Alexandra

Check out this link for all the abbreviations and what they mean: http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7959

New Sho, that must have been upsetting, but I'll bet it was just a case of miscommunication. Surgeon's don't "dump" bandsters as patients; I'm sure he just meant he didn't want to fill you at that point. We all do reach a point where more Fluid is NOT the answer. Being too tight is not a good thing, as I'm sure you know. Eventually the tissues above the stoma--the pouch and esophagus--will themselves stretch and lose sensation. That may be why you're not feeling restriction. If he's seeing it on the fluoroscope it must be true. The passage of time may help restore some of that sensation, but even if it doesn't adding fluid to the band will only make it worse. All that said, who are you to question when everyone tells you you look great? My BMI is now between 30 and 31, and I get up in front of new patient seminars all the time. I've been told I look "normal" too, and I take that as the highest possible compliment. I'm not telling you to be finished if you don't think you are, but don't think the only way to move forward from here is by tightening your band. It's tight enough--it's taught and continues to teach you how to eat less. You will lose more weight if you are motivated to do so; the band is still in there keeping you from undoing all the marvelous progress you've made so far. That's its role, while YOURS is to find new behaviors and approaches to continue your progress. Don't think you've been dumped. Think, rather, that your band wants you to take control for a while. And so does your surgeon. I know many doctors are concerned about bandsters who rely too much on their bands and want to be too tight, so it's not unusual really for a doctor to suggest NOT filling a band that already provides good restriction. Don't take it personally.

Aligirl, you're still healing from surgery so my suspicion is that the nausea is just related to the newness of everything. Once you're healed up and on solid food it will probably stop.

What do you mean by "banded blockage"? There are lots of situations that might make it necessary to go back to the doctor, and by "blockage" I guess you mean a difficulty with foods going through. If that were to happen, believe me, you'd know it. Nothing would go down, not even liquids. That's very serious because of the risk of dehydration. Or are you talking about something else? I'm confused. :eek:

Hi Coco, If you have a medical condition that you know will have to be managed, your might want to consult not only your surgeon but also your regular doctor. Your surgeon might not be the most knowledgeable source of nutrition info. All banding does is make you eat less. So we all, but I guess you in particular, will have to eat smarter. During the liquid phase post-op you're not worrying about calories, so feel free to load up on whatever supplements you need to feel healthy. Fainting is NOT good. When you start on solid foods you might just want to continue supplementing until you get the hang of it and see how your body does. I haven't heard of any bandsters actually suffering from malnutrition. There's no reason why we would. Poor nutrition, though, is a risk everyone runs who doesn't eat a balanced diet (and really, who does all the time?). Bandsters are evaluated (or should be, anyway) regularly for nutrient levels so any shortfalls can be addressed. At my one-year anniversary my doc found I was on the low side for B-Vitamins, and so added a supplement. I wouldn't imagine you'd need to do anything more than regular evaluation and adjusting your intake to suit.

Hi AliDiane! (I love your name. I have two cousins by the names of Ali and Diane and they are sisters. You're not them, are you? ) It is normal for the largest incision to take longer to heal and feel completely normal. Some people report twinges in that incision, at the port site, for months afterward. I think you'll start feeling better during the coming week and pretty soon you will only feel it on rare occasions. Welcome to LBT, and congratulations on your banding!

Donali, as always, you rock my world. :clap2:

A new fill can need significant babying until you learn how to eat to its requirements. Take it very slow--if you can't eat solid food in the morning don't try it! PBing does irritate your system, and staying on liquids for a full day after one is an excellent idea. Try to let your system settle down before deciding whether you need an unfill. And don't worry if you can't eat scrambled eggs at all--they were and remain extremely problematic for me even when I'm not too tight. Some things just aren't easy for some people. My fallback Breakfast is yogurt or a Protein bar (which essentially melts in my mouth).

I'm sorry to hear of your trouble, Ruth. It sounds like your band really just came apart. I've never heard of that, though I have heard of tube problems before. Perhaps the band itself is defective? If that's the case, maybe Inamed would give you a new one. What sort of feedback are you looking for? If the band in your body is not creating restriction and limiting your intake, it's not working. A technical problem is the cause; it's not your fault that it's broken. Unfortunately, though, it won't fix itself.

I hope this doesn't get out of hand. We can all agree that people are entitled to their opinions, and we can also agree that generalizations are not helpful. People should share their own experiences, period. There's nothing to be gained at all by criticizing other people's choices. Or signatures.

I think Alex is playing around with some new features, and it may take a little tweaking before everything works just fine. Patience, people!! :biggrin1:

Congratulations, indeed!! Who is this amazing carrier?

Ummm, y'all should look at the dates on old threads before bumping them. Alexis was one of the very first members here and hasn't been around in a long time.

Hi Donna, You need to get more information. You might have been speaking to some robotic CSR who parrots general information. Did they tell you WHY it was excluded? Is this your employer's exclusion or part of a standard plan? Is it excluded for everyone even in the presence of a diagnosis of morbid obesity? Is all obesity treatment excluded or just surgery? You should locate your contract and find the specific language addressing the exclusion. If it's an employer exclusion, then your employer may be able to make an exception or change the contract (if they are so inclined). If it's a standard plan you may be able to appeal to a state review board. It's too early to give up, find out more and see what the next step is. Good luck!!

Hi Margo, It shouldn't have any effect at all, since your coverage is continuous. Your new carrier will cover your medical expenses in accordance with the contract. Obviously I can't say whether your fills, etc. will be covered, since that's part of the contract. But the fact that you are a new member of the plan shouldn't have any effect on whether they are or not.

Jax, where are you located? I've never heard of bands being placed around the esophagus. That's contrary to the recommended practice. I hope you don't have anything serious wrong!!

Thank goodness an unfill fixed the problem! Don't worry--the whole point of banding was to improve your health, and this is part of that. You don't want to be skinny with a dysfunctional esophagus--I know a woman who has had to live on liquids for the last 15 years because of that sort of problem (not WLS-related, though). Work on maintaining your good habits, and enjoy the sensations of feeling better!!

The 9.75 cm band does indeed have a maximum capacity of 4ccs. That's the most commonly used size of band in the U.S. Not to worry!!

I've bought too many pants, trying to find the perfect type for work. I finally settled on corduroys, something I would NEVER wear before I lost so much weight. I love them now for the winter, and I have five pairs in various colors. They're all the same size but two of them are too big now just because of the cut.

I will say that before having my children I would have been scared off of even such minor surgery as banding. I'd only had one minor surgical procedure before (a biopsy) and the whole idea of general anaesthesia terrified me. After having kids, though, I had a whole new appreciation of what my body could endure. Maybe if I had more sagging skin I might think about it differently. But even with batwings and boobs down to my navel I have absolutely no desire to have plastic surgery. Ever. Surgery to save my life? Sure. Surgery to make me hot? No way.

I can't imagine voluntarily going through such an arduous surgical procedure.

That picture of the SAGB shows the band itself un-latched. The part of the band with the stripe in it is closed up into a ring when implanted.

Well, it doesn't happen to everyone and for some people it takes even longer than a week. I've had fills "kick in" after three weeks. MY theory--and it's just a theory--is that the tissues of the stomach thin out in response to increased pressure, in an attempt to compensate. As time passes the stomach tissue returns to its original thickness, creating increased restriction. Remember, our bodies don't like foreign influences on our organs, and nature has a way of taking care of us.

That page from Wayne Smith's site is quite old, I think. Best to look for some newer information.

I wouldn't call a kick in the a@@ "support," exactly! But you know what to do, and you're doing great!! You're going through some stuff now, no kidding, and there's no crime in being good to yourself during the tough times. You'll get back on that horse before you know it!