Dave_NW

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to bring this thread up to date. I started it last August when I was researching my WLS options. What I didn't know at the time was that my insurance wouldn't pay for sleeve surgery at the hospital most convenient to me. I ended up having lap band surgery instead. It was my second choice, (I would have preferred the sleeve), but I did the best I could, and I made the most of it. Things have gone great for me, I've had no problems, and in the six months since my surgery I've lost 91 pounds. I'm much closer to my goal than I expected I would be. Thanks again for all the well wishes. You folks are still the best. Good luck with your journey! Dave

Frank, I'm the guy Vickyd referred to in her post. (Thanks, Vicky!) I was banded six months ago, and I've lost over 90 pounds. I've worked my tail off to do things in a way that works best for me, and I have zero regrets. Banding was the best thing I ever did for myself and my family. I'm wearing clothes in sizes I never expected to wear again, and I weigh less than I did fifteen years ago. I'm just completing a week of hiking in Glacier National Park, doing outdoor things I'd long ago given up. The RN who does my fills laughs that if there was a poster boy for banding, I'd be that guy. It's been an amazing journey, and I'm delighted to have my life back. As others here have said, banding changes your outlook on food. I approach meals now with an idea that eating is something I look forward to, not as a way to gorge myself to the point of misery, but to make smart choices of what to eat, and how much. I actually taste my food now, and I savor the flavors, because I'm able to enjoy the food itself, not shovel down a plateful of whatever, while I'm keeping an eye on the dessert table. It's great to be able to relax and socialize with friends at the table, and not let the food be the only reason I'm there. Have the surgery. Once you get adjusted to living with a band, you'll see there is no turning back. Your family and friends will still love you, you'll be better for the experience, and once the weight is gone, you'll wonder what was holding you back. The only regret I have about this surgery is the years I wasted waiting to make up my mind. Send me a PM if you want to take things offline. I'll be happy to share things privately in more detail. Good luck! Dave

Good for you! I see the ladies in the Zumba classes at my gym, and it sure looks like they're all having a good time. Must be a hell of a workout. Keep it up! Dave

Stan, as I said elsewhere, i'm really pleased to hear you've gotten your date. You've worked really hard to get here, and it'll be here soon enough. In these last few weeks leading up to surgery, trust your instincts, remember all the research you've done, and get ready for a whole new you. It'll happen before you know it. In my experience, the surgery itself is almost a non-event, compared to what happens before and after. Stay in touch. Dave

If I understand what you're referring to, I think it's that the band gets stitched in place from the outside during surgery. The upper stomach skin is pulled down around the band and is stitched there, effectively making a tunnel shape if enough stitches are used. My surgeon didn't use those terms, but he said many surgeons only use a few stitches (like three or four) to attach the band. He said he uses anywhere between six and ten stitches, to make a fully secure placement, and that slippage virtually never happens. I can imagine that securely stitching the band in place lke that would make a tunnel shape quite easily. Fills only tighten or loosen the band in place, so I don't think the physical size of the band would change all that much. I'd expect that's why they ask you to go on liquids for a few days after a fill, so things can adjust to the change. Dave

Most bandsters end up with five or six incision sites. I have thirteen! The extra sites were due to the ventral hernia and hiatal hernia I had repaired during my band surgery. I figured as long as they were under the hood they may as well do a full tune-up. You only have six? Trade ya? LOL! Dave

Another Washington state bandster here. We should start a club. Dave

Sorry if my comment wasn't clear. What I meant about the band working right away was that OP has been banded FOUR MONTHS, and she should have expected to lose more than a pound and a half. In my first four months banded, I lost quite a lot of weight. True, I was eating right and working out and getting fills once a month working toward restriction, but I did lose a lot in those first four months. But there is no reason to expect to NOT lose in the first months after surgery. As we all know, banding is a personal journey, so everyone has a different experience. I wish OP nothing but success, and still recommend she sees her doctor to figure out what's going on. Dave

You already read your answer to the question, but I wanted to add that I'm a week shy of six months banded, and I've lost 90 pounds. It definitely IS possible to lose a lot with the band. It won't happen overnight, but if you do it right, you WILL lose. Dave

I'm well on my way, and have no doubt I'll get there soon. You can lose 100 pounds or more with the band, but it's up to you and your dedication. You have to work the band so it will work for you. Dave

The first thing you should do is talk to your doctor. If you've been banded four months and have only lost a pound or so, then either you're doing something wrong, or you need more knowledge of the process. It's not just about counting calories. There is much more to it. Nobody here will be able to really help you until you have a clear idea of your current status. Yes, the band does work right away, but you need to be directly involved in managing how it works. I've lost plenty of weight, and have only been banded a couple of months longer than you. Talk to your doctor. The longer you do nothing, the longer you'll be frustrated. Good luck! Dave

When I started my journey I was stoked to get the sleeve. It seemed the easy way out (so I thought.) I had it all figured out - I'd have the surgery, lay around, and voila! I'd be skinny. Reality set in when I learned my insurance wouldn't pay for sleeve surgery. At first I was angry. I didn't WANT the band, I wanted the EASY surgery! (Who knew?) I moped for awhile, then came to my senses, and reluctantly agreed to getting the band. I had my band surgery, and embraced the way to manage it. I have never looked back. In just under six months I've lost 90 pounds, and I have no reason to think I won't lose the rest of my excess weight. I may have done the same with the sleeve, but in retrospect, the band has turned out to be the better choice for me. I have no regrets. Dave

That is another reason I use a straw. Even though they say not to, I found it was impossible to avoid foam without one. I found no side effects from using one, because I was drinking from the bottom of the cup. Dave

You may be reading more into things than she meant. It could be her understanding that people who get surgery are those who have a large amount of weight to lose, and in her eyes, you might look "too thin" to be a surgery candidate. As we all know, weight numbers can be deceiving - people often weigh more than they appear. So maybe she was trying to pay you a lefthanded compliment, because (in her estimation) you aren't in her obesity league. I posted a few months ago about a woman at my work who casually referred to me as a "formerly fat person." In her eyes, I'm no longer fat. But in my own eyes, I still have a long way to go. But in retrospect, I can see her point. It struck me as weird at the time, but I can see how her perception of me is much more flattering than my own opinion of myself. Perception is everything. Dave

Thanks! Yeah, it's real, and I can hardly believe it myself. All I'm doing is working the eating plan I chose (a modified South Beach Diet kind of thing), working out about an hour a day four or five days a week, and avoiding the sort of things that got me fat in the first place (like pizza three times a week...) The RN who does my fills says if there was a poster boy for banding, I'd be it. Good luck with your journey. In six months I hope you've had similar success! Dave

If you've just recently been banded and are working your way back onto solids, you'll have little to no fill in your band. You'd have to really work at it for a long time to stretch out your pouch. Eat smart, follow your doctor's orders, and you'll do fine. The reason you were told to chew till the food is mush is so it'll pass easily through your band. Taking too large of a bite, swallowing without chewing properly, or eating too fast can get you stuck, but not for long. After you've had a few fills, the risk of getting stuck is higher. But again, you'd have to repeatedly overeat like that to stretch your pouch. Eat small, take your time, and chew well. You have nothing to worry about. Dave

Everyone is a bit different, but generally speaking, the first days after surgery can be painful. Your insides have been seriously shuffled around, and your abdomen was inflated with air to make room to work, so naturally it's going to take some time to adjust to things. As your body recovers from the surgery, the pain will subside, and within a few weeks you won't even know there was something done. It will surprise you how quickly things settle down. To help things right after surgery, you should walk often - like for five minutes or so every hour. Sip fluids till your eyeballs float. You can't get enough fluids right now, as long as it comes in small sips. Take pain meds as prescribed to help with the pain. And something nobody ever told me: Your lungs may accumulate Fluid as a side effect to the surgery anesthetic. You need to cough that out. Once you do that, you'll be able to breathe much better, and your pain will greatly reduce. Good luck! Dave

My surgeon had me on liquids for THREE WEEKS after surgery. THEN mushies, THEN gradually back onto solid food. If you're only at Day 9, and you're already forcing solids and cheating around your band, you are SO getting way ahead of yourself. You are not adapting your behavior to life with a band, and you are heading dead ahead into failure. If you did any research at all, you should know there are specific steps to follow to be successful with the band. Do as others have said, and go back and do what your surgeon said to do. Developing patience is one of the first steps to learn, and you need to give your band a chance to work. You didn't get fat overnight, and you will not lose that weight overnight. Slow down, use your common sense, and give yourself an option to succeed. BTW: Stating that you wish you had gotten the sleeve instead of banding because you don't want to be concerned with your band flipping and flopping around shows you don't fully understand the process. And with the sleeve, you'd need to carefully monitor your food intake even more carefully, because sleevers have their own set of problems to deal with. Eating wrong with a sleeve can lead to dumping syndrome, severe vomiting episodes, and even stomach failure. The grass over there is not exactly greener than where you are. You have an amazing tool at your disposal that will work really well, if you learn how to manage it properly. Learn how it works best, and then follow those rules. You'll be a lot happier in the long run. Good luck! Dave

The strain your daily activities can put on the stitches used to attach your port in place can make it flip, if things are not properly anchored. I understand there are different styles of ports, some of which have a wider base, and that are more easily anchored into place. Part of the reason for not abusing your system during the weeks right after surgery is so things can heal into place. The better healed they are, the less likely it is the port will flip. Dave

The first six weeks after surgery are about healing. Weight loss comes later. The 20 pounds you lost so quickly were mostly Water weight pounds. As you continue to follow your doctor's plans, and eat as you should, once your metabolism adjusts, your weight loss will happen. Be patient, but stay on track. Don't get frustrated or think you need to change something until/unless you KNOW you're not doing something right. Also, for your future knowledge, be aware that weight loss is rarely linear. You can't predict it, but be aware that it happens that you may go a week or two without any loss, then suddenly drop two or three pounds in a day or two. My longest delay like that was eighteen days. I was wondering what the heck was going on. But then I lost a pound a day for the next five days. It was weird. I've weighed myself daily (never a good idea, but I can't seem to stop) and I clearly see how my weight loss has been to go along at a given weight for several days, then I'll drop a pound or two. Then I go along several more days, then drop a pound or two. My surgeon says that's absolutely normal. Dave

These days all I drink are ready-to-drink Protein shakes. Muscle Milk Light, as mentioned above, is pretty good. Lately I've preferred the Premier brand. 160 calories and 30g of protein. They come in several flavors. I'm a chocolate lover, so prefer that flavor. I get mine at costco, but they sell them elsewhere, and you can also order from their website www.premiernutrition.com. I also like the Premier brand Protein Bars Costco also sells. They come in three flavors, and they're quite tasty. Average about 270 calories per bar, but also has 30g of protein. Half a bar is a great Meal Replacement. Dave

I was told not to use a straw, also. And then while I was recovering from band surgery, the hospital brought me my Protein shakes -- WITH (you guessed it) a straw! I used them, found no negative side effects, and I've used straws periodically ever since. But I use them only to sip the drink, not to suck down a huge amount of liquid at once. I haven't noticed any additional gas by using one. Once again, I think there are many ways to manage being banded. Follow your doctor's orders, but use your own common sense. Dave

You just saw him three weeks ago and he didn't say anything about you only losing five pounds in a YEAR? You need to talk to him about things. Something's out of sync. Good luck! Dave

Trust me, after the first time it happens to you, you'll want to learn how to avoid it happening again. Not a fun experience. The positive thing is that once the food has moved through the band, or has been PB'd back up, the symptoms disappear, and you move on with your day. Rarely will you have side effects. It's just a freaky situation, and not one you'll want to go through. Dave

I'd say you need to examine the situation you're reporting: If you're pb'ing, chances are you don't need a fill. If your band was looser than it is now, you wouldn't have swallowing issues. So if you ARE having swallowing issues, stuck episodes, and so forth, you probably have plenty of restriction. If you're exercising enough (to your own satisfaction) then that's not it. You're burning plenty of calories. The things i see that you may want to closely examine are: How much Water are you drinking a day? You should be drinking about 64 ounces (or more) per day. How much sleep are you getting daily? Proper sleep quality can have a big effect on how your weight loss goes. Where do your calories come from? You mention broccoli and fish, but what ELSE are you eating? Is it high fat, fried foods, sweetened foods, and such? Are you snacking or eating food you know isn't right? Soft drinks or alcohol? If so, your nutrition needs to be corrected. And most important: How many calories a day are you eating? Are you eating enough calories? If you're existing on a starvation diet, say less than 600 calories a day, your body may be hanging onto every calorie you're putting in your mouth, because it thinks you're starving it. Sometimes, if everything else is right, just raising the calories a bit is enough to really help. In my case, the 800-1000 calories a day my Nutritionist recommended wasn't working for me. i bumped it up to 1200-1500 calories a day, and the weight started falling off. My surgeon's office recommends eating about three ounces of Protein every three to four hours. if you do that, your blood sugars will stabilize, and you won't have as many highs and lows every day. Once your metabolism levels out, the excess weight will go away. And finally, have you discussed all this with your surgeon's team? If it's been a year and you've only lost five pounds, you owe it to yourself to go see them and sort out what you're either not doing, or what you're doing wrong. Has your band possibly slipped? You paid a lot of money for your band, and you deserve to have it work correctly. if it's working as it should, then you need to change how you're using it, to make the most of it. Good luck! Dave