cutlass6521

My experience with alcohol (wine) and the lapband is that I don't feel the effects of the booze immediately. Then like someone flipped the switch and I am bombed, almost passed out (have passed out). I also purchased an alcohol breath testing machine. It takes 3 times as long to the booze to leave my system as my husbands when having the same amount of drinks. The machine will read triple zeros for him and I will have a .045 blood alcohol level. We are wondering with the band is the alcohol residue is staying above the band longer.

I recently started seeing a doctor that has a handle on the band concept. Before, I was doing yo-yo fills and defills. She explained there is a fine line between under filled and over filled. I had to remove all fluid because the acid reflux was so bad I couldn’t even sleep. Tests were performed and you could see the first sip of fluid would go down. A big sip of liquid backed up, burped and then went down. Way too tight. The doctor started refilling slowly. Now my latest fill was .1 of a millimeter. Things are getting back on track.

Four years ago the surgical group that installed my band, only performed this surgery. They now perform the gastric sleeve as well. The last time I visited one of the surgeons in their group I asked which was really better...the band or the sleeve. He said from a patient perspective the band was a wonderful tool because it can be tailored/adjusted to each individual. He believes it really does work, if the patient listens to what it is telling you. He also said there is a movement towards the sleeve. He said the slogan used by surgeons today is "sleeve em & leave em" I guess it is a cost of aftercare, a nurse to perform fills etc.

For the past year I have been having my band filled and defilled with fluid. I will have a session of stuck episodes, then episodes of uncontrolled hunger. I don't understand why this is happening. I have had xray tests and sometimes it shows fluid slow to go down and other times it is okay. Has anyone else had this problem with their band? I am looking for clues as to why I am having this grief

I was banded in January 2014. Everything was going great up until about 9 months ago. I has .2 cc of Fluid added and I would have days of feeling very tight, then days of ok. I went back to the surgeon and he took .5cc out about 3 months ago.. I was ok, until a week ago. Now for no reason at all everything is getting stuck. My rings are loose and I don't feel swollen. I have been tested for the band placement, nothing has moved. Does anyone know what is causing this? How can you go from eating everything ok to extreme tight without an adjustment?

Hello, I had my surgery with Smart Shape in Jan 2014 at the Mississauga office. For some ridiculous reason-Alberta Health-my BMI was too high to have surgery in Alberta, but ok in Ontario. On the flip side, I think it was good to go to the head office in Mississauga to have the procedure. I had a chance to meet the staff, nurses, dietician, and Dr Cobourn. All the administrative was smooth for me, the after care, webinars etc all good. Booking my fills at first went through the head office, now in Calgary you can contact the nurse direct and book your appointment. Very helpful and informative. If you are looking for medical advise after the surgery....don't contact Smart Shape. I believe they are not allowed to give their insight into any issue you may be having. According to them, nothing is related to the surgery or the changes in your body due to the weight loss. The standard answer is ...book an appointment with your family doctor. That being said, if there is a bariatric surgeon affiliated with Smart Shape in your area, you will be referred to that doctor for a follow up Good luck in your weight loss journey.

The one food I miss since being banded is spaghetti and meatballs. Tried this carb friendly version, 5 strands of spaghetti noodles with zucchini and long squash. 3 cups zucchini and long squash slivered ( I used a veggie peeler) 1/2 c diced onion 2 cloves garlic chopped 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1/4 c white wine (or water) 1 c diced tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes) 1/4 c parmesan cheese 1 tsp olive oil pinch of salt pepper to taste Add onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and oil to a skillet. Saute until onions are soft. Add mushrooms and brown. Deglaze pan with white wine, add zucchini and cook to soften. Add tomatoes to warm. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve. Makes 3 servings at approx. 114 calories/serving. I added 5 strands of cooked spaghetti, 1/4 cup of marina sauce and 2 meatballs to my dish to give it the Italian Pasta night feel.

I eat between 1200 and 1300 calories per day. under a 1000 and your brain does not function properly. if I happen to eat a little too much I go for a walk. don't forget about the Water. I personally hate the stuff, but plain water helps drop the weight. I have no idea how it works, but it does.

I follow about 95% of the rules. Life happens and I learned not to stress. if friends want to go out for pizza, I go and enjoy a couple pieces of thin crust pizza. Big deal! We got this band for life and the idea was to teach us not to consume food to excess, but to learn how to eat normally. I still weigh all my food, it is more of a habit than a necessity. Yes, I hop on the scale every morning, gotta keep myself honest. More importantly, you have to do what works for you!

Hello I had Dr Cobourn perform my surgery in January 2014 He is very honest. This is not a miracle cure. You must follow the rules! As one lady says on this site, "A compliant bandster is a successful bandster". I have kept this thought in my mind throughout the past 12 months The staff are wonderful and very helpful. Keep in mind they cannot give medical advise that only your family doctor can give you. If you need nutritional advise, guidance etc they have it there for you. Do All the webinars. Very helpful to get you on the right track. Go back and redo them if you feel confused. I have lost over 100 pounds since my journey began jan 2014. It had its ups and downs. Just like the trans Canada highway has a few potholes too. Lol My only regret....not doing this sooner. Good luck

Recently found this program called W5 from Canada. It follows 2 teenagers and their Quest for weight loss. The sleeve is gaining popularity among the medical profession. I have added the link to the show. http://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=522642&playlistId=1.2169271&binId=1.811589&playlistPageNum=1&binPageNum=1

I use the fitbit in conjunction with my fitness pal. it keeps me honest. I can look back each week ad see how lazy I really am

this is just an observation, but how much bread and cheese are you eating? Bread expands when Water is added and cheese is very binding. Would you put a piece of bread and cheese down your kitchen sink drain and add water? My suggestion is to go back to the basics on eating. Lean Protein and cooked veggie. Skip all the refined carbs and high fat cheese.

I too have heard not to mix this supplement with blood thinners including the 81mg aspirin. I am starting to think it would be better to include more real fish in my diet