Alexandra

When I went in to have my surgical staples removed at one week out, my doctor told me to stop with the bandages. The only reason I even had them on that long was that I didn't want the staples to catch on anything.

Oh, Sheila, I'm so sorry you're going through this! But I'm with your husband and think it's senseless to worry too much until you know exactly what you're dealing with. I guess erosion is a possibility, but slippage is more likely from what you say. And then, your doctor is duty-bound to share all the possibilities with you--he wasn't telling you what he'd find. So maybe it makes sense to hold off on the discussion of what your alternatives are until you know what your issue is. That's been a tried-and-true tactic in my life: not wasting psychic energy on what-ifs and what-might-have-beens. You'll know much more about the situation after next Wednesday, and then there will be time to consider your options. For now, you're up against a question, that's all. The answers will come. Try to get some sleep!!

My "problem" with bread isn't an inability to tolerate it, exactly. The problem with bread is that it takes up all the room in the pouch in only a couple of bites, effectively ruining the rest of the meal. Toasted bread or crackers don't seem to have the same effect, I guess because they don't swell up once down the throat. So sure, I can eat bread if I want it. But it's low in nutrients and high in bulk, exactly the opposite of what I should be eating.

Oh, boy, am I going to regret this. Blech. I've been nibbling all day, and haven't been drinking at all. Bad, and bad. Then on my way home from work I gave in to a craving for a frozen-yogurt mix-in with Peanut Butter cups. Then I get home and proceed to eat 10 miniature peanut-butter cups left over from Easter. YUM. and YUCK! That's it for me. I'm done for the day. (Is there any Protein in peanut butter cups?) Part of me hopes I've made myself sick. Pooh.

Thanks for the info, Jane. I am aware that you don't have to be over 65 to get Medicare, yes. I do know that it has paid for banding for people over 60, though, so it's not an exclusion due to age.

Congratulations, Amber!! Welcome to bandland!! You've already noticed that each day brings new healing, and within another week or so you'll be back to 100%. Walking is the best thing you can do to dispel the gas. You're so lucky to have your sister there to help with your son. Take advantage and rest up!!

Hi Sensy, Sounds like you're too tight, for sure! When did you get this fill? Did you stick to liquids for at least a whole day right afterwards? If your fill was very recent and/or you went right to solids immediately, your over-restriction might be due to swelling and could pass if you baby yourself for a few days. But if you're having trouble getting even liquids down, and you're having reflux, a small unfill could definitely be in order. Don't worry about losing restriction! Being too tight is worse, could lead to damage, and you can't effectively manage your diet if you can't eat real food or get enough sleep. I think you should call your doctor and have a tiny adjustment. Even a couple of tenths of a cc can make a huge difference!

Hi Vera, Congratulations and welcome back!! Hope you recover smoothly, and congratulations on being one of the rebanded gentry!

I'm a little confused by people saying their surgeons don't return their calls. I can't remember one single time that I called my surgeon, for anything! It wouldn't have occurred to me to do so--they have nurses on staff and I've spoken to them a couple of times. Or are you talking about the office staff? If that's the case, I think every doctor's office has situations like that. It used to be really bad in my doctors' practice, but it seems to have very much improved as they become able to deal with large numbers of patients. The only thing I'd change about my doctors' practice is that I wish they had a fluoro machine in their office. (Yeah, right.) I very much like the fills with fluoro, but am not crazy about having to go to the hospital to do it. All that paperwork! :rolleyes

I agree with everyone who says that banding teenagers should be a last resort. I can't imagine a doctor who would feel any differently. And when it comes to RNY, I don't think that should be performed on anyone under 21, EVER, FOR ANY REASON. The band exists, so use that if necessary!! It's adjustable, removable, and works to do exactly what the person needs--teach new eating habits. It's very easy to say that the parents should just do something different. Of COURSE parents have a great deal of responsibility when young children become obese, but after a point there's not much they can do. I have a 15-y.o. stepson who is 6'3" and probably pushing 300 lbs. He does nothing physical, never has, and now I can't imagine any way we or his mother could make him change his ways. We could blame his mother for not insisting on physical activity when he was younger, but it's too late for that. And as we all know, starting to get physically active when you're that big is frustrating and difficult. When he's with us, he doesn't overeat or even eat the wrong things, but what he eats is largely within his own control. He's been willing to skip meals altogether if we're not serving what he wants--he's only with us one day a week. He wasn't fat as a small child, so it's certainly possible he'll be able to get control of this on his own as he gets older. If he were to express an interest in being banded, I'd want to know what else he's tried (probably nothing) and steer him in the direction of taking responsibility for his own habits. I think it's too simplistic a theory that fat kids automatically have other problems, and fixing those problems will fix the fat. That certainly may be true for some, but it's not always the case. And we can't force teenagers to change their ways. If they are ready to lose the weight they will have asked for help already. If they've gotten that far, tried, failed, and need more help, banding could be appropriate for kids in dire straits. Bottom line, I think it depends on the situation. And banding has the beauty of being, as I said, adjustable and removable so it's more way more appropriate for young people than any other kind of WLS.

Thanks, ladies! You know, I have treats often, so it's not that I went there at all that bugged me. But I was out of control and probably would have continued if I didn't come here and spill the Beans. I feel better now. What would I do without LBT??

I have to say I have been very impressed with my doctor's office and staff. When I first went to them banding was pretty uncommon and we weren't really treated apart from the RNY patients. But a few months in that changed, and now they have separate support groups, NPs who know a lot about banding, and FOUR experienced banding surgeons on staff. I go every month to their new-patient seminars, and each month I come away more impressed with their resources. It's a big practice and I can easily see that someone very timid might feel a little overwhelmed. But I never had that problem (ya think?) and overall I've had a really wonderful experience. Oh, and Nana, I know what you mean about the "cold and grumpy" attitude. My docs could almost be accused of the same thing. (Almost!) But I think you're right that they have to be totally realistic and up-front with people considering banding. It's a very different procedure that doesn't have a foolproof weight loss, so they want to be sure patients know what they're in for. It serves everyone well if they're totally honest, and not selling a product.

JCP is having a sale this weekend? Oooooh, lemme at' em!! I need a whole new spring wardrobe.

Boy, that's nice to hear! You're a very lucky girl.

Jane, is this something your MIL was told by a particular doctor? I'm sure there have been people over 60 operated on here--even Medicare covers WLS.

Hi Tanya!! Welcome to bandland and congratulations!! Now rest up, and let yourself heal. You're on your way to a healthier you! :D

Nope, I've never heard that and I do ab exercises all the time. Maybe it has something to do with where your port is attached?

Marleen, welcome to LBT and thanks for sharing your success!! Have you had any problems or concerns along the way? If you like, we'd love to hear a little more of your story. Gram, there's no specific age limit for banding that I've ever heard of, but obviously your doctors will need to evaluate your general state of health before recommending you for surgery. But I know of people in their late 60s who have had it done. There's no reason to discount it as an option just because of a few extra years!

Jenna, I took that to mean she had a two-week pre-op diet and that's when her weight loss started. Right, RJurnee?

I HATE YOU!! You know, if you had done it TODAY no one would have believed you. Smart cookie!

I can't use it for bills? Shoot. Can I use it for home improvement? I'd like to invest in landscaping services. My 1-acre backyard is FULL of unrealized potential. Otherwise, travel travel travel!! We don't have any underprivileged relatives, so we'd enjoy the heck out of the trip(s) ourselves.

Vera's band didn't erode, I think it was just a leaky tube. The tube had already been "fixed" once, and this time the question was whether they'd fix it again or replace the whole thing. Happily they were able to replace the whole thing, since the first band she got was defective. But there was never anything wrong with the band part or her stomach. Thank goodness!

Hi SRoytan, welcome to LBT! I'm surprised your doctor didn't have a printout or something to give you. Weird. In general, lo-carb can be achieved by eliminating breads, pastas, and most sugars from your diet. Limit fruits, but vegetables are OK. The main focus of your diet should be Protein only. That means taking the bread off hamburgers and sandwiches, not breading meat before it's cooked, avoiding just about anything with sugar in it, and sticking to lean meats. And drink as much Water as you can hold--it's very important and will help a lot with the weight loss. This is obviously a very limited description. It's not all that hard or complicated, especially because this sort of diet really does result in decreased hunger. Good luck!!

RJurnee, you really should slow down on the mushy stuff! Pain is an indication that you're not ready for that. I tried mushies about six days after surgery and had the exact same experience, and just waited another couple of days and everything was fine. You have healing yet to do! Every additional movement of your muscles can strain or cause discomfort while the healing is going on. With regard to Protein drinks, I think you will be able to find them out there if you look around. Slimfast is high is sugar and not really high in protein. The Atkins shakes are supposed to be pretty good. I used a powder I got at Trader Joes and it tasted really good when mixed with milk. (Sorry, I can't recall the brand.) But experiment! They're out there. My doctors, when asked about the level of pain people experience post-op, like to share the common experience people have about a week or so out. Everyone has incisions in the port area that can have increased pain at that point--I think it involves the dissolving of internal stitches. But whatever the cause, some people think they're dying and other people think it's itchy. There's just no telling how people will react to a certain pain stimulus. So I'm thinking there's nothing wrong with you, but that your sensations are normal. Good luck, and take it easy!!

Hi Paula, My guess is that what you experienced was no different than any other episode, but felt way different because of the spices. That combined with an already-irritated esophagus from the PBing might have just made for a very uncomfortable and acidic reflux condition. Try sticking to liquids today to avoid any further irritation, and perhaps for a while stay away from spicy stuff and see if that helps? I've noticed, since reaching this level of restriction, than onions can bother me sometimes. I do know exactly what you mean by having reflux but not heartburn! That's a perfect way to describe the physical sensation of material being present in the esophagus and throat but without any acidic or burning sensation. I've tried to explain that to my doctor's NP, because I always wondered if that lack of irritation somehow means the material is less damaging to the esophagus. Isn't it the acid part of acid reflux that causes damage? Not that reflux is a good idea because it can certainly lead to unpleasant stuff, but it does seem a bit more benign when there's no pain involved.