2muchfun

Warning: Graphic explanation ahead. I know we were all told this was minimally invasive, but I beg to differ: So I'm sorry to be too graphic here but remember, someone filled your body cavity full of gas, they pumped fluids, medications, antibiotics and anesthesia into your body. They punched 5 holes in your abdomen, moved all your inner body parts around, shoved a tube down your throat, took an electric scalpel and burned away excess fat and tissue wrapped around your upper stomach, then wrapped a plastic strap around your stomach just below the lower esophogeal sphincter, stitched it in place with 5-6 sutures bringing your lower stomach up and over the band and then snaked a tube out of your body and then sewed another plastic piece to the muscle tissue on your rib cage. Took me about 8 days to feel somewhat normal but the incisions were still itchy and oozed, and I still had an anesthesia hangover. tmf

OK sleevethefat, let's try to have a sincere debate? I agree Allergan sold the lapband product. Someone else bought it so apparently the new company(Apollo Endosurgery) believed it was a good investment? We may never know why Allergan sold the product. The product was out of their mainstream product line and only represented 3% of their sales. They claim they wanted to focus on higher profit products for the future. To state otherwise would be speculation so let's just agree the product was sold and is still a viable medical product? BTW-Mercedes Benz sold off their shares of Chrysler several years ago speaking of companies selling divisions or interests. I looked over the mayo clinic site but couldn't find anything stating the band is no longer offered. I did find that they are using the lap band less frequently and prefer the sleeve. http://www.mayoclinic.org/medicalprofs/bariatric-surgery-eov7n1.html I think there are enough studies out there to illustrate that the band has more revisions and patients lose less fat with this type of procedure. But, a reasonable person may come to the conclusion that this type of surgery works best for them and their place in life. Sleevethefat, FYI, should my band ever fail me, my first choice would be to look hard at the sleeve procedure. I find it to be a logical progression for me. But, to denigrate thousands of people on these forums as idiots is wrong and I hope you know it? If you can shed more light as to why you believe so strongly that the band is so idiotic, I'm all ears. But, you've not convinced me with your two samples? My apologies to all sleevers, I don't want to interfere with your forum but she came over to our forum and made some inaccurate statements. I'm not stalking her, I'm trying to understand and maybe educate her how we all try to work together here on the forums. tmf

Am I missing something? Why are you bummed? Buy a scale? Read the posts above, they address issues in the first 20 days. One more thing. You hijacked this thread. Don't take it like it sounds. Only 6 people follow this thread so you won't get much response. You have to start your own topic if you want more exposure? Hundreds of people follow the topics but there are only 6 of us following this thread.

Thanks for the reasoned responses. Sleeved the fat needs to be reminded this is a forum for support and not obesity helps or other forums that tolerate misinformation. We bandster's welcome reasoned responses with accurate information. But to Celebrate on this forum her own early success and to insinuate others choices are idiotic is very tasteless. Show some class ms sleevethefat. You are so new to this you might be eating your words later on. I hope not and wish you all the success in the world. The decision to have WLS is individual and must be made by each of us.

Let me introduce you to debate 101. I don't have to disprove a negative. You're the one who is making the assertions without any proof. And when it comes to business, you might want to stay out of it because businesses sell profitable divisions and products all the time. Again, you make wild A$$ assertions with no knowledge and no proof. And to come to the lapband forum and make another assertion "The chances of it working for her long term are slim" is quite a leap for someone who had surgery just days ago. I guess that makes you an expert? Not hardly! There are many people on this site who have had the band for many years. Get off your high horse sweety, you've got a lot to learn. And the first should be to stay on your own side of the fence if you have nothing accurate to add. We welcome reasoned debate and comments! tmf

I would suggest your conclusions are based on nothing but hearsay and rumor. You don't offer any documentation as to why the Mayo Clinic does not offer banding? Allergan sold the lapband division earlier this month and businesses selling off divisions of their own companies is not a rarity. For all you know they made a profit? So please stick to the facts when posting. And, you won't see anyone revising from the sleeve to back to normal(or the band) now will you?

