NewSho

Mary looks great! :clap2: I was also feeling blue about my weight loss slowing down (to a crawl) and feeling under-filled. Plus I don't think pictures make me feel better - I only focus on how much more I need to lose. So although I don't have big-numbers loss like most people here, I guess I'm seeing some progress. Here are my pics: Picture #1 combines two pictures of me wearing the same outfit. The first half is AFTER LapBanding (I'd lost some but no where near now) but before my Tummy Tuck. It's obvious why I needed the TT in that pic! In the second half, I've lost a lot more weight, and I've had the much-needed TT. Picture #2 is current. Whew, even I think I look visibly better, and I'm my worse critic. :phanvan Oh well, I've got LOTS more work to do before I consider myself a Weight Loss success.

Well, I'm having one of those days where I feel underfilled so it always makes me reflect. So the best thing about the LapBand to me is the adjustability, but then the most difficult aspect of the LapBand (for me) can be finding the right 'fill' level. Getting to the "sweet spot" can be quite tiring sometimes. That's one thing that LapBanders deal with at the beginning and it can slow down our loss. While RnY patients are starting right out of the box with fast loss, we are usually dealing with an unfilled band and it often takes quite a few 'fills' for us to get to a good restriction level. Yes I've lost slowly (in my first 9 months, I lost 35-40# or so pounds, much like you...) but it was based on not being well restricted at first. I loved my surgeon and he's absolutely a great surgeon technically and personally - but even with my strong protests I walked around almost a year without good restriction. Getting to that point took me months and months, and I am well aware that if I had gotten the RnY, I would have already been losing then. That's frustrating. As soon as I started getting very good restriction (which for me, was well over 2.0), I started losing more. That took me faster, and then I was chugging right along. After my Tummy Tuck I had some great post-op restriction (it was actually swelling but I was happy to have it and not be hungry) but it dissippated over time and then I lost nearly 1.0 cc of my restriction. Then the loss slowed again. So for me it's simple, the LapBand will only work when the tool is operating properly. Yes I can do my part, but I need the band to be doing it's part. Of course, over time, LapBanders eventually get to their "sweet spot" and they can get to whatever goals they set with some effort. But honestly even as I get to sniffing distance of my goal weight, I'll never bad-mouth the RnY Bypass (or similar methods) because I know those methods (albeit more complex, and more severe surgically) can and do work for most patients. I don't know if I wish I had a RnY but I wish I'd had a faster, easier LapBand journey. So if I'd known the LapBand wasn't going to go smoothly, I would have had RnY probably. I'm still hoping this tool will work for me, but the fill setbacks are annoying. After I get to goal (I'm 6# from my doc's goal for me but I know I need to lose at least 16# or more to get to a decent size), ask me how I feel about it, and maybe my answer will be different. It's a journey, for sure.

