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Hi i too had my band done 3 years ago & i lost 88lbs, but then a miracle happened, I had a baby, I was told all my life i couldnt have babies, I too have put about 60lbs back on through my pregnancy & having a slipped disc in my back I called the hospital today & the lovely nurse has booked me in for an xray to check my band I have a 14cc band & had 9cc fluids in 3yrs ago, not sure if its all there now? Today ive changed my eating habit to when i first had the band, & i havnt felt hungry at all & i actually felt restriction again, first time in a very long time I got into a bad habit of eating the wrong foods & drinking at meal times & too much alcohol... Ive had to remind myself this is a TOOL, & its only going to work again if i help it, If i dont help it then i can't expect it to help me

Very sorry to hear that your wife is not that supportive. This certainly has to be a factor in your present situation. I, too, have a huge sweet tooth. I could stop eating fatty foods without a problem, but controlling intake of sweets is one of the hardest things for me to do. I changed over to sugar free candies. What that does for me is that it satisfies the craving for sweets, but I know that if I overdo it, I'm going to be hurting, in the form of gas pains and other short-term gastric issues from the sugar alcohols.

This weeks weigh-in: 172.2lbs - HELLS YES - 90lbs down! I've been away for a few weeks so this is going to be a long one! SORRY ahead of time. I had a realization about my band Saturday morning. The besties and I were headed out for a day of bridesmaid dress hunting (yes I know, less than a month away) after a late St. Patrick's Day night. I rolled out of bed and figured that we would hit up a drive-thru on the way since I felt kind of like death. I am a coffee fanatic! I neeeeed a cup of joe in the morning before I even open my eyes. My regular routine is to have a few sips before my shower and getting dressed and then I eat the same oatmeal type concoction every morning. Same time, same portion, same everything. I never have problems in the morning. Since my last fill, I have had a few issues when I am on the road. Twice now, the Mr. and I have checked out of a hotel without coffee or breakfast and stopped in at McDonalds or Tim Hortons on the way since it is such a long drive home. We are in a hurry!!! Because I do not drink and eat with the bad, I have made the mistake of trying to eat first without the coffee. Things that would never get stuck, do. I couldn't figure it out and thought that it may be my band reacting to alcohol (for shame Jennifer, for shame). Well, this Saturday - BING!!! the light bulb came on after throwing up into a take out bag in the front seat of Sparms' new car while Mama G sat unfazed in the backseat. Totally embarrassing. They are both totally supportive and have really taken this journey with me but it sucked making them pull over to ditch my bag of slime. Then, it came to me - COFFEE LOOSENS MY BAND! I should not be eating anything solid in the morning until I have had a warmish liquid in there first. I have heard and read about this with many bandsters but never thought that it applied to me. Well, now I know. Over a year out of surgery and I am still learning and adapting to my ever-changing band! Work is nuts!!! Wedding stuff is even more nuts and life seems to be whizzing by! We leave in 12 more sleeps. Both of our suitcases are packed, the passports are locked and loaded and my dry whiter-than-snow skin is just dying for some sunshine and some humidity! I get my hair done today too! I've never had my hair done by a real professional. I stop by at the local strip mall for a chop here and there and because I have curly hair, no one can ever tell that it is a shitty job. Not today friends. I am hitting up a real professional! I am going to wait to put up this post so that I can include a pic. I'm hoping for something natural looking.UPDATE- The trip to the salon was worth the head message alone! Really liking how soft it feels. He even straightened it too! I felt like a special lady all afternoon. Over the last few weeks, the wedding odds and ends are being tied up. Saturday night, Sparms Bestie and I went to my Mom's house. Mom is a scrap-booker, card maker and crafter extraordinaire. We made gift tags for these gorgeous little ditties that we are sending home with guests: (this is not my photo, nor our guestbook). Collectively, the tag dream was materialised! They turned out better than I ever expected. This proven by the fact that we used none of the things that I purchased specifically for them! Thanks Mom and Sparms! Mama G Bestie braved make-up and underwear shopping with me. I have to admit, stores like that were really intimidating for me before. I don't wear make-up often at all. Partially because I have always purchased crap that I don't use more than once or twice. Mama G took me in to Seph*ra and wrangled a shop girl to test a bunch of powders on me.(Who wants sweat lip shiny wedding shots?) I would never insist on this alone. I would do my best to pick the one that I thought matched my colour and be done. After that trial, I know that I am completely clueless. I would assume that my skin was pink, not yellowish. What the hell do I know? Obviously nothing! Left the store with some great stuff and a little bit of an interest in make-up. I always believed that I would never be able to buy something from "V*ctoria's S#cret". Pssh, who cares? That place is STOOPID anyway! HMPH. Well, I hate to say it... I couldn't have been more wrong. These bras are like little silk memory foam pillows for the girls! The straps are made out of some kind of anti-slip material that feels like money on my skin! I was floored. I wanted one of everything! Mama G stood beside me and was my courage. We had so much fun chatting and browsing that all anxiety went out the window. I flipped through the drawers looking for a white strapless for under my wedding dress. They didn't have it in white at the one location but I found the style that I wanted and they held it for me at another location. The next day, the Mister and I went to pick it up. The Mister totally enjoyed the store more than he would ever care to admit and he bought the bra and a bottle of a perfume that I had been raving about. It's called "BOMBSHELL". *cough* *cough* HELLS YEAH I AM! I am also a very lucky girl! I love my friends and family... and they love me too... most of the time. lol.

I am 3 months post op and have only lost 20 pounds since my surgery. I have been so upset about this. Now I realize I am angry. Not particularly about the lack of loss... more about the circumstances leading up to it. Here's my story: I decided in 2008 to have a lapband. I found a surgeon who seemed nice, caring and competent. I talked to a couple people on lapbandtalk who really liked him. My insurance would not cover it without a 6 month diet and I had a very painful hernia that needed a repair, so we paid the band portion of the surgery. It still ended costing close to 10K. The surgeon called me the night before my surgery to tell me he had accepted a job in another state and he wanted to give me the option of cancelling my surgery and finding a different surgeon. I elected to stay with him and have my surgery the next day. The surgery went well. It was quite a bit longer than anticipated because I had some mesh from a previous hernia repair that had balled up and grown into my flesh. he had to cut it away a piece at a time. I spent the night in the hospital and got out the next day. I had a significant amount of pain. It did not feel like gas, but still I took lots of GasX. It did not help at all. When I went in for my one week post op he was obviously high. Very high. At 3 weeks I developed a seroma (a Fluid filled pocket under the skin). I called him and he said to come in. He looked at it, poked it with his finger and said "Yep, it's a seroma. You can go home now" I asked him if he was going to have me get it drained, he told me he didn;t believe in it, as that can cause an infection. This was on Tuesday. On Thursday I called and told him it was getting infected. It was draining a dark color (should not drain, and the color should be clear/pale yellow) He said "You'll be OK. I'll see you on Monday". On Friday I called and told hm my temp was 101.6. he said "You'll be OK, I'll see you Monday". On Saturday my temp was 102.8. I had my husband take me to the local hospital. They did a CT scan and lots of blood tests. They admitted me and I needed surgery the next morning. I had 750 cc's (about a litre) of pus in my belly. I was an hour or so from sepsis. They left the wounds open and I was on 4 different IV antibiotics for 6 days. I left the hospital with a massive yeast infection, open wounds and a wound vacuum. When I went in to see him the next week he had the gall to say "I wish you had come to my hopital so I could take care of you" I did well with my weight loss, but I always had pain. A kind of pulling, burning pain in my chest and constant pain in my port area. I assumed this was not abnormal, just the price I had to pay for my weight loss. In 2 1/2 years I lost 113 pounds. It was quite slow towards the end, but I was still quite pleased. I was even planning plastic surgery even though I still had about 60 pounds to lose. Then one day I woke up with terrible pain. Called the surgeon who had taken over my care and his nurse had me come in for a unfill. It was Thanksgiving week and I was not happy about this, since I was going out of town in a couple of days. That night I was at a support group for a different surgeon. The pain got so bad I went to the ER there. It turned out my stomach was huge and emptying very slowly. I was told I had gastroparesis. I was in constant pain. We started a new insurance 2 months later. It took me a month to get into a gastro doctor. She did a EGD and found out I had a major erosion. My band was sitting in my stomach. The baratric department at Kaiser (our new insurance) scheduled me to see a surgeon and get the band removed. I was really sad about losing it. I was told I could apply for another surgery, but that it takes 10 months to a year to get it done. The band removal did not help my pain. i had chest pain and severe debilitating left arm pain. The only thing that can cure gastroparesis is a gastric byass. Didn't matter, I had to wait my turn. I found out a friend of mine (another one of his patients) who got her band 4 months before me had hers erode 4 months before mine. One is bad luck, 2 is a bad doctor. After 10 months (and 50 pounds gain) I was finally at the top of the list. BUT...... I was informed this surgery is elective and it was going to cost me $10,000. Even though it was the only thing that may cure my medical condition, it was still elective. So....now here I am. 3 months post op and down 10K and a whole whopping 20 pounds. I am so angry. Angry at what happened to me, angry after finding out he had been censured by the medical board for alcoholism, angry at the thought that the reason he put me off when I had my infection and I almost died was because he was high, and angry this idiot is still out there maiming people. Sorry for the long rant and thanks for reading it.

I understand the frustration when you see posts that go against all the "rules" you have been told and are trying to stick to. I also understand how you may feel being an RN and have more medical training than other folks. BUT........ Every surgeon has their own set of "rules". For example, I see so many posts about people "cheating" on their liquid pre-op diets. This makes no sense to me as I did not have a liquid pre-op diet. My pre-op was 2 weeks of Atkins to shrink the liver and it worked great. I don't understand why people are being put through all that, but that is what their surgeon wants. It seems like a punishment to me. Another example: I've heard many people say their surgeon told them no alcohol for the rest of their life and other surgeons say none for the first 6 months. Another example: I was not required to jump through any pre-op hoops except the Atkins. I do mean zero.... no blood tests, no sleep study, no shrink ........ nothing. Another example: Many surgeons require patients to stop smoking, others do not. I could go on forever with all the different rules......... My "rules" may be very different than your "rules", but we both can see success with this band

All the comments above are accurate. You may need to seek counseling as to the reason you "replaced food with alcohol" for me, food was my friend, my constant companion, my stress relief, and utmost, my anger/anxiety relief. I have had to redirect my emotional eating to something else. In the middle of my journey, i too turned to alcohol. Weight gain scared me and so i did some soul searching and decided i needed a healtier coping skill. Recently it has been the gym and i find that i get irritable when i cant make it there. This is not only a journey of weight loss, but a complete rediscovery of who I/we want to be. It is scary to face the world and reality without a comfort so learning alterative healthy coping skills is a must. You don't want to trade one addiction to another. It's a slippery slope. This site will be a great source of understanding and support, however, you have to search within you and find what you want to change. Good luck with your journey!

queen, I would definitely give your surgeon the flick and speak to another expert. There is absolutely no reason why you should put up with lack of advice or support. A fresh perspective and a friendly doctor might well be able to address your issues so that you can feel positive about the changes you have made. Alcohol is toughie and also takes away appetite for some - I am fresh at this but for the medium term i don't really want any as it lowers my resolve with food and i am very overweight and can't afford the calories. Looking at this afresh might help you - find a good doctor to advise - set short term goals and build up to eating the quantity you need and temporarily stop the alcohol. Sounds easier in words than practise i know, but maybe you just need to rewind and remember the enthusiasm u felt when u first got banded, and make a fresh start. Wishing you all the best

Thanks guys, I will definitely take your advice into consideration. The bad thing is I did not start drinking until after I had the band. But I do understand that alcohol does carry a lot of calories and carbs. And I have made the decision to give it up at least only drink it minimaly. And try to get back on this train. I have come too far to be defeated. Keep offering sound advice, it does help. Thanks again.

You have to have surgeon that's part of your team of supporters. If you don't feel like your doctor is giving you that support, or even listening to you, then you have the right to find a new one without feeling bad. And Yellowrose is right, alcohol is full of carbs and calories that will work against you for losing weight. I know there's a lot of controversy about alcohol post-banding, and it won't "hurt" you per se, but it's definitely not good for you (it's not good for you pre-band either!!). Maybe changing surgeons will help you re-focus on the plan and get back on track.

Sorry to hear about your situation. Alcohol has a ton of calories which could be a factor for not losing weight. Also if you are not getting what you want from your doctor then yes I would find another one. I have been blessed with my doctor and so I know there are good ones out there. Good luck!

I am two years post-operative. I am not sure if my level of support for the lap-band has been satisfactory. I had the bad put on Jan 2010, I only lost 30lbs total weight. I was very disappointed. I thought that I would at least lose about 55lbs..however, I traded eating for drinking alcohol. And now, I am gaining the weight back. I have gained at least 15lbs within the last year. I think that at this point my band is too tight. I am eating really small plates of food, but I am continuing to throw up and even gurgle after most of my meals. I complained to my surgeon but his bed side manner was not all that great. And I had contemplated changing to another doctor. I am just wondering if anyone else is experiecing anything of the sort? I am trying to come-up with a plan to continue to battle this weight. queenv319

I think she was joking about only drinking alcohol! lol. And depending what type of alcohol you're drinking, yes it could but 4 shots is about 400 calories. You just have to be smart about it!

Alcohol isn't supposed to BE your liquid diet. And four glasses of alcohol contains about a days worth of calories.

hi luanne i decided to tell you i do care. i'm not sure what i can say - but i wanted to say hi so you don't feel left out. I hope you are around to see this. congrats on being a 10 yr recovering alcoholic. That must take a lot of strength and courage. you sound like a religious person - so let God be your guide in your battles. as far as the sleeve goes, looks like you are doing very well, great weight loss, which i'm sure you will continue to do. I know its very hard for all of us sleevers, but how rewarding it will be to continue your journey to success. Good luck, hope to hear from you - take care best of luck kathy

hi feedyoureye! To answer your questions I get in 64-80oz of fluids a day (usually two shakes made with Water, 12oz each), 2-2.5 fills of my 24oz water bottle, and sometimes a glass of tea. Along with broths, SF Jell-O, etc. This is a very different feeling from dehydration headache, I've had those before as I've had the low-magnesium before. In 2009 I went to the emergency room with a 5-day migraine-like headache and similar muscle aches. It was after a few months battling a severe sinus infection with three round of antibiotics (which I hate). The doctor tested me and said I had alarmingly low magnesium levels, which was most likely the cause of my symptoms. Antibiotics can rob the body of the mineral, as does time of the month, too much calcium, and not enough leafy greens. Given this diet of ours does not allow much room for greens, it's a double whammy. Our bodies are in highly acidic PH levels with any high-Protein, low-carb diet not rich in healthy doses of fruits and vegetables. Also, haven't had a drop of caffeine since New Year's and even then I'd cut back drastically since October (quit coffee, green/black tea was only caffeine source until before surgery). And I don't drink alcohol... I'm going to try a sample of this new algae-source calcium/magnesium capsule, a pharmacist at a local health store suggested I try it.

I have experienced that alcohol really allows me to eat because I get very relaxed. It's a slippery area to enter... For me anyway and I'm not an alcoholic. It I do enjoy a glass of wine occasionally but it is just that....empty calories.

Alcohol is empty calories...

I don't know where you got your info on that one, but I can assure you the ph of alcohol is normally 7.0, though sometimes the range 6.0 to 7 is more accepted. Water has a ph of 7.0 so by this reasoning you should drink water either. With the understanding that 7.0 is neutral.

Do not drink alcohol! There is ethanol and it is acidic, I suggest not eating or drinking anything really acidic or off to the scale of base.

i have a HUGE problem with splenda. i also have issues with truvia. but NOt stevia. truvia has sugar alcohol but stevia does not so truvia makes me sick but not as much as splenda. i get the same symptoms as you do on splenda but i also get chills and sweats and vomitting. splenda is the devil to me! haha. i like aspartame and saccarin

I've never seen a list of alcohol we can drink. Most people here will tell you none at all. I was a big drinker in my younger days. Now I drink white wine or a whiskey sour with sugar-free mixer. Bourbon is my fave liquor. I can drink it straight but it does burn a little. I like Master of Mixes lite sweet and sour mixer. It has 8 carbs and 10 calories per serving. So one drink has about 110 calories. I don't get any more intoxicated on the amount I drink. It seems to be about the same as it used to. I wish I was one of those who could nurse one drink all night and be buzzed but I'm not. Just goes to show how everyone is different and you really don't know how something will affect you. Oh, btw, my usual disclaimer: When I do drink my weight loss slows. So just keep that in mind as something to watch out for.

I am addicted to ice cream too. I lost 100 pounds initially... had some complications (gallbladder surgery, port leak, port replacement) and I let it all go to ****. I gained 50 back and have been hovering at the same weight now for a long time. Unlike you, I DID have an addiction to ice cream pre-band, but thought if that was the ONE thing I had to do myself, I could do it. Well... it is REALLY hard. I am back to eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's a night. Sometimes more. I easily eat 1000-1200 calories a day in ice cream. I just recommitted myself 2 days ago. I have been ice cream free for 2 days. Sounds silly... but seriously, that is huge for me!! I am relearning how to work with my band instead of around it. No more drinking when eating. No more slider foods. And no more ice cream!! For me, I have to completely ban ice cream from my life. When I lost the 100 pounds my first year... I was not eating ANY. I understand that skinny people eat ice cream, and chips, blah blah. Moderation blah blah. Well I am not, nor have I ever been a skinny person. I can't just have 1 scoop. I always want more. My brain never stops wanting more. I crave it. I obsess about it. The only way I could control it is to treat it like an alcoholic would alcohol. I cannot have any. Never. Not one scoop. Not one bite. Not one lick. Once I have it, it snowballs. I have been in pretty bad sugar withdrawals the last two days... but I am hanging in there. I did it before, I can do it again. Yesterday I was obsessing about a turtle sundae from Culvers. I wanted it. I was telling myself, just this one last time. Just once more. Start tomorrow. Well I have been telling myself that for over a year. And where has that gotten me? I went home and had a Protein shake instead. I was pissed. Unsatisfied. Angry. But after those initial feelings passed I was so proud of myself for hanging in there. Today was a little easier. Tomorrow will be a little easier. HANG IN THERE. You just have to keep reminding yourself of your goals. Why you had this surgery. Don't throw it all away for 10 minutes of pleasure. It is a wicked, awful, nasty cycle. You can do it. Drive a different route. Don't pass Sonic. Don't keep ice cream in your freezer. Treat it like an addict. You cannot have it. Period. Give it a shot. Best of luck to you. I am there with you. You are not alone.

This is fun. I'm only afraid of heights when driving up a mountain. I can hardly stand it. My biggest fear is flying. I can't do it. I used to fly all of the time. Now it's a full blown phobia. I have been on planes and had to get off, and someone once tried to drag me on. Drugs and alcohol did not work, and I also tried hypnosis. Airplanes in the sky make my throat close up too. I know, I'm weird.

First, always check with your doctor and follow his or her advice. That being said, I had my first glass of wine about 3-4 weeks after surgery. Neither my nutritionist nor my doctor ever said I had to cut out alcohol. What they DID say was to treat it like any other high-calorie/low-nutrient food and keep consumption low to avoid weight gain. I do find that since I'm eating fewer calories, the alcohol does go to my head a little faster, but I was a cheap date before banding, so it's not exactly a drastic difference. I'm 7 weeks post-op and I had a glass of wine with my dinner tonight. It was delicious

You need to be upfront with your Dr about alcohol use. I had turned 21 a couple months before so I told him plan on drinking once in a while. After all the reason I got the band was I could live a fun and more enjoyable life. Listen to your drs suggest about when you can start. Remember alcohol is empty calories but I always say they are damn good empty calories. Also remember since your losing weight and eating less you are going to be more of a lightweight. Also you should search the forum cause this topic has come up before, so you can get more input.