Dibley Dawn

I don't know what made me lose weight with no fills..it has just worked for me. I feel satisfied and I don't think about food all day. if i stop feeling satisfied or start obsessing over food, i will have a fill. My port revision was covered by my insurance, so I don't know what would happen for self payers, but that is a question I would ask my doctor, just so you have all the info you need for whatever might happen.

as far as the support group. I had not had the surgery before I went to the meeting. you can really just show up. the support group leader doesn't know you haven't had the surgery and he won't kick you out. you can just tell him you are considering it and you are there to have some questions answered before you decide. The doctors are not present at the support groups.

_{Hi Dibley Dawn, I see by your info on the bottom of your posts that you had a revision. What did you have, the sleeve or gastric? I have a band and had similar issues but the port did not actually turn on me, it was just that 2 doctors said it did and I just gave up. So for 3 years I just sat and did nothing. But I saw Dr. Singh in March to see about a revision to the sleeve and he asked if he could try to fill it and I said sure. Well he was able to fill it and said it had not turned. What the heck!! What were the others seeing!!! Well since March 22, 2012 I have lost 33 lbs and go for another fill this week, June 28th.}

I just have the band and my revision was just to flip the port back over and stitch it back in place...and recovery was much more painful for me than the original surgery. i don't ever want to go through that again.

First of all, congrats on what you have done so far. 35 pounds is great and is more than zero.

Secondly, we do all lose at different rates. If you were smaller (say, under 250 pounds when you started) then you are going to lose more slowly than someone who is around 300 pounds. The heavier you are, the more weight you tend to lose in the beginning.

I don't kow what your starting weight was, but the majority of people here seem to start somewhere between 250ish to 315ish. 35lbs at around 6 months out for a relatively low BMI seems right to me.

They did mine under a local anesthesia. I was awake, but I felt nothing. I had a nice conversation with one of the doctors while the procedure was happening and it took about 10 or 15 minutes max once I was on the table. It was over so quickly, I never even knew they cut..

the recovery was a different story. wow, it was much more difficult than the initial surgery. I have no idea why. I just know that I don't ever want to go through that again.

.....i did NOT chug right after surgery. you won't want to, it will be a struggle to get any fluids down for a few days at least. right after surgery, i filled the lid to my water bottle up and took teeny tiny sips. once you start feeling more hunger, you will start adding a little bit more Water. don't try to chug or drink quickly right after surgery. give yourself time to heal.

This was a big worry to me before being banded, and I have to tell you, Water goes down very easily. i chug with no problems at all. I drink a lot of Water, at minimum 64 oz. per day..that's bare minimum though. I also drink through a straw and have no problems with that either.

The only rule I follow is no drinking for 20 minutes after I eat a meal. other than that, I drink, drink, drink. gotta get all that water in!

Summer is the perfect time to get back on track! Start walking more, ride a bike, go for a run, do yoga in the park, etc....there are so many outdoor activities that can be done. Or, join a gym and start taking classes there. There is no reason to just stick to one person who can train you. If you have netflix, you can even rent workout DVDs to mix it up a bit. I suggest trying anything with Gilad. His workouts are great and he'll get you going in no time, plus it's a DVD so he won't flirt with you or try to date you in front of your hubby. :wub:

I have a 10cc band and no fills

You shouldn't go by what people on the board do or say because we are all different and have different experiences. If you are getting hungry between meals, find yourself looking for food or eating non-stop then you probably do need a fill. I wouldn't just get a fill because you think it's time for one.

I am just over a year out of surgery, just over 100 pounds lost and I have yet to have a fill. I just haven't needed one. i have been in the green zone (or what I consider to be the green zone) since i healed from surgery. I'm not saying I'll never need a fill, maybe one day I will, but for now, I am right on track. My doctor has said that if I haven't had a fill in a year, then chances are I won't ever need one, but only time will tell. You should only get a fill when you think you need one and not because 6 weeks have gone by or because everyone else is getting them.

Yes, I love Vicar of Dibley and I really love Dawn French too!

I'm just over a year out from my surgery and down just over 100lbs. Dr. Fielding did my surgery. Their staff is great so I know you will be in good hands if you choose to go with them.

I see you are having Dr. Ren do your surgery. You should definitely attend the meetings that happen (I think) on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. those are very helpful. Also, Dr. Ren's husband Dr. Fielding has events where he eats out with patients and shows them in a group setting how to get through a meal in a restaurant. I have never done one, but his office offers it.

You should absolutely look into going to a group meeting though.

***edited to add**** meetings are on the 3rd wed. of the month. details below:

1-12 Months After Surgery

Third Wednesday of every month, 6-8 p.m..

Location: 550 First Avenue, Skirball Conference Room. Take the "D" elevators to the 2nd Floor.

(you can attend even if you are considering the surgery)

I chose the band because I didn't want to deal with staples and seepage and any kind of cutting or modifying my body. Sure the band will leave an indentation should i ever need to have it removed, but over time, it will probably heal...not really so with the bypass or the sleeve. Plus, with the band, I like the fact that it forces you to really re-learn how to eat. Of all the people I know who had the bypass, all of them gained it back with the exception of 1, and she died about 4 months after the surgery.

I didn't want a quick fix or to lose weight so rapidly that I didn't learn how to change my eating habits. The band has helped me retrain my brain, so I'm glad I went with the band. If for some reason I ever need to reverse it, then I'm done. i won't be revising to sleeve or bypass or plication...they are just to drastic for me.

I only told my husband and 1 other friend who lives in another state and never sees me.

it's nobody else's business but my own. I didn't want any extra scrutiny or people watching what I put in my mouth or saying things like "should you be eating that???? hmmm????"

so far, i haven't had to explain anything to anyone as to why i've lost weight. either no one has noticed or no one has cared enough to ask. either way, i'm happy with my decision.

I would never tell another fat person to do this or suggest they have this surgery. this is a decision i had to come to on my own, and if someone had the surgery based on something i said to them, and for whatever reason it didn't work out for them or if they didn't have similar results, i couldn't live with it....so that's why i won't be a preacher for lap band to others who might need it. they can look into it for themselves, weigh the pros and cons and come to the decision on their own.

Ok I am impressed if you managed to go on a cruise and still lose weight if you say you ate like you were on vacation. I used to go on vacation just to eat, so I could gain 10 or 15 lbs in a week on a cruise ship. Are you excercising a lot or something? What's your secret for losing 10 lbs while on vacation, especially one that has a lot do do with eating?

I really didn't do anything special. I did a lot of walking (hiking on some excursions), tried to take the stairs instead of elevators, swam a lot and stayed hydrated. I drank probably twice the amount of Water each day than I do at home since i tend to retain Water when i eat foods that are heavy in salt (which cruise line food is heavy in).

i didn't actively try to lose weight on my vacation...i just relaxed and figured i'd get back to working on it when i got back on land.

i have another cruise coming up in September and i'm going to be enjoying myself again. i will eat normally, but i will also be very active and have a good time without worrying about having too many calories. life is for living, and i'm going to enjoy every minute of it.

I went on a cruise this past January (after 6 months of being banded) and had a fantastic time, ate like I was on vacation and managed to lose 10 pounds that week.

anything in moderation is ok. i wouldn't take a cruise or vacation every week, but once in a while it's ok...

Even before surgery I knew that I was in this for the long haul and I wanted to have fills as gradually as I could. I didn't want to be so aggressive and filled at the beginning and then have this "not work" and wonder, "ok, i'm filled to capacity and it's not working, where to I go from here".

that might be flawed thinking, but that's where i was mentally.

so, after my first follow up visit, i had lost enough weight and we decided that i didn't NEED a fill, so i didn't get one. It's been over a year, I've still had no fills and I've lost just over 100 pounds without one.

I had a follow up visit about a month ago due to my port flipping and asked about the need to have a fill and the doctor said if i haven't had a fill in over a year, chances are I would never need one. as long as i'm still losing and not gaining or looking for food, the band is doing it's job as far as i'm concerned.

I eat much less than pre-banding, even with no restriction, i've had 1 stuck episode featuring the devil food called Peanut Butter ....(i love Peanut Butter but now i'm more careful with it before swallowing), i eat foods that i love and i can eat ANY kind of food, just much less of it.

it has really worked for me. i'm not saying i will never need a fill, anything can happen, but right now i'm happy where i am and i feel the band is doing it's job perfectly.

I was just over 10 pounds at birth, and it kept going up from there.

i was put on a diet before kindergarden and another one in 3rd grade....i have dieted ever since!

at age 27 I decided to stop dieting altogether and I just went on an "eat everything in sight" binge for about a decade. i gained only 30 pounds from that which i am thankful for.

I have never known what it is like to be thin or skinny. I am in a size 16/18 for the first time since probably 5th grade when a size 16 was considered husky. i feel brilliant in my size 18, though i know i'm not thin. for the first time in my life i know what it is like to mentally feel kinda skinny....or what i think it must be like.

Jim, you are correct. My apologies for delving off into a debate.

the OP asked if anyone can relate to her situation and I can relate.

.......and at the same time, i do recognize that it must be frustrating for you skinny people out there when us heftier people can lose 10 pounds by basically bending over or sneezing and it takes you 3 or 4 weeks to get that same 10 pounds off. :ph34r:

i didn't feel my port flip, but one day i woke up in a lot of pain, so i knew something had happened. it may have flipped long before i felt it.

i had my revision surgery about a month ago and now i'm getting back on track with everything else. i sure hope they secured that sucker this time. i don't want to go through that again.

there are many individuals who have to loose less than 100 pounds who are motivated to have their band surgery due to medical reasons, and not vanity.

i do not disagree with this statement at all. i can never know someone else's reasons and they can never really know mine. mine were probably 98% vanity though if i'm honest. i had no co-morbidities at all, no diabetes, no pain, no high blood pressure, no anything. it was just the fat and i was tired of trying to dress it and carry it through small spaces

i knew my statement might upset a few, but I really wanted to answer the OP's statement of

Sometimes I feel like not many people can relate to where im at because with 150 lbs down im just now sitting where they started

it IS irritating that someone has the surgery, puts their little ticker up that says "40 pounds to lose" and they reach their goal in 4 months, then post "after 4 months, I made it to goal. I lost 40 pounds".

it doesn't matter what their reasons are...i'm glad they are at goal and all, but I cannot relate to them. I just can't. I have a huge hill in front of me...years before I get to the goal on the doctor's chart if i get there, and I can relate to the op. That's all I was really trying to say.

I don't want to belittle anyone else's efforts or say they didn't need this surgery when I don't know all of the reasons behind it. I want to support everyone else's triumphs, and i'm glad this place exists for that reason...we can all cheer each other on and support each other. .

But if some of us who had not just 100,but literally hundreds of pounds to lose were totally honest, we would say we can't relate to you skinny people who start your journey at 225 and even though we can't compare our journey to yours, it is indeed frustrating at times. That's just me being honest and my .02

i was just under 400 when i started so I know exactly where you are coming from and how (sorry if this makes someone mad, but....) how annoying it is for people to weigh something like 210 and be having this surgery so they can lose what I consider to be a vanity 30 pounds. i would never have had this surgery for 30 pounds, ever. 210 is still pretty much a far off dream, and I would love to be that weight. maybe one day i'll get there, maybe i won't, but I am so much happier than i was a year ago and i weigh more than 250!

if i stay here, i'm fine with that. i think i look great, i know i feel great, and it has been fun buying new clothes in a new size range. for the first time in i don't even know how long i can wear an 18... in some clothes I can get into a 16 ....& an XL instead of an XXXL feels pretty great too.

I know that for us that are heavier, the road seems longer, but i feel like by having so much further to go, we are somehow a little stronger for it if we can continue to move forward over the long haul and not be discouraged because someone else has a shorter journey. We can do this too!

i know others will be upset that i have basically said that people who weigh just over 200 should not have this surgery, but your journey is your own, and if you are one of those people and ok with it, then so be it. Right now, my goal weight is to be around 225. I would be 100% happy to be there.

Well, I am a perfect eater

....a perfectly normal eater, and as such, from time to time i eat things that aren't 100% healthy.

electronicart, I LOVE what you said "as long as I'm losing and living".

i feel that way. I can't and won't give up foods that I absolutely love. That is not living to me. I still want to be able to enjoy the good things from time to time. The band has helped me with not eating and eating and eating bad foods ALL of the time (which is pretty much what i did pre-band.

I do eat healthy things, I do try my best to do things that are higher in Protein first, but it doesn't always work out that way. I don't weigh or measure my food and I don't log my food. To me, that makes this process seem much more like a diet, and in my past, diets have failed.

What has changed is that I eat much less volume wise than I did before, I try to make better choices and on the days that I do "mess up" I don't beat myself up over it. I move on.

I always giggle to myself when I see new people say stuff like "i'm saying goodbye to junk food forever! I didn't get the band to continue to eat bad foods". The band won't stop you from eating bad foods, so you still have to make the choice yourself.

I allow myself 1 day a week to eat something that isn't necessarily the best for me nutrition-wise. usually that day is spent eating out in a restaurant with friends or my hubby. I have chocolate every single day. yes, after dinner, i microwave a 90 calorie Fiber brownie and i eat that sucker up! it gives me Fiber, gives me something to look forward to at the end of the day, and keeps my chocolate monster at bay.

so, i guess i'm not a perfect eater, but i eat perfectly for me. i don't want to live a life of "i can't ever eat xxx food again" but I do want to live a life of "i can eat xxx food, and I will eat less of it and be satisfied with that.

I sing with a choir and we had gone on tour. We spent many long hours on the tour bus and it was so difficult for me to get into and out of the bathroom that it made me kind of think "gee, i've gained a little bit of weight"....but it wasn't until I saw the pictures from the tour that I realized just how large I was. I have never liked the camera, probably because of the fat, but when I saw what I really looked like I almost died of embarrassment.

We got back into town from the tour in mid January and I immediately booked a seminar to see what my options were.

Hey D I'm curious how did u know ur port flipped? Congrats on ur success without any fills wow

I actually didn't feel it flip or anything. I woke up one morning in pain. it almost felt like I had pulled a muscle. A couple of days later, the pain was too much for me and I went in to see the doctor. He put the needle in as if he were going to give me a fill and it scraped the back of the port. that's how he knew it had flipped. they had done an MRI and it didn't even show anything.

anyway, the procedure to flip it back over was very quick. but the healing process was worse for me than my original surgery. I am just now able to get back to regular activity and the procedure was about 4 weeks ago.