Humming Bird

A thumb? hmmm ... that's crazy. In general, I can eat about 1/2 cup of well chewed solid food. This means it would measure 1/2 cup after chewing. With me it depends on the texture and type of food as well. I also eat more than 3 times a day in general.

I have heard of many different port locations since joining LBT in 2009. It really depends on the surgeon and how they like to do the actual surgery. I wish they would think about the patient' comfort for years to come. I'm very happy with my port location. It really never gets in the way or cause discomfort. It is centered about 1 1/2 - 2" below my sternum.

I agree with the others. Any weight lost is a positive thing. I hear your frustration though. It sounds to me like you have never seen the green zone. I say go get a fill (or 2, or 3 if your doc is one that gives tiny fills) and put the band to better use.

hmmm ...... no, I have not experienced this ...... I think you should call your lapband doc's office and run it by them.

I don't think they would want me to either. I'm with you on the no measuring or counting. There are so many details that are just not the way it has to be.

I still weigh myself almost every morning.....maybe 5-6 times a week. I play around with 2 pounds up and down. If I'm on the up side I watch what I eat and it drops back off. I just have a basic cheap digital scale from walmart or target. It is about 2 pounds off from the doc's scale, but what is 2 pounds when we're talking 100 or so pounds to take off or to keep off.

It really sounds like you just filled your pouch with water and it did not go through the stoma when you were at the office. Water should always flow freely through the band. I think you need to go back first thing this morning and get at least a tiny bit taken out. Make sure you can drink more water than the capasity of the pouch before you leave the office.

You may have to do several days of liquids now because the swelling will be worse a the episode. Lesson learned

I guess it depends on what types of foods you are getting stuck on and if you are able to stay healthy with the types of food you can tolerate without getting stuck. During my big weightloss phase I kept my band pretty tight. I used chili as my guide. If I could eat chili, I did not consider my band too tight. Also watch for night coughing and night reflux. If you have those, you should not stay that tight. I understand your thinking about the band loosening up with some weightloss. I know mine did, but who knows how much fat you have between your band and stomach.

I find it at Walmart, but Tylenol does not work well for me. I use a double dose of Jr. Strength liquid ibuprophen sometimes.

Old thread, but since it came up again I thought I would update a bit...... In Nov. 2011 I went to a dermatoligist to have a spot on the end of my nose checked out. While I was there I asked about the sun damage treatments. He said don't waste your money on any of the creams and such because they do not work. He said if I wanted the best bang for my buck, the new laser treatments are the way to go. He gave me the number for another dermatoligist who does them well. I have not called that one yet as I did end up having a tiny spot of cancer on my nose. I spent some $$$ getting that taken care of.

I'm not sure about the best place to post this, so lounge it is. Has anyone had any type of treatment on their face to get rid of or minimize sun damage spots and/or wrinkles? Laser treatment? chemical peel? ............... If so, did it work? Does it hurt? Do you have to hide for a week?

I financed with HealthOne and my min. monthly payment was around $100. I made larger payments and paid it off in 18 months. Some surgeons only take care credit or a reg. credit card. Many surgeons offer deep discounts for self-pay patients.

At only 3 weeks post-op, that looks like a flipped port to me.

Onderland is a beautiful place when you get there

So glad to hear it's not erosion!

water method has worked great for me

No, lapband is weightloss surgery, not a program. It's major surgery with general anesthesia. It's a device wrapped around an internal organ. ....................not even close to being a "program"

May 2011? IMHO your Doc should have had you to the green zone by now and you should have lost at least 90 pounds in that amount of time (if you have that much to take off) If your band has a leak, it's a different story. In my experience, when the green zone is reached (I reached mine very early with 2 proper fills), the weight melts away with very little effort. It does NOT have to be that hard. I do not follow a diet and do not do any formal exercise or working out. My band is doing what it is designed to do. If you can't get what you need from this doc, go to one that understands it does not have to be that hard on the patient.

There are quite a few docs here in the US that are offering the surgery plus follow-up for under 9,000.

It could be correct, but I would still wait to get something on paper. I would guess if it is correct the ins. company will mail you something automatically.

Employers can opt out of the different types of plans that cover WLS to save money.

I have never had a fill using fluro and think it's not needed unless they are checking for a problem or something. I had a fill during surgery and then reached the green zone with 2 fills post-op. I did not pay for any of those fills as they were included in my self-pay total. The weight melted off me ....100 lbs in the first year. I've had a couple very tiny "tweek" fills since. I go in about every 10-12 months for a tiny fill to keep my sweet spot........never under fluro.

I've been at goal for over a year now......feels great.

From the info given in the OP, it sounds like Rossy's band had a leak early on. No amount of research would have solved that. I don't think it's the bandster's fault when something like that happens. It may or may not be the surgeon's fault. We were not given enough info to be sure what went on with fills and such. I think the surgeon was wrong to let it go on for so long without replacing the band. The OP was wrong to let it go so long without seeking help from someone else.