LAP-BAND Surgery Forums

May there always be work for your hands to do; May your purse always hold a coin or two; May the sun always shine on your windowpane; May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain; May the hand of a friend always be near you; May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you. Bright, someone sent this to me. Is this really an Irish Blessing or were they pulling my leg? But you know even if they were, the sentiment is still there.

I was fine last week but now I am feeling hunger pangs. What can I do? I am on full liquids. Any advice? Lauren 326/318/175 Dr. Bertha 1/24/05

Just looking for some feedback on him is all?? I am a self payer and just looking for some info on this Doc. I am getting reaedy to make my appointment soon and I would lke to make sure he is a good guy on the up and up . I'd hate to wake up in mexico with my kidney missing lol . But really I need some good feed back about mr. Santiago so that i feel better aobut making my appointment with destany. Thank you Sam P.S. I know aobut yahoo mexican bansters but I hate how that fourm works its so confusing and besdies you all here seem very nice :-)

As I have posted last week, I do indeed have band slippage (by the way with no apparent symptoms except vomiting/spitting up nightly) and was able to eat normal, solid foods so I must say you can have slippage and still be able to eat and drink and food go down fine. Scary that there are no symptoms I know.... I am supposed to hear from my insurance today on approval for revision and surgery for fixing of the slipped band. Please pray they do cover. If so I am to be scheduled for surgery either tomorrow morning or Feb 14th. I will keep you posted. I have faith in God that he will help me on this... Thanks for your prayers and concerns....

This could go here or in food.... but really, I think I need support most of all. I started the soft foods today, start solids a week from today. All I can say is it was a rought start. I was so excited to have a soft boiled egg but MAN it was bad news. I clearly messed up and ate it too fast or didn't chew well enough. If I was worried about my band having slipped before (which I am so paranoid about) this was a clear sign that is THERE and it was NOT happy. Got over it within a few minutes (and throwing up part of the egg and the Water that I drank in hopes to help it down). I was so scared that I decided to be DONE and later had chili in the blender again. If…

I mean that while standing up, I can put my hand on my stomach and feel something big. I think it's my band. I know its not my port, because it's way higher up from where they stick me for a fill. Anyway, I have noticed this ever since my swelling went away and wondered if anyone else can feel theirs?

I need a fill doc near Texarkana Arkansas. It could be Dallas or Paris. Anyone got any names and fees for me? Thanks

I have been thinking about getting banded and reading alot of what you guys write for the last month or so. this is the best web site i have found. but i have some questions that u could probably answer. my first one is why do some people not have ports anymore? if u loose your port i assume u cannot get fills. and also what about drinking? i really enjoy a few cocktails on the weekend. i am only 24 and like to go out with my friends on the weekends. it would be a real shame if i couldn't drink anymore. also can u feel the port or anything else inside you from the outside of your body? lots more questions but i have to get my daughter in the bath. love to hear from u

Hi All-- I had my first fill in NOvember, had some restriction, but not much. Went back the other day and he looked at my chart and decided to do another fill. He put in 1 cc the first time. when he aspirated the "old" fill--only 0.5 cc returned. He made so comments about that being "unusual" but went on to fill me to 1.8ccs and I have excellent restriction for now. He made some noise about a leak? anyone else had this type of experience? Does the first fill just kinda go away? Evaporate/whatever? Thanks kimberly Started at 252, now 209, goal is 140!

hi, I'm looking for a doctor to do my lapband. I live in Medford Oregon,close to Cali border. Has anyone heard of Dr. Tersigni from Coos Bay or Dr. Mirande from Klamath Falls. Or know of anyone else I shoud look into? thank you Diana

Hello - to all of you San Diego Bandsters out there! We would LOVE to meet you! Do a search under yahoo groups for *sandiegobandsters* and join our local group also. We post our meetings and support questions there. We meet once a month (2nd Sunday of each month) and would love to have you join us. We have a great group of local Bandsters, with a lot of local support. Open to EVERYBODY - Pre OP and Post OP - from ANY doctor JoAnn

