drkel

I tried the liquid Tylenol and it did nothing for the pain. I'd had my first band for nearly 5 years, and took Advil when I needed it, so I took it last night for pain relief--I was desperate!

Hi everyone! Thank you so very, very much for your kind thoughts, your words of encouragement, and your words of advice. Other than the coughing, I had a comfortable night. I found a comfortable position on my right side, so I felt no shoulder pain at all. I took Advil before I went to bed, and also took some this morning when I got up--it seems to be helping with the pain a bit. Day by day, right folks?

Hi Malby-- I was banded on Feb 27, and I still feel pretty lousy, too. No appetite, forcing myself to stay on top of my liquid intake. This, too, shall pass! :thumbup:

I'd call your doctor or go to the ER right away. I got pneumonia the day after surgery and had to be re-admitted to the hospital. Get to your doc so they can nip it early!

Not yet--but I will be a 2nd time bandster in less than a week!

The countdown for my band replacement begins tomorrow! I'm only a week away from getting the band replaced, after its recent slippage. I've had this band for 5 years, and I can't imagine living without it. I'm actually excited about starting the liquid diet tomorrow! Yay!

WOW! I'd give anything to be able to burp again! I've had my band for 5 years, and believe it or not, I miss being able to burp! If I do burp, it's PBing, not just good ol' regular burping! Some people have all the luck.... :wink_smile:

I've had my band for 5 years. I would say that my eating has changed significantly. I used to be a bread junkie and now I rarely eat bread--maybe a roll on Thanksgiving. I can honestly say I haven't had a french fry in probably 4 years. IF we get a burger at a drive-thru, I get a child's size burger, no fries. It's rare that I eat pizza, and if I do it's usually less than a full slice. My portion sizes are fairly small (although with my slipped band right now, I have to be very careful, b/c I could eat just about anything I want!). I rarely eat candy or chocolate. But Cookies, now that's a different story! Lap bands love cookies! :wink_smile: So, all in all I'd say that over the past 5 years, my portion sizes have significantly decreased, as have my cravings for bread, sweets, and fast foods. Be well, and all the best!

Hi Julie! Just a little heads-up: When you have your mons lift, you'll notice that your pubic hair line is moved up...which means your pubic hair will now grow close to your incision from your TT, just under your belly button! :thumbup: I have to get a wax about once every two months...just a little inconvenience that comes along with the lift. :eek:

Hi fellow bandsters! I'll be banded on Feb 27. I've had my band for nearly 5 years (love, love, love it!), but due to recent slippage, I need to be re-banded. You will NOT be disappointed in your decision to get this band! I lost 103 pounds with my first band. Went from barely being able to walk up the stairs, to running 5 miles nearly every day, plus strength training. I've signed up for my first marathon (26 miles!), so I'm eager to get this band replaced and get back to training! Be well, be persistent!

It varies. Sometimes I can eat a horse, sometimes I can't even swallow Water. The reflux got worse and worse, to the point where I couldn't lie down to sleep b/c stomach acid would come up into my mouth. So I finally had it checked out, and the band had slipped. I'm scheduled for surgery on Feb 27 for band replacement.

Reflux was the only sign I had that my band had slipped. I'd get in for a check, just to be on the safe side.

I've had my band for 5 years--the only person that knows is my husband and my surgeon. And that's the way it's gonna stay! :mad:

Congratulations, fellow Kansas sistah! I'm from Manhattan! Your weight loss so far is wonderful! Keep up the great work!!

Hello! I've had my 4cc band for 5 years. My sweet spot is 0.8 cc. Not even a full cc! :mad:

I've had my band for 5 years, and just found out it has slipped. I had really bad food poisoning (in the hospital for 5 days) and it slipped b/c of all of the vomiting. At any rate, I'm scheduled to have a new band placed on Feb 27. My surgeon told me to expect that the band has become "encapsulated"--that there is a "rind" around it as the poster above describes. My only concern going into this surgery is that she said the chances of leakage are greater if there's encapsulation, and that the surgery will take longer. I don't have any pain at all with my slippage. I can just eat a TON of food! LOL I haven't gained any weight yet, but I think it's b/c I've had my band for so long that I just really do have different eating habits and I run every day. Best to all of you....somehow, we'll all get thru this together!

If you feel comfortable talking to your PS, tell your PS where you'd like your port, and then have your PS convey that to your band doc. Your PS's job is aesthetics, so perhaps he/she will make sure that you get the results you like. :thumbup:

I've had my band for almost 5 years--and I still don't tolerate pop very well. It just sits in my esophagus and burns, almost always comes back up. I pretty much stick to water and iced tea...but I really don't even miss pop that much anymore. :thumbup:

My surgery is Feb 27. It's kind of funny---you know how the first time around it takes months and months to get in to your appt, get insurance approval, go to the psych eval, get your surgery date, etc? B/c of the slippage it took less than 2 weeks to get approved and get a surgery date! Awesome! I''m also having them put my port lower this time around. This first port is placed in my upper abdomen...my doctor told me to just mark and "X" on my tummy where I want my new port! LOL :thumbup: Looking forward to getting it fixed and getting back to normal!

Aw, it's nothing to worry about, really. I've had "my best friend" for 5 years. If I hadn't been so sick with all the vomiting from the food poisoning, the band wouldn't have slipped. I'm kind of excited to get a new band, actually. Mine is only a 4 cc band, and I have a high-profile port that shows through my clothing. I'm ready for my new, improved model! :thumbup:

Can't wait to get to know you all! I'm so thrilled/impressed with everyone's success! I've had my lap band for almost 5 years and wouldn't live without it! I need to have it replaced (Feb 27) b/c of slippage. I somehow got food poisoning that landed me in the hospital for 5 days--my band wasn't too happy. :thumbdown: I'll try to find some before/after pics of my arm lift. I had about 4 inches of excess skin removed from each arm, and the PS also did quite a bit of lipo to sculpt the arms. I was able to go from a size 14 shirt to a small petite afterwards! I don't like the scars--don't ask me why, but the surgeon placed the scars on the back/outside, and not the inner arm. Grrr...The upside is, the scars are fading. I'd rather have the scars than all of the excess skin. Best to you all in your upcoming procedures...I'll be thinking of you!!

Hi all! I stumbled on this site by accident, and I'm so happy I did! Just want to wish you all well on your upcoming surgeries! I had an arm lift 2 years ago...while it was more painful than I ever thought possible (and I've had a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction, as well as a tummy tuck), I am thrilled with my results. I need a thigh lift, but cannot muster up the courage to do so. Be well, and best! :thumbdown:

My personal experience: I've had my band for nearly 5 years and had no problems until just recently. I somehow ended up with food poisoning that was serious enough to land me in the hospital for 5 days. I have slippage b/c of all of the vomiting with the food poisoning--but have never had a problem all these years until now. I'll go in on Feb 27 to have the band replaced.

I was banded nearly 5 years ago. PB'ing is part of the journey, no big deal. You really do get used to it. It's my body's way of saying, "hey chick, you ate too much, follow the rules!"