LAP-BAND Surgery Forums

I got banded on 12/19 and at first lost 20lbs but when I started eating food when the mushies stage. I have gained 5-10 of that back. I know that the first weeks till the first fill is to heal and if you don't lose a lot its not that big of a deal. However my eating habits have changed since before the surgery I sometime feel I am eating more than I should be but I am not eating nearly as much as I used to. I know there is no restriction to my band and when there is I will be eating less and my weight loss will be good. I have my first appointment to get a fill next Tuesday 1/28. A couple questions I have about this and some other stuff. 1. Should I be still losing we…

I was banded in September 2010. It's been all uphill since. I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and had a total thyroidectomy three months later. My weight loss has been slow, like at a turtle's pace. Then when I finally was down 50 lbs, I got pregnant. I had horrible morning sickness and was hospitalized for intractable nausea/vomiting. This was Nov 2012. At that point my dr removed all my fill. My son is now 7 months old, I still have no fill because I'm breastfeeding, however, I'm having issues with things getting stuck and vomiting again. I'm starting to have some serious "buyers remorse" and wishing I would NEVER have had this stupid band placed. Has anyone else had …

Hi guys, Can you help me out with your experiences? I got my second fill last Wed. It was a little too tight afterwards so they took some out. I was on liquids for a few days, bit when I started eating food again I noticed when I swallowed my food I had a pain in my chest, almost a burning sensation. I wouldn't say it was excruciating, but it hurts I'm thinking maybe I'm still swollen? I take small bites and I always chew my food to mush. This happened yesterday with a small slice of cheese....advice?

I was banded only 16 months ago and never really had any issues. The last three months I've been experiencing slight pain in port area, on and off sharp pains where band is connected to my stomach, but nothing serious enough to send me to the doctor. Yesterday, I decided to have a slight un fill due to the fact last week I couldn't even hardly drink or have any solid foods. I sat over two hours talking about the pain I was experiencing with three different nurses before my doctor was able to see me. We did the barium drink, and while he was looking at my results, he said, I need to do a scope to see if your band is possibly eroding. OMG, I was devastated, just devas…

Lets check in! How is everything going???

I found this website that allows the home cook to enter all the ingredients of a homemade dish to calculate the nutritional values. list the amount and each ingredient ie: 1 pound ground turkey etc. Figure out home many servings you will get and it will analyse the nutritional value. http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php

Ok bear with me here for just a minute so I can give you an idea of my past experience and where I am coming from with my question Question- Should I think of getting a small unfill (like 1/2 a cc) prior to going on our Alaskan cruise? Past experience Went on first cruise just hubby and I post lapband and very near to goal. Did have restriction when I first got on ship but sometime over the course of the cruise I got a kink in the tubing and lost all my Fluid and hence the restriction too. Second cruise I was post surgery (to fix an infected port site) and had no port so I was not in the green zone but still had issues during the cruise of items getting stuck and so…

Get used to it...you'll feel like your own wind section in a Big Band. The more Protein you eat, the longer your set is going to play...I'm talking all day long. That is all.

I'm sure we've all had our fair share of struggles and hindrances before we finally had enough and decided on weight loss surgery. Here were my apparent shortcomings, after all was said and done: South Beach Diet--unfortunately wasn't a good fit. I would shed some pounds, and lose my appetite, which was really good. I'd forget all day to eat, and I loved that. The bad part is, I would forget to eat so much (since I could only basically have cheese, meat, eggs) that I'd start to get light headed and dizzy. Also, it seemed to wreak havoc on my emotions; I would become discouraged, cry easily, get angry at stuff I could normally let go, etc. Weight Watchers--I was …

I had a gastric band placed in 2010 and turned to all of you for support and information a lot during the first 2 years or so of my journey. Since then I’ve been back to check in and occasionally offer thoughts on my own experience. Now, I’m here to ask for your help once again I am a clinical psychologist who splits my time between research, teaching, and private practice. As a psychologist, one of the things that has always interested me about the forums is reading discussions about the ways that families can play a role in the surgery and weight loss journey, in all sorts of ways. It made me wonder if there was any research about family eating and family health i…

Every night when I lay down my band starts making noises and I keep burping. There have been a few times where I wake up chocking. I've talked to my doctor and he said it was because I was still tight. But I keep losing weight and it still hasnt changed. Has anyone else had this problem? How did you fix it, I am about to go crazy with all the noises!

