micheleaner

It is really too bad that this isnt made clear by the surgeons during the decision making process. I strongly feel that if I was told that 1) you have the surgery 2) it will not be very functional, if at all, until fill 3) the fill level may take months and months or years to get right....heck no would I have spent the money and had my body sliced up for this most inconsistent and most uncertain course of treatment. I am sorry but I have higher expectations from such a drastic measure and all of the hype and selling points around this procedure. I have some other issues like hiatal hernia and some thyroid/adrenal masses so maybe my problems could be related. Maybe these things contribute which would be great if so...maybe the fact that the band is not for everyone is something that the medical community needs to see and develop some more definitive criteria around through further research of those of us failing - not to mention be a bit more forthcoming on this aspect BEFORE surgery not after so we can all make more informed decisions. Kimberly please do give it a chance. There are tons of people who have been really successful. I think that you need to have discussions with your surgeons office on how to manage the fills so you get the most success. So he only does 1.5cc, find out what the waiting period is. You will likely just need a tiny bit more. Also I have heard that some people's fills kick in a couple of weeks after they are given...dont give up like I have...just understand now that this is not going to be easy or convenient...

I have gotten 4 referrals since posting this...that is 40 dollars already! Thanks to those that called. I know that your 15 minutes of time and 10 dollars from me will add up!!!! Please call!

Wow sorry that was a serious typo/freudian slip...I mean to say 282/294. I surely wouldnt be complaining about being in onederland lol...If I put it more in perspective, the 21 lbs I lost in 3 months was mostly in the 2 weeks of liquid after the procedure. I lost another 5 lbs the rest of that period. I also was doin ok with the band during that time as far as it seemed to be working correctly as it's function as an aid in reducing hunger and providing the right restriction - but that was short lived. What do you do once you find the perfect spot...obviously you cant be set there forever, it may last a few months or weeks and then what...do you have to start the whole process over again? I know that for me, this was something that was never brought up in the pre-op. It was more like, you get a fill every few months and you are good to go...I do hope it is a matter of being too tight but how can one determine that when it is so night and day different from day to day or hour to hour? The quote someone responded to me is on the money...regarding forget about the band and go live your life...but when it is constant issues and inconsistency, you have to make appointment after appointment to 'tweak' it, how do you integrate it into a normal part of life that you can sortof forget about and move on with living?

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OK that is hilarious...and come on...if this can be considered 'tooting' George Bush could serve a 3rd term and all of America and the world would cheer and toot in happy unison! Ill be the one in the back letting massively loud, booming farts that can in no way come from any woman, fat one or not!

It has been terrible for me and I regret having the procedure at all. It has been too inconsistent in it's day to day that I have more unhealthy habits than I did before the band. Maybe it is due to complications or just my usual bad luck...but you cant practice all of the rules when the tool doesnt work or works inconsitently from day to day and sometimes hour to hour. Seems like others are doing well though. I know some people in person that all seem to have had a lot of trouble with it so hopefully we arent just being exposed to the exited newbies and the success stores on these forums...

So not sure where to post this so posting in a couple of places, sorry if you see it more than once :seeya: Well, I have had my band over a year and am down a total of.......6 lbs. I fluctuate a bit, but have noticed that my fills are all over the place since the first one, one day there is no restriction and I could shove a house down there, the next I am fine, the day after that I can hardly swallow my own spit, and back and forth and back and forth and I have grown to despise the band as it hasnt functioned at all as the tool it should....most times I take one or 2 bites of any type of meat and my pouch fills up with goo quicker than you can say 'goo' :ihih: and I am spitting for the next hour. I get so hungry and weak from not eating that I have to move to soups and veggies only and am starving. I have not been able to eat all that healthy at all really since having the surger because it has been so horribly inconsistent as a tool. I feel complete regret and physically sick over spending 18,000 cash on this and wish I hadnt cheaped out and spent the extra 4 grand for the Gastric BP I also now will have to pay for each fill and tweak to try to get it right someday and dont really have the money to do so in this economic downturn we are in..but.....so anyway.... I have been having some chronic upper and lower left abdominal pain for many months, more severe upper ,and went for a CT scan. The radiologist noted hiatal hernia extending 5 mm into the thorax. I had the hiatal hernia pre-surgery. I am unsure really what this means to the band, but could this be the cause of why it has been so finicky and the pain? A few times now the pain in the upper left is so severe it feels like someone is twisting me inside for aoubt 30 seconds...worst pain I have felt aside from when I had a large ovarian cyst burst and leak fluid into my tissue (if anyone has had this they will know what I mean about the excruciating pain of this!) I couldnt get in to see my surgical team until next week. Strangely though, last week I had to break down and get unfilled completely because I couldnt get any liquids in at all for an entire day (this happened to me back around the first of the year as well). My last fill was in March this year by the way. Has anyone else has this experience with their band and/or know what the implications of the results of the CT scan? I dont really know what this means in relation to having a band vs an untouched anatomy. PS - They also found an adrenal cyst and another recent test discovered 7 thryoid nodules. I also have recurrent ovarian cysts...my poor hormones must all hate eachother

Yea, I thought the gas would settle down..I fart like an rhino now. I have been banded a year. I think some of us breathe air into our stomach a bit and it has nowhere to go but downnnn now :seeya: Welcome to gas-band land :ihih: