Eficka

Hi, my band wasnt filled. They put 1cc in my 10cc band 6months after the surgery but immediatelly fodd got stuck and I had to be hospitalized... yes sure band helps with stredched stomach, but Im hoping that my stomach will shrink if I dont eat too much, cause its a muscle... Im having my surgery on Tuesday. Of course I have mixed feelings, Im afraid of eating after the band is removed, but I have to take again the responsibility for my health and eating...I hope I can do that :-)

Dear Cathy, after almost 5 years Im having my band removed. I had severe acid reflux and I personally think that the band was placed higher than it should be, because I could feel that when the food didnt pass right to the lower pouch then I had problems with stuck food. Some days even drinking Water causes me problems other days I could eat a cow. The outcome is that I have lost around 70 pounds but in last two years gained 50 back as I had problems. I know I should eat veggies and meat, but how when it gets stuck immediately.So I switched to foods that pass the band perfectly but are too sweet/fatty that I managed to gain almost everything back. Now Im a bit scared what will happen when the band is out...

I also find that some don't know ALL the signs of reflux so here they are again: - Burning- the usual suspect - Globus sensation- some only get this with no burning which is a feeling of a lump in the throat - Coughing at night- usually a dry cough (you can aspirate acid into your lungs - Gurgling- Acid feels like it's bubbling up your esophagus - Choking- the above makes some wake up feeling like they're choking - Belching/Burping- up acid at night - Nose- Sometimes people wake up with acid/liquids coming out the nose - Need to spit or vomit at night- Usually bringing up acid or even food, for some this even happens when they're sleeping Here's the bottom line...we got the Band to get our health back, not to trade one health issue for another...uncontrolled reflux can lead to way more serious problems than losing your Band so don't let it go on. OK, off my soapbox, and I'll be back if there are any more reflux issues! I've had reflux in a row for more than two months, waking up with acid in my nose and/or lungs... now Im geting my band removed. three years ago I was promoting the band and telling everyone that it was the best decission in my life...now after five years I cant wait to get it out and I wouldn't recommend the band to anyone!!! we arent fat because we have big stomachs and are always hungry....but because we eat cause we are sad, lonely....you name it...

Hi everybody, I find this forum soooo helpful. I am now deciding about the lap band. I am from Czech in Europe and here they use Johnson and Johnson bands. Are these good or should I ask specifically for Lap Band? What kind of checks did you have to go through before surgery? I have to see a psychologist, diet nurse, surgeon, someone to do stomach sonograph and the gastroscopy (tube to my stomach) (sorry for my Engllish but I dont know all of the medical names ). Now I am on a diet about 1200 calories and I am losing some weight, here you have to prove to them that you will be able to change your eating habbits. The insurance pays it all if you are BMI over 40 or 35 with complications. The doctors are very experienced and at this private clinic they specialize on the laparoscopic lap band surgery. 3/23/06 I have scheduled a meeting and hopefully we will schedule the operation date. I have a question the op. will be probably in April at the end of the May Im going on vacation to Greece, but by plane. Do you think that there might be some problem with the band due to the plane? Thank you for your answers and I am very happy that I found this forum. Good luck to everybody!!:clap2:

Dear CoachCher, thank you for your kind words and offer of trial session. My problem is I live in Czech Republic Europe, so it would be difficult to get to the USA :-) But maybe you do some counceling over skype or ICQ? I know that fills are good, but I have been seeing my new nutritionist who is also a shrink and internist and she is the doctor from You are What you eat and from what we talked and I understand why she thinks Lap bands arent ethical. Because I would say 90% of us have eating disorder or disordered eating/ unhealthy relationship with food and that is why we should not get the band. Probably many of you will attack me, but as I see it, first I need to get my psyche in balance and I dare to insist that I would lose the weight without any problems. I wont get a fill because I wouldnt be able to get all the nutritions that I need, based on lab test and different measurements. I was mentally abused by my mother who used to tell me that Im fat and useless since I was 11 (even though when I look at the pics I had normal weight for my body type.And since 11 I was on different diets, being good girl when I was losing being bad and stupid when I wasnt. There is where my eating disorder (compulsive eating to stuff my feelings) comes from. I did fool the psychologist at the pre op test cause I was desperate, but the tests werent that hard and during the talks you know whats right to say. Maybe if I have met the nutritionist/internist/shring 3 years ago I wouldnt have decided to go with the lap band. Im not saying LapBand is bad but, it should have been given only to people...Im trying to guess to whom, cause its a circle, we are obese cause we simply eat to much or junk or we have eating disorder. I will try to work on it all and I hope once my psyche is ok my band and I will work together just fine :-))

