lisacaron

You can go in for a revision to the port once you lose the weight especially if the original one petrudes and have a low profile port inserted, my surgeon told me. I don't know why they don't just put that one in to start. I think the top hat one leads to more port flips the low profile one is flat and even all around. I have seen it at the surgeon's office.

You my friend you are an inspiration! You have been down to 186! You know what you need to do. You know how to live with the band. You just need to remember that you are a strong beautiful person who is worth the time and effort it takes to take care of herself again! Get back up on the band- wagon, put the drinks down they are doing nothing for you but making you miserable. They are so loaded with calories I'm not surprised the weight came back on that fast. Check in with your doctor, check out your fill levels and find that comfy spot. 1 visit 2, 3 whatever it takes to get there. Start with the liquid Protein diet again for a couple of days and remind yourself that you have gotten that weight down before and you can and will do it again and keep on going because it makes you feel good and is good for you too! We are all right there with you, fighting the good fight every day.

Thinspiration! I love it!

Thanks for sharing! That made me feel better, my scale doesn't sing to me either. I can feel the weight shifting and my pants have to be made tighter and shirts are hanging off me. Keeping up the motivation!!

Hi Chrissy, While I don't have any insight for you on what your going through, I wonder if you might have some for me... Why did your bands fail you? It sounds like you lost weight with the band, how did it fail? I wish you the best on your upcoming revision.

Hi Kelly, The cost can vary between doctors and programs so look up a few in your area, you can even use this site to do that for the lap band or at lapband.com. and ask them what their rates are for an out of pocket surgery. If you have insurance, you could give them a call and ask them what the criteria would be for them to cover the cost of your surgery. The reason my husband and I chose the lap band over gastric sleeve or bypass is because it does not alter your biology. Everything stays where it is. Nothing is cut out, something extra is put in, and it can be used flexibly as needed. Different people require different amounts of restriction or Fluid in their band, what works for me does not necessarily work for my husband or my neighbor. I like that about the band it's tailored to me and for me. I have a family member who had the gastric sleeve, and while he continues to eat things he always ate before and did lose weight, over time he has stretched that sleeve a bit. That happens over time naturally and weight loss stops and even some gain is expected. If habits don't change, weight re-gain is guaranteed. There are people I have read on this blog who have had the sleeve and the bypass only to come back and have the band added to that because of re-gain. With any of the surgeries there are dietary changes and restrictions. You eventually can have all your favorite foods, and yes you will have less of them, but you also will have to change your eating habits and the choices of foods you make regardless of what surgery you opt for. Some are even more restrictive of certain foods, such as fatty foods and sugary foods. Definitely do your research, and check in with a few doctors and groups that do different types of surgery and see how they and their patients feel about it. Most surgeons have support groups that are free to attend and you will get a lot of information there that should help guide your decision. Best of luck to you! Lisa Caron

Congratulations on taking such a huge step! It is not easy to write what you did and share it with others. You are taking the first steps in making your life healthier and in making yourself a stronger person. I am an emotional eater, I think you would find there are a lot of us and you are not alone. Guy has a point and it's not easy to deal with our food issues. The band is there to help remind us we have issues to work on, and to give us the tool we need to do it. It's like a not so subtle friend that will make you miserable if you let it, so don't let it. Use it to your benefit and follow the rules on the post-op diet. That part doesn't end, the pre-op diet ended after surgery. Post op is forever now, and you're in control. Best of luck to you! You have a great bunch of supporters here whenever you need us.

Yes your right, studies are just that, it's where a small minority of the population is taken in and Doctors and behaviorists try to understand why certain criteria exist for them and not others. I am overweight. I have been throughout my children's whole lives. They however, are not. My youngest son who is now 18 does not have one ounce of fat on his body. He is lean, fit and active. I am learning a lot from studying his behavior. The way he eats and knows when to stop eating etc. My boys grew up in the video game internet generation, I would have had to lock them out to force them to stay outside. Even with every toy known to man, jungle gyms, swing sets, bikes and swimming pools they wanted to be inside on their butt playing games. I think that it's the choices we make and the reasons we make them that contribute to our weight. Just because I ate poorly didn't mean the kids did or had to. I had/have my own issues and try not to put those on their plates. (Literally:) I think that is another reason why parents spank, and why overweight parents beget overweight kids. We have a tendancy to press our issues onto others instead of taking them up ourselves and working through them. Just more of my 2cents.

I can understand what they are trying to say in this study. The stimulus one receives from being punished in a corporal sense alters the brain chemistry of the child in question. (This may be true for an adult where corporal punishment or other similar stimuli such as domestic violence is involved as well.) There by changing the development of the emotional state, sense of security and self-esteem of the individual in question. An altered state of being, one that is out of balance and dysfunctional can and is the one of the leading causes of most dis-ease, including and not limited to obesity.

Jen, let me say thanks for doing that study! I think there are a lot of things that are still unknown about the band and why it works for some people and yet not for others. Part of the reason is that I think obesity is not just a physical issue it is a mental and emotional one as well. I am fairly new to the band, but I can tell there are days when it is not just the physical feeling of having the band. There are aspects to the way it affects the nervous system both the central nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system or the reactive emotional nervous system. Finding that delicate balance for each of us is not an easy task. Everyone's "green zone" is as different and diverse as each one of us and seems to change as we do. So what worked for you before the study may have shifted a bit, and needs a little tailoring till you find that balance again. You're doing amazing and thanks again for taking the time and the challenge of that study to help all the rest of us learn more about the band and how it works.

I am about 2 months post op. I had my first fill on Monday 7/8. The doc had to poke around a bit, and then got in the port "to the side" she said. Extracted all the Fluid, about 3cc's and added that back plus 3. So all is well. Eating now back to regular food, nothing getting stuck doing well with all of that. However…on that side near the port when I am exercising it hurts a bit when I breathe deeply while walking/walking really fast not really a jog as yet. I just wanted to reach out and see what opinions are. The doc did say I might be a little sore, but it's a strange tight feeling in the muscle there, not really at the port site itself but a bit lower. I don't want to hurt myself, and I also don't want to lose the momentum of going to the gym and getting a little fitness started either. Your advice is welcome.

Why are you so stressed friend? I have some of those issues with stress also and it is so bad for us. You are in the very early stages of the band and you really need to convalesce and try to relax. If you can not drink the shake because of the smell, try putting it in a closed cup and just sip at it. Try some frozen ice pops they help with the swelling and they taste pretty good too. If you’re a chocolate lover try some sugar free fudge pops they go down easy and they feel pretty good too and they all add to your liquid intake for the day. Most of all give yourself some love, put your feet up and turn on your favorite movie and let go a bit. Let it take you back to happy times and memories and forget for a few minutes about the surgery and let your mind and body heal. We are here for you!

For me the best NSV so far was getting on the bike at the gym and being able to peddle without my legs hitting my belly up into my bust and knocking me off! It probably looked about as funny as it sounds, but it wasn't a whole of fun for me! Not having it happen was a great NSV for me and I stayed on for 20 whole minutes!

Sorry your having such a bad day! People at work that talk behind each other's back are horrible. You always feel like you have to be perfect around those people and then one mistake gets you sent right to the bottom. We all make mistakes, it happens you didn't do it to hurt anyone. Turn on some tunes if you can and tune those bunch of B**chs out. Maybe even take a quick walk to the other side of the office or another floor and just take a breather. I hope your day gets better and hey it's Friday!!! Hopefully you have the weekend off.

Hehehe, I get them too at the worst times! At least we can all laugh at ourselves

You look great!

Wow I love that, I didn't know they had those little cups! Now I am on the look out for them. The hubby and I love PB and find it so hard to bring it out places this is GREAT!

That sometimes happens to me and the hubby as well. It happens also if I eat too fast, I think air pockets build up and it can go either way...

Lots of people here complain about being cold also...summer winter spring and fall. I never had that problem...maybe as I lose I might, but then I have those lovely hot flashes that always keep me burning up. Can't win no matter what we do, I have winter boots and flip flops under the desk cause ya just never know how it's gonna be inside or out Stay chipper Carolina girl!!

You have just made a major change to your life. You underwent major surgery and you are not the same as you were before. You are better then you were before, because you took control of your life, and made changes to it for the better. That is where you are right now, you are at a cross roads where fear and anxiety are taking control over you and your life. You don't have to accept that. I agree with everyone here when they say speak to someone, and you are reaching out and we are responding to you, and we are all here to support you. Sometimes it takes a little more, and a councelor, therepist, or even your doctor family or friend can be there to hold your hand and help you make the next steps. Don't lock yourself in. Not in your house, or in your mind or anywhere else. Take back your control so that you can take the steps you need to feel secure and safe again. Get out there and shake a tail feather, let the world see how strong you are and it's great for weightloss too!

I will be honest with you, I feel the port. I am a belly sleeper also, and there are days when I feel the port and there are days when I don't feel a thing. I am about 2 months post op, and I have a very small torso. There isn't much to me, it's all bust, butt and belly so there isn't much room for the port to begin with. It's a bit annoying if anything. It doesn't hurt and once I fall asleep I totally forget it's even there. Give yourself a couple of weeks and you'll be sleeping naturally again. Time heals all wounds and in this case it's true.

I understand that being out of work can be a hardship, but I have to tell you friend take the time off! You only have one life and one body and work will still be there. Use FMLA to secure your job for you if you have to, it's a law and you are entitled to take the time you need to take care of yourself. You just had major surgery, and you are going to hurt yourself and that can put you out of work and out of commission for a much longer time and worse if your not careful. You cared enough about yourself to have this surgery and get healthy, so give yourself a break and start off the right way. Take that extra week off. Put your feet up, clear you mind and focus on healing and getting healthy. Best of luck to you, I can see you’re a strong person and you will do great!

That is GREAT! I have set that goal for myself can't wait to say I'm joining you there. Enjoy the feeling you earned it!

I understand how you feel. I think we go through this surgery and we want to lose the weight as fast as we see some other WLS patients lose it. Those that have the bypass etc. It's just not like that for us, and that might be a good thing given all the complications I have read and witnessed from other alternative surgeries. We chose to do this differently, and we chose the band for whatever our reasons were to choose this path here we are living it. I have been reading a lot posts where people have given up and don't make the life style changes. They go back to old eating habits, and let me tell you it is HARD to make those changes. I am only 2 months post op, and I have had those moments where I am right back to the old eating mentality. I try to catch myself and sometimes I get caught up in it. I want to give up, not be on a diet not care about what I am putting in my mouth, but you know the band doesn't let me give up! I love that about being banded. When I am at my most frustrated, and I just want to say the heck with healthy, the band steps in and says NOPE you're going to have to do it right or I am going to let you know you are doing something wrong and it does! I just had my first fill today 2 months post op. I don't have any discomfort and I am able to drink my Protein shakes just fine. Though I am noticing I am not getting beat up by the hunger demon as much, and that is a welcome relief. Right now I'm fighting with my fatigue and my conviction to do what's right for my body and forcing myself to the gym in the 90 degree heat to walk a bit on the treadmill. As my husband just said it's better than sitting in the car in traffic for an hour in the 90 degree heat. He's right about that..so I will go to the gym and muster up the energy to walk it out. It's a bit of a struggle every day, don't give up your doing great and you're going to keep on doing great! I just know it!

I just had my first fill today. Surgery date was 5/6/13. I travel a bit to see my surgeon, The office is near my work but about 30 miles from home. Right after the fill Dr. gave me a glass of water to drink and sat with me for a while to be sure that everything was going well and I was feeling well. After a few minutes of drinking and talking I was on my way. You have a long ride to and from the Dr. I would do what Missy suggests and stay at the office for a while if you can and make sure that your feeling A-OK before you head back home. Best of Luck!