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Hope everything turns out okay - I too am slightly worried I have caused a slip even though the doctor today said he thought I was fine - I have just been very surprised how much I can eat before I get the full feeling - are you able to eat normally and is that how you found out? I have not had a fill yet so it may just be that since I am only 10 days post-op it is too loose starting out. Good luck.

I am very interested in the sleeve - it is the newest alternative to the band - I just got my band but am hoping I didn't make a mistake - I need to lose 45 lbs and the doctor said I didn't have enough to lose to justify the sleeve but it seems so much better long-term and I wouldn't have this ugly goose egg port thing sticking up on my stomach that I hate. My husband is considering surgery and I think he may be happier with the sleeve since no foreign object in your body but I am worried about it because it is not something you can reverse.

I have a friend who didn't lose any weight for 6 months - that seems incredible to me - she said after 6 months all of a sudden she was able to push the plate away - she has since lost 150 lbs.

Just wondering if you felt anything weird or did you have any idea it had flipped? I went for my first post-op appt today and I was complaining about my port area being so swollen and sticking up so high where it is noticeable in my clothes and he thinks it is just fluid but said it could be flipped but he didn't think so. Will check it when I go in 4 week. What makes them flip?

I went on the web-site to order but I can't figure out which size to buy - their web-site isn't working properly to help me calculate it.

I have the Realize Band and it holds 10 CC's. It only comes in one size.

I have the Realize Band - the reasons I chose are: newest band, one doctor me and my husband went to for our original consultations ONLY uses it - it is not hard plastic like the Lap Band it is more flexible - it only comes in one size, the port is flatter sort of like the difference between a stack of half dollars as opposed to a stack of quarters - the Realize band does not need stitching in - it has it's own system that sticks out and adheres to the muscle so no stitches - it has less chance of flipping and the band itself has less chance of slippage - it is less restrictive because it is slightly more flexible around the stomach - I did a lot of research on it and chose the Realize Band for reasons above but also you get a Patient ID number that you can go onto RealizeBand.com and register - only people who have had the surgery get one and it has all kinds of great support - a diary, all kinds of things to help.

Thanks for the reply - there are some really angry people on the Realize Band forum - literally verbally attacked me like I had insulted them personally - this is much better - I read somewhere about a girdle type garment you can wear during healing - maybe it reduces swelling or fluid retention - do you know what I am talking about? I have so much swelling especially around the port area that it is very depressing - I actually feel much heavier and bloated 10 days post-op. Thanks.

I am 10 days post-op and do not feel much restriction - can pretty much eat whatever I want - I do not eat nearly as much but have no trouble eating because I chew everything really well - I told my doctor today and he said it was good that I wasn't choking but it was bad that I was not still on liquid foods because I am not through healing - I am so hungry during the day that it is hard not to eat - of course that is the point. I get my first fill in 4 weeks and I am afraid that I will not have lost any weight - I thought by then I would be down quite a bit. The only thing I had trouble with was taking a vitamin that is huge - won't do that again and a boiled egg that I obviously didn't chew well enough and I choked on it and it hurt really bad sticking in my esophagus.

I had my first post-op appt today - I am 10 days post-op - I am having same pain as you and he said it is gas pain and I need to take Gas X or Milk of Magnesia - I did not know it was from gas but now I do - It is not killing me but is very uncomfortable - maybe what I am eating is wrong but I am basically living on soups, cream of wheat, oatmeal, yogurt and protein drinks. Should go away eventually he said. I also have a lower back pain which is also related to gas.

I went to the Realize band site and made the mistake of sending a post asking why you can't get real information and have to go through dozens of posts talking about politics or other personal info - I got blasted by about 30 people really angry about it - it just seems like if you want to send that stuff to a group of people you met on a WLS web-site you could exchange personal emails and not put on the nationwide site - this lap band forum is so much better than the realize one. Thanks!

I have my post-op followup appt with my doctor on Monday - will ask him but I am anxious to hear if I am the only one who has a big lump.

