donali

You should be able to take medications. It is recommended that you stay away from aspirin and ibuprofen as they are stomach irritants, and tylenol is recommended. I personally prefer the liquid tylenol, I have a weird thing about pills in generally since hearing that a lot of them go through the digestive tract pretty much intact... what a waste! I have also read that if you must take aspirin/ibuprofen, or choose to, then you should wash them down with lots of Water to ensure that they do not hang around in your pouch and burn holes in your pouch lining. If you're not sure whether a pill/capsule will go through, check and see if it can be crushed (do not crush time release medications!). You should have no probs with crushed medications. Again, if it's aspirin/ibuprofin or another NSAID, be sure to flush them through with plenty of water. I haven't heard any problems with reflux tablets.

Sue!!! Wow, love this thread! I am an operatically trained singer. Got my performance degree from U of Montana. My sister, who had the RNY several years ago, also studied music but caved in to parental pressure and got her degree in education instead of performance. I am considered a heavy lyric soprano (no pun intended - lol), but emotionally lean toward the dramatic repertoire. I never "made it" as a singer as far as supporting myself totally through singing, but it continues to supplement my income. As far as banding affecting my singing, or weight in general - I really have only noticed a difference with my breathing/breath support. At my heaviest, prior to banding, it was difficult to maintain long phrases. Post-banding, I could not breathe as deeply, as my port sutures did not allow for that muscle expansion. I wasn't sure if I was just blaming the port, or if my problems were really due to increasing age and lack of practice, but after I tore my port loose (I do NOT recommend this!! lol), I find I'm back to my regular breath capacity. So... it really was the port sutures getting in my way. I'm still huge, so haven't had any comments yet about no longer being able to declare things as being over by singing, so I'll keep you posted on that part. lol As an aside on my port issue, Dr. Lopez will reattach my port November 1st (to the tune of $1700!!! OUCH!!). I will explain to him prior about there not being enough "give" before, and perhaps he can make the sutures a little loose - enough to keep the port in place and right side up, but loose enough to allow full muscle expansion (and full stretching capabilities!) so that I won't accidently tear it loose again.

Hi Cathy! Welcome!

Hi Kay - Since you're a nurse, I don't need to tell you that losing 25 pounds in 2 months is fantastic. We do need to remember that hitting a plateau is not necessarily an indication that it's time for a fill. Since this would be your first fill (I am assuming), it probably is time, but I'm going to put this out there just for posterity's sake: When is it time for a fill? First, let's assume you are following the following principles: a. No drinking with meals b. Eating solid foods I personally think getting in all your Water and water loading is important too, but that's maybe more of a personal philosophy than a hard and fast rule, like "a" and "b" above. If "a" and "b" are not true, you need to make them true before analysing whether it's time for a fill or not. 1. Are you hungry less than 3 hours after eating solid foods? 2. Do you no longer reach satiety when you eat about 1200 calories a day? 3. Has weight loss stalled for more than 4 weeks? #1 and #2 are the more important indicators of whether or not someone needs a fill. If you are eating mostly nutritious foods, but need to consume more food than you think you should to satisfy hunger AND you are not losing weight, then it is time for a fill. When is it NEVER time for a fill? It is NEVER time for a fill if you are experiencing PBs or acid reflux. If you are experiencing these two things at your current level of restriction, getting another fill will only make it worse. And, repeat after me: PBs/vomiting are the NUMBER ONE cause of slippage. Acid reflux leads to esphogitis which can cause obstruction, lead to pre-cancerous conditions, and a lot of pain besides, and is treated by EMPTYING the band. If that doesn't help, you may have to lose your band until you are healed. Ways to avoid nighttime reflux - stop eating 3-4 hours before bedtime. Avoid acid promoting foods in the evening, like caffeine and chocolate and spicy foods. Sorry to hijack your thread, Kay, but you inspired me.... :cool:

Welcome, Sheila! Love the hedgehog! Congrats on your new marriage! Wow, so many new and exciting things happening in your life right now. When I was young we lived in Norwalk, and then Danbury. Best of luck in your Quest for the band. I was self-pay and went to Mexico for mine. $10,000 and it was so worth it. It would be fabulous if you could get it through your insurance, though! Sending you best wishes :cool:

Whooo hoooo!!! Bright!!! You are going to do SO great!!! One thing that really helped me was my sister's brace that she used after her RNY surgery. It's basically a foot or two wide piece of heavy duty elastic that you wrap around your middle. It fastens with velcro, and really helped give me the support I needed so I didn't have to walk around with both hands holding up my stomach to ease the pain. lol I was a pain wimp, though, so maybe most people don't need something like that, but I found it to be a God send. Alexandra is probably right when she says one pair of flip flops is plenty... lol I wish I'd had a pair of slip on shoes for my trip. Luckily Mom was there, and helped me put on socks and shoes and tied my laces. Don't forget that even if you feel like crap afterwards, every day DOES get better, and by week 3 you should be feeling like your old self again. Of course, maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones who feels like doing a couple of walking tours the day after - Versailles, anyone? :cool: You are so in my thoughts and prayers, and I eagerly look forward to that first message from you from the bandster side of your life! Hugs and kisses, girl!

Congrats!!! You're doing AWESOME!!:banana

Hi Carol - I don't know if what you're calling a "barium x-ray" is the same as fluoroscope. Fluoroscope is an x-ray but works like an ultra-sound in that it shows movement, instead of being a fixed picture. It is my understanding that fluoroscope radiation is very low, and that we get more of the harmful radiation from the sun than we do from fluoro. I have had 4 fills, all done under fluoro, between March and October. I of course do not know that it's low for a fact, but it's not one of my worries.

So sorry your fill was postponed. But like I said in the "Donali" thread you started, this is for life, not a six month diet. So even if you gained weight waiting for your fill, it will come off with proper restriction. We are ALL terrified that this, our final last ditch effort, is not going to work for us. But when we confront the fear with facts it has less power over us. The Facts: 1. The vast majority of people lose weight with the band and keep it off. 2. Proper restriction is the key to managing our hunger. 3. There will be plateaus - sometimes long ones. AVERAGE weight loss is a better indicator of success than weekly/monthly results. 4. The scale is NOT your friend! It lies! It does not know the difference between fat, muscle and Water. Don't believe everything it says. 5. There are things we can do that will make us healthier - drink our water, move our bodies, indulge in high quality Proteins and veggies. We did not gain our weight overnight, and we will not lose it overnight. We're in this for the long haul. Sometimes the scale will go up, sometimes down, and sometimes it will not budge at all. Eventually it will move down if we work together with the band.

Hi Nancy - This is long and rambling, so be forewarned! I find it hard to talk about the program without explaining the steps I went through, so hopefully I will at some point have answered your question... :cool: Is your therapy specifically for eating disorders? The really great thing about my therapy was that it was very structured, with exercises I had to do each week. The exercises gleaned all of their content from me, so it was very individualized. The principles of eating only in response to physical hunger, stopping when you are full, and honoring your cravings is not in opposition to the "bandster rules." We all know what good nutrition is - most of us have been reading about it and studying labels most of our lives. One of the emotional hurdles I had to overcome was balancing in my mind the permission to eat what I craved vs eating healthy, nutritious foods. I struggled with what that meant for a long time. I felt that if it were REALLY okay to eat cake morning, noon and night, that I would! lol The exercises helped me clarify to myself that although I may crave and have less nutritious foods on occasion, the reality was that once I had permission to do so, and believed myself when I swore that nothing was off limits, I found that I chose healthier foods for the most part - now that I don't HAVE too... lol To prove to myself that I meant what I said, I bought a chocolate cake (obviously one of my food obsessions - lol). My head screamed for it the moment I walked through the door, even though I was not physically hungry. So I cut myself a piece, and ate it. My head screamed for another piece (I was stuffed!), and I tried to talk myself down, but all my head could say was "You PROMISED!!! You PROMISED!!!" (Sheezsh, you guys are going to think I'm totally whacked, but I was actually having these conversations/arguments with myself! ) Anyway, long story short, the cake lost its power over me before I could eat it all, because I found I really didn't want it for Breakfast, lunch and dinner. I didn't even really want it everyday. And because I COULD have it whenever I wanted - today, tomorrow, next week, next year - I gradually lost that subconscious fear that I would have to say "goodbye" to cake again someday for some hellish period of time. I rarely have cake - but that's because I honestly don't want it, not because I can't, or "shouldn't" have it. That's how it's worked for all my trigger foods - cake, pizza, fried chicken, and chocolate. I indulge mostly in chocolate and pizza when I have cravings now, but even those make relatively rare appearances on my plate anymore. I actually prefer roasted chicken now - my favorite thing is the crispy skin. The band has helped even more with my struggle. I might be indulging in my trigger foods more often if I weren't banded, because frankly, the band makes eating less fun. Eating cake isn't that comfortable - a whole piece, anyway - and I am a comfort loving creature. So the band has added a bit of aversion therapy to the work I had already done emotionally. It has given me the necessary physical reinforcement I need to slow down my eating, which gives me time to reflect on what I'm eating, and why. Getting proper restriction will definitely help you. Working on the emotional aspects of your eating, though, is invaluable, and will make everything easier for you in the end. Concentrate more on getting in touch with yourself and learn why you eat what you eat - don't worry so much about the scale. I highly recommend that you do the exercise I posted under the Support section about managing emotional hunger. It is not enough to read these things - you really do have to DO an exercise for it to help you. Good luck, and remember this is a lifelong journey, not a six month diet.

