jennibells

I take it very early in the morning 5am, and I have no problem going to sleep at night. I feel like I cant sit still but that is a good thing for me, I am very productive lately. I did get headaches the first day or two but not anymore. I am doing really well, walking 1-2 hours a day, eating 3 small meals and I have lost 6 lbs in the last week and a half.

MichelleBee- That is exactly how I felt when my band slipped. Call your doctor and demand to be seen immediately. You can cause serious damage to your stomach if it has slipped and you are continuing to throw up and acid reflux.

Well I am 2 1/2 weeks out. I gained 5 lbs quickly and I was right back at my doctors office. I just cant bear the thought of gaining all the weight back. He put me on Adipex and Xenical and I have taken that extra 5 off and hopefully I will reach my goal in no time. I was so worried about what I was going to do when I got to goal but now I have just deceided to worry about today and not borrow tommorrows problems. I am exercising 1-2 hours a day, drinking lots of water and my appetite is small due to the medication so I am going to take advantage of it while I can. I am still sad about loosing my band, I really thought I made a life long decision so it is so hard to accept that the band is not part of my life anymore.

I lost my band on August 28th. I am still very sad about it but I went back into see my doctor and told him that gaining the weight back is not an option and that I would do ANYTHING to keep it off!!! I gained 5 lbs the first week after and I totally flipped out because I hadn't hardly eaten anything for the first three days and than just ate normal the last four days of that week. Well we came up with a plan, I dont qualify for the bypass because my BMI is too low because of the weight I lost so I am now taking Adipex and Xenical. It has only been a few days but I have taken the extra 5 lbs off and hope to loose alot more. Hopefully I will get to my goal weight and when I get there hopefully I will figure out a way to stay there!

I googled "life after lap band removal" the other day and I read alot of articles about the actual percentage of complications, I read one in an article I think was "Mens journal for health and mecine", not positive because I read alot of them, but anyways it said the actual complication rate for lap bands is as high as 25% and even higher after being re-banded. It has now been 11 days since my surgery and I am up 5 lbs. I did not eat much for the first few days because I was so sore and a little depressed but now things are right back to normal and my appetite is out of control! I really thought that my stomache would of shrunk considerably from having the lapband on it for so long but that is not the case. I am as hungry as ever and I never feel full. Just like before the surgery, this is exactly why I got the lap band I go to see the doctor tommorrow to find out my options. I really do not want to jump right back into another surgery and as of right now I do not qualify because I lost so much weight but I am not willing to gain it back either just so I can get another surgery. I may ask for some phentermine as that has helped me in the past before the lap band. Really I dont know what I am going to do other than take it one day at a time. I do know for sure that I hate this huge appetite that has returned and the feeling of never feeling like I am full

If I had it to do all over again I would of had the band removed and not put a new one in. My doctor did tell me that there is a higher chance of a band slipping the second time around but I was so desperate to keep my band I didn't even consider not getting another band. I loved the band before I had the first slippage, it worked great, I lost weight and I felt great but now I just think I am one of the unlucky ones that the band will not work for anymore.

My band has slipped for the second time When it slipped the first time it was due to getting very sick with the flu and throwing up for several days. When they offered to remove the band and replace it I had a twinge of doubt but I had such good luck up until the slippage that I deceided to go ahead with it. I now wish I would not of had the band replaced. I would of never done it if I had thought that I was going to go through surgery yet a third time to have it removed. It slipped this time for no apparent reason. The only explanation I have gotten is that you are much more likely to slip if you have had a slippage before. I am very sad that I lost my band but much more than that I am sad that I have put my body through 3 surgeries in two years only to be left with lots of scars and no weight loss tool to help me keep the weight off. I was a fairly healthy overweight person, just couldn't loose the weight and keep it off. The main reason for getting the surgery was to prevent getting diabetes as it runs in my family and I was showing signs of developing the disease. I am not sure what I am going to do now but I would like to suggest to anyone who knows they have a slippage to think long and hard about re-banding as I am hearing more and more about people slipping the second time around too. I never even thought to investigate slippage the second time around, I was just too afraid to live without the band. Now I wish I would of looked into it more and taken more time to make my decision.

