Fort Bend Band

Dang Kat, I just read your thread. Sorry you went through all of that! At least it seems to be going as good as it could have gone! I watched my my go through the hell of cancer and it isn't pretty! I glad you are not back on that merry-go-round and I agree with you "life is good!"

Bandit.1, Yes, you do need to go back to liquids for a couple of days and if you keep throwing up you may need to be on liquids longer. The experience I have had is the more fills I got the longer I would need to be on liquids after each fill. Unfortunately, I do not lose weight unless my band is very tight so I am much more prone to puke than I used to be. I stick to smushier food or soup at work so I do not have to worry about it. I have also found that I have these random "bad days" when nothing seems to go down right. On the plus side I have lost weight and have had to but new pants and that makes up for any hardships!

Travelgirl, I have lost a half shoe size. I was in gunboat size 10's as well and have gone back to 9 1/2 and have found a couple of 9's that fit. Isn't amazing how fat affects every part of your body?

Scrappy friend, I was scared out of my mind about the surgery too. You know what my doctor told me? He said that the band is not a life threatening procedure but gastric bypass definately has life threatening complications. He told me that there are only a couple of things that could go wrong and they are easily fixed and not life threatening. He also reminded me that if I continued on my path of morbid obesity that I would be facing a lot of possible life threatening illnesses anyway which we all know is true. I can tell you I was still scared the day of the surgery and thought "what in the hell am I doing?" when they were putting the IV in my arm. I can also tell you that 10 months later I am down 3 pant sizes, I look better, I feel better, I am not so hard on myself anymore, and I have no regrets! I do believe that the band is not for everyone because you are making a decision to have your eating habits forever altered but I was ready for that. I also pray I have escaped diabetes now. Focus on what your life will be like if you continue on your current course with no intervention. I wish the best for you!

Hey Mommi-Hammi. I used Dr. Spivak in Houston too. I love him as well and would recommend him! I have to agree with most of you that say you love your 40's. I am more focused on me. I still have young kids since I started later but I have come to the age where I just don't have to say yes to everything people want me to do and I do not let people guilt me into doing what is expected of me. I was too much of a people pleaser in my 20's and now I look back and wonder why we do those things when we are young. I think getting the band was part of me taking care of myself. I truely was for me and no one else and it was absolutely the right decision for me. I feel so much better about myself! Eventhough, I am still overweight I am more kind in my judgements of myself.

Hi everyone. I am 40 and am glad this is out there because I always felt like us aging folks might have more trouble losing than the youngsters. I am happily married with two, young girls that have noticed that their momies tummie "doesn't stick out so far anymore". I work in the mental health field and think that the band is one of the most loving things I ever did for myself. I think it is neat too that everyone is in different stages in their banding so we can help support or advise each other. I was losing so slowly and it was through the help I got here at Lap Band Talk that I was able to move along. I just didn't know you keep getting fills monthly if you aren't losing. I also recommend Wendel Edwards link about how the lap band actually works. It helped me so much! Nice to meet all of you!

As far as the shoulder pain, I am 10 months banded. I had horrible shoulder pain for weeks and would often get cricks in my neck for about 3 months. Now, I only have those symptoms once in a blue moon or when I eat too much. I read (I think in this thread once) that one person was told by their MD that where the port is sewn into place can also add some extra pressure on that sheath of nerves (I do not know proper terms) that you feel in your shoulder. For those of you still suffering I can say that for most people it does go away so hang in there and the weight loss you will eventually have will be worth it all! Jamoorse, I think you do need to go to someone else that is caring and supportive. I do believe your band could be leaking or it is wide open because I have not heard of someone gaining so much weight back unless removing the band or taking all the saline out on purpose. There is a thick solution fill (Omnipack) that I had to get because the regular saline was absorbing away from my band and into my body. My MD said that they couls not explain why this happens to some people but it does. I am so sorry for your struggles!

Here is hurt feelings that unfortunately I did to myself. I was in a department store recently and I was looking for pants. I have gone down to the smaller sizes in the plus section so I figured maybe I should look at the biggest sizes in the regular section. As I was shopping the racks in the normal section I felt like women were looking at me like "you don't belong here". I am not totally sure if it was real or my pathetic self esteem giving me bad messages but I had to leave the store. The worst feeling is it may have been all me!

My mother-in-law told me when she met me that she likes "puggy" girls because they tend to be nicer. Mind you, that is when I was a size 12 and first married. After 2 kids and 10 years I grew to a size 20. After, I got the lapband she was very unsupportive like I did something so harmful. I do not care that much what she thinks but it did hurt a little. Maybe she likes me fat to feel more secure about herself?

Whitepants, I have a low thyroid as well but am not on meds for it. I have really struggled with my weightloss but I also think I was too conservative about getting my fills in the beginning. I follow the rule now of getting a fill if I have not lost 5 pounds in a month and that has helped. Janie, please don't be discouraged and by all means don't feel bad about going back to the doctor's office! My doctor's office told me I had to do some of the work too and it does make you feel bad but they are trying to help. The fluroscope is like a live xray. I stand in front of it when I go in after a fill. They have me drink a shot of baruim and everyone can watch as I swallow how the liquid goes through the band to see if it looks too lose of too tight. One more thing, I have also gone through barely being able to keep anything down after a fill but about 3 weeks after each fill the swelling goes down again and I can eat again. I think you will find if you can hang in there it does get better even when it seems too tight. Reference Wendells artivle on how the band really works. It was very helpful to me!

