Yooper

I asked the new doc what the difference was, (I have the 4cc) He said the 10 actually is less constricting. It doesn't put as much pressure on the opening. I would have thought it meant you could get more restriction with that, but especially in the beginning it really doesn't provide the great amount of restriction felt by the "old" band, I believe they went to the bigger one for several reason, a couple I'm sure you can guess, but the big one was for "safer" initiation into being restricted. You really can eat larger amounts of food after surgery. This would explain why so many are saying they have "none".

I finally got to meet the new doctor taking over for me since I moved. He won't be doing bands until after January, he says he wants to use a different brand name and that's when it will be available. I'm wondering what type of band you all have who are not losing wt. Do you have the 10cc or 4cc capacity band?

I felt no hunger at all for the first 2 yrs after surgery, I actually had to remind myself to eat. Now I feel hungry occassionally, but I fill up really fast.

Once I was approved I had a date that day. But that was back in the "early days" I'm sure since so many more are being approved it takes longer to get the surgery date. Good for you!!!!

Betsy, you are so right!! Reading all of these stories made me start thinking something is drastically wrong with me, but I've been banded for 4 years, I feel fine, same thing with the reflux, don't drink a lot of alcohol or eat before going to bed. Duh, that's true for most of us over 45 anyway. Thanks for lending a voice of reason, you're right, most people only speak up when they have a complaint. I never posted here before and that's because I haven't had any problems. I'm glad I came because it made me get off my butt and find a new doctor in my new area who would be willing to "supervise/monitor" things. I too blamed myself for being a failure, but when I look back, I'm the one who tried to "get around the band" with my eating habits. I figured out that ice cream goes down real easy, and rich creamy soups do too. Again, Duh, that doesn't mean the band is no good or something is wrong, it means I need to take responsibility for my actions and the foods I pick.

I keep seeing people report having bands removed due to erosion. What is it? What did you feel? Anything, nothing?

Sorry Sherri, but I've never had that problem I have no idea what would cause it. This is something I would call the dr's office about. When was your surgery??

Ok, now ya got me scared again! I do have reflux, but it's normally associated with eating just before going to bed or drinking alcohol. Neither of which are uncommon in people over 50. That's the only thing "wrong" with me to date. My new PCP didn't seem too concerned and gave me a script for Nexium, it was great, so far no new problems. I do see the new doc for follow up on 7/11.

I love Dr. Bhasania in Port Huron, I was something like his 350th band, since then he has done over 1000 and now he is an instructor who teaches other surgeons, so I feel pretty lucky, I just wish he wasn't so far away now that I've moved to the UP, but there is a new Dr. in Marquette I'm going to see next month for follow-up. My band was done in Feb. 03, no problems so far but I need someone near-by who is familiar with the proceedure just in case.

Thanks, I needed to hear that! I haven't had a fill since Apr. 2004, but I still have restriction. If I eat too fast, or too much I can't keep it. I have no pain, so thank god no erosion. Mine was done in Feb, '03. I feel fine. I had a doctor appt with a new doc, since I moved 500 miles away from the original, but I had to cancel because the records had not been received yet, (friday) I'm doing ok, but I really have to diet now, I am doing Nutrisystem, and the portions seem to be getting me back to where my stomach was in '04. I see the new doctor 7/11 now, this should be interesting. Thanks again.

<br /> <br /> Jo, you have nothing to apologize for. I totally understand what you are saying. Mind-set has a tremendous amount to do with this whole experience. If you come into this thinking it is a "cure" you will be disappointed. If you think you never have to "diet" again, you will be disappointed. I had my surgery 02-03-03. By November I had lost 100#, it wasn't easy, I had a fill every single time I went to the doctor from the first post op appt. 6 weeks after surgery. I had lost 23# at that 1st appt. I have talked to too many people who try to "test" the band, it's almost a game for some people to see how much they can eat. I stopped drinking carbonated drinks before the surgery, they said this will cause the pouch to expand, I wanted this to work so I made it work. I found myself subconsciously eating the foods I knew I could get by with, creamy soups, gravies make things easy to go down, etc. The band never stopped working, I DID! I eventually lost 140# then over the past 2 years gained back about 30, I'm dieting again, and it seems to have caused my pouch to shrink again. Now that I've been eating much smaller portions, protein first, then fruits and veggies, no bread, no total fat ice cream and very little alcohol, I've been able to utilize my band and have lost 22# in the last 8-10 weeks. We have to take responsibility for what we put in our mouths, if you want to play games with the band, go ahead, you will find a way to pack on the pounds, but don't blame the band.<br /> <br /> If you are really able to eat an egg sandwich with 2 slices of bread, your doctor should be looking into a slipped band, 4 years later, I still cannot eat bread like that. In fact if I want to cut back on eating, all I do is eat a small amount of bread or a roll before a meal and I'm literally done, I cannot eat anything. Talk to your doctor, don't leave the office until he takes you seriously. Something is wrong.

