Thats All Folks

Your band would be fine, but you need to ask your doctor if it's safe. He knows your healthy history and issues and needs to be the one to give you the all clear.

I've used both coconut and almond milk and really like both with the shakes. I've mixed both with

Heating pad, to help with swelling. Make sure to have someone available to help you change your binder garments daily. It will be next to impossible to do it by yourself. A trick I learned- use old t-shirts under the abdominal binder. It keeps it from rubbing and chaffing your skin or getting snagged on the staples. Just make sure they're old and you don't care if you get blood stains on them. Because it was warm when I had mine, I actually cut the bottom off the shirt and just used that, so nothing extra over my chest/arms. Just around my tummy. Find out what kind of binders they want you to use (everywhere I assume) and be sure to have at least one extra of each. This way you have something to wear while laundering the other.

I hope not either for your sake. If it has, maybe you'll get lucky and it'll fall back into place with the unfill. Best wishes!

Wow you look like a completely different person! Amazing!! Congratulations!

Congratulations! That is just so awesome!!!

Until you see the report and know exactly what you were supposedly told to do, you're pretty much stuck. You can't do anything until you know what that report says.

That depends. Can you drink fluids and keep them down? If yes, then maybe wait a day or two and see if it's not just irritation. If no, then you have to go in ASAP because you'd be at great risk for dehydration.

You have to think of it in the simplest way possible: Weight loss come from consuming less calories than you burn. The band itself doesn't cause weight loss. It's just a band around your stomach- really no different than a bracelet on your wrist. What the band does is control your hunger and allows you to be satisfied on much longer periods of time on much less food. When your hunger is controlled you eat less food. When you eat less food, you lose weight. You said you lost 9 pounds since the 17th, do you mean of this month? If so, that was only 7 days ago. How is it you think you've "stopped" losing when losing 9 pounds in 7 days? The average weight loss with the band is 1-2 pounds per week- not per day. Here's a really great link that I think will help to better understand the band considerably: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html Best wishes.

Just a thought, but has your doctor checked your band for a leak?

I really need to not drink water while reading your blogs. It almost came out my nose. Again.

Did I specifically say they were all from you? No. That's because they're not. Some were from your miserable cohorts too. I know how you do love your victim role but contrary to popular belief- it's not all about you.

Dole makes cinnamon apple cups that come with granola to sprinkle on the top. These are my favorite food when I'm craving something sweet. It's like eating a little cup of apple pie. I really love Laughing Cow cheese, too Oh and peanut butter! If I'm low on Protein for the day, I'll have a spoonful. Yummy!

"The band is not designed for longer than ten years" "Do not buy what other say about "having to make lifelong changes..." etc. The band does not work long term no matter what changes you make" "DO NOT GET A BAND. " "The band is not a lifetime device. It's not even a long term device" "It's not a long term device unless you plan on only living for a decade" "Just be ready when the time comes when you vomit in your sleep and wake up choking; the band stops working and all of a sudden you can eat like a horse; it slips or erodes; or worse, it causes long-term damage. " "But today I found out the band is swollen shut" (shut? you'd be dead from dehydration)" These are only some of the blatant (pathetic) attempts to spread fear, not truth. There is no truth to be found in a single one of these statements. What's worse, all these lies came from people who only pop onto the forums to bash the band and nothing else. This isn't "sharing opinions" this pure BS lies. No one is insecure here except maybe the band bashers. God forbid someone else is happy and successful where they failed. There is a huge difference between someone saying "I had a complication and this is what it was" and someone saying "don't get the band because it's evil and you'll die". As I've stated countless times- share your opinion and your experience but stop the fear mongering lies.

I think you're smart and being realistic. Honestly, most people I know end up changing their original goal weight multiple times on their journey. Some raise it, some lower it, some just lose until they feel good regardless of what the scale says. Do what's best and most comfortable for you

I'm truly glad you found what works for you. I think the key here is- what works for you. Everyone has to figure out what works for them and their specific body. Sadly, dieting isn't a one size fits all thing. No people are exactly alike so no one diet works for everyone. For me, high fat/protein low carb (Atkins) doesn't work at all. I did lose about 40 pounds following this plan however I also ended up with a major kidney infection due to a build of up of Protein and high cholesterol. Of course, once I stopped the diet I gained it all back and then some, too. I guess that's why I love my band. Not only has it helped me lose over 220 pounds but it will help me keep it off too. I've lost tons of weight over the years on various diets but always gained it back once I stopped the diet. With the help of my band- I'm no longer on a diet. I changed my lifestyle. There's no diet to rebound off of and gain the weight back.

Actually, when someone has a problem I'm very sympathetic towards it. But, there is a big difference between someone sharing their experience and someone coming on here "warning" everyone how the band will ruin their lives. If someone has a legit issue- my heart and support go out to them. If someone comes on these forums for the purpose of trolling and spreading scare tactics? You better believe I'll stand up to them. No need reevaluate myself but thanks for caring!

I get what I call "hiccurps". It's a combination of a hiccup and a burp. I get about a half dozen of them after every meal. It's kinda funny because my kids will go "welp mom's done!" because they know when I hiccurp I'm done with the meal lol.

I am so sorry. Please don't give up. Even if your surgery is postponed- that's ok! Postponed isn't canceled, you know? Plus, it's so important you go into surgery healthy. It's good they found this infection ahead of time or it could've caused major problems later. I will definitely keep you in my prayers. I'll pray they find the source of the infection and treat it ASAP so you can get your surgery.

I'm sorry you apparently don't read English very well. She lied repeatedly then went back and changed her posts (and her profile) to match the lies. Maybe you take no offense to people spreading lies for the single purpose of scaring newcomers but I do. Maybe you have no problem letting people be grossly mislead- but I have a huge problem with it. Take a prozac and calm down. Geesh.

I would call your surgeon's office and talk to them. You shouldn't be having bloating that severe, especially since it's worse 2 weeks after surgery. It could be a bad response to something you're eating but it's always better safe than sorry. Give your doc a call.

Oh no, I'm so very sorry. I've vomited a couple times since surgery and every time I'm terrified of exactly this happening. Did your doctor completely unfill your band? I've read numerous stories of the band being unfilled and the slip correcting itself. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you.

I would go see a nutritionist and let them help you establish both food guidelines and a calorie allowance specific to your needs. Everyone is different so what works for one won't work for all. You have to find what's right for you. Personally, I don't restrict carbs but the carbs I do eat I try to make healthy. For instance, I stay away from any carbs that are white or have the words "bleached" or "enriched" on the label. I stick to mostly whole grain/whole wheat/brown products. But again, that's what works for me. Some people do great on low carb diets but it's just not the right plan for me. The secret is letting a nutritionist help you figure out the best plan for you.

You're recently post op, yes? The best way to get rid of that gas is walking. The reason is, the gas is pumped into your abdominal cavity during surgery so it's not actually in your digestive system at all. That's why you can't burp it out. Walking will help your body re-absorb it faster. Some find a heating pad to be soothing, too.

Actually, TMF's comparison is very valid. We already know there have been tons of complications with the 4cc and other older model bands. To a newbie reading about people who had complications with an ancient, outdated band it could look extremely scary. When the reality is, there is nothing for them to fear because comparing the bands from a decade ago to the bands of today is like comparing an old brick cell phone to a Samsung Galaxy smart phone.