Hi OH Julie. Thanks for the support! You will be happy to know that I ride motorcycles with my hubby as well. I feel so much better with less of me on the bike!

I just want to add my two cents about the salsa. I am also a big salsa lover but since the band I usually need ant-acids when I eat salsa. Don't know why but I wanted to warn anyone that may end up with this same experience. I love refried beans with melted cheese too like the above people said. It's yummy and very filling with protein too!

Hi to my fellow March bandsters! I have not posted here before as well because I did not think I was doing well and felt ashamed. I was banded March 7, 2007. I am really struck by how different everyone journey has been. I was losing so slowly that it felt like failing at a "diet" once again. With the help of Wendells post about how the lap band worked and someone else talking about if they don't lose 5 pounds in a month they get a fill I have finally started to get on track. It has actually taken me 4 fills to get to that "sweet spot" people talk about. Now, I am very restricted and cannot eat much in the mornings. I have lost 38 pounds and have gone from a size 20 to a 14. I am proud of my progress now but it took so long I was very discouraged for several months. I am so glad this support is out there so we can get ideas and hear about experiences from other people. Everyone keep up the good work!!!

My doctor considered tuna salad as smushie so I liked that and it went down well. Another favorite is scoop the potato part out of a baked potato away from the skin and put the things you normally like on a baked potato. It can get high in fat but I was eating so little that I was not worried. Good luck to you!

I have had the trouble of things not fitting as well, but isn't it so much nicer having clothes too big VS clothes that are too tight and having to go up another size? Some of my friends make fun of me because my shirts are starting to look like tents on me. I love it!

Hey Debbie P. I know I do not know anything about you or your situation but I just wanted to share that my father had Parkinsons and the MD told him the best think he could do is go on walks because it kept him limber. We really did notice on days he didn't walk he did not move as well in general. I know you may have other circumstances going on but I just wanted to give you that tid bit. I am sure you will feel better with some of the extra weight off as well! Take care!

To lose 20 pounds in that short time you are doing great! Make sure you look at DebbieP's reply above and read Wendell's post. It really has great info! I go 2 weeks without losing weight all the time. Exercise really helps to keep it coming off. The more fills you get eventually you will get to that place where you are very restricted all of the time. It is just the process we all have to struggle with until we get to that "sweet spot" you hear people talk about. I am at my sweet spot and still do not lose some weeks. I think us bandsters tend to be impatient because we see the rapid results the gastric bypass folks have. It also is a lot of pressure when family and friends keep watching you and do not notice much difference. Most people did not notice my loss until I lost over 30 pounds. Now everyone asks me what I am doing and that I look great. It took over 6 months to start getting that response. Be patient and get a fill if you are not losing 5 pounds in a month and you will be fine!

I have to share that I finally can zip my boots all the way up. I have only been able to zip them to my calves for so long it was normal to me. I forgot that they really should be able to zip to the top. It feels great!

You look so great Julie! Thank you for sharing your unfiltered journey with us! You truely are amazing!

I was in the same place as you but you lost more than I did at the same amount of weeks. I started to feel like I was failing a "diet" once again. Just remember that it is a slow process, Wendell's post helped me a lot as well. Now, my rule is if I haven't lost 5 pounds in a month I get another fill. It took me 4 fills to really feel the restriction. 2 to 3 weeks after each fill you can start to eat more and that's normal. I am currently very restricted and still lose slowly. I keep reminding myself that this time it is permanent and as long as the scale keeps going down, even slowly, then I will be happy. I think all of us rebound a pound here or there but it always goes back down and then some. Good luck, you are doing well!

Boo Boo, you look great! What have you done to get all of the weight off? I have had some progress but you seem like you got it off at a much faster rate than I will be able to!

Jachut, I have seen your pics and you already look pretty darn perfect yourself! You are what I aspire to be!

I have to say enterprise that you look pretty darn good in clothes! I used Spivak as well but have not lost as fast as you. What have you been doing?

I also felt more tender around my port for a while but it does heal as time passes. I was very aware of the tenderness at my port during sex because more pressure it put on that area than usual. Don't worry! It really will get better to the point you don't even notice it anymore during those times!

I have watched the show for a couple of years now because I love watching all of the before and after transformations. I have noticed from the beginning that his wife is sickly thin and has a very child like build. I think it is not as obvious though because of her breast implants, but if you look at her arms it is very clear how thin she really is. Dr. Rey keeps harping on her to have one more child. She keeps saying that she feels like she is just now having time for her needs since the little ones are a little more self sufficient. I think she will give in and have one more. I think he is a freak as well but an excellent plastic surgeon. I also wonder if he is in the closet? I do think he has a lot of insecurities because his dad abandoned the family and he basically raised himself. Am I too into this show or what!?