I was wondering how everyone went about finding their doctor. I just found out that my insurance covers the procedure, which I'm shocked about because they won't even cover an office visit with my primary doctor when weight loss is discussed. Anyway, I have the list of doctors who perform the prodecdure in my state from the lap band website, but now I don't know what to do with this. I don't want to just pick a name off the list and none of them are extremely close to where I live. How do I find out how many of these surgeries they have performed and how successful they have been? Thanks

:cross-eye I am five days postop from banding. Did anyone else have problems the first week with diarrhea every time you try to eat your liquid Soup or Protein mixes? I am having to run to the bathroom every time I eat. I thought it would be just the opposite with pain relievers on board but not so. My stomach gets really irritable every time I eat. I also have found it hard to get in enough calories with what little amount you can take in. I counted my calories and it was only around 300!! Needless to say, I am trying to fixate on weight loss yet but I have lost 7 lbs in 5 days, which is probably all Water though. I am drinking water just fine still, but I am t…

I told my surgeon that sometimes when I eat certain things I have to drink to make the food go down - mostly meat/bread and stuff like that. He said okay than you need to see a gastroenterologist to have an EGD (normally my surgeon does them pre-op). He said if I have a stricture it will just need to be stretched pre-op. I certainly hope that if I do have a stricture that it is small and it won't stop me from getting the surgery. I would be heartbroken. I am not that worried because my surgeon went on and said everything would be fine and sent me along to get all of my preop appointments, etc. I guess I am just worrying out loud. Tracey:think

Hi Everyone Well I Am On My 3rd And Finnalweek Of Clear Liquids With Protein Shakes I Can,t Wait To The Mushy Faze I Don,t Know How I Am Going To Make This Final Week One Day At A Time I Guess I Havn.t Weighed Myself For Awhile Waitung For The Dr Last Week Lost 8pds Was Banded On 1/17how Can I Get Invoved In The Weigh In Challange I Like To Join In Thanks Julie

I cannot find anything about what I should be taking in calorie wise... help! I've just been trying to make good choices but it'd be good to have a number. Thanks!

Does anyone have any information about how altitude affects the fill? I will be having my fills at home in Seattle, which is at sea level, and then returning to SE Idaho for school. The altitude in Pocatello is about 4.5K above sea level, and trips to Utah will have even higher altitude. I am concerned that I will have too much restriction when I am filled at home. There are currently no fill doctors in my area, which is just as well, it gives me another excuse to go visit my DH, DS (dear son) and DD (dear dog). I know that my doc had been making trips to Salt Lake to train docs there, so that might be an option too… I couldn’t find anything that address this, so a…

Hi everyone. I am in the researching phase with this procedure and I'm just trying to get as much information as I can. I was wondering how many of you have gone through a pregnancy after having the surgery. I've read that there is no problem with this and that the band is just adjusted to allow you to consume more food during the pregnancy so that you can get enough nutrition for the baby. But I would like to hear from anyone who has had experience with this. Did you have any complications and was there anything unexpected? I have been trying to get pregnant for a while and I know that my weight is part of the problem that I am having getting pregnant. I just don'…

For those of you interested I saw on Bandsters and Mexicanbandsters that Dr. Lopez has dumped Belighter. Seems like your suit (Teresa) should get started soon. I know of others that have looked into starting suits. I bet they are out of business within two months. If Eric and AnnMarie are watching this...threaten me some more. I need more evidence. Brad

I am due for my first fill and have had a bunch of stupid personal problems. My car and cell phone were stolen, my key to storage was on my key ring, blah blah blah....anyways, can someone please help with Dr Lopez's phone number? I could find it myself but it will take some serious doing. Any help would be appreciated. Or email? Have lost 15 pounds since my surgery on Nov. 19th and have only had a few problems. I am looking forward to my first fill!!!! Thanks! Christine:)

Hi everyone, I am feeling discouraged about my weight loss and am feeling scared that I may be one of those who do not loose enough weight. I list easily in the 1s month. I lost 11 pounds since December 17 and that fluctuates daily. It can change 4-5 pounds a day. I have been pretty conservative around food so I don't think that is it. I have had one fill and am scheduled for another in 3 weeks. I have the smaller band and had a lot of trouble with the fills so I am wondering if it got in. The doctor said that I had some fiberous tissue that formed around the port and had trouble getting it in. The procedure was painful and took three needle sticks to get it in. I h…

