NaNa

Exercising + Lapband = SUCCESS === That is 100 percent correct, the lap band requires MORE exercise than any other wls to be successful short and long term.

Sorry this happened to you, the lap band has caused respiratory issues in MANY lap banders when acid reflux gets so bad, the acid reflux can get very dangerous if not treated with removing saline and medications, timely, and as you can see cause respiratory issues, many have also reported aspiration pneumonia from long term reflux and band slippage. Please be advised the Sleeve CAN cause horrible reflux as well and MANY now are having to revise to the Bypass if the reflux get really bad with the Sleeve, since there is no turning back after you get your stomach removed. I hope you can find relief and answers, good luck.

Alex, Thanks for the complete list! It's very clear and useful for many!

The real signs are hunger, your hunger will be dimmed for about 4-5 hours between very small meals of about 1/2 to 1 cup of solid food. Good luck!

Maybe us veteran lap banders that are close to 10 years post op are just plain stupid and don't know what we are doing...and drink warm liquids to prevent us from vomiting....to keep our bands from slipping...and oh yea....drinking warm liquids will unbuckle the band and loosen it up to prevent slippage...LOL... ...both of us can play this stupid sarcasm game.

I have NO idea what your point is...nor I am here to argue about how far the band is installed from the base of the esophagus, that is irrelevant to this discussion. My point was helping OTHERS that may have issues with eating out in restaurants that may get food stuck....and drinking warm liquids will help loosen the band, to allow food to ease down a restrictive band, as long as it's not dangerously too tight. Good grief, you really seem to have some personal problems!

You don't have to be "rude", this has been "proven" by many band surgeons that lap banders can have "esophageal spams" AND...before food or liquids hit your stomach, it has to pass through the esophagus...hence...why the food comes back up if the band is too tight.... These things have been discussed among bandsters before you though about a lap band over 8 years ago.... This is nothing NEW has been discussed with many veteran banders over the years, it's NOTHING that I am making up.... and Yes, eating crunchy things like toasted bread will go down better than thick doughy bread... Drinking warm liquids prior to a meal will loosen the band....and will make it easier for food or liquids to pass through the band, and first things first -- it has to pass the esophagus....

This is funny! I've had many "close calls" over the years, some very embarrassing! I've had to excuse myself many times while eating out over the years because I ate the "wrong" thing first. which plugged me up and I could not eat another bite and my dinner date was ruined because I got food stuck for hours. This is why I tell other newbies, while dining out in public, ALWAYS get a warm tea, or hot Soup to help open up the esophagus. I keep papaya enzymes with me and chew a few when I go out to dinner with my husband, this will allow easy digestion and I can eat food without getting stuck. Bread, grille chicken, and Chinese food should always have warning signs for lap banders...haha..

Most lap banders with TIGHT restriction will suffer from this eventually. The ONLY ways to deal with this is to remove a small amount of saline...and just don't eat much with a very tight band especially late at night. The MORE food you eat with a tight band will create reflux and acid issues and may cause other issues like slips. This is why many who get their band very tight, only eat puree foods, or drink Protein drinks and after they've lost their weight they remove a little saline where they can eat solids without getting reflux and damaging their esophagus . Also getting on a PPi' like Protonix helps many with the lap band that have acid damage to their esophagus. Acid damage from the band usually takes a very strong PPi like protonix to heal acid damage. It is very challenging to eat solid food with a very tight band. Good luck.

Hello.. Sorry to hear about your band slippage, but like I tell everyone here, IT IS NOT the FILL GIVERS FAULT if your band is too tight -- PERIOD. If your fill giver puncture a hole in your tubing and you can prove it, then you can legally go after them to fix it, but that is the ONLY thing you can do to them from a legal standpoint. Every person who gets a lap band has to be their OWN advocate in terms of HOW THEY FEEL. Never worry about HOW MUCH saline is in your band because that is irrelevant, IT IS HOW YOU FEEL. I put how much saline in my signature because that is the amount that got me to my sweet spot, at 7.2ccs, some people can be too tight at 7.ccs and others not enough, so IT DOES NOT MATTER how much saline is in your band, it always how you feel. For example, if you were already feeling a little restriction, you should communicate that with your fill giver to let them know that you only need a little added to your band, and it is UP TO YOU, to determine how much saline to add or keep in your band -- NOT your fillgiver, they work for you and if your band gets too tight, regardless of how long you had the fill, it is YOUR responsibility to go back and get saline removed.. If anyone gets a fill adjustment and they can't get liquids down without vomiting, or if they start coughing frequently and having frequent night time reflux (WITH regurgitation) regardless if they ate too close to bedtime, those are SIGNS that they need to get some saline removed from their band immediately. These warnings are in most surgeons office (YELLOW, RED AND GREEN ZONE), they are talked about here on the boards ALL the time, so if anyone ignores these warnings, sorry it's THEIR FAULT that their bands slipped. Also I have to tell you, band slippage DOES NOT HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY -- IT TAKE SOME TIME, and MOST people have plenty of warning signs of their band being too tight, some people refuse to go back to get saline removed, if they are too far away or inconvenience, this is why I tell people it COST LESS money to go back and get a little saline removed than to WAIT and KEEP THAT FILL that is too tight and slip your band, and to fix or remove a damage band can cost over $20,000 dollars. I am happy you shared your story and I am not saying you abused your band, but band slippage does not happen in 1-2 weeks, it takes more time for that to occur, or something was already wrong with your band and when you got overfilled that made it slip. Good luck.

You mentioned: I feel I can make this band work for me and I'm going to loose weight and get better, healthy. Get my life back! Never listen to negativity! You WILL be successful as long as you are motivated, and determined and have a positive outlook. Just because your friend failed with the Bypass does not mean you will fail with your band. You can do this!

Sorry you feel this way, it is challenging for many people to live with a restrictive lap band, you have to mindful of every thing that goes into your mouth. I am a bit surprised that you want the band OUT rather than removing saline, for many people getting saline removed equals the same thing as no lap band. Remember the band IS adjustable for reasons like this, if your surgeon installed a band too small for your anatomy then you got problems, but if your band FITS your anatomy and you don't have band slippage, then why on earth would you want your band removed? Sometimes many people have to adjust to the band, if I were you, I would not get the band removed because TRUST ME, one day you will regret getting the band out especially if you are not having complications, and one day you will WANT the restriction and NEED IT. Most people who get the lap band removed gain all their weight back, I know you are frustrated by having the band too restrictive, also it sounds like you are a bit too tight if you can't eat moist meat, and when the band is too tight it can be a challenge to live with it day to day and cause misery. I have seen many in the past get angry and frustrated when their bands are very tight and they want it out, but the good news is all you have to do is go to your surgeon talk to him/her and tell them your band is too tight and they will gladly remove some saline where you can eat healthy food, it just that simple. Once your band is looser to allow you to eat healthy food, then you can re-evaulate whether you want to spend a lot of money of getting your band removed (band removal without insurance can cost between $12-20 thousand dollars), also MOST insurance companies WILL NOT pay to remove a band just because you don't like it, they will only remove a band if there are complications involved. I agree with B-52 most insurance companies require wls candidates to pass a psych evaluation to make SURE they are ready for this lifestyle change. Good luck

Congrats on your success! You look so cute!

You need to go back immediately and ask your surgeon to remove a small amount of saline, which should put you in the green zone, and save yourself misery and a possible band slip, and losing most of the saline in your band which can get costly. There are times when you can "ride it out" and times when you can't, the TEST is liquids, if liquids sit in your chest after a recent fill adjustment...it WILL not get better. Good luck

Congrats on your success!! You look great.

If you have not had a fill for a long time and your band suddenly gets too tight to the point of obstruction and not being able to drink. It is probably something you ate that has caused this swelling. When the band is VERY tight you don't have much room for error and if you get food stuck and vomit, this will further tighten the band to where you can't get nothing down. The burping and throwing up saliva sounds SERIOUS, especially if you can't drink, if you can't get liquids down you will get dehydrated, and this will cause other medical issues, you need to call your surgeon ASAP to get some saline out. Good luck