I'm really glad you guys are finding this stuff at least food for thought. Sometimes all it takes is the right information presented in the right way for the pieces to fall into place. I love my band-family! :cool:

Hi Mary - THE scale IS NOT YOUR FRIEND!! lol Seriously, it is not. It does not tell you anything about FAT or Water or MUSCLE. It IS unrealistic to expect a loss every week. 22 pounds in 2 months and 2 weeks is a good average. I know it is frustrating, but the band is for LIFE. This is not a diet, where you are looking at doing it for only a time until you can start eating "normally" again. This is FOREVER (God willing). :cool: Everybody's body is unique. Some require time to "compact" after a drop in weight. Some require time to reset their thermostat. Some are just unbelievable stubborn in our Quest to lose weight, particularly as fast as possible! I am not one of the "fast" losers. I do NOT "work" at it. I do not do any special diet, I do not do any special fitness program. I try to eat when I am hungry, stop when I am full, and move my body when I can. I figure if I live my life this way (which in my mind is "normal"), any weight I do lose is definitely gone forever, as long as I keep my band and my restriction, since I am not doing anything "special" to get to where I am. I do try to choose nutritious meals when I am not dying to have something else. I am somewhat religious about drinking my gallon of water a day. I am definitely prepared for this journey to take as long as it takes, and try to focus less on my weight and what I eat, and more on how I feel and doing things I think contribute to a healthy and balanced life style. Unfortunately, working the band requires us to pay attention somewhat to the scale to help make our journeys as successful as possible. This is my advice: 1. Weigh only once a week, on the same day, at the same time, on the same scale, totally nude. I recommend first thing in the morning after potty time, before you eat or drink anything. My weigh day is Monday mornings. 2. Do NOT drink with meals. Water load up to 15 minutes before a meal, spend no more than 30 minutes eating your meal, then wait an hour before drinking. 3. Try to drink 1/2 an ounce of water for every pound of body weight. 4. Get in enough Protein, eat solid foods. Avoid high calorie liquids - shakes, koolaid, lemonaid, ice cream, Starbucks frappacinos (my personal favorite - lol) 5. Eat your protein first, then your complex carb/low glycemic index veggies, then your starches/treats. 6. Find a physical activity that you like that gives you "sneaky" exercise. Do it because you love the activity, not because it's "exercise". I like to walk the mall. 7. Eat when you are hungry. Do not wait until it is the "right" time. If you have a meal commitment, and are hungry prior, eat a little something to take the edge off. 8. Stop when you are full. Promise yourself that you will always eat when you are hungry, and stick to that promise. Eventually your body will start to believe you, and it will be easier to stop when you are full. 9. Try to eat at least 1000-1200 calories a day. The intent is not to starve ourselves. We do not want to go into starvation mode - the weight will eventually come off that way, but our metabolisms will slow down. 10. Don't forget to take measurements. You may see a loss in inches even when the scale is not budging. If you are having no problems eating good solid foods, keeping your intake around 1200 calories a day, and following the drinking rules (no drinking with meals or for an hour after), but are hungry again before 4 hours have passed and you are not losing weight in a four week period, you probably need another fill. Be honest with yourself about what you are eating. If you are living off of starch and sugar, you need to modify your eating patterns. An average of 10 pounds a month is very good weight loss. Be sure to look at your averages - even though I have had many plateaus when I have not lost any weight for a month or more, my AVERAGE weight loss has never dropped below 1.5 pounds a week. Good luck, and keep the faith!!

These principles are something I practice everyday. I still struggle with the difference between emotional/physical hunger, but I no longer beat myself up for it. I feel like a speaker at a revival meeting or something when I get on that subject - lol. Please don't anyone think I've mastered any of these tools, but I really am at peace. :cool: Thank God I have the band to help! I think I could have eventually lost weight permanently without it, but I didn't feel like I had 20 years... lol

Most of you have probably read my posts already about going through counseling for my eating issues. I always hesitate to re-post on that subject, because I don't want to bore anyone to tears, but it was so important to me and my mental health... I hate to see people struggling with the same issues I used to. So you guys feel free to tell me "Enough is enough!" and I won't mention it again. :cool: No hard feelings, honest. I will say freely that DIETING is bad. It is bad for our weight, and it is bad for our self-esteem. It places us in a vicious circle of dieting, bingeing, and self-recrimination. It also puts the focus of our lives and our energy on food. It becomes our source of control in our lives. There are sooo many other more important and interesting things to do with our time and energy than to focus on food. There are people in our lives who need our attention (mainly US!). I have a hypothesis that there is a profile for most obese people (I wonder how many of you will say "Oh my gosh! That's ME!", or maybe I'm waaay off base, and this is just me! lol) 1. We are perfectionists (all or nothing, has to be done right or not at all) 2. We have a problem with clutter - our homes are filled with stuff, it's hard to keep up with house keeping 3. We try to be all things to all people (except for ourselves) 4. We have a hard time saying "No" to anyone (except ourselves) 5. Because we are perfectionists, and see all of our human failings (that we forgive everyone else for, just not ourselves), we have low self-esteem, because we do not measure up to what we think we should 6. Many times, we feel that what we do or do not eat is the only thing we have control over - we use it to reward ourselves, punish ourselves, entertain ourselves, and soothe ourselves 7. Most of us have at one time or another been severely depressed, enough so to require medication (whether we got medication or not) The only way to get out of the diet mentality is to consciously REJECT it. I had to sign a contract to myself that I would never, ever diet again. It scared me to death to do that! Dieting was all I knew! But it had gotten me to 313 at my highest, and I had to admit that LONG TERM dieting does NOT work. Once I signed that contract, my journey began. It was scary, and frustrating. It was also liberating! I no longer had to feel guilty about what I ate! I had permission, I had made a promise to MYSELF - a promise I am not willing to break. So how do you stop dieting? 1. You must learn the difference between physical and emotional hunger. 2. You MUST eat when you are physically hungry - no waiting an hour or two because it's not "time" to eat yet!! 3. You must stop eating when you are full. 4. If you are craving something, eat it! Nothing is off limits. Because nothing is off limits, you do not have to have 5 pieces of cake, stocking up for the next time you're "not allowed". You do not have to eat all the chocolate right away, so it won't be there to tempt you tomorrow! 5. When you're not craving something less nutritious, make more nutritious choices - lean meats, veggies, fruit, complex carbs. There is no "good" or "bad" food - just more and less nutritious food. Once you believe that you never have to deny yourself again, and are willing to learn the difference between emotional and physical hunger, you are well on your way to licking this vicious cycle. Talk nicely to yourself, like you would a beloved child or pet. When your head is screaming for cake, or candy, or ice cream, or pizza, reassure yourself you will have it, if that's REALLY what you want. Is that really what you want? How are you feeling? Tired, frustrated, bored, hurt, lonely? Would a hot bath make you feel better? How about a walk, or a phone call to a friend? No? It's cake or nothing? Okay! Then have it! But if another activity will give you the same result as eating, try that activity first. Eventually, you will be choosing activities that solve your emotional needs instead of eating, most of the time. Sometimes eating is the only thing that will make us feel better. And that's okay. Be gentle and loving. I cannot tell you how freeing it is to not analyze everything I eat! To never again say "I shouldn't", or "I'm trying to be good"! It's worth all the emotional work, I swear to you. I posted an exercise under the support topics called "A tool to deal with emotional hunger" or something like that. Anyone who has issues with wanting to eat when they're not hungry should give it a whirl!

