futurbander2007

bhahahaha this thread cracks me! The title to the tread should have been an indicator about what was going on in here, don't want to read it? stop opening it:thumbup:

Good luck tomorrow! I wish you a quick recovery:thumbup:

I have had numerous fills and missing the port has never been an issue. They have hit the side of my port but the nurse knew instantly that she had missed and took another stab at it. My dr also requires that when you go in for a fill they completely withdraw all the fluid to check your level and then put it back in plus .25cc so they always know they are in. But even if the saline is floating around inside your body no harm will come from that. Your body will just re-absorb it. I would have your dr. check your fluid level just for piece of mind.

I know the frustration you are feeling right now. But I must tell you that the first few weeks are more about healing than losing weight. I went into surgery 189lbs cam home weighing 196lbs. Talk about being frustrated! It took me a few weeks to get that water weight off and to finally see the scale move in my favor. Hang in there and you will see results. Just keep following your doctors orders and continue to drink your protein. Good luck and I hope this gives you a little piece of mind

Oh how I do LOVE the stupid comments! This is the exact reason I have kept my surgery to myself. People just don't get exactly how hard it is with the band. 2 yrs out and I still have bad days. Days when the band and I are not friends and it gives me nothing but trouble. Some days eating something that should go through with no problem ends up giving me 30 min. of pain. But without the band I would still be 189lbs and dealing with a butt-load of health problems. Did I take the easy way out? Maybe. But to me it saved my life and made me a better friend, mother, wife, sister, daughter. My reaction to this comment is let them be haters! Someday when all their head issues are worked out and they are perfect then they can judge us. Until then, they can keep their ignorant mouths shut.

Hello from Washington to you too. My initial consultation was meeting with my PCM to get a referral to general surgery. A general health assessment and going over any comorbidities and to see if I was a canidate for the procedure. A ton of paperwork and certan things that had to be done before going to general surgery. It was 3 yrs ago and maybe things have changed but that was my initial consult. Hope this helps. Where in Washington are you?:smile2:

I too an an Army wife with Tri-care prime. There really was not a lot that I had to do get my band. It was as simple as meeting with my PCM, getting the referral to general surgery, going to a few nutrition classes, and meeting a psychiatrist. That was it. I feel so bad for the people who have to go through this long drawn out process to get their lives back. I was on the low end of the BMI scale and honestly I don't think I would have qualified for the surgery in the civilian world. But because the Lap-Band was so new to our post they were pretty willing to give it to anyone who wanted it. I am not saying that is a good thing, but it has given me my life back. I have done extremely well with the band but some other people who had it done around the same time I did are having problems with it. Not with the band itself but with the whole idea of following the "rules" Looking back on the last 2 yrs and how far I have come and how much my fellow Lap-Banders here on post have struggled I think there should be more involved with getting the band. It seems like they are giving it to anyone and everyone whether or not they know what they are getting into. So many of the others want a revision to the sleeve or gastric bypass. Like that is going to be any easier for them. I just think the selection process needs to be reviewed. But on that note I hope to talk more with my fellow military wives. Thanks for starting this thread! Have a fantastic week everyone!!

It sounds to me like you had already made up your mind, good for you! I have been banded almost 2 yrs and I do love it. Don't get me wrong there are good days and bad days, but that's with anything. Do your research and find the right tool for YOU. I have never heard that about losing only 40lbs. I was on the low end of BMI's and I still managed to lose over 80lbs in roughly 10 months. I have also maintained my current weight for a year. Please look deeper into the surgery and make the choice you are comfortable with. Good luck and take care

Funny thing about this topic! I did name my band several weeks after being banded and some people find it strange to name it. So a little background on the name before I tell you so that you don't think I am some kind of weirdo! First, I have been banded almost 2 yrs and at around 3 weeks or so after surgery I noticed that my band made these gurgling noises. I wasn't hungry or anything and at first I just dismissed it. But my stomach has a way of making that noise at the craziest times and honestly it can become embarassing at times. Anyways, I named my band "Gabby" I chose this name because she always "talks", you know the type I am talking about. People who "gab" all the time.:redface:

My port had tilted but didn't cause concern or further surgery. The nurses just have to manually tilt it down to access it. It happened within the first 6 weeks after surgery. I am now coming up on 2 yrs post op and no problems

Mine sticks out quite a bit and honestly it doesn't bother me. My surgeon can shorten the tubing and replace the port if I was concerned over this but no complaints here. It doesn't hurt or get in the way and I am the only one who notices it anyway so why go through the process to shorten the tube?

