P McDonald

Hello, After about 1 year of having my band filled I lost 90 pounds and found myself in the same situation you described. I did what you are planning and had my band unfilled. Then I got it filled, unfilled, filled, filled and filled. From the time is was unfilled, to the time it was back at the right fill level was about 5 months. I gained over 30 pounds. Since it has been at the right fill level (2 months), I have lost about 12 pounds. So, if I continue to loose at the end of the year I will weight exactlly the same as I weighed last year. I would have preferred to weigh less. Be a little concerned about gaining weight when the band is not filled. I know when it feels like a piano landed on your chest, the last thing you care about is loosing weight, you just want somebody to move the piano. The unfill is like having the piano removed, it is a huge relief. I only wish I had been quicker to get the band refilled to the right level sooner. THE REASON THIS HAPPENS MAY NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE FILL LEVEL OF YOUR BAND. If your fill level intiaqlly worked and the band seemed to get tighter, the band fill level was probably alright. What happens is that when you vomit this causes trama and swelling, so things tighten up. Then because they are tighter, you vomit again and things swell even more and then before long, you are swollen shut and can't even swallow a single drop of water. Then you have to get unfilled. THE WAY TO FIX THIS AND NEVER HAVE THIS ISSUE AGAIN is to be very strict with your diet and not push it even one time. Once you vomit it is a very good idea to go to clear liquids right away for a week. You may not feel tighter after the fist time, but swelling has occured annd by the time it feels tighter, it is to late and it will be hard to recover without an unfill. Clear liquids will save you from ever having to feel like this again. Never, ever vomit and then the first time you do go immediatly to 7 days of clear liquids. Once it gets very tight, an unfill is required. For my this cost me 30 pounds, 9 months and about $1,500. I would rather not pay that tuition bill again.

Rowdy, I weight myself everyday in the morning when I am eating the right foods. When I am not I stay off the scale. Gafer, I was motivated by the same thing. I went on a diet every year after my son was born, but kept gaining it back and finally decided on the band. I can't figure out how to link the ticker in my signiture so I just got rid f it and put a picture of my son. I posted my current weight for the Men's challenge below. Phil

Hello, I like the men only post and the idea of a challenge. I got banded 9/6/06 and have not ben agressive at getting the weight off. Having the VG band, I felt no restriction after the liquid phase, but did no get my first fill untill December and then finally got my second fill a couple of months ago. I feel enough restriction that I notice it, but it is not to restriced. Probably, about the right spot 7.5 cc. I have lost 40 pounds with the band and have recently stalled out due entirely to a lack of focus, so the idea of a challenge is appealing to me. I started at 330 lbs. and am now at 290 lbs. While I am not losing much right now, the greatest thing about the band is that I am not gaining weight right now. I remember on diets before the band I would lose about 40 pounds every year and by the end of each year would end up weighing more then I did at the begining of the year. Now I have lost 40 pounds, have not be focused and am maintaining my weight loss. So now it is time to get focused and see if some more weight would like to come off. Thanks for starting this thread. I like it. Take Care Phil

Banded Sept. 6, 2006 by Dr. Ortiz. The entire procedure was a great experience and absolutelty no problems so far.

I think the whole idea behind following WW is to change my eating habits. It would be very easy for me to eat the same foods I have been eating, just smaller quantities. That is not what I want from the band. I want healthy habits and following a program like WW provides a framework for developing those habits.

I am two weeks post-op and still on liquids for another week. I plan on doing Weight Watchers when I go to solids. I have done WW in the past and never came close to the 32 points a day they had me on. I was always still hungry at 100 points a day. So since the band is supposed to get you eating 1/3 your pre-op food, I thought WW would be perfect. I also like the fact that WW makes it easy to journal your foods and points. I have used the web site in the past and thought it was a great way to keep track of what I was eating, even if it was 100 points a day.

I got an infection in my leg last week and am on antibiotics. Then two days ago I got a cold. I am scheduled for surgery on September 6th with Dr. Ortiz. I hope this clears up by next week, it would be a nightmare to try to reschedule. My wife and I have non refundable tickets and we are sending our five year old son to stay with my sister in St. Louis for the week. I better feel a whole lot better before surgery. I just mowed the lawn and it feels like I am coughing up a lung. So I am sure that my current condition would keep me from surgery. I guess if I have to reschedule then my wife and I have a nice vacation alone in San Diego. I am back at school on the 11th, so I would not be able to reschedule again for months.