Alexandra

I'm too tired to think of something cute, but Happy Birthday!! :rockon:

I'm glad we got the real scoop on that rumor. I know if Splenda were pulled from the shelves, my whole family would be in big trouble! I have no fear of artificial sweeteners: as the daughter of a diabetic I remember my father's distress when cyclamates were pulled. (That's how old I am.) The quantity of whatever-it-is that I ingest using Splenda is not going to worry me, because sugar makes me sleepy. Do what works, that's the rule. If you have a bad reaction, avoid it.

Medical expenses are tax deductible to the extent they exceed 7.5% (I believe) of your gross adjusted income. This includes all medical expenses, to be sure, but whether they're deductible for any given person depends on their tax situation.

You know how medical professionals are...hard to pin down. The radiologist didn't even know that this was the reason I was there until I told her when the test was over, so I guess it's not an issue! She didn't see any slip, hernia, dilation (unless "prominent" means that), or any other cause for concern. (And before anyone asks, I was sent to this specific radiology center because they are familiar with the band and how it works.) Yes, she could tell I was relieved. I was doing this: :clap2:

Kabeerah, congratulations on a great first week! You're a brave woman to do this while nursing, indeed. I remember how exhausting nursing was, and can only imagine what you're going through with healing on top of it. 17 lbs is a LOT! And sure, it's Water weight, and that's the reason your swelling is gone. You're doing great!! Now try to get some sleep.

I'm so sorry for your family's loss, Jessiebear. You're in my thoughts. :hug:

G-g-g-g-low in the dark? Poo? Oh. my. god. My daughters would have a FIELD DAY with that!!! :pound: :pound: Thanks, everyone. It is wonderful indeed to be told that all the intimations of a slip or esophageal dysfunction were for naught. Movin' on!!

For those who are keeping tabs, I had an endoscopy and complete unfill in mid-March to deal with a relentless and intense bout of reflux. My surgeon suggested that my esophagus might be dilated or otherwise compromised, and ordered a barium swallow as a follow-up. My GERD symptoms were relieved by the unfill and Prevacid, and since then I've been feeling fine. This morning was the barium test. For those who have not had one, it's a more-involved version of the fluoroscopy exam many doctors use to do fills. They took a LOT of pictures, both still and moving, and I must have swallowed more than 16 oz. of barium (insert barf smiley here). Bottom line is that everything is FINE!! The radiologist said my esophagus looked a little "prominent" but that's not uncommon in bandsters, and it is indeed doing its job. She noticed that the band isn't as tight as she would have expected, and I explained that it was empty. I still feel plenty of restriction, and am in no hurry to change anything. So thank the powers that be, I'm good to go!! Thanks for everyone's support and caring. LBT rocks! :rockon:

Shanna, I'm so sorry this happened. You sound like you have a great attitude, and the great thing is you suffered no permanent damage! Thank you for sharing your story, and good luck to you as a post-bandster. Congratulations on your great weight loss!!

As you say, a lot depends on the individual person. There is no standard protocol for accessing the band after one has reached goal weight; it's totally individual and "regular" fills shouldn't be necessary at all. An occasional tweak or check might be done, but if all is well there's no reason not to just leave it all alone.

Is this an April Fools joke? Friday the 32st? :ban: If this is true, it's AMAZING!! YAYAYAYAY!!!

I have, and they have great stuff albeit pricey. I found their sizing to be very generous, too.

Yes, yes, yes. In my experience, knowing my true love when it arrived wasn't a lightbulb moment. It was a whole series of lightbulb moments that still continue every day. My true love treats me well, not just when he wants something or when someone is watching, but all the time. He doesn't make cutting comments or hold grudges. He puts my needs first, unthinkingly and without looking for reward. It took a LONG time for me to understand that this could be real because I was so damaged from the last relationship, but 11 years later I'm convinced beyond a doubt that this is it.

Oh my god. I can so hear my ex saying something exactly like that, and I'd be carrying around the pain for days and weeks following. Angel, everything you say is SO TRUE. Thank you for taking the time to share.

Congratulations, Kellie!!

From what I understand, doctors in Mexico make their own decisions about who is eligible for surgery. There are several "lightweights" here who have been banded in other countries, so if you post a thread asking for input from people with low BMIs you'll get some great info. I'm sure yo-yoing is NOT good for your system, of course. But maybe another approach would make more sense. Working out at a gym for three months won't do anything long term--exercise has to be a part of your life FOREVER. And 200 sounds like a GREAT weight for someone who's 5'10"!! Think about taking the money you'd spend on surgery and spending it on counseling (nutritional and behavioral) and personal training. Who know? You may just be able to find the answers without going under the knife!

To tell you the truth, Megan, this is what my doctor said to me, too. It wasn't clearly explained to me the reason for going extremely slowly, and my instincts told me that black bean Soup on the 6th day out would be OK. But when I tried that I felt clear signals that it WASN'T all right, so I stopped. If I had known then the reasons for liquids in the early stages, I wouldn't even have tried it. Nothing bad happened, but IMO more information is always better and caution is the way to go. Your experience is great, but for Hailey's Mom I'd hope her instincts tell her to take it more slowly from here on out.

OK, I think we have some misconceptions here. First, the PORT can be accessed thousands of times. Adjustments can be done as often as necessary for as long as we have our bands. Second, there is of course a maximum fill level for every band and every person: there is a point at which adding any more fill wil completely close off the stoma and prevent ANY food from going down. Once we reach a good level of restriction with the band, even a tiny amount of adjustment can make a big difference in or out. After having the band for a couple of years myself, I can attest that at some point there is just no reason to get additional fill. Yes, the weight loss slowed down, but that's a function of the fact that I am lighter than I was in the beginning and now need fewer calories to sustain the same weight. If I want to lose more weight, additional restriction WON'T be the answer. And as far as doctors taking out ALL the fill after some period of time, I've never heard of that being done unless there is a reason. And in fact, it's nothing to be scared of. My fill was removed a couple of weeks ago to help me get over a terrible bout of acid reflux, and I still feel plenty of restriction. I think our stomachs actually change shape over time, and as long as the band is not removed completely it's not going to revert all the way. If I continue feeling the way I do now (perfectly fine, not hungry, not eating too much, no reflux) I see no need to get any fill replaced. The wonderful thing is, though, that my band is still there and COULD be re-filled at some point if I need it to be. That's a GOOD thing, not a bad thing. So "fills forever and ever" represent my best chance at long-term maintenance of the weight loss that I've ever had. Whether you, Stitchy, will want adjustments after a year is something that only time will tell. But if you're in an RV, maybe you could just make your way back to your original doctor when you need an adjustment? It's not like getting a fill is at all an "urgent" matter.

Wheetsin, IMO if you don't have an appetite and aren't eating more than what you describe, you don't need a fill. There's no downside to delaying, and it sounds like you're doing absolutely great as it is! Betje, are you saying you have never had a fill and suddenly you can't eat solid food? I hope you will talk to your doctor--that could mean your band has slipped or something else is going on (like a hernia). Please don't let it go...banding complications are minor UNLESS we ignore them. Take care and let us know how you're doing!!

I agree, it's probably worth giving it another day or two on liquids. Some people react to fills by swelling (others react by opening up), and you really need to give it a week or so to really assess where you are. Just take it really really slow, and be sure to drink plenty of water. You won't starve, you know that, and perhaps when the swelling goes down you'll be perfect!!

You've been banded just two weeks and you ate a pork chop? That's not recommended, and doubtless the cause of your pain. (Did you chew it to paste? If not, a piece might just be stuck.) I don't know what to recommend except to speak to your doctor--it might be that you've damaged a stitch or something, your port has shifted, or maybe it's just muscular or digestive pain. The reason for avoiding solid food this early in the game is to prevent your stomach from shifting around and possibly dislocating the band while it's healing in place. I wish more doctors would make this clear to their patients, because it makes it a LOT easier to stick to the liquid/soft/mushie regimen when we understand the reasons behind it. All newly banded people really MUST allow at least two or three weeks of pure healing before attempting solid food. Good luck, and please let us know how you're doing!!

Ttbseffy, all insurers have the same medical criteria for deciding whether someone is eligible for bariatric surgery: BMI of 40 or above, OR a BMI of 35 or more accompanied by comorbidities. You have the accompanying medical conditions, but you're not heavy enough to be considered morbidly obese, period. That's not to say a doctor won't feel you are qualified, but I can't imagine any insurer agreeing. You could lose 40 lbs and be in a healthy weight range, so they're not going to feel it's worth paying many thousands of dollars. And you may indeed find it very difficult locating a U.S. doctor who would be willing to operate on someone with so little to lose, even though you're self-pay. Think about it carefully. If you lose only a certain percentage of your excess weight, you might lose only 20-30 lbs. Is it worth all that money and surgery for that? Since you're so light, it's entirely possible that your other health problems are not weight-related at all, so weight loss won't alleviate them. Weight loss surgery isn't for everyone. And so far, banding is not used as a preventive measure (though it may be someday for people in your shoes). Good luck with your decision!!

Oh, yuck. :scared:

Holy smokes, child! 54 lbs in 3 months?? I think she snuck out and got an RNY when no one was looking. Are you feeling faint? Congratulations!!

Fingers crossed the barium goes where it's supposed to go, and when it's supposed to go there!! GOOD LUCK!!!