suzannetx

Different surgeons put them in different places. Mine is in the center about 3 in from my navel and two finger tips from the bottom of my sternum. A friend of mind who was banded 3 years ago has hers a half in below her belly button.
I have been able to feel mine from the get go. Some people say that it is visable once you loose a lot of weight, but I haven't lost that much, yet!

my port is on my right side (under my breast). my incision scar is a very faded pink now that is about 1 1/2 inches long..it is under the skin (i can feel it as i lose more weight) and feels like a hard spot under my skin...
hope this answers your question.

My port is above my navel. It is deeper under the skin than I originally thought. When I went for my frist fill, I was surprised how deep it was.

roxa i am more determined now than i have ever been,,i have 2 close friends who have had lapband and they look wonderful,, they did fine with theres but one says she does throw up a lot BUT she says she hurries and eats things she knows she is not suppose to,, so she is hurting herself i guess,, OH I DO HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION,, i had someone tell me that if insurance DOES pay for your procedure that if u ever loose that insurance for some reason,,,you are then UNINSURABLE thru any other insurance co,, has anyone ever heard that ? the person i heard this from is not a very reliable person anyway but i dont know whether she knows whats she is talking about anyway or if she is just trying to get me to not get the surgery,,,u know some ppl can be mean and jealous

all you guys are the best,,,, and i was wondering about the saggy skin i might have,, i weigh 225 and hate to excersise or at least now i dont like it,,,maybe after i get my band i will have more energy and feel like taking a walk,,,i sure hope so because now with all this weight on me i dont want to do anything but set on couch and fb with friends,, no i dont work anymore and thats another reason i think i have packed on the lbs is because i have become lazy,,,not even sure now that i could work because the housework i do around here wears me out,,, Agagin thank you all for your support and if you have any more tips for me i would surely appreciate it,,, i will just have to wait and see how my banding works for me. And i pray i dont have any problem with INSURANCE paying for my surgery,,, i go in the morn for my first consultation with true results in dallas,,,,im thinking if insur wont pay for it then i will just have to pay outta pocket BECAUSE IM GONNA HAVE IT DONE come hell or high water LOL,,,,im very determined to do this

thanks yall,,, i feel already a 100% better about this,,, i was getting pretty worried about that,,, guess i have been reading too many negative sites,,, well im going to take this journey prob after the holidays and hopefully in a few months be a lot happier with myself,,, i plan to go by the book of what ever the dr tells me to do,,,im so ready to get some of this weight off and no more being tired and no energy,,,im ready to me a new me thank you all for your support

thanks dylanmiles,, i have got to remember to do that,,chew chew chew,, but i too worry about my meds i take at night,,,crush them?? and can u drink all the water u want?

Today is the 14th day of liquids for me. The last 48 hours I had to give up my shakes also but I am now on the final countdown. Surgery is tomorrow morning. Trust me girlfriend, if I can do this so can you! I was about to throw the towel in about a week ago but wrote in my journal and reminded myself why I am doing this in the first place. Its not that I can't lose the weight, its keeping it off! I want to be healthier so I can watch my grandkids grow up and not be one of those poor people I see in the nursing homes I visit. We can do this.
Yes, every doctor is different. Mine seems to be a lot stricker than most of them so I hope my surgery is a breeze cause of it!
You will not fail. That is not an option. PLUS we have this great discussion board and other people who know what we are going through to give us strength and help us through.
I will keep you posted on my progress. Say a prayer for me Suzannetx!

yes we can do this!! I am going into the final stretch. Sat and Sun broth and SF liquids only, no shakes or jello. I will be glad when next week is over. Hoping the worst will be behind me then.

I will! They called today to preregister me. I guess this is really happening!

I don't think you will have that much excess flab, etc. for one thing you are not that heavy and second with the LB you lose it slow enough that the exercise will be able to keep up. So what if we are not tight like we were in our 20's - who cares?! I have only told one person (my husband) and that is a good example why.
I am so happy for you! I know you will do great esp with that positive attitude! I will keep you posted on my surgery. 4 days to go not counting today or Monday.

Most insurance companies now days do insure preexisting conditions with a waiting period. The waiting period is usually 6 months to a year.