I responded in the fill section as well, and here is what I had to say: "Too tight" is different things to different people. It really depends on the individual to determine what "too tight" is. If you are unable to keep down liquids, regardless of who you are, than you are TOO tight. You can let this go for maybe a day, but if by day 2 you still cannot get down liquids, then you have to call your doc, and probably get an unfill. Some people can get down liquids, but nothing else. This is where "too tight" depends on the person. Some people use this opportunity to do liquids for a couple of weeks, and as they lose weight they find they are able to move to mushes, and then solid foods. This is for the experienced only - people who are really paying attention to be sure they are getting in their electrolytes and adequate hydration. This is a CALCULATED period that someone would consciously choose. These people are not falling into "soft food" syndrome - they are not boosting their caloric intake with high calorie liquids and mushes. They are concentrating on losing weight. For most people, however, being unable to eat solids without PBing is too tight. Most people want to be able to eat at least something. For people who are resorting to soft foods because real food is giving them problems, they are too tight. If you are PBing daily, you are either too tight, or not chewing enough/eating slowly enough. If chewing better/eating slower still results in a PB, you are too tight. If you can chew better/eat slower without PBing, but DON'T, then you are too tight. Please remember that PBing is the number one cause of slippage. It is to be avoided at all costs. If you cannot keep solid food down chewing as well and eating as slowly as you are willing, then you are too tight. If you are not happy with the little amount that you are able to eat, and it frustrates you, then you are probably too tight. You should not spend more than 30 minutes eating at one time - many will say a max of 20 minutes. After that time period, you should remain satisfied for at least 3 to 4 hours.

"Too tight" is different things to different people. It really depends on the individual to determine what "too tight" is. If you are unable to keep down liquids, regardless of who you are, than you are TOO tight. You can let this go for maybe a day, but if by day 2 you still cannot get down liquids, then you have to call your doc, and probably get an unfill. Some people can get down liquids, but nothing else. This is where "too tight" depends on the person. Some people use this opportunity to do liquids for a couple of weeks, and as they lose weight they find they are able to move to mushes, and then solid foods. This is for the experienced only - people who are really paying attention to be sure they are getting in their electrolytes and adequate hydration. This is a CALCULATED period that someone would consciously choose. These people are not falling into "soft food" syndrome - they are not boosting their caloric intake with high calorie liquids and mushes. They are concentrating on losing weight. For most people, however, being unable to eat solids without PBing is too tight. Most people want to be able to eat at least something. For people who are resorting to soft foods because real food is giving them problems, they are too tight. If you are PBing daily, you are either too tight, or not chewing enough/eating slowly enough. If chewing better/eating slower still results in a PB, you are too tight. If you can chew better/eat slower without PBing, but DON'T, then you are too tight. Please remember that PBing is the number one cause of slippage. It is to be avoided at all costs. If you cannot keep solid food down chewing as well and eating as slowly as you are willing, then you are too tight. If you are not happy with the little amount that you are able to eat, and it frustrates you, then you are probably too tight. You should not spend more than 30 minutes eating at one time - many will say a max of 20 minutes. After that time period, you should remain satisfied for at least 3 to 4 hours.

The seminar on Saturday was interesting. I don't know that it would have been worth a REALLY long trip to attend, but coming from San Diego I felt it was worth my time. Mom and I caught a ride with a fellow San Diego bandster who has reached goal weight, Diane. There were maybe 15 or so people attending. Two of which just recently had the surgery in the day or two prior. The seminar started over an hour late, and was over by around 1. Dr. Lopez did fills afterwards. Dr. Lopez gave a presentation on the band and how it helps with obesity and self-esteem, and showed some brief animation on the band being placed. Dr. Carmen spoke on band complications, and showed slides of actual complications, which was very interesting. There was a slide showing slippage under fluoroscope, and a couple slides on port/tubing problems, and how they can come outside the body when rejected (very weird). They wanted to emphasize that although the band can have complications, most were minor, and if people took care of the band properly and got the follow-up care they needed, the complications could all be treated. They also wanted people to be aware of what the complications were, and the symptoms, so that we would seek medical attention in a timely fashion before anything too dire could occur. A nutritionist and counselor spoke, and then a plastic surgeon. The plastic surgeon outlined the different types of plastic surgery they do to combat the results of stretched skin. He did say that there is NO other way to combat skin that has been stretched other than surgery. You cannot exercise extra skin away. He also showed before and after slides of the various procedures, which I found very interesting and informative. Finally a woman who is just starting the first Curves franchise in TJ spoke, and gave a general overview of the exercise program they use and how it is tailored specifically for women. She made the 30 minutes a day sound very appealing and effective. The two parts that were the most interesting to me were the complications part and the plastic surgery part, and meeting a couple of bandsters that I've only known cyber-ly, like Sissy from the main yahoo bandster board, and Monica from the SoCal yahoo bandster board. Afterwards Mom, Diane and I had lunch at Cien Anos - yum, yum! Bottom Line: If you're in the area the next time a seminar is held, I recommend attending. I don't think I would travel a really long distance, but if it is convenient I felt it was worth the time.

FYI - Anyone who is interested, Dr. Lopez is holding a seminar at the Hospital Oasis in Tijuana, Mexico on Saturday, October 18, 10am. This is a no cost seminar. I have not been to one yet, but it is my understanding that there is lots of information about the band, and usually plastic surgery info, as well. If anyone knows more about the format, please post. But in the meantime, if there are any of you still in the info gathering stage in SoCal, this may be worth hitting. I'm planning on being there, and will give a recap afterwards. It is also my understanding that these seminars happen throughout the year.

Yeah, what Alexandra said. :cool: You do NOT have to do your full liquids slowly, or make a small amount last over a long time. I found that up til my 4th fill a few weeks ago, I did not really have any slowing in my ability to consume liquids. At my current restriction I am able to drink quite a bit faster than my stoma empties, so that has slowed up my drinking somewhat, but not ridiculously so. Once I got on solid foods, I was able to eat waaaay more than I had expected. Less than pre-band, but still a hefty amount, so don't be concerned if you're the same way. Remember, the FILLS are the key for most peoples' restriction.

I had really PAINFUL burps the first two weeks - they weren't loud, but they hurt. I didn't make any particularly memorable noises after that until my first fill. Then I "gurgled" for a week or two, and then that went away except on tight mornings while I ate/drank. With this last fill (#4), I am making very loud weird gurgley noises, kind of like a slow drain that gets a good suck down every once in a while. Then I have a series of silent but rapid burps once or twice a day. Not having gas problems from the other end, though, thank goodness!

I used to have a yoghurt for bfast, about 6:30, as I am so tight in the mornings. By 10:30 I was starving, and usually chose something not as nutritious to tide me over to lunch, like a vending machine size cheeze nips, or some other snacky item. The last three days though I have had 1C to 1.5C lowfat cottage cheese, and 1/4 of a small seedless watermelon! Even though the cottage cheese is slow going, I can eat all that watermelon relatively quickly, I never feel stuck, and it's so good... but even better than that, I am SO stuffed!!! It tides me over to lunch, and I'm still not that hungry by noon. I do not know why this works so well for me, but if you're having problems with the hungries you may want to try watermelon. I am not a big fruit/veggie eater, so I feel good that I'm finally added something natural and unrefined to my menu. Plus melon is one of the lower-sugar fruits. I'm guessing I'm eating about 3 cups of watermelon for 138 calories. Anyone else have this same experience?

My doc video tapes the fluoroscopy procedure, and then gives the tape to the patient. So yes, I have seen my pouch, and have 4 video tapes of fills! When filled with barium I thought the pouch looked bigger than I expected, but when I'm totally closed off, the pouch size is only two large swallows of barium big, which is pretty small in reality.

