Melissannde

Give them away. If GW (or where ever) they can toss them. Consider freecycle too. (www.freecycle.org). I've given away many unusual items via freecycle.

Dr. Vuong is a bit different. I don't know any other bariatric surgeon who does Art Therapy.

http://www.gallbladderattack.com/

Dr. Vuong is very big on support. I don't know how he is with surgical technique.

Since you are so close to goal you may be at the point of needing very tiny fills. You don't say how much Fluid was added, but I'm guessing 1cc as you said .5cc was removed and wanted to know if you should have the other half removed. I'd go back and have .2 or .3 removed and see how that works. I'm 2 years out now and my fills are usually .2cc and they work wonders.

Keep an eye on it. It can be normal and it can signify some ominous changes. I was having almost continuous bleeding when they found I had endometrial cancer. I don't mean to scare you, but just don't want you to ignore it like I did for years.

If your doc is pushing them, the office should give out free samples. My doctor does.. not large amts, but enough to taste. But he's not pushing the BA Protein. They recommend the Syntrax and will give out samples. Contact BA through their website and ask about samples. unjury is good and so are the Syntrax Nectar brand of Protein Drinks. When you settle on what you want to use, check netrition.com for prices. They generally beat most others and have flat rate shipping of 4.95

Better call your doc's office. Mine doesn't like to give fills closer than a week before travel.

I take Centrum chewables. If you're post menopausal, you might not need extra iron. Call the doc's office and ask them what you should be taking.

Mattie (and others who are struggling with this), try drinking a cup of hot tea or coffee right before you have your meal. Sometimes a warm drink will loosen the band enough so that you can eat. I had too much fill about this time last year and hot tea got me through until I could get in to the Doc. I had a .2 unfill and that fixed me.

My first fill was 1cc. ALL of the rest have been .5, or .2 and I think I've done pretty well. Small fills work.. it's a lot easier to creep up on the right amount than to go over and have to have it removed.. as you learned.

I would have a conversation with the doctor. If all else fails, you could find another doctor. There are some who don't require any pre-op weight loss. Mine didn't and I did fine and am doing very well so far with weight loss.

Try sipping on something warm before your meals.. tea, coffee, warm Water with lemon. See if that will loosen you up enough to eat a normal amount. I don't go by the "feeling full" idea. I go by if I can eat 3oz of Protein and 1/2 cup of veggies and be satisfied for 3 or more hours. If I'm consistently (over several days ) hungry sooner than 3 hours, I need a fill. If I can't get 3oz and 1/2 cup of veggies in consistently.. over several days.. or if it hurts to eat.. I'm too tight. I'm no longer cycling, so I can't help you with the hormonal issues. But likely that is what is going on.

I came out of surgery with 3cc's in my band. Never went through severe "bandster hell" because of that. Each fill would put me in the green zone for a while, then as I lost weight, I'd move back to the yellow zone and need a little tweak or bump up of Fluid. The green zone is dynamic.. changes as your body changes. As you get closer to goal, you'll need less adjustments. My last one was in December and I'm trying to decide if I need another one now.. when I get hungry sooner than 3 hours, I think yes, I need more. And then again when I'm eating slowly and my band feels tight.. I'm thinking no, not yet. It's difficult to know.

Did the doctor request that you lose the weight or did they require that you lose that much before surgery. Bit of a difference. If they require it, they should have a nutritionist or dietician available to help you. Call and ask for assistance.

My diet? Clear liquids the day before surgery, NPO after midnight. That's IT!! Don't worry about not having to do a pre-op diet. Count your blessings.

I was a little queasy for a day after the surgery, but never any nausea/vomiting. Spitting up or getting stuck with the band isn't anything like n/v with an illness. I don't have acid reflux, but I know someone who is banded who said that the band fixed that for them.

I don't understand the "food sitting on top of the band" statement. food isn't supposed to stay in the upper stomach all that long. What eating is supposed to do is to stretch the upper portion just enough to stimulate a nerve that conveys to the brain that we're no longer hungry. This might be helpful to you: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html I wonder if maybe your band is a tad too tight? Best of luck to you.

While no one WANTS another surgery, I don't really understand the worry about how long the band will last. Other prosthetics wear out or have problems and have to be revised or replaced.. hip joints, knees, pacemakers, shunts and no one seems to be overly upset about that fact. I don't expect my band to last forever, but I'm going to "ride it till the wheels fall off" while it's working for me.

Warm tea (ginger tea is also good), warm Water with lemon (sounds awful, but it's actually pretty good) are both soothing to the band. In the future, you might want to avoid Pasta.. Not only is it a food that many bandsters have problems with (getting stuck, etc.) it's also one of the "white carbs" that just isn't very conducive to weight loss. These foods tend to spike our blood sugar, which makes us feel good for a little while, but then when our blood sugar drops, we get hungry again sooner. Do call your doc on Monday. If you get to the point where you can't keep any liquids down, don't wait till Monday. Call immediately. They will have someone on call.

Ask for a prescription for a topical anesthetic that you apply an hour before the fill. I think it's called EMLA, but I might be mistaken on the spelling. If your surgeon won't cooperate, your PCP might help you with the script. You put it over the site that's going to be injected and cover it with plastic wrap (I hear the press n seal type is better than what comes with the cream). The doctor doesn' t have to do anything.. so there's no waiting time for him/her. Sorry your doctor isn't very gentle. If this continues to be a problem, you might consider interviewing a different bariatric surgeon.

Google chair exercises. I believe sparkpeople.com has some information on these or your local library may have some DVD's that would be helpful. Hang in there.. you've had a run of bad luck, it's your turn for good things to happen now.

oatmeal, cream of wheat, tuna salad, chicken salad. Some people actually say crackers are ok, because they are a processed food and dissolve in the mouth. Ask your doc's office about those. I lived on Soups that were blended.. as I moved towards regular food, we blended them less. Scrambled eggs, poached eggs. Most anything that you can mash with a fork should be OK. I don't think I would try lettuce, but if you really want some, call Monday and ask. Your bariatric group might ok it. You should never feel pain or nausea after eating. Also, don't look for a feeling of "fullness", what we're really aiming for is "no longer hungry". Stick to your measured portions, whatever you've been told is appropriate. You might not get the "not hungries" for a while unless your doc put some Fluid in your band at the time of surgery. best of luck to you. Isn't it great to move out of liquids?

I've always been able to swallow capsules. pills.. I don't like and try to avoid. I use chewable Centrum multi's and my surgeon is fine with those. He doesn't like us taking flintstones, says they aren't enough for adults. I'm not going to get into a Vitamin war, just stating my surgeon's opinion (and my pcp's opinion too aamof). YMMV with your surgeon/pcp. I DO find it helpful to take my morning doses with hot tea or coffee. Afternoon and evening go down fine with Water. Again, ymmv.

This is what a nurse who works in bariatrics, has to say about this study: "an old study with different bands inserted by a different technique. Only about half of the patients were in the follow-up group. It's likely that people with problems are more likely to return to the surgeon so that inflates the complication rate. Because it's so difficult to get FDA approval many devices are tested in other countries before people in the US get them. They good thing about this is many of the bugs are worked out by the time we see the product. But not always. There's a failure rate and a complication rate with EVERY surgery and EVERY medical device."