LAP-BAND Surgery Forums

I really benefit from one on one support and want to begin a support group. I am looking for a walking partner too. Give me a shout fellow bankers!

I have little support and it would be great if there was someone in Austin that I could buddy up with....my band surgery is Feb 14th. Thanks!

I can't find the thread where we were discussing this, but I'll post it here and maybe anyone interested will find it. It's easy to make and freezes well; I used to use it a lot. My favorite ways were to make pepper steak with it or to bread it with egg and cornmeal and spices and fry it (haven't done fried anything for several years now, but I loved it). Vital wheat gluten is available at natural food stores or in most grocery stores in the section with flours. Nutritional yeast is available at natural foods stores. Blend in blender and then pour into a mixing bowl: 2 c. water 1 t. salt 3/4 c. raw oatmeal 2 T. soy sauce 2 T nutritional yeast Stir in: 2 1/…

It's hard to believe, I've done it. There were moments of panic in the last couple weeks, but I wasn't giving up. Now, getting through the recovery period. Last night was rough but today is better.

Hello all, Now I can't give any details just yet, as myself and many others are in the process of a class action lawsuit, but if you are reading this and are thinking about getting a lapband through Slimband please don't do it. Please look into other places because there are others. When I can share more information about the concerns about Slimband I found out today, I will post again. I know it might be frustrating that I'm not sharing specifics but for right now, I needed to get the word out that those who are thinking about get banded with Slimband, please don't. And if you have a surgery planned with them, I think you should cancel and go somewhere else. Ag…

To give some history, Thursday the 6th I ended up in the ER when my surgeon got very concerned, because I called and told him that there was a large red circle around the port area, and the area was very hard and swollen. At the ER I had a CT scan and one round of IV antibiotics. No need to admit me at this point (so they thought), I was sent home on Bactrin Antibiotic for Cellulitis of the abdominal wall. Over the weekend I felt worse as if I was fighting a bad case of the flu. I went back to my surgeons office Monday the 10th, as the infection in the incision and port area did not get clear up while on the Bactrin antibiotic. By the 10th I had started to run …

I live in Cottonwood,AZ and am looking for a fill provider. I was banded out of the country and i am finding that it is harder to find someone to do them for me. I'm hoping that someone on this site can offer some helpful information. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

I love spicy food, the spicier the better but since the band I find I am getting the worst heart burn after spicy food like jalepenos or Thai curry. Is this typical? Does anyone else have this issue?

Hello everyone! I will be having their surgery pretty soon. Does anyone have any advice for me? I am 5 feet 3 inches and weighed about 200 pounds. Ultimately I would like to get down 112 pounds. I'm pretty sure that will take at least two years. I have severe sleep apnea and I cannot have any operation to cure it unless I lose at least 30 pounds.

Hi, everyone. After 3 fills over about 5 1/2 months and NO feeling of restriction, I was ready for more. I called and they agreed to do a bit more several weeks before my next regularly scheduled appointment. I'm now at 7.5 cc in a 10 cc band. They asked me to do 48 hours of liquid which I did. I couldn't drink anything thicker than Water in the early part of the day but could manage broth and a thin Protein shake later on. The fill was done on Friday and it is now the following Tuesday. The band feels tightest in the morning. Eating much of anything causes real pain big time so I am going to go back to broth, plain Soups, etc. My bigger concern is that drinking water too…

I had my surgery in Mexico in 2007, having some health issues and need to be unfilled, any doctors in Boise area that will do this? Thanks.

Hey all :-) I've been banded for nearly 2 years now and I started my journey at 130kg. I lost 43kg in the first year yet I've slowly put on 10kg the last 10 months. I met my now fiancée a year ago and that's when I started getting "comfortable". I stopped going to the gym and started eating "junket" again (no where near as much as I was). I find if I eat I'm eating more than I use too. I need some tips on how to get back on track and I don't know if I need another fill, or should try the liquid stage again to "shrink" my pouch incase I've stretched it a bit. Any help will be greatly appreciated.... I'm ready to do it properly again I've let myself fall behind the …

May be crazy, but I swear I can feel my lapband in the center of my chest. The band feels tight every morning since my last fill and it is tender to the touch. Anyone else experience this?

Hello...Newbie here, surgery date for my lap band is July 14,2014 just around the corner, seems like a long time coming but here it is, I`m nervous and excited all at the same time! so looking forward to talking to someone who knows what I am and will be going through, long hard road a head of me I know, but then again the road so far has been bumpy to say the least. Yes I am one of those people who hides behind someone when the flashing starts, meaning the camera not the people I have always felt like we all have a Cinderella or prince inside of us, only the wicked step mother won`t let her/ him out! What I am trying to say is all of us are beautiful, for me I am do…

For the first time in my now 2 plus years post op after kicking 140 lbs, I can't seem to shake food, the thought of it, cravings, and the need for it. There was a time when I could eat like I was on the two week pre op diet, even the month post op, and be more than fine and then there's now where every thought revolves around what I could eat. It's kind of scaring me. I got down to being 20 lbs away from my goal weight to climbing back up to 30 lbs away. Anybody have this issue, and how does it pass?? Just a side note because someone is bound to come to the conclusion. I am not expecting.