What a horrible thing to say! How is this surgery "better" than another Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) ? How are we as LapBanders any better than RnY Bypass patients or DS patients or VGS patients? We are so lucky to have a choice of tools to help us combat obesity but it really gets me mad when we, as obese people, look down on other obese people who chose another method. How are you any different from the judgmental folks who don't have WLS who think any surgery is the 'easy way out?':mad: Don't you think that thin people think we've all "sunk to a terrible low" because we needed any type of surgery to help us out? Honey, we don't get points for picking a user-intensive form like LapBanding when non-obese people sit in judgment of us.:phanvan OMG, how could we not be offended? Apparently not. I'm honestly very surprised at you speaking so insultingly Jachnut. You've always seemed so positive but your negativity and scorn (yes, scorn) for thse who chose Bypass surgery is simply hurtful to me and I haven't even had one (should I say "yet?") I visit a general WLS forum regularly and almost every time I visit, I have to spend time disputing some misinformation or outright lies about the LapBand, usually by an RnY patient who'll say "all LapBanders stay fat" or "They all have to end up getting RnY afterwards if they want to lose any real weight.". And there are far, far more RnY Bypass & DS & even VGSleeve patients who sit in judgment of LapBand surgery and of us, who chose it. So believe me, I hear band-bashing quite a bit. I don't get it. Why not be happy about having found a tool that works for you without all the cheat-beating smugness about which form is better. My LapBand loss has been slow, and sometimes not easy, so I have absolutely no qualms about saying this: If the LapBand doesn't work, I'd get another form of WLS. I don't want a RnY bypass, I hope I don't need one, but if LapBanding fails me, I'd get one. TOMORROW. I want to lose about 16# or 17# more pounds overall. Hopefully a LapBand can get me there, but if anything happens I wouldn't beat myself up, about getting an RnY. I've shed blood, sweat and tears just to lose this much weight with a LapBand. That doesn't make me a better person (and I'm not more patient) than any Bypass patient. Six months ago, when I thought my band has failed because my surgeon told me he believed I'd lost all the weight I'd ever lose with a LapBand, I made an appointment at the city's best RnY surgeon the next week. I wasn't even joking, And that was more than 20# ago, but I knew I wouldn't get the weight off any other way. So even if I only had 40# to 50# more pounds to lose I would have gotten an RnY if the surgeon felt like that was my only way of getting the weight off. Sounds extreme? As a person who's been overweight for many years I'd do anything to fight obesity, and it doesn't mean "I've sunk to a low" or anything. I need help, I'll get it. Period. There by the grace of G-d go you Jachnut. If something happened to your band and banding wasn't an option for you anymore - you could quite possibly regain your weight. Then maybe you would sink to that "terrible low" you speak of so vehemently, and start considering all sorts of options you don't think you would do.:paranoid I hate when RnY patients insult the LapBand. And I am frankly sickened by some of the RnY-bashing I hear on this board, but this might be one of the worse comments I've read. :huggie: Banded or not, Bypassed or not, we should always have respect for anyone fighting obesity.

Congrats! :huggie: We know it isn't when you get to those last few pounds, the fight is really on. (I'm down to about 6# from my doctor's goal, or about 16# from my own goal. And at this point every ounce counts!)

:tea: Mommy, as other posters have said, the overwhelming majority of LapBands are done as same-day, outpatient surgeries now, unless the patient's medical history or surgical reactions makes them want to keep them overnight for observation. Like most Bandsters, I was in and out in a few short hours, which is typical. :bowl: (Now some Mexican doctors keep their patients overnight because they may only have a really short time to observe the banded patient as a post-op before they leave the country.) Now my Tummy Tuck (which like all Tummy Tucks are basically "open" and not "lap") surgery was a hell-raiser and I was still home that same night. (Thankfully!) Now if I had shown any signs of fever or infection, it would have been different. That was a much more intense surgery :phanvan and it made my LapBand seem like a walk in the park but I did well with the anesthesia, came to well, made it to the bathroom (with some help) and so was allowed to go home. The doctor's office and hospital was just more than 1 mile away so I wasn't bothered, and all went well. Just an FYI....

Hello! Anemia? Sounds familiar. Great to hear your story, JoAnn. I see you have your 3-Year Bandiversary coming up! I'm an also old school Bandster (who's young at heart in my 30s). I was in the original FDA study way back 5 yrs ago but my band was faulty & didn't really work (I never had a fill the first time. EVER!). Believe me I've had complications of course (rarely will you see a long-term veteran without some bumps in the road, as you would understand.) So I had it replaced last year with new port, new tubing so basically I'm banded for the first time.... I'm pleased to finally see some progress and for the first time For once I might be within sniffing distance of my doctor's (overly conservative) goal but the closer I get, the harder it's been. Plus I'd like to get at least 10# below his goal so that puts me at least 16# away from where I need to be. Well, I've blathered on enough. Just wanted to say HELLO and let you know you're not alone.

Whew!:phanvan Glad you got this changed. Here's a suggestion though - I'd go back and edit out your 'username' (I won't repeat it) on your original post. That way if someone searches by your old username even this post won't turn up. :faint: Does that make sense? I'm trying to make sure your old username doesn't get associated with your new one. Good Luck!

