Fort Bend Band

Unfortunately, most of us went through this. You do not get to that "sweet spot" as they say until you have had about three fills...of course some people vary. I remember feeling like a failure at your same point thinking I was going to fail at even the lapband. Please remember it is a slow process. Also, when was the last time you lost 24 pounds in 4 weeks? You go up and down some but in the long run you will be steadily lossing. It gets easier and you feel less hungry the more fills you get. Don't be too agressive with the fills or you will get sick a lot. One more thing, if you are not at least walking I would do that. It really keeps your weight loss moving in the right direction. Hang in there and do not be so hard on yourself!

If all you ate was fruit and veggies you will most likel lose some of your hair for lack of protein. My md always stressed protein first. Eventually when your band is tight enough you will not be able to eat three peices of chicken. I agree that your md doesn't sound very well versed in nutrition and you should find someone else if you live in a large city. Eventually the band takes care of portion control for you but you do need to watch your choices...but all of us have our bad days. If we had complete control why would we need the band?

Annie I wish you the best with your surgery and it sucks that you had to go throught that! I am sure you took good care of your last one...these things just happen from what I hear. I have gotten out of plus sizes and I have to say it has taken me a year to make myself stop going into the womens department.

I also do not regret the huge expense. My insurance policy does not allow any barriatric anything so it was never an option for me. I charged up a credit card and unfortunately they have increased my interest rates through the roof! I look and feel so much better though and I feel I escapted Diabetes that I know I was heading towards. I would have had many more health expenses in the coming years if I didn't get some of my weight off so I try to look at it that way. Of course, I too am frightened by the prospect of any complications but I will just have to cross that bridge if I get to it. I was all worth it for me!

Oopps! Well doesn't that you are not lossing help support your case that traditional dieting doesn't work for you?

As far as I know the pre-op diet is to make your fatty liver smaller so the surgery is easier. I was self pay so I do not know all the ends and outs of the insurance but evn self pay people have to do the per-op diet. My surgeon said that most overweight have fatty or swollen livers. They need to lift the liver to get to some of the spots they need to get to during surgery. The diet helps the liver go down. Don't be too hard on yourself! If we all had complete controll over our weight loss why would we being going for the band?

If it didn't hurt going down you probably did not hurt yourself but I would stick to thicker mushies that tend to be more filling. The truth is untill you get about three fills you will be able to eat bread and other things you shouldn't eat. The more fills you get the less your hunger is so you will feel better. Remember it is a slow process. Don't beat yourself up but try to be good and also try to get your exercise in, especially in the first year when your weight loss it at its fastest.

I did go to the support group meetings for the first few months and found them very helpful! You are trying to learn how your body works now with the band and the leaders of the group have been through it all and can really answer any question. They will also refer you back to the doctor if it sounds like you need to be checked out. I also liked hearing from the newly banded people because they were going through the same stuff as me and it made you feel better that you are not alone. I eventually stopped going just because I live int the Sugarland area so it is quite a distance for me but it is really beneficial.

I was very nervous about being put to sleep. I have two young kids I was thinking about as well. Dr. Spivak assured me that there were only a couple possible complication that could occur and that he was completely prepared and capable of handling any complication that could arise and that made me feel better. He has done so many of these surgeries it makes you feel very confident with him!

I am going into my third year with the band. Dr. Spivak has always been there for me and is so much more experienced than a lot of the docs out there performing the surgery. I too was so scared about being put under. I was in pain for the first week and remember thinking what have I done to myself! I have lost most of the weight I hoped to lose. I feel so much healthier and feel like I probably escaped Diabetes. It can be a difficult journey at times and it is very slow but I totally do not regret the decision and Dr. Spivak is as good as it gets!

I am going into my third year with the band. I am down 60 pounds and still have 20 to go. I lost 40 my first year and 20 my second. The band is a very slow process and I think all of us see bypass people with massive and rapid weight loss and want the same. I cannot stress the importance of getting your fills until you feel restricted. It decreases your hunger feeling so you are satisfied more easily. I do not worry too much about what I eat. I have not been "on a diet" for the first time in years since having the band and I am just trying to learn to eat like my skinny friends do. I have a sliver of cake and usually only eat half of that. It feels so good not to be so obsessed with food like I was before the band. Everyone will find their own way and I just hope everyone can find the patience to enjoy the journey...it can be very frustrating at times but usually ends well!

One more thing that may help some of you, when I was filled with the regular saline in my band I would be tight at first and then the tightness would go away which also would mean I would feel an increase in hunger. My MD told me that some people do lose some fluid from the band without having a leak. He explained that is can move from the band membraine out into your boday. He would take all of my fill out and measure it and sure enough it was less than the amount of my last fill. He told me about a thick solution they put in the band for people that have this problem and boy did it work! I never had that feeling again where it seemed all of my tightness just disappeared.

I did not get my band until I was 40 years old. I am one of those that wish I had had it many years earlier. I think about all of the torment I could have saved myself. Some people just don't get weight issues. It is our vice just like alcoholics use alcohol we use food. If we could just stop we would have. If you were an alcoholic at 20 she would not ask you why you felt you needed some type of intervention at 20. I was on ever diet known to man. I also would lose about 30 pounds on all of them only to gain back 40 once I stopped the diet. I dieted my way to being as fat as I was. The sad thing is that you will have more judgements and comments from well meaning friends and family as well as not so well meaning people so you need to brace yourself and be confident in your decision. I have had a couple of people make me cry especially in the beginning. The weight loss is so slow one friend said it didn't look like it was working. I had already lost 25 pounds and was crushed. Eventually, you will lose the weight and everyone will notice and then I had some try to knock me down saying I took the easy way out...like the band is easy! I also had one friend say I was loosing too much...I am still overweight just not obese. I think others try to knock you down to make themselves feel better about what ever in their own lives. I think you have to get prepared for the negative but there will be so much positive too!

I time the scars really aren't that pronounced so you may not need to worry so much. I was worried about who I shared with at first but as time goes on and you lose so much weight you just don't care as much anymore who knows because you look so much better. I still don't share with people that I don't know well but will discuss with anyone that asks. The problem is if you tell a few people even though you ask them not to tell anyone... you know they will. I was worried about looking like a liar if someone asked and already really knew the truth so I am an open book and feel more comfortable that way. Everyone will follow their own path on this journey an what feels right to them. If I am at a restaurant and have to stop eating after only a few bites the waiter will always ask if everything is ok. I just tell them I have stomach problems and that is always good enough. Anyway, I think the previous person that said I had minor surgery and no further explaination is needed was right on.

I am going to go on my third year soon. I have to say I belive it is about finding that spot that is just right for you. I was too tight before and proceded to pack on 15 pounds as soon as I could eat more again. I have learned that I have to stay pretty tight or I will gain. Lets face it...if we all have great self control then we would not have ever needed the band right? My doctor told me all along that most bandsters only lose 70% of their excess weight so unless you totally change what you eat and exercise daily the likelyhood of losing all of your weight is slim. I have also learned to be proud of what I have accomplished and to focus on how far I have come vs how much I still need to do.