short c

After having my band for 14 months, I have recently started to get a ton of gas. Its really painful and nasty. Today pain under my solar plexus was so sharp I thought I would pass out in the bank. I'm going to have a defill and do fluids and have my band looked at under fluoro, because all this pain doesn't seem right

I've had the band just over a year and have been happy with it.yesterday I took some medication that I had a violent reaction _ I dry heaved and ultimately vomited a small amount of pinky stuff. Today what little I was able to eliminate,also had blood streaks in it.

What is the deal with vomiting when you have a lapband.Has anyone got any information on this? I wonder if the force of the dry heaves has compromised my stomach where the band is....

I'm doing clear liquids....

does anyone here have a direct cell number for either DR. Gonzalez or Valenzuela. I need to reach either of them pretty urgently. Please PM me with it....

I'm going to have to miss it as I have a business trip this coming weekend. But I will be with you guys in spirit. Keep up the good work.

The next Ottawa group meeting is this Saturday, January 5th, 10:30 am at Denny's on Merivale.

I know a few new people are also interested in joining us. Is everyone still planning to be there? Can we make a reservation at Denny's?

Looking forward to seeing everyone again.

I have 3.5 in a 4cc band. I started with 2.5 and it wasn't enough. I lost weight int he month post op and then stopped losing. After the second fill ( october 27) I've lost 16 pounds in 6 weeks. I pb whenever i forget to chew and I am 'tight' - I can't really eat in the morning, so I have a Protein Shake. lunch is small and dinner is about 1 - 1 1/2 cups of WELL chewed food -whatever I like. I some days have to work to get in 1200 calories.

I should have a bit of an unfill but for the most part this is working well for me . I am not hungry. Let me repeat that - I am NOT hungry - that really blows me away.

SWISS CHALET lunch is ON !!

I will 'hold ' a table under the name " Bandster" so all of you that are coming, just ask when you arrive. ANyone considering being banded and living in Ottawa is welcome to join us. WE are meeting tomorrow, November 24th at the Swiss Chalet at Carling and Kirkwood ( just off the Queensway) at 12 noon. It should be great! I look forward to meeting you all and getting some advice and sharing stories.

Again all are welcome,even if you have just been lurking and are considering this...

see you tomorrow!.

I'm pm'ing and emailing anyone I cna find on the Ottawa threads about this gathering. I hope that we can get a good group together. If you haven't posted and are lusend me an email message and or PM to let me know that you are coming.

OK Ottawa folks,

ANyone already banded or interested in talking to those of us in Ottawa who have been banded, I propose the following- Saturday November 24th at 12:00 noon at the Swiss Chalet at Kirkwood and Carling ( Hampton Mall) Its just off the highway. Please let us know if you are in!!!

OK Gang,

ANyone already banded or interested in talking to those of us in Ottawa who have been banded, I propose the following- Saturday November 24th at 12:00 noon at the Swiss Chalet at Kirkwood and Carling ( Hampton Mall) Its just off the highway. Please let us know if you are in!!!

THanks all. This morning I was down 1 1/2 pounds-Finally some movement. I suspect alcohol may be the culprit but I'd hate that to be true!

the only thing I'm losing is my mind!!! I've had a fill, am quite restricted and am tracking my food on Fitday- AND I'm being honest, I had my fill on about the 25th of October. I lost 8 pounds in as many days, since I could barely swallow anything until dinner time . In the past 2 weeks since the big loss, I've lost 1 measly pound..Some days I have had as little as 583 calories ( due to pb'ing and lack of hunger), and have maxed out at 1257 calories on a whooeee big day. I exercise ( curling 2 hour games) 3- 4 times a week and have felt weak at times. I am rarely hungry - what a concept, BUT I AM NOT LOSING WEIGHT!!!!:help::help:

admittedly I do have a glass of wine or two several evenings, but that can't be making me hold onto the weight-can it? I count the wine in my calorie count.