OMG! I don't even need Six Degrees of Separation to Kevin Bacon, I can get there in 2.:clap2: I have a Bacon Factor of 2! Little lowly, not-even-in-SAG-yet me! I've only just started doing a few bits for fun. Wow, I'm so excited I feel like I won an award.

LOOKIN' Good!

Woo Hoo! Good for you.

Well, a 'craving' for crushed ice is an absolute front-line symptom of an Iron deficiency. Seriously I'd have your iron levels checked if you can... Have you ever been diagnosed as anemic? People who chew ice regularly, especially crushed ice, almost always have iron-deficient blood. And yes, it's VERY bad for the teeth. Chewing ice has the effective of chewing broken glass on your teeth. :cry Don't ask how I know this stuff, you'll be better off not knowing. Oops, I'll be back - I have to go take my prescription iron supplements. :straight

Straws - yes. Carbonation - no. Honestly when I was under-restricted I didn't have trouble with carbonation. But once I got some REAL restriction, it wasn't even an issue. It doesn't work at all. Lucky for me, I gave up caffeine and carbonated sodas before LapBanding. So that left just a few more vices to get rid of after LapBanding (like garlic bread...)

I hear ya, OP. I absolutely raise my hand and will admit: "I had Weight Loss Surgery to look better." Yes, horrors! :faint: I did it for shallow reasons. I was fat, but my cholesterol was enviably low, my blood pressure low, my aerobic capacity was quite decent. I had no signs of diabetes or hypertension but I was just fat. Fat, Fat, Fat. I'm single and fat - which is the equivalent of being invisible, especially in a bar. So anyway, I had the LapBand to look better, and I'm hoping my face catches up with my weight loss. I'll be so p*ssed if I have to have a Mini-Face Lift or some kind of Botox while I'm still in my 30's just because I lost weight.:guess We'll see....

Congrats! Welcome to the Banded side...

Yes I worried too about keloiding - I've seen it in my extended family but not in my immediate family. My LapBand scars are thicker than I'd like (but they were used twice) but I want PS no matter what - I want a drop-dead body after being obese for so long... It's too early to tell with my TT scar. So far I've seen no keloiding, but I'm crossing my fingers bccause although it's very, very thin (almost no width at all) it is definitely hip-to-hip across. I'm hoping it will fade well, so I better start working on it.

{ That's odd that you had a surgeon in the UK who is RnY-over-Band. To my knowledge the USA is the only 'developed' country where RnY procedures outnumber Gastric Banding and LapBanding. So he's really a rarity.:phanvan } Anyway: I had a leak of my tubing. The band itself was in place - no slippage or erosion visible. But without tubing working - the band doesn't continue to work as it should and you can't assume you're going to be able to maintain or even kept the weight off. So don't take a chance, get a flouro and get a repair, if it's possible. If your band is in good condition, then you're in a great position to just get something small fixed. When I had my tubing replaced (and a switch to a lower profile port) the procedure was nothing like the original surgery. I think it took 25 minutes max. 90 Minutes after I was out of the OR, I was in a nearby store pushing a shopping cart. I just wore my surgical binder after the repair, and I felt like I could resume activity rather quickly. It's worth it. My band was nothing without tubing - so it's like having a car without someplace to put the gas in the tank. It just sits there. So why not get it fixed? Just another thought. Good luck to you!

You must have seen Dr Robert Davis. He's a very experienced surgeon and a sweetie but isn't into LapBands really. Check his son. They've got a great Father/Son Surgeon office: nice family atmosphere! His son Dr Garth (since they've both surgeons they often call them by Dr +First Name) is great - now he has tons more RnY experience but he does LapBands now and he's very enthusiastic about it. So I would ask that you consult with Dr Garth before you make your final decision. Good Luck! ~ NewSho ~ Who's seen or knows - dang near every Bariatric Doc in Texas, I think.. LOL :biggrin1:

