B-52

Drink plenty of liquids...fortunately you've just had surgery so not eating much in the way of solids yet.... Vomiting is one of the fears I have with the band...whether it be a Virus, motion sickness, food poisoning, whatever....I have not been sick in over 3 years, but I am prepared to do a complete un-fil if need be....I travel a lot......

Until the band gets properly adjusted, all you can do is continue to work hard...it can get frustrating... There will come a time when you can't pass by a scale, get on and feel great every time you do...like walking by a mirror..every time is a reward and you can't get enough of it.... Hang in there...it does get better and easier....

You sound very self motivated and determined to see this journey to the end...and it's only just begun.... Just wait until the band begins to do it's magic.... As far as exercising, I found I was limited on what I could do until I lost some weight...trying to run with all the extra weight did more damage than good....so I stayed with the elliptical for 2 years...always wore a heart monitor and worked that elliptical in a "Zone 3" for a steady 30 minutes, sometimes up to "Zone 4"...plus a 5 minute warm up and cool down... THEN I took it to the treadmill, did the C to 5k.....then the C to 10K.... Can now do 5 miles a day, in about 45 minutes.....but I had to loose the weight first!

I am one of those people who can't sit still....at the 3 day mark after surgery, I was climbing the walls, had to get out and do something...which I did... I got very tired, very fast, and just wanted to get home and lay down.... At 5 days I went back to my office, and then I could not stay very long..... I had surgery on a Friday also, took the following week off as vacation time, returned to work the Monday after the week...10 days after surgery...

Seems like every other post the subject comes up concerning the "Band being too tight" either in the way of a statement, or a question, a problem... I am curious, and for the benefit of all the newly banded people that come here everyday, and those just starting out with the Lap band procedure.......when people talk about their band as being tight... What does it mean for a band to be tight? How do you know if your band is too tight? How would you define it? With as many people that talk about it, complain about it, warn others about it.....I'm sure there will be no problem getting explanations.....

Whenever this comes up...I know that there are many people here that will just not get it....and never will....and perhaps refuse to....C'est la vie In any event...It's 5 am...time to head to the gym....

Why is it considered elective surgery? Obesity, along with your cholesterol and any other co-morbidities are medical justification for this surgery....that is why my insurance paid 100%..it was because of my health problems, brought about by obesity... Perhaps this is just part of the Canadian Healthcare system? I know in the USA, you could fight it by appealing within 30 days, by submitting additional LMN's and so forth...

My apologies....it seems the majority of people who have had issues with the band, goining weight back, etc, also have some sort of medical complication to go along with it...as you did... Hope you get it all straightened out.... I have never needed to have my band unfilled....but from what I have read from others, is that you just have to start over from square one and work back to that good place....

I knew that whenever this comes up...people completely misunderstand what I am trying to explain... First, people automatically assume my band is tight..it is not tight..I eat things other people here cannot, and vice-versa.... I do not crush my pills and I take some large gell caps....I have not had a stuck episode for over 2 years now...I eat good..I have never been healthier....I can drink carbonated drinks with no problem...people with tight bands cannot....nor can they keep foods down without a problem...... It is not about restriction to the point you cannot eat...it is a mental thing...hard to explain, but the mere presence of the band, properly adjusted, sends a signal to my brain that I am full, satisfied, whatever , as though I have just finished a 5 course meal........and because I am full I do not need to eat, there fore I am simply not hungry, and do not have cravings.......but I know the difference and can eat through the mental part of it.... I have been making my own smoothie for Breakfast even since being banded...it is better nutritionally than anything anyone could possibly eat.... It has become a health fad with all people, just about everyone I know is doing it now....and blenders, magic bullets, etc, sales are everywhere... Whether I was banded or not I would do it simply for health benefits.... BTW, I use Almond Milk to make my smoothies.... Below is the Yellow-Green-Red chart my Dr. has always used for fills, and under the Green Zone is simply says no hunger....you can interpret that how ever you wish. I also attached a photo of the Vitamins I take every morning, with my smoothie before heading to the gym to run my 5 miles.... \ \ \ One thing I have learned is that everyone is different and many people here have different views as to how they have become successful...

