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What kind of symptoms do you have that makes you think that your band has slipped? My band had a minor slip a few months ago. My dr put way too much Fluid in on a fill, and i took a big swig of Water. My pouch became inflammed. He drained some of the fluid out but the following two days i kept getting mid back pains. So I called him back and he emptied my band for a month. Now i am back to being filled and losing more weight.

So did they start you on meds? Are you feeling GREAT?!?! I went to my PCP a few years ago, thinking I was dying. Hot flashes--chills--skyrocketing weight--heart palps--night sweats. Must be (very) early menopause. Right? Wrong. I had Hashimoto's thyroiditis--my immune system attacked and destroyed my thyroid gland. Tests show I have ZERO thyroid function. I started replacement therapy, and I've felt like a million bucks ever since. I HAVE had more trouble losing weight afterwards--my PCP says replacement therapy is really just meant to supplement a low-functioning thyroid, not completely replace a dead gland. For those of us with metabolic disorders like PCOS or hypothyroidism, weight loss is a little different. I only lose weight if I diet AND exercise. Can't just do one or the other. I don't have to "sweat to the oldies", but I do have to move my carcASS on a daily basis.

you did the right thing by going back to your Dr. They are there to help us and trust me, you are not his first patient to fall off the wagon, band or not. Good job. Don;t let those old insecurities get to you. Your husband is with you becasue he wants to be. There is nothing I can say about how fast men lose weight, except DARN THEM.

Today I submitted all of my documents were submitted to my insurance. The funny moment of it all was the pre cert coordinator must have showed my letter documenting my weight loss attempts in the past 12 months...all i heard was "OMG! Why do these people write books!" I looked at her dead in her face as she said it and then she walked away as if she had been caught robbing a bank. It was kind of hilarious, but unbeknownst to the mortified nurse I would have been negligent had I not given them a sneak peak in the 20+ years of weight loss attempts. 12 months to me just barely hit the surface. Needless to say my paperwork has been submitted to Horizon BCBS. Right now I have a tentative surgery date of November 9th. Send prayers and positivity out on my behalf for an approval.

have you discussed this with your PCP? don't really know what to tell you about that. If you've decreased the calories AND the carbs (<40g daily) then you shouldn't be getting bigger. . are you gaining? getting in enough fluids? just thoughts flying through. . . sorry i'm not more of a help. . .

Good Morning all! My first time on here. Just looking to share stories and gain support from people who have been in my shoes at the starting line. I decided to take my weight into my own hands and get gastric bypass. My very first seminar is tonight so I'm a little anxious about that. But any support or advice will be greatly appreciated! cruisin' for losin'

Ok..02/25/09 I've completed all my testing..Current weight 215 bmi 37.. I've also met with the Psych and Nutri... The Nutri asked me to lose a few pounds and see her again when I meet with the Doctor and go over the test results on 04/01/09.. Hopefully all is good and he will submit the paperwork to my insurance company.. and then I can schedule my surgery date.. If all goes well I am to be at a weight of 205 bmi 35 the date of surgery.. Check back for more information

Hi I got my mgb on 23rd jan. Recovering great and managing and tolerating most foods etc. My surgeon told me the day following surgery that he left my pouch bigger because it was no longer safe to operate. Also said he bypassed 2 m .....does anyone know if this will effect my weight loss.

I would wait until you lose all your weight so you know exactly what size to get. You don't want to get them now then you lose lots more weight and they have to have a adjustment.

i used to be on this support site faithfully...giving advice...telling people what the "right" way was...truthfully there is no wrong or right way...i've been a big successful loser with this band...haven't alwayz lost weight using my tool...if u read my previous thread...i included laxatives and too much exercise to aid my loss...when people ask me for advice now...i tell them "ur way...will b the rite way"...not my way...not her way...his way..we aren't scientist or doctors...we r people that were once over-weight...and we r either trying not to b or we aren't anymore and itz that simple...i c members on here...saying "don't eat this...don't eat that"...i personally choose not to eat a lot of carbs...but thatz by choice...would i have lost just as much weight if i did...who knows??????...i can't eat rice or pasta...it gets stuck...can the next person...maybe...maybe not...it took me 6 fills b4 i hit my sweet spot...it may take jane doe 2 fills...it may take 9 fills..this is a journey...one that u will need support with...of course...but not 1 that can b done 4 u...no matter how much advice u get...

Hi Y'all, I Relaize This Forum Is For People W/ Lab Band. I Am One Of Those People, I've Been Banded Since 1/07 And Couldn't Be Happier. My Problem Is My Mom. After She Saw My Succsess W/ Lap Band She Went Through The Process Of Getting Approved Through Her Insurance. She Had Everything Riding On Getting Approved And Kept Gaining Weight. She Then Found Out That Her Insurance Didn't Cover Lap Band But, Would Cover Gastric Bypass. Which To Me Makes No Scense What So Ever. Any How, She Went Ahead And Got The Gbp. Despite Me Warning Her Of All The Complications. She Had Her Surgery 1 Month Ago, And Has Been In The Hospital Twice Now. Once For Dehydration And To Stretch Her Stomach And Again Another Time To Strech It Out Even More. The Reason She's Having Her Stomach Stretched Is She Couldn't Even Keep Water Down. She Still Can't Eat Anything She Looks Horrible Very Weak And Pale. Her Doc Says They Can't Strech Her Out Any More. She's So Miserible And Wishes She Would Have Never Done This To Her Self. She Cries All The Time Bc She Can't Eat Anything W/o Throwing It Up And She's Hungry. She Also Says She Has No Support And Can't Go It Alone. We Live In Different Cities And She's A Widow. I Looked To See If There Were Any Gbp Support Websites Like This One And Couldn't Really Find One For Her. I Know Any Time I've Had A Question, Concern Of Needed Support I've Always Found It Here. My Hope Is Someone Will Read This And Maybe Know What I Can Do To Help Her Or Know Of Someone In A Similar Situation She Can Talk To. Anyone Please Help. I'm Very Worried About My Mom. Thanks Y'all.

I have my pysch eval march 6th then one weight nutrients class n PETA class all in one and then my X-rays etc..... And I'm on the operating table!!! Getting closer everyday!!! I'm so excited;)

Completely normal. The port is the sorest likely because of the fascia suturing. Try supporting your abdomen with your arm as you move - if you have a pannus, put your arm under it and carry the weight with your arm. If you carry your weight higher, support under the incision. I found that by doing thism, I could alleviate 70 - 80% of the pain while walking. Standing & sitting still hurt, but I'm going to guess it was tolerable within a week. It took me 3 days to get into my own bed and stop living in a recliner.

Ben- Maybe I'm naive, but I'd guess MOST of us had to make this decision in our own mind before we really involved the others in our lives. It is a huge deal for us and a last resort...I think we had to get to the point in looking at this where WE were OK with doing this. I know I had already made up my mind before I broached the subject with DH and I wanted to have enough information to give him before telling him. I did try to involve him (since he's the only one I'm telling) by taking him to several seminars and my surgeon's consult, mainly because I need him to know what's involved after. I can't say he truly 'gets' it...at 6'3" 190# he's always been thin. He still thinks it's a bit extreme, and he's seen me diet down to very normal weights before (I have been able to be a success dieting), but he's also seen me gain it all back plus more many times. After living through six months of seeing me prepare for this I do think he's coming around...it's not that he hasn't been supportive the whole time, but at least now he sees how important this is to me. I know he doesn't get the blogging thing at all, but like you I just started off trying it and found it suprisingly cathartic for me (especially because I'm not telling others). I tend to vent all my issues here and just writing it helps me, even if no one listens. Is that self-indulgent...probably, but it's about time I started taking care of me for a change and that includes the head stuff as well as the LB (can't believe I can finally just say that). I don't think I'll be successful without working on both pieces at the same time. I know the hardest part of my deciding this was the 'selfish' part...I had to decide that it was OK for me to be at the top of the list for once, it was OK for me to spend the money (although most is ins.), set aside time to exercise, time to track food, and time to blog and get my head stuff out and support from others who understand. No one is perfect, and I'd do some things on this journey differently too. Keep on your path, you know you're doing what you need to for you. Have I felt guilty along the way for taking time and money just for me...sure, but like you said, I know in the long run of life this will make me a happier healthier and longer-lived person and that will benefit everyone around me. When you're happy with yourself then others will be happier with you. Sorry for the novel, but just know you're doing the best you can and stay the course. As I tell my kids all the time -Life is about choices and the results or consequences. You never know where those choices are going to take you. -BG

It’s Sod’s Law that the one person that I expected to support me in this procedure has been the only one person that hasn’t. Damn that Sod and his bloody law making! Without wanting to sound like an angry young (ahem!) man and post my second negative post, I thought I would try and do it in a defensive way rather than go in with guns a-blazing. The gloves were originally taken off as I pressed the “new post” button - but they have duly been put back on. In fact, I have retired to the changing room, away from the ring to write a considered response with the help of a bit of Rufus Wainwright serenading me and a hot cup of jasmine tea. Actually, forget that - I am going to have to snipe a bit, so decaf coffee it is. Firstly, I won’t bother going through my reasons for undertaking this surgery. If you want those, you can easily read through the swathes of words I have on the subject. Secondly, I will start my defence a bit absurdly. I will start with a list of mistakes that I made leading up to the surgery and a few of my most outstanding weaknesses. This way, I can be judged in full for the actions I took. Thirdly, I intend to iterate why this blog was set up and why I continue to push people here instead of talking about it face to face. Fourthly, I will try and defend the accusations that have flown recently and put them in their place once and for all. I won’t be going over it again - so listen carefully! Lastly, I intend to lose some weight with dignity and pride and hopefully a bit of happiness - so if you don’t like it - back off and let me get on. Please. So, as detailed above, I launch my defence with point 1. Go read. The biggest mistake I made before undertaking this step was not to make the decision with my partner. Instead I chose to research and make the decision entirely alone. I chose to not discuss my fears with anyone and let the decision be made before I told a soul. When I did tell, it was already well decided in my mind that I would do it. In hindsight, I would probably have realised that this was to be a shared experience and needed buy-in and approval from everyone affected. I do admit that the way I did it was perhaps selfish. I won’t defend it, as I believe now it should have been done another way. My second mistake - but one that I am not so sure was entirely wrong, was not to inform my friends until it was all done. This was again because the procedure was so huge to me that I wanted to be in and out of it before anyone could grill me and make my life too stressful before I undertook the seemingly controversial operation. I think that they now feel slightly distant from me as I was unable to share this with them - which perhaps I should have done. My excuse for that is hopefully well understood and forgivable. My weaknesses can be pretty much listed out verbatim. I am well aware of them and pretty much everyone who knows me is also very well read on the subject. Again, I won’t excuse the failings - just lay them out on the table. I am absolutely CRAP with money. I don’t quite understand its value and I can’t hold onto it as long as I should. It has gotten me into some dire situations and I am aware that it has caused some distress to those around me. Never ever lend me money. Ever! I am a frightful coward. Everything that has any kind of danger attached fills me with dread. I hate roller coasters, flying and high speed. I cower at spiders and tremble at heights. If you are looking for courage in a burly man - look elsewhere. I am pretty stubborn. Once I have decided upon something - that will always be the right thing in my mind. It takes a lot of persuasion to talk me around to another point of view. Some people may well recognise this as arrogance! I was (no more) a big drinker. I binged and usually got very “bombastic” in the process. Imposing one’s personality on friends and stranger can be quite daunting for them. Using booze as a crutch to overcome my utter shyness and inability to have a conversation with people was probably not the best therapy. I have many other weaknesses, but are probably irrelevant for this post - so I will stop self-flagellating. [*]This blog was set up for two reasons. I needed an outlet where I could do a bit of cathartic self-therapy. Writing everything down in this way seems to be a brilliant tool for exploring one’s mind and really coming to terms with issues that bother you. I recommend it for anyone undertaking a journey like this that they have concerns about. Even if you don’t publish it - write it down. The honesty you can deliver to a uncaring, uninterested computer screen is immense. The second reason was to enable my friends to read my reasons behind my decsion and see more into the process. It gives them the full picture without taking up my entire life talking about it. If people want to know, they go to my blog. Also, I figured it would help people contemplating the operation in the future see the thought processes I went through stage by stage and help them to come to terms with the options available. I’m not entirely sure my readership is that enormous nor whether people actually take in what they read in between the rambling sentences. But, from the few comments I have received, it is ringing a similar chord with other people who have had the surgery. Time will tell if this helps anyone else. [*]Now, the accusations! This blog is simply self-indulgent crap. Well, it has been an important part in my decision and coming to terms with opting for the surgery. It has also helped others close to me to fully understand what I did. Whereas with talking and conversation - they would only have had the full story. I just wouldn’t have the time to quote the articles in teh blog to all my friends. I can’t really defend the “crap” bit. I didn’t cater for the feelings of my partner when I made the decision on my own Yes I did. I shouldn’t have made the decision on my own, but her feelings were very much considered and put into the equation. The trouble is - I didn’t accurately predict what her feelings would actually be. Hence the discussions should have been made. Half of a defence there. I wasted money on the operation when I could have invested in the family unit and dieted instead like most people. Sorry - but there is no basis to that one. Firstly - here is a fact. Of all diets - only 3-5% are successful in the long term (reference Dr Jessie H. Ahroni Ph.D., A.R.N.P.). A whopping 95 to 97% of people who diet are wasting their time! I have tried dieting and my mental and physical make-up is such that I was one of the 95-97% of people who failed. I tried for 15 years. This was a last resort as you will probably know by now from my self-proclaimed cowardice. Secondly, me paying for a surgery to keep me alive for many more years than previously expected IS an investment into the family unit. Imagine my salary over, let’s say, 20 years. Lastly, the money spent on the operation is approximately how much I overspent on food and alcohol over two years. So, in conclusion - this has not only cost nothing - it has actually put money BACK IN to the family unit (remembering my fiscal weakness - you may wish to check these facts!). Along with that, it is giving me the opportunity to live a bit longer. So, there you have it. Now I intend to get on with my new life, in a slightly different way than I had originally planned - but get on with it I shall. Originally posted at: Lap Band Blog

Congratulations! Yeah the first 6 months are the easiest, and its great you took advantage of it so well As for the exercise (unless you are an endurance athlete or serious weight lifter), it doesn't really contribute much to weight loss, its more really for overall health, well-being, body contouring. Food intake is the bigger determiner of weight loss. I hated exercise in beginning also. I basically forced myself to do it though (and I was really mad about it!). Now I actually love running and other cardio activities (who'd have thunk?), and I do it almost daily. BUT i still hate weight training. I figure it is a necessary evil and I force myself at least 15-20 minutes of it a day. It helps that Mr. is a fitness freak and is around for support & motivation (ie., physically dragging me to the mat, lol). Maybe get a workout buddy if you really want to get into it? P.S. do we get to see some Before and After pics?? We LOVE Before and After pics!

I have done TONS of research and been on these forums for months and I have't heard anything at all about VSG causing a build-up of scar tissue. I've heard a LOT of lap-band patients having trouble with scar tissue from their bands when revising to VSG. I don't think you'll have to be a "gym rat" to maintain your weight loss, but regular exercise is a requirement for maintained weight loss no matter how you lose the weight. I lost 90 pounds "on my own" a few years ago and stopping regular exercise contributed greatly to my regain. As for stretching the sleeve, it will relax and expand some by about a year out, but it can never be back to anything remotely resembling your old, full-sized stomach.

Hello, I am new to this whole thing. First things first, I am a 35 year old male and for the last couple of years I have been toying with the idea of having some sort of weight loss surgery. This past Monday my best friend and I went to an introductory seminar and later that night I submitted my information to apply to have the surgery. Right now I am waiting for the hospital (St Joseph's East in Lexington, Kentucky) to get back with me after they confirm that my insurance does cover weight loss surgery. Im excited to be started on the process and cant wait to experience it as I get deeper into the process.

Going in for my 2nd fill today. I have been stuck at the same post surgery weight, is that normal? 1st fill was 2.5cc. What is the average amount of fills to get to the green zone? Hoping with my fill today I can have a BIG decrease in my appetite....Fingrts crossed!!!

vixie, that nutritionist is the big boss when it boils down to your surgery date. i remember gaining 6 lbs. before my scheduled date, she pecked some info. in that computer and when i met the surgeon he was like no, u need to lose it. basically mine's asked me what do i eat in a week. they just want to see if you will be and are committed to losing weight before sugery and even afterwards. just an extra piece of info., start a food journal. good luck to ya!!

Weight loss, even the relatively small amount I have lost so far, has dramatically changed my view on how I take care of myself...I do a much better job of taking care of me. That leads to more confidance, and some have told me I am more outspoken (as if that is even possible!) I think they mean that I am less likely to accept bad behavior toward me...I've always been out spoken. I'd say that sums up all the little changes into one big nutshell! Thanks for asking, John, and blessings to you! Cindy

@@Beni Thanks! 50 pounds for me was 1/4 of my body weight and let me tell you, it feels GREAT that it's gone! Of course, when I look in the mirror I don't see what I think other people see and I recently ordered some Life's Good tshirts off Amazon and couldn't convince myself to buy Mediums... ended up with large's which are kinda "large" on me. Guess the brain will catch up one day!

Hi Firebolt, thanks for bringing life back to this board. I know you get to wherever you need to go. I weigh in at 65.2 kilo (143.4 lbs), 7 pounds below goal weight. I got as low as 135 last August, at which point I opened up half a cc. I'm up 8 pounds since then, and I'll take those results and run, thank you - I was probably too thin back there. I still have food issues, still obsess, still binge, but less frequently and , of course, in much less volume. Overall, it's easier dealing with these problems today than at my high of 286 lbs, literally double my present weight! The lapband has been one of the most significant and beneficial decisions I have ever made in my life. I think of all of you with whom I set out on this journey. I miss the perspective and encouragement we gave each other. I wish all of you only the best.

I have found that my toleranace is much lower the more weight i loose. The last time I had a glass of wine, 1/2 glass and I was ready to slide off the chair!!! Go ahead, just be aware. Karen

I should probably get to the store and buy some new clothes, now that I'm down 60 pounds, but it's such a daunting task going through "is this going to fit me? what about in a few weeks? should I just save my money?" Clothes shopping while losing weight is hard!