DELETE THIS ACCOUNT!

Would your primary care doctor be willing to help? Maybe he could document your weight gains and losses, then you could state the diet behind them? (Atkins, etc)

Hello Jill and welcome!

When your doctor tells you that you can.

Thank you Alex! This is great info!

Oh that's a great one! I bet you were so happy!! I flew last December and was pleasantly shocked when I fit comfortably, too. I had avoided air travel for probably 18 years because I knew I didn't fit in the seats at all. Now, I am looking for excuses to fly

If you have indeed stretched your pouch, this could effect your hunger control. This is one of the many reasons it's so important to monitor your portions so you don't over eat and stretch your pouch. Keep in mind the band isn't meant to physically stop you from eating anything nor is it meant to force you to stick to band sized portions. Way too often people end up with bands too tight trying to achieve this- and band complications as a result. The band is meant to control your hunger and if you're eating until "full" you're eating too much. The idea is to stop when you're satisfied, not full. If you listen to your band, it'll tell you when you've had enough, but that doesn't mean you can't still eat beyond that point if you wanted to. Here's a link that will help: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html Best wishes

I understand your concern, but I just wanted to point out there is zero medical evidence linking Aspartame to any diseases, including Lupus and MS.

Yes, your doctor should be able to tell if you have Lupus or RA by blood makers. You don't need a specialist to test that. I would call and ask specifically what you were tested for and the individual results. Also, if you do test negative for these diseases via bloodwork, I would insist on an MRI to test for Multiple Sclerosis. It won't show up in bloodwork but it will show on an MRI as well as in spinal Fluid. Unfortunately, the symptoms you describe can also be caused MS (I have MS btw). A small piece of advice about the whole Aspartame thing- conspiracy theorists have been trying to blame everything from RA, to Lupus, to MS on it and it's completely unfounded. Many tests have been done and there are no links between Aspartame and these diseases. Hang in there ((hugs))

Yes, last Christmas I fell off the wagon big time for about week. I discovered homemade sugar Cookies are slider foods that week and I swear I grazed on a couple dozen. I also found myself grazing on a ton of other junk food. I had this "well it's Christmas" mentality. Big mistake. When I got back on the scale a week later, I almost cried when I was up 7 pounds. I immediately got back on track and strict with my diet that same day. I lost the weight again pretty quickly, less than 2 weeks. The trick is to not let it spiral out of control. You realize now where you messed up so get back on track right now (not tomorrow, but right this minute) and just chalk it up to a learning experience. You can do this

If I were you, I'd move up your appointment. For one thing, it may not even be a band issue but rather a medical problem. It's important you figure out the cause and how to control it. Best wishes.

I totally agree with Hazelbliss, let the doctor decide what is best. You'd be shocked what a huge difference even the smallest fill (or unfill) can make. My last fill was only .1cc and it was perfect to put me back into the Green Zone.

Tell him unless he wants the stupid b*tch slapped out of him, he won't make that mistake again

First, the best advice I can give you is to do your homework and make your decision based on actual facts, not anecdotal evidence you read online. As far as your questions, I think it was totally worth it. I've lost over 230 pounds in about 20 months time and I'm still losing. For me, it's the best decision I've ever made for myself.

Ugh that's awful. I'm so sorry you went through that. Hopefully when they try again at the hospital they'll have better luck. And yes, I'm sure your tummy is sore from trying to hold that crunch position. I used to have to do that too for every fill and my stomach would be sore after. Good luck!

It really is astounding how many medical professionals have the band. When I spent 8 days in the ICU this past spring, I couldn't believe the number of nurses and med students that said "Oh I have the band too!" or "there's a doctor here who's lost tons of weight with the band". Here's the ironic part- for all the horror stories I see here, I haven't heard anything but praise from medical professionals with the band. In my eyes, it just further proves success with the band is all about education and patient compliance. These people were all acutely aware of their part in being successful so as a result are successful.

I encourage you to talk to your surgeon and learn the actual facts. Everything you stated here is totally untrue and it sounds like you've read too many internet stories and not enough factual data. -Vomiting a lot: Totally untrue, in fact vomiting should be avoided at all costs with the band -Severe digestion problems: Totally untrue because your digestive system isn't changed at all -Unable to enjoy food: Totally untrue. You can still eat normally just less of it. -Band eroding into stomach: Possible, but if you follow the band rules and your doctor's orders the risk is very small, like 5% -Psychological issues: Possible, and if so you need a support group or counselor.

You should totally take a pic of the belt wrapped around you!

Water is recommended 64oz a day. I honestly don't measure water, I just constantly sip on it all day long. Protein is your weight times .3 for daily grams. So yours would be 322 x .3= 96.6 grams of protein for a daily minimum.

Congratulations on your amazing success! It's crazy, but some people actually do need more calories to lose. When you have too little calories your metabolism gets sluggish but too many calories and you won't lose. It's a tricky thing to find that perfect middle ground. I actually had to increase my calories from 900-1000 daily to 1000-1200 daily because I just wasn't losing. When I increased the calories, the weight came off a lot faster. Perhaps your body needs a little more than your usual 1000 calories a day? Just a thought. Best wishes!

Sounds like the Green Zone to me!

I know it's frustrating but you're going to have to be patient. It takes time and you're much better off easing into the Green Zone than blowing past it into too tight then trying to back into it. As far as fills, you can only be as aggressive with them as your doctor allows. Some people may get crazy aggressive fills and do fine whereas others (like me) get very conservative fills. Your doctor knows what's best for your body so if he says small fills, trust him. You trusted him to do your surgery so trust that he also knows what's best for you after.

Unfortunately, there are many issues with the old 4cc bands. Doctors in the US have stopped using them entirely because of their high complication rate. However, I'm not sure why he's saying a 4cc band can only hold 3.5cc. Is this based on fills under fluro?