It's worth noting....when I first came here to this site 3 years ago...all the veterans who were here 3 years before me, found their 100% successful journeys by saying they had no hunger...period. Green = No Hunger.... Now all those veterans have moved on, as all of us eventually will... And Today.... The new veterans taking their place and sharing their 100% success completing THEIR weight loss journeys, advocate no hunger just for a few hours, between meals... Interesting how beliefs change....but there are a few of us still around...... But for all I care, as long as an individual has found their way to be 100% successful, and has completed their weight loss programs, why should I care how they did it...as long as they did it and that's what counts...my experience and success is just one more example.... And eventually I will move on also....

YES...I am never hungry either...and along with that I have no interest in food or eating.... I have to remind myself I need to eat, otherwise I can, and have, gone 24hrs without food.... Some people only experience this a few hours between meals, which I experienced after my 2nd fill....but now, since my last and final fill, I have it 24 hrs a day, whether I eat or not.... As far as loosing too much, with my Dr.'s advice, I let it go until my body leveled out all on it's own at a healthy point...as long as I maintain my daily Protein intake... I also check my body fat% and body mass by having a full body analysis done every 6 weeks or so......staying within healthy "fit" ranges....I do not rely on the scale anymore, nor are BMI charts any good.... My body fat % is below normal, it is in the "Fit" or "Athletic" range...if I should loose any more weight, it would not be fat...therefore it would not be healthy.... It has been this way for me for 2-1/2 years, ever since hitting the "Green" zone.....have not had a single complication as of yet....have plenty of energy...exercise everyday (running 5 miles) and working my job 8 hrs plus, 5 days a week... So for me...life is good....and my Dr.(s) could not be more pleased..... Also, I should add...along with my appetite leaving, my "Tastes" have changed dramatically....things I used to love now have no taste at all....and they change all the time...

Do you mean the port and not the band? The port is attached to the abdominal wall, or supposed to be, and can pull and tear at the muscles, causing pain....especially when your abbs get tighter and flatter....

Just to understand what you're saying.....your band got tight, because you could not control your eating and gained 50 lbs....so then you had saline taken out...is that correct? I won't comment until I get it straight....

You're still very early in the game.....takes a while to get there... Here is an example what it is like for me.... Breakfast...had my usual Protein fruit smoothie...and my coffee, before heading out to work (no gym today) lunch..was Wendy's chili and some crackers....... dinner...Tonight my Wife and I went out to dinner...I started with a cup of chowder, had only 1/2 of it...then I had broiled shrimp with Spinach and mashed potatoes on the side...I ate 3 shrimp,(and that was tough) a little spinach, and only tasted the mashed potatoes...then for dessert I stole a little of my wife's cheesecake... That's it..and I had a hard time eating that! I cannot possibly eat another thing, and probably won't till lunch tomorrow... I do not count calories, but as you can see, due to the band, My hunger and portions are limited, not by me, but because of the band......tomorrow will be a little different, weekends always are, but in the big picture I eat considerably less than what I used to... But it did not happen immediately after surgery....I have been banded for 3 years now...

Extreme cold or heat would have to change your body's core temperature...and that's not going to happen...if it does....then....

It's not that you are telling yourself NOT to eat, by will power...it is like you said...Not wanting to eat..NO HUNGER or interest...that is the band talking...not you....a true sign of the Green Zone.... Many people get it, then it fades, perhaps just from a little swelling.....which is normal in the beginning...but you are getting a taste - feel as to what the band can do.... Some people get it between meals...some like me experience it 24hrs a day...whatever...as long as you get it! I hope it sticks with you...

