Alexandra

There's also a great article in today's New York Times about the growing prevalence of surgical weight loss in Europe. The "vast majority" of weight-loss surgeries involve the band, it said, though it was also about the growing popularity of the gastric balloon. It was a surprisingly supportive piece, and I'm hoping there will be more like this in the future. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, something about how unsuccessful the US trials were and that this procedure isn't good enough for us rich Americans, but it didn't take that tone at all. I like that last point. Very well said! Here's the link.

That's too broad a question for us to answer, Lisa. What sort of insurance do you have? Somewhere in your network there will be a bariatric surgeon, so that's the doctor to call. Most surgeons take SOME form of insurance; it all depends on what you have, what your policy says, and where you are.

No kidding. There were just two major articles about weight loss surgery that prominently featured banding, and I expect 2006/7 will see an explosion of banding in the U.S. (if the insurance industry comes around, that is).

I'm curious too. You don't mean that you personally had an RNY one year ago, do you?

The short answer is NO, there are no foods that are not "allowed." As you gain increased restriction you personally will find there are things you can't eat as easily as you once could, for better or worse. Most doctors and their nutritionists send patients off with a printed diet, but this is just like any other weight-loss diet. Keep the Protein high, junk low, concentrate on nutrition and avoid empty calories. All no-brainer diet stuff. Bandsters have many things to learn about their new stomachs, but not being able to physically tolerate anything in particular is not a bandster problem.

Flower, the symptoms of a slip are--usually--suddenly increased restriction and an inability to swallow. If you're experiencing really increased restriction with acid reflux, regurgitation, stuff getting stuck that you don't think should, it could be a symptom of a slip. Or it could be irritation caused by a PB that was never permitted to heal, and is just getting worse over time. I've been told on two occasions that I might have a slip and neither time was that the case. So don't leap to any conclusions. If you're having symptoms try to baby yourself, baby your esophagus by sticking to liquids and mushies for several days. If that doesn't help or the situation gets worse, then definitely see your doctor for a fluoroscope exam. What exactly are you experiencing?

Leatha's had three banded Christmases, so she was banded some time in 2003 like I was. I haven't stopped to calculate, but in 2005 I lost, um, about 20-25 lbs. It does slow down as you get lighter--makes sense, since you need fewer and fewer calories to sustain you as you lose weight. Hey, I'll take a 20-lb loss in ANY year over a 20-lb gain. And THAT'S where I would have been without my little silicone buddy.

Well said, Kelly. I totally agree that hearing from people who have had the worst happen is immensely valuable for all of us! And their generosity in sharing is MUCH appreciated. LaMadam, Penni, DeLarla, GeezerSue, Rachele, and anyone I may have missed: I hope you'll go on sharing your experiences as you continue to meet and conquer your challenges in the future. We all have a lot to learn from you!!

I didn't exercise as much as usual, in part because my younger daughter and I were both intermittently sick with nasty colds. But I did manage to visit the gym three times in the two weeks that include Christmas and New Years.

What's a yum cha??

Tuff Enuff, wait and see what effect the total unfill has on you. Slippages have been known to self-repair when there's no saline in the band. You might get lucky! That said, everyone's medical situation is different. Your options will be dictated by your stomach's condition and the advice of your doctor. Good luck!!

I did the same thing at several months out, and it did indeed make a difference. I think you'll find that with two or three servings of protein a day you'll get plenty. Good luck!!

Muggle, where are you that doctors seem able to ignore your pleas for help? At the very least you need an unfill as soon as possible. The person who gave you the fill should be able to do that with very little trouble. I'd say try that first. You may find it resolves your symptoms right away. If you continue on this path too long you might indeed damage yourself and compromise your banded future. Believe me, an unfill is MINOR in the grand scheme of things. In fact, you may not be losing weight because you're not eating enough. Get this taken care of, Muggle, and soon. It's really not a good way to be and could result in an emergency.

Kare, I've been meaning to thank you! I've been sick, though, and have only used the music twice. It's way too long for me; I can only get through 9-10 songs in the time I have. But it's great!! I do know which song is DeLarla's but I can't think of the name right now. I remember when it came one that it definitely made me think of her, and now that I know you put one there deliberately I'm pretty sure I had it right.

VERY wise words from someone who has reason to know their value. Good luck with your repair, Tricia, and a happy healthy 2006 to you and yours!!

They will shrink in width indeed, which will let you buy shoes closer to your own size. I thought mine were shrinking in length and bought two pairs of shoes a half-size smaller, but I have to admit they just don't fit. But a lot more shoes IN my size fit, so it's really broadened my horizons. I've even started wearing heels sometimes (making me north of 6' tall)!

