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I am also an ex Brit.I drink tea all day long (much better than water) I never have sugar and just a dash of low fat milk.

Well I think your Dr is wrong the band does work so long as the patient is prepared to work with it. It doesn't make you lose weight on it's own, it's not magical, doesn't cause any kind of malabsorption the only thing it does is make you eat smaller portions oh and of course it helps to control hunger. But if you are prepared to work with it by making healthy choices , exercising and not trying to eat around the band then yes it does work. Think of your band as being a partner in your weight loss journey but you are the managing director. Now I'm not a Dr, I don't have all the stats but he may be correct when he talks about younger people having minimal success.I am sure it is not true for all people your age and that there are some who have been successful but many of the younger people on this board seemed to have struggled. I don't know if it is because they aren't ready to make the changes that are necessary to be successful or if there is another reason. I am sure that you can have alcohol again in the future. The problem with alcohol is that is high in calories and they are empty calories. Once banded it is preferred that you eat your calories not drink them. the other thing with alcohol is that people tend to eat more when they are drinking and they often don't think about what and how much they are eating. Deciding which WLS is right for you is a big decision. Different surgeries suit different people. If you are sure that the band is your surgery of choice then I would suggest you find another Dr that will support you. All the best.

People that have never had the issue do not understand how hard it is. I don't see why doing things naturally is better.I had 2 babies by Caesarean - was that cheating? Does it really matter anyway, it's not like it is some kind of competition? The only prize that you will have won is better health and better self esteem and that can't be taken away from you because you supposedly cheated!

Cazzy is right.

If you don't cook then it is something that I think you should start doing. It isn't hard and food that you prepare yourself is always going to be healthier than food prepared outside of a home. Even the so called healthy options that you buy often have high levels of salt etc. Buying meals rather than cooking them is 1 of the things that has led to the huge increase in obesity levels.

I'm still not good at eating fruits. That is the 1 thing that I very rarely eat since being banded.

Yes I read how little some people eat and i still feel like a complete pig! My meals are HUGE in comparison! LOL I think the rest of my family would tell me they are not but....... I still eat off a full sized plate but my food probably fills about half. I have some Protein - a small chop, piece of chicken, mince whatever plus a dessert spoon of carbs and veggies. Sometimes I manage to finish it sometimes I don't - if i leave something it's generally some of the carbs.

Everybody reacts differently to surgery. Some people sail through, others feel like you as though they have been hit with a truck. There are lots of factors that effect this, age is only 1 of them. General health, fitness and weight also have an effect. I am not sure why your glucose levels would be effected, that is probably a question fo the DR. But the good news is that the worst part is now behind you and you should start feeling better bit by bit every day.The first couple of weeks after surgery are usually the toughest as you have to adjust to the post op diet and not eating the way you used to. Just wait till the weight starts falling off - then you will feel fabulous.

A lot of this also has to do with the fact that you have just had an operation. Of course you are not going to feel the same way that you normally do, you need to take time to recover. The best thing to do when you are not sure about something is always to phone your Dr and that is what you have done.Hope you have a solution and are feeling better soon.

Glad that my advice has helped you.

You won't get stuck everytime you put something in your mouth. As I said earlier you get stuck when you eat incorrectly (too fast, not chewing properly etc). And yes getting stuck is a good deterrent to bad eating habits as once it has happened you don't want it to happen again. But even the best intentions don't always work.How many times have you had a hangover and sworn off alcohol? Did you and if you did for how long? LOL. Please don't let the thought of being stuck stop you getting banded. I love my band and my only regret is that I didn't get banded sooner. I love being slim and sexy far more that I love eating giant meals.

Chips (crisps) tend to be a slider food. They are easy to eat a lot of, same as popcorn, crackers etc

This is a classic sign that your band is too tight. Have some fill taken out so that you can tolerate proper food and you should start losing again. Although it might sound as though a tighter band would equal quicker easier weight loss it does not, it actually slows it down as you end up eating high calorie slider foods as they are the only thing that will go down.

Sorry to hear that the cancer may be back. It is possible that this is linked to the pregnancy - I believe that pregnancy hormones and cancer are not a good mix. I hope that everything goes well and that you are soon blessed with a bonny bouncing healthy bub. You have had a whirlwind couple of years with some pretty rotten luck. Lets hope that your luck is about to change and that things start getting better. All the best.