So, I went to the top of this page(if you use a PC) and clicked on patients and then searched for Nebraska patients and clicked on surgery date so I could align all the most recent patients. http://www.bariatricpal.com/patients/?sort=surgery&state=NE&country=US&from_form=1 Be sure to click on the arrow under "Surgery Date" to make the row ascending.

Either surgery is good. The sleeve was never mentioned prior to my surgery and if it was, it was glossed right over. I've done some reading on the sleeve forum and both surgeries have their issues. Sleevers don't want the hassle of going back for fills or dealing with a slightly higher re-surgery rate we bandster's deal with. For me, it would have been the finality of removing 85% of my stomach. Barring any kind of extreme problems with being banded, I feel like I can always revise to a sleeve or bypass if that becomes necessary. With any other surgery, you have few choices once the knife cuts the stomach. With the band, I still have many choices including removal and returning to my prior obese state. tmf

I've seen several members post that an all-out hurling session or long term vomiting caused their band to slip. What happens is your stomach below the band convulses to expel whatever is in your stomach. This can tear the sutures away from the band causing it to slide up or down the stomach. Also, if there is a high quantity of food or liquids in the stomach, this too can cause slippage. Think of it like it's a champagne bottle with a lot of pressure expelling from the bottle. Same thing with your stomach. Might want to check in with your doctor after you feel better? tmf

You might want to rephrase your comment and specify which panhandle? Many states have a panhandle. Use the edit button at the bottom of your post to add information? BTW-When your topic pops up it doesn't indicate what state or forum you're researching. tmf

Another way to look at this is this way: You're fairly new to this so it takes some time for many of us to be able to tell the difference between being hungry and having cravings? Also, being full is OK if it's on a half cup of food but "FULL" is not the feeling we should be looking for. Are we hungry? Are we satisfied with the food we've eaten even if there is still some left on the plate? Look for the satiety signals before you look for "FULL". To me, it sounds like you may be in the zone or very near it? If you are having stuck episodes now and find it difficult for many types of food to pass through the band, you should reconsider having a fill. If you have no such episodes, maybe a small fill(.25cc) might put you over the top? Ask your doctor or nutritionist? tmf

Sunnygrl, what's with the passion for pizza? Few of us even eat the stuff anymore. If we do, it's a rare occasion. It's not ruled out but it's not a healthy option. I agree with you though, you should have your band removed since it sounds like your condition and personality won't work with the band. Good luck. tmf

Parisshel, I agree, there are a lot of inconsistencies in her story? First, she can't eat meat then lists meat she is eating? She doesn't eat much but then she lists enough food for a lumberjack? She's all over the place and isn't taking any responsibility for her choices? I don't know how one can gain weight if they aren't eating too much? I guess if one lived off of milkshakes or triple cheeseburgers one could say they don't eat much?? Or not? Sunnygrl, I'm not attacking you but your story is more than a little weak? Not only do you need to visit your doctor for an unfill, I'd suggest some nutrition counseling with a psychologist. tmf

25 lbs is very good. I was only down 20 lbs at 5 months but once I got the fills I needed to keep me in the green zone I lost another 30.

"Here is an idea of what I ate yesterday: Breakfast: (A breakfast burrito made at home) 2 scrambled eggs with a slice of cheese, 3 slices of bacon, a low carb tortilla and ketchup; and a Diet Mt Dew. Snack b/w breakfast and lunch was 5 pieces of chocolate. (less than the total size of a handful) Lunch: was 3 slices of a medium pizza with 12 ounces of Diet Pepsi. Snack b/w Lunch and dinner: was a greek yogurt cup. Dinner: 1 cup of taco meat (very VERY VERY ground FINE small pieces) with 1/3 cup shredded cheese, and chips; with 16 ounces of Crystal Lite Kool-ail. Then last night after dinner, I had 2 sugar Cookies with a glass of milk." I'm confused? Are you saying you don't think this is a lot of food/calories? There's a good 2500 calories here? And a lot of meat? I agree that you should get an unfill. Maybe 1 CC? tmf

