ElfiePoo

The band doesn't work for everyone. Unfortunately nobody talks about that and many people are told that if the band fails, it's not the band, it's the person. Wrong. My surgeon was quite clear that the band won't work for everyone because in order for it to work, it has to sit just right on the vagus nerve and that isn't possible for everyone and they won't know ahead of time. Now...that said...you are still way to early in the process to put it down to band failure. It took me a year and a half and numerous fills/unfills to figure out that it just wasn't working. The only reason I lost any weight was because there were times my band was so tight I couldn't eat and was 'eating' Protein shakes for my meals. Give it time. Get your fills and find your optimum fill level (which may or may not change as you lose weight). Make sure you're following your eating plan.

If you're more than several weeks past surgery and you have left shoulder pain, then it is most likely pain associated with your band rubbing against your diaphragm. It's called phrenic nerve pain. Some people get it after eating too much. Some get it depending on the position they're sitting/standing/lying in. Some never have a problem. It's amazing how many WLS surgeons are clueless about this or perhaps just won't tell their patients because they're afraid they'll decide against surgery or will want the band removed. I finally had my band removed after about a year and a half because the pain just kept getting worse.

Unfortunately, nobody can answer that question except you...and you still may not know until after you are banded. The band does not work for everyone. My band never took away the desire to eat or the hunger...which it should do if it is affecting the vagus nerve properly. The only time my band controlled my intake was when it was so tight I couldn't eat...which is not the proper use of the band, obviously. It still came down to my own self-control and a daily struggle to not give in to temptation...in which case, the band was doing no better than I was doing without it. Some people choose the band because it is promoted as least invasive and with no lasting side effects. This isn't quite true for everyone either. I had my band out a year and a half after it was put in and am still dealing with some of the 'side effects'. The upper left arm pain caused by the band rubbing against my diaphragm is mostly gone, but sometimes it reappears. My surgeon said it is most likely from scar tissue now rubbing on my diaphragm when I am position in certain ways. I also have to still be careful about swallowing cold drinks as they tend to just stop and get stuck (much like any drink did when I was banded). After doing some tests, it was discovered that the band had permanently reshaped the area where it sat and it is narrower. When I drink something cold, it constricts (sort of spasms) causing an even narrower opening. I'm not telling you all this to scare you off. Many have the band and it does well by them...but you should have *all* the facts (even the negative) before you go into it. As WLS go, it is probably the least invasive, but it may very possibly have lasting side effects. .

Happy New Year bandsters! A new thread start for a new year? For those struggling, this is a great time to recommit! Melody

Wow...I went away and the thread died! Is anyone still here? Since getting my band out, I managed to take off a few more pounds but I've just been maintaining at the 200 lb mark. I'm doing well with my Bernstein diet (just protein and green vegies) but having difficulty keeping the calories at the 1200 mark...which I need to do consistently if I want to lose even 4 pounds per month. I'll have a good week or two and then have a week or two at 1800-2000 calories which sort of offsets the two good weeks. Damned insulin resistance. My band doctor calls me once a month to see if I've changed my mind about getting the sleeve but I just can't bring myself to do it. I may have to reconcile myself to being 200 pounds (which was better than 330 lbs!) the rest of my life. Hope you're all doing well.

Congratulations! I'm also off all diabetes meds although it wasn't enough just to go low carb. I'm following Dr. Bernstein's 'Diabetes Solution' where he recommends only Protein and green vegies. When I did low carb only, I still had tomatoes in my salad or ate cauliflower, etc. Once i went only green vegies, I was able to get off my meds. Again, congratulations to you! .

No problems at all. In fact, the reverse. Pre-low carb, I often had problems with constipation. No more. My diet isn't just low carb (30-40gm) though, it's also considered high fat (50-60%) so perhaps the fat is helping. .

Yes, you can have protein shakes on a low carb diet. You just need to pay attention to the carbs in them. Slim Fast has a protein shake with 25gm of carbs but they also make one with 3gm. When I'm home, I use EAS powder mixed with unsweetened almond milk for a total of 5 carbs. The only 'trick' to following a low carb diet is to understand that it is the carbs that cause the cravings. Even one bite of bread or potato or rice will start me on that craving path again. Protein and green vegies are all I eat now. .

As I said...depends on what WOE you follow. If you're eating high carb (anything over 60gm), then you do have to watch the fat. It's not an issue if you're doing low carb...within reason. My diet is 60% fat and less than 30gm of carbs per day. My last lipid profile finally convinced my doctor that a high fat, low carb diet was healthy. Curious why you'd suggest a grilled chicken salad minus 'most' of the leafy greens? I regularly have a large salad for lunch every day. It's low carb, low calorie and full of nutritional benefits. .

I keep it under 30gm and all from green vegies. .

I've thought about this a lot because I have lost my band and, while I am compliant on my diet as far as staying low carb, no grains, fruits or starches, I'm still eating too many calories (1800) so my weight has been stuck at 201 pounds for over a month and I'd seriously been thinking about going back in and doing the sleeve...but I just couldn't seem to take that final step. for months I've been lurking on various sleeve boards and talked with my primary care's nurse who had it done. Sure I'm still 200 pounds *but* by staying compliant with my low carb, moderate Protein, high fat diet (no grains, starches or fruits), I have managed to not only get off my insulin but get my blood sugars to where they stay down around 90-95 consistently. Sleeve patients have some of the same problems as band people do as far as getting stuck and sliming on things like protein...but have no recourse to getting an unfill. That would be a serious problem for me as these foods tend to be high in carbs. My doctor's nurse said she has to eat about every 2 hours because she can't eat enough to sustain more than that. She's literally eating 3-4 small spoons of food. That would also be a problem for me since this would cause an almost constant insulin response in my body and make it almost impossible to resolve my insulin resistance. I've also discovered from reading various medical reports/studies (posted on the internet in various medical forums) that sleeve patients have a much higher rate of acid reflux and esophageal problems than band patients do...and remember, you can't reverse the sleeve. I wonder whether we'll see a higher rate of esophageal cancer in the coming years as a result. I once said that *FOR ME* there are worse things than being fat and a bypass was one of them. I've come to the conclusion that I feel the same about the sleeve. You'll have to come to your own conclusions and I recommend that you spend some time on the sleeve forums and ask for comments from people who've had it and weren't happy with it and why...because it's not reversible. .

