NaNa

Have a great wedding anniversary!

I guess? I guess I will continue logging my food on SparksPeople...LOL, hopefully someone else will take it over now.

I will admit eating in the Green Zone can be a challenge for many people, and many people will continue to try to eat 'normal' meals which WILL cause vomiting, heartburn, reflux and eventually band slippage. If I plan on going into the Green Zone I have to be mentally prepared for it, because I know that I have to be EXTRA careful with a tight band, more-so when I am on the loose side. I try to keep my meals moist, regardless of what I eat, now I am in the green zone, and I would not dare eat grilled chicken, if I want chicken I have to compromise and eat dark moist chicken to prevent vomiting and heartburn, it's the small price I pay to stay in the green zone, and seeing the scale move and prevent vomiting, reflux and heartburn. Also I chew papaya enzymes sometime to clear out my pouch and food should ALWAYS go through the band without vomiting as long as you take pea size bites, I am currently in the green zone and I really don't have to chew my food that well because I am not too tight. Heartburn can be cause by many things, it can be cause by eating spicy foods, eating too much food on a tight band, vomiting, and sometimes when we THINK we are in the Green zone we are actually teetering in the Red zone. Sometimes, getting on a PPI (acid reducer) can help, but it should NOT be used to mask a too tight fill adjustment. One way I can determine if I am too tight is -- I test my new fill out, if I can eat 1 soft boil egg PER MEAL, or about 1-3 oz of moist chicken WITHOUT vomiting, reflux or heartburn, I have truly achieved the Green zone and another test I use is -- when I drink Water, there is always a brief delay when I am in the Green zone...if the water sits in my chest I am too tight and I go back immediately to a little saline. I agree if heartburn is unbearable, you need to see your surgeon, you should NOT be in misery, the sweet spot DOES NOT CAUSE MISERY -- that's why they call it "SWEET" when you are at the sweet spot, you get satisfied quickly on small amounts of about 1 cup and your food gently slowly passes down our esophagus to your pouch into your lower stomach WITHOUT misery. Sometimes removing only .01cc can make a huge difference. Good luck

A Sudden tight band WITH reflux should be of concern, especially if you've not had a recent fill. It's worth visiting your lap band surgeon to check things out -- if the reflux is frequent, I would start off with an Upper GI. Sometimes, eating too much on a restricted band and vomiting can cause these type symptoms and some times going on liquids for a few days will help calm things down..but REFLUX that is frequent should never be ignored. Many long term bandsters will reduce down saline if they start experiencing any frequent reflux that is not resolved by not eating too close to bed time. Good luck

Why are you having second thoughts to have the Sleeve? It's just a personal decision. I never let a surgeon PICK a surgery for ME, because *I* will be the one living with it and any issues that may crop up with it. I chose the Band because I can get it removed if any thing happens and I can always get it adjusted to fit my personal weight loss needs. I am just not comfortable getting a surgery that I can't reverse, once your stomach is gone, there is no turning back even if you have regrets. I have friends with the Sleeve and they tend to like it, many lose a lot of weight more quicker than with the Band overall. I would have revised to the Sleeve when I got rebanded last year due to a hiatal hernia repair, but I learned that MOST Sleevers suffer from reflux and dumping syndrome and it can stretch back out, so I said nope I will stay with the band. Good luck.

Sending good vibes your way!! Hopefully this will be the one.

I drink chocolate Soy Milk and add a scoop of unjury Chocolate powder -- it's yummy, taste like Nestle Quick! I drink soy for added estrogen, also the Unjury powder has over 21 grams of protein per scoop,100 calories per scoop and only 2grams of sugar. 1 cup is a meal for me in the mornings! I order mine from www.Unjury.com

Carolina Girl, Your anotomany is different from us regular bandsters, you are sort of like a Sleeve, (just folding the stomach) but without removing the stomach, so your restriction will be VERY tight from the git-go.... I have not read much long term research on Pilications, there were some mixed reviews on it initially, but it seems like more and more people are getting it, it's good to hear you are doing so well with it.

Yes, it's the accountability post that Sunny started, however, I'd like to be held accountable for what I eat too, so maybe I should not post this here, maybe I should start a post in the Nutrition section as well where I can be held accountable for exercise and what I put in my mouth daily. Stay warm!! I am in the Mid Atlantic region and it's about 65 degrees this morning, perfect weather.

Hi sunnysidega, I am usually up early so I guess I will start it this morning, we will see how it goes.. I will start it in the exercise and fitness area.

Congrats!! I am in the process of going mostly proteins myself, see how this will work for a few months.

Hi sunnysidega, I think posting a "Daily Accountability" post is awesome! We use to have this on Obesity Help and I use to post one myself. I think what would be great is to start a new post "Daily" like the Title: How are you moving your body today: Monday? These types of posts keeps me accountable. If you can't do it daily, I would be happy to do it Mon-Friday, but since you suggested it, it would be great if you would start a new post daily.

Apparently you are one of the "lucky few" MOST don't have satiety and restriction until the band is filled. But some are not so "lucky" to have tight restriction WITH NO SALINE, because their surgeon installed the wrong size band, it still happens! A few people are satiated with little to no saline, but according to Allergan, the perfect or ideal fitted band WILL REQUIRE SALINE, and the patient will be hungry and there should ALWAYS be wiggle room with the band, and ideally with an empty band or a band with not much saline the patient should FEEL like they never had surgery, an unfilled band SHOULD feel like you felt pre op, NO BAND. When someone have band slippage, they have tight restriction with an EMPTY BAND ..and there is no where to go but to remove the band if the patient can't keep down liquids. Well according to Allergan : http://www.lapband.c...band AP_dfu.pdf The LAP-BAND AP® System is available in two sizes, Standard and Large. The physician should choose the appropriate size depending upon the patient’s individual anatomy. Most patients with correctly fitted bands report minimal, if any, restriction following resolution post-operative edema until saline is added to the band, regardless of band size. The Large band is normally used for re-operations (particularly conversion from other procedures) and the pars flaccida dissection. Surgeons are advised to evaluate the amount of tissue within the band prior to band locking and suturing in place, and, if it appears excessive, to remove some omental tissue or move the dissection closer to the stomach wall or higher on the stomach. Additional information regarding size selection is provided in the training program.

Remember the band is NOT about quick weight loss ESPECIALLY just after surgery. The band does not work UNTIL you start the fill process. The first 6 weeks are to allow your band and port to heal. You don't want to start off with aggressive fills, you don't want to damage your band before you lose all of your weight. Some people are "lucky" and have swelling and this will "mimic" restriction and some will lose weight quickly, but MOST DO NOT. The band for most people is not like the Sleeve or Bypass where you lose a lot of weight quickly after surgery, the band is there ALWAYS LONG TERM if it is not damaged to help keep your portions small and hunger at bay. Most people do not reach a good restriction level until after about 3-7 fills, with the band you MUST be patient. Many people opt for the Bypass if they want to lose weight very quickly, but most people will lose "some" weight after surgery due to the fact that they've had trauma to their stomach and are swollen. But REAL weight loss does not happen for many until a few months later once the band is fully restricted.

Everyone is different, some people, especially African Americans will "Keloid" with their scars, and some don't, depends on genetics, etc. Many have used Mederma, it works good for many I've used it and it helped.

Thank you!!

I read through the "typo's" too...LOL...but the reason I posted this was because the "substance" was FACT, I ignore minor typo's, just as I have to decipher some posts here with horrible grammar...LOL.. I just appreciated the time and effort this blogger put out there to correct mis-information and correcting information regarding ObamaCare.... I don't get into politics either, I just hate people to get upset over incorrect information....does not mean I agree to it all...I was putting out the FACTS.

Peace out! We will see how it plays out -- eventually for everyone!

Missy is correct, you are creating a vicious cycle and possibly damaging your band. First you should WAIT, 4 weeks between fills, sometimes it takes 2-3 weeks before an adjustment settles in and you really feel it. I recently got a fill about 3 weeks ago and it just KICKED IN yesterday and now I am really feeling it, if I had gone in before waiting 4 weeks between fills, I would ended up too tight and created a cycle of unfilling and reflling. Also once you have some restriction, and wanting to find the sweet spot, you have to carefully ease up on restriction by only adding from 0.1 to 0.2cc, .5cc is TOO BIG A FILL when you are near the green zone.

The government IS NOT PROVIDING HEALTH CARE PERIOD. Have you read what the Affordable heath care REALLY MEAN? If you have a JOB, and currently have insurance through your employer, you don't NEED ObamaCare. Some people have HORRIBLE insurance WITH their employer that don't cover enough and have to currently pay HIGH premiums. ObamaCare will help those people that are low income but under insured, and can't afford insurance, or their employer don't offer great insurance, NOW with ObamaCare they can purchase insurance based on their income. Before Obamacare was implemented..if someone did not have any health insurance with an employer, and if they wanted to purchase insurance privately on their own....insurance companies would deny them for pre existing conditions --- such as weight loss surgery, many people have been turned down for Life Insurance IF THEY HAD A LAP BAND if they purchased private insurance, NOW if they purchase private insurance from the Market Place, they can't be denied Life Insurance for Pre- existing conditions, or medical insurance for pre existing conditions.. This is one of the many benefits of Obamacare, insurance companies can no longer discriminate against you if you wanted to purchase your own insurance from the "market place" from this website https://www.healthcare.gov/ Did you know that insurance companies in the past has discriminated against people if you already had a Lap Band and wanted to purchase Life insurance? This is one of the many benefits of Obamacare IF you decide to purchase insurance from the Market Place. Also think about --- every one in the US that owns a car MUST have Car insurance -- IT'S THE LAW, in the event you hit someone's car, or injure them. Same should apply for healthcare -- many tax payers are sick and tired of picking up the tab from those who do not have insurance and use the ER as their healthcare and yes, tax payers have to pick up the tab. With Obamacare -- everyone WILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN MEDICAL CARE OR BE FINED, and the fine will not be much under $100. Many people say that ObamaCare will make their current insurance go up -- ObamaCare has nothing to with that, YOUR insurance is going up based on the cost of upkeep and higher hospitalizations, and medical issues, ALSO if you have insurance from your Employer, Obamacare has nothing to do with that, your Employer dictates how much your insurance costs and what they will pay for -- not the insurance company or Obamacare.

You are doing the right, thing, you don't want to listen to people here that says REFLUX is not bad, you don't want to damage your body and insides and once the band has damaged your insides, it will make it difficult for you to revise to another surgery. Please get that band out as soon as you can and you will feel much better with it out. You need to let them know your symptoms, and they will push your date up. I am wishing you a much uneventful journey with your revision and a speedy recovery!

A slipped band is nothing to just play around with...reflux is NOTHING to play around with -- with the band. Many THANK ME for letting them know the dangers. Reflux is not an immediate "death sentence" with the band, but SADLY -- in the past MANY have ignored it, slept on many pillows, did everything under the sun, but the RIGHT THING -which is to remove a little saline once reflux starts or realize you are too tight. -- and Oh yea, reflux can be avoided with the band and not a way of life for many. The thing with the band bashers on Obesity Help -- they never liked the proactive approach, like aftercare, listening to warnings signals of reflux -- they ignored all of this, until it was too late -- and their bands had to be removed in an URGENT situation, and they come back and say how horrible the band is and everyone will suffer the same fate -- which is far from the truth.

I agree you should not have to wait 6 months to get a revision -- SADLY many people live for YEARS with a slipped band and don't even know it -- they think reflux is a part of banded life! The only time reflux gets REALLY BAD is when the slipped band gets severe. You are a ticking time bomb and time is of the essence, you should push your revision date up quickly! But again, if you are able to get solids down, it's probably not URGENT -- YET. Good luck.

Acid reflux is the beginning of "band issues" never cover up the REAL problem with Acid Reflux medicine...PPI's. .yes Acid reflux medication will "help" manage your reflux...but with ": onset new Lap band reflux" this is an early warning of something is wrong...if you are regurgitating food back up into your nose and "vomit" in your mouth while sleeping.... You need to remove a little saline ..ALONG with Acid reflux meds...also your surgeon needs to check your band...pouch size with an Upper GI. Lap band reflux is totally DIFFERENT than the reflux you had BEFORE you got the band and should never be ignored or masked with Acid medication alone, most of the time you need a small unfill. Your choice, your band, your money -- getting a new band, or removal can get very expensive, it's best to take care of problems before they get severe. Good luck

Well...many people will still not believe ANY FACTS...even if they come from Obama's mouth...LOL... Many people hate ObamaCare and really don't know why....