DanTheMan

Bella, I must say that I am very glad to read that you are doing better! I have thought of you a few times since my reply to your post. I suspect you will eventually enjoy the benefits of the band. For me, it took quite some time before I got to where I needed to be in terms of restriction (fills). I always had good result for 4-6 weeks after a fill but my most recent fill, and possibly my last, has really put me in my place. . I wish you the best. Dan

Bella,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> Wow! I’m very sorry to read that your procedure did not go well! I think you might fall into that "1.5% complication category" or whatever the rate actually is. <o:p></o:p> I received my band from Dr. Owens many moons ago. I suspect I was a textbook case as I was in and out and healed quickly with zero complications. He did take note that my pancreas did nto look normal but a follow up scan showed it was okay. I suppose, as with all operations, complications can, and sometimes do, occur.<o:p></o:p> <o:p></o:p> I've had, I think, 6 fills, maybe 5 in the years I've been with Dr. Owens. I've gotten to know him as well as one can with a surgeon and I have always felt completely comfortable recommending him which I can't say of every doctor I've known. I even researched Dr. Owens (and others) prior to ever having met him. He has an impressive surgical background and he's done some real ground breaking work throughout his career.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Anyway, I’m ranting. Sorry. Please feel to contact me.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Dan<o:p></o:p>

I believe vomiting can cause slippage. My goal is to not throw up. I'm getting good at remembering to chew thoroughly and avoid "dry" items. For example, I recently had a bite of a biscuit. Well, let's just say, biscuits are now on my "avoid" list.

I've vomited and sometimes returned to my meal (but taking it slower, chewing more, etc). Most of the time, the majority of the time, my appetite and desire to eat is gone-zo. I was very inquisitive with my surgeon pre-op and I asked him lots of technical questions. He told me he takes a lower part of the stomach and folds it up over the band, like a flap, on the exterior of the stomach, and sews it to secure it. He said this really helps prevent slippage. I'm not sure if they all do this but I've never seen this on any of the illustrations I've seen.

I suspect it depends on how much time you'll spend on your feet and how much you have to hustle. After 10 days, from what I recall, I felt pretty good but I also only walk about 200 yards a day--total. I'm not certain if I could have hustled on my feet for an 8 or 10 or 12 hour shift. Of course, I'm assuming it will be an orthoscopic procedure. My surgeon and I discussed the possibility of him having to open me up and we agreed that if, for whatever reason, he couldn't complete it orthoscopically then he wouldn't open me up. I'm fairly instrumental at my place of employment and I could not have taken 2 or 3 or 4 weeks off. As it turns out, everything went fine.

I have a few. I regret not getting the band YEARS ago and I also regret not getting fills sooner. I've had 5 fills since being banded 16 months ago with my 5th just recently. I went for months and months very nearly feeling as if I wasn't banded at all and each fill only gave temporary "difficulty". That is until my most recent fill. I'm now glad to say that I'm pretty much where I want and need to be (check out my other posts for more details). The thing to remember is, if you're not having a hard time eating, then go get a fill. If you're hungry all the time, go get a fill (having a tight band somehow reduces the appetite). If you can eat a lot, go get a fill. If you're not losing weight, go get a fill. What's the thing to remember? Right after surgery, after everything healed, I felt as if I wasn't banded at all!!! I got my first fill and it was scary-good for a week or so then I was back to not feeling banded/restricted. I got my second and third fills over the next few months and I began to notice . . . things . . . for awhile. I got my 4th and was there for a loooong time (too long)--it was good for the first 6 weeks and then slowly got not so good. After about 6 months I started to gain weight. Got my 5th fill not that long ago and it's been good times ever since (in terms of not being able to eat any more food than I can cup in my hand and not being hungry to either) What's the thing to remember?

I've actually never heard of the terms but I can relate what I have experienced in the 16 months since I was banded. Burping sometimes helps the blockage pass. It kind of churns things up right at the band and gives it another chance to pass. When I have a resilient blockage my mouth produces saliva like a waterfall and my nose runs like a kid running down a steep hill for the first time. It amazes me; the volume. My nose runs and runs and runs and the saliva, oh my. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Well, anyway, after about 5-10 minutes of being a bodily Fluid factory the discomfort of the blockage mounts and the body does the only thing it can. Uuurrrrrp! Mrrph! Pfftptp! Pftpt. (tmi?) I've noticed that in the act of expelling all that saliva and nasal drip, sometimes with very little accompanying food, that the blockage often works itself out, er, down. Sometimes not, too. I suspect the stomach cramping during the act of vomiting plays a key role. Oh, and I've never been able to spit anything up, into a napkin. Being a big burly guy, I either "go big or go home".

