Alexandra

MelAnne, I'm glad things are looking up! I've been wondering how you were doing. As far as your fill goes, please don't pin a million hopes on this one. You may not feel any difference right afterwards. If your appt is early in the day you might stick to liquids beforehand, and you'll be on liquids for the rest of the day too. I'm glad you are trying to up your calories. If you're avoiding eating, a fill will probably add to that. Try to get in at least two Protein shakes a day in addition to whatever else you're eating; that will ensure you're getting sufficient calories in a nutrient-rich way. And don't worry about ice cream! Protein and calcium are very important. :second:

I once saw a throwaway reference to "hoarseness" being a side-effect of banding in an article that was very low on detail. At the time I was suffering from reflux and definitely thought I knew what they meant. And a couple of years ago, a non-banded friend who was suffering from chronic reflux lost her voice completely for a while. So it definitely can be related. I'm sorry you're going through this, and hope a remedy can be found. Reflux is a bad thing for all kinds of reasons. Good luck!!

Tess, oh my goodness! What was the problem? Was your band out of position? Glad to hear you're recovering and still have a band. Take it easy and help quickly!

Oh, my, this is exactly why I never bothered to weigh my food. It's not worth obsessing over! If you're eating slowly, and stopping when you are full, you will eat less than you did pre-banding and you will lose weight. That's all there is to it.

Boooooorrrrrrriiiiiiiinnnnnnggggggggggggg. I'm an LOTR geek, too, Yoda and Poodles! I use my Quenya name as an e-mail address.

Eating close to bedtime can cause various problems for bandsters, including reflux in the night and irritation/tightness the next morning. As a rule it's a good idea to not eat for at least a couple of hours before going to bed.

I've heard my surgeon say that in general, people who are less aggressive with their fills tend to do better. My guess is that this is because they really are better able to control their eating on their own than other people, which of course would tend to lead to better weight loss and maintenance down the line. But that's not to say this approach is right for everyone. If you need a fill, get one! But be aware that it's not fills alone that will do the job. I think that's what the message is they're trying to get across.

Hi Pauline, You don't say whether you feel restriction or if you think you need a fill. Where are you with your restriction? It's very easy to "drift" into old habits if you don't feel the effects of the band; you're just dieting at that point. Call your doctor and schedule a fill if you need one! That all by itself is usually a great remotivator. When you get your fill you'll have the restriction you need that will make you full on less food and make it much easier to regulate your habits. Good luck and let us know how you're doing!!

Locking this; spam is not welcome here.

I think there are a couple of factors at play. I know when I attend the new-patient seminars that my surgeon holds, most of the audience is usually female. Just guesstimating, it's probably 75/25 in favor of women; maybe even 80/20. So it would seem that most bariatric surgery patients, in general, are female. Maybe that's because men don't seek medical treatment as readily, women feel under more pressure to lose weight, or perhaps the medical community assumes men won't be interested so they don't suggest surgery to their male MO patients. I'd also guess that in general, there are more women than men suffering from morbid obesity. This might be because men don't gain weight as easily and lose it more quickly, or because they just die of the disease earlier (from heart attacks, for example). In addition, I'd venture to guess that more women than men are likely to seek out information and support on the internet. So the makeup of this site, like others, is likely to be even more dramatically tilted toward women, closer to 90%. Whatever the reasons, it's definitely true that more women than men undertake weight-loss surgery. The proportions for RNY vs. banding are probably similar, though; I'd imagine it's the bariatric-surgery patient base in general that skews largely female, not just bandsters.

Relax!! This is no more than an injection with local anaesthesia. Nothing to worry about!! No, you will NOT need to take any time off from work; I always went straight to the office from my fills. There's just a bandaid on the injection site, no residual pain or anything. Stick to liquids for the rest of the day and then take it easy with food the next day. There is no need to fast beforehand, but it's probably a good idea not to eat a couple of hours before the fill. (Mine were always first thing in the morning, so I would just not eat Breakfast.) This is not a big deal, I promise!

I agree, it's a completely personal decision and no matter what one thinks about PS in general, the real fact is you won't know until you get there. I personally have never wanted plastic surgery, and as things stand now I'm OK with the way I look. But if I lose another 30-40 lbs (which I "should"), I'd be surprised if my attitude didn't change a bit. The loose skin I have now is not too bad, but if I lose more weight I think I'd have serious batwings and tummy skin that could cause problems. Of course, another big consideration is money. Unless there are medical problems caused by loose skin, insurance won't cover plastic surgery. So just "wanting" it isn't enough--I'd have to be able to afford it. And that's a whole 'nother story.

Congratulations!! Best of luck as you move on to your next adventure! :whoo:

Do you mean your band has eroded the stomach tissue? If that's the case, band removal is the next step. If your band has just moved out of position so that, for example, there's more stomach above the band than is correct, it's possible that the unfill will help. I had a similar experience a couple of months ago, and an unfill completely fixed my symptoms and I'm doing great. Stay on liquids and take it really easy. Good luck and please let us know how you're doing!!

Fingers crossed for quick and complete healing this time, Robyn!!! :hug:

Hi Solitaire, From what I understand, even untreated erosion is not a life-threatening complication. The stomach is self-healing and as the band works its way through stomach tissue (which is what is happening in an erosion), it's healing behind. If there are no symptoms, it means this process is going smoothly and eventually the band might end up inside the stomach completely. At that point, there'd be a loss of restriction. Long before anything really dangerous were to occur, there would be an infection with symptoms. No matter what, the important thing is to pay attention to our bodies and in the case of any unusual symptoms CALL A DOCTOR. Infection is probably the most common complication and if left untreated it can get serious. But who would ignore a bad infection? Death during or after surgery is a HIGHLY UNUSUAL circumstance, and would require complete denial of symptoms on the part of the patients.

I've been online since 2002 in banding communities, and I've heard of one instance where a band surgery was followed closely by death. And from what I understand, the patient ignored significant symptoms that were, in any case, the result of a surgical error (she had a leak, somehow). Under normal circumstances, banding surgery is among the safest that there is. The patient's health pre-surgery is most important, especially as it relates to the risk of general anaesthesia, but the surgery itself is no big deal at all. They're mixing up bypass and banding. No question.

Unfortunately, going out of network leaves you unprotected against "balance billing." That's the primary reason to stay in network if you can, all the time. The big unspoken loophole is those "covered charges" which never come close to the actual charges billed by out-of-network doctors. In-network docs are bound by contract to accept whaveter the carriers have negotiated to pay, and forbidden to bill the patients the balance. It's VERY IMPORTANT to understand our insurance plans clearly before seeking trreatment. I've heard many, many stories of people getting into big trouble going out of network.

Centerfolds, in my experience Oxford does NOT require the 6-month supervised diet. If they did, they would have told you that. If you are medically qualified for bariatric surgery, Oxford approves quickly. Good luck with whatever you decide!! (Oh, and just for the record, I'm not the owner of LBT, just a moderator.)

This isn't something that everyone has to do, or that will even need to be done all along. As Marimaru said, some people might want to think about trying it IF they are having reflux at night or are having lots of trouble eating early in the morning and want to change that. food that is still in the pouch when you go to bed might indeed stay in there overnight. Gravity helps with regard to moving food along its path, and lying down counteracts the action of gravity. So IF you are having reflux at night it might mean that there is still food/fluid in the pouch which, as your sleep and your esophagus relaxes, is refluxing back up. Making sure the pouch is completely empty is one tactic to try if that's a problem: don't eat for several hours before bed and have a cup of hot tea or something to help clear it out. Flushing doesn't mean to drink a gallon of Water or anything; just try to make sure the last thing you eat or drink in the evening has gone all they way through and your pouch is empty before lying down.

Diva, thank goodness it's nothing more serious! So now you know, and now you can treat it. Good job!!

MelAnne, I'd also suggest staying away from those RNY support groups. They really have nothing to offer bandsters. There is no reason for you to be avoiding sugar or carbs at this point, and you shouldn't have to hear again and again that you can't eat them. You've seen that eating only Protein doesn't give you the calories you need, so don't worry about adding some yummy carbs and even a little sugar. The goal is to be HEALTHY, not how to deal with losing 50 lbs in two months. And that's not what RNYers are talking about at their support groups.

I'm a little superstitious about this sort of thing, but figure just this once it can't hurt. I've applied for a new (old) job and am SO stressed out waiting for news about it! :frusty: It's my old job, as executive director of a nonprofit trade association, that I left 7 years ago because I couldn't hack the commute or time suck with a new baby. I changed careers into something closer to home that pays the bills, but as the years go by the thought of staying in my new career just makes me ill. Now my old "real" job is open again, and I've sent in my application. I was in the role for 15 years and innovated every procedure they still use. We parted sadly and they tried to talk me into staying at the time. It's an understatement to say I'm qualified for the position. :Banane13: (I have to say it was really strange to tweak my resume and write a letter of interest describing my qualifications for a job I basically invented. Has anyone else done that? Imagine writing your resume and running it by your boss for critique! :Banane11:) Anyway, as often happens with organizations run by boards, there are all new faces at the helm now. If, for whatever reason, they have determined that a new direction is needed, I may represent the old direction and so suffer from their prejudice. So far I have no reason to think that's the case, but this period with my application on their desks and days of silence passing by, I can imagine all sorts of things. It's torture!!! And if they DO decide they want me, then we have to talk about what I need to make it work out--salary and part-time telecommuting, for example. As the former executive director (and current bookkeeper) I know exactly what they can afford and how telecommuting could easily work, but nonprofit boards can be stubborn. So I'm putting my superstition aside and asking for good thoughts and crossed fingers. If this works out I will be reborn; it will feel like putting on natural fibers again after years of wearing polyester!! I just have to manage to breathe somehow for the next several weeks. AARRRGGGHHH!!!

Hi Diva! You know, I absolutely have thought about that, and actually did write to a couple of past presidents letting them know that I was applying and that I might need to tap them as "references." They laughed and were totally enthusiastic. But it's a double-edged sword; I don't want the current board or search committee to think I'm going behind their backs or anything. For now I just have to wait and see what they say. (For what it's worth, I was encouraged to apply in the first place by the current treasurer, who said "what would it take to get you back?" :Banane13: )

Thanks, peeps! This is exactly the sort of thing I needed to hear. You guys are da bomb!! I'm not really worried about the time frame; the person I'd be replacing isn't leaving until September so they probably don't feel any pressure to act on this too quickly. (Though if I were their executive director, I'd be pressing them to move before summer--that's why I was good at this!) I know it will be a couple of weeks minimum before they get back to me--you know how committees work. But in the meantime I'm seeking my zen place. :Banane13: