lyndalafe

I've been approved and will have my surgery next week. Scared and excited all at once...just trying to connect with anyone in my area. TexasLady

My band has slipped a couple of times....it can go two ways: 1) pain and inability to even swallow water or 2) pain and no restriction....so better get somewhere and have fluid removed so your band can go back in place and then get refilled in a month maybe.

Just checking with all you Houston folks if anyone has had plastic surgery and or liposuction and can recommend a good doctor?:whoo:

Saw your conversation on this.............what site do we go to in order to find out this information. You would think the doctors would know the code and put the right one on the form? Mine doesn't put any information on it because I pay, of course, for it myself.

I so agree on the aggressive fill scenero. I think a lot of doctors are trying to get higher weight loss records so they sometimes overfill instead of gradually reaching a good fill level. I was constantly be overfilled for a year and then two to 3 weeks later it would get tighter and I ended up with reflux and a slip that has now corrected itself and I have found that at my lower fill level I can eat some bread and some pasta; but must be slowly and not a lot.....which has made for a much slower weight loss; but definitely less painful. I think some doctors feel you should only have protein and salad..........but I tell you in order to get a chicken breast down - your fill also has to allow some bread.....cause if you can't eat the one........you'll have a heck of a time getting the protein down also.

So before you had your band totally unfilled; were you constricted to the point of not being able to keep anything down? If so and you were totally unfilled.......sometimes if the slip isn't too severe after waiting a couple weeks you might be able to tolerate a small fill....or just enough to help you maintain. I had a slip back in Sept. and went with 1.0 fill for a couple months and then went up to 1.9 which held for another couple months and now i have 2.2 and am doing ok. Sometimes the stomach actually slips up thru the band due to PB'g etc and it will go back in place.....mine seems to have.............

I can sympathize with all your plights. He did my surgery and is a good surgeon; but if you happen to be sensitive to fills and need a little more attention; you might as well forget it. I had same issues with him giving me a fill and two weeks later - the fill would kick in and i would not be able to eat....i would develop severe acid reflux....and i think i even had a slip during that time....and he just looked at me like I was from outspace and kept insisting that i was eating too fast or not eating right food or taking too big of bites and he would take the fill all out and send me home. After doing this a couple times, he took my fill down to hardly nothing and told me not to come back until I lost 20 lbs? At that point I found another doctor. Seems like I am one that my fill doesn't hit me for up to two weeks and then I close off. I had a slip in Sept. and my fill was lowered to help me maintain. I kept it that way for 4 months and 6 weeks ago I went and just got small fill to see if I can tolerate it. I'm going to wait another month or so and then try a little more. Some of us have to sneak up on the proper fill little by little and Dr. Spiegel's office just doen't have the time for "our type of patient".

Angele....what sort of info you have not been able to find on this site?

In some bizzare way....that could be your body expressing restriction. Especally if you notice it after you have eaten quite a bit. When I was overfilled at one time and started having that pain a lot. I would go in and have them take a look at your band and restriction. You might need to try to eat a little slower and a little less and see if the pain subsides.

I also think some of us do better if they just add or remove a little. I think they sometimes try to remove all of the saline to see exactly what we have and depending on the tubing ...............not all of it always comes out...but yet can be hanging around in there. Some of us can actually have a little kink or turn where the saline can pool I think. The result is sometimes a fill feels fine and then two weeks later........the rest of it shows up in the "innertube" and "gulp" we're tight again. (of course if there hasn't been any recent PB's etc.). I know Dr. Laurent sometimes has had fits trying to get all the saline out? So next time I am just going to let them tweak me and add .2 or .3.........but not removing what's been there all this time.:faint:

oops "sweet spot"....I can spell....but fingers can't

Oh boy! can I sympathize with you. I was banded in Nov. '05 and spent over 6 months doing the same thing....fill....reflux...pain ...unfill ....refill....etc and so on. In meantime did manage to lose 50 lbs. ;but still 20 from goal and after my last terrible bout of being so restricted I could not suck on an ice cube....I had an unfill and then had to settle for of lower fill. I've been fine for 5 months on this lower fill amount; however have not lost anymore weight.... I'm scared to get more fill and have same problems again and have resorted to the fact I will have to lose this last 20 using a little more of my own willpower. Apparently there are some of us that just never hit that sweat spot where you can eat small amounts and continue to lose. I know I have never been able to find it..............but I guess I would not have 50 lbs off if it wasn't for the band...........and it helps me from overdoing it and gaining weight back.

Don't know if my earlier message got thru? Puddin, who did your lower body lift? Looks like a fantastic job and great surgeon. I know that is exactly the surgery I would need to get if I ever want flatter stomach and thighs that don't sag.

Who did your lower body lift? I know once I finish this next 20 lbs....that will be the only thing that can help these sagging thighs. I'm just scared to have this kind of surgery. I hate any kind of pain..............sounds like whoever did your surgery is a good doctor. I think the aftermath and how you feel has a lot to do with the surgeon.:clap2:

What exactly are you able to eat? Can you eat protein, small bites slowley, like fish, chicken, steak? Sounds like you could be a tad overfilled and might not be getting enough calories and your body had hit the starvation mode where its going to hold onto anything you give it.

I agree.............you've obviously been overfilled for a while. Need to get that fixed pronto and have them take a look to make sure your band has not slipped........................

Ok, my question now is....apparently there is more than one kind of band slip. There are those that are so severe - immediate surgery is required. Then there must be some that happen and when unfilled....band will go back in place and then eventually some fill can be put back in? Is this correct? .....or could it be that if your restriction is too tight and reflux begins, this can cause stomach to slip up thru the band...........and then you are totally restricted until being unfilled and then stomach goes back down thru band? I'm soooooooo confused!:faint:

yes do 30 min on treadmill 4-5 times week; but can consume more bread...pasta...rice w/o feeling a lot of restriction....and I do realize it is a tool....that's why I was thinking a very little tweak might help a little. I'm talking maybe .25 or .3 additional. I was at 2.7 at one time and now am at 1.9....so was going to see if my band could handle around 2.2.

I want the name of her dermatologist.........are they in Houston by any chance. Not all doctors will work with you like that. My dermatologist would probably just prescribe some type of medicine for it.

Good Lord! what are you trying to do to yourself! All this induced vomiting may have caused your band to slip.....stay strictly on liquids next few days and see if that will stay down..........shrimp is bad in itself also....much too fibrous....and can cause issues...........and for goodness sake stop with the self induced vomiting!

Question for Dr. C: It as been over 3 months since i had a "mild slip" of my band. Once fill was removed, everything went back in place. Had a small fill 2 weeks after and have kept that fill with no problems for 3 months....not a lot of restriction...but can't go crazy so have maintain'd weight. My question is do you think it is ok to try a little more fill again and see if I can tolerate it?

Thanks for the info and the visual on the balloon. I makes it more understandable. As far as symptoms for minor slips....mine starts with being a lot more restricted out of the blue, followed by reflux, which is followed by more tightness, more reflux....to the point of not being able to swallow liquids...........the minute fill is removed.....everything goes back into place and it fine.

I was diagnosed with a slight slip back in Sept. Had a total unfill and then got a small fill to 1.9 which is where I have been since. Now it is January and I have maintained my weight; but have not lost much more, so would it be safe to try a little more fill again?

I think this seems to be an issue for a lot of us. During my first year of being banded, I was filled, unfilled over and over again and everytime they filled me over the 2.0 level - I would develop acid reflux. Finally I said that's it, lets just leave my fill at 1.9 and see how I do. Have not had any reflux problems since. However, my weight has remained the same for the past 4 months. I notice that if I eat strictly protein first....I can feel my band working and restricting the amount I can eat; but I find I can eat a lot of stuff other than protein that is not so healthy and eat a lot of it w/o my band saying stop. So I think we just get to a point where we are going to have to use a little will power with our food choices and then the band will work for us. I can eat candy, chips, etc and never get stopped by the band...........so if I want to lose this last 20 lbs.....its going to require a little more effort on my part, more exercise and better food choices.

Might wait until your cycle finishes and see if you are still as restricted. Just sounds like your pretty tight. Don't panic until you cannot swallow liquids or eat any solids whatsoever...........or start having any pain or vomiting.