nausea med (like Phenergan) on hand for illness with vomiting, and working on good eating skills to prevent PB's.

Wouldn't hurt to have a few more drops of saline taken out, but I also think you need to stay on liquids for 24 hours after a fill or unfill. If you've been having frequent eating problems, everything in there is probably very swollen and irritated, and needs to rest before you start challenging it with solid food.

I think you'll get more responses to this if you post it here: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/forum/11-general-lap-band-surgery-discussion/. There isn't much you can do to prevent excess or flabby skin. How your skin reacts to massive weight loss depends mostly on your genetics and your age (skin loses elasticity as we age). Exercise can help you keep the muscles underneath toned, but once skin is stretched out, it's stretched out. That's why a lot of WLS patients have plastic surgery after they reach their goal weight.

A band slip is when the band slips up onto the esophagus or further down onto the stomach. It can be caused by failure to follow the post-op diet progression, overeating, vomiting, hard coughing, a failed suture, poor surgical technique, or bad luck. Signs of band slippage include dysphagia (difficulty swallowing liquids or foods), chest pain, heartburn, reflux, left shoulder pain, or sudden loss of restriction. A band slip can often be fixed by a complete unfill and rest period, but if it's a bad slip, it might require surgery to fix it. I think it's way too soon to be worried about the appearance of your port incision. If it isn't red or hot to touch (signs of infection), it's better off left alone. My port incision has been inset (or dimpled) for 5 years.

The band can slip up onto your esophagus or further down onto your stomach. A slip can be caused by failure to follow the post-op diet progression, overeating, vomiting, hard coughing, a failed suture or poor surgical technique. Some slips can be fixed with a complete unfill and rest period; others need to be fixed with surgery.

Click on the Bandwagon banner ad here on LBT (at the bottom of the forum page), or go to http://jean-onthebandwagon.blogspot.com and click on one of the purchase options (credit card or PayPal) on the left hand side of the page.

Sandra, it's perfectly OK to ask a question on the "wrong" forum, but you'll get more answers if you try to post your own thread on the appropriate forum. I'm not sure how detailed an answer you're looking for to the question of how people who have Lap Band surgery get their fills. The simple answer is they get their fills via a non-coring (Huber) needle filled with saline solution and injected into the port of their band system. The port is usually located somewhere on the abdomen, between the subcutaneous fat and the fascia surrounding the abdominal muscles.

Sure. Buy and read Bandwagon, written by a wise old woman for a wise marketing dude.

This will probably sound unsympathetic, but do you really think your children will be scarred for life if they have to eat in a healthy fashion?