kym828

i hate exercise and i wouldnt get on a treadmill or eliptical to save my life!! however, i love to dance so i joined jazzercise and it is 40 minutes of dance/cardio and 20 min of toning with light weights - now i am addicted to it and never want to miss my daily morning class. it really doesnt feel like exercise - just fun...try to find something fun to do - it will make it so much easier to stick to. good luck kim

Josephine, i too still have the mental issues... i went from a size 22 to a size 12-14 in one year and people tell me i look good and i do feel good, but when i look in the mirror i still see a size 20 or 22. i am hoping this is the year that my mind will catch up with my appearance and i will finally see what others see... it was the same thing when i was gaining wt... it took my mind years to see how heavy i really was!! crazy minds!! kym

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I only lost 30 lbs the first 9 months i was banded, which i knew was a little on the low side. i went to my family doc the beginning of aug 07 for my annual checkup and he was extremely disappointed that i had spent so much money and lost so little... i knew i was eating about 1/2 to 1/3 less than i was before i got banded and exercising 3 days per week, but obviously that wasnt enough. my doc put me on a 1200 a day calorie diet and insisted that i start doing cardio and strength training 5 days a week 1 to 1/2 hours a day. i guess i thought that my band would make the wt go away since i was eating less- not realizing i was still eating enough to maintain such a high wt... i was in denial that once again i was going to have to "diet" to lose wt. i have lost 14 lbs in a little over a month and sticking to my docs plan. my previous preband days i had lost 100 lbs twice only to regain that wt each time. this time because of my band i know i wont regain 100 lbs. i believe my band is there to remind me and keep me in check and for maintance purposes once i actually lose all this wt the only way wt really comes off thru diet and exercise.

i drink right up until i start to eat and then dont drink again until 30 min after the meal... i will take a sip just enough to wet my mouth if i absolutely need to... i didn't break the drinking with meal habit until after i had good restriction, once i had the restriction i noticed i PB'd with almost every meal when i was drinking.. the habit fixed itself - the most painful PB' to me are when you drink with a meal so i never want to feel that pain again.

I too have only been sick once but i had the same experience.. once it was in the lower part of my stomach it was all dry heaves and nothing would come up - i suffered thru it for 24 hrs and then i was fine. however, my stomach wouldn't stop contracting the whole time and it put a great deal of pressure on my bladder - i had to stay near the bathroom!!

my stomach makes those noises when my pouch is full and things are trying to trickle thru... i sound like "chewy" from star wars and it is embarrassing but my co-workers, family and friends are used to it by now... the worst part is if i am on the phone with customer and i make a chewy sound - i pretend it didnt happen!! lol

it is amazing how .25cc can make a world of difference and i think you are doing the right thing by having the slight unfill. personally i have never been able to eat anything before noon and chicken/steak/bread really hate me. i live on pot pies, lean cusines and veggies. i haven't had a fill since march 07 and some days i am so tight i cant eat anything that day but a couple days later i can graze all day if i dont follow the rules and pay attention - i have no rhyme or reason for this but have adjusted to it. my doc wants me to count calories and i am suppose to be at 1200 a day - as long as i am getting that much in i wont be messing with another fill/unfill.

i hate exercising but i love to dance... so i joined jazzercise as i had plateaued for several months and i was still tight so i didnt need a fill. i now do 40 mins of cardio and 20 mins of strength training thru jazzercise and the scale has started to move again!

it may be too soon to know if you are too tight. can you try soups for a couple days incase you are swollen and then try solid foods then? that has been my experience - i too have the vg band and some days i pb everything but a day or two later i can eat just fine - if i remember to take itty bitty bites that is.

I havent had a fill since 1-19-07. i am at 5cc in a VG band. I can eat a whole whopper hamberger in about 25min - very small bites with no problem. i still PB if i eat too fast or take too big of bites of anything. I do need a fill right? Last time i got a fill i could only eat half of a small cheese burger $1.00 menu at Mcdonalds.... yes i know i eat crappy food... i am working on it... do you think its time for a fill? i have stayed at 250 lbs since the beginning of febuary. thanks,

i was curious about the sliming too. i slime all the time from eating too fast but i have yet to really PB or have anything but salvia come up. after about 5 or 10 minutes it passes and i am fine. however, for that 5 to 10 min it is very uncomfortable and definetly makes me not want food for many hours.

Hello VG bandsters, I saw this on a post in another forum. It's some info on the VG from the Inamed representative (from 2004). I thought the information was informative and hope no one minds that i copied it to this forum.... Don Mills <don.mills@i. ..> wrote: Subject: RE: new INAMED band Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 16:22:29 -0700 From: "Don Mills" To: Hello Sandy, I'm afraid that some of the confusion was created by INAMED itself with regard to the name of this band. The Vanguard band is the old name for the LAP-BAND VG System. Same band. "Vanguard" had some negative implications. So our marketing dept gave the band the name LAP-BAND VG System. Turns out that is not a very good name either because it can be confused with the VBG procedure. The VG band is being sold in Europe and now in Mexico too. (Note from Sandy 8/20/054 - used in US now too ) However, the VG band is quite different from the 11 cm band that has been sold in Europe and Mexico. The 11 cm band continues to be available in those locations. We don't quote the circumference for the VG band as it depends how the band is measured. It cannot correctly be called either an 11 cm or a 12 cm band. The band is different enough that we really do not want to measure it in the way we measure the 9.75 cm and 10.0 cm bands. In any case the band is longer (when open) than 12 cm. But please do not refer to it as either an 11cm or a 12 cm band! The VG band has been misquoted by surgeons and others as a 11 cm band. This is incorrect and probably comes from confusion with the 11 cm band sold internationally but not in the US. The LAP-BAND VG is available in the US to all band surgeons and also now in Mexico. Several have already been installed in both the US and in Mexico. <!--coloro:#000000--><!--/coloro--><!--sizeo:3--><!--/sizeo-->The fill capacity is 10 cc. The first 3.5 cc only fill the band and do not increase restriction.<!--sizec--><!--/sizec--><!--colorc--><!--/colorc--> (emphasis added) The indications for the LAP-BAND VG are generally for patients with BMIs larger than 45, OR patients with larger anatomy (i.e. thicker gastric walls and/or substantial omentum), patients that may have more fat in the immediate band area and for the pars flaccida procedure when the additional tissues that are enclosed within the band are larger than usual. The surgeon will make the decision as to which band is appropriate for a particular patient. The above indications do not mean that patients with the 10 cm band or the 11 cm band have an incorrect band. It also does not mean that a surgeon might choose to use the LAP-BAND VG System when he/she could have chosen the 10 cm band. As always, great to hear from you. We haven't spoken since the Seattle Bash - keep in better touch! And congratulations again on your wonderful LapBand success and dedication to the Band Boards. You are helping to provide a very valuable service. Don Mills INAMED Health I assume the information is accurate still?? i thought the 3.5cc comment was interesting and it certainly explains why after my first fill of 4cc's i had very little restriction. i am now at 5cc's and so far so good.. Kim <!--IBF.ATTACHMENT_7669-->

i got the information from dr ortiz's forum for his patients - i am not sure if i am allowed to put up the link. the patient who posted the information there got it off of smarterbandsters yahoo group. i hope that helps and please keep me updated if you find out anymore information..

i have had two fills - the first time the doc used the numbing agent and that actuallly stung a little but the fill part did not hurt. the second fill was done by a different doc and he did not use the numbing agent at all. i prefer the second technique as there was no pain at all just a weird feeling of having a needle hang out of your body while he gets to the right fill level.

my biggest mistake so far is drinking way too much at a new years eve party and puking all night. i am very lucky my band did not slip from the major stomach contractions wanting to get that poison out of my body. now i drink far less and try to respect the band much more.

hi fellow november bandsters... i just wanted to update you on my progress. i just had my second fill last friday and i am now at 5cc in my vg band. i think i have found the sweet spot!! i sure hope it stays that way. i can eat very little. i just went to mcdonalds for lunch and i ate 4 fries and 5 itty bitty bites of a cheese burger and thought i was going to die from being so stuffed. i got that eyes watering, slimy feeling and knew i was full. it passed in about 10 minutes and i didnt pb. i only eat solid foods, no protein shakes or soups as my doctor said the liquid meals defeat the purpose of the band. so i guess as long as the solid food eventually goes down i wont starve to death. i actually am never hungry...it been wonderful to know this band may work after all!! --- i will eat soups only if i go out with a group of people - i dont want to be in pain eating in front of alot of people at a resturant - they think i am going to die and want to do the himelick manuver on me!!

hello neighbors... i just found this thread. i am from colorado springs and had my surgery in mx with dr ortiz. i am actually flying to mx tomorrow to get my 2nd fill. i had my first fill with dr allen in denver and he was wonderful. this will probably be my last trip back to mx and from this point on i will continue to see dr allen. he does all fills under fluoro and he is a super nice man. Kim

Dr Ortiz puts you thru many pre op tests the day before surgery to include blood tests (including HIV), EKG with evaluation from his cardiologist on staff. A lung test to ensure the lungs can handle the gas pressure and you have to consult with his nutrionist as well. The lung test was very hard and i have never been a smoker - Dr Ortiz will not perform the surgery until you are able to pass all the tests. Also with the very thorough evaluation of your medical history that is faxed to Dr Ortiz weeks in advance, if there is a red flag he will contact you and advise more locally testing that may be needed prior to flying down to Mexico to have the surgery. Kim

i have the larger band and i was actually surprised my doc went with that one... i have a small waist compared to the rest of my body... its 39 inches and i have no fat rolls - i carry all my wt in my hips and thighs.... i have no idea why he went with the larger band but my starting bmi was 42% so maybe that had something to do with it. when i asked why i got the bigger band i was only told that the doc felt that would be best for me. i had surgery with 4 other people that day and they all got the small bands and they were all apple shaped women. however, i am way happy with my band right now...i got 4cc's for the first fill and so far i have just enough restriction to keep me from eating too much. kim

i have lost 100 lbs twice in my adult life by diet and exercise alone. both times i have gained the full 100 back. i got the band strictly to maintain the loss this time (once i lose the 100 again)... i am losing very slowly but i as long as the scales are going down instead of up for a change i am very happy. honestly i would be losing much faster but i enjoy happy hour way too much!!

i had my first fill yesterday under fluoro and after talking to the doc and going thru the experience i would never get a fill without fluoro. my doc said that the port can wear out much faster with multiple pokes with the needle as well as the higher risk of hitting the tubing when not using fluoro. he is very cautious to make sure it is just one stick in the port for each fill. i had never thought about the port wearing out but he said some docs dont use the right type of needle and the meshing on the port will eventually not seal properly from the wrong needles. i dont know how true all of this is but it sounds logical to me and something i had never thought of. kim

Hi Everyone, I had my first fill yesterday. 4cc's in my 10cc VG band. I went to Dr. Allen in Denver and was very impressed with his knowledge of the band as well as his great bedside manner. Most important, he takes Mexico patients and doesnt make you feel like a freak for going to Mexico for the procedure. He does all fills under fluoro. It was great to see my band and the port and know that everything is in the right position. I dont know about restriction yet as he has me on liquids for 3 days. One very important thing he told me was that he didnt think i would have the amount of restriction i want/need until i am at 6 or 7 cc's full but that he wont go from a zero fill to a full fill because our heads need time to adjust to the new rules of band eating. He said if needed i can get another fill in 6 to 8 wks and he will take me up to 6 or 7cc's then. I will update in a few days on restriction... i can tell there is a little now from the liquids i am drinking but i suspect that is from the stomach swelling alittle after a fill. Kim

i totally agree with sweethot143 on this... save that message for motivation and a year from now email him back and tell him exactly what a shallow peice of cow dung he is and that you wouldnt give him the time of day - unbelievable!! none of us may be perfect on the outside but at least our insides are beautiful... whats going to happen to his shallow self when he gets old and wrinklely?? i hope some beautiful hot chick tells him to buy an iron!! what a pathetic excuse of a man. he should have just passed your picture on by and said nothing. Again use that message for motivation - i know it helps motivate me just reading about it.