formerfatgirl

My band slipped about a year ago. I had hardly eaten in 2 weeks and the pain was unbearable. It was hard to hold much of anything down. My face was so pale and I felt and looked malnourished. I lost about 10 pounds in that 2 week period and looked like a walking skeleton. I went to the ER and was put on fluids right away. If your band slipped, chances are eating is severely uncomfortable. You know your body best. See a doctor ASAP or get a new opinion. I had a terrible experience when it slipped but I knew something was wrong and I needed to be seen right away. To see if a band slipped, they use a test called the barium swallow. You have to chug some white pastey drink while standing in front of an X-ray and they monitor how the Fluid travels through your gastrointestinal tract. They usually avoid doing cat scans but that was the only option for me while I was hospitalized. I hope you feel better soon!

i started off around a 44 DDD and since then i have lost almost 140 lbs. i am currently a 34C and i weigh 138 pounds. i can say that my boobs have DEFLATED to nothing lol. i am definitely planning to get a boob job within the next 2 years because it is depressing to me. it's entirely up to you, but i would wait and see how the weight loss goes until a decision is made. once you lose the weight, there is excess skin EVERYWHERE and that would mean a second surgery.

my motivation for the band was for a few things

1. i am studying to become a doctor of physical therapy and i felt as if my obesity would cause patients to not take me seriously

2. i am young and i missed out on countless opportunities simply because of my weight

3. i knew that there was a sexy body somewhere underneath all of that fat and i was ready to see it after 10 years of morbid obesity

4. and most importantly - for MYSELF. i could care less about what the world had to say, but my opinion of myself was so low. i didn't value or respect myself. the band was the start of a whole new me and a completely new chance at life.

5. 8 days before my surgery, my high school sweetheart and i finally rekindled our romance and started dating for the second time. i knew that i was in love and i wanted to give him the best possible me i could give him because he deserves the best. now 16 months later, we already speak of our future and children. i am glad i made the decision to get health for both myself and for my future family.

16 months, 137 pounds lost, love and success found. getting the lapband was the true beginning of my life. every aspect of my life has improved - i'm currently on the deans list while studying for my bachelors in biology, the love of my life has loved me for who i was and who i am today, i got accepted into graduate school, and for the first time in my life i feel SEXY. it has honestly been the greatest blessing of my life. when one thing falls into place, the rest follows. i wish you the best of luck <3 stay positive !

I just turned 21 in February and was banded on January 10, 2011. I personally have not been able to drink beer -- it's too heavy and carbonated. I stick with either wine or vodka whenever I have an occasional drink. If you're just starting your weight loss journey I would be careful since there is a load of sugar in alcohol and mixed drinks. Your body is going through a lot of changes physiologically and you basically need to learn how to live life all over again. I wish you the best of luck !

I have hit my weight loss goal and my port sticks out a little bit. Also, when you get towards the end of your weight loss journey, the port tends to flip around. No worries though, an experienced doctor can flip it back whenever it comes time for adjustments. I have to say that the port is rather annoying but it's better than being obese !

Thank you formerfatgirl for the info, I know I eat to fast sometimes, that is prob the hardest thing for me to stop b/c I am so used to eating fast but I know it is important to eat slow, from your pic its looks like you have had great success, you look awesome, thanks for the rx suggestion too, would love to add you as a friend

anytime ! i know i'm new to this website but i have been banded for 7 months:) definitely add me as a friend and let me know how you're doing ! always interested in hearing everybody's stories ! wish you the best !

Since day one of my surgery, I have experienced excessive burping with or without drinking and eating, is this normal? Also have hiccups sometimes after eating, is that normal? I am 3wks out from lapband w/ plication and hiatal hernia repair surgery, I have been doing really well other than those few problems, I have lost 21lbs so far, I do notice now that after 2hrs of eating I start to get the hunger pains, no fills yet, is that normal? Sorry for all the problem questions, but here is one last one, been having a lot of sinus pain/drainage any suggestions of what to take, would like to say thanks in advance to anyone who reads and responds to this, I love this site and the people on here!!!

hiccups after eating means that your pouch is full and it's trying to push the food down. i would recommend eating more slowly. the hunger pains are normal because the band has just cut your food intake by a significant percentage. when you get your first fill i would speak to the doctor/nurse doing it because hiccups can cause band slippage. congrats on the weight loss so far i'm 7 months post-op and life at first was hard to get used to but the weight loss has completely changed my life. as for meds, my surgeon says do not take anything larger than an m&m, and if it is you should break it in half. so maybe sudafed is your best bet. good luck with everything

Awesome stats formerfatgirl!!! What is your exercise routine? Do u take classes or just get on the treadmill, elliptical? Thanks for shaing! I can't wait to get back to the gym when I'm healed. I wanna start a good routine! Thanks fir sharing and tips or advice is greatly appreciated! Cara

my exercise for right now is 100% cardio. i'm going to add strength training in there soon i'm just healing from an automotive accident and my back is really sensitive lol. i start off with 20 minutes on the elliptical which burns about 220 calories. next i run/walk a mile on the treadmill. then i hit the bike for about 25 minutes to just keep the sweat pouring out of me so on a daily workout i'll burn over 400 calories, which is like one of our meals and a snack ! best advice is to go after you have eaten and you have digested. you don't want to get sick. another tip is do NOT push it past your limits. i started working out about 2-3 weeks after surgery and it really helped to just shed the weight. do as much as you can at your own pace. it's hard to work out as hard as a normal person with the band considering you don't get the same amount of carbs/calories. i have trouble working out in the morning because i am not a Breakfast person, and never have been unfortunately, so i feel very weak and dehydrated if i workout in the morning. it will take you some time to learn your body and your limits, but after that it's smooth sailing. thanks for the compliments and i wish you all the best for a successful future with the band !

Hi i have asked this question earlier and nobody replied so im gonna try it again. my lapband surgeon wants me to lose 20-25 pounds before i have it done,i want to see if im able to do the liquid diet, but can someone give me a guideline,i bought the Isopure fruit punch and i like it .the man at store said since im using it inplace of meals then only use 1 scoop(INSTEAD OF 2) about 3-4 times a day or should i follow what can says plz help!!!!

Protein shakes are good for Meal Replacement, but you have to watch your carb intake with them. you should only replace ONE meal a day with a Protein shake. there is a carb-less Protein Drink made by isopure. i believe it is around 160 calories. my surgeon's practice recommended that you shouldn't drink them post-op, but for pre-op i would probably recommend it. my guideline would be to start eating like you would if you had the band, start eating less and more healthy. what helps me is exercise 3-4 times a week, straight up cardio to get get the blood pumping and the sweat pouring. try to stay away from carbs/sugars/fats. do not drink sugary drinks AT ALL. drink Water and if you get sick of that add some crystal lite to it. start eating whole wheat foods. i do not recommend doing a liquid diet only because it's hard to do with or without a band and you'll end up crashing and possibly go on a binge. just eat fruits/veggies/lean meats and try to stay away from the bad stuff. adding Protein to your diet is good, but it isn't going to help you to shed the weight unless you put in a conscious effort to exercise. i hope this helps, i'm 7 months post op and i am currently down 96 pounds with 33 more to go. if you have any question hit me up !