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i hope everyone is doing okay. i had the gastric bypass 12/10/07 and i am already down 43 pounds in 5 weeks:cool2: hugs Ann

Hi Bright, I can relate. I have the same problem. If I want a junk food or drinking weekend or even one day of reprieve from just Protein and veggies, I have to work for two weeks of being really really good so I can plan an enjoyment day. It work and one day of indiscretion sets me back a week or more now. And as you get closer to goal, its more of a challenge! Gosh, I only want to lose 10 more pounds. I have only lost 17 pounds in 5 months and I want to scream cause the scale goes 180, 182.5, 181.0, 184.5, 182 AND BACK AND FORTH OVER AND OVER AGAIN EVERYTIME i EAT A TORTILLA CHIP! OK, maybe two or three which is now my new weakness! Sounds like you need a little more fill though.... Babs in TX 334/180/170 -154

Thank you everyone for your words of encouragement. Over the next month I have various different appointments with the specialists and then I return to the Bariatric Surgeon on 10/16 for the roux en y gastric by pass reassessment. I am hoping to stay out of the hospital between now and then. More importantly, keeping myself hydrated and fortified. I dread the thought of J tube feedings, PICC lines and TPN. I will post regularly to keep everyone in the loop. Your input let's me know I'm not alone. The PCP was right, just by blogging I would start to mentally feel better

It's been four months today since I had band to sleeve revision. After a complicated surgery and a rough recovery I was feeling really good. I've lost 72 pounds, have lots of energy and best of all, I haven't been in any pain. Fibro was a huge part of my life prior to surgery and honestly, after surgery I haven't had any fibro pain. However, the past 10 days have been very reminiscent of the pain I had experienced before. I know I'm walking much more and am more active than I have been in years. Maybe the increased activity is causing a fibro flare up, I don't know. I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this?

Hi, I had my surgery in May in the UK, and I have not lost a single kilogram. Have had few fills, we reached 6.4 out of a 10 band, and at 6.4 I couldn't have Water down. He emptied some, right now I am at exactly 6.15 like yourself, and I feel minimal restriction. So I'm going back to fill 0.1 next week, hoping to reach the sweet spot! I have been extremely frustrated and still am, as I've been through this big surgical procedure without losing any weight. I know we should not be comparing fill sizes etc as we are all different, but sometimes it helps to talk with people in a similar situation. Im hoping my "green zone" will be somewhere around 6.25. Sent from my iPhone

I got my band in 10 1/2 years ago. I love my band...don't get me wrong, I have had plenty of struggles, some of them severe. But I have lost 134 pounds and have stayed withing 5 to 10 pounds of my current weight 142 for a few years. I have had my fill completely removed several times and the refilling process is almost always grueling. But then I get to my sweet spot and the weight comes off. That brings me to my current problem...about 2 1/2 months ago, I began to have serious reflux problems. You know what I mean...regurgitating acid through the night, cough, hoarse throat, nausea, etc. I did research on the proper GERD/reflux diet and made lifestyle changes, which I tracked. I have been on Dexilant--off and on--for 4 or 5 years. I finally went to my Gastrointestinal doc and she ordered and endoscopy and doubled my Dexilant dosage. Other than a small hyatal hernia, everything inside looked okay. So my doc scheduled a CT scan of my abdomen with and without contrast. They called me this morning to say It looks like my band has slipped and they wanted an Upper GI done. I called my bariatric surgeon's office and am waiting for them to call back to schedule. Needless to say, I am really freaked out! With this going on for almost 3 months, I am so worried about what may be going on and what damage might have occurred. I have put off dealing with this, and over the years, other physical problems related to my band, because I don't want them to take it out or unfill it. I still want to lose some more weight! On top of all that, my only daughter is getting married in 2 months! Does anyone have a story that will encourage me? I don't want a sleeve or other gastric surgery. Is it inevitable that the band will have to be removed? Help!!!!!

Hi, I had my sleeve surgery on August 6th, 2012. I actually tried to get the lap band back in 2006 but due to insurance regulations and morbidity-lacking qualifications, I was unsuccessful back in 2006. Jump forward a couple of years to 2012 and I finally had the right insurance and actually had some morbidities that helped me get the desired surgery. I kinda felt alone having to do this surgery because none of my family members have had some type of weight loss surgery, or had any friends that has gone thru this type of surgery. My husband was not very supportive in my decision and basically said "why ask my opinion when your mind is set already". Pretty much it was a true statement. All of my friends, coworkers, and mom stated that I didnt need the surgery, "your beautiful just the way you are". I appreciated all the kind words and concerns BUT none of them could even start to comprend what I see every day. Im not talking about being on a scale, Im talking about seeing myself in the mirror every day. Before finding this site, I started blogging my thoughts, my journey on www.blogger.com (Rhelm of Droopy). I hope you take the time to check it out, you will see my pre-surgery picture and my monthly pictures that I try to update on the 6th of every month give or take a few days. Lets make my first blog entry short, my consultation weight was 235. My two-week liquid diet before surgery weight was 210. My two-week follow up weight was 191. My two month post-surgery weight was 189 and just this past Tuesday, November 13th, I weighed in at 176. So give or take, Im losing 10 pounds a month, Im going to be honest, wish it was more but Im happy nontheless. Clothes are starting to be baggy, I've gone thru alot of clothes and have given some to the salvation army. My face is alot thinner and thou my double chin still is visibily seen, its not as much as before. In my blogs I mention how a chubby girl notices weird things. I noticed that my inner thighs got thinner. By this I mean, when I walked my thighs would rub sometimes even chaffe from the friction. I guess you have to be chubby to understand this feeling but now I have notices that they dont rub as much as before. There are so many things that a chubby girl notices that a slimmer individual would take for granted. Yes, I have lost some pounds, BUT I'm looking for particular things in my weight loss and they may seem weird but it's something I personally want to see. Im not saying that everyone is the same, Im saying these are things I want to see personally in my "transformation". They are, naturally the weight loss, duh who doesnt! I want to see my collar bone popping out, I want to see the bone on the top of my shoulder's popping out, I want to see my torso start slendering rather than see my love handles sticking out or as I call them "my arm rest" defining my pants. I hope this makes sense because honestly in my head it does lol. Getting rid of my clothes gave me anxiety. I kept telling myself "no save that or save this, what if you dont loose your weight, you wont have any clothes". I swear my mind is my own worse enemy. I did however get rid of alot of clothes and kept telling myself "you will loose weight". I was an 18/20 and currently Im a snug 14. My tops that I normally would buy in a XL or 1X are falling off my shoulders. My pants that are 16 or 14/16 are real bagging in the crotch area but I refuse to buy any clothes for the simple reason that Im going to try to reach my goal weight and to be buying clothes every time I go down a size is just really crazy. I dont know about you but I know I surely dont have money growing on my tree in the back yard. So yes, Im wearing baggy crotchy pants, and the shirts/blouses I have are in the 14/16 range in size. I actually went to the store yesterday and just window shopped. Funny how I would like a blouse and automatically would look for a 1X or an X-Large when clearly I could possibly may fit in a Large now. My mind is so used to being a certain way that even thou I see my full figure transformation I refuse to see my Skinny figure transformation. My mind is my worse enemy! Im not going to lie, I am my own worse critic, I still see the chubby me every day in that mirror. You would think that im on a scale daily to see my progress BUT im not. I have fear of gaining and a bigger fear of not losing. Make sense? Im not saying that this will happen to you, Im telling you that this is what Im dealing and going thru on a daily basis. Im glad I found this sight, I hope that I can read some of the blogs and in some way compare notes, take pointers on how someone is dealing with particular things, find some sort of comfort knowing that Im not the only one that may feel this way or that way and most importantly, find moral support that we may have in common.

I was banded 9/16/05 1st fill 10/18 1.3cc 2nd fill 10/24 1.8cc 3rd fill 11/1 2.2cc 4th fill 11/15 3.0cc I started filling a small amount of restriction after my 3rd (I couldn't eat bread), but now after my 4th just a couple of bites and I'm done! I literally had 4 pieces of general chicken yesterday for lunch (I should have quit at 3) and didn't eat anything else til today at lunch. As far as weight loss, well I've been trying really hard not to get discouraged, but I've only lost 7.5 lbs since my surgery........but I know with this fill, I'm on my way!!!! Good luck

OK, for the past three years, my Band has pretty much been unfilled due to pregnancies. I had a small fill in March... but it bothered me, so had it removed. Everything did look fine under fluoroscopy, though So... fast forward to today. I'm pregnant... and for those of you who have never been preggers and Banded (unfilled or filled)... it's kind of like having your period in that your hormone fluctuations can cause your Band to become tight. Anyways... today, for a snack, I had 1/2 of a beef hotdog. Didn't chew well enough (not something I've had to deal with in a long time, so out of habit)... and things got stuck. No biggie... went to the bathroom... and PBed. Then went again. And again. I think the hotdog was all gone by then, but I still had to stop my car on the way home to vomit some stomach snot and saliva. Being stupid, I did not stick to liquids for dinner... and had a few bites when I started vomiting again. I've been PBing all night now... can't keep even Water down. I just had some real true vomiting about 10 minutes ago... y'know... gut renching type... so I'm hoping that's the end. But I'm worried. I'm assuming if I can't keep liquids down tomorrow, I'll have to go get things checked out as dehydration and pregnancy don't mix. Thing is... I'm preggers... so... x-rays/fluoroscopy is out (only 10 weeks)... not sure if they could diagnose slippage with ultrasound... and being pregnant, what if I need Band removal?? Just freaking a bit... so send some good wishes my way. Thanks

I would ask my doc, but in the meantime, don't lift anything over 7-10 lbs...trust me, you will regret it! It took me till the end of week 3 to feel almost normal.

Morning Fellow Bandsters I was wondering if anyone had any information on travelling with band fills. I am due to have my first band fill on the 9th of August, but due to go to america on the 2nd September, the flight is for 10 hours. I so want my fill as seriously hungry now, and dont want to wait after my holiday. Any advise would be appreicated. Debbie x

Hi Capricorn! I'm having surgery on Nov. 10! I could use a buddy also. I live in NY.

I'm from Westchester County, NY and relatively close to NJ. Had surgery 19 days ago and a bit lost! My first adjustment is this week.

Hi All Was banded 11/10 and got my first fill (3.5 cc's in a 10cc band) yesterday. I drank half a dixie cup of Water before I left the office and it went down slowly but OK. The rest of the day I drank my prescribed liquids with no problem. Today, my Soups went down like nothing, I could have gulped them down if I wanted. I also experienced hunger (2nd day of post-fill liquid diet protocol, 2 days mushies next 2 days) I experimented with a spoonful of cottage cheese and that went down no problem. I don't feel any restriction. Should I ask for a top-off? Or wait until 2 days of 1/2 cup mushies? Am I in Bandster Hell and you old-timers are laughing at me? Thanks to advise O Wise Ones! Jenn

Wow, I just want to cry while reading this..I can relate to almost all of it too. I have a few things to add to the list. 1. Developing rashes in places that sweat 2. I hate that it's so hard to keep my legs closed when I sit 3. I wish I could cross my legs 4. I wish I could be or feel sexy to myself and my husband 5. I wish I could wear my wedding ring, but it's too small now 6. Tough when your child says, "I wish you could play with me like you used to" 7. It would be nice to look all the way behind me when backing up in my car 8. No tolerance for heat so can't enjoy many summer activities 9. Afraid of falling because I probably couldn't get up 10. The moment when standing first thing in the morning, it's so painful since I've developed arthritis 11. My kids and husband being able to wrap their arms completely around me for a nice hug..been a long time

Oh Jack, you are so good! pizza still haunts me. But I CAN eat it! I am 10 weeks post-surgery with no fill. Yummy! The good news, Paul, is that OH so much LESS pizza does the trick that almost a whole pie (depending on the pie) used to! For example, a few weeks back I ate one slice of pizza with a small salad for dinner and was stuffed! Now that it's fill time and I have less restriction, just the other day I ate 2 slices with a small salad. My meal was equally as satisfying as 3-4 (or more!) slices was pre-band. That is really good news to me. I fully expect not to be able to eat pizza again for weeks after my fill. But that's okay. What I am finding out about banded life is that not many food issues last forever, except that of less food, which satisfies just as much. Hooray!

Well Rich went in yesterday to see why he has no restriction after having a fill on 2/1/05 of 6cc in a 10 cc band. He had no restriction what so ever. Well the Doc. Missed the port. He thinks he got into it, but the saline must of went off into the side. I noticed on the first fill he couldn't draw anything back, but didn't say anything-next time I will. Yesterday they got 4cc in and could draw it back, so they knew they were in. Rich now knows whai I am talking about when I say I have restriction.

Hi, I am just a little north of Charlotte in Salisbury. I had my surgery by Dr Roc Bauman at NorthEast Medical Center in Concord. He is wonderful and has a great reputation. I started out at 256 and am as of today 232. I am loving the weight loss and am having no problems. I feel like I could eat just about anything though and i am HUNGRY most of the time. The Dr wants me eating 2-3 oz every 3 hours and drinking 60 oz of liquid a day. Is it normal for me to be hungry already? I am due for my first adjustment on 10-13 and i am hoping that helps with the hunger :smile:

Also, you got banded two years ago when there was less data on the sleeve. Maybe you would have been willing to get it without the 3 and 5 year results being known, but maybe that would have given you pause. I know I think about this all the time... why did it take me so long to admit I had a problem and that WLS was a viable solution? What if I'd had surgery 20 years ago instead of going to Nutri/system? But then I realize that 20 years ago I'd have a surgery type that would put me at risk for Vitamin deficiency and regain and very little support. Even 10 years ago the sleeve wasn't around so I'd probably end up with a band that eventually came out. I don't necessarily believe that everything happens for a reason, but I do believe in not dwelling too much on the past and looking for the good aspects of my decisions. So the bad aspects are that I struggled with obesity for 20 years but the good is that I got a surgery that feels like it was designed just for me and my food issues and has a high chance of working with low long-term risks.

So I had surgery 10 weeks ago and all of a sudden I have a very itchy rash all over my arms. It looks disgusting.

I've been cleared for the following items which were under the heading in my handout, "with surgeon's approval" -- - proetein liquid supplements (1000 calores per day) - skim, 1% or soy milk mixed with whey or soy Protein powders (limited to 20 gm protein/serving) - fat free cream Soups - fat free, plain yogurts or plain, non-fat Greek yogurt I have a good relationship with my dietician and she seems to advocate common sense over strict rules. Like, 3 days before surgery nothing but Clear liquids. But before, no need to torture oneself. She also said non-starchy greens were okay up to a week before surgery as long as they were chewed well. She doesn't like the idea of Jello unless you let it practically melt before swallowing. With this in mind, can someone recommend specific products? Grocery stores and shopping are alien to me and all I have is me. ;( Like, any particular brands of Soup? Yogurt? Not a big fan of plain yogurt, but I guess when you're starving, it serves its purpose. She also recommended throwing some scrambled egg whites in broth and mixing well. And Vitamins. The woman at unjury was very nice. She threw in samples of chewable multi-vitamins, Calcium citrate plus and B-12. How long does one have to take chewables? What is recommended other than a multi-Vitamin? What is recommended when chewables are no longer needed, or does that day ever come? Sorry if a lot of this info is readily available and I know I've seen most of this discussed somewhere or other, but frankly I don't remember where or all the info - I was on brain overload. Many thanks for thoughts and recommendations. Time is short, diet starts 10/22.

I'm about 40 miles north of Dayton, banded in West Chester on 04/10/09.

salsa1877, :Hi ! I would love to know what have you been eating and what type of activity are you doing? I had my surgery on 10/8/07 and have lost 30lbs. I don't think I am eating enough or maybe not the right foods. For instance forr breakfast I had a bowl of life cereal, lunch I had baked tortilla chips and picante sauce. Dinner was a 1/2 order of a chicken and mashed potatoes dish from 54th street restaurant. I try to walk at least every other day. What do you think?

WOW congrats everyone!!!!!!! My 2 month is not until the end of JAnuary I just hope and pray I do as well as you all. My goal was 30lbs but now I am thinking I should push for 35 or 40. I seem to be loosing slower than others but I am happy I am loosing! If I could lose 10 lbs a month I will be at my goal this time next year! HAPPY LOOSING EVERYONE COME ON 2013!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It depends on your Surgeon's requirements and your Nutritionist's recommendations. My surgeon required 'some' weight loss.. Nutritionist said 10 lbs (cos she thought I'd gained weight since my initial consultation, whereas it was terrible Water retention after switching HBP medication) All the best!