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Michelle, do you get that golfball feeling from the air? I guess if your surgeon said the band works as a one-way valve ( I forgot about that) it must mean that the air is actually below the band. But sometimes it feels just like it would if I overate and packed the pouch. I get the same painful feeling. I just hope I'm not stretching the pouch. What do you think? Nancy

It's certainly worth a try! Thanks. Nancy

I know many of us have problems with burping, but I'm beginning to wonder if a need a small unfill for mine. No matter what I eat or drink - except maybe Water - I get so much trapped air that it is painful and I am working to burp it out for at least an hour. Sometimes - like last night - it is so bad that I actually PB air. I get all the PB symptoms - the salivating, etc. - and when I finally PB, all that comes out is a huge mass of air. I usually have to walk around after a meal to try to help the air to come out. I'm not even sure where this air is getting trapped. It feels like it is the pouch, but if so, what is preventing it from getting out? I don't really want an unfill because I have good restriction, but if the air is getting caught in the pouch, it could be stretching my pouch, right? Also, I have to work to push the air out with my stomach muscles and I'm worried this is not good for the band. Any thoughts? I've put myself on liquids today, but even my morning Protein shake is causing me problems. Maybe I need to be on Clear Liquids for a while? Nancy

Whoops! Thanks for catching that! The correct site is www.ASBS.org. Nancy

Best wishes as you begin your new and improved life! Nancy

Congratulations, Leatha! I know how hard you've worked for this! You and I could really be band-sisters now. I weighed 179.5 this morning and I, too, want to lose 40 more pounds. Nancy

I agree with everything Angela said. Gastric-bypass surgery is a lot riskier than Lap-band surgery. The reasons for this are many: In that surgery, they do cut and re-route the intestines, which leaves the possibility of a leak - a serious and potentially fatal complication. As you suggest, there is no cutting of any internal organs in Lap-band surgery. There is also a much lower risk of embolism with this surgery because it is not as debilitating as gastric bypass surgery. Any surgery that leaves you in bed or immobile for longer periods of time - such as gastric bypass - has a higher risk of embolism. With the Lap-band, most people are up and about with little or no difficulty as soon as they wake up from surgery. I do not know the death-rate, if there is one, of Lap-band. What I have heard on this board is that there have been a few deaths which were not necessarily directly related to the procedure. I would recommend you go to www.asbs.com for more complete info. That is the site of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. They have good information on all of the bariatric procedures. That being said, all surgery carries some risk. As a hospital worker, I have seen more than one child die from having a tonsillectomy due to rare complications from anesthesia. You need to decide that the risk of having the surgery is less than the risk of not having it before you decide to have it. If you are morbidly obese, this most certainly is true. Good luck with your continued research. Nancy

Gosh, everyone has such cute dogs! Jonathan, that dog is precious and I agree, the one of him or her running in the snow is too good. Michelle, I'm so sorry about your dog. I'm going to try to figure out how to post pictures of my babies. Nancy

I am sending healing thoughts your way. You know we will be with both of you in spirit and will be eagerly awaiting a progress report. Nancy

A lot of people have the same problem you do, but with me it was almost the opposite. At my heaviest, I knew I was fat, I knew I needed to lose weight, but I didn't really think I looked that bad. Now when I see old photos of myself, I am appalled. Nancy

That's an important milestone and you've every right to feel great about it. And losing 150 will be - WOW! Nancy

I'd pay each time. I had to have what I consider to be a lot of fills because at first my fills kept leaking out. I also had to have an unfill and re-fill. Still, I don't think it's been more than 7 fills altogether. Since I'm only 16 months into it, let's say I might need another 2 fills before I reach the 2 year mark. At the rate your doctor charges, that would be $1450. That's a lot less than $2000. Personally, the dietician's services and the support group would not be worth paying any extra to me. I've seen many people post about advice their dietician gave them that I consider to be wrong, all wrong. Such as to be on a specific number of calories. You definitely don't need a band for that. And support groups are usually free. If it is a professionally led therapy group, that would be different. Nancy

I can't explain why you have more fill, but less restriction. But it is possible you are allergic to your own body fluids (in a weird way). Two weeks ago, I had some blood drawn. The tech was a sadist and since I told her I am a hard stick, she thought that perhaps stabbing me deeply with the needle would be a good technique. The result was a gigantic bruise. After about a week or so, red bumps and welts appeared over the bruise and it itches a lot. I asked one of the docs at work about it and she said that my body is probably allergic to the by-products of the blood being broken down. So I guess anything is possible. nancy