:cool: Hello all Here are 2 pictures. The first one is of Fiona (Blonde) and me (dark) - it was taken in September 03 - I was 4 weeks post op - Fiona was 2 weeks. The second one was taken tonight in my house. Between us we've lost 370 pounds. I'm now 223 (lost 167) & Fiona is 226 (lost 203). This band works ! PLEASE be patient.... It is slower than the other ops... but if we keep at it, the rewards come ! Hope you like them Aud x

Last night I had an “ah-hah!” moment. Of course, this was after I wanted to eat everything in my apartment. While I didn’t actually eat everything, I feel like I came damn close. I’m not a huge binger, more a grazer, and normally I feel full after a “normal” portion size. Not last night though. What the frell? This isn’t my normal pattern…. So, I went back over what I’d eaten during the day, and found the culprit. It was the rootbeer I’d had at about 4:00 in the afternoon. I’m not one much for sodas or other fizzy drinks, (lift or otherwise…), so a soda for me is quite the rarity. Actually, it wasn’t the rootbeer itself so much as the corn syrup it was made with. …

Hi, I have read there is some restriction from swelling but I know my swelling has had time to go down. Is it normal to not be able to eat more than about 1-1/2 cups of food at the most. I can eat a couple of scrambled eggs for Breakfast and I can get some bites of meat or fish, maybe 3oz at most for lunch. Soup does good, bread seems to get "stuck". Is it possible that I do indeed have restriction? Sometimes if I eat too fast or don't chew good I feel like something is stuck in my chest and I will start to get a lot of salava and maybe some food to back up. I am trying to make good food choices. I lost about 12 lbs the first 2 weeks out and have maintained. I a…

She was banded yesterday and had a BAD time with pain and had to stay the night. We are home now and she is resting and in better spirits. If you have any recovery secrets I would like to know. Watching her go through it at least I know what to expect, “GULP”………..

How can you tell if you have restriction or not. Today I had a whole serving of pureed carrot/ginger soup and was fine. I feel like I could eat anything. But after I eat or drink I am still getting that sharp pain in my left shoulder that I have to relieve with a burp. What is that? Lauren

I am having a difficult time eating hard proteins like chicken and some other dry meats. They keep getting stuck! :sick I chew, chew, chew, take small bites, and have tried dipping in sauce, but they still get stuck. What else can I do???

I asked Ryan's permission to post a support thread for him and his wife, Patty. Ryan's wife had a debilitating back injury that has left her incapacitated and in severe chronic pain. Ryan is her husband, best friend, lover, primary breadwinner, and primary caregiver. Patty was receiving some pain relief recently from an implanted catheter that steadily releases medication. But a careless homeworker caused her to abruptly lose this catheter. Since then, Ryan has been trying to keep Patty comfortable with pain meds., but these are only keeping her heavily sedated. On, Monday, 1/24, the surgeon will reinsert the tunnelled epidural catheter. This will be placed i…

I haven't posted in quite a while and decided that as I start this year "anew", I needed to post again to signify my "new"/"renewed" start with my band journey. I was banded 8/03 and have basically done quite well. In fact, overall, I've lost 115 pounds. However, after having almost no problems for the first 10 months or so, I have been struggling for quite a while. I have been on a major (6-7 month) plateau. I then had problems with reflux and difficulty tolerating food; had tests for a possible slipped and/or eroded band (which so far shows that it has not slipped and there is no sign of erosion); got an unfill a few weeks ago (which eased the reflux); and as of toda…

Hey this is Wade Again. I am attaching a word document to this message. I am looking for about 10-15 people who would be willing to tell their stories via the questionnaire for a web page I am creating and possibly a book about the Lap Band journey. If you please look at the word document and fill it out all the questions you can, I will give you a copy of everything I create. It does not matter where you are in the process. Everyone's stories are valuable for others looking into the surgery. There are a lot of questions but I want to cover as much as I can for people. Everyone in the group has been so helpful to me as I am going through this, I am wanting to…

Hi guys, As y'all know, I'm still in the planning stages of getting the band. It's somewhat complicated by the fact that I'm switching jobs (I landed a sweet job as a labor and delivery nurse) which means new insurance. The good news is that my insurance is BC/BS, which means that as long as I go to a Providence network hospital (which are, like, everywhere), I should be able to get WLS covered. I still refuse to have the lone band doc up here do the surgery because he's only done 15 band surgeries (and I have concerns about him otherwise, too). But here's the thing. I've been thinking a lot lately about postop complications of late. Like, what do I do if I suspect e…

all the time, not just when I eat. Has anyone else experienced this? Would this mean that my esophagus is inflammed or my band has slipped? I had the flu back on January 16th in which time I vomited probably six times over a 17 hour period. I had kept in touch with my surgeon, and he said everything was probably okay.... I don't have a fill yet and it had been almost six weeks since surgery. I can eat and drink just fine... no pb'ing or vomiting. But this 'lump' at the bottom of my throat is ALWAYS there now and it does get worse when I eat. It feels like I swallowed a whole apple and it's lodged at the base of my throat. Any suggestions?

This new issue has some good articles on bypasses and lap band. Not great but good and a pic or two..It has the rock on the front of it.

I got this from another message board and wanted to share it with all of you. Hope you like it. 12 Helpful and Humorous Tips For Post-Op Patients 1. Just because clothes fit one week, it doesn’t mean they’ll fit the next. Start shopping! 2. Protein shakes taste better when you drink them out of a tiki mug with a paper umbrella. 3. Learn how to take a compliment, because you will be getting lots of them. 4. If your pants are slipping down and you’ve just washed them, it’s time to say goodbye. 5. Instead of wearing a regular bra, buy a sports bra. It shrinks with you! 6. Stock up on bargain clothes in smaller sizes. You’ll need them sooner than you …

hi, everyone sorry i have not writen in here in a while, i have had a few problems in my life, nothing to do with the band though, just problems at home. well the reason why i thought i would write to you all today is, for one i wanted to see how everyone has been doing, and two, i am now on my full liquid diet, and i have one more week of it and then i go to mushy foods, i must say to eveyone this is real hard to not want to cheat, but i have not, and i am proud of myself for that. the question i have is, when i do eat, i never really feel full, so in my mind, i try to eat what i think is right, not what my stomach tells me to, because i never seem full. and i asked …

Hi there after spending the last 4 days on this site reading every single thing that I can I've decided to take my professional web design skills and make a lap-band resource information website. I originally was thinking for my area most of all. (live in Reno, NV) but I've found SO much useful information here mostly by people who have had the surgery already that it seems silly not to make a site useful to anyone, anywhere. I'll tell you my background. I've spent the last 2 years researching WLS. Up until 2 months ago I had no idea what the lap-band could do for me, or anyone really. I had this view of it being for someone who needed to loose less than 100 pounds…

I just received a little cardboard box from Eureka, California. What a lovely surprise! Becky sent me not only some groovy green bath goodies, but a much-needed pair of black knit gloves and, best of all, a beautiful hand-made hat! The hat is a cute cap made from a soft black boucle yarn with gorgeous trim featuring little black and sherbet-colored (I'm hungry!) fibers, and it fits perfectly. Thank you, thank you Becky! This is a wonderful bonus for moving during the holiday exercise challenge. I'll wear the hat on my daily dog walks throughout this cold winter.

Hey everyone.. just wanted to do a quickupdate... im home and the surgery went well. I am still having a hard time finding a good sleeping position.. ive tried a body pillow .. etc.. Also stil in pain.. but i just keep trying to think of the future.. also the gas has my looking like a hot air balloon. and i havent burped yet.. how will that feel? a little scared of that. I am thankful it went well, and that Im home safe.. thank you every for your support. Shae

I always knew I liked sweets a lot, but know I am realizing that I may be a sugar addict.....BUMMER....Not having sugar is the very most difficult aspect of this whole trip for me. I have a very stressful job which consissts of 95% complaints all day with nasty and pissed off people......(Anyone know any companies hiring in Houston? I DESPISE this job. I've only been there for 6 months and have been looking for another job for 3 months)...I am finding I am running to the candy machine when I get stressed or bored at work. I try not to have things at home so there so I don't deal with the craving much at home, just when I am at work with all the many candy machines. My n…

Okay I broke down and weighed. 234 from 239 in say 11 days! I aint playing around. Diet and exercise has been great for two weeks. I need to break into the 220's! Have a fill 2/2/05 too. c'yall

I was banded on Monday and have been doing clears and now full liquids. How do I know when I have had enough - I don't get a full feeling yet I am not hungry - I do get nauseaous sometimes but feel better after I drink something like a Protein shake. Can too much liquid make you vomit?? I just cannot tell how big of a sip to take and when to stop drinking or does the liquid just go through. How soon can I try fat free pudding? Help - confused Lauren 326/326/175 Dr. Bertha, NJ

I am about to start the soft food stage (right before "regular food"). How long are you suppose to boil a soft boiled egg? Hard boiled? I cannot wait to have eggs... Any other suggestion for this stage? I have tuna and chicken salad ready to go, lol... cottage cheese.... Anything else? TIA

Anyone tried Blue Bunny brand Turtle Sundae or Bunny Tracks? OMG.... :cool: if you havent - DONT! They are addictive. Both of them. D E L I C I O U S!!!

I posted this on some of the Yahoo boards, but wanted to share with you all, too. Thanks for the genuine support on this board, it is always so refreshing. First the SV's......I was banded 11-05-04....I have lost 40lbs and 41 inches!!! Now, the NSV's.... I am wearing clothes that have been hanging in my closet for over 3 years (some even have the tags still hanging on them). Some people notice...some don't. I sleep better. I no longer take my acid reflux med. I can sit in some chairs and movie seats much better. My daughter commented that it is so weird to see such small amounts of food on my plate. And, this is a great one....my hubby (who is greatly overweigh…

I have been posting here off and on for two weeks about my problem with allergies and drainage at night leading to vomiting. I have not had any problems with my band thus far until these last 2 weeks with this vomiting at night. I know it is not acid reflux because I only vomit when coughing vigorously etc. I have switched my allergy pill to a different kind, increased fluids, sleep in the recliner and all that but still it is persistent. I go today for an exam under fluoro to see what it looks like and probably get an unfill. I have a huge fear of slippage or band erosion, so please pray God will give me peace about this. My appt is at 4 pm EST and I am a worry wart. …

I have to take several medications, and I am wondering/worring that the band will affect my medication. Any thoughts?

Hello, I've recently began looking into having the lap band procedure. I currently have aetna insurance. They basically said no to the procedure approximately 1 year ago. I'm somewhat afraid of going to Mexico to have the procedure. In as much, I'm wondering if anyone has had the procedure and successfully used an insurance company that was not associated with his/her employment. If yes, please help me. I'm desprate. My body hurts and I'm having some health issues associated with being obese. I'm even considering trying to pay for the procedure out of pocket. Thank you in advance to anyone who can assist or even takes the time to read this thread.

Hello, I've recently began looking into having the lap band procedure. I currently have aetna insurance. They basically said no to the procedure approximately 1 year ago. I'm somewhat afraid of going to Mexico to have the procedure. In as much, I'm wondering if anyone has had the procedure and successfully used an insurance company that was not associated with his/her employment. If yes, please help me. I'm desprate. My body hurts and I'm having some health issues associated with being obese. I'm even considering trying to pay for the procedure out of pocket. Thank you in advance to anyone who can assist or even takes the time to read this thread.

Just wondering if there are any bandsters here in Southwest Florida? Does anyone know how I change my feelingloney name on this website? The day I first posted I was feeling really lonely note loney.. LOL But hey if I have to keep that name its okay, maybe I could do something else and aka feelingloney, what do you think???? If I can change it, will you all help me think of a name to use.. So let me ask you all something else, I am Mexican-American and a large part of my diet used to be tortillas, now I am not able to eat them at all, is that one of the foods that is off limits? Well just wondering.

Hey, this is Wade again. I am looking into creating a web page for people to get information on the surgery and point to resources like this website for Hope and Inspiration before, during and after LapBand surgery. I know it helps me to hear and read everyone's stories. I am looking for help any from the forums that would like to share their stories and pictures. I would really like to get stories from people in all stages of the LapBand. Would anyone like to help? Also, what would be some good advice for people? What are some of the common questions and issues for everyone? If you want you can email me at my home address: wadebeasley (at) insightbb.com Thank…