Spartan

Well, congratulations on your success thus far! That is a lot of weight to lose without the band being in "full operation". Sounds like you have the right attitude toward the process, and I suspect that you will do very well once you find your "sweet spot". But the hunger can be a big problem. I certainly hope that in your case, a fill will help you with that....keep up the good work!

Well, keep in mind that the Lap band does NOT guarantee that your hunger will be diminished. It works that way for some people, but it is more often the exception. Theoretically, the band, if placed correctly, can provide some hunger relief, but the Lap band surgeons WAY over-sell that idea. It simply does not work out like that for most people. I saw that someone on this board said recently that they were happy they had the Lap Band, because they no longer had to diet. That is a very big mistake. With the band, you are still very much on a diet. In some respects you are on even more of a diet than before....there are different, sometimes very painful and damaging consequences to screwing up on the Lap band diet, though. It is still a diet, but an assisted diet, if you will. It has been suggested many times on this forum by many people that you should have regular psychotherapy sessions after having the band placed, to assist you in dealing with the emotional component of overeating. I am in complete agreement with that. The lap band is only one part of the process.....the biggest part of the process lies between your ears.... :biggrin:

Kcal is a TV Station here in los Angeles... lol!

I'm curious, what do you mean by "hit the wall"? Most BP patients that I know don't feel that way at all. And in spite of what many people think/say, GB is reversible. Just curious.....

Kate; Before you give up entirely on the band, consider seeing a different Surgeon. There is a reason why your band has slipped twice, and it may have something to do with the way it has been put in. Remember, Surgeons are like mechanics, or any other profession, really.....there are some good ones, some excellent ones, some not-so-good ones, and some horrible ones. Go out and get a second opinion....you may have simply made a poor choice for a surgeon. Also make sure that you are following the eating protocol presented by your Team. There are things that you could be doing that could doing would contribute to the slippage....that is probably not the case, but you need to consider everything. I would do some research and find a very experienced and reputable surgeon.....make sure that you are very thorough in your investigation of your new surgeon...you want the best to help you through this....

Lighter; There are some bad Surgeons out there. Lots of them. Sounds like you may have gotten one. Even though he should give you what you need/deserve, you might want to consider going elsewhere. It is true that if you pound on him enough, he might respond...but trust me: you do not want a pissed off surgeon "caring" for you. You are not married to this Doctor. So go elsewhere. Find someone who is really good. I am not saying to ignore the orginal surgeon; give him every opportunity to respond, and if he does not give you the care you need, go elsewhere and then file a complaint with every government agency, Better Business Bureau, medical board.....everything place you can think of. The Medical industry does not need clowns like that working on people, and the public needs to know about them. But please: see someone right away. Erosion and the other things that can go wrong with the band are serious, sometimes life-threatening issues.

You really should not weigh yourself very often. It is not an accurate representation of your progress. However, you DO need some point of reference, but that could be one of many things, including change in clothing tightness, etc. But, some people just feel comfortable attaching a number to their progress, so if you feel that way, weigh yourself once a week, but no more.

Yes, get one of the those Magic Bullets....they are great, and you WILL get tired of your blender!

Don't feel like a failure. You really shouldn't. You need to look forward at your options, and then act on your decision. Also, I would suggest that you seek out a Surgeon that SPECIALIZES in these types of WLS problems....don't go back to your old surgeon. I have a funny feeling that he might not have done a very good job to begin with. You need a fresh perspective. And again, someone that does these types of revisions as a SPECIALTY, and not somone who simply does first-time WL Surgeries. And MAKE SURE that they are a specialist in this arena, not that they simply claim to be. The WLS business is full of crooks and charlatans who want to make a buck off of your suffering. Again....DON'T feel like failure. You have had some bad luck, but there are methods and procedures that can help you correct this. Please keep us posted on what you end up doing.....a lot of people are in your shoes! :thumbup:

There is a process called "BOB" (Band over Bypass) that was devised for people in your situation, HOWEVER, your experience with erosion may preclude your use of that procedure. I would check with your surgeon....there are other options, and some new procedures that might assist you. Don't give up hope.....there are some new and exciting technologies that may be just what you need, including some revisions to the bypass that can correct what you are experiencing.