AlienBandit

Right now I have the lapband and have had great success with it. However I talk with my doctor about the sleeve often because sometimes banded patients switch to the sleeve if they have any problems. My doctor then mentioned a sleeve type surgery that can be done endoscopically. This procedure is done by stitching your stomach smaller from the inside and not the outside. This is some version of the sleeve and is a new way apparently to do this. I have tried looking on the internet for more info but havent come up with anything. Has anyone heard of this?

i got erosion 4 months after surgery. It was super small and we're not sure how it happened. I know others who got it more then a year after surgery. Everyone is different just remember to follow your doctors orders very closely

Some people have asked this question and I think most dont get an unfill. I had a kind of mini tummy tuck and had a fill 2 weeks before the tuck. I didn't get unfilled before the surgery but then 2 weeks after surgery I started having problems eating and now 3 weeks later, 5 weeks after surgery I am going for a slight unfill. Was it because of the tuck? I have no idea honestly. This is something you should discuss with your band doctor. All doctors have different opinions

I agree using smaller eating items helps a lot. I bought glass dishes, bowls and utensils that were small some time ago. I am so used to eating out of them the other day when I was measuring items to make bread I realized that the bowl I was using I assumed was one cup in size was really not even 1/2 a cup I couldn't believe how much a full cup actually was! Eating in smaller dishes has really changed how I look at food and how much I eat.

I have to admit a tummy scar is something that freaked me out as well. My doc didnt want me to get a tt because he knew I didn't like scars. However he then decided he was going to give me a little mini tummy tuck that wouldn't be as extreme as a full tummy tuck and my scar is super low there is no way anyone would see it unless I showed it to them. You can meet with a surgeon and discuss these things with them. If you want to see photos of my scar its on my blog. It is not a normal tummy tuck mind you.

Here is an interesting link I stumbled across. I can't believe this person.... apparently we made a stupid decision. Thought you might all want to read this. The Lap-Band is Torture! I for one will never regret getting my band even with bumps in the road.

If you can't keep down liquids even hot ones at any point during a day then your over filled. Sometimes in the morning we bandsters are too tight to eat anything but that should pass after a while. If it is dinner time and you still cant eat anything even as simple as yogurt you really need an unfill. Of course after a fill you should take it easy and do atleast 1-2 days of liquids before getting back into eating. However if its been over a few days and your still not able to eat then you need an unfill. The longer you wait the tighter you can get. If youre throwing up a lot that can cause a slip. Trust me being overfilled for a long time isnt fun!

Erosion is when the band pushes into your stomach. I had this happen to me but caught it early on. After a few weeks of meds my stomach got better but I removed the band so my stomach could heal. Home From The Hospital And Photos a quick search on the internet and you'll find that erosion is "when the band penetrates the stomach wall and enters the stomach. Normally placed lap bands surround the outer stomach and constrict it. " Erosion can be caused by the band being too tight, sutures too tight, your stomach walls can get weaker by bad food choices ( ie not following rules by your doctor), spicy food alcohol etc. The guidelines set by your doctor should be followed closely. Though it is not hard to go down the bad path it doesnt mean you should it can cause problems.

Here are some photos of my scars and when they were incisions etc. My friends have seen my stomach while we were at the beach and no one ever asked. 77kg to 69kg Is a HUGE Difference Band and Lipo Scar photos Photos 4 Weeks Post Op Tummy Tuck

First of all you can ask for a low profile port. If it still sticks out once you reach a certain weight you can have your port moved. My port was noticeable ( though no one ever asked) but I had it moved under my muscles. Now I can't tell where it is unless I lie down and poke around. There is still dead space you can see in photos if you look at my stomach but it doesn't look that bad.

Hey guys I am finally granted my time off work so it is time to start preparing for my tummy tuck and breast lift in 8 DAYS! Yes I know it is soon so I was hoping people can give me any tips for the aftercare, what I should do before to prepare my house etc. Also any update pics of scars etc would be great. Thanks :drool:

My doctor changed his mind and said no for the lift. He said I should wait longer because my boobs changed so much since he decided I should have a lift ( we're talking a few months). Now a month after surgery I'm glad I didn't have a lift because again my boobs are changing and I dont even want a lift anymore.

A little bump for me to be healthy..... hmmm I'll take it. Though having said that I have tried to find ways to lose the bump. You doc can move the port after some time to a better place. I can't tell where mine is now unless I lie down and poke around for my heart beat.

Here is my stomach before my mini tummy tuck The End is Coming! The End is Coming + Pre Tummy Tuck Photos My doctor more fixed my belly button and got rid of some hanging skin below my belly button so now I have some dead space where my port used to be. It is now under my muscles.

I went from dd to b. I was going to get a lift with my tuck last month but my doc changed his mind ( he saw my boobs at c size and said I would need a lift when they got smaller but then they changed so much he said I don't need to get a lift anymore) Luckily for me with some good workouts at the gym my chest has changed so much. My weight loss in my boobs didn't leave them looking like balls in a sock somehow......

Peoples restriction is different not only because of their stomachs but also bands and fills. I have the 10cc lapband and my fill is about 6cc right now. Most of the day this is too much of a fill and I need to get an unfill because I am living mostly off liquids. I used to have a 11cc SAG band and even at 10cc fill I didn't have perfect restriction and could eat anything! So your sweet spot now might change later because your stomach is changing but you shouldn't compare your fill to others because there are so many reasons to why we're all different.