Hi Jayla - We all want to be free! And the band is a great tool. I just caution you to be aware that in spite of how it may feel, your weight is NOT the source of all your problems - it's just the scape goat. So even when you get to be "skinny," you will still have to deal with whatever life dishes out to you. Think of all those celebrities who have good looks, great bodies, and lots of money, but that does not keep them from getting divorced, going bankrupt, being thrown in jail, or OD'ing on drugs. Okay - now that reality check is out of the way... :cool: The band is a wonderful tool. It takes work, and PATIENCE. Patience is probably the #1 thing most lacking with people who have been banded. Most feel as though they are losing weight too slowly. Be aware that if you get banded, this is a lifelong journey, and it will PROBABLY take you a good 2 years to reach your goal. Maybe longer, maybe shorter, depending on how you work it. But it will not do everything for you. There are a number of possible complications - most of them are more irritating than anything else. The things I see most commonly from what I read: 1. Most people experience the "stuck" feeling occasionally throughout their banded life - where they ate too fast, or didn't chew well enough. This is very uncomfortable, and can be somewhat painful, but is temporary (usually) and is controlable by you for the most part. 2. Many develop reflux a couple of years out. 3. Chances that you'll have to have a port repair/reposition at some point is pretty high. 4. Quite a few have problems with food not staying down because they are either filled too tight, or are not chewing enough or eating slowly enough (PB = productive burp). 5. PBing is also the number 1 cause of esophagitis, which is generally treated by removing the fill until you are healed. During this time of little to no restriction, many struggle not to regain weight. The above are the most common negative side effects, but are more annoying than anything else. Other possibilities that happen, but are less common: 6. Frequent PBing is the number 1 cause of band slippage, which requires surgery to repair, and sometimes results in the loss of the band for at least a period of time, sometimes permanently. 7. Erosion (where the band is absorbed into the stomach cavity) is also a possibility, and requires surgery to fix. Again, the fix may result in the loss of the band for at least a period of time, sometimes permanently. MOST people only experience the annoying problems 1-4, and some experience NO adverse affects. The benefits of being banded, for me, far outweigh the negatives. I am one who will have to have my port repositioned. I am 9 months out, and I have only PB'd 3 times. I have gotten temporarily "stuck" maybe 20 times. I do not (yet) experience any reflux, and have had no problems with esophagitis. I have lost 61 pounds virtually effortlessly, as I do not diet, and my exercise is very hit and miss. Many people have much better result than I, because they work harder at it. I, however, am comfortable knowing that whatever I have lost is gone forever as long as I keep my band and my restriction, because I am not doing anything special that I may stop doing later. I am just living my life in what is a normal way for me, the way I expect to live it forever. AND I AM LOSING WEIGHT!!!! How miraculous is that? It is true that I mostly eat high quality, nutritious foods. I have the occasional pizza and sweets, but they are by no means staples in my everyday food choices. Would I get banded again? In a heartbeat!! Do I have any regrets? Only that I didn't do this years ago. Do I feel better than I can ever remember? Absolutely. Would I recommend this to anyone else? Without reservation. However, you do need to be aware of the possible downside, so I have tried to give you a balanced viewpoint. Hope this helps.

Lots of people have lost more than 50%, and many get to their goal weight. The big difference I see between the RNY and band is that with the RNY, besides cutting up and replumbing your insides, there is a weight loss "window" of about 1.5 to 2 years, after which MANY people start to regain the weight they lost (my sister is one of those). The body adjusts to the malabsorbtion part of the RNY calorie-wise, so that ceases to be a factor in weight loss, even though nutrient-wise RNY patients look at a lifetime deficit unless they take supplements. With the band, there is no "window" for weight loss, and once you reach goal weight you have constant help to stay there from your restriction. I have read many articles that state at 2 years out, the weight loss percentage between RNY and band is pretty much equal. Stick to your guns, and don't let them talk you out of your research. Facts are facts - yes, most RNY patients will lose much faster, but in the long run the band catches up, and continues to carry on where the RNY fails many in maintenance mode. I am almost 9 months out, and although I have lost only 36% of my excess weight so far, I expect to have lost 59% at my one year banniversary, and to continue until I reach my goal. I don't know how many long termers there are on this board, but I know there are lots who've lost more than 100 pounds, and many who have lost 100% of their excess weight, but more importantly, are KEEPING it off. Good luck!

This is very hard - I know how bad you felt! We need to remember that we do NOT need anyone else to monitor us, regardless of the reasons they think they're doing it. I had a similar experience with a guy in my choir. I am very open and vocal, and everyone I know knows I had the band installed. I came in to rehearsal one morning with a large Starbucks frappacino, and this guy said, "Well, there are your calories for the day. What are you going to eat the rest of the day?" As defensive as I felt, this guy has hurt my feelings before, and somehow I just came out with a smile, and said breezily, "I don't know. I haven't decided yet!" I didn't feel so light and breezy on the inside, though. Sigh. Next time (and with people like this, there's ALWAYS a next time... lol), perhaps you can something like "Don't worry, my band is taking good care of me." I do think part of our feeling bad is we still feel guilty when we eat things that are less nutritious. That's what years of diet mentality will do for you. I did feel a little guilty about that frappacino, because it was liquid calories, but I had also decided long before surgery that it was okay to have what I really wanted. I think that attitude kept me from punching him in the nose, or bursting into tears. :cool: