donali

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!! I'm not crying, but I love all you guys too. Penni, did you slip in "NEXT MONTH"?!?!?! OMG - I can't imagine doing this EVERY MONTH!! No, my mind just can't wrap around that concept... owwww it's like brain freeze, only warmer... lol lol

Normal phenomen. No, it isn't permanent. There's a lot of debate about what, if anything can be done about it. I personally tend to side with the "nothing you do will make a difference" camp, but then I'm lazy and hate taking Vitamins and spending money on super fancy specialized stuff that never seems to work for me anyway. It will eventually stop - honest.

How did I miss this post?!?!?! Sorry Penni! You are well over the first fill hump by now... How's it going? lol

Hi Sultana!! Welcome back, and I'm doing great!! Thanks for all your kind thoughts. Glad you had a lovely vacation! Whoo hooo! Losing a pound on vacation???? Awesome!!

Hi Blossom, and welcome!!! Congrats on your steps to a new and healthier life. I hope all goes smoothly with your insurance. Keep us posted!!

And since the thickness of the walls of everyone's stomach varies, due to body fat and genetics, the "tightness" of the band is very individual. There are only three types of fill amount: just right, too little, and too much. And only YOU can decide which of those applies to your fill. Knowing your fill level is only helpful as a point of reference for yourself - other than that, it's pretty meaningless.

Speedy recovery!! Welcome to bandland!!!

Hi Ruth - I didn't think you were being negative!! The horror story comment was basically aimed towards your friend who said she'd heard horror stories about the band, and therefore decided on the bypass. It is EXTREMELY important to know ALL the things that can possibly go wrong, the likelihood of those complications, and whether or not you can accept the risks and the financial implications that complications involve. I think one of the reasons why I am not angry/bitter about my erosion is because I did my research, I knew it was a possibility, and I accepted the risk. Sure, I wish I hadn't fallen into the 1-3%, but to me it was a risk worth taking. I take full responsibility for my decision. So although I am disappointed, of course, those are the breaks. Sometimes your number comes up - for good and for bad. I have no right to complain. And as much as I needed and relied on the band, having it removed was not the end of my life - it is just another opportunity to use other tools I have acquired along the way. I edited my post of list of complications to include "obstruction" - I forgot about that. You could get something stuck in the stoma, and have to have the offending piece removed by scope, or by having your band emptied of all fill. Again, that could quickly become an emergent situation if you were completely obstructed, but the solution is relatively easy, particularly if removal of fill rectifies the problem. Best of luck with your banding - I think you will love the results. I know I did!

Hi Ruth - If you're interested in horror stories you'd have much more fodder reading RnY sites (NOT bashing RnY, just being truthful). Slippage and erosion are considered the worst complications. The other things like vomiting are generally things the patient has control over, and also affects RnYers as well. There is also chances of port infections, and some general discomfort due to the port itself. Many people can forget all about the equipment installed inside of them, others may always have a twinge here and there. My port was almost always a little uncomfortable, and I did tear the sutures and have to have the port repositioned. That required another surgery. Slippage and erosion generally require another surgery - for slippage, either to reposition or remove the band, for erosion to remove the band. Sometimes these complications are extremely painful, and can be an emergent-type situation. Vomiting is always a concern once you're banded, as it can cause slippage, or even in severe cases it can twist the stomach, cutting off blood flow and requiring emergency surgery. I have only heard of that happening once, but I'm sure it has happened more often. These types of complications are generally rare - slippage occurs more frequently than erosion. Erosion rates are listed as 1-3%. It is possible that in a severe slippage or erosion case that permanent damage could be done to the stomach - but generally that is not the case. I think the VAST majority of people do well with the band, with minor to no unpleasant side effects. I am unaware of any other possible complications besides: vomiting (usually under patient control) equipment failure (port disconnects, leaking tubing) infection obstruction reflux slippage erosion Of course, there is always the possibility of surgeon error, regardless of the type of surgery. Hope this helps. As far as why do I think the band works? 1. The band rests on the vagal nerve, stimulating a full feeling. 2. It restricts the passage of food from the pouch to the lower stomach, creating stomach "stretch" on a smaller amount of food, which also turns on the "full" signal. 3. With good restriction, it becomes impossible to overeat solid food. 4. The band MAKES you eat slower, and chew better - habits recommended to all people. Patient behaviour can defeat the band - it is just a tool. The patient has to be willing to work with the band, and make permanent lifestyle changes. This is not about changing until you lose the weight you want to lose (dieting), it is about PERMANENTLY changing your relationship with food, and being willing to do that. You'll learn a lot about yourself and your eating habits once the band is there making you eat less. Undoubtedly you will experience frustration and anger at least once when you are unable to eat either the quantity of type of food you want. But that is quickly replaced with gratitude when you realize that you can have almost anything in moderation. And the things that you are unable to tolerate usually are not missed THAT much once you are well into your journey and experiencing success.

