Thats All Folks

I got mine from my surgeon's office. However, it's no guarantee you'll get a price break or smaller portion just because you have the card. Restaurants don't have to honor it.

PBing isn't bad for the band but it isn't good when done excessively. Either you're too tight, not taking small enough bites, or not chewing enough. You shouldn't be PBing with every meal let alone multiple times a meal.

It's a really personal decision. I've gone from an 8x/size 46 to a L/size 14 over the last 18 months. Needless to say, dropping that many sizes has gotten really expensive. Oddly enough, the smaller I get the faster I drop sizes too. I lost close to 60 pounds before I dropped my first size but now if I lose even 15 my clothes get too big. I personally won't replace my jeans until I drop 2 full sizes otherwise it just costs too much. Cotton pants I pretty much wear until they're slipping off my hips- which is usually a 2-3 size drop. Shirts I wear until they're slipping off my shoulders or just plain drowning me in fabric. If you can afford to replace your clothes with every size you drop- I say go for it. You will look smaller in the properly fitting clothes and you'll feel better about yourself. However, if you're on a budget (like me) then you might want to make your clothes last as long as you can stand them.

No, your port is attached to your abdominal wall. Your stomach is deeper in your abdominal cavity.

There is zero comparison between the Lap Band and Weight Watchers. The Lap Band is surgical and an entire lifestyle change. Weight Watchers is a diet. I tried Weight Watchers years ago. I lost about 50 pounds over 6 months. Of course, I also gained it all back and then some once I stopped following their diet. I have had the Lap Band for 18 months and lost over 220 pounds. Because I'm not on a diet but rather changed my lifestyle permanently, I have no intentions of gaining any back.

I agree, if you are struggling with fluids you need to call your doctor ASAP. Let him decide if you need a small unfill.

I have an actual folder on my lap top called "my evolution". Every month or two, I put a new picture in it. Looking at how I've changed along this journey puts it all in perspective for me. Jim's idea to keep clothes is good, too. In fact if you look at my profile, my "after" picture is me wearing the pants in the "before" picture.

I'm no doctor, but I did have my gallbladder out this past April. I tightened up considerably for a little while after surgery. You have to remember, you have a lot of internal swelling. Also, having your gallbladder removed directly effects your digestive system so you're going to be sensitive to what eat for a little while anyway. Just take very small bites, chew like crazy, and pause between bites. You'll be fine.

It does sound like heart burn but it's really important you tell your surgeon about it at your next appointment.

I agree, my port still gets touchy once in awhile. Most of the time I don't even know it's there, but if I lean on it weird or stretch that area just right, it's sore. I wouldn't worry about it unless it becomes a chronic issue.

And being as you were banded 10 years ago, that would also mean you have the old 4cc bands that are no longer used in the US. Perhaps you should head over to the Mexico band threads and warn them about the 4cc band because they're still getting them.

That's all fine and dandy, however that is yet another study that doesn't bother to differentiate between band failure and patient failure. If you look at all the complications caused by patients then yes, the number will be very high. This is also true if you look at people using the old 4cc bands, which now know are very prone to slips and erosion. However, if you look at patients who didn't cause the band failure, the results are very different: The study, the longest and most comprehensive yet reported, appears in the Annals of Surgery, and finds a significant number of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (lap banding) patients maintained an average weight loss of 26 kilograms for more than a decade after their procedure. Researchers analyzed the results in 3,227 patients who had gastric banding surgery in Australia between 1994, when the procedure was first introduced, and 2011. The patients in the study were averaged at 47 years-of-age and 78 percent were women. Of those patients, 714 had surgery at least 10 years ago and, on average, had maintained a weight loss of 26 kilograms, or almost half of their excess weight. The weight loss results were similar for the 54 patients in the study who had undergone treatment at least 15 years ago. “These results show that when you have a significant problem with obesity, a long-term solution is available,” says Professor Paul O’Brien of the Centre for Obesity Research and Education at Monash University in Melbourne. “This surgery is safe and effective, and it has lasting benefits. Substantial weight loss can change the lives of people who are obese—they can be healthier and live longer.” O’Brien says there are also important ramifications for the control of type 2 diabetes, which was strongly associated with being overweight. “In obese patients with type 2 diabetes, weight loss after gastric banding can lead to effective control of blood sugar levels without the need for medication in about three-quarters of cases,” O’Brien says. The patients included in the study had followed the rules of their treating team regarding eating, exercise, and activity and committed to returning permanently to the aftercare program. All the surgery was performed by O’Brien, an international pioneer of the technique, and Associate Professor Wendy Brown, President of the Obesity Surgery Society of Australia and New Zealand. There were no deaths associated with the surgery or with any later operations that were needed in about half of the patients. About one in 20 patients had the band removed during the study period. “In treating a chronic disease such as obesity over a lifetime, it is likely that something will need to be corrected at some time in some patients,” says O’Brien. “The study shows a marked reduction of revisional procedures with the introduction of the new version of the Lap-Band 6 years ago. Importantly, those who had revisional surgery lost as much weight in the long term as those who did not need it.” The report also included a comparison of gastric banding—which can be done as a day-surgery procedure—and more invasive types of weight-loss surgery such as gastric bypass that are high risk and require longer hospital stay. The weight loss with gastric banding, and the need for future revisional surgery, was similar to that with gastric bypass. “Access to weight-loss surgery in Australia remains severely limited for many obese patients as relatively few cases are treated within the public health system. We are working hard to improve access,” says O’Brien. “We have ample evidence that weight-loss surgery is effective, and it is unfair that half of eligible patients cannot be treated, particularly as it has been shown that gastric banding is a highly cost-effective health care measure. The stigma of obesity, and the assumption that it is the person’s fault, entrenches discrimination against people who could benefit.” Source: Monash University