Hi Suzanne, I am chiming in. I will be 57 next week and will be Banded for 2 years (this weekend) at goal for one month and 2 weeks. lapband gave me my life back, or maybe I should say, I gave me my life back by getting a lap band. I have learned to eat healthy and actually feel good about myself for the first time in a very long time. As for throwing up, yes some people do but the majority that throw up have issues with the band or cause it by not chewing their food or eating to quickly. Pills go down without a problem, you just need to swallow one at a time. I do chewable vitamins, consider these my treat for the day. I suggest you go to your consult an attend one of the local free seminars in your area so you can ask questions, seeing successful people helps. But WLS like everything else is not cure for obesity. The only person who can make you lose weight is you, will lose in the beginning just by having surgery but for the long haul if you want to get to your goal be prepared to work hard. Good luck, this is a great supportive group currently so your coming to the land of the banded at a good time.

I was having doubts too and from you all answering suzannetx you answered a lot of my questions and anxieties. I was about ready to back out. The thought of throwing up all the time terrifies me so I was glad to hear so many of you say that is hasn't happened to you. I love this website. You guys are great! Thank you!!!!!

Hi my name is Debbie. I'm 57yrs old. I was just referred to an orientation meeting for banding. I'm super excited, but a bit scared also. Currently I eat a LOT and really fast. I will be having my banding done at Kaiser Hospital in Richmond, Ca. I would like to know what happens, before banding and after banding. Also any helpful tips are very appreciated.
Thanks,
Debbie

take this time to practice. small bites, put ur fork down hands in ur lap and chew chew chew. Also for me the hardest thing was not drinking with my meals. So practice, practice, practice.

You will be fine just chew, chew, chew and eat slower, I'm a 52 year old and I take meds also and they go down fine, just take it slow and, God bless you and good luck.

The greatest advice I can give any banded person is to learn what does and does not work for you and your band. Each person will and have adjusted differently with their band. I do take pills and they have gotten stuck before which is a really bad experience. I have learned that my band is much tighter in the morning so I take the majority of my pills in the afternoon or midmorning. The pills I take are just supplements but they make me feel much better throughout my day. I have had my band for over 2 years now and I have thrown up several times for different reasons, but I have learned what things that trigger the reflux reaction. Sometimes it does not matter how much I chew certain foods don't go down for me, therefore I have removed them from my diet. This band is not a one size fit all in my opinion- you will have to figure out how it work best for you. I do wish you the very best with your band! Before my band I wore a size 24-26 and now I am in a 16 and I am 6'1.

By the way, I started out one year ago at 212 pds, I now am 155, have 30 more to go and being banded you lose weight slowly but my skin does not sag at all... lap band is the way to go. Love it.

Do what you are supposed to do and you will be just fine, been banded for over a year and my only regret is not being banded sooner.. I have a new leash on life -- I feel 18 again.. lots of energy and never hungry,, remember chew chew chew all your food and you will be fine... just stop when you feel full. I soon will be 51 in November and I feel like a million dollars.
Good luck on your journey. God Bless.

atta girl
follow the dr's instructions
follow your heart
and get rid of the will power (i dont believe in that)
find your want power and go for it...

thanks yall,,, i feel already a 100% better about this,,, i was getting pretty worried about that,,, guess i have been reading too many negative sites,,, well im going to take this journey prob after the holidays and hopefully in a few months be a lot happier with myself,,, i plan to go by the book of what ever the dr tells me to do,,,im so ready to get some of this weight off and no more being tired and no energy,,,im ready to me a new me thank you all for your support

thanks dylanmiles,, i have got to remember to do that,,chew chew chew,, but i too worry about my meds i take at night,,,crush them?? and can u drink all the water u want?

thanks yall,,, i feel already a 100% better about this,,, i was getting pretty worried about that,,, guess i have been reading too many negative sites,,, well im going to take this journey prob after the holidays and hopefully in a few months be a lot happier with myself,,, i plan to go by the book of what ever the dr tells me to do,,,im so ready to get some of this weight off and no more being tired and no energy,,,im ready to me a new me thank you all for your support

thanks yall,,, i feel already a 100% better about this,,, i was getting pretty worried about that,,, guess i have been reading too many negative sites,,, well im going to take this journey prob after the holidays and hopefully in a few months be a lot happier with myself,,, i plan to go by the book of what ever the dr tells me to do,,,im so ready to get some of this weight off and no more being tired and no energy,,,im ready to me a new me thank you all for your support