I went to see my family doc today and told her about the banding - about going to Mexico, which she was surprised about but quickly ok with when I told her about my research and rationale. SHe had no clue about nutrition stuff...but theorized that I wasn't getting enough calories. I think its too early for my body to go into shut down mode after only one week of calorie deprivation....

:guess any ideas?

HI all,

I have recently had my 2nd fill and now have 3.5 cc in a 4cc band. I cannot drink Water in the night. I cannot do anything but Protein shakes in the morning, mushies ( soup- purees) around lunch and real food chewed VERY well at dinner> at first I thought I was too tight, and that I'd have trouble getting enough nutrients, but I'm OK. I do a Protein shake int he morning and eat a Protein Peanut Butter bar sometime in the afternoon. I eat a chewable Vitamin in the morning and a chewable Calcium or two in the afternoon. I drink V* with lunch, which ( if I've had some tea a bit earlier) can even be something like tuna, but is usually beef vegetable Soup. SOmetimes I have a yoghurt for a snack. dinner is about 1 cup of food and tonight I even had some Pasta and it didn't get stuck.

The danger for awhile was that I was hungry in the evening and I would eat then. Now I have a BIG dinner of solids ( a cup or so ) and I'm so full I can barely move. I'm losing less quickly now that I'm pb'ing less, which is because I have figured out what works and doesn't.

Yesterday I tried to eat a wee piece of banana in the morning - just to see if it would go down- nope - it came back up.

Currently I'm ok with this level of restriction, but will see how it feels as I carry on. I am seeing a 1-2 pound loss per week. Of course I think it should be WAY more, given how little I am eating.. but it is what it is.

Good morning... Is this the Dr.Ortiz that you had the good experience with???.....

Ariel Ortiz Lagardere, MD FACS

I am still in the research process...I am glad for this thread with out all the "hub bub" as on the other one...it kinda scared me off...

Hi Wanna run free,

I am a patient of Ortiz's - that is , I was banded by him several months ago. I don't consider myself to be his patient because I am out of sight and therefore out of mind. The operation was fine, I think, but the whole thing did feel like an assembly line. A patient that was banded by him that day never even talked to him - not before or after her surgery. Odd.

Afterwards there was no follow up - at all. No calls, no emails, nothing. I was delivered to the hotel, and picked up to go to the border the next day by the driver. I got great follow up from a doc in Mexico that I almost went with, whose clinical doc contacted me a week post op to see how I was doing!!! I continue to be in touch with him and get great follow up advice from him.

I recently recommended that a friend of mine NOT go to Ortiz because of the lack of aftercare. ( She went to the other guy in Tijuana and had a good experience) About a month after my surgry, I contacted Ortiz ( and he did call me back - from the gym). I asked about the after care and he said ( and this is a quote) " We looked at it and decided that follow-up isn't cost effective" I was stunned. This in a field where there are risks to the patient if there is no follow-up. Perhaps Mexican doctors can't be sued. For sure, I had to sign some document ( in Spanish!!!!) releasing him and his clinic from any liability.....should something go wrong.

Anyhow, I had thought he was a good surgeon based on the excellent marketing job he has done- right from the (paid) informercial interview on his website to his book, I assumed I would get great care. I hope that technically I got a good surgery.

I have since learned that the band he put inside me was an old one- the fill doc said he must have been using up an old stockpile.... This is irritating because newer ones were available that have smaller softer ports and I have to live with this hard thing- because he was cutting corners.

I asked for a video of my surgery ( which many docs routinely provide) and I was sent a 20 second clip of the band being positioned, rather than a full 30 minute video of the surgery. I needed it to show my doctor here at home for other medical reasons and the thing that was sent was useless. Why doesn't he routinely provide full videos like other docs do?

So my experience post op has not been positive- not life threatening or anything - just not positive. I now would have concerns about any docs who do not have a dedicated staff person in place taking care of patients post op, who do not have a post op follow-up system/schedule in place.

