pcosmommyof4

I do want to add, that I k ow the band can work and it did work for me the first eight months before it broke. I am praying for insurance approval to have it removed and have RNY done.
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At first glance I thought it said does anyone eat humans LOL
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Hi! I'm new to the Dallas area, Garland to be exact. I had my surgery a year ago and am down 25lbs total. Having complications with food getting stuck in esophagus and to tell the truth have not been tracking my food and following the program. Got demotivated in the winter and am looking for a support group or buddy or both to get back on track. Maybe even start up a walking group. I'm limited to what exercises I can do due to lingering physical disabilities from my bout with cancer in 2007. Anybody interested hit me up.

I have had the same issues. I am never sure what they are thinking or not thinking. The reasons beteen filling and not filling has never made since to me. True Results in Pheonix screwed up my port, hid it from than refused to give me a fill. They never took a picture to see where my restriction was, the True Result has taken pictures and proved to me that Pheonix drs. never had me at any type of restriction. I have my band for nearly two years, I have only had true restriction for one month. I would ask to do berium swollow/x-ay to see your restriction.

I was banded back in Sept 2013. After about 4 fills, I thought I was finally in the "green zone". I ate my measured 3 meals a day with no problems eating whatever I wanted, being sure to measure out my Protein, veggies, carbs. I would have a morning snack of almonds and an evening snack of my plain yogurt with almond butter and sweetener. But then I started eating a little more, not staying full as long. When I went back to my Surgeon the 1st of April and told him I wanted another adjustment, he had no problem with it, but did warn me that some people get to the point where they do get a fill, but wished they hadn't and may be harder for them to eat then they are accustomed to. Well, let me tell you, he hit the nail on the head!! Since that last fill, I have come to understand very clearly what pb and sliming means, not to mention all the times I have had to throw up just to get relief or almost not making it to the bathroom - at home, in restaurants and in the car, you name it. I do not want to get any unfill because I know what I am doing wrong and that the band is doing what it should. I know when I take small bites, chew my food at least 20-30 times each bite, take it slow an don't drink 20 mins before or after a meal I am fine. But the minute I try to eat too fast or take too big of bites (which has been my main problem) the band does it's job. I have forgotten the basics and have gone back to them. I Finally Understand my Lapband

The band can seem very fickle at times, giving you restriction riddles instead of restriction answers. How can we solve those riddles?


RESTRICTION RIDDLES
Restriction is the holy grail of bandsters, but even when you find it, it may not cooperate with you all day every day. Its fickle nature may allow you to eat one food on Tuesday but not on Wednesday. It may not show up until 2 weeks after a fill, or it may disappear 2 weeks after a fill. You end up puzzling over riddles like delayed restriction, disappearing restriction, and/or variable restriction.
DELAYED RESTRICTION
Although the Fluid injected into the port during a fill travels immediately to the band, it can take several weeks for you to notice an increase in restriction. This may be because you spend a few days after a fill progressing from liquids to purees to soft to solid food, and then you're extra careful when eating: on the alert for more restriction. When we relax this vigilance, careless eating will eventually remind us (again) that we have a band with more fill in it.
Delayed restriction is frustrating, I admit. You get a fill and want instant results. But all you can do is pay close attention to your body's signals as it adjusts to the tighter fit of the band.
It is pointless to try to judge your restriction in the two to three days immediately after a fill, when you're on a liquid or pureed diet, because optimal restriction is experienced when you're eating solid foods.
DISAPPEARING RESTRICTION
At times during my weight loss surgery journey, I have asked myself, "Where the heck did my restriction go? Did thieves sneak in during the night and steal it?" In addition to thieves and elves, the following things can make your restriction seem to disappear overnight:
1. A few days to a week after a fill, the swelling and irritation caused by the fill calms down and the fit of your band feels looser.
2. In the first few weeks after a fill, you re-learn your band eating skills and unconsciously adjust to the new fill level so that you experience fewer negative symptoms.
3. As you lose weight after a fill, the visceral fat around your stomach shrinks, so the fit of your band doesn't feel as tight.
4. The position of your band against your stomach subtly changes due to normal body processes (see below).
5. Your band loses fluid due to evaporation, leakage, or inadvertent removal during a fill.
Please note that in #1 and #3 above, I said that the fit of the band feels looser or tighter. The band itself does not loosen or tighten by itself. Only a fill, unfill, or manufacturing defect can do that. The band is not like a rubber band that stretches out over time and eventually snaps.
WHY IS RESTRICTION SO VARIABLE?
Sooner or later, every bandster discovers that the band is a fickle mistress. In the course of a week, it can feel too loose, too tight, or just right (kind of like Goldilocks and the Three Bears). The food that worked fine on Monday may get stuck on Tuesday. On Wednesday you can hardly eat at all, and on Thursday you could eat an entire wedding banquet all by yourself. Friday you're back to Square One.
These variations are maddening but fairly normal. The stomach is living tissue that expands and contracts to aid digestion. It's affected by weight loss, the time of day (morning tightness is common), the time of month or fluid retention, medications, illness, dehydration and stress. The pressure of the band against the stomach can cause the stomach wall to thin out, so the band feels looser. And although the band and the stomach are sutured together, the position of the band can shift enough to affect your experience of restriction.
Remember: the #1 factor affecting the amount of food you can eat is what type of food you eat. You will feel more restriction when you eat solid food (like animal protein), less when you eat soft food (even healthy stuff like yogurt and cottage cheese), and virtually none when you drink liquids (even healthy ones like Protein drinks).

I love your positive article! It is nice to advice and not a lecture.

Don't give up on yourself. Yes, yourself. You made the decision to get WLS, you jumped through all of the hoops. In hindsight, you may feel that you were not adequately prepared to live the life of a bandster. Now you know more than you did before. Now you have experienced how great it feels when those pounds are coming off.
I'm guessing that all of your reasons for originally getting the band are still present and still valid. So here's what I suggest you do. Suck it up and face up to a berating from your surgeon. Tell him/her that you are ready to recommit and you need their help and support.
Nothing that you have told us indicates an issue with the band that means it should be removed. You still have the opportunity to make this tool work for you. You are worth it. Give it another go !

I have lost almost 50 lbs and when I returned to work I was at a 40lb loss. Everyone started noticing, I get daily compliments at work about how good I look. Unfortunatly some of my students overheard about my surgery and have had lots of questions. I have nothing but lotso support from all teachers and my students.

I am a school teacher and just started my new year. I had surgery 6/14 and am down 32 lbs. I was happy that a couple people at work noticed and said positive things about it! It always helps when I am feeling a little down or feel like I should have tried harder to lose more faster.

I am at 45 pounds loss, I hate that it we loose the boobs first. I doubt if there is any way to know how often we have to down size our bras. Personally, I hate the extra skin right there more than buyin a new bra.

So I had my 3rd fill August 1, 2012. 1st fill doc took out 2 cc's of air and replaced them with 2cc's saline plus added 2 more cc's which gave me 4 cc's. 2nd fill was on July 10, and I received 2 more cc's, still no restriction! Last week my doc was going to give me 2 more, I asked for 3 he said ok. So I have a total of 9 cc's in a Realize Band that holds 14 cc's. Im not sure if my restriction is there because I have horrible pain while trying to swallow! Most times whatever I do manage to eat comes back up! Drinking Water even causes discomfort sometimes...Oh and I was one of the people who did not know what PB'ing meant, I am acutely aware now...lol. So is it possible im to tight? I have also realized that small bites are.not the size bites I must take, tiny tiny bites is more like it! I think I may be a Lil to tight, honestly 8.5 is probably my lucky # because the 9 is extremely tight! Im not complaining, I was the skeptic who had Lil faith that this would even work, im a banded believer now, LOL!

I'm about six weeks out as well and still having a lot of gas! In a teacher too!!! Don't want to go back!

My husband stuck with me through multiple of health conditions that got me to 300 pounds. The man had to pack my bikini line inscision twice, once for three months, once for six months. I know he has learned to love my obeseness, he is already noticing my smaller breast. I figure it gives him a new body to look at and explore. I think where couples struggle is the new found self confidence in the one that has lost the weight. After we loose the weight, more people will notice us and more temptations will be available. We however uphhold a biblical marriage and have been bffs since 14. When we married we agreed that divorce just wasnt an option and is not in our vocabulary. If you are having issues I would start therapy.together and learn differen positions.

That is awsome!

So I went in for my monthly, and though I ususally see the physician's assistant, whom I love, imagine my shock when my surgeon walks in the door. I got really nervous, like I was in the principal's office! Well she said I was down 4 lbs and that at 46 pounds in 8 months, I was ahead of the game. She told me I was doing great, her words, not mine and that she didn't want to fill me because to be to tight can cause a backslide. I floated out of that office after she gave that "Atta Girl"! Sometimes all we need is to be told we are doing good!

Hope you all get to expierience a feeling like this often!

My husband stuck with me through multiple of health conditions that got me to 300 pounds. The man had to pack my bikini line inscision twice, once for three months, once for six months. I know he has learned to love my obeseness, he is already noticing my smaller breast. I figure it gives him a new body to look at and explore. I think where couples struggle is the new found self confidence in the one that has lost the weight. After we loose the weight, more people will notice us and more temptations will be available. We however uphhold a biblical marriage and have been bffs since 14. When we married we agreed that divorce just wasnt an option and is not in our vocabulary. If you are having issues I would start therapy.together and learn differen positions.

My answer is to that is, I have lost 70 pounds three times on my own. However it only took me a month to put it all back on, plus an additional 20%. Everyone knows that i have had the surgery. I have a public blog about journey that connects to my Facebook. I am PROUD to be willingly to be banded, not ashamed. I am more ashamed when people think that I am not trying and they don't understand my diesease (PCOS).

My answer is to that is, I have lost 70 pounds three times on my own. However it only took me a month to put it all back on, plus an additional 20%. Everyone knows that i have had the surgery. I have a public blog about journey that connects to my Facebook. I am PROUD to be willingly to be banded, not ashamed. I am more ashamed when people think that I am not trying and they don't understand my diesease (PCOS).

My answer is to that is, I have lost 70 pounds three times on my own. However it only took me a month to put it all back on, plus an additional 20%. Everyone knows that i have had the surgery. I have a public blog about journey that connects to my Facebook. I am PROUD to be willingly to be banded, not ashamed. I am more ashamed when people think that I am not trying and they don't understand my diesease (PCOS).

My answer is to that is, I have lost 70 pounds three times on my own. However it only took me a month to put it all back on, plus an additional 20%. Everyone knows that i have had the surgery. I have a public blog about journey that connects to my Facebook. I am PROUD to be willingly to be banded, not ashamed. I am more ashamed when people think that I am not trying and they don't understand my diesease (PCOS).

1. Ride all the rides at Disneyland with my kids.
2. No more stares.
3. run three miles, instead of walking them.
4. look cute on a motorcycle
5. PUT MY DANCING SHOES AND DANCE ON STAGE AGAIN!