cwm812

I am loving this thread! It is an embarassment of riches. We all deserve the new clothes (and accessories)!! Today, I tried something else new and expensive. I went to a Spa for the first time. I don't think I'd have done that before the weight loss. I would have been too worried that the robes won't fit or the massage table would be too small....but, let me tell you, it was great! If anyone's looking for a nice way to reward yourself, it's a great change from simply shopping. ......Of course, you will still want to go shopping before and after..... Cindy

Thanks for the nice words, Su. My Lap-band is one the best things I've ever done for myself. As for a recommendation, I have to agree with Viking Girl. This is all a learning process. When I read about someone who has 8 or 9 cc in a 10 cc band, I figure I would be at the ER begging for an unfill. I am very fortunate. My doctor's office is only 5 minutes from my house. So I have been making very small changes. It does cost me a co-pay every time, but that is a small price to pay for the right level of restriction. I think your idea of .75 cc sounds good. It's hard to know if it will be the right amount or not, but you need to try something. There is no point to having a lap-band, if it's going to make you miserable. This is supposed to enhance our lives. Good luck with your appointment. Hopefully, your doctor will realize that your opinion is valuable in this process. Cindy

You are not alone. Over the last 8-9 months, I've been getting tighter and tighter. I had a small unfill, last Feb. That worked great, but then over the summer, I realized I was getting tighter again. I went to my doctor and he wanted to remove at least .5, but I said no. I was too afraid of gaining any weight. He removed .3 and I lost more weight because I could eat something other than sliders. While the unfill was great, I realized I still couldn't eat solid Proteins. I'm great with chili and Soups, but I thought I could do better. On Wednesday, he removed another .3 and so far so good. I'm not starving. I made another appt for a month from now, so I can assess the situation. Right now, I have 5.2 cc in my band and it feels pretty good. For the record, my doctor doesn't know why this is happening, but his theory is hormones. I am definitely in the midst of perimenopause and that could be the cause. He does not think that I've slipped. I'm just glad he's willing to work with me on this. I'd be in huge trouble without my doc! Cindy

My doctor is a member of the no pre-op diet camp. He is a member of a 5 surgeon practice at a Bariatric Center of Excellence. He told me that at one time they did require a pre-op diet, but they found that it did nothing to enhance the outcomes for their patients, so they stopped requiring it. Here's my experience....even though my BMI was >50, I did no pre-op diet, my surgery went very well. I followed the usual post-op diet (clear liquids, liquids, mushies..) and lost weight very quickly, probably due to the fact that I hadn't done liquids prior to surgery. For whatever reason (post-op swelling?), I was not hungry during the liquids part of the diet. I managed to escape the dreaded "bandster hell". In all, I was very grateful to have skipped the pre-op diet. I was more that a little nervous about having surgery and I think that 2 weeks of liquids would have been very difficult for me. Post-op, it was no problem at all. All of our doctors have their reasons for their pre-op procedures, and I think that if we've done our research, we need to trust their experience. I always question my doctors, but it's more so I understand their reasons, not so I can ignore them. Good luck on your surgery. Cindy

Glad to hear you liked Hersheypark. I'm a local and my son works there. I love to get his employee passes and go for free! Rollercoasters are no problem for the band. In fact, they're a lot more fun because I get more airtime now that I'm so much lighter. Enjoy your trip to Disney! Cindy

I read that same thread you did and thought, "OMG, everyone's going to think we all throw up all the time. Who would want a band if you can't even go out and eat in public?" Well, it's not like that for me. I have never once thrown up (or PB'd) in public and don't plan on starting. Oh, I have had my issues when things don't go down well, but I just don't spontaneously PB. I have to go to the bathroom and work the process. Even the one time when I did get stuck at a Chinese buffet (I know, it wasn't my choice!), I didn't actually PB until I got home. As for eating out, I still like to go out, but I usually do order something safe. It's not so much that I'm worried about getting sick in public. It's more that I just don't want to be that careful. It's hard to enjoy eating a steak, if you need to think about every bite. I'd rather eat something easy and enjoy the conversation. Also, those slider foods will leave you with room for dessert. I don't do it every time, but it is nice on a special ocassion. Cindy

No fluoro for me either and I have never had any problems getting the fills. I think if you have an experienced doctor, it's pretty unnecessary. As info, my doc believes in small fills. It's worked very well for me. Cindy

Oh yeah...Sizes have gotten much bigger. I have to say I love wearing size 10 jeans, but I am fully cognizant of the fact that 20 years ago, these jeans would have been labeled size 14. Congratulations on your loss, even though the sizes have changed, you are still doing a great job. Cindy

I had this problem, too, for a short while. I handled it like you all have. I stopped drinking anything after 7 pm. It didn't work. I also was making lots of weird gurgly sounds every time I ate. It was embarrassing. I didn't get stuck all that often, but eating was becoming a real chore. My solution....I had .3 cc removed from my band. The problem has completely gone away. I can now even drink in the middle of the night and go back to bed in five minutes. This makes it a lot easier to get all my Water in. I'm not sure what the cause is, but I think it has something to do with being banded for awhile. I am 2.5 years out, too, and lately I've been getting tighter. Right now, I contemplating having some more of my fill removed. My last unfill worked so well, I actually lost weight because I was able to eat better foods (not sliders). Cindy

To treat my ulcer, the doctor but me on Nexium and Carafate. I took both for 3 weeks, and then he repeated the EGD and the ulcer was healed. I haven't had ulcer issues since banding, but if my band is too tight, I do get some reflux. I've managed to problem with very small fills and over-the-counter meds like prilosec and prevacid. Cindy

I understand completely. I've been large my whole life except for one very brief period where I lost a lot of weight and then gained it all back. I have identified myself as a fat person for so long, it's hard to feel comfortable in this new skin. At this point, I wearing size 10 pants and medium tops. I always thought those people were rail thin and I just can't see myself as part of that group. Sometimes I feel like I've moved to Spain and I really don't know the language very well. The only advice I can give is to take it slow. You only need to be concerned with where you are right now. The future is always scary. It's hard to know exactly where your weight loss journey will take you. Fortunately, my weight came off slow and I've had some time for my head to adjust. I'm not sure if I'll ever be completely at ease in the land of the normal. I always identify best with those people with weight issues. I understand it. I have a hard time understanding those folks who have been lucky enough to avoid obesity. Even writing all this has been strange, I feel like I've been to therapy! Cindy

You are definitely too tight now, but I'd wait a few days and see if it's just swelling from the fill. I tend to swell for 4-7 days after a fill and I just have to wait it out. If you are still too tight by Wednesday, I'd have the unfill. Everyone is right. You do not want to travel when you are that tight. One more thing, some of us are very sensitive to the size of the fill. I could never tolerate a 2 cc fill. Most of mine have been .5 cc. Cindy

I had a peptic ulcer prior to banding. The surgeon discovered it on my pre-op EGD. I was treated with Nexium for 3 weeks and then had a repeat EGD. The ulcer was healed and they scheduled my surgery. I haven't had any ulcers since banding. My doctor said that it was good that I found out about the ulcer before banding, that it's much easier to treat that way. Cindy

There's a whole section about happy success stories on the site. I've never posted mine there, but I certainly consider myself a success. I may not be as "long-term" as you're looking for, but I'll add my 2 cents. I was banded 2.5 years ago. I have hit my goal weight, in fact I even lowered it 5 lbs. Of course, I placed my goal pretty high, because I truly never thought that it would be possible for me to lose this much weight. Last time, I was this weight, I was in 4th grade. I have only had minor problems with my band. Lately, it's been getting tighter on me and I have to have some fill removed. I see this as a true benefit of the band. It is the only WLS that is adjustable. Honestly, I don't know where I'll be five years from now. I'd like to think that I'll be slightly thinner and just as happy with my band. I do know that if I hadn't had the surgery, I would still be morbidly obese and probably gaining more weight. Even if I had to lose my band (God forbid!), I still would be much better off for having had the surgery. I have gotten the weight off. Maintenance would be hard without my band, but not as hard as trying to lose the weight and maintaining the loss. Now, I eat better and exercise and, in general, have a much healthier lifestyle. The band may not be perfect, but it's so much better than my other options. Cindy

You are already doing the right thing. You need to see your doctor. Here's what I would do until your appointment. I'd stick to liquids or at least mushies and let your stomach calm down. You can still drink, so you aren't going to get dehydrated or in serious danger. Just go very slowly and don't try anything difficult for at least a few days. I don't know why this is happening to you and I know that is scary. I can tell you that over the last 9 months or so, I keep getting tighter, so it does happen. I don't have a slip. Last time, my doctor removed .3 cc and I was fine. I thinking about scheduling another unfill. I can tell the symptoms, now. I am just getting tighter little by little. I'm not throwing up much yet, but if I leave this go, I will be soon. My doctor has no explanation for this. He just says that it happens sometimes. If you are getting worse over the weekend, I'd call the office again. 10 days is a long time to wait and I know that the office staff can often squeeze you in, if they know how bad things are. Cindy

I said the exact same thing when I hit size 10! There has to be some way to discretely let others know.... Now I'm dying to fit into something with a single digit! Even my shoes are size 10! I'm going to get into an 8 one way or another. Congratulations. We really do know how you feel and know about all the hard work it took to get there! Cindy

I'd ask you doctor about it, but I can't see why you need a fill yet. My doctor's opinion was that as long as you were losing and you weren't overly hungry, you should wait. I didn't get a fill until almost 4 months after surgery. It worked well for me. I've been too tight and it is no fun. Cindy

Chili is my go-to food everytime. It's easy to make, it reheats well and it tastes better the next day. Now I busily look for new chili recipes. So far I've tried the usual red chili, white chili and a turkey chili with pumpkin. Cindy

You probably have tried bread in all shapes and forms, but here's my experience. I can eat sandwiches and subs as long as there is about twice as much meat and veggies in the sandwich than bread. For me, the mixture keeps the bread from gumming up and getting stuck. I also do OK with toast. Bagels, tortillas and soft breads do not work at all. Cindy

I've been getting this for the last 20 lbs or so. I usually just give a non-commital answer, like, "oh, it's coming off really slowly now, I doubt I'll lose much more." No one needs to know what I weigh or how low I'd secretly like to get. Honestly, though, I don't think people are really being catty about it or mean. I think that our society has gotten so routinely overweight that I do look really thin to many people. Last week, I went to an Open House at my son's school and I realized that I was the thinnest mom in nearly every class. Even when I went to a new doctor, she complimented me and said I must know to eat correctly, because I was so thin. She had my weight right in front of her and I know I'm at least 15 lbs from a normal BMI. People just expect overweight...normal looks "too thin" to them. Cindy

I know exactly what you're talking about....When I crossed over from the dark side (the women's section), I was overwhelmed trying to shop. I was used to having a choice of a pair or two of pants that might fit and a couple of tops. Now there is so much to choose from and I'm not sure exactly what will look good on me. My body has changed so much. Shopping has become my part time job. As long as you can afford it, this is a great problem to have! There definitely is a learning curve to your new body, but it is well worth the investment. Now go out and get yourself some new underwear. You are going to love having lingerie that fits! Cindy

Well, this is a tough one. I certainly understand the problem you're dealing with. I've got 2 sons, one who's overweight and one with type I diabetes (not overweight). The real problem here is not the surgery, but his maturity. 14 is a particularly tough age for boys. They're just starting high school and they are trying to fit in. I know that I don't know your son, but I know how mine were. They think they know everything and they aren't good about following rules, even when it hurts them. They rarely think about the consequences of anything. Bob is right. Go to the seminar and make sure that your son knows all the aspects of banding. It's not easy or trouble-free. I think the band may be a good answer for him, but if your son is like a typical 14 year old, you would probably be better off to wait a couple of years. I'm not sure he'll have the skills to be successful with the band. If he were my son, I'd reconsider if he truly understood all the work involved and seemed incredibly motivated. Cindy

I think most of us have this problem. You can tighten up the abs all you want, but if that layer of fat is still on top, you are going to look fat. I've been contemplating some lipo for this area. It drives me crazy. I'm hoping someone else has something positive to suggest. Cindy

I just answered this in another thread, but here's my story. I had no idea I had an ulcer, until the surgeon did my required pre-op EGD. He found an ulcer, and treated me with next week. 3 weeks later, he repeated the EGD, saw the ulcer was healed and scheduled my surgery. The process did delay my surgery by about 6 weeks, but other than that, no problems. I have found that I am very sensitive to fills and if I get more than .5 cc at a time, I have reflux issues. I'm not sure if it's related to the ulcer or not, but I watch things very closely and don't keep my band too tight. My band has been great for me. I'm so glad that my ulcer didn't cause any problems. Cindy

Not a dealbreaker..... I had no idea I had an ulcer until my surgeon did a required pre-op EGD. He found the ulcer, treated me with Nexium for 3 weeks, repeated the EGD and scheduled my surgery. I've stayed on prevacid since then, but I'm hoping to get off of it soon. Cindy