Babyboomer

:help:Does anyone else have the "Easy" band? I had one fitted in Manchester in March & at first completley lost my appetite resulting in a weight loss around 14 lbs. My appetite then returned, as predicted because it seems to be caused purely by the operation, & I found I had almost no restriction. After the requisite 8 week wait I was reduced from the open state of 29mm to 25mm under x-ray. Still I had little restriction & actually gained 2lbs! Last adjustment to 23.8mm & although I have slight restriction with some foods especially bread & I do eat slowly I could still eat a largish meal. Ok, I do realise one has to "work" with the band & I have to admit I haven't always managed my 10,000 daily steps but has anyone else had this experiance? At what point I wonder will this famous "sweet spot" be reached? As I understand it the easy band can only close to 20mm so I've not got far to go although I'm told only small adjustments are safe at this point. I also notice fizzy drinks don't have any adverse effects? I've also had a few strange chest pains, anyone else? Come on you "easy company" bandsters, this may be brilliant technology but does this thing really ever work?

Yes, at exactly the eight week stage, they won't do it sooner. Looks amazing on x-ray to see this gadget in place & barium swallows going through. At the start it's 29mm & although I completely lost my appetite for four weeks at the beginning it then came back with a vengeance as I healed up. I then found I had almost no restriction except occasionally particularly with bread. After losing a stone I slowly put back a few lbs especially as I had a holiday! Using the electronic wizardry Dr Ashton took the easyband down to 25mm & I've already found that I have much more restriction. Apparently from now on just 0.5mm adjustments may cause big changes in restriction. I've been on liquids again until today when I just managed half a baked potato & cottage cheese & salad for lunch. Mind you, deserts (Tiramisu, count on us) slip down just as easily! Certainly drier foods make you eat so much more slowly which gives your brain time to catch up? The only side effect I have is hiccups! We will see, I'm now resolved to counting calories again & hopefully won't feel so much hunger as I used to. Keep you posted, certainly the adjusments are a piece of cake, I gather subsequent small adjustments can be made by the nurse in her consulting room. I feel the extra control & ease of adjustment plus the completely circular shape will eventually make the easyband the band of choice.

Ok Anon, here's my food diary for today 28th March. It's now the 18th day since my easyband & my hunger is slowly just beginning to come back. It's the last week of my liquid diet & I am getting a bit bored.................but................ B - HW Protein shake 125Kcal MM - Tin Iced Cappuccino with extra coffee! 139 LT - A whole! Broccoli & Stilton fresh soup, delicious 340 LF Yoghurt + LF Actimel 80 TT - carrot & coriander soup 240 LF Yog x 2 ! 110 Late snack - another HW shake 125 drinks - Tea & coffee with semi milk & sweetners plus liberal defizzed caffeine free diet coke (I'm addicted) I make that 1160 Kcal plus the milk. My pedometer tells me I've done 14,379 steps so far so hopefully I'm on track. I've plateaued at my 14 lbs loss recently but because I don't belong to the fairer sex I hope to resume losing soon! No PB's, I've never had one. I did feel sick once, probably because I "experimented" with a little coleslaw! bad, bad boy! I can't begin to tell you how different this is to my former life & how much more in control I feel.

Hi G, Well done, it sounds like you have will power if you stuck to the pre-op & now you have the help of the band. Isn't it so strange not have hunger & your life almost ruled by food? I can't quite see the point of the no bits rule but I am being careful. I just record calories & I'm creaping up a little to about 1200 plus milk in drinks which I just can't drink without. No, I've only the "last supper" bill so far from the hospital everything else seems to have been included even 2 nights in the hospital although I had to pay £800 extra for one night in high dependancy because of my other medical conditions & my advanced age! No bill yet from the Pharmacy for Co-Codamol & no bloods bill. I would have stayed in London but Dr Rogers is their surgeon here & he won't fit the easyband because he says "it's not yet proven or had a long enough history". I just took a chance that the Swiss know what they are doing & have since learnt that the company that makes the lapband have just bought out the Swiss company so they must feel the technology is good. Anyway I've never been to Manchester before & still haven't as the hospital is in Cheadle! Keep going. Keep me posted.

Hi, its a pity they didn't get us all to meet up beforehand so we could swap emails! I guess that's presuming patients don't want to stay anonymous & I have to admit in my case only my wife knows! I'm interested to see the reaction of my family & friends after all these years of struggle to lose weight if I succeed. I'm also plotting a few ripe things to say to some of the people who have been so rude about my size! They may not realise it but they can be so hurtful which just compounds the problem. Ok, so I'm male & in my early 60's which may be why I got Dr Favretti's first slot. They wanted to see if I would survive the op! I've had heart problems & sleep apnoea so it's imperative I succeed. Dr Ashton originally weighed me at 19 stone! Wow, I was mortified having tried his diet & everything else. Obviously had I been able to stick to his diet I may well have succeeded but after a few weeks on a diet I'm one of those people who start to think life is no longer worth living. I did my best on the pre-op diet so frankly I couldn't follow it! I also had a "last supper" in the hospital the night before & they did us proud! (& I've just got the bill) I guess being bigger allowed them to use the easyband & after a couple of days I found I could swallow any liquid almost as normal. I'm still on liquid's but have found that "bits" in Soup etc are just not a problem so I guess the band is fairly open at present. I can also swallow my "horse pill" medication. However the great blessing is that I just do not feel hunger. I gather this may return 14 days after the op. but so far, so good. Like you, I have only had one phone call the day after I got back. My wife says they are all in Las Vegas spending our money! If you have any problems try the emergency number. I still feel that Dr Ashton's team are very professional & I have faith that the aftercare adjustments etc. will bring restriction if it's needed & that SLOWLY we will all lose a good amount of weight. I'm really relieved that it's over, that I survived & that I already feel so much better. Ok, I'm down £10K but maybe will live long enough to spend the rest! I'm doing 5000 steps a day & next week will up it to 10,000. I was invited to Birmingham to meet up with other patients but can't make Sats. I'm London based, where are you? I've asked Colleen to see if she can get up a group in the South. Keep me posted on how you are doing.

I had an Easyband fitted in Manchester on March 10th with the Healthier Weight Group headed by Dr David Ashton. The op. was performed by Dr Favretti who flies in from Italy with his assistant & they operated on 9 patients Saturday & a further 10, I think, on Sunday. We assume he has a private jet! Ok, it's the expensive option to be operated on in the UK but I think the after care is equally important & so far I'm impressed by the care I have had. I'm astounded to find my hunger is almost zero so staying on the liquid diet has been a doddle. My telemetric device seems to have healed up very quickly as have the other small wounds. So far, so good & I've lost 14lbs since my op.12 days ago! I'm astounded.