Does anybody out there not drink while eating? I personally don't think it makes a difference. I was told not to drink liquids 30 minutes before, during eating, and 1 hour after eating. Really?

Okay so everyone's stomach growls when they are hungry. I'm just curious if this ever goes away with the band. I'm not saying I want it to go away and I'm not saying I don't want it to go away I'm just wondering if it does the more it is adjusted.

Well all I had like maybe my 7 th fill ! Give pr take I had fluid removed. I have to go back to all the basics. I have to chew I between bites ! And now let me tell you NO cream cheese. It balls up and I slime. ! I had half of a tiny homemade burger and it took a while but I think this is this my new way of life. I was able to to take big bites bedew and no pro but now ! Look ou! And no more laughing cow ! I think I have finally hot green ! But of corse I have had a bad sore throat for 3 days now.

Just curious if anyone has made a down payment to one clinic and then had second thoughts and opted out of the surgery. Is it possible to get down payment back? Feeling like I haven't been given all the information I need for this, and all they were worries about was getting he money! Had a previous consult with other company and feel like I would be better off going to them.

I'm getting back to basics...and I'm just wondering how many grams of Protein are you reaching each day??? How many shakes do you drink???

Okay so yesterday was President's Day and we had a workshop to attend. So my meeting was with other fourth and fifth grade teachers. So I ran into one of my old coworkers that used to work at my school. She hadn't seen me since I had my surgery over three years ago. She: "Wow! You've lost a lot of weight." Me: "Yes I did. 90 pounds." She: "What did you do?" Me: "I had surgery." (all excited and smiling) She: "You needed surgery for that?????" Okay so I felt like crap then said, "Yes, I had too much fat around my heart. It was a life or death situation. My doctor asked me if I want to live or die. So I decided to live." Then, I walked away politely by saying excuse me. Thi…

Hello new to the site..day 5 pre - op liquid diet...see surgeon tomorrow and looking for others being banded in march or from Indiana?? so ready..The first day to new life 5 days ago..already 7 lbs down....hope to be 20 lbs down before 3/6.

Im curious if anyone has ever had a bad day like I did yesterday ! From morning until night I couldnt eat or drink anything...I mean my protein shake wouldn't even go down....water got stuck ! I'm usually tight in the mornings and by lunch things move better. My last fill was the end of January and I have abt 5.5ccs in my band now. I have never had a day like this before. I was beginning to get scared. Today has been much better...I can drink and it goes down....I ate some yogurt and that was fine as well. I'm so thankful for a better day. I will be doing full liquids for the next few days just to let things settle down from my bad day.....any thoughts or experiences like…

My doc gave me a very aggressive (for me) fill of 1cc on Wednesday and I am getting stuck sooo easy and can't eat anything solid until afternoon. I have woken up with a sore throat every morning since the fill but haven't PB'd or woke up coughing:choking at night. I have also lost 5lbs since Wednesday. Is this the green zone or am I too full. I have 5 cc in my 11cc band.

Do you guys think a juicer would be beneficial? Just wondering if I should purchase one or not?

So for almost 2 weeks now I have been having trouble keeping things down, after everything I try to eat it comes back up...and I start hiccuping right away...and they are loud and annoying. So I think an unfill is needed right? Also ladies does your bra ever make you feel like your choking when food is stuck?

I have done great with my lapband...I have had my issues just like all others. But for most part my suffering and adjusting to the life style change has been so worth it. However about 4 months ago I got a allergy infection. The mucus and drainage has been an overwhelming amount. It travels so slow that all food and medication are getting trapped in the drainage. Which as a huge side effect to that is I feel as if I have acid reflux. Medication and food gets trapped then starts burning my esophagus. It isn't uncommon to now throw up 10 times a day to remove mucus alone. I was at a 5 1/2 now my fill is a 2 1/2. Anyone else experienced anything remotely like this?? I…

Looking for a banded chick in my area to be banded buddies and motivate each other. I live in Phoenix Arizona any takers? Lol...

Im starting to think im just being put off. Very discouraged. Have worked at this almost five years now.

It's been over two years since we've been banded. I would love to hear how other people are going with their bands, weight loss, diet and exercise. Me? I lost 58kgs in just over a year. Then I had issues with my band which I decided to have completely emptied for 6 months. I have gained 20kgs, don't eat well, enjoy hiking but have not been able to do any exercise due to a leg injury before Christmas. I now have pretty severe acid reflux and will be getting my band completely loosened again next week. I am scared about gaining more weight but am super determined to lose the 20kgs I've gained plus another 12kgs. Let me know how you're going. I'm interested.

I need a support group. I'm from the Sunshine Coast and would love to meet up with people who have a lapband. I have lost weight but am struggling at the moment with non-band related injuries and reflux. It would be great to be able to chat to people and hear about other experiences.

How long are you on liquids after a fill. My doc says 2 days clear, 2 days full, 2 days soft food, and then normally eating? I had fill yesterday and I am dieing of hunger. THis is my 2nd fill. I felt more restriction after the 1 st fill. Thanks Banded 3-16-07 Lost 26 pounds

I had a fill on Feb. 6th and done great until last Wednesday. Came down with the stomach bug and ever since I'm having trouble getting and keeping food down. I'm assuming my stomach is swollen and has my band tighter. Anyone experienced this before? How long before it goes down?

I am so excited that I just had to share!!! I am out of the 300s and into the 200s!!! I am 8 weeks post of, and know that I have a long way to go, but I am so proud of all that I have accomplished so far. I go to see my surgeon tomorrow. I was wondering if I would get a fill, but I am staying satisfied for 4 hours after each meal. I feel like what I am doing now is working, so I don't want to mess with success. The doctor knows what is best, so I will follow his suggestions. Thanks for letting me toot my own horn for a few minutes!!! You all are so inspirational to me and always make me feel like part of a community. I lurk more than post, but this board is tru…

Wow, had my 5th fill and think I may finally be there or close! I had a rough start, had ZERO cc's in my band due to major swelling complications. The fills have been painfully small for the same reason. My weight loss has basically been non-existent and I was starting to get down on myself. As you can see from my ticker things are not going well to this point. I have only lost 2 pounds since post-op and that was after the January fill and a major struggle at that. My fills were as follows: 2 cc October 0.5 November 0.2 December 0.2 January 0.2 February I have been trying really hard not to "diet". I really do NOT want to have to diet. I have…

Okay so here is my dilemma , I hope it makes sense to someone! I just had my second fill Monday and for the first 24 hours per my doctors instructions I did liquids. When I go to eat, the first couple of bites I have to completely stop and wait a few minutes to resume eating. A couple of times I have had to walk around for a minute. The reason being is because I get the feeling is like I am about to get stuck! I pretty much can feel my esophagus contracting to push the food down, it will hurt like the dickens then stop then, hurt then stop kinda like a pulsating feeling. Then after around 3 or 4 minutes I will burp or hickup and then everything is fine and I ca…

Good evening fellow lapbanders! Just started a new job so it's hard to mix my shakes on the go. What on already mixed shakes do you guys like? I've seen Muscle Milk, Pure Protein, and so many others. Suggestions, thoughts. Any info would be great!

Just like the last two episodes..... Went to bed fine and I'm up pacing the floor with horrible stomach pain and nausea. The EGD showed nothing wrong.... My band is empty and I haven't eaten since supper at 7. I am not going back to ER to be treated like an idiot or freak of nature cause I have an "implanted diet device".

So, last night I started to feel a bit sick. I was getting a bad stomach ache, it's like a dull ache in the center of my stomach that sometimes radiates to my back. I was also feeling a little nauseous. I have had this stuff for over 20 years due to GERD. Every so often it flares up badly, to where I'm sick in my stomach and I sometimes barf. Anyway, I was able to go to sleep, it didn't get any worse like it usually does. I woke up today with the same sour stomach, and still a little nauseous. In the past this was not unusual, because a flare up could last a 7-10 days. It felt better after I ate something. I'm about to take some Gaviscon for it. That's what worked for me …

I am in desperate need of a Lap Band guru and mentor. I had my Lap Band surgery in July 2013 and am failing miserably. I've only lost 15 pounds and I don't know what to do next. I haven't had a fill because TR in Houston (where I had my surgery) didn't tell me that they don't do fills on fridays, and I live 3 hours away from there at college and can only get home on fridays. I haven't been able to stick to the rules at all since like September and I don't know what to do next but I don't want to give up! Can someone please help me?

After 5 years banded, I want to become a certified fitness instructor but not sure what to study. I was thinking of teaching Spinning or Barre, since these are my 2 favorite classes. Who is a fitness instructor and can guide me? What is your favorite group class at the gym?

Hi all, I'm seriously considering getting the Lap Band procedure done.The thing is the one doctor that takes my insurance says he won't do this surgery on people who have a BMI of 60+ (unfortunately I am one of those people). This leads back to my question, what was your weight/BMI when you had the surgery done? I'm just curious. It seems like there are TONS of people with higher weights who have successfully lost 100+ so I think this doc is just a little nuts

I lost 130 lbs from 365, It's been a great year, but lately I've gone back to the old habits : ( what I'm asking is how do you rekindle the original "I'm gonna do this" attitude? Any suggestions?

I've been told no bread and no heavy steak ever again. I'm confused. Did anyone else get these rules? Also no asparagus

I weighed in today at 233 a total of 17 lbs in 4 weeks! 8 lbs from my first short term goal! I was also filled today for the first time with 3ccs so I'm hoping to have a little more restriction.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/02/21/chief-surgeon-at-slimband-weight-loss-clinics-resigns-after-probe-reveals-significant-history-of-complaints/

Hi! I'm one month banded and can eat about 2 1/2 cups at a time. Thankfully I only eat about twice a day because I'm pretty full in between. Is this ok? I'm eating healthy food fish and veggies NO carbs. My dr said I was doing great on weight loss so he didn't give me a fill. Lost 30lbs since jan 1

Hi Everyone... I was banded August of 2010 and its time i got out to meet new people.... Im a single male and live in Northern NJ...Im very involved in the WLS community around Bergen County but willing to meet other ppl in surrounding areas..If interested please drop me a line.... Good luck to all in your journey

Hey fellow WLS peeps. Looking for Tx area people. Looking for friends with common interests.

I have been reading some posts on here about some problems gulping Water. I have no problem gulping water down fast - AT ALL. Does this mean I am not in the green zone yet?

I am not proud of this. It sucked, big time! I was not thinking. I finished an exhausting 12 hour shift at the hospital, hadn't eaten since 1100am. It was 730pm and I stopped and got me and the hub some Chinese food. Went home, sat on the couch and proceeded to shovel 5 or 6 bites of food into my pie hole without even chewing well. And then I felt it. That oh no feeling. And without thinking, again, I picked up my water and took a drink thinking it would help it go down. Oh no. Uh oh. This isn't good! I've had plenty of stuck episodes that I was able to work through, but I immediately knew there was no working through this one. I jumped up, ran in the kitchen, leaned over…

My psych just put me on Geodon for my bipolar disorder. He said I had to eat with it and I questioned him a lot about that. He knows I'm a LapBand patient. He said it would be fine. My pharmacist said it is NOT fine. He said for maximum absorption Geodon must be taken with a minimum of 500 calories of food. I researched it online and everything I read agrees with my pharmacist. My p doc is super crappy. I called and left a message about it. That was a week ago. I still have not heard from him and I'm going through a terrible mixed state at the moment. Have any of you taken Geodon with your band? What was your result?

Happy thursday all. This weekend i'm going into the wilderness for a 3 day camping trip. Being the city girl that i am, I'm terrified to say the least. on top of being banded, i was rudely made aware of the following facts: no running Water, a medieval contraption called the chemical toilet, no hair dryer, no stove (i assume we will be rubbing 2 sticks together), no wi-fi...Just to name a few!! Aside from the whining, it boils down to the question, what will a banded girl eat!?! Being the novice camper that i am, i bought hot dogs, Protein shakes thinking i'll live off of that. then i was told that hotdogs even sans buns might be tough to swallow for a bander. Last thin…

I need advice from you all. I eat out almost all the time. I work full time, full time mom of a son with two baseball teams, full time mom of a cheerleading daughter, and to top it off a three year old. Im out of town almost every weekend during active season. It's hard for me to make good choices of foods at times. What should I do?