Hey all I had my surgery in May 06 I have lost 50 pounds but from May 08 I have slowly gained 25 back. I know it is terrible and I realize it but I dont seem to have any power at all to get back on track. I am seeing psychotherapist/food counselor, but still I often overeat to "kill" my feelings. I dont feel attractive anymore and I have no motivation whatsoever. I eat junk food, lots of food that dont get stuck (ice cream with cream or fat yougurth) basically anything that goes down smoothly. I dont have any fills and I wont be getting any, cause previously I had 1cc in my 10cc band and I had to be hospitalized due to stuck food. I am on antidepressants and I want to get off them. Any ideas how to get the motivation back? I have been eating quite ok for last two days but I start to have cravings... and I possibly cant make myself to go to the gym... help please

wow Julie you definitely look hot, I wish I could post a pic like that soon:-)

Julie Im in with you I decided that Im gonna reach my goal and Im going to sacriface it everything (even the food...lol)I cant wait to fit into my new skinny jeans. Thank God I went to that doc and got everything explained...my trainer means it well but she havent studeied it and she just doesnt have an experience with people who have a band so she just ignors the band

<p>Boo...yep stuck food/meds suck, with meds it happened to me once and I felt like Im going to die:-(</p> <p>I think you are really brave that you quit all the medications, Im on antidepressants and if I forget to take them or take them later (hours) then normally my head spins etc.I take thyroid pills as well but they are tiny so it doesnt bother me.</p> <p> </p> <p>Ok yesterday I went to se the doc and I gained 3kgs of fat!!!! what a terrible thing. I spoke to her about my trainers reccomendations and she told me that she is completly wrong and that I should eat max.1200 cals a day (my trainer pushed me close to 1700), eat everything just small portions and instead of weight lifting I should only do aerobic excercises. My trainer always told me how I need to weightlift etc that my body is going to burn more but the doc informed me that its not completly true, that the muscle is good when you make some diet mistake (chocolate etc.) that its not going to turn up on your butt but you are not burning more cals daily cause of the muscles (Im not sure if I explained it right:-) the doc also told me that Im not going to end up with loose skin or jello body if I only do aerobics cause the muscles work enough.I should start weightlifting once Im close to my goal.</p> <p> </p> <p>We will see I have another appointment with her in 3 months so hopefully she is right and Im going to be FINALLY under 89kgs.</p>

Wheetsin, but the titanium shouldnt set the alarms off. I specifically asked my doc about it and even in the manual from J&J it says titanium doesnt set the alaram off. if so then all people with new joints ets. would set the alarms off...But maybe the security appliances have changed who knows:-)

WasaBubblebutt, you are so right girl. I really am surprised how much the doc reccomendations warry in US from here in Europe. I was on clear liquids for 1week then 2 weeks on liquids and 2 weeks on mushies.I have read so many posts about how their doc told them they can eat mushies in a week and I was wondering. I dont know about the ratio of slippage here in Europe but when I asked my doc about the different diets he told me (no offense) that in the US they want to make it seem easy and with no problems or restrictions (something like magic cure to obesity). But if they really present it that way there must be a lot of dissapointed people!It might be cause you guys have to pay for it and the docs want to make money....

Hey I totally agree I can weight myself 5 times and get 5 different numbers if you press harder on the right side you get lower number. I just experienced low battery in my scale and everyday I was heavier by 2-3 pounds!!!!! But the problem is, now I changed the batteries I dont know if the scales show the right weight...Im going to find out tomorrow when I see my doctor

Cindy, maybe in the US or Canada you have more sensitive security gates (or how is it called:-) but here in Europe I didnt have a problem with my titanium port

<p>Girls thank you for the warm welcoming!!! I missed you too, but I just didnt have the power to admitt that Im not losing even if I try.</p> <p>Julie about the fill Im not sure it might help but on the other hand I want to take in all my vitamis and everything naturally. I actually want to be on a healthy balanced diet so I will see how the dietetician helps.I have no fill thats true, but I had 1CC put in my 10CC band last year and I got stuck badly and had to go to hospital.Even now from time to time the food gets stuck. If I eat meat or bread or pasta I cant really eat more than 3/4 to 1 cup. Of course I can eat lots of chocolate or ice cream...but I try not to.</p> <p>Im really not sure about the fill,Im scared.</p> <p>The book sounds tacky and its a bit comercial, but the thoughts sound good and it helps:-)</p> <p>Julie you look so cute in your Avatvar!</p> <p>Boo I actually gained 6 or 7 pounds, but I have no clue if it is muscle or fat or what I hope to find out tomorrow:-) Boo its not that much I know it makes you feel down, but if you worry too much its gonna be worse.</p>

thats really weird couldnt it be something else? ports are supposed to be made of plastic or titaniun neither should set the alarms off...new joints are made of titanium and people with new joints dont "ring" at the airports...I flew like 10 times with the band and I never set the alarms off

I have had the J&J band for two years now and no problems, here in Europe its been used for a while already...

Hi all Im 26 and I had the surgery when I was 24. Right now Im back on track:-) and ready to lose the last few (30-40 pounds lol)

Hi girls, Im back,kinda:-) my weight has been stuck for a while now, partly cause of bad food choices, but when I tried hard for two weeks it didnt move althugh I was excecising and eating well. So on Wednesday Im going to see a dietetician, cause my surgeon would only tell me not to eat.On the other my trainer thinks that when Im eating well (to my standards) that my cal intake is too low. Well I will let you know. Ok I was so depressed that I bought a book by Louise L.Hay-You can heal your life...I read few chapters yesterday night,cried a bit and started today with a positive attitude and thoughts and guess what I had a great day,full of energy.Ok I know it was just a first day:-) And I know that lady is/was probably big in the US but actually what she say sounds right to me. I have to learn to love myself and then everything turns around. Oh Julie you are dating! and you actually have a BF, thats so sweet! Im waiting for my big date but it will happen:-) Sorry for long post.Im glad to be back with better mood! Luv you all:-) Eva

hm let me think...most of the times I eat a bit more (like 1oz.) than I actually need.If I think about it when Im eating I can recognize when Im full...for me it basically means that Im not hungry anymore. Yep hiccups are a sign that I ate more than Im supposed to. Its all about listening to your body and recognizing if it is head hunger or pure hunger...nicely said but I have to learn that too:-)

Im a smoker.I smoked one day before surgery and started again week after. and I still smoke. Not a good thing I know but I asked my doc that it might be a problem to quit right away after the surgery and she told me that it would be too much stress for the body (much less food and no ciggies:-) so Im planning to quit once I hit my goal...

Congratulations Liz and welcome to lapband world! you are going to do great!

wow Julie you look amazing!! I can hardly believe that you were fat before! Congratulations to all who reached their excercise goal! Im starting my challenge again in September:-)

hello, I do drink only wine and coctails, but nothing bubbly. I havent waited too long to drink alcohol again like a month or two:-)but I dont drink much like once or twice a month, but then its usually at a party so I drink like 4 glasses of wine. I once tried bubbly wine and I got bad stomach cramps since the bubbles were going from the lower stomach back again to my pouch. It really hurt so since then I dont drink bubbles:-) But as I know some people tolerate beer pretty well.

<p>Hi Liz,</p> <p>I admitt I wasnt a self pay (here in Czech Rep. the insurance pays for it and I was BMI 42 to start with). But even if I had to pay for it I would definitely do that.I love love my band and Im 16 months post op lost 77 pounds (my highest weight was at the start of my lap band journey).</p> <p>I dont have any fills.The band works even without a fill but you have to make it work!! </p> <p>Here in Europe the research shows that you can lose weight even without any fills. So you have enough fill options for the future, since the band is meant to be for a lifetime.Yep its probably going to take a bit longer to lose all the weight but dont forget for how long have you been obese...and its all about changing your food habbits and excercising...</p> <p>Good luck to you:-)</p> <p>Eva</p>

Ha ha ha Boo, you are lucky that you dont like Skittles I could eat like one pound each day. Im just glad that we cant get it here:-) I was working out with my trainer yesterday and it was good:-)