It's all good. Just reset again on January 2nd and hit it hard. Don't beat yourself up over the Holidays. Even thin people put on a few lbs. It would be great if we were all unfeeling mind numbed robots but many of us aren't. So, shrug it off and find that motivation again in the New Year. I highly recommend cleaning out the pantry and fridge to avoid any more temptations? I've already started. tmf

I was banded 11/28/11 so I understand how difficult this is over the holidays. You're evolving into "Bandster Hell" and it won't go away till you get a few fills that help your band work it's magic. Till then it's just a diet. I lost 12 lbs the first 2 weeks and then nothing for the next 3.5 months. I kept the 12 lbs off by focusing on eating healthy foods as much as possible but the fact that some of us in BH can/could eat most anything without the band sticking her nose in my business makes this phase a very frustrating and difficult time. I ate a lot of Soups. Egg drop soup is very rich and filling with lots of Protein. I lived on that stuff for weeks. Still love it. tmf

First, strike the word "full" from your eating vocabulary. Insert, "Satiety" in it's place. Satiety or satisfied with the amount of food eaten is what we look for now. You can be satisfied but not full. Full is that feeling we all sought before surgery and like a junkie, many of us looked for the ultimate high, but it never came so we kept eating. And, until you get a few adjustments to your band you shouldn't be concerned about weight loss. Many people experience a lot of swelling around the band area post surgery, and this can cause people to get stuck on mushies or even liquids. If you aren't feeling this, and I never did, you may start feeling hungry soon and it may be intense, so keep up the liquids. tmf

Father Frederic I have sinned: I've eaten candy, Cookies, crème brulee, chips, biscuits smothered in sausage gravy, did I mention cookies? There's fewer baked goods in the house now but I still have to hurdle the New Year's annual dinner of Prime Rib, mashed potatoes, gravy and cheesecake. Don't bother with the hail Mary's, I've got it under control and just like every New Year for the last 40 years, I'll knuckle down and drop 20-30 lbs. But now, it's so much easier with the band. Not sweating this at all. Thanks Father Frederic. tmf

Call your doc.

These are questions only your doctor can answer? But, a 12 month supervised coaching program? That's the most extreme hurdle I've ever heard for a patient to be eligible for WLS? Sounds like it's a filter to weed out the weak and avoid the cost?

Losing weight is always a good thing!

Every doctor has a slightly different post surgical protocol. Impossible to say what stage you're in? Your doc must have given you a post surgical list? My doc is rather liberal so I was on Soups by the 4th day and on to soft foods by the 8th day. But most docs keep patients on a liquid to soupy for up to 30 days and at least 15. The other posters are correct. During surgery they fill you with saline and all the drugs can make losing some of the excess fluids difficult. Also, if you were on a pre op diet you may not lose for a while since you've squeezed out some of the excess Water obese people retain. Concentrate on healing. Happy New Year!

Not sure if you understand why we shouldn't eat solid foods till the doctor clears us? The band is sewn/sutured into place around your stomach. So, this is a time for healing your stomach. Eating solids before you adapt to eating like a Bandster can cause a stuck episode and tear the sutures or exacerbate the surgical area. Also, your pouch and your stomach have to work hard to push the food through and digest it when it still needs to heal. Maybe you already know this but it bears repeating. You're definitely not the first or last patient to make this mistake and you should be fine once the inflammation declines and yes the pain will go away. I think a lot of patients cheat like this and get away with it because they had very little swelling from the surgery but sounds like you must have had some inflammation that caused the food to stick. But congrats on your first stuck episode. You'll probably be so much more careful as you progress

You can get many different answers to this question but if you want to compare, and comparisons aren't really an optimal way to judge your own journey, you need to find someone who is the same gender, same height, same weight, same lifestyle and same support system. Low BMI patients like myself lose much less the first few months. For me, it was only about 20 lbs. If you are a high BMI patient your early weight loss will most likely be more. Much of the weigh we lose the first 2 months is excess fluids our fat cells are retaining. This can be as much as 40 lbs for someone around 300 lbs. Any kind of weight loss is good though, but fat loss is what we should strive for. And we really don't tackle that monster until we get the band adjustments that enable the band to work it's magic. tmf