I everyone ! I wanted to be one of those people who was a smashing success with this surgery, but.......hopefully I will be a success . I am about 7 months out. I started at about 240 and I am at 218 right now. I admit my food choices aren't always perfect but one thing I have done is cut out white carbs and severely limit the other ones now. I have had 4 fills. I really want to lose before going for another fill ( have lost about 3 pounds since last fill). I have to work on Protein first. For example, last night I went out to eat and I had : 1 side salad with tangy tomatoes dressing ( probably has carbs). Took off croutons. No bread ( they brought that out. …

Hey all! I'm in the Lowell area if anyone else is also let me know!

I'm in the middle of my preop liquid diet, I know I can have clear broth, but I can't figure out exactly what it is. Is it simply chicken Soup without the chicken and the top layer of fat removed? Or is there anything else involved? Also, has anyone used the slim-fast Protein shakes? They're very good and all, but seem to be awfully high in carbs. I mean 24 grams of carbs for one bottle seems very high to me. Another thing, in my instructions it says only decaffeinated coffee till surgery. Is there any specific reason for that, or can I grab a regular cup of coffee with some skim milk? I seem to miss that the most!

Hello! I’ve been banded for 5 yrs. In 3 yrs I lost 103lbs and was 11lbs to goal. Long story short due to the stresses of life instead of hitting my goal I gained 30lbs back over the last 2 yrs. Well I’ve finally woken up, yippy! I’ve adjusted my goal to 148lbs instead of 138lbs. I’ve already lost 5lbs and now I have 27 to go until I hit my goal. I’m hoping to hit it by the last day of summer Sept. 22nd. I’d really love to chat with others who need support as I’m really struggling. I’ve been super motivated the last 3-4 weeks as I have not missed one day of working out. However with only a 5lb loss I’m starting to feel discouraged. Anyone else out there?

Does anyone else feel like this is just another dieting route? I am getting into the mindset of panicking the night before my "weigh in" with the surgeon. Instead of enjoying the journey and learning to have a good relationship with food, my surgeon will not fill my band (surg may 8th, no fill yet. See post:no fill) and I feel as though the worry is too much. I want to be successful but this isn't weight watchers. This is not what I expected, and if I knew ahead of time then I don't know that I would have had the surgery. Does anyone else feel this way the night before their surgeon's weigh in? Mine is once a week, every thursday.

As anyone experienced setting off store security alarms entering and leaving stores. I set them off every time I go in or out of a store. Oddly enough this only started happening about a month ago and I've had the lap band for 1 year. I realized it was the lap band through the process of elimination.

I was banded almost five and a half years ago. My story is similar to so many I have read. I started out well, lost 60 pounds, but have gained almost all of it back I am totally blind. I mention this only so as to not have anyone surprised when or if they should contact me. I'm open about blindness, and it's my hope that I can make friends as well as getting support. . I was diagnosed with clinical depression, and although I am taking medication, it simply takes the edge off . I love my band, and I know that it works. I’m looking for a buddy who has struggled, and has had at least 150 pounds to lose . I don’t need to be told to get rid of all the…

Where is the single's forum located? I can't find it!!

Is there an area here where exercise is discussed?? I want to know who else here practices Bikram Yoga

Hello all! I'm at that point in my weight loss now where I really need some guidance with my fitness routine. I'm getting bored with my self-made workout routines and I'm not savvy enough to come up with the right plan to make sure I'm exercising the right muscles and doing the right amount of cardio so I was thinking of purchasing one of those fitness programs that come on DVD like Shaun T's T25. I've heard good things about it so far. It's 25 minutes a day 5 days a week, 50 minutes on Fridays, and weekends to rest. There is also a modifier on screen who does modified workouts for when you need something easier. Has anyone used this program with success? Or can you …

I am at a standstill in my weight loss journey, and have been for about a year. I was banded in Oct 2012 (260lbs) and I am now stuck in between 210lbs-220lbs depending on the time of the month. I maintain a very active lifestyle. I've never been so active in my life. I strength train with weights 3-4 times a week, as well as walk/jog 4 miles a few times a week. I also try to get in 30 minutes a day of cardio via a DVD or class. According to what most fitness experts say, I should be eating 2200 Cal per day in order for my body to be able to burn fat and not store it. We all know how crazy that sounds in the lap band world. 2200! Yea right! I'm beginning to wonder, if…

