jms462001

Just had abdomnioplasty (extended), full facelift and upper eyelids done all at once. I lost close to 100 lbs and I will soon be 57!

Dr Debarros and Dr. Orris work together as a team. They did my surgery and I have found all of my treatment with them to be excellent. They have a great office team with a support system available. Their nutritionist is very supportive and always available and their monthly support meetings with speakers are informative and helpful. I have been very successful in my weight loss efforts thanks to this weight loss center!

I was on Wellbutrin before and still take it. My depression is much improved after losing all the weight along with all of my other physical problems. Losing some of the body pain helped me a lot with the depression.

I took it for 6 months and maybe lost 4 pounds!!! I only kept taking it because it gave me a bit of energy due to the amphetemine effect. Even if it works for you for appetite control, if you take it all the time, your body adjusts and it quits working after a couple months. Good luck with it anyway!!

I take all my meds the same as pre-band unless it is a huge pill which I would break in half. Always follow your Dr's orders. My Dr. said I could swallow any pill or capsule that would fit through the top of a small water bottle. It has worked for me so far.

Just had abdomnioplasty (extended), full facelift and upper eyelids done all at once. I lost close to 100 lbs and I will soon be 57!

I am having an identical problem and have had it going on for at least 6 weeks. My Dr. says the port feels flat like it should be and when he puts a needle in it and pushes or pulls I don't feel pain (had small unfill to see if it would help and then slight fill). Because the discomfort seems to be just beside and slightly lower than the port, he does not know if it is referred pain or something else. He was going to unfill me and do a port revision, but I am self pay and don't wish to do that without being sure the port is the problem. It sort of feels like I am being poked inside by something sharp, very difficult to even describe, but I think we may be experiencing the same thing. Please PM me if you determine what's going on with you and also how it is determined!!

Bert99, based on your own unfortunate experience I can see where you might take a jaundiced view of the whole Lapband thing, but jumping on poor Hummingbird who offered understanding, concern, and a logical suggestion was a bit harsh. And as for lap band surgery being the easy way out- well, I reckon you've discovered it isn't easy at all. We still have to take responsibility for what we eat and how we eat it.
On the chance my own experience will help, I'll share it. If it doesn't help, ignore it. I am not paid by a surgeon to write nice things about the band and I am not in the "wonderful" phase of the band. It has taken me two years and three months to lose 84 pounds. I've had ups and downs and looong plateaus. It has not been easy. I don't expect it to be much easier in the future, but I have learned some things that help me through the rough Patches.
My band invariably feels tight during the early part of the day. I struggle with this, some times more than others. This week has been a particular challenge because I long for the emotional comfort of freely eating whatever I want. Of course, eating for emotional comfort eventually packed a hundred extra pounds on me.
If I insist on eating early in the day when my band is tight, the food will come right back up. If I eat too much, up comes the food. If I don't chew well enough, same thing. If I wait until I am relaxed, actually hungry (and not just wanting to eat), and then eat a controlled portion of easily chewable food- well, life is golden. Most of all I have to guard against overeating, which means something quite different back in the days before the band. Overeating now can mean two bites. I know that feeling of too much food in the pouch- it is miserable until it is gone, one way or the other.
It is a pain to have to pass up invitations to lunch because I know I am not going to be able to eat, but I've discovered my friends and family are quite understanding about my dietary limitations. We go for walks instead or get together to sew or garden or ride the horses. It is a continuing pain in the neck to not chew well enough, overeat, eat when I'm not hungry and end up having to walk around to let the food settle or actually go get rid of it in worst case scenarios. Sometimes I am better off just going back on liquids for a day or two and letting my stomach relax. Easy way out? Not on your life. But I can live with it because it is working for me.
If the band is too much of a problem for you, by all means have it removed. But the weight gain you report is not a side effect of the band; it is the result of too many calories. That's not going to change once the band is gone. Overeating is an eating disorder, just like bulemia and anorexia. Hummingbird's suggestion to find a counselor to help you deal with that particular eating disorder is a good one. Please don't discount it.
Good luck to you.

Dr Debarros and Dr. Orris work together as a team. They did my surgery and I have found all of my treatment with them to be excellent. They have a great office team with a support system available. Their nutritionist is very supportive and always available and their monthly support meetings with speakers are informative and helpful. I have been very successful in my weight loss efforts thanks to this weight loss center!

I am a success story for sure and as some others have said, my only regret is not getting the lapband years ago. I didn't have the usual health problems of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol,sleep apnea, etc. that many obese people suffer from. I was very healthy from that standpoint, but my body was breaking down. My knees swelled and ached all the time and I was told I was headed for total knee replacement surgery at 54. I have severe spinal conditions and need a huge surgery and that kept me in total pain all the time unless I was laying in bed. I was at the point where most days just walking from the bedroom to the kitchen caused me extreme pain and I was spending more and more time in bed.
I got the lapband in November 2008 and within a year I had lost most of my weight with only 3 fills. 9 months after getting the band, I was diagnosed with early cancer and had to have a radical hysterectomy. I was unfilled for that, but did not regain weight and got back to my "sweet spot" with two fills. I continued losing slowly through April 2010 when I reached my current weight. I am about 6 pounds under what I feel is right for me and I do go up and down those 6 pounds. I keep that as my safety net!!
I lost weight slowly and steadily with the lapband with no real plateaus along the way. I averaged about 8 pounds per month after the first 6 weeks and the pre-diet. I did not exercise much at all as it is so difficult with the spinal problems. I did keep up my Physical Therapy exercises at home. I now can walk quite a distance without pain, can stand for longer periods without pain, and need less pain medication. I realize I will need the back surgery one day, but for now I am so much better I am happy. The best part is that my knees never hurt any longer, not ever!! And that was getting so bad that I could not sleep some nights.
I have gone from a size 22/24 to a size 6 jeans (first time in my life under a 14) and a med. shirt. I do have a problem with clothing as I had a breast lift with implants 10 years ago and the Dr. went a bit overboard with the size. My breasts still look good, but are really big for my body and I have to wear mostly stretch knit tops. I would like to get some plastic surgery on my stomach, but it is surprisingly not too bad for that much weight loss and no exercise and with a shaper under clothes I look great. I would much rather get a facelift when I get the money to put a younger face with my sexy body! Perhaps one day there will be money for both!
I did follow band rules for the most part, but did eat ice cream or a couple Cookies now and then along the way. I found Chef Jay's Protein Cookies and brownies and took care of extreme cravings for chocolate with those and got my Protein too! I now eat what I want, but do try to keep it healthy. I can eat anything I want because I do not eat too much. I still have to keep sweets and certain foods that are triggers for me out of the house or I would have problems. When I do gain a couple of pounds, they come off easily. I did find recently when I tried to start taking celebrex again that it greatly increases my appetite. It took me a couple weeks and 5 pounds to figure out why I was so hungry and eating so much. Once I stopped taking it, my appetite went away so I think we do have to be very careful about the medications we are taking as they can sabotage all of our efforts and then we blame ourselves for having no willpower.
I think that with a competent Dr. placing the band, a good support system, and a great desire and motivation to lose, the lapband will work for most people. I know I am elated with my results and after maintaining for 9 months, I am ready to say I was successful! I hope everyone might have success with their lapband as well!