KateP

We all do it our own way, some would say just go for a fill; my own way was always never go for a fill unless I was 100% sure, if I was asking - I waited! What you describe is my "norm". I eat a sensible amount, don't feel hungry for a few hours. Head hunger turns up if I am bored. If I am busy, it doesn't. Some like a very tight band; I am paranoid about being too tight! Fills can be as small as 0.1 cc.

Men do usually lose a bit faster but 1-2 lbs a week is what is usually given as an expected speed of loss after the initial faster loss.

Seems I am in the minority here! I really seem to have missed all these negative veterans! All I see is people asking for advice/sharing of experiences. Should people who have problems not post? Should I not say I had to have a leak repair? Should I keep quiet about the fact I have had a few episodes of regain? Is it unkind of me to say, completely truthfully, that most of the banded when I was in 2006 no longer have their bands? Or that many doctors no longer offer banding as an option? I love my band, it does just what I hoped and need! But I am not going to pretend bands are miracle cures and work for everyone who follows the rules!

We are also different! Some people, even when not too tight, always find meat difficult. Some like their bands to restrict their eating. That's not my way. But it works for some. I think I would worry if fish got difficult as well as meat. It's your call! For me, an increase in tightness which lasted would lead me to think of having saline out because I am paranoid about being too tight. But if you are still OK with fish and quorn it doesn't sound crazily tight. I would be concerned if it got tighter.

As you say, a few days on really soft /liquid things would help you check to see if it is just irritation. We all react in different ways but all the following can cause temporary tightness. The after-effect of a stuck episide. Strong emotions -stress, worry, fear, even positive anticipation. Allergies, especially those producing mucus. Temperature/humidity changes. Carrots are hardly soft! So if they went down with no problem, it sounds positive. Are you making sure meats are not too dry? Fibrous? Have you tried a little sauce with the meat? Have you tried fish? Chewing enough?

Good gracious! I don't see negativity, I see support from all sides. I see the sharing of experiences. I see the honest expressions of differences in outcomes and in eating behaviours. Example. You keep your band tight. I don't, a tight band works for you and you tell people that. A tight band frightens me and I tell people that. Our experiences and therefore our posts are different, People reading aren't morons. They know neither you nor I, nor anyone here is the expert! If you really want to see negativity, go on the other main Wls board (dont think we are allowed to post links to other boards) - there there is not just negativity but downright hostility to bands. Virtually all the banded people there are actually ex-banded! That's why I have started spending time over here. I have lots of long term friends there and so still post but not about band issues as none of them still have bands. Sharing problems s just as supportive as sharing trouble-free experiences.

Please bear in mind that I am a very happy and very successful bandit now 9 years post-op. I do not regret my band, would do it all over again and if I ever have to have it removed, I would hope to have a replacement. When I was banded in 2006, it was a miracle surgery. And for some people, who accept that they will still have to work hard, it is just that. It was and still is for me. But over the years it has become clear that serious complications necessitating further surgery are much more common than originally thought, some of these are avoidable by careful eating and by not keeping the band tight; unfortunately others are beyond our control. We used to be warned about band slips, leaks and about ( very rare) erosion into the stomach tissue but it turns out that a build up of scar tissue round the band (causing it to tighten) is quite common. It can be very difficult to get the right level of restriction and some people are tempted to keep it tight enough to physically limit food, in fact it was once thought this was how it should be. But this causes food to back up into the oesophagus and that risks problems such as oesophageal dysmotility which may be irreversible. It can also damage the vagus nerve. Quite a number of doctors have stopped implanting bands as they found the removal rate was unacceptably high and it was too easy not to lose enough weight. Revision from band to sleeve is not uncommon! We still need lots of will power. The band makes it easier by dimming hunger, but it does nothing for head hunger and, contrary to popular opinion, it does not and should not physically stop us eating. If it does it is too tight! Having said all that, I love my band, I know many successful long term bandits in real life. My own experience has been good and so has that of almost all those I actually know and have met. But don't rule out bypass. For many people the element of malabsorption is a key factor.

I don't know specifically about gastric plication but across all the surgeries, there is a wide range! I had no pre-op diet at all. Others have really long, strict ones! Same with coffee. I had no restriction at all. I am not sure how many people on here have gastric plication but I am sure someone will be more helpful!

The problem is that different doctors have different protocols. Some of us may still be on liquids at two weeks, some on purées, some on soft foods, even a few in normal foods.

coffee is usually one of things we are told to avoid at first. I don't think it is as big a deal for banded people as for other surgeries as our stomachs are not altered. I have personally, with my doctors blessing, always had coffee. I didn't have to do a pre-op diet so can't comment on that. But post-op I limited it severely at first but then went back to normal. I suggest asking your own doctor. Carb withdrawal is always nasty! But live with it - it passes!