:biggrin1: I think I'm the slowest loser in the history of US LapBanding. No I'm not being hard on myself - it's true. {The background: I got myself approved for the RnY, but preferred the LapBand, which I knew about from Europe. I hoped to lose 80-90 lbs. My surgeon said I'd lose approx 90 with RnY (putting me a bit lighter than I needed to be), and 80 with the band. Why go through that for 10# more? So the LapBand sounded good. Well I got banded in the initial FDA trial and VERY long story short - my new prototype US band didn't quite work. Since the band wasn't approved in the US, there wasn't a lot of data on band repair, quite yet. Therefore, I walked around for 3 years without a working band while I healed again and got strong enough (physically, then EMOTIONALLY) to have a repair surgery.} Anyhoo, things did get better! I got a new band tubing and replacement to a lower profile port in 2005.:huggie: So basically I was banded as if it was the first time more than 16 1/2 months ago. My doc feels like I should start considering my progress only when I got a working band. Fine. So after 9 months I realized, even though I was getting fills I was wayyy under-restricted. I lost not even 40# in 9 months after being basically a New Bandster. I wasn't even quite halfway to goal, so I was pretty disgusted after all I'd been thru with my Band. And it hit me: My doc is an outstanding surgeon, but is so conservative about fills. The band does not - hear me again, fellow Bandsters - does not work for most people, without proper restriction. I started re-focusing on my restriction level and got a different doc (or 2) for fills. And six months after that, I've finally start seeing results. I'm now just 5 to 6 lbs. from my surgeon's (rather conservative) goal which puts me about 15# from my ultimate goal. Who me? The Ultimate Turtle? Yep. Yes, I'm a turtle. People see it's taken me 16 months to lose 75# or so pounds and they make a face like what took so long. But if I get the 5 1/2 lbs to the doctors goal and then somehow get the other 10 off it will probably take me another 3-4 months at minimum. Yes, my loss is that slow especially when I got closer to goal. I'd love to lose the 15# by October or so. So chin up turtles, I might actually crawl across the Goal Line sometime soon. Wish me luck!

Only my fellow chatters on LapBandTalk.com could turn this into a Kitchen/Sex thread. But hey, the topic is about Intimacy, right? Great opinions - but I bet we still have lots more input to share.

Hello, Bren. If you're getting your LapBand next week - hopefully you've done a lot of your research already. Read through this website (and other LapBand and WLS sites) for as much information as you can. As for your Doctor - I recommend you go to the Main Forum, then choose "USA" for the state-by-state lists, and then choose your state. If you search for "Dr de la Garza" by name in your state (or if you post this inquiry within your state) then I think you'll have a better chance of getting some local information. Good Luck on your procedure.

First to FunnyDuddies: Huh? What does this mean? Most Bandsters I know have strong support local groups. Now, come on! I guess I have to totally disagree with this. I know many successful Bandsters who spend time on boards. I didn't realize people only came to the boards when they have a problem. I do agree that when people suffer complications, they are comforted by being able to come online and share experiences/commiserate - but that doesn't mean that those who are successful find no value in coming back to the boards. There is a great mix online. I think it's natural for newer patients and PreOps to think "oh if I get to goal weight, I'll never need to come back to the boards" but the reality is, even some veteran Bandsters find that they have information to share, and sometimes things to learn. Remember this is an ongoing journey - there is no one day that you just simply end because you made it to goal, or because your band has been in one year or etc... To the Original Poster: No one surgery, including LapBand surgery is right for everyone. It would be great if we could only say "I only want to hear the good stories." That's fine, but you also have mentioned that you're concerned about only losing 1-2 lbs a week. Well...If you honestly have doubts about the slower loss rate with the LapBand, then certainly discuss them with your surgeon and other medical professionals that you trust. (Sometimes friends, family, co-workers have their own agendas and prejudices and it can be difficult for them to be objective. Talk to more than one Weight Loss Surgeon, if you can, including some that do both LapBand & RnYs.) Yes the LapBand statistics quote a loss rate of 1-2 lbs a week. This, quite honestly, does not ensure that you will lose 52-104 lbs your first year, but it's possible. Now your individual loss rate will depend on your start weight, your own metabolism, your activity level and how careful you are with your restriction level (via getting 'fills.') So not everyone is guaranteed to lose 52-104# after a year. Some will lose more :clap2: and some might only lose 3/4 of a pound a week (or 40-50# their first year) but LapBanding isn't a sprinters' race to lose quickly, it's about the whole entire race overall and being healthier . And that doesn't work for everyone. A very close friend of mine wanted only to lose quickly due to an aggressive schedule she has (biological clock) and she chose the RnY. No problem - she did fine, although her loss still took her a bit longer than she expected even with the RnY. But with her rather-iffy compliance, a LapBand would have taken her much longer and time was a big concern for her. So she's pleased. If your main concern is the speed of your loss (rather than other considerations) then you certainly should weigh whether LapBanding is for you (as opposed to the RnY Bypass and other forms of Weight Loss Surgery.) Hopefully the many success stories here and on other places on the website will encourage you about LapBand results - but if it's not going to be a good fit for you, then it's perfectly fine for you to be honest with yourself and your surgeon. Good Luck with your decision, and your Weight Loss journey.

I guess I'm looking at this from a different viewpoint because even though I am seriously committed to making the most of my Weight Loss Surgery, I don't eat my old "Low Cal Diet" staples like brown rice (I never touch rice, actually, since I honestly never crave it anymore) or the other so-called 'good' foods. The thing I've tried to find since being banded - is some bit of balance. Extreme dieting and robotic goals didn't help me. I avoided bad foods, but even could eat a bit too much of 'good' foods. So restriction made a huge difference in helping my success. I hardly think I have an eating disorder just because I like a food that has higher-than-should-be fat content. Are any of us that perfect? I eat tons of fish but sometimes I even have tiny portions of (horrors!) Fried Fish (the crunchiness of the batter appeals to me even if I only have a small bit of it.) I've even had Mac&Cheese since I was banded (I don't eat red meat or pork, etc) since I love cheese but I now I rarely eat Pasta as my restriction level gets better. So for me, I guess I finally realized that my old lifelong "Professional Dieter" eating habits still left me fat. Now I eat smaller portions of reasonable & nutritious foods that I like. I know this wouldn't work for everyone, and it makes sense to avoid eating lots of things in overabundance. But I'm trying to no longer label foods as 'good' or 'bad' even things like white sugars, carbs, etc. Of course, I've had help. The more restriction I'm blessed with, the less of foods like starchy rice, potatoes, etc. that I eat. This also includes a lot of pastas but I can take a bit of real creamy Macaroni & Cheese (not that pasty boxed up stuff) now and then. For once, it might be actually working. I'll just keep trying whatever works for me.

CONGRATS! You should be proud. Make sure you add yourself to the "Who Has Lost 100 Pounds" thread.

Lots of great discussion on this topic here on the PLASTIC SURGERY forum. I've posted about my experiences, costs, and I know lots of other Bandsters have too.

By popular urging, Vines, I got brave enough to ask about my Body Fat Percentage. As I've been telling you for months, my Body Fat Percentage is stuck on FLUFFY. Apparently it was about 42%-43% just 6 months ago, but it's now somewhere in the Upper 30s. I know, it's horrifying to fathom but true...those numbers shouldn't be that high, I've actually been trying to burn more calories, more steadily but there is no need for me to torture myself if my body is just not going to ever be 'truly lean' like some people's bodies are. :phanvan So what's the point if I'm losing water and lean muscle? Basically, although I have all this fat to burn, my body is choosing to burn lean muscle mass (my lean muscle mass should be increasing a lot faster as I exert myself more.) Seeing this incremental progress (or lack thereof) does not exactly encourage me to hit the Exercise Trail harder. If any thing it's quite discouraging. :faint: So where does that leave me in terms of where I'd prefer to aim for goal weight? So far I'm about 5# or-6# away from my doctor's laughably conservative goal, and at least 14# to15# to get to my own "Wait and See If My Body Allows Me To Get There, And What I Look Like" goal.) Wish me luck - I'm still plugging at it, but the odds have NOT been on my side, especially when I'm a teensy bit underfilled right now...Grrrrr!