I have written several times before but still haven't heard from anyone who has the same port problem I seem to have - I am only 8 days post-op still swollen and bloated - I am not having trouble swallowing or anything like that - can even swallow my vitamins with almost no problem - my concern continues to be that my port sticks up so far I have this big goose egg lump sticking out that looks awful - I was told that it would not be seen and maybe not felt but it is very obvious where it is and I can feel it - It makes sense that as my weight goes down in my abdomen that it will go down but when it is all said and done and I am closer to my goal weight I do not want this round thing sticking out so it shows through my shirts. Thanks for any info you can give me.

I am not morbidly obese for one thing - need to lose about 40 lbs - doctor says 50 and I don't have a big butt for another thing but even if I did I would not want some big lump sticking out on my abdomen. This is the kind of response that is not helpful. I am trying to get genuine information. Thanks.

I was banded on Friday 27th - my port area is sticking up like a goose egg - I was told that under no circumstances would be port show that it would be hidden - I realize I am swollen but I am not going to be a happy camper if this big round thing is going to always show. It hurts more than the other incisions but tolerable. The worse part for me is feeling out of it all the time on pain meds.

Did you have post-op swelling around the port area that stuck up like a goose egg for first few days? I cannot get the answer to this question - a lot of people just write in about things having NOTHING to do with lap band surgery. Please can someone just answer that simple question. You have done great - hope I have success like you - Thanks.

I have asked several times on this post about post-op swelling around the port I just had my surgery yesterday morning. The port area sticks out like a goose egg. I can't believe that after reading hundreds of these posts I can't get an answer to that question. Thanks.

Just was banded yesterday (27th) - very swollen, groggy from meds, sore, dry mouth. My question is around the port area is it normal to be very swollen there looks like a large goose egg sticking out - I was told you would not be able to feel or see the port. Thanks - Paula

If you lose weight at approximately 2-5 lbs per week with the lap band will your skin shrink along with the weight loss? I am worried about my arm and leg skin - I have 50 lbs to loose but hope that with exercise I won't have to have skin removed. Thanks.

Can you tell me if you are able to eat pretty normally except for obvious portion control? My psychologist told me at my pre-op appt that she wondered why I would not have the sleeve instead of band because it is "less restrictive" - I need to lose 50 lbs.

I have 50 pounds to lose and a low BMI so I was surprised when I went to my psychologist appt last week and she asked me why I was doing the band and not the sleeve since it was "less restrictive". My doctor's bariatric coordinator said that first of all a sleeve is usually not done on someone unless more weight to lose and you have to stay overnight at hospital and it is of course irreversible so not sure why she would tell me that - my belief is that a psychologist should not give medical advice that is different than my doctor so now I am confused about which to get? Anyone know anything about the sleeve being less restrictive? She said that it was great because no fills needed and not a foreign object left in body both of which are good reasons to get the sleeve but I am worried that it being irreversible. Thanks.

No I don't have another psych appt - have my pre-op appt on 23rd and surgery 4 days later 27th. I am cash-pay - my insurance wouldn't cover it. I am going to stick with the band for n ow - I think with just 40-50 lbs to lose it is the best option for me - my BMI is 32.1 so not that high either and I would be worried I would actually lose too much weight with the sleeve - I don't want to be too thin as weird as that sounds, Thanks

I saw your message after I had sent mine about this subject - my BMI was 31.2 so not exactly high so I had to self-pay - I am so big around my stomach area that I actually thought I may have a mass or something wrong but I have been checked out from head to toe - my arms are slightly too large but mainly just not toned - same with my legs - from the back I don't even look overweight but when I turn around I have this huge stomach that starts right under my breasts and continues down - almost like I am 7 months pregnant - I have been very depressed about it - not sure why the weight is not more evenly distributed - I have already started thinking of myself in smaller clothes. I am counting the minutes until my surgery on the 27th. I have to travel a lot with my husband and we have to entertain clients at nice restaurants so I eat more when we have to do that - I am so tired of feeling that so full feeling that you think you may bust. Sorry to vent.

I have my pre-op visit with a psychologist next week - my surgery is on 27th. What do they talk to you about during this session? Thanks

Yes my doctor recommended her