joanp

This is a journey, not a simple fix. Of course you will have good and bad days, now as always. But I expect that over time your eating habits will change, as mine have. I don't miss bagels or pasta. Sometimes I'll have a bagel crust, or a piece of pasta, but that's it. I've had enough for many lifetimes and am so glad that I don't crave them any more. It takes time to get to the right fill level for each person, so in that time you gradually learn what you can eat and cannot eat, how much, when etc. The band gave me something I lacked-- an internal brake, something physical to say that I'm full. Without that I'm a bottomless pit. It did not happen immediately, but it did happen. It's been 4 1/2 years now (including two revisions) and I'm really happy. Love my band! Good luck to you.

No. 5-10 minutes waiting to eat after drinking is fine. The other way around takes much longer.

Yes, that's the rule and it's a forever one. If you try to drink and eat, you'll find out it doesn't work. If I want a glass of wine, have it before you eat anything, because otherwise you have to wait for the food to "go through" the band, which can take long enough that the meal will be over. Sometimes I forget and miss the wine, because it just won't work for me if I start eating. It's just one of those things you'll get used to.

It's hard to believe but I got my band 4 years ago. I am down between 75-80 pounds overall. (Of course I want to lose those extra 10-20-25 lbs, but if I just stay where I am, I am ok too.) I love my band and can't imagaine life without it. In this time a lot of things have happened, as they always do. First, I had breast cancer, which came with chemo, a mastectomy, radiation, reconstruction etc. But through it all, I happily kept the band. I had only one hurdle with it though... after the mastectomy I had a wicked reaction to the anesthesia so after heaving for hours in the recovery room, the band was dislodged and I had to have a "revision." Unfortunately the next year I had another slip and another revision. I'm really quite careful now and am relieved that I am basically at the year mark and intact. I did have to have it loosened recently, then quickly gained 8 lbs, but am now back on the way down. It is distressing to regain but a relief to know that I can get back on track again, without too much damage done. So you can see life with a band is much like life itself, somewhat unpredictable and not a straight line of perfection. But the band is the tool that I feel has saved my life and self esteem. I am grateful for it every day. It gives me something that other people have, but I either don't have or lost along the way, an internal brake telling me that I'm full. It's that simple. People who know ask what I miss... not much. Bagels? I had enough for a lifetime, but sometimes I'll pick at the outer crust. Steak? I can live without it. Lobster? Oh well... nothing is really a big deal. I feel I can eat a little of almost anything... To those who are on the journey, good luck. Questions welcome, of course.

Has anyone here gone through chemotherapy with a lapband in place? I love my band and start chemo this week, maybe Weds. and hope to find someone who has gone through this with thier band intact. Thanks to anyone willing to share their experiences.

Just a brief comment on exercise, from my personal experience. When I decided to use the elliptical I started very slowly, feeling that if I could just do something everyday that that would be better than nothing. So I started with 10 minutes. Walking the dog counts too. I cannot devote my life to exercise and don't want to, but I have made an effort to just make it part of my life. That's easier with an elliptical in the basement and a tv too.

I sold my treadmill, bought an elliptical and actually use it happily every day for 30 minutes. I like the sweat and feel that it's a good total body workout. I also swim a couple of times a week and do pilates once a week. Sometimes I use a real bike! My husband uses our recumbant bike, which is boring to me. I have the Sole E35 from Dick's Sporting Goods, bought on Amazon. We had to put it together, which was a challenge but ok. It was reasonably priced, considering the range. I really do love it!

Is there anyone here who is taking Arimidex? I am having nasty nighttime reflux that I believe is caused by the Arimidex and am hoping to find a solution or some way to make it less intrusive. (It's part of an ongoing treatment for breast cancer, so stopping the medication is not a good option.) Any suggestions?

My band slipped because I was retching in the recovery room because of anesthesia for a different, unrelated, surgery last summer. It went on for hours and resulted in the slip. It was discovered in October and fixed in mid-November. The process of getting back to the sweet spot has been difficult, to say the least. I am worried that I have thrown up a lot and dislodged it again, but I hope not and the doctor thinks that's very unlikely.

