starfish n coffee

That's just downright crazy and mean! I'm a fighter so I might have open hand slapped her in her mouth with my fat hand!!! Do people realize the struggle that brought us here? What we have to go through to get approved? Telling me to "just stop eating" is like telling a meth addict to " just quit meth"!!
That's why I've only told my husband, niece and y'all! My niece because she too is having WLS. I can't believe the nerve of some people!!
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I forgot about the million dollars in the bank. Add that to my list!

Willhenry you should not be eating after 5 days of surgery. Unless your doc said so. The inability to move bowels is going to be a minute. That's the residual of the anesthesia. Drink Water and give it time. I just started going well and I'm almost 7 weeks post op.

Dead on TMF!! I wrote in my introduction that i was not down for WLS at all! My doc mentioned and I was taken aback! One year later and many failed diets only to increase my bmi and gain sleep apnea and pre diabetes and another suggestion from my doc did i decide on the band. For the very reason you just mentioned. Had it not been for the band option i know i would not have had wls.
Well said tmf!!

When I was referred to my surgeon but my PCP, I was very pleased to know that my surgeon along with 2 other surgeons are the head of the Bariatric Center at the hospital. My surgeon only does Lap Band, another Bypass only and the the 3rd surgeon the sleeve. When I head my seminar my surgeon was the one who gave it. He spoke on all three procedures. He did state that he specializes and prefers the band because it does not deplete your Vitamins and the ability to absorb new Vitamin intake.
I personally opted for band becsusr like most have stated, i wanted NOTHING removed cut or rearranged. My cousin had the bypass and was very successful as well as a former coworker who did so well that i walked right past her at a seminar.
So i guess my point is choose the WLS that's for you. Its your body, your life, your decision.

Yes, this is the new normal for a while. Welcome to banderland.

I had my port revision procedure today. I was awake the entire time. Didn't feel a thing. They took out the mesh completely and attached the port directly to the fascia. They said it wasn't my fault that my port flipped within the first month and that it probably wasn't attached well in the first place. I got a fill if 4cc. Now we begin the process!!!

It's nothing your eating it is just the band getting used to not having so much food , I am almost 2 yrs out and still have the gas issues , I just tell and warn people that the and will be playing music and I have no control the music it plays, but it is my band lol, and you will also get some rumbling sounds sooner or later it is not because you are hungry it is just what it does, sometimes , it will tae a while getting used to and oh the mind games we go through is rough but we get through as long as you follow what your doc and post op diet says then you will notice change before you now it .

Please don't let this scare you, I'm learning how my band works.
The gas I feel is in my lower back. It's like I ate something that didn't agree with me, but them it moves up and down and OUT either way. Lol!

Thanks Bandista. I have the burps too, which I have to weirdly admit feel awesome! Lol! My husband is like that's real sexy, I'm like hey it comes with the band. :-) I plan on calling my nutritionist on Monday. Maybe it's something I'm eating.

Hey Bandits!
I am hoping that someone has an answer for me? I am 6 weeks post op, first fill was last Wednesday. 2cc in my 10cc band.....Everyday at lunch time when I eat, I get gas, not booty trumpet gas but the gas that travels through your tummy and in your back. Later that gas turns into mouth trumpet and booty trumpet gas. I must add that this first onset of gas is very uncomfortable.
Is this normal?

I've lost 60#. haven't had a fill since dec. don't know if this is the "green" zone or not. I just know that I feel great, continue to lose (slowly), and I can live with this.

A lack of morning hunger hits almost everyone who has been banded. The band seems to be a little tighter in the mornings for most all of us. This leads to a little pressure on the valgus nerve which in turn provides some satiety.
Most banders fall into the "Bandster Hell" phase of their journey within the first 30-60 days post op. Sounds like you're there? Bandster Hell is the time where your band is not adjusted properly and food can still travel through the stoma with little effort. You usually don't feel the satiety during this time and your hunger cravings can be enormous.
The first 6 months can be a time of many changes. What satiates you now may and will change as you progress. You should eliminate the words "full" from your vocabulary as a term that identifies having eaten enough. Satiety, satiation, satisfied are terms you look for now.
The band works different from other WLS techniques. The band helps us to feel less hungry with small portions of food. It's more voluntary than the sleeve or RNY. We have to pay close attention to the satiety signals such as, hiccups, yawning, runny nose, burps and of course, food on your plate is no longer appealing. Then, it's time to put the fork down.
You should want to avoid the "full" feeling. If you feel full, you've probably eaten too much. You want to feel satisfied with less food and stop eating at that time.
The only foods to avoid are processed foods like refined sugar, flour, fried foods and highly processed fast foods. Eating Protein food types like chicken, hamburger, seafood are a must. Vegetables are a must. High carb foods are OK in small quantities. Potatoes and rice are OK but in small quantities. Your doctor should have given you a manual or pamphlet explaining what to eat and not to eat?
Good luck and look for those satiety signals. They can be very very very subtle.

Congrats to you.. i reached my first milestone this morning also I'm exactly 50lbs lighter than i was when i started this journey i'm starting to think i can actually do this.
i can't imagine the joy you must feel at being off the meds though.. again Congrats and keep it up ..

my reason for wls became a reality. today my doctor took me off of insulin. still have to do the blood testing for awhile, but no more insulin. yippee!!

