summer08

My surgery was 2 years ago I prob took off a week, maybe 2?

I am very happy with my panni/tummy tuck! For me, it competed the process.

I had my TT May 22. My lap band Dr recommended to pull out 2cc. I'm glad I did, as I have had no episodes of vomitting, which I am very thankful for, as it hurts to cough. I think The decision to have fluid removed prior to surgery or not depends on how you were doing prior to surgery. I was vomitting occasionally prior to surgery and needed to make sure that didn't happen while I was healing. I don't think there's a definitive right or wrong to have fluid removed or not, just depends on the person and how they have been doing.

Laura, Was your panniculectomy an out patient procedure or did u stay overnight?

I am going to ask for an unfill prior to my panniculectomy. I still have problems with vomitting and do not want to take ANY chance of busting out any stitches or anything to mess up my healing.

Laura, u had panni only? It's hard to find someone that didn't do tt too. I'd love to hear all about ur experience, r u pleased? Maybe a little too soon to tell? Feel free to message me

I am scheduled for may 22 for panni only. Already saving for my tt, but ins is paying for my panni

My insurance has approved my panni. I wanted to have the tummy tuck in conjunction but just don't have the extra $6000. Please reply if you have only had the panni. Are you glad you did it? Does it look weird still having the "top part". What have been the pros and cons?

I have a second appointment with the surgeon tomorrow. First time to talk about only doing panniculectomy. I think my biggest hold up now is going to be when i can get off of work for 2-3 weeks. It is a busy time now. Keeping my fingers crossed! I am ready NOW!

I have never blogged before I started my lap band journey in 2008. i weighed 235 and am 5'7. i was in a size 18. it's been a while but i'm pretty sure i lost my weight within the first year, i think even a little less. i did have quite a bit of vomitting. i had complications; again, it's been a while, but i think the first problem was that my wound was open and had to be packed. i think that was within a month after my band was placed. besides the vomitting, the other problem i had was that i had to have my port repositioned. i think that was about the second year after initial placement. i think initially the placement was fine, but when i lost weight, the skin/port dropped to my waistline and my clothes basically rubbed an opening and i could see my port through a hole in my skin. i would cover it and it would heal, but as soon as i uncovered it, the same thing would happen, so he replaced the port and brought it up higher. even with my complications i am so glad i got the lap band. i lost 75 lbs and am in a size 12. i have recently seen a plastic surgeon and my insurance has approved a panniculectomy. i wanted to have a tummy tuck as well but just can't swing the extra $6000. i am impatient and also fear my authorization may expire before i could save up the money for tt, so i'm going to go ahead and meet with him again and schedule it. i would love to hear feedback on the panni.

another question....did your pant size go down?

Just a quick update....I had a little surgery last week to have my port repositioned. Still healing....Take care all!

Hi, everybody! Wow...it's been over a yr since I checked in. It took me about 9 months to reach my goal weight of 160, and I have stayed the same ever since. I am very thankful for my band. I have started having a "complication" and am wondering if anyone else has experienced this? My port access is at my waistline. One day I noticed a pin-sized hole at my port site that had some drainage. I went to the Dr and he prescribed some antibiotics for precaution, and I covered it with gauze and tape. It sealed up. It has done it again, only this time it's more of a pen sized hole, again with drainage. I think it originally happened from my pant waistband being right at the site, and it heals, then it happens again. Anyone else had this problem? I don't see a solution due to the problem site being at my waistband.

Good Afternoon, all! I am interested in finding a thread that people are posting who are much further out than us. We are almost at a year, but I want to read of long term results. I am probably looking right past it, but haven't seen anything. Anyone know where to find that on here?

Hi, Allie! We have only cruised on Carnival and Royal Carribean. I like them equally as well. I think they are probably the Chevrolets of cruises, but we've never been on a Cadillac cruise line, so we don't know the difference, and we love it! Thanks for your suggestions! I hope you get to go on a cruise soon. I remember after we took the first one, I was HOOKED on cruising! I would dream about it frequently!

we are going to the carribean...cozumel, jamaica, cayman islands wow!!...italy! what an experience! i hope you have a blast!

me, me!!! i'm a cruiser! my first one since the band, too. i've been on 5 pre-band. i think this one is going to be so different! my husband has also been banded, so at least we're on the same page. when are you going? ours leaves april 5. less than 2 weeks, baby!!!

hello everyone! wow..it's been soooo long! i am so happy to see how everyone is doing! i am doing good. i am down 55 lbs since my surgery june 5. the biggest size i had in my closet was a 22...today i am wearing a size 10-14, depending on the brand, i guess:) i really can relate to you, love2lose. if it weren't for people saying something everyday, i don't know how i'd feel??? obviously, i have lost weight...it shows in my clothes, the scale, and my measurements....but my eyes and my head tell me different. when i look down, i feel just as "fat" as i always did. alot of times i even tell myself people are just being nice by saying things. i even tell myself, they are going overboard with the comments sometimes. (i think...they would never be saying these things if they saw how i looked without clothes on) my scale still says 180, and that number sounds way too high to me (i am 5'7"). the goal i had in my head is 160, and that is even higher than what a chart would say. i can say i'm so happy that i'm only 20 lbs away from my goal weight...that sounds so crazy to me! i never would've thought i'd finally be there. it is very much a psychological thing, though. i feel like i can now understand how those skelton looking anorexics think they're fat. my husband and i are going on a anniversary cruise in 2 weeks. this will be our 6th cruise...1st since the band. this is going to be very different. eating has always been a huge part of the cruising experience. there is so much food, like just about all the time. i won't physically be able to overeat anymore, so i'm not worried about that i am more worried that i'll get stuck and have to pb, and that can ruin the whole day of eating for me. that's not the end of the world, but it could be embarassing at dinner with a table of people i'll be meeting for the 1st time on this cruise. o...i forgot to mention...my husband was also banded in may 08. bless his heart, it hasn't come off for him as easy as it has for me, but he has enough restriction now that he gets stuck sometimes too. i think he'll be freaking out if he gets stuck at dinner. i could almost see us staying out of the dining room if that were to happen? anyone had any experiences to share?

my doctor has always recommended liquids for me the rest of the day after a fill. once, i was "over-filled", and this last time, he recommended 2 days of liquids.

