Constance

My surgeon said that yes, a small percentage of people never need a fill. Just the band alone is restrictive enough for them. He said the average among his patients is 3.1 fills until the sweet spot. He said he has done as many as 12 fills -- it's just different for everyone.

Amazing! You were gorgeous before...but your after is stunning! Good for you! And thanks so much for sharing the pics with us.

You look great!!

Check out the top chat forum, General Lap Band Discussion, and you'll find answers to all of your questions and more! Also, the are "Sticky" topics, things that are perma-posted for people to browse. Another good spot for the basic overview of the surgery is on the Inamed website. They make the band. (Just google Inamed and youll find it). Obesity Help.com also has good info on different surgeries. Welcome!

Tonight I spent too long in a fitting room. I know all the 'feel good', 'positive body talk' rhetoric and how we should be kind to ourselves. But frankly, I was so grossed out. Who was that fat girl in the mirror? The heaving lower belly, like udders without nipples. The new dark purple stretch marks, crawling from above my bikini line like poison in my veins. Who IS that? The ill-fitting bra, confused as to where it should rest, over or under the back rolls. The lumpy cheese thighs, spotted with patches of broken blood vessels. The butt, which starts somewhere below the back rolls and ends somewhere above the meaty calves. The stance, awkward and pigeon-toed because the thighs are too large for the feet to get much closer together. Notice I don't say MY feet or MY butt. Because it doesn't even feel like my body anymore. The only good part of the whole interaction with 'The Body' was that it reinforced how much I would like to move forward with the surgery. My appt. with the surgeon is next week and I've been up and down with my feelings of certainty or lack thereof. In some sad but undeniable way, the fitting room, and so many other daily indignities may be what I need to muster up the ultimate certainty. I had hoped the decision would come rationally and organically. I do the research, attend the seminars and supprt groups, read the materials and BOOM, I'm certain. But it hasn't been that way. I hear about slime and PBs and scars and no eating of dounts (Ever. Again.) and I feel totally uncertain, afraid. Like I'm a 15 year old getting a boob job or something. Like this is just so dangerous, vain and uneccesary. Sometimes I regret reading every gritty detail of any and everything bad that can happen. I think overall it has muddied what should be a clear decision.

Why did I imagine the port being on the side of my waist rather than in the middle?

My family has always pushed the Uncle Sam Cereal. It is bran flakes with flax seeds. I'm not banded yet, but do you think the flax seeds would go down ok? You can't really chew them, only break them up a bit with your teeth.

Good info and very easy to use in the real world!

I think it is AWESOME that you have shared your pictures! You have nothing to be ashamed of. You are gorgeous, even in a state of healing. Seriously, it's great to see some REAL women going under the knife and sharing the results. Thanks and Bravo!!

Average. Not perfect world, pre-planned meals. I mean the average day where maybe you have a chance to pre-plan some things but maybe you go out to eat, too.

Ok, I have more PB questions.:confused: Which is more likely the cause of PBing for you: food not chewed thoroughly? or The wrong type of food? How long until you know you have a problem? After a few bites? After the whole meal? Once you know you are "stuck", can you gag yourself and expel the offender? Has anyone tried the meat tenderizer and does it work? Does anything else help? Why is it a bad idea to take a sip of Water? It seems like that would help lubricate and move the food along. thanks everyone!

I know exactly what you mean (See my thread titles "How do you DO this?!". I, too, am really fighting with the feelings of desperate binging. I am allowing myslef to pretty much have what I want. However, I've been trying to shoot for these circumstances... 1)only when I'm hungry 2)chew thoroughly 3)stop when full. That's enough for me right now. I won't be losing any weight. But I will be getting more in touch with my body's signals and they is more important than "dieting" to me right now.

My husband and I have been trying to eat half portions and chew really thoroughly in preparation for me being banded. But we barely lasted a day until we were shoveling food into are mouths indiscrminately! I don't know if it is 'last supper' mentality or what. But I can't seem toi have a shred of discipline and it scares me. How will I be once I'm banded? How do you DO this?! Does the band just force you, with penalty of PAIN, to slow down, chew and take it easy? I feel like I can't even get it together enough to do portion control PRE-band. I feel like I've already failed and I'm not even banded yet. I have so little confidence in my will-power -- like my belly is a botomless pit. Are all of my demons mental? I know the band won't address that. I'm freaking out - thanks for letting me share.:phanvan

Thanks for the great responses. Sometimes I see posts about how some bandsters are so diligent and disciplined. It is both inspiring AND intimidating.

I can so relate to this. (See the thread I just started. I feel like a giant hypocrite even responding here). But look how far you have come! You can do it. Just take it one day at a time. Sometimes you can get so caught up in your past failures that you can't see how far you have gone to change. So you slipped into some old habits, it's part of life. Just work on tomorrow. The reese's pb cups are NOT the enemy! You just get caught up in something that is really tasty and easy to digest. It's like speeding. You realize, "Hey, I can push this pedal even harder and I can go SUPER fast!" Maybe you even get away with it. But you know you can't drive that way all the time. So you have to put the breaks on a bit and it isn't much fun, but you know it is the right thing to do. Hang in there. I know EXACTLY how you feel.

We can put a man on the moon but we can't remedy stretch marks? I have a new crop and it sucks! I'm about 4 months out from getting banded so I'm trying not to diet them away at this point. (If that is even possible). They are on my lower belly and only on one side. (?) They are dark purple and itchy and I "check" them several times a day. As in "are there more?" "Are they worse or better now?" "Are they getting bigger?" Is there anything I can do? I have some generic Renova (like Retin-A) and I've been putting that on them. I have them on my arms, thighs, boobs, hips, butt, etc...but those are all clear/white now so I don't care. But these new ones are so bad! I've never even had kids and they are on my belly like a full-on prego lady! Should I try to lose some weight? That seems so dumb at this point. I mean, I'm not on a crazy binge or anything. Any ideas? Can I slow them down? ANYTHING?

I'm glad I saw this thread. This has been a recurring question and internal debate for me. I'm happy to see there are some honest opinions about the long-term use of the band. I would rather hear "yes, another surgery is possible maybe even likely", than "No way! You'll be FINE". I'd rather know the facts. But really, sometimes I think of all the damage I could do to my body being morbidly obese for another 10 years -- or even 5. Wouldn't that be worse than any corrective or maintenance type surgery that might follow getting the band? I do strongly believe in the next 20 years there WILL be a safe, effective pharmaceutical breakthrough and obesity will be far less common. It will be like anti-depressants. Huge numbers will get on them and say "wow, why did we suffer so long?" Until then, we have to accept the risks of WLS...or just diet...which basically means staying fat.

I think I will order one. I'm not banded yet but I think it would be good for me to work on the slower eating in preparation for the band. I have alredy been working on mucho chewing. Now that I really am focusing on it, I notice I tend to swallow huge chunks of food. Not good. ps. I was thinking about PBing. Once in a great while if I am wolfing down tortilla chips, I'll get one that goes down barely crunched and sideways. It feels like it scrapes the whole way down and absolutely SUCKS! The pain is the worst! Is that what a PB feels like?

I want to check and see of there are any on Ebay. 50 bucks seems a little steep but I suppose if it helps then it's worth it.

wierd! cool! So does it make a noise? Are you ever annoyed with it?

This quote from DH. He says, "Wouldn't it be easier to just eat half as much food all the time, instead of having a band?" I sort of didn't know how to answer. I said, "well, you eat slower so you feel full sooner and for longer" . He says "so why don't you eat slower and take small bites...without the band? Especially when there are erosions and slips and all this stuff you keep telling me you read about on lapbandtalk ?" (so yeah, I did tell him I was learning of more of the downside of banding recently) He isn't being devil's advocate, he's asking some questions that are challenging my mental preparedness for the band. Help folks! Why IS the band better than just portion control and/or dieting?

Hi, here is the letter my PCP sent to Cigna. Do you think it is compelling/informational/persuasive enough to get the sugery covered? Is this close to what your letter looked like? I am writing this letter of medical necessity on behalf of my patient, xxxxx. I am requesting insurance coverage for a laparoscopy, surgical, gastric restrictive procedure; placement of adjustable gastric band (gastric band and subcutaneous port components) and the CPT code is 43770. She has tried numerous diets and weight loss programs for the last 15 years. She is successful for a few months but her weight loss was 5% or less and short-lived. She has gained the weight back and more time and time again. She had a resting metabolic rate done in our office in August 2005 and had consequently followed the caloric recommendations with daily exercise and gained 5lbs over the next six months. Her BMI was 39.5 in February 2006. Here are some of her weight loss attempts: In the last 5 years she has tried the following diets (with exercise): Weight Watchers (multiple attempts) South Beach Low-carb (Atkins) Low-calorie, low-fat calorie counting. EXERCISE: She also has been seeing a personal trainer for 9 months. She was on a diet of 1700 calories a day for 4 months. In all of these attempts her weight loss was 5% or less and short-lived. Weight related conditions: Swelling of feet and legs, knee pain, achy joints, and pain in arches and heels if she is on her feet for any length of time. She has low back pain after only 15 or 20 minutes of walking or standing. She has tried better shoes and supports but to no avail. She has been diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Her medications include Zoloft and Wellbutrin. She suffers emotionally from being overweight. Family history in her words: 3 of my 4 grandparents died of heart disease. My mother, father and brother are obese. My uncle is taking medication for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I will enclose her recent office visits and tests that have been performed since she has been under my care. Please fax or email me with decision of patient's coverage for surgery. If I can provide any other information please let me know.

Good for you! Glad to hear you a feeling good. You were banded by Snyder, right? Just curious, what was his pre-surgery diet like? I'm seeing him 4/12 for a consultation - already went to the group seminar.

I think the Thornton clinic will actually be another office for Dr. Snyder at St. Anthony's North. But I could be wrong.

HI, sorry to hijack. Please post your thoughts about the vote on the "would you do it again thread". I know it isn't anonymous, but you can use that old "my friend" approach.