I gained about 80 percent of my prelap band weight back. I cant blame it on the band ! It was my lifestyle choices. I got married, went back to school (Nursing school at that). So I spent my time eating to stay awake and study and then just eating all together with very little physical activity. My pre band weight was 353 I got down to 253 in about 6 months. Got stuck around 253-255. That was 2 years ago. In my opinion the band is safer and it requires alot of commitment and accountability. If you eat bad and dont excercise you will gain every pound back and then some. I have finished school however, got back in the gym and scheduled to have a fill with my bariatric surgeon so we will see how much success I will have the second time around.

Dead on TMF!! I wrote in my introduction that i was not down for WLS at all! My doc mentioned and I was taken aback! One year later and many failed diets only to increase my bmi and gain sleep apnea and pre diabetes and another suggestion from my doc did i decide on the band. For the very reason you just mentioned. Had it not been for the band option i know i would not have had wls.
Well said tmf!!

I love doctors like that because after you lose your weight you can send him a picture and tell him to eat his own words now. Stupid ass doctors. If they are so much in love with the sleeve or by pass then they should have their own office and only see patients who want those surgeries.

When I was referred to my surgeon but my PCP, I was very pleased to know that my surgeon along with 2 other surgeons are the head of the Bariatric Center at the hospital. My surgeon only does Lap Band, another Bypass only and the the 3rd surgeon the sleeve. When I head my seminar my surgeon was the one who gave it. He spoke on all three procedures. He did state that he specializes and prefers the band because it does not deplete your Vitamins and the ability to absorb new Vitamin intake.
I personally opted for band becsusr like most have stated, i wanted NOTHING removed cut or rearranged. My cousin had the bypass and was very successful as well as a former coworker who did so well that i walked right past her at a seminar.
So i guess my point is choose the WLS that's for you. Its your body, your life, your decision.

I don't recall where I read this, and I don't know if it was a study or survey? But, many people who opt for the band, would never have elected to have any WLS had it not been for the band. I believe when I became interested I was only interested in keeping my body intact. Call me silly or call me an idiot, but that's just how I felt at the time.
Now, years later, I think I would look at all WLS options. But, I can understand the mental block to not having your body rearranged.
So, my point is, thank God for the band, as some people would go on dieting(and failing) if not for the band. And I do recognize that the other 3 options provide faster results with more weight loss on average.
tmf

thank you, my sentiments exactly. I have a very good rapport with my lapband doctor and I actually look forward to seeing him on a monthly basis. I need that connection to my surgeon for aftercare.My daughter on the other hand had the sleeve but her aftercare is minimal. She doesn't get weighed in monthly and she has no accountability to anyone but herself and she does not have a diet anymore. She eats what she wants and she actually gained weight the first month post op. She's losing weight now but she does not have to see her surgeon unless there's a complication. If I didn't have to see a doctor every month I do believe I would be on a care free diet and I'd probably gain weight. I'm happy with the band and the accountability I have with it.
That's not to say I'm against any other type of WLS. If it works for someone else all well and good but I chose the least invasive procedure and I'm happy with it. No changes for me!

When I was referred to my surgeon but my PCP, I was very pleased to know that my surgeon along with 2 other surgeons are the head of the Bariatric Center at the hospital. My surgeon only does Lap Band, another Bypass only and the the 3rd surgeon the sleeve. When I head my seminar my surgeon was the one who gave it. He spoke on all three procedures. He did state that he specializes and prefers the band because it does not deplete your Vitamins and the ability to absorb new Vitamin intake.
I personally opted for band becsusr like most have stated, i wanted NOTHING removed cut or rearranged. My cousin had the bypass and was very successful as well as a former coworker who did so well that i walked right past her at a seminar.
So i guess my point is choose the WLS that's for you. Its your body, your life, your decision.

People who have opted for more drastic surgeries will tell you all sorts of anti-band myths and stories. Truth of the matter is, we didn't undergo something irreversible yet are being equally successful in our weight loss journey. How many sleevers and bypassers will admit that they can't stop losing weight and often look sickly when they reach their goals? Do Al Roker and Star Jones with their freakishly big heads ring a bell to you? Meanwhile Randy Jackson (American Idol) and Monique (Comedianne) have bands and their bodies are in nice proportion and they are healthy. Don't let people scare or pressure you into something more extreme than is necessary. I've always been told to opt for the least invasive procedures possible. In the event that the band does not work for you, you can always opt for a more permanent solution. Please note: although with the sleeve, most of your stomach is removed, it can regenerate (although weaker) over time and with over eating. Keep these things in mind when weighing your options. I have friends with the sleeve who wish they had gotten the band.

Everyone's statements are right.. WLS is difficult no matter what you have. my experience has been positive. I have lost 60 lbs of the 75 I needed to lose. I feel like a million bucks.. I take 3 Vitamins a day.. B12, D & Multivitamin.. I do not live on Protein shakes and bars. I do not have dumping syndrome. Most people say I look much younger and that I look healthy . I belong to a support group and we have sleeve patients, bypass and lapband. In that group the sleeve people complain about what they can and cannot eat. How much dumping they have and frankly most don't look well. The bypass person is relatively quiet but now and then talks about their Protein drinks all day.. She has a drawn look but she had 250 lbs to lose so her skin is very saggy. I got the band because it is reversible. Hopefully I will continue to be successful with my band..

Dang it! I missed the drama again!