Hi, fellow June Bandsters! I have lost 27lbs so far. I have had 3 fills and 1 unfill. I am so happy that I was banded! I feel like the band has done exactly what I needed....food is not what it used to be for me. It is not a main focus in my life. Sometimes the weight loss seems really slow going, but I am glad I am not gaining! And I figure if I keep it up at the same rate, that would be great! I can totally sympathize with a previous writer about the weight loss coming in spurts. I tend to hang around the same number for a while, too. I weigh every morning, which some may not agree with, but I guess I need to know. I'm glad everyone is doing so well....keep up the good work!:smile:

Am I understanding correctly that you had a fill in May, and are just now in August having problems with vomitting? I would think if you are just having these problems after this long you definately should call the Dr. I had a fill 2 weeks ago, and ever since my fill, have had many times that I felt like my food gets stuck after just a few bites, then the sliming starts and I have to "throw up" to clear what is stuck out of my esophagus. Is it not different to "throw up"...food out of your stomach, or to "throw up", just clearing the food that hasn't made it to your stomach yet? I haven't called my doc yet, I just thought it's my first real restriction and I'm still needing to break old habits of eating too fast, not chewing enough, and taking too big of bites. Any thoughts?

The same people also did Flywheel. Even a little more amateur in the acting, but a great message!

welcome to the newbies! I have a PRAISE REPORT!!!! God is soooooooo good! I posted a week ago...pretty discouraged, eating way too much. Well, I prayed for days for things to get better, for the band to work, and for me to work with it well. So, I had an appt Monday, and I had lost 2 lbs since my appt 3 weeks earlier (i had my first fill then). Bummer, only 2 lbs, but I was happy it was a loss and not a gain. He put 2 more cc's in my band Monday. He says he normally only puts 1, but he wanted to get things moving for me. ( i had been honest with him about how much i could, and did eat) I finally have restriction!!! Yeah, me!! To be honest, even at his office when he had me drink Water after the fill, I could already tell with the water...but I wasn't saying anything...I didn't want him to think about taking any out!! I wanted to see how it went. I have read many posts about restriction, but I don't think I ever noticed it explained. For me, it is almost like I feel like the food goes down really slowly. Almost like it stays right past the back of my throat for a while. Yesterday, it probably took me 45 minutes to eat my meals, which is good for me...as I was eating way too fast. Tonight I got in a hurry to eat so I could be to church on time. BIG MISTAKE! I now know what sliming is. I probably took 2 bites before it started. When the food is "stuck", I feel like I have to burp alot (not PB, just air burp) and swallow alot. Well, I think I swallowed so much that I couldn't anymore, and I thought I was going to throw up. I didn't want to, but I had a lot of pain in my chest, and I just thought I had to, and there actually came a point where I had no choice...it was coming, like it or not. So, when I did, it was the "slime" I have read so much about. At the time I was thankful because it was really fast, and it made me feel better immediatley, but once I got to church, I kept having the urge to burp (not a loud one, just the one that's "to yourself"), and swallow. I ended up going to the bathroom about 4 times, and it was finally better about an hour after it started. I don't mean to gross you out, but I never really knew what to expect, so I thought someone might want to know. I'm sure I will learn REAL QUICK that I can't eat fast, or too big of bites. Even though when food gets stuck, and it's uncomfortable, that's just me having to change old habits, I am so thankful that I'm already seeing the scale go down again. I was hanging out at 235 before my surgery and I'm pretty sure I'll be in the 2-teens tomorrow a.m. So anxious to get below the 220's. Thanks everybody for being here, listening, and giving support. We didn't stumble upon this by accident! GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!

willbefine, Thank you for your words of encouragement! It is soooo true that the band is not around our heads. That's where my biggest battle is now. When I finish a second plate of food now, I am miserable afterwards, but when I go to load up the second plate, I think I want it. I guess I'm not eating slow enough for the signal to get to my brain that I am full after the 1st plate, or satisfied would be a better term to use. So, now I have to use my head, and ask God to remind me, before I eat a second plate, that I REALLY don't want it. I'll only be disappointed in myself if I go there, and miserabbly FULL! He reminded me last night before I went back for seconds, and I was proud of myself that I didn't. It is very much a battle in my mind. I have lived to eat for so long, and I want this band to enable me to eat to live instead. It is so frustrating to me when I know all the right things to do, and have for years, but haven't disciplined myself to do them. With God's help, and encouraging words from all of you, we will overcome!

Just a comment here about undisciplined people should get the RNY. I can understand that statement now, because I was banded the 5th of June, and have only lost about 12-13 lbs. I have had one fill, and I do believe things will get better. I know the band is only a tool, but I feel like if I want to be losing now, I just need to go on a diet, because the band doesn't seem to be helping yet. I trust my "tool" will start working with more fills. But, back to undisciplined people should get the RNY...weren't most of us undisciplined, and that's how our weight got out of control to begin with? I know for others, there may be other reasons their weight got out of control, but for most, I would think it's lack of discipline? That surgery may have been better for me, as far as being more successful, but I was scared of the RNY. Sorry for ranting, and I'm definately not lashing out at the poster....I'm just in frustration mode now.....I think some have coined this time period, "Bandster Hell"? I am praying for God to help me, to help this band work!