It's very common to get tighter around periods. The band is over living tissue which can swell. Hormonal changes can cause bloating/ swelling. Some people do report problems with flying. However, the band manufacturers said in a written reply that it should not cause issues as it contains liquid not air so is not affected by pressure. But many people find stress makes them feel tighter and flying with all its deadlines etc is stressful. I have, quite literally, flown round the world three times with my band! Plus long haul flights from the UK to Asia, Africa, Europe. I just take care! I drink lots of Fluid, choose soft food options. I have never had any problems. But, as I said, I have read people saying they had issues.

@@B-52 was that aimed at me? If so, I totally agree. All we can do is share our experiences. The first thing to try if the band seems tight is always, try to eat more carefully and slowly. But I will always continue to say that whatever the reason for getting stuck regularly, it is dangerous. If eating more slowly solves the issue, great, but if it doesn't or if the individuals simply cannot remember to take extra care, they are too tight. Being tight is my personal paranoia. When I was banded in 2006, everyone was very enthusiastic about the band but gradually over the years, more and more of those banded around the same time as me started to develop problems, obviously I have lost touch with many, but at a guesstimate, only around 30% are still happily banded. Of my actual online friends, the ones with whom I am still in regular contact, only two are still banded. Many have revised to other Wls, several have permanent damage to the oesophagus or the diaphragm. For some being tight was the cause of the problem, for others it was the symptom. But whichever it was, it was important to get it checked. So I will continue to say, being tight is dangerous. Ask your doctor. Don't leave it. Don't wish for it. I will continue to say, in line with all the latest research, the band should not physically stop you eating.

I never have liked fast food! But in an emergency 4 MacD's chicken nuggets aren't too bad overall in terms of calories. I think it is around 250 calories for 4. I don't have any dipping sauce,

You never need to be " too tight". Being too tight means food is held above the band, this puts pressure on both the oesophagus and the diaphragm. The least serious effect can be dilation at the base of the oesophagus which means an unfill to sort it out, the most serious can be oesophageal dysmotility which can be irreversible. It can also cause acid reflux which can damage both teeth and oesophagus and even lead to aspiration pneumonia! If you occasionally get stuck, maybe once or twice a month, that's not an issue, if you regularly get stuck you need to change how you eat, if you still get stuck, you need an unfill. All the band should do is slow your eating, not stop it.

It is perfectly possibie in physical terns, to eat popcorn. Whether you do depends on how how you work your diet. Savoury popcorn isn't all that high in calories. It's all very individual - some people go very low carb so wouldn't eat it, done never snack. But for others, it would be fine.

How can you measure body fat online? I thought it could only be done by measuring the speed with which a small electrical current passes through the body - it travels faster through muscle so the faster it goes, the less fat there is. External fat can be estimated by touch or measuring but for most people who are obese, there is a large amount of internal fat and that can't be measured by anything other than electric current.

Are you totally unfilled? If so, you need to get this checked out. We should never struggle to eat. If we do, we are putting pressure on the base of the oesophagus, this can lead to oesophageal dilation and, worse case scenario, oesophagus dysmotily which can be irreversible.

Walk as much as you can, stretch your arms above your head, windmill your arms. Use a heated pad to give comfort to the painful areas assuming they are not by the incisions! And keep off the scales! Many people lose nothing for weeks post-op!

If you struggle to eat, you are too tight and are putting your health at risk. Being too tight doesn't even help weight loss as " easy" foods are often higher calorie and don't make us feel full. Self pay or not, you must not stay this tight. It can lead to major and irreversible problems.

Why is it being removed? I assume you have had problems. But you have learned good eating habits, you are motivated to stay slim, my very best wishes! Obviously it can be done! But in honesty, everyone I know who has had it removed has regained. Without the band, we are back into the category of those who diet without surgery; statistics show that only 5% keep the weight off. Work hard, monitor yourself and you can do it! Be one of the 5%.

@@donna528 Most doctors no longer do XRay fills unless there is a problem. Not only is it an unnecessary exposure to radiation, however small, it also only gives a snapshot of the band at that moment. As the band is over living tissue, that tissue can swell etc and so may be different just a few hours later - for example at different times of the day.

The common symptoms are pain, often severe, and an ability to swallow. The latter can range from it being difficult to literally impossible to even swallow one's own saliva.

Ask your doctor! I would have thought a stool softener would be ok - after all, they are clear liquid! At any rate, the ones I use are.

You are allowing your band to be too tight. It should never take three weeks before you can eat normally, you should always be able to eat normally, just more slowly. The band should never stop you eating.

From getting slimmer.