leatha_g

Heath Ledger

I had my gallbladder removed exactly 6 weeks after my second banding surgery. Talk about a volume discount!! I had THREE surgeries in 15 months!!

Way to go Teresa! You look so much more healthy and happy! I am so proud of you!! Keep up the good work girl!!

eggs are often problematic for bandsters. my worst pb's ever were on scrambled eggs. the texture just isn't band friendly. i've never had a problem with fried, but scrambled gets me every time.

In most cases, one would know. Slippage often presents with very overt symptoms, such as repeated vomiting, the inability to keep even liquids down, choking/aspirating in the night, even pain. This is not the case always, as it is possible to have slippage which isn't as problematic or hasn't yet reached those stages. Often slippage is found by xray only.

Unfortunately, there are a few of us strange birds who for some reason do not 'PB' as much as others. I often worry that I have or am stretching my pouch because I simply do not get the 'stop' signs with this one that I did with my first. It worries me that my esophagus isn't responding and I may be 'pouch packing' at times. After 2 yrs, it's easy to get tired of constantly being on 'watch' for every little thing and get complacent. I may ask for a slight unfill to make my stoma a bit larger so that I don't get this 'overstuffing' feeling when I eat. Never thought I'd ever actually 'wish' I could PB, but I simply do not.

This should be the standard technique these days. It is suppose to 'help' reduce slippage, but is not guaranteed to do so. It can also come apart, especially if the new bandster begins eating solids too soon and over stresses it during the healing phase. Also, repititive vomiting/pbing can still cause slippage. I think the first 6 weeks is definitely a critical time in banding as to whether the scar tissue forms snugly around the band itself, then, of course, following the bandster rules for eating is imperative for not doing damage after the healing phase.

One tip.. you may not want to lie flat on a bed for the first few days. Without help, it's extremely hard to pull yourself to an upright position. A recliner may be suitable, especially alone. I know I thought I was going to rip all my stitches the first few times I tried raising myself from lying flat. Scary..

My reason would be this. The band is for life, forever, always, forever and ever Amen. I was forced to get a band because I had gone from a 113 lb teen to a 250 lb adult and was moving continuously upward. Not only was I visually unacceptable in today's society, but I had moved into the realm of cardiac risk, diabetes risks, a history of blood clots with certain death moving in fast. I could no longer walk enough to get the weight off, my self esteem had become such that the only comfort I found was in food and my life was caught in a vicious cycle heading straight down the drain. For a formerly vivacious 43 yr old the future was looking dim. If you were 60, 70, 100 lbs overweight already and climbing steadily, I'd say yes, the band may be for you, but if you are only 35-40lbs overweight as a result of the general aging process, childbirth and a general lack of exercise and toning, I really don't think that is serious enough reason to take the risk of surgery and change your life forever. I certainly empathize with your feelings about your excess weight, but the sad truth is, the lower your BMI, the slower your weight loss EVEN with the band. Eating enough to maintain a weight of 163lbs is a far cry different than eating enough to maintain the weight of 200-250-300 lbs. The band helps with volume only. The rest is head work. This head work involves resolving to forever and ever NOT eat ALL that you may want. It involves virtually cutting out foods like soft breads, tortillas, rice, pastas and potatoes, forever. Of course there are exceptions. These foods can still be eaten by some but for many of us one spoonful of rice expands and becomes pretty painful inside our throat/esophagus. This is not always a temporary thing, this is a daily thing. It can become very frustrating and feel like punishment at times, unfortunately. There are many many other aspects to being banded that to me, just are not warranted unless you need to seriously/medically lose weight. Are you willing to have this thing inside you forever? Are you willing to take the risk of slippage or erosion of your stomach, possible multiple surgeries to maintain it? Some people have lost parts of their stomachs due to necrosis from slippage. That's a pretty serious risk to take, in my opinion, for 30-40lbs. Especially when that last 30-40lbs is what takes those of us who ARE banded the longest (if ever) to lose. In my humble opinion, this is not an elective device (or should not be), this is a last ditch effort, short of gastric bypass, to save someone from crippling obesity and obesity related/aggravated diseases. If you feel you are out of control and are gaining at a rate that is uncontrollable?? Maybe... If you are setting at a weight you have maintained for years and just wished you could wear a smaller size? I'd say there are much safer options that don't you put you at risk. Also, consider this, once you have the lapband, insurers do not all cover it. They may even exclude anything related to the lapband. Private companies may even deny you insurance - medical or life. All things to consider. If I had it to do over, would I? You betcha! So my point is not that the band is not worth it, but the criteria for needing it is definitely debatable.