Long time bandster, mostly now a creeper lol. A quick back story. I was banded in 2010, I had lost 70lbs and with my surgeons blessing got pregnant with my 3rd child (1st "band baby") 9 months post op. Had a successful pregnancy/delivery with an empty band. A few months after my surgery my gall bladder went bad and had it removed. Didn't do a whole lot of "maintence" with my band between 2011 and 2013. After my 4th child (2nd band baby) was born this past October I was noticing that even with an empty band I was still getting the stuck feeling and having difficulty eating and many times I found myself vomiting. Fast forward to now. Being a mom of 4 I was putting mysel…

I think I have the right location now. Posted to the wrong place before. I am in need of a mentor. Someone who has been banded and has had success. I know people locally who have been banded and have not succeeded. I can't talk with them. I need help. I didn't go through all this to fail...again and again and again.

Hi there, I've decided to step back onto the site here, as I'm scared if I don't I'm going to put all my weight back on. I had my band fitted nearly three years ago, lost over 3 stone and now slowly but surely putting it back on... I need help desperately.. I need a buddy.. Not someone full of told you so's , someone that understands me and can help me get back on track... Xx

I was able to get in to the fill clinic this morning where the radiologist took out 1 cc of my 6 cc fill. Two weeks ago, when I got that fill, the barium flowed through fine. But my experience with fills is it always takes mine a couple of weeks to reveal themselves, and within a couple of days of that last fill I knew I was too tight. I never made it out of the mushies stage and even those hurt going down. Who gets stuck on a sip of coffee? I did! The radiologist concured and drew out 1 cc (I was hoping he'd only take out .5. Oh, well.) I guess he was right when he said not to go from 3cc to 6cc in one fell swoop. So I'll spend the next couple of months gettin…

About a month and a half ago, I had to get some fluid out of the band. I was not able to eat or drink and was vomiting. I felt so much better, as an unfill will do. Well, last week I suddenly started to get sick again any time I ate or drank. The first unfill was triggered by vomiting from a migraine, which irritated the band. Last week, I have NO clue what caused it. I woke up one morning and my shake made me sick. It was downhill from there. Two days later, I was making an emergency trip for another unfill on a Saturday. That was 2 days ago. When he first took some of the fluid out, I felt relief. I was able to drink 3 cups of water with no problem. It felt awesome. Cu…

I am so happy to read posts by WLS twenty-something year olds, but I am even more happy to read posts by the FABULOUS FIFTY + group of women and men who have taken charge of their health by FINALLY getting the right tool needed to deal with our weight issues. I may have had the surgery for totally different reasons than a younger person (maybe not)........ But, for the most part, look how much healthier we all are by getting a hold on all the weight related health issues and mobility issues we all faced or would have eventually had to face. Not to mention, how much better we feel in our own skin, now that it is not strectched out from here to there...... LOL

Went to my doctors this morning for my 3 month check up and they tried to do a fill. The PA poked me several times and then the doctor came in and poked me a bunch more. I am now waiting to see if they can do it under fluoroscopy or if my band flipped. I am really hoping it has not flipped. About to cry.

I have been through a rough time since I posted last. I have been in and out of Emergency with pain around my port, on my second dose of antibiotics, had 2 CT scans and a dye test. So far it appears my band is not leaking but it could be a very slow leak. It seems that when my surgeon went in to check my port with surgery a month ago, I got an infection. Once a port or band gets infected it has to come out. That would mean I have to pay for another band. I paid 15,000.00 ten years ago. In the meantime I am trying to get the infection under control. One radiologist says my port looks normal and another says it doesn't. My family Dr. and a second surgeon says it does n…

I am finally making progress since my last fill and finally feeling some restriction. Crossing my fingers and eyes that I will keep losing weight.

Okay so about 1-2x per year since I was 2 years old I get severe migraines to the point where the vertigo is so bad and I can't do anything except for lie in bed and puke for 24+ hours. I get severely dehydrated and usually end up in the ER. I'm wondering if anyone has had headaches like mine and survived with throwing up with the band. I'm going to call my dr but it didn't occur to me until it happened that this vomiting is violent to the point where I will throw up bile if there is nothing left in my stomach. Worried :-/ everything seems to be normal now 3 days later, eating the same and everything. Hydration is my main focus of course right now.

hey guys, so I was banded 21st of June 2014 - I would love to here your story so far as you guys seem to be really close to me or a few weeks further; what was your progress as far as pain and mobility in days after the surgery? I have to go back to work next week Monday so I would have had officially 9 days rest, will I be ok to go back? I feel like I am getting better everyday (3 days post op) but I am worried, as my work days are 8hrs long with a 45min drive there and back. thanks for reading look forward to your reply's

So I know many bandsters can't eat in the morning. But does anyone have trouble drinking coffee? I've always had a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, while getting ready for work. Now I cant even do that - I feel like a big hair ball is stuck in my throat every time I take a sip. I have been having to reheat my one cup of coffee like 5 times, and it's usually around 10am by the time I actually enjoy it. Anyone?? P.S. Last time I had an adjustment was in March...and it was a slight unfill.

Hi i am new on here, and so glad i found this site, its brillant for advice etc. I had my band fitted 3 days ago with the Hospital group @ Bromsgrove Hospital Surgeon was Martin Richardson. I am ok actually yesterday i had pain in my left shoulder, but today it has somewhat eased. I have read all the negative comments about the hospital group on here and they did actually make me think "WHAT HAVE I DONE" but i must say i found them not too bad. I do see what people say about personnel care because it is like a bit of a production line, and the only negative i do have to say is i dont like they way they prepare you for surgery. You have to actually walk into the theatr…

I Had my most recent fill last Thursday. Before that fill, it had been about 9 months ago since I've had one. In those 9 months I've never really felt much restriction and have gained about 10 pounds. I blamed it on the awful winter we had which led to a decrease in exercise and poor food choices. I know it's my fault. I didn't really think much about the restriction. I've been banded almost 3 years and have lost about 70 pounds. This was my first gain. I had an appointment in April but cancelled it, silly I know, but I was hoping to lose some of the weight before I went. So I was rescheduled for this past Thursday. This where I have some questions. The Dr. always ask…

Argh. Almost two weeks after my last fill, my fill level is too tight. I have to go in and get a little drawn out, because I'm leaving for a long-haul flight shortly and there's no way I can fly like this... I can't bring my liquid protein ON THE PLANE! What's "too tight" feel like? It's difficult to eat anything solid--even moist fish, such as tuna salad. Being too-tight creates a sort of exterior-enforced anorexia, without any hunger. I love having no hunger and can see why some bandsters keep their bands uber-tight. I never want to eat, never think of food, the idea of prepping a meal and sitting down to eat it just seems like a huge waste of time. It's crazy how the…

Hi to all, I have really messed up for the past, I don't know, maybe two weeks. I stopped tracking what I eat. I didn't measure out, I didn't watch too carefully what I ate, I just knew that my stomach would tell me if it was the wrong thing or too much. Well, tonight I started "sliming" and then got sick. I feel so bloated and I am sooooooo mad at myself for not watching what I was doing, and I am in tears. I had my Lap Band Surgery 12/6/2013, and after three fills, the last one in April, I thought I was doing well and in the green zone. I don't know what happened, and why I got so complaisant, but I just started eating, and I guess sort of went back to the ol…

The truth is the light. I hope to be able to talk with more people that struggle with emotional eating.

Having my first stuck moment right now. I've tried burping but no luck. I read awhile back about a man that said he takes a swallow of soda to get a burp to release the food. Tried it and all I got is BAD hiccups. Wait - hiccups JUST NOW stopped and food isn't stuck in throat anymore. Anyone else experience this?

I am down 56 pounds, so slowly, but I am happy. From September to March, I didn't lose anything, while I battled with some other issues (needing orthopaedic surgery on my hand), but I also didn't gain anything, which is a victory in it's self

Hi now exercising and inches coming off but no progress on upper arms. Can someone please tell me how to tone up my bat wing arms...its driving me crazy! thank you in advance for your help

Hey guys I was suppose to be banded this morning but I was cancelled because my white blood cells were really high.... It's suck because I was so ready to start my journey but now it's bein put on hold to find out what's the problem....I feel fine I don't think n e things wrong But obviously something was wrong and I won't find out until my blood work gets back in 4 days!! so basically I'm playing the waiting game???? feeling upset and lost need help! Trying to find out what do I do and where you I go from here??????

1- is it normal to wake up in the morning belching n u never ate nothing? 2- I just had a fill last week now when I eat after 5-6 bits I feel sick it don't get stuck or go down bad what's y'all thoughts about that

Had a fill today and now at 7.25 cc. the only thing different about this fill is my Dr took all the Fluid out to measure how much I already had then she put it all back in plus a .25. It's all fine. Well except she did have problems finding my port which never happen before. She says it tilted a little. So she was searching and moving that huge needle around under my skin trying to get at my port. I know that is going to be sore later. My big mistake was after my fill I took a big gulp of coffee and then it feels stuck. What do you call that when you keep burping slime? Well that's me right now. And I am hungry, my tummy is growling. Dr says" liquids tod…

#1 I am 2 days post op from lap band ( May 20) today while taking my pills I cut into small bits. Took them with Water. But I feel like something might be stuck. I have like little bit of pain in my chest like mild indigestion. I was nauseated but not anymore. Just some minor discomfort. Any suggestions on how to get the pill unstuck. Or what this might be. Thanks