You have yet to share any actual facts. Just a lot of BS based on...well...nothing of relevance. Do you have actual facts? Actual studies? If so, by all means share them. I'd love to see the data the proves we're all doomed. I'm sure the FDA would too. I mean, you claim to know far more than the FDA or any of our surgeons do. You should really share your proof. Contrary to popular belief, misery doesn't love company.

Congrats on your weight loss. Fills are supposed to be dependent on how well your hunger is controlled- not how much you can eat. The band isn't meant to physically stop you from eating anything. What it is supposed to do is allow you to go much longer without hunger. http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html If you are past the post op diet and back on normal food, then you really should be eating healthy meals not relying on Protein drinks and bars for the majority of your calories. Good nutrition is so crucial. What type of food guidelines does your nutritionist recommend?

People treat me VERY differently since losing over 220 pounds. When I was over 400 pounds, store clerks ignored me. Restaurant staff looked at me with disdain. Random strangers would giggle at me. I've even been openly mocked in public. Now, store clerks seem to trip over themselves to try to help me. Restaurants treat me like a welcome guest. Men, who I'm sure would've made fun of me before, now hit on me. Instead of being mocked by strangers, now I get friendly smiles and small talk. ...and it makes me angry. I'm the exact same person with the exact same personality, just a slightly different package. I'm not somehow more worthy of kindness just because I lost weight. It's really sad that there is such a huge difference. As far as dating, I was single when I got my band 18 months ago. Ironically, today is my boyfriend's and my 1 year anniversary. I was still about 300 pounds when met him. I'm now around 199 pounds. We've lived together since December. He's seen pictures of me when I weighed 421 pounds and was honest- he probably wouldn't have been attracted to me when I was that big. It doesn't bother me knowing that because he was just being truthful (and I asked the question to begin with). He knows I have a Lap Band and is very supportive. I actually told him right away when we started dating. He's taken the time to learn about the band and what it means for me so he actually understands it better than a lot of people I know. I can run up to him excited about milestones and he'll be excited for me. If I'm struggling, he tries very hard to be encouraging and supportive. I'm very lucky to have him in my life.

This is strictly my personal opinion, but it's a matter of works for you. I know people who do both. Personally, I go by gross calories. If I subtract exercise calories then my loss stalls. But, I know I plenty of people who go by net and do great. I'd try it both ways if I were you. Do a week using net then a week using gross and see which works out better for you.

As previously stated, it all depends on your insurance requirements. I've heard some people taking close to a year to get their surgery. For me, it was only 3 weeks from my seminar until my surgery date.

This is such an excellent point. I had to be airlifted about 6 weeks ago. The weight limit on the helicopter was 300 pounds. If I'd had the same medical emergency a year ago I'd have been too big to be airlifted. Scary but true!

I do the exact same thing.

I have always struggled with this, too. Big time. I have a bit of a different way of coping but it works for me. I have essentially trained my brain that bath and jammies means no more eating for the night. So, every night after my kids are in bed and I'm settling in for the night, I take a long bath. This is the time of night I always want to graze and did for many years. I also brush my teeth really well, too. I know it's probably odd but the combination works for me. I think it's going to be a matter of finding what works for you. There's a lot of really great ideas on this thread. I'd go down the list and just try one after another until you find one that works. Best wishes.

Your opinion is valid as is your experience. But saying blanket statements like "the band isn't a long term device" isn't helping anyone. If you can't back up your statement with facts then they're nothing more than a futile attempt at a scare tactic. Stick to your opinion and your experience and stop with your ridiculous fear mongering. Problem solved.

The band has only been around in the US since 2001, making it impossible for longer term studies in the US. Furthermore, we already know there were major problems with the old 4cc bands. This is exactly why it's no longer used in the US. It's unfortunate but not surprising people continue to have problems with them. To say "it's not a long term device" or "it's not designed for more than 10 years" is a flat out lie. It's one thing to share your personal experience and another to spew 100% false information. Share your experience and share medically proven facts but stop spewing lies.

You'll have to ask your doctor. It depends on how well your incisions are healed.

It sounds like your band is still too tight for some reason so you still have reflux. Have any of these doctors bothered to check your gallbladder and appendics? High CRP levels mean something is wrong aside from band issues. I'm no doctor, but it makes me wonder if your band problems aren't secondary to some medical issue causing the high CRP levels. This definitely needs to be followed up on.

I've only PB'd once since I was banded 18 months ago. I think I've slimed maybe a half dozen times. I believe I haven't had those problems because I take small bites, I chew thoroughly, and I don't walk around with my band too tight.