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I've never used the 1 cup thing as I find it too difficult. I am surprised though at geology rocks comment about imaging the food all chewed up in a container. I didn't realise that it was 1 cup after you have chewed it. How the heck are you supposed to measure that?!!!!

I would respond but as I'm just a vain BIMBO I'm probably not intelligent enough.

A couple of photos of me which I think really show the difference that having a band has made to me. The first photo was taken at my daughters Debutantes ball , in 2006. The second was 2 weeks ago at my son's Debutantes ball. I look and feel so much better, not too bad for someone that is turning 50 this year.

You went under when you had the band in the first place and you woke up then so there is no reason now that things won't be the same. I think your fear is extremely common, I have had a number of ops and I'm always scared that I won't wake up either.

Thanks for the compliment although i'm not sure I'd agree.

Don't you just love autocorrect!

The band cannot control a person's eating, only they can do that. By tightening a band to the extent you are suggesting a person is more likely to gain weight as they will not be able to eat proper food like meat and veg and instead will have to resort to sliders. Most sliders(milkshakes, icecream, candy, Cookies, custard etc) are high calorie, go down really easily and give little satisfaction. It is not surprising that your band slipped and now it seems you are encouraging others to do the same things that caused you problems. I do wonder sometimes................

Yes I think the sooner you find a new Dr the better, this one sounds like an idiot. I would also be considering letting Allergan know what he is saying in regard to fills, as the manufacturer they have the right to know that Dr's using their product are doing so correctly. They may need to update his training.

Warning to anyone new reading this thread. The purpose of the band is not to have it tightened down so that you can't eat. Do that and it is almost guaranteed that you will end up with a slip.

As Mis say's , freezing kills the carbonation.

You have had the band 6 years, lost and kept off 80lb and you call that a failure????? Where would you be now without the band. If this was me my first choice would be to get the band fixed. But if that was not an option then I would investigate all the other types of surgery in depth and try to decide what I thought was best for me. Yes with a bypass you probably will lose quickly initially( although as you have already lost a considerable amount of weight that may not be so) but you still have to make sure you change your eating habits or chances are that the weight will come back on. There are many people who have had the bypass and lost weight only to regain it. Some of those people are now having bands over their bypass. The bottom line is which tool will be the one that you are best able to work with for optimal results.

I don't think it makes any difference if you have had surgery before or not, I am still always terrified. I think you need to focus on the fact that this is a really safe surgery and that going through it will hopefully help you to achieve better health and live longer than if you don't ( so long as you do your part) Just make sure you follow your Dr's instructions on diet presurgery as that is to help shrink your liver and make the surgery safer, give up smoking and any other bad habits and then just concentrate on the positive.

I'm confused - you have a Dr that bands you but doesn't want to give you any fills! Does this Dr actually understand how the band works? You are losing weight which is great but you are still starving - sounds like you need some extra assistance to me. Also you are regretting getting the band and wishing that you had got something else - well that is a bit like buying an electric mixer, never turning it on and then deciding to get another appliance because the electric mixer "doesn't work" properly. Generally if something doesn't work you read the manual or the troubleshooting guide before returning it. I think if you read the manual( or speak to Allergan , the manufacturers) you will discover that a necessary part of the banding process is getting fills.

If you are going to drink coffee you need to make sure it is normal coffee without sugar,syrup or anything else added. A cup of coffee, black or with a splash of milk is not going to hurt. Those fancy coffees that are loaded with sugar, milk, cream etc will stop you achieving your goals. Remember you should not drink your calories.

Yes the band erodes into the stomach. That means that the band is still intact, it does not break down or deteriorate but the stomach has damages, ulcerates or however you would like to describe it. Hummingbird is correct. You I am afraid are misinterpreting the phrase used in Allergans letter.

I would think that the nurse is probably right, severe vomiting can cause you to pull a muscle as can deep coughing. Take it easy and if it is no better in a couple of days go and see your Dr.

Gulp as fast as you are able to do comfortably.

No such thing as an easy button , sorry.

Not sure why you say only 4.5cc, that is quite a lot. You need to remember to take tiny bites, cold meats such as ham are too easy to take big bites of and then as you have found out they cause problems. Maybe you need to cancel your next appointment. It is possible that you have enough fill for now. Concentrate on working with what you have and learning to eat in a way that doesn't cause you to get stuck.

And then there are people that have lapbands over their bypasses........

It wasn't the stuck episode, your original post makes it sound as though you were getting your band adjusted tighter and tighter.

I knew there was a reason I never married Donny!

If you wake up hungry in the middle of the night then drink a glass of milk.

Too much salt is really bad for you. Most of us tend to chuck it in our cooking without really thinking. My mother always put salt in the Water when she was cooking vegetables etc and of course I did the same. I have now cut all that out. I try to flavour food with herbs and spices. So many foods have so much salt in them anyway ( soy sauce, worcester sauce,stock cubes.......) that we really don't need to add any more. it may take a while but you will eventually get used to eating less salt and it is much better for your health in the long run.

To me this says that you may be expecting something from your band that it is not able to give. That is probably not your fault. If you were not educated properly prior to surgery then you may have unrealistic expectations. If you are looking for something that will give you a feeling of fullness or stop you eating the things that you shouldn't then you are never going to be happy. But if you can recognise your band for what it does do and learn to work with it then I think that you can probably achieve success. Jean Macmillan posted a very good article the other day that I think you should read, it may help you a lot.