Everyone has a different idea of what 'healthy' is. If you following the mindset that a low fat diet is healthy, then I'd eliminate the olive oil or ask for it on the side and just put a tiny bit on. Personally, I follow a low carb, moderate protein, high fat way of eating. So your lunch sounds very healthy to me...minus the tomato since I don't eat fruit (diabetic).

You've said nothing, though, about what you're actually eating...and it doesn't matter whether you take 30 minutes to eat, exercise, not drink during meals, etc...if you're still eating too much...or the wrong foods. How many calories a day are you eating? What type of diet are you following (low carb, WW, etc.)? How successful are you at following that diet? Are you monitoring your food in a daily log like fitday.com or livestrong.com so you know what you're eating and not just 'think' you know? .

Depends on what type of diet you're following. I do low carb so if it's morning, I can pick up an egg and cheese McMuffin and just toss the muffin. lunch or dinner, cheeseburger minus the bun with a side salad. .

Jenn, Pick up a copy of "The Great Cholesterol Con" by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick. There's another book out there with an almost identical title, but the one by Kendrick is the one with the science backing it up. It's a bit horrifying to discover how little 'science' backs up what they're teaching in the medical field about cholesterol...causes and what the numbers really mean. .

Hi Nikki, I'm a diabetic so I do not eat any grains, starches or fruit...only Protein and green vegies. My carbs for the day are usually between 30-40. This isn't just a diet for me. It's how I have to eat the rest of my life if I want to stay off my insulin and have an A1C of 4.5-5. Once I got serious and quit with the 'just one piece' or 'just for this special occasion' and stayed completely carb free (except those found in vegies and the miniscule amounts in eggs, etc.), I found I obsessed less about food. What really did it for me though was to stop using artificial sweeteners too. They may be 'ok' but they kept my tastebuds craving. Over time I've learned that I do best at not falling off the wagon when I eat 'cleaniy' and simply. When I try to jazz it up or find replacements for my old favorites, I start craving and obsessing again. However, there is a website with some wonderful low carb recipes - mashed cauliflower (great mashed tater substitute), oopsie rolls, etc. if you can handle them. Not sure what you mean by 'go to' foods. Are these foods you 'go to' between meals when you're really hungry? If so, mine is a couple ounces of cheese. Yes, it took awhile but I've reached the point where I am satisfied without the kind of carbs that made me insulin resistant and fat in the first place. Then again, I might have a greater motivation in that this isn't about losing weight for me. It's about controlling my blood sugar. When I look at that piece of bread or see an ad for ice cream, my mind automatically starts calculating what it's going to do to my blood sugar. Good incentive for 'just saying no'. .

I think 'healthy eating' will vary depending on the person. For some, it may just mean avoiding sugar and processed foods. For me, it means avoiding grains, starches and fruits...all things that send my blood sugar skyrocketing. .

The wedding is Sunday and we're in the final countdown so may not be around much for the next few days. I don't know if the stress of the wedding is doing it but I'm holding *a lot* of fluid right now and my blood pressure has been really high. So somewhere in today's madness I guess I'd better give the doc a call. I know I haven't commented much the last few days on other posts, but you know I'm thinking of you guys. Denise...quit eating like a madwoman! Crystal...glad to hear you're fill did the trick. Elcee...glad to hear you're home and you just ignore those dust bunnies! .

Glad to hear you're home! What a nightmare with the food! Big apologies to everyone. Somehow FB has deleted a number of my 'friends' and since I don't have your full and complete names, can't find you on FB to refriend you. So if I'm not on your friend list anymore, could you send me another request to Melody Parker Upham? Thanks!

Go ahead and use real eggs. They've gotten a bad rap over the years. You might want to read "The Great Cholesterol Con" by Dr. Malcom Kendricks.

Wow...some very slipshod anesthesiologists out there! If they're paying attention and doing their job, you should never wake up during surgery. There are a number of indicators they watch for to make sure that you not only don't wake up, but that they don't put you under so deeply that they kill you.

Phrenic nerve pain is caused by something rubbing up against the diaphragm. It actually effects one of the vertebrae but it sends a radiating pain to the left forearm/shoulder area. Some people get it when they overeat. Mine was caused by 'position'...mostly when lying down, but sitting in the passenger seat of the car put me in just the right position as well. After 16 months, I just couldn't take it anymore since, at that point, I could only sleep in the recliner chair and only at a certain angle so I had them take it out. .

If they can see your incisions, you must've gone through one of those full body scanners that basically strip searches and sees every tiny detail of your naked body. How fun is that? .

'Many' are not? So your doctor thinks there's only one way to do it right? If so, I feel sorry for their patients who can't work the band the way they think it should be done. I think you'll find over time that a good majority of these bariatric surgeons know less about how this band actually works...and have less helpful advice than those who were banded. They also generally know squat about good nutrition. In any case, good luck to you. .

When they took my fill out in preparation for removing the band, they said it's impossible to get all the fluid out...so perhaps the difference was still in the band? .