Yes, I have had chemo, surgery and radiation for breast cancer in the past year. Turns out the problem I had was an unexpected reaction to the anesthesia, so I was throwing up in the recovery room for a long time, which caused a slip. The slip was repaired in November, and I'm trying to get back to my sweet spot, which is harder than I'd like. Figure I'll get there eventually. Now taking Armidex and think that caused problems yesterday, as all of a sudden I was having terrible problems keeping anything down.

My band slipped and I'm scheduled for a revision next Monday! I am not looking forward to it, but there is no option, so in I'll go. I suspect that it happened after surgery this summer when I was sick in the postop room from anesthesia. But who knows.

You just get used to it. Not a big deal. Just one of those things.

How are you doing now? I am scheduled for a revision due to a slipped band next month and I'm worried! I've lost of my weight now, about 20 pounds to go but want to lose the next 20 and stay there. Thanks for letting me know!

Last week I had a slight un-fill and the pain I had had is gone, so I am wondering if that enabled the stomach to heal itself? It can happen, so I call the office to ask for a second esophogram to make sure that the surgery is absolutely necessary, because although I am willing to go through with it, I'd rather not! (Of course then I get worried that the pain is gone because it's eroded, but I hope not!) I'll know in a couple of weeks!

I went for a routine esophogram today, but it was 7 months late because I've been treated for breast cancer. Found out that my band has slipped and I need a revision. My surgeon wanted to do it within the next couple of weeks, but I have to wait until after radiation is over. Back to liquids and all that. But it's worth it.

Thanks for the perspective Lisza. On the advice of my oncologists and my surgeon, I didn't touch my band and am happy about it. While medications ensured I rarely threw up, my taste buds are all off, as you suggest. I eat a lot of plain yogurt and chicken broth (all homemade), sometimes some salmon. Not much of anything. But my last scheduled chemo is next week. Then they'll tell me what's next.

Sipping water is a good sign. I'm a sipper.

Interesting thought Guy. I did talk to my doctor last week though and told her what was coming and she said only that if I needed some unfill adjustment because of nausea or because I was actually throwing up, to just come by the office, which I thought was ok.

Interesting what you say Caroline because I was surprised to be reading so much about weight gain and I didn't really understand why. I just have to see how it goes. If I have to unfill, even just some, I obviously will because my ability to drink water I understand is essential.

I'll take the wait and see how it goes approach that my doctor suggested. But good advice, thanks.

Thanks for your positive thoughts! I did talk to my doctor, who will loosen the fill if I need her to. Otherwise I hope not!

One day I'm ok and the next I'm really hungry. Obviously not at my sweet spot. Hopefully soon.

I have 5.6, I think in a 10cc band. At my second fill I didn't feel restricted at all, so went back in to ask why. My doctor said that at first I must have had post-op internal swelling that has since subsided, so I needed more for construction. She initiall gave me 2cc, but water was "stuck," so took out 1cc. Can't wait for my next fill scheduled next week because I am not restricted enough yet. Maybe this time?

Interesting what you say about the chicken vs. cottage cheese. But if the chicken has any gristle at all it doesn't go down for me. Maybe I get hungry because while I have protein, it's too soft (yogurt, ricotta cheese). But I have tried to have chicken curry salad and tuna too, which seem to go down ok. I have 2cc in my band and a lot of food gets stuck, sometimes because I wait too long to eat and then ingest too fast. I try not to make the same mistake twice, but obviously am still in the process of learning how to do the right thing!

I was banded on 3/6/08 but have not stepped on a scale, on purpose. I try to keep my focus on my food intake. When I'm hungry I have a drink. I'll have 2 optifast shakes during the day and then soups, which I love. (Tomato Basil, or even a Porcini Mushroom) Anything thin enough to be sipped thru a straw is my guideline.