Do you have to get it removed? Is it currently causing problems? Would it be possible to get it completely unfilled for a while and see if that helps? There are people out there that thought their bands were not working and they have gone to a different Dr and things have been successfully sorted out. Wound site infections are relatively common but they are not a deal breaker. Generally they are easily cured. The acid reflux is a problem but is it possible that your band is too tight? Do you currently have fill in it or is it empty? I would want to ensure that I had explored every possible avenue to get my band to work before having it removed especially if I wasn't intending to have some sort of revision. I see that you are new on here - have you had any kind of support previously? If not there are lots of people here with lots of experience that might potentially be able to suggest something that helps. It would be nice if it would be possible for your esperience to be able to be turned around from a negative one to a positive one so if there is anything we can do to help or any advice that we can offer please let us know. If not and your surgery is already scheduled then all the best - I hope it goes well.

I would have said that once banded it was a definite no no. Although the fact you have said you could have used this an excuse makes it sound as though it is something you don't really want to do as though it is something you do because you feel you have to. Personally I don't think people should ever do things that make them feel uncomfortable. Maybe things are different these days ( I am getting old)or maybe it's just a difference in countries/cultures but when I was younger this was not something that people were expected to do. Oral sex fine - swallowing no. I even find it amazing that in US magazines they have adverts that promote some product that takes away the taste. Don't know if the product is available here but if it is it certainly isn't advertised in the mainstream press.

Chocolate. These days instead of having a big bad I try to eat either a small Freddo frog or a Curly Wurly. The Curly Wurly is pretty low cal but it takes a little while to chew and tends to satisfy the craving.

Just wondering why you need so many. Wouldn't 1 new fork and spoon or at the most 2 be enough?

I lost all my excess weight in approx 6 months. I went from a BMI of 32 to a BMi of 23, I continued to lose and have now settled at a BMI of 21.4. However as I had a lower starting BMI that only involved losing a total of 53lb so my experience doesn't meet your criteria!

PS. Crackers very rarely cause a stuck as they dissolve before they get to that point. Bread is a major cause as it is doughy. Protein foods are probably the biggest problem especially if they are dry , tough or overcooked. For this reason you should choose moist cooking methods and eat your meat with a little sauce. Also dark chicken meat goes down a lot better than white chicken meat.

No generally when food is stuck it doesn't come up. It is STUCK. What has happened is that you have swallowed a bite that is too big or not properly chewed or something that may be difficult for you to eat post band and it has lodged in the opening between your band and your stomach. It sits there and can cause anything from mild discomfort to extreme pain. This can last from a couple of minutes to a couple of hours or in extreme cases a couple of days. Whilst it is there nothing else will go down so trying to move it by drinking won't help, you will bring the liquid up but the object remains lodged. Your body also tries to move it through by producing excess saliva. Again this saliva won't go down so you have to cough or spit it up. This is what is referred to as sliming. Different people have different remedies.They include:- Papaya enzymes (never worked for me) pineapple juice Doing an arm movement similar to the chicken dance. Getting into downward dog position Jumping up and down. Drinking a can of soda really quickly - if you try this make sure you are close to the toilet because apparently it loosens the stuff and brings it all back up really quickly, I have never been game enough to try it. Sometimes it is possible to cough the item back up. After the stuck episode your oesophagus is likely to be swollen and irritated. I have found that sucking ice chips helps to reduce the swelling and the discomfort. It is also recommended that you stick to liquids for a while after a stuck so as to give the area a rest and a chance to recover. The aim is to never get stuck but I think most of us manage it at some time or another. It often happens because you are not paying attention to how you are eating or because you are trying to eat in a hurry.

It could have that effect without being banded too. Yuk. The only way I can way broccoli is if it is really soft and in some kind of sauce otherwise forget it. Hate it when it is raw or cooked so it is still hard and the stalks are inedible anyway. If I had to eat half a cup of veg then I can think of other ones that taste much better! LOL

Thanks.

I NEVER eat that little , or at least i don't think I do , can't be sure as I never measure it. I put the food on a plate and judge it that way.

I was also a fast eater and have had to learn to slow down. Practicing prior to surgery is OK but until you feel the consequences of not doing it then it is hard to get right. Even when you know what happens from eating too quickly it can be a mistake that you make more than once! Eating on the go is not a good idea at all. That is the easiest way to get stuck and that can be uncomfortable, painful and embarrassing depending on where you are. Once you are banded you need to pay full attention when you are eating - do not try combining it with any other activity or you will come unstuck! (Actually stuck would be more appropriate)