kellymoos

Well welcome to this site! The Lap-Band surgery is where the place a band that is adjustable around the top part of your stomach, leaving you a small stomach at the top that can hold approx 4 ozs of food. The band has a tube that is connected to what they call a port. Mine is under my right rib cage. The port is where the insert a needle to fill the band with saline to make the opening from your small stomach to the rest of your stomach smaller or larger. When they "fill" the band with saline is what we call a fill. I was off of work for a week after I had my surgery. You can still eat most foods, some people have a problem with bread, rice and pasta due to the swelling they do with your saliva. You get fills or unfills to lose weight or to quit losing or if you were to get pregnant. When you eat the small part of your stomach (or stoma) fills with the food, then it gradually digests into your larger stomach making you feel full for longer periods of time eating much less food. I hope I have answered your questions and if you have any more feel free to post.

60 POUNDS!!! YEA FOR YOU Boy I am slacking! I have only lost 34 and I had mu surgery just a month after you! I was doing really good! I lost 9 lbs in 2 weeks, but then I had to have some of my fill taken out! I am going in Friday to see about putting some more in! Wish my luck!

CONGRATS ON THE WEIGHT LOSS Isn't being a looser wonderful! I love this site, too!! I feel like this is my other family! It is so neat to be able to share stories with people that know what you are talking about. Keep in touch!!

Has anyone "seen" Alexandra lately? She has not been posting or replying to us!!! She must be busy chasing the kidos!!! She is my twin bandster and sometimes I feel like a part of me is missing when she's gone!!! Help me find her!

I called the Dr's office today and have an appointment for this Friday, Jan 9th to get a little fill. I have going 5 lbs in the past week, but, mother nature is visiting me so hopefull once I stop, I will shed a few pounds. Just keeping my other family updated!! PS. My sister has an appt on the same day to see about getting the surgery done. Is anyone familiar with Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield in Texas? Thanx--

We are very glad to have you here. Such a blessing these little bands! Hope you have a wonderful 2004!

That sounds scary! I have not had anything like that happen to me. I was banded on Aug 20 and had my 2nd fill on Oct 28. I was supposed to have a fill on Dec 29, but for the 2 weeks before the fill I was barely able to drink, so instead the Doc said I was too tight and he took 1.25 out. Can eat and drink now! I will go back in 3-4 weeks and get another fill. Hope all is well with you and take care of yourself!!

WELCOME!!! We are glad to have you and hope you find this website very informational. I sure do!!

Ginger, just wondering why you didn't get the gastric bypass surgery done?

NO!!! I had a c-section in June of 2002 and had the surgery in August of 2003:)

What made you decide to have some take out?

No I could not feel the reflux; it just felt like it would hit the band and then slowly go down. I had 2.5 and now I only have 1.25. But, I can drink now:)

Hey Sue!! I went yesterday and had to have some saline taken out. When I drank the barium under the fluro my Dr noticed I had some reflux.(before he took some out). I was upset since I have lost 9 lbs in the last 2 weeks. But my opening was about the size of a thread!! But, I will be getting a fill in about 3-4 weeks. Glad everything is OK with you!!

Oops! I made a mistake it is supposed to be 34 instead of 39!! But, hey I am still excited.

Well, let's see..if you read my other post about not knowing what is going on here is the verdict. I was scheduled for a fill today and since the last 2-3 weeks I have been unable to eat I decided to not get a fill and just let him check the band and make sure that nothing was wrong. The band was in place and had not slipped. I did the bariam swallow and my opening was about the size of a thread. So he decided to take some out:( I asked him if I could just stay like I was for a week and do only liquids, but he was not fond of that. So insted of getting a fill I got unfilled. I was a little depressed and upset but he reassured me that in 3-4 weeks I could just call him and he will give me another fill. By the way the 7 lbs turned into 9 as of tonight. So that is a total of 39:D :D So that is my story!! Talk again soon!

I have put the vaccum cleaner away! We took the tree down this morning! Along with all the other Christmas decor. Believe it or not I was able to eat today!!!! I woke up this am and took a drink of tea and it went down!!! Even last night when the family was over I could take bites and it went down ok. Maybe it was the stress of the family coming over on Christmas Eve. I am anxious to see what tomorrow is like!! I was very excited today though!!! Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!! BTW; for the first time the New Year Resolution of dropping weight will get accomplished this year!

I went to sleep last night at midnight! My 18mth old decides to get up at 2:00am. So my husband got up with him til 4 and then I got up with him! So I am running on fumes. Keep in mind that I have not been able to eat so the fumes aren't real strong! lol

My whole family is coming to my house tonight for our Christmas party. I am a neat freak and I was stressing last night about the Christmas tree 'shedding' it drives me nuts. So the vaccum is getting used about 2 or 3 times a day. I will be glad when Friday gets here so it can come down. I really do love Christmas time it is just really stressful:confused:

You can really tell a difference! and I am sure you feel better.

No, but Thanks for asking!! I am having a hard time drinking water. I woke up this am feeling like I have something stuck in my throat. I have been burping alot (I know that is gross) but I thought if I told you in detail someone would have an answer for me about what is going on!! I am going on Monday to the hospital to figure this thing out. I am getting worried that something is wrong. But, hopefully it is just the stress!! Cause I have been feeling that for sure!

Thanks so much Donali for your replies! This little tool makes me want to invest in an x-ray machine. I wish there was another way to make sure everything was ok other than by x-ray. Bebbly I hope you have a wonderful time on your cruise and I hope this goes away for you and me:) Have a wonderful Holiday Season!

That is true! I am gonna wait and see how things go. If I am on liquids and everthing goes back to the way it was before I'm not gonna get any taken out. I was hoping to have another fill before the new year due to insurance is paying 100% now. But, my health is more important than the money:-) Thanks so much for the replies. This board is a lifesaver!

Thanks! I am gonna do the liquid thing for the next 3 days and see if anything changes. If I am just irritating my stomach then sure it will swell and get tighter. I talked to my Dr's office and again and they told me to go ahead and go to the hospital for a fill and tell the Dr what is going on and let him look at the band to see if everything is ok and maybe do an unfill. Maybe I am just tight because of the irritation that I have done to my stomach. Will 3 days of liquids make a difference with the irritation?

Thanks for the reply! I am PBing but I am pretty much making myself. When I feel like something is stuck my natural instinct is to make it come back up. Yesterday morning I took a bite of scrambled egg and I have felt like something has been stuck every since. So since I am PBing and sometimes vomiting but I am making myself do it does that count?

I am not 2 sure what is going on with my band. For the past 2 weeks I have not been able to eat without everything getting stuck. I can't drink with out feeling the golfball in my chest. I am scheduled for a fill on the 29th and it doesn't look like I will be going. I have lost another 5 lbs but I am nervous that I am not getting the nutrition that I need. My last fill was around October 28th. I wasn't this tight till about 2 weeks ago. After my monthly cycle finished. I figured that it would loosen up but it has not. I talked to my Dr's office and they told me to call on Friday to cancel my appt. If I decide to. Could my band have slipped? Any information from you guys will be wonderful!! Thanks and have a Merry Christmas!