wannawearabikini

I use to have a lap band and had to have it removed because it slipped. My doctor revised it to a sleeve. But the sleeve just hasn’t been nearly affective and I so desperately want my band back!! But I’m finding that no doctors will do a band over sleeve in Houston. Has anyone had a band over your sleeve? I want my band back!! ?

I use to have a lap band(placed in 2011) . I was 220lbs and got down to 123lbs. I loved my band! I got sick and was vommitting for hours and it ended up slipping. I had a revision done and the band removed and the sleeve surgery done in November 2017. But I can’t lose weight! I’m now 176lbs! And so depressed! I want my band back! But I can’t find any surgeons in the Houston area who do a band over a sleeve. I’m even willing to pay out of pocket! Has anyone had a band placed over their sleeve? Does anyone have any tips or advice? I feel like my appetite is so big again and my sleeve surgery just hasn’t done what my band did for me.

Life has been so good with my Lap Band! I remember anticipating getting my band and thinking, "when I get banded that's when my life will really begin." I'm sure you've probably thought the same thing. And in so many ways, it's true! Now I've always been one to make the most of what I've been given and to live life to the fullest, but the Lap Band has really helped me to accomplish a fuller life on a whole new level! On my surgery date(7/8/2011) I was 208lbs and size 18. Today(2/23/12) I am 167lbs and size 12. I still want to lose about 40 pounds(be a size 6) but life is so much better than it was! I have so much more confidence and hold my head a little higher! Okay.... a lot higher! After my surgery, I began to submit my resume to airlines for a flight attendant position(with no experience whatsoever). I wasn't sure it would actually pan out, but I thought I would give it a try. I always thought it would be a fun and adventurous type of career, but would have never dared apply when I was a size 18! Well, I just so happen to get a call back, was flown to my interview, went through an entire day of the grueling interview process, got the job, and I start my training in 2 weeks!! I'm so excited! The Lap Band has opened so many doors for me! I'm getting the job I've always wanted, I'm going to travel to places I've always wanted to go and take incredible vacations with my husband while flying for free! I was even recently asked to speak at a Lap Band seminar and tell my story! It's amazing how much better life is! My motto in life today is, "Think positive and positive things will happen!" I spent way too much time verbally abusing myself and beating myself down in the past. The awful things I would tell myself were downright harmful and damaging! I am such a positive person now and intend on taking advantage of all life has to offer! I hope you will do the same. I've changed my tune and this is my new perspective on life, I hope it will be yours as well... 1. I WILL be successful at losing my weight! I may have failed in the past, but I will not fail this time. PERIOD! 2. I can and will be ANYTHING I want! 3. I have the power to create the life I want! Life is whatever I choose to make it! 4. Hard work makes everything possible 5. Don't hold back! Not in life, love, work, or at the gym! Give it all you have! 6. Be passionate about life...live it to the absolute fullest! 7. I am what I think! So think Positive! 8. I will not diet! I eat whatever I want in small portions. And sometimes what I want is a salad. Sometimes it's Chick-Fil-A. I will not diet! 9. I'm proud of myself! I will not apologize or feel guilty for accomplishing my goals! 10. I'm worthy of happiness!

It's air/gas trapped. It eventually works its self out

I don't think you're going to feel much like diving just 3-4 days after surgery. My doctor didn't even want me having a bath before 3 weeks...showers only. Something about being submerged under water can cause infections. So that's probably a no go. I dove about 5 months after being banded but I probably could have dove earlier than that, just didn't have the opportunity.

