LAP-BAND Surgery Forums

I am working with a number of Bandsters to organize a Gastric Banding Convention to be held in Las Vegas Nevada one weekend during the month of October 2006. Please take a moment now to choose all the dates that work best for you! The more dates that you put a response to, even i fyou can't make that weekend, the more likely we will be able to pick a date that has the most people who can attend! The final date will be choosen April 1, 2006. Please respond today, even if it's a guess! (We know things happen and life changes we just need a guess.). Why will our convention be worth attending? Because our event is being organized by Bandsters and those thinking of banding w…

Hello All, My insurance no longer covers fills and I was wondering if anyone could assist or have heard of some affordable places to get the fills? I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Is there anyone that lives in this area?

Wonder what everyone is thinking of this article that came out in The New York Times today? VERY interesting... angie :couch2: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/08/health/08fat.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin

I am looking for Fill Doctors in the Fort Worth, Keller, North Richland Hills, HEB or Southlake area. Does anyone know of one? I am a Mexico banded patient so I need to make sure they will for me too THANKS! Rachel

HI ALL, :help: IM LOOKING FOR SOME SUPPORT....NEW TO THIS, NOT TO THE BAND....ANYONE IN THE HOUSTON, TEXAS AREA?? DOES ANYONE GO TO SUPPORT GROUPS..INTERESTED IN GETTING SOME INFO...OR CHATTING...I WILL TAKE ANY KIND OF SUPPORT(DONT HAVE TO BE FROM HOUSTON!) THANK YOU CYNTHIA :clap2:

Here is my re-sized pic of Hanna and here is my brand new Dooney and Bourke:dance: Thanks Donali for the instructions, I hope you don't mind me copy/pasting your words! :cheer2:"We did it, we did it, we did it, hooray! Lo Hicimos! We did it!" If you're using windows XP, here is what I do (this probably will work with any Windows program): Open up the .jpg file by double-clicking on it. My .jpg opens with the default program "Windows Picture and Fax Viewer". In the bottom righthand corner, there is a picture with a little pen - if you mouse over that, it should say "Closes this program and opens the image for editing (Ctrl+E)" Click on that little pictu…

I have a friend banded last april who keeps telling me that shes heard that caffine and alcohol lead to the erosion of the band. I have never heard the such. Has anyone else heard this? I have seen nothing like this in all the complication posts, or erosion topics Cristan Banded 7/04/2005-ORTIZ 335-275 and losing!

How long does it take to have a bowel movement? I'm so used to being regular -- I can't stand this! Anyone take juice Plus chewables? What about diluted prune juice? And just how much does this darned band weigh? I gained a pound in the hospital (I'm just kidding w/ this question -- I know it's a hydration/body Fluid issue).

Dear Friends and Colleagues:<O:p</O:p After receiving numerous calls and email regarding the latest speculations about erosions on the boards I feel obliged to post some facts that should be of some relief and informative at the same time. There are very few reliable sources out there on Gastric Banding complications except the series that are published in the medical literature. My colleagues that post on these forums will agree that my team and I are considered one of the foremost authorities in gastric banding complications and treatments in the world and as such our intention is that our ongoing research results in a safer gastric banding procedure for everybo…

Hello, My question is; I have this treadmill in my basement and it has a 250lb. weight limit on it. My delima, I am 19 pounds over the limit and wonder what could happen if I use it and I am over the maximum weight limit on it. FYI- It has no more warrenty, it is 4 years past warrenty date. It is a very nice treadmill, it cost me $800 new. Should I just use it and see what happens? Or what does everyone recommend? Trading it in to a place like 2nd Wind Exercise Equiptment in not an option due to $. If you know what I mean. Reason I am asking this, is my weight loss is at a stand still and I want to mix it up and increase my weight burning with some ex…

Ok im going on my 4th week hunger is minimal no biggie im still on mushies ..Drinking good My thing is i still have a lot of pain i have been walking but about an hour after i hurt soo bad feels like i just had surgery! also i have 2 incisions that are opened and oozing YES the dr has seen them and told me to put poroxide and sporn on them 3 times a day and i have but they arent getting any better! i go tomarrow for another look see. i dont work but i have a family of 7 kids 4 who live here the rest come and go on a daily baisis i never know who is here for dinner or laundry ! Keeping up this house has been very hard by 3 im so tired and i move so slow its falling apar…

Wow, did I have an interesting experience. I went to my Dr.'s information session last week. In the waiting room (the session was supposed to start at 1:30, it actually got started at about 3) I met two women. Let's call one Kay and the other Nancy. Kay is 18 and had the band 4 months ago. SHe has lost 24 pounds in 4 months. She now is wanting the doctor to take out the band and give her an RNY. She has a ton of medical problems and seems to be a real mess emotionally. I talked with her for about half an hour and all I kept hearing from her were excuses as to why her band hasn't worked. She blamed everything from her health (which I'm sure is a real battle) t…

She's falling down fast on the New Posts List and I don't want you guys to miss it! Sabine, from Germany, is part of clinical trials for a new band (in Germany) that gives fills by remote control...how cool is that?!!! Ya'll go see and say hi to her! Here's the link. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14619

Husband and I are moving this summer to Dallas area, does anyone know of a fill doc in that area?? Thanks!

Happy Birthday Mandy!! I hope you have a great one! :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2:

Today i woke up with the same kind of extreem restrcition that I had yesterday, but worse. Yesterday at noon I had one ounce of milk and burped and gurgles on it for hours. Today I didnt dare drink a thing, then I found I was gurgling and burping (on my saliva obviously) I got scared. (I dont want it to swell anymore!!!!) I felt I should try to NIP this swelling in the BUD. It was FINE, until my period started yesterday and it should be fine after. BUT NOt if I let it swell upon swell upon swell until Its gone too far. NOW, to get a slight unfil, would only cause more swelling and I would end up losing most my new fill anyway. So of course I dont want to …

I'm confused by what has whey in it and what does not. For instance, I have been using a supplement which has gobs of Vitamins in it with 41 grams of Protein per serving. Is that whey protein? I mix it with Water and it is really tasty, but I want to make sure I'm drinking a quality product. Kelli

Hi all, I'm losing my mind in deciding between those 3 bands. I'm scheduled to have the Mid-band in one month, but I don't know any person who got it. All what I'm relying on is lousy data from some forums around the web, which I don't know if its true or not. I personally know few people who got the Swedish band, and are happy with it. So I don'ttttttttttttt knowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hellllllllllllllllllllllllppppppp

Have any of you been bingers (if that's how it's spelled):eek: before your surgery? Can you binge now? I can't stop binging right now, I am under tremendous stress, and I know I shouldn't eat, and I tell myself not to eat, but I just do. I don't know why, it's like I can't get enough. Like this morning I had pupusa (like a flat tamale) with the salsa and everything and I had a can of coke-which I hardly ever have, then an hour later a coworker brought in 5 different kinds of pie, and I am not hungry, but I went ahead and ate the two slices of pie along with four oreo Cookies, I can't stop. :hungry: Also, I went and bought another can of soda( very bad) I never …

Congratulations to me! I guess I'm a true bandster finally. I suppose it's not so bad because I barfed and slimed for the first time today and I have had the band for nearly 2 months. I had my second fill Friday. The funny thing is what made me react was food that I ate with no problem Saturday night. I had left over stir fry. I don't know if it was the white chicken meat or the rice or both. I can eat dark chicken in my chicken chili, but I have been struggling with white meat. I fought for 45 minutes with this food until my body won the battle. I also had a mini-episode tonight with a small bite of bread so I guess that's out too. (no barfing) Oh well. I ne…

I guess I have figured out why I am over weight. Of course because of eating to much, but also because all my husband wants to do is go out to eat. Every weekend it's what's for breakfast, what's for lunch and where are we going to eat dinner. There has to be something else to do besides eat all the time.

Woohoo! So I thought I'd show y'all my basement pics. Okay, it was done last month, but I'm just now getting around to posting the pics. I know, I know... It's not really a practical basement, but I'm single and I do what I want! The photography studio's not quite finished (it's behind those french doors) but I'll post the pics when that's done, too!

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear me-ee, happy big ol' birthday to me. I don't look a day over 49 1/2.

Hi everyone, I am so happy to find this site. I just sent all my info in to my doctor so I can get scheduled for my first consultation for a Lap-Band. I am curious if the folks in this forum have all had the same type of band because from researching I can tell there is an older version and then there is the reversible one that was just approved in 2001. I am getting the reversible one...I heard the newer one helps people recover faster and there are less adverse affects... I would love to hear what others know. :help: By the way, I have had 3 sisters have the g-bypass and all three have mal-absorption problems...and their stomachs have stretched out and they stop…

Hello my name is Shaquanna,I'm a wife and mother of three little ones and i'm schedule to be band March 13th,06 just nine days after my twentyeight birthday and could use some of your knowledge and experience of what it's like during the procedure i mean after the procedure is done. I'm ready to get it over and done with but still i'm nervous it's surgery!!!

Happy Birthday To You Happy Birthday To You Happy Birthday Dear Connie:hug: Happy Birthday To You Hit It Stevie Wonder Version Happy Birthday To Ya Happy Birthday To Ya Happy Birthday HAAAAAA PPPPPPPYYYY BBBIIIRRRTHHHHH DAYYYYYY HAPPPYYY BIIRRTHHDAYYY :grouphug::pound: SOOOO whatcha gonna do for your birthday?:happybday2: Girl you better shake it like you never shook it before:Banane20:it is your birthday.:rockon: :eek:

I would LOVE to talk to someone from Colorado who was banded by Dr. James Smith in Pueblo CO.....if you are out there please let me know!!!

:puke: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: I was so thrilled to wake up the other morning and finally see the numbers 195 on the scale. It was a feeling I will never forget. I feel like I have worked so hard to get there and now I will try even harder to get to 160. Who says gastric bypass if better......we will show them.

Yesterday was so weird for me. It started out with me blowing the atkins diet and having a pop tart. I didn't even realize what the hell I was doing till I was mostly done with it. Talk about being an automaton!!! I just hated myself, and cried like a baby. I got on messenger and asked DH for help, and he calmed me down. I seriously even considered throwing up to get rid of it. That made me feel even more like a loser. So in the midst of all my blubbering I get a phone call. Its the dept store I put in an application for. I got the job I wanted!! And this is a very high end store. I thought I was too fat to work there, but they didn't seem to think so. So …

So I am happy. I am at 2.0 I did it yesterday and so far, so good.. Its not too tight.. but much tighter~ I am excited. Thank you for your support.

i am in the end of my first week post op and there doesnt seem to be a limit to what i can eat (dont worry about how i found that out), but anyways, right now the band isnt doing anything different than if i were just on a diet without the band.... whats going on? wheres the restriction and feeling of fullness and satiety i am supposed to feel? mbl

I have been hesitant to post my story due to the fear so many people get from hearing differen't things on this site. First off, If someone asked me if I would do this surgery again, my answer is in a heart beat. Most common of problems with leaks are port leaks. I posted a question last week trying to find out if anyone has even heard of a band leak. I got 1 response. I can't remember who it was, but she tld me her Dr. told her that he had 1 patient who had a leak in thier band after 200 patients. When Dr. Ortiz posted about erosion, I PM him and asked him about the band leak. He was kind enough to reply to me. He has never had a band leak. Hasn't he done tho…

Yay! The surgeon and recovery room staff said mine was one of the smoothest procedures and recoveries they've seen :eek: I had a lot of people praying for me. I have some abdominal pain, pretty much only in my port area, and a backache because of the uncomfortable bed. But other than that, I feel great! No vomiting, etc.; some nausea but it usually goes away when I burp. My lunch is here so I'm gonna go. Thanks for your prayers and support.

Hey everyone... I am getting banded on Feb 20th. (monday). My employer says I have 3 days including surgery day. So that means....I will be back at work Wed or Thursday. I work a desk job that is minimal movement unless I want to and our office is so small it is really impacted when I am not there so I feel kind of obligated to get back to work asap! What do you all think, can I go back to work on WED? I have had laporoscopy surgery getting my appendix removed and for endometriosis....and did alright with it...but this is totally different. What do you guys think?

I'm driving myself batty with what I can and cannot have since being banded on 2/2. I just do not want to mess something up! I have been drinking/sipping Protein shakes since surgery. I mix the powder with Water, not milk, and each package has 41 grams of protein. Then, though, I was reading about staying on "clear liquids" for 3 weeks and my Protein Drink is surely not a clear liquid, but how would you get the protein you need through a clear liquid? Thanks, Kelli

I took MsJoy to Dr Jayaseelan's office in Dallas yesterday, Feb 2, and she received a 6cc fill in her Vanguard band (11cc total, I'm told). They tried it lying down but the needle was too short and they were out of the loooong needles so they had her stand up. More numbing, then the first part of the fill (3cc). That was when she :faint: . She's very needle phobic. So we layed her back down, since the needle was still stuck in there and the PA gave her another 3cc. When she was feeling a bit better they had her drink a few sips of Water to make sure that it would go down. Told her to do liquids for a week and come back in 6 weeks. We stuck around and attended the suppo…

I didnt see any other thread for this.. so I did this one. I was banded last year on Feb. 15th and I think I am gonna clock in at 75 pounds loss for the year.. (IF I am lucky) I wanted 100 pounds loss.. But I think 75 is good enough.

Does anyone have any insight into loss of restriction? I've had 4 fills total. The first didn't restrict whatsoever. The second and third were great for a week and then I could eat regularly again. I thought the 4th fill was the answer to my dreams, but now after 3 weeks, I feel that if I'm not careful, I could eat a lot again! Dr. Bertha (Morristown) says there's no leak. Can there be a small leak or evaporation? Anyone have a similar problem or know what the heck is going on????