Hi, I too am an Army wife stationed at Ft. Lewis. There were several reasons I chose the Lap-Band over the bypass. But one reason in perticular. 3 weeks before I had my surgery my best friend went in for bypass. Shortly after her surgery began the surgeon nicked her vena cava and she started bleeding out. They ended up opening her from breast bone to pubic bone to find out where the bleeding was coming from. She ended up losing 8 pints of blood before it was all done and over with. She is so emotionally messed up from the whole ordeal even a year and half after wards. But aside from that I liked the fact that it's not a "one size fits all" deal. I like that it's adjustable and if weight loss slowed or stop or I became extremely hungry and little fill would take care of it. I had to wait for my surgeon to get back from deployment as well before I could have mine done. But after all the appointments and the "pathway" I finished right before he came back. So it worked out really well for me. Since the band was brand new here and only one dr. was certified to do it I was the second one here on post that he performed the surgery on. Let me tell you I was scared as hell to have him do it but Madigan Army Medical Center brought in a second surgeon from the Northwest Weight Loss Clinic to assist in the first 5 bands placed. So I recommend waiting the few months to have a highly recommended surgeon perform yours. I have been banded 18mths and I have not had any complications at all. I reached goal weight 9 mths out and have since lost an additional 20 lbs. So I wish you the best of luck in your future that you make the right decision-for yourself. Take care and sorry to ramble on

My first assessment was more than 2 yrs ago and I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was a bundle of nerves and thought at the slightest side-way look from my surgeon I would burst into tears. Like the post before me said, please take a deep breath and TRY to relax. The Lap-Band was by far the best thing I ever did for myself. There has not been one time that I have regreted my decision. To date I have lost over 80lbs that I could not do on my own. I'm not going to say that it has been easy or that the weight has just fallen off. Not only did I lose the excess weight I carried around but I also gained a new life that I thought I would never have back. If you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to write me. But a huge congrats on taking the first step to a healthier you!!!

please listen to your surgeon, eating too soon can be dangerous! you need to let your pouch heal completely and slowly re-introduce food back into your body. chicken is just way to hard on your pouch, it requires too much churning in your stomach to be eaten 5 days post-op. hang in there, it's only the beginning and it does get better. best wishes

Wow! That is a lot of exposure. I have had a total of 8 fills and I have never been exposed. My doctor or nurse simply finds my port and injects. No big deal I am in and out of there in 5 min. (except for the 15 min. they make me sit there after, waiting to see it if it's too tight) I would really ask your surgeon if it is going to be like this everytime. Good luck!!

Thank you for posting this. I too have often wondered the same thing. Having been banded 18mths ago and having to fight for it I just don't understand how or why it woundn't work. I had reached my original goal 9 mths post op and have since lost and additional 20 lbs. I am not going to sit here and say that I have followed the plan exactly as I was taught but I knew when to stop eating around it and get back on track. I too have tried every plan under the sun and having spent SO much money on these plans I opted for the lap-band. It was the best decision I made for MYSELF and I am so happy with my results. I will keep checking this thread to see exactly where the problems came from (other than medical reasons) Thanks again for posting this.

I am on day 2 of the 5dpt. So far so good, the only problem is, is that I have had this nagging headache since I have cut the carbs out. I've tried to get it to go away but no luck it's still there. I guess I didn't realize just how many carbs I was eating until I gave them up. I guess it's a good thing. I needed an awakening to get myself back on track. I am not looking to lose much more weight but I would LOVE to have that feeling of my pouch back. Good luck to all of you, we are all in this togather and we will succeed!!

I personally like the muscle milk powder. I think the pre-made bottles are just too think and I have a hard time with those. But the chocolate is really my favorite

My surgeon also put in 3 cc's right away. I didn't get a feeling of restriction until I had 5.25 cc's in. Which was 6 weeks after surgery. Hang in there:thumbup:

I have a tat on my foot as well. I had it done about a year before I was banded. Weight loss has actually made it look better. I (sad to say) have actually went down a size in shoes, didn't realize I had gained weight in my feet as well as everywhere else. Anyways, I have a lizard on the top of my left foot. The cool thing about it is that my little sister and I got the same tattoo and we got them done togather. I have numerous tattoos that were all done pre-band and they all still look really good. I was smart and didn't tattoo around my arms or anywhere near my stomach. Good luck

Sounds to me like you had a panniculectomy instead of a tummy tuck. The difference between the two is the panniculectomy is used only to remove excess skin and the tummy tuck is to remove excess skin and tighten the muscles. I say this because you said you have an anchor scar and that is the typical scar of the panniculectomy, most tummy tucks do a simple bikini cut. I would start being pushy with your doctor and find out exactly what procedure you haddone. Good luck to you in your recovery!!

WOW! You sure have gone through hell to get where you are today. I want to welcome you to the group and please let me know if you need any emotional help along the way. I was banded Jan. 30, 2008 and made the decision to not tell anyone that I did it. Thanks to all the very helpful people on this site I have become a success story. So in light of all that, I want to offer you any support you may need. Good luck to you before, during, and after your surgery!!!