I hate diets! And yet it seems like I've dieted for my entire life. My entire 29 years of life! At my heaviest I was 220lbs. I'm only 5'4 so I was quite a butter ball! I went on the prescription Phentermine in 2008 while at my very biggest. I lost 47lbs. in about 6 months taking me down to 173lbs. And then I had to quit taking the prescription, partly because I got the flu and also because it's unrealistic to think after six months the drug will have the same affect it did on day one. It doesn't. Not to mention the awful side effects! Jitters, cotton mouth, extreme irritability, constipation, sleep apnea...just to name a few. But what I loved about that drug was that for the first time in my life, I was losing weight without dieting! I ate whatever I wanted but very small portions. It was so great to be able to eat what everyone else was eating and never feel deprived and never feel the need to rebel! It also gave me a huge amount of energy, so I was working out almost every day. But when I stopped taking the Phentermine, the weight slowly but surely crept back on...like it always does...I mean, did! I had looked into the Lap Band surgery years before Phentermine but never really had the nerve or the pounds to get it done. Years ago you had to be at least 100 pounds over weight. Today you only have to be at least 50 pounds over weight. As the weight started to creep back on, I knew I had to do something! I felt like I needed something like Phentermine but better and that was for life! And that's exactly what Lap Band has been for me...my no dieting weight loss plan! This hasn't been a cake walk, but it has been relatively effortless so far! Notice I said "so far". On my surgery day, 7/8/2011, I was 208lbs.Today, 12/13/2011, I am 177lbs so in 5 months, I'm down 31lbs. So I'm still over weight, but I sure look a lot better! I've had 3 fills in all and I think I will stay with only three. I feel good where it's at. I'm pretty tight, but not too tight. It's been a slow process. And I realize if I worked out it would be quicker but I've actually not worked out for a reason...not that I would recommend it. I also DO NOT diet!!! If I have fast food, I might have a couple chicken fingers or part of a cheeseburger. Sometimes I have a grilled chicken salad. I eat whatever I'm in the mood for, but I eat small portions. Now I realize that I may not be able to keep this up. My goal weight is around 125-135. And fried chicken and burgers probably won't take me to my goal. So when I begin to plateu from just calorie restriction alone, my plan is to start the exercise. Please don't get me wrong, I do eat very decent. And have also found that veggies actually are easier for me to eat than any other foods. But I am by no means on a strict diet plan or ANY diet plan for that matter! The month before my surgery I went crazy eating, as though I would never be able to eat any "bad" food after my surgery and that is not the case at all! I have everything and anything I want. The band had just taken my "want" away. I explained it to my mom and sister like this, "Before the Band, my stomach was a bottomless pit,my appetite was huge! With the Band my stomach is a very shallow pit and my appetite is tiny." So life really is pretty good! I'm finally seeing progress, getting compliments from others, feeling so much more confident in myself and also realizing that success is actually within my reach! I'm actually going to achieve my goals this time! I asked my doctor, "About how much weight can a person like me,who wants to lose 80 pounds, lose with the band?" He said, " The band will give you about 40 pounds, the rest is up to you." That's fair. I can meet my band half way. So far it's given me an easy 31lbs. It's about to be my turn to take myself the rest of the way!

I asked my doctor this same question and he said it was perfectly safe. I leave for Saudi Arabia in the morning and will be doing my checkout dive! I'm really excited about it...but like you, not too excited about being in a wet suit or worse just my bathing suit!! Oh well...I'll get over it. Best of luck to you!

I always snack, otherwise I'd starve to death! LOL...My meals are so tiny and consist of just a few bites that I always need something a couple hours later. I have...cheese sticks, roasted almonds, beef jerky, boiled eggs, turkey and cheese rolled up together, bananas, strawberries, carrots with ranch...they're all yummy so I don't feel like I'm "dieting"

I've been banded for 3 months now. I started at 208lbs, I'm now 191lbs! That's 5.666lbs. per month! I wish I would have known.... 1. It would be way way way slower than I thought 2. That I would hate life the first week after surgery 3. That even three months after surgery my port incision would still be tender, so going to the chiropractor is painful when he pushes on my back and my port goes into the table, flexing my abs is still a bit uncomfortable 4. That almost every time I eat, the first few bites are extremely uncomfortable 5. That some days I would be able to eat anything and everything while other days I can barely get milk down!!! It's the craziest thing! 6. That eating out with friends would be a little awkward because I eat so slow and sometime have a hard time getting my food to go down 7. That some days I would actually dread trying to eat and still wouldn't lose weight!! 8. That I would have to take liquid Tylenol from now on whenever I have a head ache or menstrual cramps, and that crap is so nasty...pill form was so much easier! 9. That I would get hiccups after every meal 10. That my left shoulder would hurt whenever I got really hungry or when I got too full...it's so weird I think that about does it...But I will also add, that if my band will help me get to my goal weight, it will have all been worth it!!!

One of the nurses at my doctors office actually told me that tanning helps heal the scars better. Also, tanning beds give you vitamin D and whether fat or skinny, everyone looks and feels better with a tan! PS- they say you look 10-15lbs. lighter when you're tanner So I will keep tanning!

yeah, I would have to say he's sugar coating it! Although everyone is different. I was still very sore, had major shoulder pain, and was high on pain meds and super sleepy for several days after surgery.

I had miso soup from a Japanese restaurant (it's WAY better than store bought) also, wong ton soup but with no wong ton from a Chinese restaurant. They were both so good! The shoulder pain takes a while to go away. I'm on day 16 and it still comes and goes! Also, try a heating pad. It helped me a lot!

I know how you feel! The hunger does end...when you move onto the soft stage! I had never looked so forward to cottage cheese in my entire life! But I would have miso soup(it's a clear liquid soup) from a Japanese restaurant and it was pretty tasty!! The good thing is, you're losing lots of weight right now! I lost 10 pounds in 10 days! I'm now on day 16 and haven't lost anymore because I'm eating real food. Hang in there!! This too shall pass!!!

This sounds exactly like me!!! The gas in my left shoulder is the only thing that actually put me in tears several times!! I was banded 15 days ago and ever still I have pain. Especially when I lay down and also when I eat. It's weird! I'm hoping it goes away any day now!!! Hopefully it won't last as long for you as it has been for me.

Thanks everyone. So hopefully in a few more days I will be feeling much better. I can't wait to feel myself again.

Today is exactly one week from my band date and I still feel like crap! Inside my stomach is still very sore, my left shoulder hurts from air/gas, and I just feel so awful! I've really questioned what the heck I've done to myself. How long did it take you to feel 100% yourself again?

I had the surgery done Friday and my worst pain was from the gas. My nurse explained that when they put the gas into your stomach, it travels throughout your body and is absorbed by your tissues. For me it traveled to my shoulders and collar bone. I won't lie, it hurt like hell Friday night when I was home! And there's nothing I could do abour it. I finally took a double dose of my liquid hydrocodine and fell asleep. I do my breathing exercises several times a day and it is a little painful, especially at first. The more I do, the easier and less painful it is. It's important to do the breathing because namonia can set in very easily after surgery. So make sure you're doing it! I would rate my pain a 7. And it will be so worth it if I can reach my goal! Best luck to you!!

I was wondering if there are any oils or lotions to help restore elasticity in skin. When my sister got pregnant, she used Bio oil to prevent stretch marks and she didn't get a single one! (and she was already overweight when she got pregnant) So do you think it might work in reverse and maybe help my stomach go back a little better as I lose weight so it won't be quite as lose and saggy...that's a fear I have. I plan to try it out. But if you already have tried it, I'd like to know how it worked for you. Thanks!

yay!! My surgery date is July 8 and I can't wait!!!

I have only told my husband and a cousin I am very close to. My cousin is also overweight and she doesn't seem to be very happy for me. She NEVER brings it up or asks me any questions. When I would bring it up, she would change the subject. I've stopped talking to her about it. Also, I have an issue with people saying "you're taking the EASY way out." Not that it is easy, but even if it were easy, what they are really saying is "I think your weight loss should be hard and miserable and you should struggle you're entire life!"...That's really jacked up!!! We all take the "easy" way in life all the time!!! We have dishwashers, microwaves, cars...you name it!!! All to make life easier!!! There's no shame in that!!! I hope it will be easy!!! That would be a dream come true!

I'm not sure if you're suppose to do this but...have you ever tried Phentermine? I went from 220lbs. to 173lbs. in about 6 months. They give you a lot of energy and suppress your appetite. May be a boost to help you get back on track. Maybe ask your doctor about it. Only problem for me was when I had to stop taking them, I've slowly put the weight back on (all but about 20 lbs) That's why I'm getting the lap band. Best of luck to you!

ForeverHopeful, I am much like you. I have about 75lbs that I would like to lose. I've lost and gained for the past decade. Does your insurance cover the surgery? Many will not cover it if you don't have a BMI of at least 35 with health issues. In my case, I don't have a BMI of 35 so I am having to pay for it myself. I was told because I am self pay, I don't have to have any Doctor give me "permission." All those hoops you have to jump through are usually for the insurance companies, not for the surgeons. So if you're self pay it's actually a lot easier and so much quicker! I am paying $10,000 and the way I see it is my health,happiness, and self esteem are well worth it! And I am very determined to be one of the success stories, not the failures. Best of luck to you!

We obviously all got some sort of comfort and/or happiness from food, but now that food is not (or at least shouldn't be)the focus anymore, what is it that makes you happy? Has anything taken it's place?

OMG!!! I am laughing right now because I thought I was the only one who thought these things. I too fear being looked at naked. Will they see my boobs and cha cha??? Also, they blow up your stomach with air so they have more room to operate and I always fear I will be passing gas while I'm knocked out!!! How embarrassing would that be!!! At least we won't remember a thing!!

I feel your pain!! I love carbs!! And I love eating out!! It's like a mini vacation within my day where I don't have to cook or clean and I get waited on...it's so great!! I've been eating like crazy lately because I know my band is right around the corner and it will fix everything!!!