deelooka

Would apple cider vinegar work as well?

Hi all, I was banded in '97 at Mount Sinai; revised in '04 by Dr Ren at NYU. Last year I had a terrible respritory infection which landed me in the ER for the day. I recovered, but it came back with a vengeance in December. I'm getting better, but last month, I found out I have cough-onset asthma. I have to use an inhaler 2x/day, and I have heartburn from all the coughing. Any reccomendations that aren't pills or Prevacid? Thanks in advance!

Sure. Email me at deelooka@gmail.com

I was under the FDA study, and have been through it all. Revised Sept of 2004 and it gave me a new lease on life. At 5'1, I weighed 221, and now around 155. Frankly, I can lose another few pounds, and I'm going for another fill this week, but I won't let it get me down. If you're in the NYC area, I can meet you to talk about the surgery (If you're nervous about it) or how you feel post-op.

Dr. Ren is my savior! I went to her in '03, and she revised my band in '04. I love her and her team. Go, if you haven't already!

If yours did slip, you probably won't feel it at first. Mine happened after I got a hianial hernia almost two years after surgery (that would be 1999). Besides late night acid reflux/indigestion, there was actual pressure on my band. It was excruciating. Getting an Xray confirmed the slippage. My band was on an angle. I got a revision in Sept. 2004, and haven't had reflux since. Please see your doctor to put your mind at ease. Good luck!

Hi, This is my first post, and I have a good reason to now. It was ten years ago today when I got the Lap Band. I was 23 years old, 221 pounds, and barely 5'1 when I became a candidate thanks to Dr. Greenstein at Mt. Sinai. It was truly unchartered territory. But on that day not only did I meet a woman who was featured on Dateline NBC's report on the Lap Band, but my future doctor was making rounds w/ Dr. Greenstein on my surgery day. Also, I was part of the FDA study which gave the Lap Band its seal of approval. Who know I'd be a part of medical history? As most of you know, this procedure is lifechanging in ways never imagined. I'm lucky to have this, and for those who have it for ten years or ten days, there's no need to go into detail. You already know how I feel. :whoo:

I don't have before and after handy. I still get fills, and I just had one back in May. So far so good, I've maintained.

I can't say enough nice things about Dr. Ren and NYU Medical. Everyone on staff did all they could to make sure I was taken care of. Dr Ren fixed my hernia during my revision. My reflux was bad, but once the hernia was taken care of the reflux went down considerably.

The "revision" is having the band replaced altogether. My band was moved, and since mine was in for seven years, it needed to be replaced. It's pretty common, and within years' time insurance companies will pay for it. (The replacement was out of pocket)

I am 5'1 and weighed 221 pounds, and I'm currently 145. Depending where I buy my clothes, I wear sizes 8-12. I never thought I'd get below 175 and size 14, so this is a bonus.

I had the revision because the hernia moved the band out of place. The band was crooked, which gave me acid reflux and slowed down my weight loss. My first doc never diagnosed it, and his replacement um, shall we say, wasn't as caring as my first doc. My current doc, Dr. Ren at NYU, noticed the hernia. God Bless Dr. Ren.

A word of advice: DO NOT PICK UP ANYTHING HEAVY POST-OP. It may seem silly, but I didn't follow that advice when I was at work a week after surgery and picked up a box. I didn't think it was odd, and didn't feel anything. But my weight loss slowed down a year or so later and I got acid reflux. When I switched doctors in 2003, the new doc found that I had a hiatial hernia, which moved the Band and complicated my weight loss. I had a revision done in 2004, and fixed the hernia as well. I didn't mean to scare you, but felt like I had to warn you about the only downside of the Lap Band. That complication was my fault, not the doc or the Band's.

Three things stick out: Don't stress the pre/post-op diet. It sounds daunting at first, but it's best to follow it as closely as you can to prepare you for the band. After surgery, food will the furthest thing from your mind. It'll get frustrating due to the limited choices especially if you're on liquids for an amount of time, but stick with it. Find support. This was tough for me. Family and friends mean well, but they truly don't know what it's like unless they have it. But I can't say that I was satisfied with some of the Lap Band support groups I went to. When there was talk about spray-on olive oil vs. pouring it into the pan and nothing about how people were feeling post-op, I stopped going. No one mentions how everything you once knew will change, and how the physical does change the mental and emotional aspects as well. Therapy will help your process. And, you might have heard this before, but eat slowly.

Thank you. I forgot to mention that I've lost 76 pounds, even with a revision in 2004. I never thought I'd get to a point when the weight loss wasn't the first thing I reported on.

I'm a freelance writer/editor. I have to be careful what I eat when I'm on deadline. The nervous energy in the room effects digestion. I keep it light for those few days...soups, fruit, the strawberry/banana drink at Jamba Juice. The mag I work comes out quarterly;so those light days are far between.

Hi! I first got the lapband done back in '97. I lost 30 pounds. Since my revision September 25, 2004, I've lost another 35 pounds. It's amazing how much the Lapband has changed and how it keeps advancing. I go for my annual check in a week, and I hope that my weight loss is still steady.