Had a simple realization last night....let me start it out this way.... I'm a 62 year old male...I can be aggressive, hard,...I've been around the world a few times and there is not much I have not done or seen good and bad (won't go any further) I've done 2 tours in Vietnam! When I walk into my Dr.'s office, I am looked at and treated/handled differently that the the next person....my Dr. will talk to me about things, and give me instructions/advice...treatment plans...different than anyone else....there are things he will tell me to do, not do, that he would not even consider for any of his other patients, because he is treating the individual....the person.... AND THE OPPOSITE IS JUST AS TRUE... YOUR Dr. treats YOU as a person, and he/she instructs..gives advice, direction, that he/she would not even consider telling me...EVERY PERSON is handled, treated a little differently than the next person.... I would not expect the same advice given to a 34 year old mother of 2....nor would that person expect the same advice given to me...because we are all unique in a certain way, and a good Dr. will approach it that way as opposed to a assembly line of nameless faces... Now throw in the factors of how many different patients one Dr sees...then throw in the factor how ay Dr.'s there are out there performing WLS....is it any wonder, when a topic comes up here, say carbonation for example,...that there are so many different viewpoints??? What my Dr. tells me...would be ludicrous advice for you...and what your Dr. tells you would be just as Ludicrous advice for me...because we are not the same, nor are our Dr.'s.... I am a Cardiac patient having had one heart attack, and consequent cardiac surgery...I was given a certain medication that I was told I would need to take for the rest of my life....other people I spoke with in the same boat as me were on the same medication, but for only a year..2 at most...does that mean I should stop taking that med? And what, risk another heart attack? I'm not those other people, they are not me...one even has the same cardiologist...what I will do is bring it up for discussion next time I see him.... People come here, and ask specific questions...how can I or anyone else answer that? I don't know you...I don't know you background, your medical history, and yes even you cognitive ability.... Granted...as people come here, by the 1000's, and share their experiences, good and bad...certain commonalities begin to emerge...BUT I would not take those "Commonalities" and make then hard and fast rules for EVERYBODY..... I see patients all day long...many first time evaluations...and even though the same basic questions are asked, information sought for, and even though all the Diagnosis are similar, related in that field, each patient is approached differently than the next...what one patient and family is told is between us and them...and not the next... Yes there are commonalities, and when asked a question on a certain issue, I can give GENERAL answers, but not specific to any certain patient!! It is a over simplification, and has been said here so many times it has almost become cliche...but it really come down to YOU and YOUR Dr...NOT what my Dr tells me, or the next person...because we are all different and we all respond to treatment plans differently...treatment that only YOUR Dr. has the ability to give... Ok, sorry...it's 4:30am and I tend to run on so early...off to the gym, remember it's Friday! Oh, one more thing...If any of my Dr.'s do not get to know me, and are personable...then I have no use for them...I'll not be treated like a side of beef....

I just realized, 3 years ago today I was banded....and it was just as cold and snowy outside.... Nothing unusual, went through the same as everyone else...6 month diet ( which I failed at like any other diet), all the hoops I had to jump through, clearances from cardiologist, pulmonary, psych, etc, . Went in for surgery at 7 am for prepping, wheeled in around 10am, home by 5 pm...became one with my lazy-boy recliner, a warm comforter and my pain meds for the next 24 hours....wife kept me supplied with broth and Water...(also had coffee...can't live without it) One week after surgery, had my post-op appointment with surgeon...check incisions, few questions, released to go back to gym, etc...also returned to work after 1 week.... 4 weeks after surgery went in for first fill....then had 2 more after that, all 4 weeks apart....have to say that this was the most difficult and hardest phase of this entire experience...the band was there, but not adjusted....I was as hungry as ever....I actually gained weight during this period...I was told I needed to count calories, measure portions, keep a journal, etc....all the same things I gave done over the last 30 years with every diet under the sun....I WAS FURIOUS! I did not need surgery, and all the prep work and anxiety, not to mention the $$..... Just to repeat what I tried and failed at for all those years...I thought surgery was going to be different.... Fortunately...my surgeon sat me down and explained the process, very thoroughly, and assured me that if this is what I really want, and willing to make the many small sacrifices and not retreat and back down, that it will work for me.... After 4 months and 3 good fills, it hit me like a storm....could not keep anything down, was getting stuck numerous times per day......called the Dr., he reminded me of our conversation and asked to hold out one more week....also made the point it was my old eating habits giving me the problems, not the band....he was right, I had to learn the hard way... Fast forward.....4 months to hit the green zone...then another 2 months, at least, to learn the lessons, apply the rules, learn new habits, give up certain foods, in order to find that harmony.....my groove. After that it just continued to get easier and easier.....and still is today.....I stopped counting calories and portion sizes, learned to live by the band...rely on it to set my portions-eating habits, and to relieve me of hunger and cravings.....food no longer interests me, and if am rarely hungry... Today, three years later, I have learned there us a life after lap band.....a life where I don't have to remind myself what I need to do or not do....all those rules and hard lessons have become a part of me...the new me.....living a new life day to day....the new normal... I have been at my goal at the 12 month mark, but living the new life my body simply continued to "level out" until it reached a normal body fat %..... We gradually went from normal to obese by living with bad habits, and we gradually return to normal by living everyday with new habits.... I go to the gym at least 5 days a week...even though I have lost the weight, it continues to "tone" the body and tighten any loose skin.... I have not gained, nor lost weight for almost 2 years now....I have no fear of ever gaining weight back, falling off the wagon, etc....only fear is medical complications and for that I perform certain maintenance routinely.... Absolutely the best thing I could have ever done for myself....reversed all my health problems, boosted my self confidence and social life.... Never had a single complication in 3 years with the band....I'm at the point where there is simply nothing left for me to do.... This thing does work!

Did they not give you any pan meds? I got home a few hours after surgery, and I was perfectly happy to settle into my lazy boy recliner in front of the TV, with a warm comforter, some broth and a water, and in la-la land taking my dose on time whether I needed it or not....did not feel any pain till day 3 when the meds ran out....but by then I was up and moving about....

I eat only when I'm hungry, and then only what my band will allow...never push it....however, since I very rarely experience hunger, there are times I need to eat whether I want to or not because I know I need to.... I have gone entire 24 hr periods forgetting to eat entirely....not Goidelic I know, that's why I need to remind myself.

Yes, they can be...some people are concerned about that, but each individual has to determine what to eat based upon their diets, or not.... I for one stopped worrying about calories, etc a long time ago and focus on other lifestyle things....

I have learned to never drink while eating...as a matter of fact I can't....and if I should accidentally drink something carbonated while eating, it would be 10 times worse and probably mean a trip to the ER....

I drink carbonated beverages all the time...not coke, but beer, sparkling Water, etc.... Like the majority of your Dr.'s, I do not recommended people just starting out to do it...not until you get to know your band very well....and that may take some time...and the majority of people on this forum are newly banded..... There is more important things one must learn, before they understand what the dangers and warning signs of carbonation are...along with other things...so the easiest thing to do is just say NO... Some people say it will stretch your pouch....HOW? If liquids run right through the band, not sitting in the pouch...as many believe (I Don't)....but still, there are many other things one can do, without realizing it, that can do a lot of damage.... It CAN stretch your pouch, but not the way many people thing it can...other things come into play at the same time. Again, I would say people just starting out have more important things to learn before worrying about this... .and once you know your band inside and out, THEN you will understand some other things, and then you can talk to your Dr. about it and get his permission, or not......there is a life waiting after you complete this Weight Loss Journey, and head into a normal day to day life....but that can be way in the future for some and should be more concerned about the now and present...and adapting that new lifestyle... My Dr. has a strict rule about NO CARBONATED drinks to ALL his patients.......however, he knows his "Veteran" patients do it, along with other things... and he does not mind, as long as he knows that we know what we're doing.... I have a hard time when speaking at support groups, etc...I have to be very careful what I say, and usually keep everything within my first year of experience.....

Does anything happen when you tilt your head back and look straight up for a few moments? As if you were changing a light bulb on the ceiling?

I'm a bander...since my heart attack, I have been on blood thinners and low dose aspirin.... Everyone knows this, no one ever cautioned me..... Also I don't need to crush my pills..... As far as being chastised by other Dr.'s.....prior to my surgery all my Dr.'s other than my PCP said I was out of my mind, and I could do this by dieting alone.... NOW the same Dr.'s call me their poster patient and try to take credit for my success, as though they had something to do with it....