Hi Lisa - Here are links to my info (rather than bore everyone who has already read all about it). Hope this helps! This is everything I know about erosion: http://lapbandtalk.com/forum/showth...=&threadid=2250 http://lapbandtalk.com/forum/showth...=&threadid=2256 http://lapbandtalk.com/forum/showth...=&threadid=2274

I was 201.5 this morning!!! That makes -101.5 pounds since 1/23/03. Whooo hooo!! And ONEderland is only 1.5 pounds away. YAAAAAY, Casper!! (the friendly phantom band... )

I proclaim you normal!! Congrats on your banding - you may feel bloated for two weeks, even - that's how long it lasted for me. Please be conscientious about sticking to your doc's food plan while you're in the healing phase - this is no time to be non-compliant. Your number one focus is HEALING, and letting the band seat itself firmly and completely before making your stomach work with real food. Hope you're feeling better soon!

YOWZA!!! Oh, that looks absolutely awful!!! I love these little trophy photos - we'll have to have some prize categories in Vegas... lol Heal fast, my friend!

Congrats on your upcoming date, and welcome!!! The band is a wonderful gift to give yourself. Make sure you read as much as possible so you know what to expect. Ask a lot of questions here. Good luck!!

LOL

Thanks... I am so jealous of your brother-in-law. I would love to be more back to nature, and off the grid. Sigh...

Tasha, welcome!!! Your puppy is SO adoreable, and you are doing GREAT!!! So glad you found us!! Join in all the fun the wonderful people here create. Struggling with food choices - a common theme. I believe it usually has to do with diet mentality. Once you throw away dieting FOREVER, it is easier to make healthier choices more often, because you know nothing is off limits if you're DYING to have it. It is truly astounding how much a little thing like changing a mindset can help us on our journeys. Best of luck!

Jeannie!! Super congrats!!! Whoo hooo!!! I LOVE Rebecca's "Mexwave", so here it is again!!

I love "Portia", too! I call mine "Casper, the friendly phantom band"...

Leatha!!! So glad you're back, and everything went well, knife fight scars and black eye not withstanding... May your recovery be speedy and uneventful!!

LOL... Please?

I agree - if you're losing well, and not suffering/struggling, there's no need for a fill!

Heather - It is not unusual to not be able to pull ALL of the fill back out - a little bit unaccounted for should be no big deal. But if they can only pull out significantly less, then a leak should be suspected. However in your case it sounds like you're doing very well. What is your goal weight? Unless you are very petite in stature you don't have that much more to lose. The closer you get to goal, the slower the weightloss will be, because the discrepancy between the number of calories you need to maintain your goal weight and the number of calories you are consuming becomes less and less. I agree with Rebecca - sounds like you're doing great!!

Teresa, you made me spit out my coffee with that one... lol Yes, the worms have feelings, too! I have alternately fished worms out of puddles to save them, and then turned around and used other less fortunate ones as bait. Some life forms seem lower on the hierarchy than others. I have no problems cleaning fish, but do have pangs of guilt throwing a live lobster into the pot! Yes, I'm with DeLarla on this one. Can we agree to bury our heads in the sand and pretend that all that wonderful meat grew on trees or something? I did give up meat for about two years. Emotionally I'm a vegetarian - physically and socially I crave meat. That old lady with the goats from "Cold Mountain" seemed to have a very balanced view of the whole thing... If I were starving I'd have less problems making my own meat... But being so well fed, I'm grateful there's someone else to do it anonymously on my behalf... :sick

Hi Newlapper - It is possible that you are one of those people who needs a lot more Fluid than others to feel restriction. If you are practicing eating the "bandster way" most of the time (NO drinking with meals, solid Protein first, then veggies, then carbs) but can still eat a lot, then you need more restriction. I agree with Teresa, that you should have your doc see if they can pull out all of the fluid that's already in there, and check that you really are at 2ccs. If they can't pull it out, it's possible you have a leak, and that's why you're not feeling restricted. Do you feel restriction initially, and then it disappeared? Or have you never felt any differently with any of your fills? Shelly was getting fills, and they were withdrawing the right amount of fluid, but somehow the fill wasn't making it to the band. Do NOT dispair! Either you will get restriction, or you will find out why your fills aren't helping. Believe me, with a proper fill, you will not be able to eat too much. Hang in there, and keep us posted!