:eek: Today marks two weeks after having my band put in. I lost 12 lbs. in the beginning because of the pre diet and liquids after.Then I weighed today and have gained a pound. I know I shouldnt be worried about the scales. But I never would have thought that I would gain weight while on the cream diet. I am drinking mostly Slim Fast so im really not taking in to many calories. Just wanted to see if this is common after surgery or am I doing something wrong. I dont mean to sound llike a child but I was very dissapointed that in one week I gained. Hopefully next week will be better. Any info on this is appreciated. Jennifer

I have been thinking about looking into Lap Band surgery for over a year and finally took the first step yesterday. All I know so far is what I've read online. I am so happy to have found this forum - this will be super. My question is the port. Where is it located? How often does it need to be filled? Is it painful to have it filled? Can you see or feel the port? :eek: All information about ports will be greatly appreciated - thanks! My first meeting will be on the 25th of Feb. I am nervous and anxious, but more importantly I'm ready for this now.

Hey all you July Bandsters:attention: How is everyone doing!!!! Lets check in with each other....

ive been meaning to post about this for a while... i started taking VIACTIVE Calcium and Multivitamin and am LOVING them. I dont know if u have ever seen them- they are in that puple box and are little chewy 'candy like' Vitamins suppliments. THEY ARE EXCELENT... if anyone has a hard time stomaching vitamins and or the calcium suppliments these are the ones to get. The mutil-Vitamin doesnt taste as great as the calcium...but all in all its better tasting then say Flinstones and caltrate.

It seemed like I was so tired all of the time. I have had the band for about 5 months and lost about 50lbs but still lacking energy. The last two weeks I have been going to the gym and spending a minimum of 30 minuts on the tread-mill, and most of the time more. I have not weighed myself for the last two weeks but will do so this week. I do feel much better, less tired and I'm hoping that the increased time at the gym has also encouraged some additional weight loss.

Maybe I'm being paranoid, maybe I'm having sympathy symptoms. But my port area is very tender and has twingy sharp pains and burns/stings at times. My 14lb doggy did step right on it one night while I was laying in bed, but that was about 2 weeks ago. I also had a MAJOR pb about 3 weeks ago followed by a week of terrible heartburn, that is gone for the most part, but I'm scared that something is wrong. I emailed my follow-up/fill Dr. but he never wrote me back. Any advice or ideas what this could be?

Well in November we sent in a year of docter supervised weight loss program and a phyc evaluation.If you will remember the ONLY reason Amanda was turned down was only because she had not turned 18 till Dec 24th. So On Jan 4th it was sent again and it got LOST. Sent again and got turned down because she had no phyc evaluation and doctors supervised weight loss program. Can you say RUN A ROUND. So surgery Spring break is probably not going to happen.This will be my third appeal and we may not apply again for twelve months.:faint: I will be filing a IRO if she gets turned down again. I was told 95% of IRO's get approved and the insurance company recieves a heafty fine if t…

I am getting banded by Dr Morton in Nashville and was just wondering if anyone had been banded by him. I hear he is a great surgeon.

If you have read my posts you will see that I have been having a REALLY hard time doing anything regarding weight loss. The fact is I realize...okay I think i realized it before, but am ready to admit that I was sabatoging myself on purpose. I was not even TRYING to loose weight. So here is my idea. I need some accountability. If enough people are interested we can start this thread by coming on here and posting one or two goals for your day. Something that you can accomplish within on day. Then at the end of the day come back and report if you have succeeded and cheer on the ones who have and be here for the ones who didn't. MY GOALS FOR TODAY: 1. I will drink 8 b…

Hi guys, I haven't been around much lately as I am planning to leave my husband (painful but necessary :cry ) - I have missed you and reading your wonderful posts - I just 'dropped by' to ask a question... I have finally (after six mths of waiting) got my surgeon to agree to give me a fill and I have had 2 now - but I dont think they are working properly. He said that I was filled 'nice and tight' and I shouldn't be able to eat bread, but I can still eat a quarter pounder and large chips!!! Its true that I was still full 5hrs later but should I be able to fit so much in my pouch?? I wasn't being deliberately reckless when I ate this - I cut the quarter pounder into qu…

:help: Body fat percentages again...ugh I know I am sick of me asking questions about it too...but just one more. I ended up buying a quality scale that measures it and each morning I jump on and it varies so much I have no idea. It varies anywhere from 39% right through to 55%. It doesnt vary so much for Dh so why me. Any ideas?? How do they actually work? Thanks

OMGoodness.. My 16 month old baby brought home a stomach bug. Now I have it and feel like crap. I took her to the doctor Friday because she ran a fever for 3 days and they said it is going around like crazy in the Mesquite (Dallas) area. I've had 1/2 a tv dinner and a Protein shake today that's all I can handle. I've been drinking enough just to get by. This so sucks. Anyone else have this?