Hi fellow october bandsters. I am beyond frustrated right now. Its been over a year since I was first banded and I am still not at goal. I tried changing my workout routine, my eating habits and ven increased my calories for a while. That didn't work so I tried reducing my calories this week and I am gaining weight! I must admit being in Korea has caused me to not read the labels on food so that is what I am trying to do now to keep track of my eating. If I don't lose these 14 pounds soon I'm going to scream. Im going to South Africa for Christmas and I want to be at goal but that is not looking like it will happen. Any advice? p.s congrats to all at goal :rolleyes2:

There are tons of us blogging. It is great to ead them all because we all have such different experiences in different countries check out http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f178/any-other-blogging-bandsters-out-here-119741/index2.html#post1538454 http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f22475/anyone-blogging-115923/#post1512687

For the first few weeks after surgery my throat hurt so much. Then my teeth hurt too my doc said it was because of the tube from surgery. It got so bad I had to take meds for the pain and even went to a dentist just to double check my teeth. It would affect me sometimes when I was eating, drinking or even not doing anything. It even woke me up a few times in the middle of the night. Don't worry after a while it will go away, its just a little uncomfortable.

how much of a Protein shake are you having at a time? I find 1/2 a cup will do me for some time and if I drink it too fast it gets stuck. Maybe try to add more into the shake like pudding which makes it thicker or Peanut Butter or fruit. I used to make shakes that like even when I had little restriction and it filled me up good.

First of all whether we say good points or not, it is up to you to decide 100% if you should get the surgery. I researched the band for over 8 years but never thought I could get it because I wasn't heavy enough and I couldn't afford it. When I found a doctor i could afford I jumped right into it. It wasn't until the surgery where I nearly backed out but glad I didnt. Your health is something that is imporant and though you don't have as much weight to lose as others do you want to wait until you weigh more to get the band? I started at 210 lbs ( 220ish being my highest ever weight) with only 70 lbs to lose. Sure I could have hired a personal trainer or done any of those diets in the past that got me to my goal weight but nothing ever helped me stay there. I knew the band could help me with this. As for your diet after the band, it is really no different then thinking that your just eating healthier. Yes there are things you shouldnt eat and yes there will be things that will be hard or impossible to eat but that is just the band reminding you. None of my friends know about my surgery and I can still go out, hang out, go for dinner, drinks etc and still be normal. No one can tell the difference. To them its no big deal if I don't order bread with dinner because I just say I don't need it and that's fine. I have even gone backpacking through countries in ASia and I am always able to find healthy good things to eat that work with my band. This is not going to be the end of your life or anything it is just the beginning of a healthy one. Maybe you should see if there are any local support groups you can go to, to talk with people who are banded as well as talk to us on this website

Well there are two parts to this post so I will only post to the first part. Many people on here like soda and carbonated drinks. There is hope for you yet. Not all of us give up carbonated drinks! Though many doctors recommend not to drink this some doctors ( including ones banded) say it is ok to have carbonated drinks just let them settle a bit. Me personally I don't enjoy the full feeling carbonated drinks give me ( ex diet coke addict I used to drink up to 4 cans a day!) and now I dont like the feeling it leaves on my teeth. This was a huge surprise to my family back home ( who don't know i'm banded) because I used to be such an addict. So it is possible to give it up, though might not be required. good luck with your insurance

I'm in the same boat right now. In the middle of the night I'm too tight to even drink Water (sometimes can get tea down but who wants to boil a pot at 2am). In the morning I can only take in liquids by lunch I am lucky if I can take in yogurt ( must be at room temp) but come dinner time usually from 5-9pm I can eat anything in front of me. Mind you I must still be careful because if I eat too much it makes me really sick but I can still eat more then all other hours combined in the day. For me I find the trick has been drink lots of hot liquids for the first few hours once you wake up and stick to liquids for breakfast. Come lunch time I have something hot or warm ( like Soup or room temp yogurt) just so I'm not starving by dinner time. Drinking warm liquids has helped open my band more during the day. I am trying to avoid an unfill because I am still not losing any weight. Some think it is because I am not getting in enough calories but before I was getting in over 1500 calories and not losing weight so I am trying to reduce my daily intake to lose my weight. This never happened with my first band fancy that. It was an SAG 11cc band and I had a fill up to 10cc in it. My band now is LapBand AP 10cc and I am only filled with 6cc. Not only are people different but the bands are different too.

Even once your banded you will still be able to eat most of the foods you ate before. You can wait a little while if you want but these foods are not going to disappear after being banded. I am banded with good restriction and I can still eat all the bad foods if I wanted to. Heck I can even drink diet coke. Things will change yes but they won't be as easy as simply not being able to eat bad foods. It will still be a challenge to say no. BUt you can do it if you try hard. Good luck on your journey

It is not that Koreans are trying to be rude, it is a different culture and that is something you must understand. Asking if you lost weight etc is the equivalent to asking how you are or if you are in good health ( the exact translation meaning of the korean hello) Koreans are very concerned about health etc. Weight is something that is an open topic here and no one is insulted when the issue comes up. I had my surgery and my co teacher wanted more info for her sister because she thought her sister needed the surgery. I explained that was rude to suggest and she explained that it is in the interest of her sisters health etc. Yes it might be hard for you to understand but the woman is probably simply trying to make conversation. There are many things we do and say in western culture that is insulting to them but we don't understand why.