Well...when I get blocked, I can feel it. It's at the base of and behind my breast bone. That's where my band is. I can feel just about everything pass and I can REALLY fell it when something gets blocked. I've had to make myself vomit before to feel better. When times like this occur my mouth and nose produce enough saliva and drip that I end up vomiting without effort because the saliva etc can't pass the blockage and it all backs up.

I was banded over a year ago (July). My stools are related to what I eat and to stress to a degree. The loss of appetite is a wonderful side effect of the band especially after a fill. I've had 5 fills for 9.5cc total in my 14cc capacity Inamed VG band. My band is very tight right now!! And I'm exactly where I want to be. My appetite is low, my ability to overeat is severely retarded, and the speed with which I am forced to eat is almost annoyingly slow. Good times! For example, I eat one egg for Breakfast and I can't handle anymore. For lunch, I might have something like a $.59 crunchy taco. Two crunchy tacos if I'm really hungry but I might start to sweat from eating that much at one sitting. dinner is about a cup (equivalent) of whatever is waiting for me when I get home. TickerFactory.com for the weight tracker thingies. Follow the instructions for pasting the "code" into your signature on your profile page.

My experiences are very similar to Totalltater. I become a saliva machine when I get blocked. My mouth produces the stuff by the bucket and my nose runs like it's in the desert being chased by a lion. After about 10 minutes of this I make my way to the bathroom and produce a "saliva jelly fish" in the toity bowl. The mucous and slime that Totallytater refers to is saliva and nasal drip. Thankfully, it's tasteless except for maybe a hint of whatever it was that was eaten in the first place. I experience no acid flavor at all but I lost my gall bladder years ago (from the MediFast diet) so not having a bile reservoir might play a role. I think it's because the blockage is basically before the stomach and the body knows when something is stuck and the brain tells the mouth and nose to "get busy"

After 5 fills, with everything going down slow (even liquids), I've learned that with enough chewing and even a bit of waiting between bites, I can eat just about anything. Some things I avoid because they require too long of a wait between bites. I love Sushi but I pretty much can't have it unless eel sauce is involved and even then it's slooooow going. Lobster and shrimp are things of the past. Currently, no amount of chewing gets that fibrous muscle stuff past my tight band. Tortillas are . . . OK if taken in moderate to small bites and chewed plenty. Saliva is your friend. I've learned the hard way that if I rush I get plugged. I do not believe I've had grape leaves since I was banded in July of last year but I'd say try them after first drinking a full glass of water. If you get plugged, the water already in your stomach MIGHT help if they have to come up. I'm to the point that I can feel everything pass my band (even liquids) and I can also feel when something is NOT going to pass. I must say that being in this condition is exactly where I, personally, need and want to be.

MellyB, I recall the excitement you describe. For me, I felt the procedure ended up being a bit anticlimactic. I was in-n-out before I knew it and back to work, full speed, in about a week (but I've always healed fast and I tolerate pain like no one I know). My only advise to you, is once it's done and you've completely healed (after about a month) you may feel like you were never banded (depending on the band that you get). If that happens, don't worry, just go get a fill. I have a large capacity band and it took me 5 fills to get to where I am now...where I wanted to be all along. Looking back at it, I would have gone in sooner/more if only I had known. Other than that, no regrets whatsoever, and that's not really a regret anyway. My only true regret is that I didn't do this years ago!

I was banded on a Monday morning and I drove to and worked Thursday. My commute is 50 minutes one way. I ended up taking Friday off and come Monday I felt pretty darn good. It helps to know that I sit at a desk all day. I also never took any pain meds whatsoever. I also ate a soft scrambled egg Thursday morning.

Sorry, I don't. I never had any complications whatsoever and I'm certain a good part of that is due to Dr. Owens' skill and experience. I recommend that you give them a call. It wasn't a "complication" but Dr Owens did note that my pancreas looked a bit abnormal. I went for a scan (the one where they quickly inject that stuff in your arm that makes you feel warms in . . . certain places ) but it turned out to be nothing.

I think you'll be fine. As it turns out, I've swam the same day as a fill (of course, I didn't have a thing to eat). Your stomach may feel . . . a little weak . . . is the best way to put it, I guess. Have you had a fill before?

Dr. Owens, who did me, has a center in Huntington Beach for $12,500 and at Rancho Specialty in Rancho Cucamonga for $15,500 (where I had mine). This covers everything from when you lie down to when you get up plus fills for one year (which should get you to where you want to be in terms of food intake restriction). If I recall correctly, having it done at Rancho includes some other "insurance" against a complication. He has an on-line pre-op form that you can fill out and they'll give you call and answer all of your questions. Dr. Owens was great and I completely recommend him and his staff (plus he won't yawn in your face). Here's a link to their pre-op page. Fill it out or just give them a call. You'll like Dr. Owens! I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't.

Dr. Owens is partnered with another surgeon and they both offer the procedure in Mexico (at least he did 15 months ago when he did mine). It was far cheaper to do it down there but I opted for close to home as I could afford it. The nice thing, I would imagine, is if you have him do yours in TJ/Mexico you could then do your visits with him in SoCal at one of his offices.

I've had my band for just over a year. I too experienced exactly what you guys are saying. After every fill I've had, I experienced several weeks of decreased appetite and a serious sensation of getting fuller quicker when eating. Eating also takes longer. I wasn’t able to do what a few of you are saying about the diet during the first month. After about day 4 I started on soft scrambled eggs and everything was okay from there; however, certain foods are definitely off the menu such as just about anything "doughy" and potatoes. It takes a bit of learning how to eat again. Childhood advice from my father comes to mind, "chew your food". I've never chewed so much. I too was apprehensive and a bit anxious going into my first fill. The fill itself turned out to be much ado about nothing but the next two days were interesting. The stomach swells afterwards and it takes (at least) a good day and a half before it really goes down. With each fill you will definitely notice how food goes down. Right now, I notice how liquids go down. :biggrin: I’m now on my 5th or 6th fill and am actually where I want to be. My appetite is way down and I can’t eat 1/4th of what everyone around me can—and that’s fine with me. For example, for lunch today I had one of those Quisnos flatbread Sammy's and it filled me full. Pre-op, I bet I could have eaten 6 or 8 of those things. My advice, having been there and done that, is to go get a fill if you are unhappy with where you’re at. If you are able to eat big portions--get a fill. If you are able to eat a lot--get a fill. If your current fill doesn't seriously slow you down--get a fill.

If you're looking for recommendations...I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Milton Owens. He works out of Rancho Specialty Hospital and (I think) Chapman in Orange as well. He put in my band just over a year ago and I’ve been very happy since day one. He has an online pre-op form that I filled out and I ended up opting for the cash option. "Out of pocket" is a term I usually associate with what insurance does not pay. "Cash" bypasses insurance altogether (which is what I did). My insurance wanted me to jump through months worth of hoops and, to quote a line from Willy Wonka, I wanted my golden goose now. My cash cost was $15,500 (if memory serves) and that included everything: free fills/follow-ups plus I think there were other added benefits such as assurance against some rare BLIS complication something or other (can't really recall) but I’ve never had to deal with any comlications (except eating too fast--:biggrin:). Anywho, I think Dr. Owens was great. I consulted with him out of one of his offices in San Pedro. He then banded me at Rancho Specialty (not far from my home) and I was essentially in and out. It took about an hour for the procedure--3 hours soup-to-nuts. I’ve done a few other posts here and there on here about my experience so I’ll spare you the novel.

I'll be honest with you. It felt greeeeate! I did clear liquids for over 3 days/2 nights, then some light Soups and by the 4th-5th day, I was feeling pretty good in terms of healing, recovery, etc. I was also hungry as hell. My first "solid" food was soft scrambled eggs (nothing added) and I think I ate just one! Sure I was scared but it went fine. I also heal quickly, IMO. The type of band that you have may also play a role but I think the worst that happens to the stomach is a small flap is folder over one side of the band and stitched kinda like "tucking it in" place.

Hi Everybody! Glad to be here. I had my band put in over a year ago. Just had it adjusted again. Doing great. I love it. Dan :smile2:

It will be over before you know it. Hang in there. My life was on the line...that's how I looked at it and my 8yo son was my motivation. I don't think I was on track to see him graduate high school. Comparitively speaking, for me, having the flu was worse then having the procedure plus teh recovery, IMO. Last time I got the flu, I thought I was going to die . . . for 3 days. I never thought I was going to die post op.

Uh, yeah. I think my first bite was at the end of the 4th day. Soft scambled eggs.

I too was a big drinker at meal time. I would sometimes have them bring me two glasses of Diet Coke because I would plow through the first really fast. I would/could easily go through 5-6 refills when eating out. Now, I hardly notice it anymore but I actually drink very little when eating. Maybe half a glass of soda with ice. I find myself getting it to go a lot. Also, I never stopped drinking Diet Coke although I should mention that I never drank the stuff out of the can and, even pre-op, I would most often dilute it with Water. I love the taste but I'm not a fan of carbination at all. In my younger years, I would leave the lid off of the bottle to let it go flat. Nowadays, I just add water or maybe pour some at room temp over ice.