Alexandra

You can add Benefiber to anything you drink. It really helps!!

I didn't think about it before I was banded, because I'd never been thin or even normal so I had no idea what that would look like on me. Now that I'm within 30 lbs of a normal BMI, I have gotten some idea, and frankly I'm happy to stop where I am. More weight off me will create more hanging skin, and since I'm not yet willing to consider more surgery it would just make things worse. I'm now curvy in a normal way, which in itself is a complete revelation to me, so I'm happy with that degree of transformation. As for my face, yep, I see my 44 years written on it in a way that wasn't evident before. But I also see facial structure that had been hidden for those 44 years, and to me that's beautiful.

I think it's important to say that people who are post-band should REALLY stay away from any laxative or supplement that bulks. Fiber additives can really help--I know from personal experience--but they have to be the non-thickening type like guar gum (which is what's in Benefiber). Psyllium or whatever is in Metamucil and other bulk-type laxatives can really cause problems if taken by bandsters.

Is your doctor in-network? This isn't all that unusual but if your doc is out of network be aware that you will be responsible for any amount he charges that your carrier will not cover. If your doc is in-network, has he done a lot of bands?

Hi Amanda, Deciding which weight-loss surgery to have is a difficult thing. Most of us here opted for the lap band, obviously, so you're not going to get a lot of comments from us about the RNY being better. There are several things to think about here. If the amount and speed of weight loss is the primary concern, then RNY would seem to be the obvious choice. However, for me and lots of other people there are other factors that are more important: safety, a desire to lose weight LESS quickly, control, speed of recovery, adjustability, safety. For me personally, I wanted to lose at least 100 lbs but I wanted to lose it sanely and in a way that would guarantee I could keep it off. Banding seemed to me to offer the better opportunity for me to learn new ways to eat, new ways to live to ensure that the weight I lost would STAY off. I wasn't interested in losing 150 lbs in a year and then worrying for the rest of my life about malnutrition, or trying desperately to moderate my own intake to keep the weight off. I needed a tool that wouldn't abandon me two years down the road, that would remind me forever to eat small amounts. Safety, too, was paramount for me but other people may be willing to take greater risks. If someone desperately needs to get the weight off immediately for health reasons then RNY would seem to make the most sense. But I was healthy aside from carrying all the extra weight, and I didn't want to create a problem where none existed. I just wanted a tool to let me eat less, permanently. Once I had that, I knew, the rest would be up to me. As for how much weight you will/can lose, it is really up to you in a way it's not with RNY. You will not lose weight in spite of what you eat, like with the RNY, but to my mind that's a good thing. We can't learn if it's happening no matter what we do; we have to have the behavioral reinforcement of negative consequences if we eat the wrong things. Someone might say, but isn't that what the dumping syndrome is? The problem is, only 20-30% of RNY patients experience dumping at all; the rest are on their own. And after a year or two some of the caloric malabsorption disappears, so patients have to watch what they eat even more or the weight will start to come back on. Bandsters still have the tool they started out with years later; there is some changing of sensation, sure, but the physiological processes have never changed so there's nothing dramatic to compensate for. To me, banding makes the most medical sense. If it doesn't work for whatever reason, it can be removed and the patient is good as new. Other options remain. If RNY results in complications or the weight comes back on, what's left? Particularly for young people it seems to me that banding should always be the first choice. Sorry for the novel.

I just read the thread in question and didn't see anything that I'd call flaming. People are totally entitled to their opinions, and as long as we're respectful of others they can be shared with impunity.

Dody, you've been here long enough to know that post-operatively, the amount and timing of hunger or restriction people feel is a function of the healing process. Once the swelling has gone down, most people feel like they can eat whatever they want, and are surprised at their hunger. IT'S NORMAL!! You won't feel restriction until the band is adjusted. Congratulations on your banding, and congratulations on your healing! Now try to stick to your doc's postop instructions, and don't let yourself get too hungry or you might overdo it.

Thanks, Mandy. I wasn't seriously thinking about cancelling the appointment unless something really changes between now and then. It's just so weird that even for people with no fill, who are WIDE open, the mere scheduling of a fill appointment creates restriction!

Many people have remarked on the phenomenon of increased restriction just after they schedule a fill. Then they wonder if they should go for the fill anyway. It's very curious, and no one can explain it, but it's NOT your imagination, people!! I've been completely unfilled since March, and for about two months now I've felt almost NO restriction whatsoever. I've been able to eat things I couldn't eat for the last two years, such as fresh citrus fruits and rice and Cereal. I've been putting off scheduling a fill for insurance reasons. Well, my insurance is changing August 1 so the other day I made the call to schedule a fill in late August. I haven't even been THINKING about this but wouldn't you know it, bang, my restriction is back. I know it's just this pre-fill phenomenon; nothing has changed and I feel perfectly well. But suddenly I'm reminded all over again how FICKLE this band can be! So, should I get the fill?

Bright, it is INDEED possible to go on pretending none of this has happened. Nothing actually did happen, after all! You're fine, your band is fine, and kink or not you can definitely keep it in as long as you're feeling good. As always, just be alert for any unusual symptoms. Some doctor's bias against banding shouldn't make you worry about something that's not there. Pretend you never had the conversation with him! A kinked tube would only make itself felt in that it would make fills difficult. If you aren't overly concerned about that right now, just move along! :biggrin1: And hugs right back atcha, cutie. I hope things continue to look up for you. :hug:

Wheetsin said absolutely everything I was thinking. You go, girlfriend!! :clap2:

Hi Bright! Nice to hear from you! First of all, there is no reason to think you have anything wrong with your band, right? You have no symptoms, reflux, vomiting, anything beyond the usual restriction? Even if you did have a kink or leak in the tubing, which is not a certainty at all, that is by no means an emergent situation. Don't panic!! My goodness, girl, what gave you the idea the band might have to come out just because there may be a kink in the tube? Relax. Wait and see how this fill worked for you. All may be just fine! It seems common that two and three years out people discover that they can eat more, more easily, and a few pounds might come back on even if there has been no change in fill level. I attribute that to the nerves adjusting over time and some resulting loss of sensation in the stomach/esophagus. In other words, it's nothing to worry about unless you're having symptoms that concern you. Just because this doctor has a bias doesn't mean anything has changed inside you. Wait and see how you feel. Good luck and please come back and let us know how you're doing!!

Hi tetesnch, and welcome to LBT! You've come to the right place if you're interested in real people's experience with banding. You sound like you're just considering it at this point, so poke around and read what other people have been saying about it. Ask questions! As Big Bird says, asking questions is a good way to find out things.

I guess a lot depends on one's own comfort level with the facility, 3loves. My Y has only one unlocked door to the outside and that's manned at all times, so it's highly unlikely any child could get out of the building unattended. This facility has excellent security precautions because in addition to lessons, they actually have a preschool on the premises with children in attendance all day (including mine) and kids are being ferried from place to place within the building all the time. My kids alone in that Y's locker room really wouldn't be a big concern for me. As for going in the deep end, I'd defer to the experts on that score. They use "bubbles" at our Y: floats that strap to the kids' backs and come in varying sizes. They are only intended as an assist; they don't actually keep the kids afloat. It sure was alarming to me the first time I saw Catie go in the deep end even with one of these things, but her teachers know more about her abilities than I do and I was amazed to see how far she'd progressed. The instructors certainly don't want any accidents, so I wouldn't be too worried about their pushing kids beyond their limits. FunnyDuddies, I just saw your comment about teachers asking parents to leave. Our Y lets parents watch lessons but only from the balcony. I can understand why, it's so distracting for young kids if they can see their parents. I know my daughters don't pay ANY attention to their instructors if they know I'm there within their voice distance!

I'm going to be a little bit of a devil's advocate here and say that kids IN THE Water are the ones the teacher should be more concerned about than those who are wandering around the deck or the locker rooms. There are other adults around there who would intercept an unaccompanied child and help her out, but if there are any kids in the water at all that's where the lifeguards' and teachers' attention should be. I say this as a veteran of this exact situation. My younger dd was about 3 when we couldn't find her after lessons, and while I was a little upset one thing I knew for sure was that she wasn't in the water. And that's the most important thing. After a few minutes of frantically looking around, I heard "Will Catie's Mommy please come to the pool deck?" over the paging system, and that panicked me. But when I got there I quickly realized she was in very good hands and had been wandering around looking for me. I trust the Y with my kids' lives on a regular basis. Kids are unpredictable for sure, but I know that the instructors at my Y have their priorities straight. Kids are NEVER unattended at the pool, and if keeping to that rule means they might wander into a locker room alone that is A-OK with me.

I had my engagement ring re-set after losing about 80 lbs, because I was going to lose it at the original setting was totally shot. It was completely re-made, and now it's too almost big again. :eek: My wedding band has not been resized, and it's gone from too tight to falling-off loose. The only reason I haven't lost it is because of the engagement ring. Good for now, but if I lose another 20-30 lbs I'll have to do something about it.

Reflux is the condition of material moving back up through the esophagus instead of down: "refluxing" upwards. In my experience, I have had that happen at times when my band has been too tight. It's not "acid" reflux, though, since there's no stomach acid involved. Is it bad? Well, it's not something you want to let continue. If it's happening, it requires treatment. In my case, loosening the band fixed it up immediately. In other cases it's caused by irritation, and a regimen of liquids for a time can help. In still other cases medication and/or behavioral modification are all that's needed.

I think Tricia is right--there's no such thing as a stretched stoma. The stoma is the opening through the band, the narrow part in the hourglass. It's what's adjusted when the band is filled and unfilled. My band is currently unfilled, so if you're being told that's needed I'm here to tell you it's NOT the end of the world. I really am only a little bit hungrier than I was with a tight band, and I have to admit it's nice to be able to eat a bit more bulk. I have gained a few pounds, but I certainly haven't experienced the out-of-control feeling some people seem to be afraid of. It's been more than four months since my un-fill and I'm only now starting to think it's time for another fill. If you have a suspected slip, loosening the band is the first thing to try. I've seen people have things settle back into place once the band is a little looser. Is that what's going on?

Our policy is that advertising is not allowed, period. We only can delete or lock spam if someone reports it, though, so please do so whenever you see any. We "soft" delete it, which I think still shows who started it.

Hi Carol, The only definitive way to diagnose a band slip is through medical testing. The symptoms may include significant difficulty eating or even drinking; the slip creates a larger pouch where food may sit and not go down, which can cause reflux or heartburn or vomiting. Slips can happen slowly over time (possibly due to chronic pouch-packing) or quickly (possibly due to violent vomiting or coughing). But there are many other things that could cause symptoms that people think are indicative of slips that turn out not to be. So the important thing is to talk with your doctor if you think something is going on that shouldn't be.

That is a cool calculator, Rachele, thanks! But clearly, this is a subjective thing that no online calculator can do for us. It can't know, for example, MY ratio of lean body mass to fat, even though it gives some numbers on that score. I thought it was interesting that the lower we go with our current weight, the lower it goes with our "ideal" weight. It's a no-win situation!

Congratulations, Shelly!! Why did I think you were getting married in August? Welcome to married life, and best wishes to both of you!! Now I'm scurryijng off to see the pictures. Thanks for sharing!!

Hi Littlebird, My DH does the cooking for our family as well. The only real adjustment he's had to make was in the quantity of what he cooks. For a while we had a lot of leftovers until he learned that I no longer eat enough for three. He's moderated his intake as a result of seeing mine go down, as well. Our grocery budget has gone a lot farther than it used to! But I won't lie--it's hard to sit at the table and watch everyone else eating when I'm completely done so quickly. For a while I just got up and left the table. Now I can stay, but it is still hard not to nibble. Moving my plate completely away and putting a newspaper or magazine in front of me helps a lot, even if I don't read it. You'll develop your own tricks when you identify your challenges. But your family will not suffer at all because of your new eating habits.

Wow, Diane, you have been through a train wreck! One thing often leads to the discovery of another, it seems, but it all is in the service of better health. Good luck for a quick, peaceful, and uneventful COMPLETE recovery!! We're all pulling for you.

I can't imagine what the pain was from, or whether it has anything to do with the motility. The good news is that you're OK for now, and the doctors haven't said anything needs to be done right away. But I think you're on the cutting edge that long-termers reach between too tight and just right. It can really take only a very tiny bit of fill to make a big difference at this stage. Taking it really slowly would be wise at this point, of course, and I really hope you don't experience any more pain! "Coming back up" is reflux, which is caused by the esophagus not doing its job effectively. Please let me know how you're doing! I'm very interested in your experience because I'll be in exactly the same boat if I get a fill next month. I was told back in April exactly what you were told yesterday, and I'm a bit nervous as to what they'll see at my next fluoro exam.