I was banded 02-03-03, I lost 140# I gained some back but am now back to a loss of 120# I would like to lose 50-70 more.

Are you saying you have Medicaide? If so, you might want to check that out, they tend to pay for the surgery before an insurance company does.

Krystal, I'm so glad you wrote your story here. So many people look at this or any weightloss surgery as a "quick fix" when the reality is, it's just one of many, many tools you will need to use on this journey. Your mind was not in the right place when you started, this is why I think the psych eval is a joke. It's just something they have to do to get the insurance companies to approve. I doubt there are many who are turned down based on the results. Besides, we all know exactly what they want to hear and that's what we say. It needs to be more in depth, and it needs to be on going. You are one of many people who need to find out what's behind the weight, the weight is just a symptom. Thanks for being so candid, I hope some of those who are pre-op and see themselves in your post will put off the surgery until their head and soul are ready to commit.

PT is my job, your knees will thank you for the exercise. Think of it like this, there is a rusty hinge on a door, if you don't open the door often, the rust builds up until you can't open it. Your knee joint is the hinge, the arthritis is the "rust" there is great truth to the old saying, "if you don't use it, you lose it."

I loved my doctor, Dr. Bhesaina at Port Huron Hosp. Also, everyone I know who had Dr Bout there thought he was great too. Where do you live?

I haven't seen my doc in over 3 yrs, after reading all the threads here I've come to the realization that my "problems" are not my fault. I think that as "fat people" we have a tendency to blame ourselves when things aren't right. I stopped losing weight and instantly started gaining, about 5 months after my last visit with my surgeon in April 04. I thought it was my fault. I was doing something wrong, so I have tried to go back to the same diet nightmares I went thru prior to banding. Sometimes I can eat without restriction, other times I take a couple bites and throw up. I have found that if I'm nervous, or eat too fast, I'm going to be in the bathroom repeatedly over the next few hours. I thought that this was all because I was doing something wrong and there was no need to see my doctor because the band was fine, it was just me. My doctor is over 500 miles away so I just never went back. But today, I got an email from the new bariatric doctor at a hosp. about 50 miles away, he says he would be happy to take over my care! I'm calling in the morning for an appointment, I'm very happy but also afraid, I don't want them to take the band out, I just want it to work again. I don't want to go back to who I was before, that scares me to death.

All I can say is WOW! You are going to be sorry. They want you to lose weight (usually at least 15#) before surgery because that will get the fat out of the liver, which will make the surgery much easier for the doctor and for you. You might want to read some of the paperwork they have been giving you during all of this pre-surgery stuff. I would also call the doctor's office and ask them about a pre-surgery diet. When you think you need a steak remember, it's not as good as you imagined and nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.

I had no gas pain at all. In fact I had little to no pain. I didn't even bother to fill the script for Vicodin on the way home. One thing I suggest you do religiously is use the aspirator. That gets your oxygen levels back to normal faster.

He is in Port Huron, I now live in the UP about 500 miles away. I'm self-employed, I don't get days off with pay. I do PT and I'm a rehab director, so if I'm not there the patients don't get PT, and most are medicare which means they have to be seen for treatment for 5 days each week. I don't take much if any, time off.

Teach, I noticed your age. When I got mine 4 yrs ago, I had just turned 50. I was told then that they were trying to put an age limit on the lap band, and I was almost too old then! It looks like that issue has been dropped. Did they try to give you a hard time??

From what I'm reading here, it's possible to have the pouch "shrink" just by going on pure liquids for 2-3 weeks? I didn't know this, but I haven't been able to see my doc in about 3 yrs.

it feels as good as it looks. I've been on most of the rivers in the UP, we go out on Lk Superior at least once a week all summer. You will love it.

That's what I was thinking, I work in healthcare so I have some distant connections to that hosp. I think I'll give them a call Monday and see if they can take me on. I'm sure this happens frequently, I don't think I'm the first lap bander to move! Thanks for the reply.

Hi Patty, The idea is that weight loss does help with GERD, but I don't believe it will get rid of it all together. I have a patient right now, she's 90 and she's had GERD for many years, she's on all kinds of medication for it, and she is not overweight and never was. Sorry.