Lisa, I know you know your own body and you are certainly more experienced with this rejection thing than anyone should be, but I'm praying you are wrong this time. Sending healing thoughts your way. Nancy

That's true, Alexandra. It's so boiled down that I asked myself whether I would understand the band at all from that article if I didn't already know what it is. But the title - "The Safest Weight Loss Surgery" redeems it for me. Nancy

There's a lot to think about in that article. It makes me want to read the book. Thanks. Nancy

Whoo Hoo! Finally! And my own surgeon quoted, too. He works with Emory University? Who knew? Nancy

Welcome and congratulations on a very successful beginning of a transforming journey! Nancy

Babs, first let me say that you already are a success and have beaten the stats: You've lost well over 60% of your excess weight so you've done a lot better than average with the band. I know you want more, but then what? What will you have to do to maintain that lower weight? I really think the lady from Obesityhelp is on the right track. Losing weight - especially as much as you have - is so exciting. Every day you are getting compliments. And there is always that lower number on the scale to look forward to. Buying new, smaller clothes. It's a source of excitement, fulfillment, happiness. Eventually things calm down and you more or less are where you're going to be. 16 pounds give or take. You reach a state of equilibrium and it's not always what you thought it would be. Maybe you still haven't done all those things that you thought you couldn't do because of your weight. Maybe it really wasn't your weight that was holding you back after all. I'm trained in psychotherapy (I'm a social worker) and the "Maybe you're afraid to be successful, afraid of the attention, afraid of a smaller body" is kind of a pat thing that psychotherapists say to people like us. It is said so much and so often that I doubt the truth of it. But maybe it is true for you. It sounds like you think it might be. If I were in your spot (and I very likely will be, but maybe with more pounds between myself and goal) I think I would try to maintain my weight for a while and focus on the head work. By maintaining your weight, you may even help your metabolism by giving yourself a few more calories for a while. Then when you try restricting the calories again, the weight might come off easier. Maybe? Nancy

I have to break larger pills in half, but I usually don't have a problem. Nancy

I wonder how it is that in this study 90% of the people were able to maintain their weight loss for a year when most studies say 5%. Nancy

I want to come. I just can't pass up the opportunity to meet everyone! Count me in! Nancy

Leatha, I'm so sorry you are so miserable. I hope the shot you got helps. Did the doctor test for the flu? It sure sounds like that. I think you're right. The average URI does not usually come with fever. Just take care of yourself. You are in my thoughts and prayers. nancy

roro, welcome. As usual Whippledaddy has written what I would have written had I but the gift of expression he has. I saw myself in what you wrote. I, too, lost 100 pounds and gained it all back and hated myself. I, too, settled for less because I didn't think I deserved more. For me, the surgery itself was very simple. It was a day procedure, I went home that evening. I never had any pain. I took a week off work, but I could have gone back sooner if I needed to. But having a week off was probably a good idea. Leatha is right. Research. Don't look to friends or family members for advice. If they have never been fat, they know nothing. And even if they have been fat, they may be at a different stage of fatness than you are. Meaning perhaps they have not hit bottom yet and realized they are powerless to fight this without help. For me, being banded has been both a physical and a spiritual journey. The physical part involved learning to work with my band, rebelling against the bandster rules, but eventually realizing they are there for a reason. Losing a lot of weight, stalling, then losing quickly again. Learning that even with the band, I have to eat right and exercise, the difference being that with my band to help me, I will never regain the weight and all my effort will not be for naught. The spiritual part of the journey has been much more interesting and rewarding. I am not yet near my goal weight, but my life and my relationships have changed dramatically. I no longer battle depression and self-loathing. People treat me with the respect I deserve. I have never had to demand respect. There is just a subtle change in how I present myself and people respond to it. I no longer feel old and like I am just waiting for the end. I have hopes, dreams, goals. And a lot more physical and psychic energy with which to make them happen. Honestly, I could go on and on, but I'll restrain myself. I researched for two years before I decided to have the surgery. Your research does not have to take that long, but please read until you understand how the band works, what changes you will have to make after the surgery, foods that you will no longer be able to eat. Learn the bandster rules. Research your surgeon. Etc. I wish every obese person could have what I have with the band. But it is a very personal decision. Good luck with your research. Nancy

Welcome, welcome, welcome! So glad you found us. I love this site. I stopped visiting the other ones when I found this one. We will help you any way we can. And if you post, you'll help us, too. Even after 16 months I still learn from everyone. Nancy