Great photos, Lisa! You're just a doll! I'm really proud of how far you've come under such stressful circumstances! Keep it up girl!!

I had the leg pain with the second surgery. My doc explained that it may have been the position you were in on the OR table, occasionally that may inflame a nerve. I found it very painful and annoying for a few days, then it was just GONE. i hope this is the case for you. Glad to hear you're on the other side and heading for victory!

One of the first rules of the band I heard was 'no rice, no pasta, no potatoes, no bread.'.. That is why. Anything with gluten has the properties to swell and cause you great discomfort with your band, not to mention the white starches tend to be part of our weight problem to begin with. It can be very uncomfortable. I am glad you are okay, but an early lesson may be the one that helps your journey the most. Good luck !

Aspiration pneumonia is the last thing a bandster (or anyone) needs. This thing is for life. There is no race. Nighttime reflux is dangerous both to you and your band.

9.75cm Inamed

I had one with my first banding surgery. They took it out the following morning. I did NOT have one with my second banding surgery. It all depends on your doc. Either way, it's no big deal really.

I have the ice cream demon too. The only thing that works for me is to keep clear of it at all times. I cannot buy it and have it in the house. I cannot buy it out of the house because that triggers the next round of hunting for the demon again. Easier said than done but the only thing I can do is detox from the stuff and steer clear of it, otherwise I'm like a junkie looking for my next fix. I eat lots of chili too, it has lots of protein, BUT it's the things I eat it with that slow me down. I love it with fritos, and fixin's (cheese, onions, etc). I just try really hard to manage the volume. I never eat out of anything larger than a cup or dessert plate anymore, if I do, I'm moving into dangerous territory.

try a 'cough' pillow for the times that you need to move, cough or sneeze that hurts the actual incisions. putting pressure on them with a small, firm pillow (try a flat sheet folded and taped, it's great!) if this is where the most of your pain is: better to use an outside method than to fill yourself with drugs and still hurt. i believe i was prescribed lortab with both my surgeries, but only used them sparingly the first couple of days. sleeping/getting off the bed from a flat position was the hardest thing i encountered. all of this will pass, hopefully by the end of the week you'll be a new person.. walk, walk, walk, drink, drink, drink.. those are the best forms of relief yet. Good luck !!

Yep. I had a fill several weeks ago and this past week and weekend there were days I wondered if I needed an unfill. It is quite common for the fill to 'kick in' several weeks down the road. Also, try to pay attention to whether you are getting in ALL your water. It seems like I have been getting more water in this past couple of days and things have loosened up some. There is speculation that dehydration can make the band feel tighter, amongst several other theories. Big thing is : are you able to get in your liquids? If you can't drink enough to stay sufficiently hydrated, get thee to a dr. Good luck!

Forgive me for asking, but it is still only 10 days out from surgery. Isn't this a bit early for solids? It is very normal to be wide open before your first fill. Good luck!

Happy Birthday Marie!!!! Hope you have a great day and many more to come!

I had a vena cava filter put in on the day of surgery, just prior to having my band placed. They put me to sleep once and everything was done all at once. I was the first and so far the only one I've heard of that had it done this way. It's a pretty easy procedure, but unless someone has a history of clotting it seems kind of frivolous to me. I had had both DVT and Pulmonary Embolism in the past and I still have the filter in place as a secondary prevention.

Banded May, 2003, Rebanded July, 2004.

Welcome home and congratulations on a smooth surgery!

Great loss! I know you waited a long time for this! Congratulations!

Penni, This is great news! I'm so glad they were able to get her back on the right track! I know it's terrifying to think what we'd do without our mother. Mine is coming to that age as well... it's scary. Hopefully, this will fix her up for a long time.