This was me. It will only take a couple of episodes of punishment from your band to make you stop gulping. That's what the whole thing is about--and believe it, it works. If you gulp, the food will NOT go down and pretty soon, it will have to come up. This ranges from mildly inconvenient to very painful, but no matter what you will want to avoid it. Learning when to stop eating is a little harder, but it's essentially the same process. If you take one or two too many bites, even if you're chewing well, the food will come back up. Then you must learn for next time to stop before taking that one last bite. Your body will probably give you a signal when you're full--what we call the "soft stop." You have to pay attention to your body and don't override those signals. The band has no sense of humor about these things. :confused:

Fiveholts, I'd talk with a doctor about this issue very seriously before getting banded. As you may have read on here and elsewhere, banding can contribute negatively to esophageal dysmotility, which is what it sounds like you already suffer from. Please don't just run off to Mexico to get banded before having a complete workup here by a specialist. Swallowing will absolutely get harder for you if you get banded, and if you're halfway there it sounds to me like you could be headed for trouble. :confused:

I'm thinking that I sure hope that's the way it will work for me if my band ever has to come out, but there are no guarantees. Are you the sort of person who can have a habit forcibly changed on you and ultimately internalize that change completely so that no reinforcement is needed? That's the question. Which is stronger, the compulsion or the new behaviors. Come to think of it, I quit smoking back in 1987 and now the very idea of a cigarette repulses me. food is different, of course, but I do get glimmers of repulsion when I see the mondo meals people eat at restaurants. Maybe it's true, and more than my band is being adjusted!! :confused: Whoever wrote that FAQ was being alarmist, IMO. If the band is removed, it can no longer help us maintain our lost weight, but it's certainly possible that we can do it ourselves. Behavioral therapy can be powerful, but there's no predicting how any one person will respond.

Basically the rule about post-op physical activity is if it doesn't hurt, it's fine. With the exception of heavy lifting, against which we are cautioned for 2-3 weeks or so, any physical activity that you feel up to doing will be OK to do. Just pay attention to your body and don't overtax yourself. Dr. Bertha's mantra is if it feels good, do it!

Hi Wannabe, Yep, as far as I know that support group meeting is happening, and yes, it does start at 7:00. I plan to be there since I missed the last one. Looking forward to meeting you!

Jack's right. It's not the speed of the weight loss, it's the continuity of it. It seems to me that the speed of weight loss largely depends on where one starts and how vigilantly one observes the regimen. So it's at least partly under your control. What's really different about being banded is that after the first couple of weeks/months, when you have plateaued and are convinced it's all over and you might as well give up, YOU CAN'T. And that is what makes it different from all other diets. Since our physiology is not altered by surgery, the rate at which we lose weight isn't anything unnatural. You eat less, you eat better, and you lose weight. But you don't gain it back when you take a breather, and your body truly adapts to being a lighter weight. This time, it's coming off and staying off.

Hi Richard, Welcome to LBT! All you have to do is read through some of the threads so as to get an idea of many people's experiences. When you have specific questions feel free to respond to a thread, as you did here, or start a new one with your questions. There are loads of folks here in all stages of banding who will be more than happy to share!

Hi Jaysmom, You absolutely can lose 150 lbs with the band, no question. There's a big variable, though--YOU. If YOU want to lose 150 lbs and are committed to making the necessary changes to make it happen, there will be nothing stopping you. I've lost 125 lbs and have been stable and happy here for several months. If/when I decide to lost another 25-40 lbs I know it will be possible in a way it never could have been pre-band. As far as complications go, no, none of them are fatal. Obviously if you ignore something than anything can develop into a life-threatening situation. You must pay close attention after any surgery to be sure things are healing up right. And down the line, with banding, just about any complication can be repaired quickly and completely. Banding is safer than bypass, no one will ever dispute that.

I started out online, which was very helpful. But even more helpful to me in terms of making my decision was meeting regularly with a group of bandsters. This was a non-affiliated, informal group of people who had met online (in the Yahoo group "bandsters"), and for the several months prior to my insurance hassles being straightened out I was able to meet with them frequently. It was very enlightening to see what actual issues they were faced with on a daily basis. All through this time I also remained subscribed to the Yahoo groups Bandsters and Smartbandsters, as well as visiting ObesityHelp.com and the now-defunct Spotlight Health website. All of the various people's experiences, taken together, gave me a very good picture of what being banded would be like. I also attended the preop seminars of two different surgeons' practices. Comparing the information they provided was very helpful--you could see what was really common knowledge and what was unique to each practice. By the time my insurance battles were over, I had absolutely no doubt that this was the right medical step for me, and that the doctors I'd selected were the best available. Good luck!