EricBermudez

Thanks for the tip Kathy. Right now I am trying to drink some coffee. I ll tell you later. You may be right with the first bite sindrome. I was afraid I was the only one with that problem. I ll try to eat a little then wait to see what happens. Thanks:)

I ve had the band for more than 5 years. I have the Bio Enterics Inamed 4 c.c.Band. Had no problems at all. Just do my checkups every six months. I recommend the band 100 %.

I'll recommend dr. Rumbaut in Mexico. Or Dr. Suarez in Costa Rica about $10,000 Top notch Hospital and a lot of experience.

If the food still passes kind of easy you may still need a fill, it could be minimal .1 c.c. or .2 c.c. . This happened to me at the beggining and though that band did not work. Also the food still passes, but at a slower rate than normal, thats an advantage. What I do is to drink liquids first then the solids, so the solids dont washes down. Even if you wait a while and drink after solids, you are still washing your solids down. So try with liquids first or have a fill. Remember this is my case. It could vary from bandster to bandster.

Well once I puncured the port, if you have a more than 2c.c., in my band thats half of the capacity, the syringe moves out by itself because of the pressure it does to make the band smaller. So I just take out a little of saline solution to make the liquid pass through. Remember the times I deflated the band was because it was so tight I could not even swallow my saliva, and it was at 2 a.m. The other times I just got tire of eating with restrictions, and did not want the doctor to find out. I'll never do this again for several reasons. 1. In my country is really cheap to do fills $ 40. it might be really expensive if I puncture the band. 2. May damage port. Some doctors use a special needle which causes less harm to port. 3. May get an infection. 4. Last time I deflated I gained about 30 Lbs. in about 2 months. It's been kinda hard to get use to the restriction again.

Also in my case once I open the band I will have to eat at a constant pace. If I stop eating for about 2-3 minutes, it gets harder to start eating again. I believe tha band starts to restrict the food again. Remeber my band is at a higher level, I think the pouch can't get larger than if you have the band at a lower level. This is just an Hypothesis.. Eric

Since it is very hard for me to open the band each time I want to eat. I only have 3 meals a day. Sometimes at dinner I eat only a Soup or only a Glass of milk. Even for the milk I have to open the band with Water. If I open the band with milk I will PB, and guess what it is not milk it is loke cottage cheese ( sorry for the details ), thats because of the time it takes to open the band, the body heats changes the milk composition. Ive tried eating solids first and there is no way, I get the PB sensation. Even it is hard for me to eat. The Lapband is the best thing. It changed my way of life for good. Sorry for my English.... Ask me anything else if you feel I havent answer all your questions.

Thanks Kathy, Ill try to rewrite. Well I got a fill again this time 2.7 c.c. . It is very tight but it is OK so I loose weight faster. In my case ( I don't know if it is true) the Dr. told me he placed my band higher than normal. Why?? Well, when I had surgery my BMI was 1 point under the minimal for surgery. But when I told the Dr. what I ate he said I would be back later with the correct BMI, I was eating about 8000-9000 calories a day. Everytime I saw a fast food restaurant I had the urge to eat. Ok... Having the band higher, makes you eat slower, because you get the sensation of fullness faster. In my case the eating procedure is different as many of the bandsters. I understand the principle of eating solids and avoid too much liquid so you don't wash your food away. I hope I am not the only one that uses the inverse. In the mornings it is very difficult to " open the Band " it takes me even up to 2 hours to make liquids go through. I usually open the band with iced Water with a lot of ice. I've heard people drinking hot liquids ( it sounds logical hot liquids make the band softer ). Ive never tried it, Ill have to give it a try. In the mornings I only have liquids. In the other meals once I open the band , I'll go for Soups, mashed potatoes,or any kinf of puree. Then I'll go with fish or chicken. Before the band I was 100% carnivorous ( red meats ), now I hardly eat read meat its to rough. next reply>>>>>>>>>

Usually most women have the band by the sternum ( chest ) to disimulate the port. I have heard that nowadays they put the port on the left no matter gender. After several months it wont hurt. Then after a year you won't even know you have a port.

Come to Costa Rica. The Fills cost $ 40 without Fluoroscopy ( barium ). And about $70 with it. You are able to take a vacation and still have the fill. This doesn't mean there are bad doctors, it is because labor is cheap. Band surgery instead is about $10,000 to $ 12,000, just like in Mexico. I had surgery in Mexico, doctors did not put lapbands in 1999-2001. They started doind lap band surgery in the 2002. Been doing fills and unfills for about 5 years and no problems. I had unfill my band myself about 3 times, I had it so tight I could not even drink Water. It was 2 AM and thirsty so I tried to locate the port and did it. I am so skinny it is easy to locate the port. But that is not the point. If you do it yourself, you will start deflating the band everytime you want to eat.

I have the band since 2001, after a while it takes me a while before I can really eat; especially at the mornings. I start drinking a large glass of water. It takes about 30 minutes to finally drink all the water. After that I can eat anything. So I have to " open the band" with water everytime I am going to eat. If I stop eating for +/- 3 minutes the band closes, and its hard for me to eat again. If I start with solids, I throw up. Is this normal with the bandsters???:cry Thanks eric

Thank You. I am sure You will Succeed!!!!

I forgot to tell u guys. When I had surgery I was only 240, not that much overweight. I was eating 9000 calories a day average. I was going up very fast, diets were not working either. Dr. said my band was located higher than normal to prevent me from eating every hour. It has work great, but I just had that little concern.. Thanks

I've had that several times. I feel that usually when I drink something acid; like orange juice or lemonade....

I had surgery in 2001, I flew from Costa Rica. Had no complications at all. I recommend him 100%

I have been banded since 2001, and have 2.7 c.c.

Dont worrry usually there is fat around the band so when the band is tighten after a while the fat between the stomach and the band starts to dissolve and the band gets loose ( less restriction ) so it takes several fills for the band to really tighten. This is what the Dr. told me the first time I had a Fill.

I usually take a bottle of Water to drink just after the fill to be sure is not extremely tight. One time I had to go back immediately cause not even water passed through. But do not be scared this is painless. Eric

Usually when there is discomfort near the port area, could be an infection; that the first simptom. Try to contact your Dr. promptly. Hope is not related to the band, could be just pain , maybe because you sleep on that side of the port. Sorry about my English... Eric

Hi, I had something similar. My band was punctured, so I had it fixed right away. It is Painless, just the anesthesia sting at the begining and then just the itch of the stitches. They just fixed it from the bigger scar where the port is and took about 30 minutes. Don't Worry, Eric