I had 5 cc's in my band with absolutley no restriction. I went back in and had 2 more added and was so tight I couldn't swallow water so they took 1 out. I went back in two weeks later because I was having alot of acid reflux and indigestion and they took all the fluid out and said I should wait a month and than start over. I was back in the office ten days later because the acid reflux got much worse and I couldn't sleep at all. They sent me over to the hospital for the swallow test and told me my band slipped for the second time. I was not sick, I was able to eat, I was not in pain, I had no symptoms of a slip other than the acid reflux. I went in for emergency surgery that night and I am now two weeks out with no band The doctor does not know why it slipped the second time other than once you have a slip you are much more likely to have another one. The only problem I had was when they put 2 cc's in, I went to the grocery store accross the street, couldn't swallow the water and was back in the office in an hour. I am very sad and very disappointed with my experience with the band. I had a great experience the first time for a good year and a half until I got very sick and due to several days of throwing up from the flu it slipped and had to be removed and replaced. I do not regret getting the band I just never thought in a million years that I would be one of the few with complications.

My doctor also stitches the bands in to anchor them to prevent slipping. The first band was an AP and I got very sick and threw up for several days and that is why it slipped. This second one was a Realize band, also stitched in place to prevent slipping and it slipped for no reason. Doctor does not know why it happened other than after re-banding you have a higher chance of slipping again. My insurance does not cover a VSG and I dont know that I want to get hte gastric bypass as I really only have 40 lbs left to loose. I guess it depends on when and if I gain the weight back. Hopefully I will not.

I am only a few days out but I feel pretty good other than the depression I feel because I know how hard it was to loose weight and certainly to keep it off. My weight is the same which is unbelievable to me because the amount of food I was eating with the band was so much less than now. I went to the doctor this morning to have my incisions checked and I honestly exspected to have gained 10 lbs in the last 5 days but happily found that I have not gained a pound. It is all still so new to me, I am very sad and I dont know what I am going to do

I am in the same boat, 2nd band taken out 8/28/09. Doctor asked me if I wanted him to fix it if he could and I said no because this is the 2nd time in 6 months and I cannot go through this again. They say that your chances of complications is much higher after you have had a slippage and they were right in my case. When it slipped back in March I had been very sick with the flu and throwing up which caused the slippage. This time nothing happened, had not been throwing up, no problems at all. Just one day it was too tight and no matter how much they took out it never got looser. Now I wish I wouldn't of got re-banded back in March but how was I to know what was going to happen.

I was re-banded on 3/17/09 because my band slipped and they put in the new realize band. I had 5 CC's in the band with no restriction, went back and had 2 CC's put in and couldn't swallow. They took out 1 CCC. I went back a month later because it was still too tight, the brought it down to 4 CC's which was OK, less restriction. I went back in 2 weeks later because I was having terrible idigestion, he tried to take all the fluid out and could only get 2 CC's out. I went home and was back a week later because the indigestion did not go away and I developed acid reflux, did the swallow test and found my band had slipped again. I had it taken out last Friday. I told him not to put another one back in because I cannot keep having surgery over and over. The band slipped this time for no reason, I was not throwing up, not pbing, I did not push it. I do not know what went wrong.

Moondust- I went in for my 3rd fill on Friday and I was at 5cc's with no restriction. I told my doctor how frustrated I was that I was basically just holding my own for the last few months, up a few pounds, down a few pounds and he deceided to put 2 cc's in my band which put me at 7 cc's. I went to the grocery store accross the street and was trying to drink water as I shopped and the water kept coming back up. After I left the store I went right back to his office and he took 1 cc out so now I am at 6 cc's and I have good restriction. I went camping this weekend and it was not very fun because I was swollen from the fill and the pbing of water but I managed to keep a slim fast down and some pudding. Now I feel really good. I have good restriction and I can eat very little amounts. Finally I am where I should be!!!