Giving you a phone number to call if 'you' think something is wrong is not follow-up, unless you are a board certified MD and are well versed in signs and symptoms of post surgical problems.

While there has been some talk about stats on other threads - I have come to see them as a red herring. As you are making your decision, talk to the clincial docs that support the surgeons themselves, not the patient coordinators, whose job it is to sell you.Ask what the followup regime is - get specifics. If they are vague- beware. There are certainly some docs to stay clear of- those who have not done many surgeries ( and those who just do lap bands). I think its useful to have someone with a broad range of surgical experience- someone who teaches surgical ( and laproscopic) techniques, because if something comes up during your surgery , you want someone who had lots of general surgery experience who has seen it all, done it all. The lap band operation is pretty easy by operation standards, I've been told. ALso important though is someoen who has been doing it for awhile, since the way in which the operation is being done has changed over the years. (Now they stitch the band into place to reduce slippage risks.)

anyhow, those are someof my opinions on the Ortiz question.I'm hoping he's a good surgeon.The post by vicky is certainly concerning. I can't say that I'm surprised.

Newblew is right, always look at the bright side, half a fritter! Excellent!

Optimism before anything. It's helped me get through the toughest spots.

If you re like me, before the band it would have been a fritter, a donut and a cruller, because it was important to taste them all- wouldn't have wanted to miss out on a single taste experience.

Now, our ability to have little tastes, small portions, 1/2 portions is a gift!

Also I think its part of the journey- its important that we don't feel deprived. I want to be able to eat what everyone else eats- except in smaller portions.

Right now I'm quite tight - can only do liquids in the morning, mushies in the afternoon and small portions of real food, as long as its moist in the evening.

I had a fill with DR. G in late October.

I wasn't banded by him, but have switched to him for my aftercare, and am quite impressed by his team.

I've lost some weight now since the fill ( 10 pounds) which is good as I had plateaued after my first fill.:whoo:

I'm doing some research on lap bands and aftercare for a project that I am involved with. If any of you DR. G patients are willing to talk to me about your experience, could you PM me with your contact info.:help:

I'm a friend ( read my other posts). I ran into NM Sunshine when I was getting my fill , so she can vouch for me.

HI all, I had my second fill and am definitely feeling restriction. Need to watch the consistency of what I eat and slow way down.

But Aza, I have heard and read that sodas ( anything carbonated is a no no as the carbonation stretches the pouch and is bad after any kind of bariatric procedure. My doctor said to stay away from it for 6 months to a year.

How's everyone doing? I just got my third fill so I'm hoping to finally start feeling some real restriction. I've been drinking soda without any problems but when I tried to take a sip tonight it hurt going down. No more soda for me!

Completely unacceptable. File a complaint.

with whom?

As far as I know no insuracne in Canada covers this ( except the provicne of Quebec- go figure) unless you have BMI of over 40 and significant co-morbidities.... and even so most still don't cover bariatric surgeries....

I have heard that Allergan has a patient specialist that knows about insurance companies- you could connect with them.

I have Sunlife coverage through my employer. Anyone had any luck for coverage in Ontario canada for the lapband procedure?

Tracey

Has been a rough 6 weeks with a fill of 3.7 but I still continue to to lose 3 to 4 lbs a week I had a fill of 3.5 and did not lose a pound in 4 mos . I could eat anything, I first had a fill of 3.9 and was to tight so had unfill of .2cc and with the current 3.7 I can keep down liquids and take in protien but with the mushies i seem to vomit up I seem to have alot of mucus vomit been in a cycle vomit alittle swelling and back to full liquids tell the swelling goes down then i am able to eat fish and no doubt something will not agree and back to full liquids tell swelling is gone ... very fine line here. Was hoping some of the fat would come off around the band to help losen it up but that has not yetHappen any suggestions why I have alot of mucus on some days like i need to vomit it up in order to eat food.. anyone have the same problem i had my hitial hernia also worked on at the time of banding.

Lisa

wow - this does not sound good!. It sounds as though you're too tight if you can't eat solids at all. The band is meant ( I thought- but I'm a newbie so what do I know) to work by limiting the amount of solids we can eat, not by having to eliminate them. What does your doc say about this? 3-4 pounds a week is great - I'm sure, but it sounds like you are really having a rough go of it to get there. I had a hernia repair too, but I don't believe it would be a factor in throwing up.

I met a woman the other day when I went for my first fill. She was having 1/2 cc removed because she was experiencing what you are describing.. Maybe 1/2 cc unfill would help.

Is re-using the fill needle an accepted practice? I went for my first fill and the fill doc said that the next time he'd save my needle. Strikes me that it would be unhygenic......:paranoid

Anyone else experienced this?

Also does anyone know if the needles used to fill swedish bands are the same ones used to fill inamed bands?

Yeah that normal! my 4cc band is at 2.4 and it's perfect! At 2.0 I could eat almost anything I wanted.

I got my first fill early in the week and have had the not so great expereicne of now pb'ing 3 times in 5 days. But if I chew well I can still eat a fair bit of food.

I'm also having trouble giving up my wine with dinner, even though I managed fine for a month after the surgery ( and lost 15 lbs-hmmmm...)

anyhow, I'm worried if I get more of a fill, I'll pb more,even though its clearly related to when I don't chew well enough

any advice?

I just had my first fill this past monday and have experienced 3 pb's so far- not chewing enough!!!!! Very not fun!

but I also don't have a sense of a smaller stomach, in that if I chew well I can still eat a good amount of food- almost as much as before the band. I have 2.5 ccs in a 4cc /10cm inamed band. My weight loss has stalled since I went onto solids.

Has anyone been to Dr. Ortiz, in Tijuana?

Yes, I was banded in mid August. It was fine but there is no follow-up and he is arrogant. He told me a few weeks later thta 'follow-up is not cost effective."There are lots of good docs in TJ, some of whom show a real commitment to followup. I also recently learned that the band he put in me is an older version - he must have a stock pile that he is working through.I didn't know about the poor followup when I booked and based on my experience would not have gone to him, if I knew then what I know now.

Having said that - it was fine- and if you've already committed you will be fine. Just make sure that you set up some aftercare back home. Where do you live?

Feel free to PM me if you want more info- I have what I think is an interesting story to tell

same experience for me. I was generally sore at my sternum, by my port and then had nasty gas pains for about 10 days.

Call your doc though and describe what you're feeling to make sure.

Does anyone know of Canadian docs that do fills under fluoroscopy? And if so, will they do patients of other docs? I've read that its good to get fills done this way - at least the first one... does anyone have any opinions on this?

:behindsofa:I've been lurking here for several days. I've wanted to post but I have so much I'd like to say I'm afraid I might post a novel and wasn't sure I had the time to write it or if you would have the interest to read it.

I LOVE ALL of your posts! I started searching Lapbandtalk this spring for a thread just like this one to no real avail. Thankyou for starting this. :yo:

I am 5'2" and down to 165 with an original goal of 139.

I also have a Tummy Tuck scheduled for October (YEAH!!!) :whoo:

I can relate to everyone of your posts. My secret belief I am still SO FAT goes far enough that I've been afraid to post here for fear one of you will secretly think I still have too much weight to lose to belong on this thread. (Now who is crazy?) :car:

One of my problems these last few months is I just have no idea how much more weight I need to lose. I set a 139 goal based on a combination of the least I needed to lose to get to a "normal" BMI combined with the fact that I always dreamed that I could get down to the British equivalent of 9-Stone X-Pounds. (Where each stone is 14-pounds.) But now I'm down to a size 10 and part of me thinks why can't you just be happy where you are? I'd like to think that once I get the tummy tuck I can be satisfied no matter what the weight is. And I HIGHLY doubt that the surgery is going to remove the 25+ pounds I still need to lose to get to that original goal.

:pout:In so many ways I feel so alone. My band-friends that aren't as far as me yet are starting to treat me like one of those "skinny" women who they hate for complaining about their weight. They try to be nice but I still feel like I can tell it hurts them that I still don't think I've reached my goal. As for my non-banded friends, they are competely sick and tired of hearing about my struggles. I can't even say one sentence remotely related to my weight or the band without my husband asking if I would "drop it already" and yet he still asks from time to time if I need another fill because he thinks it looks like I haven't lost any more for a while.

Then their are the people on the street. I just don't have a clue what they are thinking. I still am convinced the "normal" sized ones are thinking I'm a plus size but then the people who really do need to shop in the plus size department are giving me those same "She doesn't belong with us" looks too.

Lately I've been obsessed with the idea of asking strangers their opinions. I haven't done it yet mind you just obsessing over it. Problem is I don't think I'd believe anyones positive responses. I'd just think they were being polite. That's when I came up with a truly "Cunning Plan" :madgrin:(reference-Black Adder Fans) maybe there are others out there in Lapbandland like me who would be interested in exchanging photos. We could ask all our friends what they thought of this "strangers" photos and share the responses we got. That way we wouldn't have to worry about the responses just being "polite".

If by some chance one of you don't think I'm completely off my rocker, let me know. I'll show yours if you show mine. :spy: :heh:

hey Ghost and others,

I've been lurking on this thread. Its very interesting!

I have a long ways to go, but I think the head game is key. The reason I got fat and stayed fat on and off is that my head works in the opposite way. Even heavy, I look in the mirror and see someone that is thinner than myself, and I deliberately select mirrors that support that view ( warped ones, waist up ones) and avoid ones that contradict my firmly held belief that I am just a bit above normal. I am always SHOCKED when i see myself in a store window, or real mirror and see this fat person there. In the past when I've lost weight and got to normal size ( OK - above normal, but not hugely obese) I would walk around feeling on top of the world because I was skinny,and then feeling so skinny, would feel like I could give myself permission to eat just that one thing - that treat. And back up I would go- back to my land of denial.

so that's one thought I wanted to contribute and want to know if any of you used to feel this way.

Also, Ghost, you were expressing that you want to know what other people think about you and your weight,or that you are concerned by what other people think. I think we have to get to the place where we really don't give a darn what anyone else thinks about our bodies.We are for the first time in a long time ( if you're like me) taking care of our bodies, and loving ourselves enough to do that. Let's own that for ourselves and NOT give our power away to anyone else. Do you like the changes that you see? DO you want to be even thinner or stay where you are now? Its YOUR choice. You can choose to stay where you are now and maybe change your mind in a few months, or .... whatever you want.

I think that those of us who grapple with weight do so mostly because of the head stuff.Sure some people have metabolism issues and medical reasons for being overweight, but as all of you describe here on this thread, we have fat thinking and an unhealthy relationship with food.

I attended Overeaters Anon a few years ago, and their stuff is all about the thinking , and the concept of addiction to food as something that comforts us when we are stressed. They have a saying - if you don't face your stuff, you'll stuff your face. The band stops us from stuffing our face, thereby helping us not abuse food to smooth out our emotions , but I realise that it doesn't solve the base issues.Those we need to work on separately to be truly free.

I expect if anyone did a survey they's find that most people with eating problems and overweight have stuff from their past, or huge challenges in their present that they are stuffing down.

So back to you Ghost - you look great! I wish for you that you get to feel as great inside as you look on the outside. You are an inspiration to me.

So are you, bubblebutt - I like alot of what you post. I hope you can get comfortable enough with yourself to show us some pics -because we will not judge you... .:clap2: