KINGSKID66

Congratulations Lady Lapband!! You are doing so awesome. Make sure you post picts so we can see you.

Congratulations Mauraclegg! You are doing GREAT! Keep going will you reach your goal. Set the goal that is best for YOU.

Hey Karebare! CONGRATULATIONS on your amazing journey. I'm so happy for you. Sometimes doctors can be insensitive but maybe yours was just trying to tell you to relax and enjoy the fruit of your labor. You've worked hard and maybe this was an attempt to get you to appreciate where you've come from so you don't continue to stress over the number you are trying to reach. Obviously your doctor feels you are healthy and look good where you are otherwise I think the advice would have been different. Stay focused on your goals. Let us know how you're doing!!

Day After Surgery - 233lbs 5 Years Post Op - 133lbs. WOO-HOO!!!!

The port is the injection site for your fills/unfills. It will also be your largest incision. The others will be much smaller. The port has been described for me like what chemotherapy patients use to receive medication. When you're larger you can locate the port by pushing around your stomach near the incision but as you lose weight it becomes more prominent. Surgery techniques may be improving now to the point of alleviating that issue. I had my surgery 5 years ago so I'm not sure what's going on now other than to say my own port is protruding like a gum ball!

Ladies stay with it and don't get discouraged. It's a process and some ppl lose quicker than others. Many, many of us reach our mark by getting banded. When you've made this type of investment it's too hard to turn back and say forget it! You've got to make the adjustments and continue forward. If its another fill, exercise or dietary adjustments that have to be made - MAKE THEM! Just don't give up. When you go to the link and see those Before/After pictures you know it can be done. Yes, I have had the purging (not vomiting it doesn't come from the stomach it comes from the upper part of the esophagus) and it can be annoying at times but I've learned to work around it. The band is working - it means I don't get to eat all the things I'd like to eat!!! I am not complaining as I lowered my goal weight from 150 to 135 because I continued to lose more than anticipated. Trust me the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks for a person who is truly fed up with being overweight. Hang in there, things do get better! Just my two cents.

Wow Nonna I'm really sorry to hear of the problems you're having. I've never heard of the esophagus expanding to accommodate the food. That's interesting to know. I certainly hope your surgeon offers some suggestions to get you back on track. I know how hard it is to kick to soda addiction. Keep searching til you find answers - you've come too far to turn back now. Stay in touch and let us know how you're doing.

Congratulations Tracyy and Dena! I'm excited for both of you. What a journey you are about to embark upon. Just to share a little of my experience with you .... I got banded in April '06 and have lost 90lbs to date. It was the BEST decision of my life. I was sooooo nervous wondering if I was making the right decision. I was self pay and my husband was reluctantly going along with my decision. I felt a lot of pressure. I have not looked back. It has changed my life. This year I will finally post before and after pictures. I've gone from a size 20 to a size 6/7. Very few complications other than my port practically sticks out now that I'm so thin. That's a small price to pay though. I've had very few complications. No, I don't get to eat everything I want to eat but isn't that the purpose of the band?? I deal with purging from time to time due to the level of restriction I have from my two fills. But this is why I've lost 90lbs also!! I don't purge everything but some foods just don't agree with me anymore. I'm okay with that. Recovery time .... what recovery time? The day of the surgery I recovered in the hotel room and the next day my husband and I were up walking around Tijuana. That was the only recovery time I needed. Afterward I went sight-seeing in San Diego for a couple days before returning home. The 'gas' people talk about is not gas like burping or farting but shoulder pain. I believe it's described as the gas used to inflate your stomach for the surgery or something like that. I bought Gas-X strips to help with the pain and was fine. Be sure to pack those. Wishing you both the very best with your decision. I hope info from a bandster 5 yrs post-op helps! Let me know if either of you have any questions I can help with. Please keep us posted on your progress!!! Lynn

Hi, I got banded in April '06 and have lost 90lbs to date. It was the BEST decision of my life. I was sooooo nervous wondering if I was making the right decision. I was self pay and my husband was reluctantly going along with my decision. I felt a lot of pressure. I have not looked back. It has changed my life. This year I will finally post before and after pictures. I've gone from a size 20 to a size 6/7. Very few complications other than my port practically sticks out now that I'm so thin. That's a small price to pay though. I've had very few complications. No, I don't get to eat everything I want to eat but isn't that the purpose of the band?? I deal with purging from time to time due to the level of restriction I have from my two fills. But this is why I've lost 90lbs also!! I don't purge everything but some foods just don't agree with me anymore. I'm okay with that. Recovery time .... what recovery time? The day of the surgery I recovered in the hotel room and the next day my husband and I were up walking around Tijuana. That was the only recovery time I needed. Afterward I went sight-seeing in San Diego for a couple days before returning home. The 'gas' people talk about is not gas like burping or farting but shoulder pain. I believe it's described as the gas used to inflate your stomach for the surgery or something like that. I bought Gas-X strips to help with the pain and was fine. Be sure to pack those. Wishing you the very best with your decision. I hope info from a bandster 5 yrs post-op helps! Let me know if you need anything else. Lynn

Hi Amber! Welcome to the forum. It's a pleasure to meet you. I got banded in April '06. I've lost 90lbs. It was the BEST decision of my life. I was sooooo nervous wondering if I was making the right decision. I was self pay and my husband was reluctantly going along with my decision. I felt a lot of pressure. I have not looked back. It has changed my life. This year I will finally post before and after pictures. I've gone from a size 20 to a size 6/7. Very few complications other than my port practically sticks out now that I'm so thin. That's a small price to pay though. I've had very few complications. No, I don't get to eat everything I want to eat but isn't that the purpose of the band?? Complications: My surgery scars did keloid unfortunately. They're not that big but I was surprised because I never had keloids before. Some people have problems with purging food when it gets stuck and others don't. I've always dealt with purging from the time of my second fill due to the level of restriction I have. But it also caused me to lose 90lbs so I'm not complaining. I don't purge everything just some things so I just learned to work around it. Recovery time .... what recovery time? The day of the surgery I recovered in the hotel room and the next day my husband and I were up walking around Tijuana. That was the only recovery time I needed. Afterward I went sight-seeing in San Diego for a couple days before returning home. The 'gas' people talk about is not gas like burping or farting but shoulder pain. I believe it's described as the gas used to inflate your stomach for the surgery or something like that. I bought Gas-X strips to help with the pain and was fine. Be sure to pack those if you have the surgery. Hopefully hearing the experience of someone 5 years post-op will be helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions. Wishing you the best in your decision! Lynn

I got banded in April '06. I've lost 90lbs. It was the BEST decision of my life. I was sooooo nervous wondering if I was making the right decision. I was self pay and my husband was reluctantly going along with my decision. I felt a lot of pressure. I have not looked back. It has changed my life. This year I will finally post before and after pictures. I've gone from a size 18/20 to a size 6/7. Very few complications other than my port practically sticks out now that I'm so thin. That's a small price to pay though. I've had very few complications. No, I don't get to eat everything I want to eat but isn't that the purpose of the band?? Recovery time .... what recovery time? The day of the surgery I recovered in the hotel room and the next day my husband and I were up walking around Tijuana. That was the only recovery time I needed. Afterward I went sight-seeing in San Diego for a couple days before returning home. The 'gas' people talk about is not gas like burping or farting but shoulder pain. I believe it's described as the gas used to inflate your stomach for the surgery or something like that. I bought Gas-X strips to help with the pain and was fine. Be sure to pack those if you have the surgery done. Hope info from someone 5 years post op helps a little. Wishing you the very best in your decision. I know you'll do what's right for you! Lynn

Welcome Lady Dragyn! Congratulations on your surgery. You are doing fantastic on your weight loss already. I imagine you feel pretty good already. Things will only get better for you as you move forward with your goals. I know you are happy the stress and anxiety of the surgery is finally over. If you get a chance, please check out the Newbies who have posted and offer words of encouragement. I remember being so stressed over the decision and how relieved I was when it was finally over! lol You are doing awesome and I'm so happy for you. Keep up the good work and please keep us posted on your progress.

Hi Pink, Welcome to the forum! So sorry to hear you have had such a tough road. Glad you have made it through and still going strong!! I think the decision to get banded will only make things get even better for you. I was 228 when I got the surgery. My BMI was relatively low. I could not have had the surgery done in the states, which is one of the reasons I went to Mexico. I got banded in April '06. I've lost 90lbs. It was the BEST decision of my life. I was sooooo nervous wondering if I was making the right decision. I was self pay and my husband was reluctantly going along with my decision. I felt a lot of pressure. I have not looked back. It has changed my life. This year I will finally post before and after pictures. I've gone from a size 20 to a size 6/7. Very few complications other than my port practically sticks out now that I'm so thin. That's a small price to pay though. I've had very few complications. No, I don't get to eat everything I want to eat but isn't that the purpose of the band?? I have never dealt with being overly hungry, PHYSICALLY. What you will battle is being hungry MENTALLY. Some people don't deal with much purging but I've had purging issues every since my second fill so I never am overly hungry in the physical sense because my stomach can only hold so much. In case you don't know, purging is when food does not agree with you and gets stuck. Rather than going down, it comes back up and must be purged. Even 5 yrs post-op I still deal with purging on a regular basis. I don't mind though I've learned to work around it. Recovery time from the surgery hmmm.... what recovery time? The day of the surgery I recovered in the hotel room and the next day my husband and I were up walking around Tijuana. That was the only recovery time I needed. Afterward I went sight-seeing in San Diego for a couple days before returning home. The 'gas' people talk about is not gas like burping or farting but shoulder pain. I believe it's described as the gas used to inflate your stomach for the surgery or something like that. I bought Gas-X strips to help with the pain and was fine. Be sure to pack those. I was beginning to develop joint pain, muscle pain (fibromyalga) high blood pressure and all sorts of other issues as a result of gaining so much weight. I have none of those problems now that I've lost 90lbs. I pray everything works out for you too Pink. Let me know if you need anything else or have any other questions. Wishing you the best! Lynn

Wow .... Congratulations! I'm sure you feel a lot better already. Be sure to post your weight loss progress so you can track how far you've come and we can all see what your goals are. Keep up the good work!!

Hi, I hope you don't mind but I copied and pasted the answer I sent to another poster who had basically the same question. I got banded in April '06. I've lost 90lbs. It was the BEST decision of my life. I was sooooo nervous wondering if I was making the right decision. I was self pay and my husband was reluctantly going along with my decision. I felt a lot of pressure. I have not looked back. It has changed my life. This year I will finally post before and after pictures. I've gone from a size 20 to a size 6/7. Very few complications other than my port practically sticks out now that I'm so thin. That's a small price to pay though. I've had very few complications. No, I don't get to eat everything I want to eat but isn't that the purpose of the band?? Recovery time .... what recovery time? The day of the surgery I recovered in the hotel room and the next day my husband and I were up walking around Tijuana. That was the only recovery time I needed. Afterward I went sight-seeing in San Diego for a couple days before returning home. The 'gas' people talk about is not gas like burping or farting but shoulder pain. I believe it's described as the gas used to inflate your stomach for the surgery or something like that. I bought Gas-X strips to help with the pain and was fine. Be sure to pack those. I hope this helps you Greeneyed. Let me know if you need anything else. I'd be happy to help! Lynn

Hi, Welcome and congratulations on your band. I know it's frustrating when the weight doesn't slide off immediately but be patient with yourself. Everyone responds differently to their band. I was banded April '06. I lost 30lbs almost immediately and stayed there for a year and a half before I lost anymore weight. Then all of a sudden the weight began to slide off for no apparent reason. There was no dietary changes or changes to my physical routine. Please don't get discouraged! Give it time. Allow yourself to adjust to your band. Allow your fill to settle in and see if you need additional fill. If so, go get it. You will know what adjustments need to be made as you go along. The first few months are really trial and error for a lot of people until they figure out what works and what doesn't. Just don't give up! You've come this far - you gotta keep going until you hit the mark!! Keep your chin up. Keep us posted on your progress. Make sure you go to tickerfactory.com and create a weight loss ticker so you measure your progress on the forum!

Hi Manda, I got banded in April '06. I've lost 90lbs. It was the BEST decision of my life. I was sooooo nervous wondering if I was making the right decision. I was self pay and my husband was reluctantly going along with my decision. I felt a lot of pressure. I have not looked back. It has changed my life. This year I will finally post before and after pictures. I've gone from a size 20 to a size 6/7. Very few complications other than my port practically sticks out now that I'm so thin. That's a small price to pay though. I've had very few complications. No, I don't get to eat everything I want but isn't that the purpose of the band?? Recovery time .... what recovery time? The day of the surgery I recovered in the hotel room and the next day my husband and I were up walking around Tijuana. That was the only recovery time I needed. Afterward I went sight-seeing in San Diego for a couple days before returning home. The 'gas' people talk about is not gas like burping or farting but shoulder pain. I believe it's described as the gas used to inflate your stomach for the surgery or something like that. I bought Gas-X strips to help with the pain and was fine. Be sure to pack those. I wish you the very best and hope this helps you in your decision Manda. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Hi Jamie, Welcome to the forum! Glad you got banded. Who did your surgery? Have you gone back and gotten a fill yet? Have you discussed your progress and/or weight loss goals with your doctor? Definitely stay connected to the site and get support from others who may be struggling attaining their weight loss goals. Many of us have been there and get encouragement from each other. Go online and get a weight loss ticker. Post your weight loss success to date so you Celebrate what you have achieved. You should be proud of that. I definitely wish you the best and know you will be just fine. It may not come as quickly as you want it but you'll get there!! Stay encouraged and hang in there!! Lynn

Stay positive Pinkbutterfly and everyone else on here going through challenges with family and friends. I think you will find some people don't support you due to their own jealousy and insecurity concerning their own weight. Unfortunately when some people see a person making changes they don't think they can make it's easier to interfere than to support. Keep moving forward and let your progress speak for itself. Don't let naysayers stop you. If you do - they win! You've come too far to turn back now. Your energy has to be spent focusing on your new life and the direction you're going. Don't forget, you always have the support of us on the forum. Wishing you only the very best.

I agree when you're doing well you may be less apt to get on the boards and post like the people who may not be doing so well. That's why it may seem as though the surgery is not that successful. I exceeded my goal a while ago and still continue to lose without trying. I just changed my ticker from a goal of 150 down to 135 since my current weight is 138. I never intended to be this thin but am NOT complaining!! The surgery has been a huge success for me with very few complications. The worse I have to contend with is my port protruding through my skin since I'm so thin now. I wasn't prepared for that but it's a small price to pay for having my life back. At 5'6, I weigh 138lbs, wear a size 6 or 7 and my BMI is down to 22. This surgery changed my life and is the best decision I've made for myself in a very very long time.

Hey All! I haven't posted in a long time. Hope all is well with my fellow band-sisters!! I'm like Jachut, my port is protruding like a tumor. My BMI is down to 22. Of all the things I considered with having the surgery I NEVER considered the port being exposed like this. Not only is it rather unsightly in my opinion but it's uncomfortable to sleep on. I am a person who sleeps on my side/stomach. I am really relieved to get on here and see others having the same issue and it's not just me. Still not sure what can be done about it. No matter what I'd rather have this problem that the one I had before though - 228lbs!! LOL. Congratulations on everyone's weight loss success!

Thanks for checking in with us SoCalGal! I am well. I just went through a period of swelling and being completely restricted. Wasn't able to eat anything for several days. No worries though - just waited it out and now I'm fine. It was good for a few pounds of weight loss as well, so I'm not complaining. I'm down to 154lbs - lookin good and feelin GREAT! The band was the best decision I've made in my life in a long, long time.

I'm on topamax for frequent migraine headaches. Even 10mg is pretty strong when taking it for the first time. It can make you kind of loopy! I'm not even taking the phentermine right now. Cannot take it with the topamax - too much going on at one time!!! I've continued to lose weight since that's a side effect of the topamax. Not too shabby, huh?