missboo333

I'm wondering about this? I'm a teacher and cold/flu season get's me sneezing every year. I know my surgeon sewed part of my stomach over the band from under to over. I don't see how this can happen if that is the case? It doesn't make sense.....

1) How long it would take to get decent restriction (7 months out and finally have GREAT restriction)... 2) That I actually sleep differently (boobs same size + tummy smaller = not a tummy sleeper anymore :thumbup:)!! 3) Exercise is not necessarily easier, but not as hard because I'm smaller AND how yucky I feel when I don't!

I had port revision surgery in March and it was easy. Since my surgeon did not have to go through the muscle, recovery was a few days and then back to normal! My biggest problem was that I reacted to the pain meds in recovery and then the meds given to counter that were a problem, too.... Good luck to you!

Soooo excited for you! Wonderful job and a superb accomplishment!

I've been on a plateau since the beginning of May. I talked with my surgeon and he is going to fill me every two weeks until we hit my sweet spot. Then my calories will be under control (calories in vs. calories out) better. I'm not frustrated yet, but getting there!!

SydneyLucy ~~ I'm wondering if you were filled too fast?? My surgeon started big (4ml), then went to 1's, and now we are filling .5 at a time every two weeks. Eventually, he will fill .25 at a time until we hit the "sweet spot". He really talks to me at every appt and gauges my fills on how I'm feeling and what I'm eating. My loss was steady until March when I had my port moved, then stead until May when I reached my plateau. I work out 4-6 days a week for 45-75 minutes at a time. Hope this helps!

I just got a fill last Thursday to put me at 6.5 ~ restriction is finally noticeable and improved, but still not my sweet spot. My surgeon said the most he has had to put in a band is 8. Let's hope that means I'm getting close!! My plateau has been going on since the beginning of May! Thank you to everyone for your posts! They are very comforting because I was getting a bit frustrated since I'm 6 months out and only 33 pounds down. If slow and steady wins the race, then I'm right on track!!

The only problem I have had is that the metal hooks from the port were painful. In March, my surgeon decided to move my port, disconnect the hooks, and suture it in place. That solved the problem! Sorry you are having problems!! Good luck in your search!

I actually put mine away for a week and gained 4 pounds:cursing:! I mentioned this to my psychologist and she said that studies showed that people who weighed every day or every other day were more successful ~~ however, multiple times a day is a bit overkill!! I weigh at the end of each day every other day and have already lost those 4 pounds :thumbdown:!

Heee heeee heeee! I'm chuckling because I found mine last week! I thought something was wrong at first! Too funny...... P.S. my gastric bypass friend discovered her hip bone last week, too!

My surgeon is great about discussing with me before deciding on how much to fill! He does make me wait a minimum of 2 weeks between fills. The only protocol he definitely follows is the fuller your band gets, the smaller the fills. )

Every time I have tried to use one, it causes pressure and makes me belch!! So, needless to say, I don't use one now.

Let's hope that is me, soon! With 6.5 in a 10cc band, I am hopeful that we are getting close. Kinda worried about what happens later down the road when I need more fills due to weight loss in my body (and stomach). Thanks for all the encouraging words, everyone!

Then there might be hope for me! I'm at 6.5 in a 10cc band and getting a bit frustrated! I still have to count every calorie and make sure I exercise, so it is like dieting, which is not why I got the band. I eat like I should, but the volume concerns me with a band. I also exercise a lot anyway, but am hoping one day to only count Protein grams, not calories. Thank you so much for this post!

I have to say that this thread hit a cord with me! I am someone who has been huge since childhood (105 lb in 5th grade!) and don't have any idea how it feels to be thin. I'm so excited to get there, but this is uncharted territory for me !! I'm hoping the therapist I'm seeing for this journey will have ideas to avoid self-sabotage. I've done great so far and I'm so hopeful :scared2: !!

Actually, it's ads like this that have made me "stay in the closet" about my band. I have only told my closest friends and family because of misconceptions like this!!

I totally feel ya! I'm just now moving into an 18 (maybe 16 depending) and am overwhelmed by the new shopping experience! My skinny friend took me to Marshall's and I love it! The prices are great! You might try there!

I have IBS (the running to the bathroom kind) and having the band has actually improved my symptom! My gastro doctor thinks it is because of all the Protein, but admitted that he can't truly explain why my symptoms are improved. To be honest, he wasn't thrilled I was getting a band, but now, he could not be happier with the improvement in my symptoms. I, too, went through all the testing beforehand and had no contraindications for banding. I still have my up and down days and I always will, but there are way more up days than down days, now!! Hope this helps!!

I thought the same thing when I first got my band. At my two week post-op appointment, my surgeon made it a point to tell me that as the swelling goes down, I will feel as if I don't have a band at all! He said to stay on the diet anyway and really drink more Water to help combat the hunger. It helped some, but once I started getting fills, that helped even more! I would say, don't worry, but follow your gut and if you are still worried, call your doctor's office. That's what they are there for!! Hope this helps!

I was banded on 12/29/08 as a birthday present to me! I lost initially and got my first fill at the end of January, but had some port issues shortly thereafter that sidelined my efforts for about 7 weeks. Unable to get a fill and very little restriction and ravenous....well....you know! Thank goodness I'm an exerciser! I have consistently lost, but not as much as the rest of you (congrats to all:thumbup:). I finally have been able to get a fill every 2 weeks, but 4 fills later, no restriction, yet. My surgeon said to hang in there and it would sneak up on me! Hopefully, my sweet spot is right around the corner All that said, I love my band! Everyone....keep up the good work!!!

Once I went to the seminar last summer, it started the ball rolling. The insurance specialist in my surgeon's office took over from there and handled everything! She was amazing! She would call and tell me what she needed and I would have it sent over or take care of it. I was denied one time, but after an appeal, we ran from there. Make friends with your surgeon's insurance specialist and good luck!!

Thank you so much for Dr. Pollack's name! It's always nice to go to a consultation on a recommendation. I'll save it for when I am ready:thumbup:!

I didn't have a flipped port, but had to have my port moved about a month ago. My surgeon said that he wouldn't have to go through the muscle, so the surgery should be reasonably easy. It was scheduled for 1:00, 30 minutes in and out and home by 6pm. He was right, the surgery was easy and recovery was not a problem. I did have two complications, but that is not the norm. Hope this helps!

WOW! Thank you so much Zillyanne! I think I needed to read your post today! I've had success, but it has been diet and exercise and little to no restriction. I might as well not have a band. I finally got fill #3 last Wednesday to 5cc (had to be put off because of a complication), followed the liquid diet, but am back to regular eating today. My surgeon will only fill every 2 weeks, so I have another 10 days before I can fill again. Frustrating, but your post gives me hope that I'm worried prematurely! Thankyouthankyouthankyou for your words of encouragement!!!

I guess I can can call myself a member of this club, too! I was Realize Banded on December 29, 2008 and have lost 33.5 pounds. I thought I was losing too slow as compared to others on this site and started to have a bit of "buyers regret", but after discussing my concerns with my surgeon at my last fill, he is happy with my progress ~ despite my port issue complication (which is now fixed :tt1:). I am very careful to log my food on the Realize Website and exercise 5-6 days a week. I think I will finally have restriction after my next fill (I'm at 5cc now) in 2 weeks. I'm so glad I did this and am loving the results!