Thanks for your honesty. It is really hard to read all these post all the time and wonder if they are not being accountable or if the band is really failing them. It causes me to doubt my decision but than I read your post and I know that I made the right decision. I feel the same way as you, I know that if I am not loosing it is because I am not making the right choices. I know that at some point I had unrealistic exspectations about what the band was going to do for me but now I know it is 50/50. If I do my part than I loose, feel good and look better. If I dont than at best I maintain, usually gain. Again thank you for being open and honest :bored:

I cant wait to feel that again! I have an appt. next Friday the 3rd and I am hoping to get some good restriction. I know what restriction feels like because I had been banded before but it was the lapband and obviously it was different, not sure which size I had but I had 2cc's in it and I had good restriction and was loosing at least a pound a week until I got sick, continually threw up and my band slipped. I know this realize band is different and I obviously need more fill's but I am impatient and really wish I had good restriction now :bored:

Well I am finished and I feel great. I lost 2 lbs and I am feeling much better about my food choices. I still dont have much restriction but I bought string cheese, bought some boiled ham to make ham roll ups and made some boiled eggs. I am feeling so much better now that I am eating better! Good luck to everyone, this truely was an amazing experience for me :thumbup:

Well I am just about done and I do feel a difference, not a huge difference when it comes to restriction but I am going in for a fill next week so hopefully that will be taken care of. I was eating alot of slider foods, alot more than I thought. I have really noticed how much better I have been feeling so I know I must of been eating too many carbs! I am eating slower, more conciously and I am aware of the full feeling again. I recommend this to everyone, it is only 5 days long and it really helps you get back on track. I am sure I will use this method again if needed

Moondust, That is exactly what happened to me. I felt restriction and a week late it was gone. My doc checks the Fluid when I go in so I still had all the CC's in it but for some reason I just lost the restriction. I will be going in for another CC, bringing me to 6 CC's and I am hoping this time will do it:thumbup:

Well I am onto day 3. I feel good and I definetly noticed that I was snacking all day long before I started this test. One goal after this challenge is to get back to eating 3 meals and 2 Snacks. I realize now that I was hungry all the time because I was eating slider foods so I never felt full. I will be making a list of healthy snacks that are not slider foods that I can keep at work. Today I am going to try to stick with canned tuna and chicken. Boiled eggs, soft cheese and fish for dinner. I think making a plan of what I am going to eat is going to work out well. I have to take my daughter and her friend to get their pictures taken for dance and I am taking them out to eat afterwards. I already picked a restaurant that I know has good whitefish so that I can order the fish and still stay on track :tongue:

Moondust I am happy to read that you have restriction at 6, I am at 5 right now and I still dont feel restriction, I was getting worried. Two more weeks and I will get another fill, cant wait!!!

I heard the Wii Active is much better for exercise. I do not have it but my friend does and she loves it. The Wii fit is fun, I have watched my kids play all the different games on it but I think it is more fun than exercise. I guess it all depends on what you are looking for.

I too need to get back on track. Yesterday I started the 5 day pouch test which consist of the first 2 days of liquids only and I think that it is really going to help me. I didn't realize I was eating so much junk and so often. Hopefully after these 2 days of liquids I can start to make good protein choices again.

Well I am on day 2 now. It is alot harder than I had thought, it is very hard to go on liquids voluntarily! I find that I am drinking alot more Water because I am not eating all day long. I think I can make it through one more day of liquids and I am looking forward to some Protein tommorrow! Sorry, I couln't wait till the 22nd, I am an all or nothing kind of person, I made my mind up and I just had to do it. If I would of waited than I am sure I would of talked myself out of it.

I am at 5cc's in my new realize band now and I have very little restriction. I am trying to do this on willpower right now and it is very hard. My doctor said that with the patients he has done the realize band with, most are feeling good restriction around 6cc's so hopefully my next visit will give me good restriction.

I am starting this 5 day pouch test today. I have 5cc's in my band but I feel like I have very little restriction. I am hoping this 5 days will put me back on track. It is only 9:30 here and I can already tell that alot my problem is head hunger! I just have to make it through two days of liquids and I know I can do that because I have made it through 2 weeks before. Thanks for posting about this test. I looked it up and it looks like a great tool for getting back on track :wink: My name is Jennifer, I have been married for 15 years and I have 4 children- a daughter who is 16 and three sons that are 14, 12 and 10. I work full time in an office which happens to be where I have most of my problems with eating- sitting at my desk! I was banded 10/2/07 and was doing good, slowly but surely and than my band slipped in March of this year and I had to get re-banded. I have had some emotional issues dealing with the slip and the re-banding. I am terrified of getting something stuck or throwing up so I find that I am eating slider foods out of fear. I need to get out of this habit and just trust that everything will be ok this time around. I am doing this 5 day test kind of like a re-start. I know I started out this second time around in fear and so I made bad choices. I know how to eat right and how to follow the bandster rules but again I didn't out of fear. I am taking back control today :sneaky: