LAP-BAND Surgery Forums

I finally started my pre-op diet today and reality is starting to set in!!! I live in Wisconsin and we are blessed with some doozys of winter weather! With that in mind, does anyone have any recommendations for a good, womens walking boot? I need to eliminate the 'excuses' out of my life, so I would like to have a good boot to wear after it snows. I have done a general internet search, but I would like to hear your thoughts! Thank you in advance.

I will be starting over again tomorrow. I was very successful my first go around so am hoping I will have success ths time. My surgery was in 2007 and all went was well for about 2 years. I had to have an unfill due to horrible reflux at night. I gained a little weight back and maintained for another 4 years. More recent, I got a fill tht was too tight and was experiencing discomfort. Went back to doctor and did a complete unfill. Have had unfill for two months and have quickly gained weight. Holidays, lack of exercise and stress plus no restriction has been my down fall. I have need reading many posts trying to get my mind right, hoping for a successful second chan…

Hi all. Just looking for a little support while I continue my recuperation. As many of you know, I've had both hips replaced and I'm also having cataract surgery as well. I've had one eye done. The other one is Monday. I love being able to see well again but all I see are the ugly scars on my hips, and when I look in the mirror, I see an old woman looking back at me. I see lines in my face....I have excess skin in my neck area, and bags under my eyes. The boobs, belly, etc. can wait since it's covered up with clothes but my face is there for all to see and I don't like how I look. I never thought of myself as vain but boy do I want to see that skin get tightened u…

I know it sounds crazy, but do fat cells store bad things that get released as you lose? It seems every time I start a good losing cycle I start getting sick. It usually last 3-4 days but it can get pretty rough. Is it all in my head or is it some odd coincidence with allergies? Seems to happen no matter what season so thought I would ask.

Tonight after trick or treating with my 3 year old little boy, we were sorting through the loot. He found a mini Snickers bar and wanted me to open it for him. He held the tiny candy bar in his hand and said "it's my frotein bar!"! I guess Protein bars are the norm in his life! I'm really glad that he doesn't even recognize candy bars;) We did indulge in the Halloween candy tonight, but tomorrow it will find a new home. I feel gross!

I was banded on Oct. 4th and had my first fill on Nov. 6th. I felt restriction the first day, but that has now gone away and I am hungry between meals. I am so afraid I am going to gain weight by eating between meals. Plus I am still nervous about all the foods that I do eat, afraid something is going to get stuck. Even though I chew, chew, chew. Is it ok to eat between meals???

What happened to the section on site where folks were selling clothes/giving them away?

We've see many threads talking about the fear of not fitting into airline seats. Well, it seems our fears are more valid than we realized. In the 1990's the average airline seat was 18.5 inches across. Today, the average is only 16.5 inches across. This is despite the fact the average size of a woman has gone from 159 pounds to 166 pounds. The average size of a man has gone from 186 pounds to 196 pounds. Here's the original article: http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/07/travel/feeling-cramped-battle-airline-seat/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

wow where do I begin: Let me begin back on Aug 17th when I came in from outside from taking my dog to potty and (as some of you know I live with my mom) I came in and the room was spinning, I immediately couldn't stand up, I was falling to my right side and all of the sudden I went down. She finally managed to get me up with the help of furniture and walls to get me to my bed. She called my best friend over and after and hour and half of debating whether or not I could walk to the car to go to the ER I was unable and of course she thought I was having a stroke so she called an ambulance. So off to the local hospital I go, small town here...after an hr in ER the dr cam…

I got my lapband in Nov. 2008, in the first 6 months I lost 70 pounds, but then I got a neck injury and things changed, after it got better I then moved to Germany for work, so I never got back on track. The band seems to be in place and does limit my portions, but towards the end of my time in Europe 10 pounds crept on. Then I lost it since I've been back but it keeps creeping back on! So, now I am wondering if getting a refill again will help me, so that I can get rid of the remianing 50 pounds; I have really tried to get back into a better eating routine, although it is not making a difference-I stopped eating the foods and chocolate from Europe. When I had the su…

Any recommendations?

How much PBing were you doing before your major issues? This next question will.sound Soooo stupid but......can you feel a difference between vomiting vs PB? I know the health complications related to vomit, and I also am not asking about the flu etc. How many PB's do you have during one "session" of being stuck? Did anyone feel Ok but were told you slipped or eroded etc? How fast is papaya enzyme or pineapple juice supposed to clear you from being stuck? I have been reading lots of scary sh*t and just started really using my band of four years and I want to know what not normal is! I'm like a born again bandster, lol. I wanna be safe.

Happy TGIF and thank you getting us back on line. I do a few other blogs/web sites about WLS. One person said when you buy grapes and apples to fill the sink/bowl with Water and vinegar. The water will turn very dirty but they clean up nicely. I just washed grapes and the water was gross. Better that, than eating all that dirt that I have been doing for many years. I always thought I washed my fruit good, guess not. Enjoy your weekend and clean fruits.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-05/allergan-seeks-to-sell-lap-band-and-obesity-unit-by-june.html

I've always gotten random bruises. Just small ones on my thighs or arms that I just assumed I had bumped into something and didn't remember. Not many, but have had some through the years. But lately this seems to happen more, the bruises are bigger, and some of them hurt. I have also noticed that I seem to get nicks and small scrapes on my hands when doing housework. These seem to take a long time to heal. I had blood work done at the end of June and was told my levels look good. Unfortunately I'm not quite sure which "levels" were checked. I take Vitamins everyday and get in enough Protein and have been steadily losing weight. Does anyone have any ideas about the br…

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I got my first fill yesterday. My surgeon does his fill in the hospital radiology dept, and OMG that was cool!! Drinking the yucky chalky stuff was totally worth it to see what actually goes on in my banded belly! He had me take a drink, and we watched the liquid just pool at the top of the band. He said "too tight", took some saline out, and I took another drink. This time the fluid slowly ran through the stoma, and we were good! It was so awesome to see!

I have been smooth sailing with me fills lap band all that jazz. I got a fill on Friday Nightmare couldn't eat or drink the whole weekend. Throwing up I ate peppermints & juice this weekend. On Friday I weighted in at 216 went back on Monday I weighted in at 206 good but not healthy. I got unfilled not even 1 cc I asked for one 1cc my doctor say no it will be ok when he take this little out. He couldn't have been more wrong I need more out Im still not able to eat a meal not even a small one. I hate to call them again but can't hold anything down this will be my third time there in 7 day but I don't want to keep throwing up. Maybe Ill wait a couple of day to see if …

Tight??

I had my first fill two weeks ago, and up until a couple days ago, I could still pretty much eat whatever I wanted with little restriction. Then, out of nowhere, I noticed that I have a ton of restriction. I can barely eat 1/3 of what I was eating before and then I'm satisfied. I've even caught myself overeating a few times because I was not prepared to be "finished" eating that quickly. Is this normal? I know that our band/restriction can fluctuate at different times of the month depending on hormones and other factors, but I had no idea it would be this noticeable!

Since the exercise forum seems to have disappeared (along with all the posts), I'll post this here. I took a day off of work today, to take advantage of the warm weather and take my first real ride on my new mountain bike. All I can say is that 15 mph on a trail, is faster than 45 mph on the road with my road bike. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/401494587 My pup has already learned the difference between my Road and Mountain bikes. She doesn't move a muscle when she sees me prepping my road bike, but wouldn't leave my side when I was getting the Mountain bike ready today. What am I doing wrong??? My Road bike never got this dirty!

hi my name is shirley , iv'e been banded for a year and a half iv'e lost 100lbs.now my scale seems stuck love to have someone to talk to who understands about the lapband and someone who wants to share there ups and downs with this band someone i can work with on moving past this stall with and i would love to also help anyone with what ever they r struggling with. thx

Hey Gang, It's been interesting navigating the new site. One feature I am missing is the PM box that let's you know when your friends are on and the ability to PM with them. I have no clue if my friends are online or not. But if you are, just want to say hi and I miss you. Now email me and let me know you are alive

My dr unfilled me a little on Tuesday because I was having difficulty eating... He said he only took out about 1/2 a cc. Now I feel like I can eat so much?! Has anyone experienced this?!

This is my feelings towards chocolate.. http://www.debbieposton.com/chocolate-my-frienemy/ How do I get around the urge for it? I need help...lol...no really

I had the surgery a few years ago, with several complications. I finally have resolved the problems, by being unfilled for a number of months so my gastritis could heal and I would stop regurgitating everything I ate. I was really miserable, and couldn't believe I spent 2 years vomiting at least 2x a day! The relief of not vomiting soon subsided, when I realized I gained about 40 points in these last few months. I went in for my first fill this week- with trepidation. I honestly wasn't sure if I was filled, if I would be able to do it. My eating has been "normal" meaning I can eat a whole plate at a restaurant or eat 3-4 regular meals a day. My doctor gave me Phent…

Do any of you follow the Adkins diet ? I was thinking of starting it but only phase 2

I am considering the surgery, and one thing I worry about is food getting stuck. I've heard though that certain foods can act as a lubricant to help food avoid getting stuck (BBQ sauce, mustard, etc). Does anyone have any experience with these as a way to either prevent something from getting lodged, or as a way to loosen something after it is lodged?

I have been working at staying on track. My doc office said I should attend one of their support groups. So last night I drove an hour to get to the group. Wow there was about 40 people there. It took an hour to just go around the circle for introductions. Then that was it! No talk about anything! And I was the only person who hadn't lost 100 and they did it in less than a year. Then I found out I was the only one with the band, they all had bypass. They don't offer a band group only a combined group. Boooo. I left there even more defeated.

Can I exercise straight after lap band fill

It's been year since I got my band. Most of the time I forget it's there. I have been doing fine with it and have about 6.5 cc. I think I can have another fill. Although I am not real faithful to get fills just when I think I need one. I think I started out with 4 cc a year ago. Now my weight has just stood still. I have lost motivation and probably too embarrassed to tell my Dr the truth. I have not been true to my band, in fact I have eaten large portions and suffered later. So now to fill or not to fill, that is the question. Just some thoughts...

Does anyway take pills whole or do you crush everything? I have been crushing my pills since surgery, but after my fill yesterday the NP said not to swallow any pills until I'm sure that food is passing through my band. The only thing I take whole are capsules or gel caps I crush everything else. I didn't think we could take pills anymore?? I'm afraid too. Won;t they get stuck??

Hi all ! Since my last fill (now up to 4.5 cc) it has been very difficult to eat between morning to mid-afternoon. Do you any guys have this problem ? The food just won't go down. Only liquids or soup-creme... I'm do for a fill on november 21, I wonder if I should cancel it ...

Hi all.. I have been banded since April 2012 and have been very successful so far. I love my band and have worked hard to lose 53 pounds....yeah!!! The past two weeks I have had some acid reflux at night and some "night cough". Last night was the worst! I don't think my band is too tight and I am not eating late. I Luckily I have an appt with my doctor tomorrow to see what he says. I cannot go another night thru that hell. Does anyone have any ideas? This is normal for some people right? I also tend to get some gurgling noises during the day in my throat... Please help!!!!

I had my surgery in August 2012, and I considered myself to be a pretty experienced Bander. I never had any vomiting, sliming, or PBing until TODAY!! I ate my normal morning snack of Jack Link's beef jerky. For some reason, I started burping and felt funny. I'm glad no one else was in the office at the time because they probably would have thought I was choking or something!! I got up and started walking around. No relief. I eventually found my way to the bathroom just in time! It was instant relief!! But it was scary because I didn't know what was happening since I had never had that experience before!! It just goes to show how things change at any time with the band. …

I have been so excited about getting my band. Right now, I am on a bit of an emotion roller coaster about it though. I started my liquid diet 10 days ago. My surgery date is Nov. 15th. Since I started my liquid diet, my immediate family has shared my plans to have lapband with some of our other family members, which is fine except...the resounding response is "Why? She's not THAT big." My mom keeps telling them that I'm doing it for health reasons, which is true. I have hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, and I'm on medication for palpitations. Anyway, some days I'm confident that this is the right thing to do. I have health issues that are only going to get worse if I don't m…

This Friday I think my doctor is going to switch me to puréed foods. At least I hope so, cause I'm starving. I had my surgery Oct 24, so no fills yet. Has anyone tried puréed potatoes or mashed potatoes? I was just talking on the phone with a friend who got the sleeve and she says her stomach totally rejects mashed potatoes because they're too heavy. I went to the store and bought red potatoes, sweet potatoes and vegetarian refried beans. All in preparation for Friday. Any other puréed food suggestions? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm a total newbie. I don't even fully understand the whole fill thing yet.

How many calories is too little. I've been eating around 800 a day and weight loss has stalled. I'm eating really healthy small portions. How many calories do you guys eat per day?

I'm not here to start a political debate or argument so I hope the posters on this thread stick to the topic! The fact of the matter is, in several places in the USA weed is now legal, and in many other places it's decriminalized, and statistically people with bands will live in said areas. OK, so now that that is out of the way, what are your tips and tricks to keep the munchies in check? Please share your ideas! I usually: - Pre-portion out foods before getting high - Try and make good choices for comfort foods. For example I like savory and sweet foods when I'm baked, so I prepare things like meat and a pre-cut fruit for dessert. Sometimes if I'm craving ice c…

Hi, can I get some advise please. I got my first fill a week ago tomorrow,I had 1.5 in at surgery and got 3 added. But tonight after having dinner I feel awful. Burning chest pain and sore shoulders. I feel like I need a massive burp. Have I just eaten to quickly, or do you think I have so,etching stuck. Will my pouch stretch because of this? I'm in agony! How can I resolve it? I've been banned since 22/9/13. Thanks

I go for my first fill Thursday....I can't wait!!! I am definitely fighting hunger recently and it's rough!! So my fill is in the morning. What can I expect for the rest of the day as far as how I will feel physically?? My husband has the day off and we are going to take the kids out for a "family day". Obviously I know that I won't be able to eat that day, but will I feel ok to walk around or will I just want to sleep??

Today in the shower, I ran my fingers through it and an enormous clump of hair came out in my hands plus more every time I wrung out my hair! I'm a little nervous. I hear this happens sometimes when you lose a lot of weight quickly. But I've only lost 40 pounds in 4 months. What does everyone suggest will help me with the hair lose?

In 19 lbs I can play my Wii fit game I've had for over a year. I tried to play once and I was over the weight limit at the time but now this is my new small goal!!!

So I was banded on Oct 14th after a very long obese journey. For years I knew I needed and wanted to do this but everything else always came first. My husband, my kids, my job......long line. Once kids came, I became forgotten. I did everything for them my entire life and I always came 2nd then 3rd over everything else. Finally I thought.....its my turn. So I went thru the process, 6 months classes, psych consult, nutrition consult, ugi, blood work....and the surgery. Then why do I keep worrying about everyone else!!! As I sit here and write this I start to tear up. What did I do that was so wrong? I love my kids with all my heart. My daughter, 19, decided coll…

So I haven't taken vitamins and have had no protein shakes for 2 1/2 months now .....I been having really bad money problems for awhile now . Hopefully I will be able get back on track with that sooner than later .

I feel so much better!!! I thank God for this forum and for people who understand what you are going through! I appreciate all the advice and support you give me!!!

I'm glad to say it was much easier than the first one. The NP found my port pretty easily and gave me 1cc. So now I have 3.5cc's in a 10cc band. I'm feeling good, just a little queasy but not as bad as after my first fill. Hopefully this will get me closer to the green zone.

I will be fine for days and then eat two bites of food ( chicken today, but super juicy and soft!) And I'm stuck and miserable which makes eating for the rest of the day almost impossible. How do I get unstuck if it's taking a really long painful time? I don't think I'm too tight because I've been fine for weeks since my last fill, but all my PBing today is making me swollen, I think. Semi rambling, how do I get unstuck!?

Help me out here...need links to articles citing what causes erosion.

In the last 2 months, I have either had kidney stones or gallbladder stones 3 times. I'm guessing more kidneys because of my symptoms. The pain starts on the right side of my back and then pushes my port out, causing pain. My port area swells about the size of a grapefruit; to the point I can grab the whole area in my hand. At times, the port pain is more uncomfortable than the kidney stones. Has this ever happened to anyone? I'm making an appt with my surgeon today, but wanted to ask before the office opens.