Firecallie

Great thank you and it was my abdomen

Thank you so much. And I will

Went today and got an unfill in hopes of fixing dilation. When I hold my 20 lb daughter now my stomach hurts plus Dr did not say liquids so I ate dinner now stomach is even more sensitive and irritated feeling. Should I have done liquids only? Is it ok to hold daughter? Did I damage my self?

Advice to fix dilation

Went today and got an unfill in hopes of fixing dilation. When I hold my 20 lb daughter now my stomach hurts plus Dr did not say liquids so I ate dinner now stomach is even more sensitive and irritated feeling. Should I have done liquids only? Is it ok to hold daughter? Did I damage my self?

These r great! Thank you please keep them coming

Please remind me of rules tips and tricks! I'm back on the bandwagon in the morning (well now but I'm about to go to bed for night)

I'm having trouble remembering to drink all my Water

I need to start over as well! I want to too. Restriction is okay I just forgot the rules

Got a fill praying it works!!!

Why is it liquid only after a fill? As to not upset stomach or does it affect how fill works

I think I stretched my pouch

Yes I go in tomorrow morning. Just want a game plan in mind. I dont know what to do. Been off wagon for years since they said pouch too big

So I was banded in 2007. Was hard to find sweet spot. Finally did. Then got too tight got reflux. Got unfill and was never the same. Now I have my daughter (3mo) and amazing but i've gained every pound back. Fills don't work. I think my pouch is too big up top. I don't want to go under the knife now that I have a little one and I cannot forsee myself doing a sleeve (for fear that I want another baby ad don't know that I would get enough nutrition. Plus I cannot afford to be out of recovery time.

Has anyone got band repositioned? Did it work? What was it like? How was recovery?

Garland, TX here Surgery done by Dr. Jayaseelan. He's great!

For me the band was reversable!

No cutting

and I know 2 people with the sleeve who has had SERIOUS problems with it.

I would look at it as a good thing. If it's possible then now you will have a better band then they had available 5 years ago (which is when I got mine). Plus insurance is willin to pay. Maybe it was a sign to wait. I think you should do what is in your heart. After seeing how your friend has been doing do you think it's worth it? If so, and your heart is telling you to move forward then I would do it!

Good luck

Hi Everyone.....I would like to formally introduce myself. I have been lurking around the messageboards for quite some time!

In 2005 my best friend and I travelled out of state to have the Lap Band procedure. We had researched the procedure for about a year prior to that. We were both self pay so we were looking for a surgeon with a good reputation while considering the cost. We had found our surgeon and were so excited to start our weight loss journey. We flew together out of state. Her mother met us the day of surgery and planned on keeping an eye on us while we recovered. The day of surgery came and I was first. Unfortunately and unexpectedly the surgeon perforated a hole in my stomach. He resorted to cutting my esophagus to wrap it around the portion of the stomach that was perforated to reinforce the perforation. I woke up to find out that the surgeon had to abort the procedure due to the perforation. Such a HUGE disappointment!!!! This was the first time the surgeon had perforated a stomach/had complications during surgery. My friend decided with her mom that she would go ahead with the surgery. They spoke with the surgeon and were assured that the chances of this happening is less than 1% and this was the first time something like this had occured. In the meantime I was in recovery not knowing any of this was going on. My friend had her surgery and it went smoothly. My husband flew to be by my side. A few days went by and her mother flew back home and my husband took care of the both of us. While I was so happy for my friend that she was doing great and her surgery went fine.....I couldn't help but feel sad for me.

After we were released from the hospital, my friend started not feeling well. She had a very hard time swallowing. Drinking fluids was very difficult for her. We stayed at a nearby hotel for a week so we could have our final appointment with the surgeon. She complained that she couldn't drink fluids but he dismissed her. I believe he was very uncomfortable with me considering what he had done during my surgery thus dismissing her so we would just leave.

My husband, my friend and I flew home. I told my friend that we would take her home and pick up her car at a later time from the airport but she insisted that she was fine and would be fine. Despite me pleading with her, she hopped in her car and I hopped in my husbands car. Driving on the major highway, she was right in front of us. About 5 minutes on the highway she crossed over the median and hit a tractor trailer head on. We saw the entire accident happen. We ran to her side where we found her unconscious.. They airlifted her to the hospital and we followed. In short, she had to have her hand amputed and is a quadrapalegic in a skilled nursing facility for the rest of her life. Such a horrible turn of events. I have been dealing with the guilt, anger and depression for 6 years now. I have finally gotten the nerve to write about our story.

I was told by that surgeon that the band would never be an option after this occurene.....tonight I went to a LOCAL seminar presented by a highly esteemed surgeon. I was given hope......he will review my records and decide if he would/could do the Lap Band surgery and if not...he will present me with all options. I am so conflicted considering what had happened.... For now all I can do is get my records and wait for the surgeon to review them.

I now have insurance that will cover weight loss surgery so that helps....but if given the "green light" can I actually go through with this? Am I crazy for even thinking about doing it? Was what happened 6 years ago a sign? After this ordeal I thought maybe I can do this on my own....I have tried. I had gained an additional 30lbs and recently lost 30lbs and I am exactly where I was the day of surgery. People say "you have to make the decision for you"....I don't know what to do though??? I wish I had the answer.

Hello, from Garland!

I kept it quiet. My mom knows, and my husband of course. That was going to be the only people that knew, but at one point 2 of my closest friends got worried that I was becoming anorexic. I told them that night they decided to have an intervention and they were very supportive! With everyone else, it's still a personal choice to keep it quiet. However, now I kind of wish I hadn't been so secretive.

So I have not had restriction in quite a while. I finally gave up on getting fills and stopped going for a few years. Well I recently went back and found out that I had 3.2 cc in my band (which holds a max of 4cc). He filled me to 3.4, did not get me to green zone so he filled me to 3.6. I don't know if it is going to take or not but he told me that if not, he will schedule me for an upper GI. Then he will fill me until my band is completely closed and then slowly unfill while I drink barium until i'm where I need to be.

It finally feels like there is an answer, i'm SO EXCITED!

I just got a fill Monday. I am at 3.4 cc and the max my band can hold is 4cc. I want to go back for another fill because i'm in the same boat but I am worried that he won't do it. Good luck and keep us updated on what's going on. You're not alone.

Wow! I wish I could help you. Truth is your story is almost EXACTLY like mine. In fact I recently came back to the board after a few years of being away. I got a fill last Monday and he said I had a lot in my band and he barely put in anything. I am calling back today to get another fill but I don't know if he is going to do it.

Good luck!

Hello other bandsters, I am so happy to be able to return to this site after so long away, and know that when I post something on here, I am going to get responses from people who actually KNOW how I feel, and what I am dealing with. I have so many people in my life that THINK they know . . . sad really, that they are totally oblivious to what a banded-person lives with on a day to day, meal to meal really, basis.

Here's my story: I was banded in February 2007 by the most wonderful, Dr. Hadar Spivak in Houston, and was very pleased with the aftercare he provided. I had several fills, both up and down, determined to get 'there' . . . I am certain I could have tried much harder to make my initial experience successful - straight talk: I still drink sweet tea, milk and dr. pepper (not diet) . . . I know crazy, and yes . . . I was a cash pay patient, so even the knowledge of how much money I spent, didn't really change anything.

I eventually dropped about 50 pounds and should have been THRILLED. But, being the over-achiever I am, it was never good enough. I even had a Tummy Tuck after about 50 pounds lost, but was never happy with the results of what I felt like was a pretty drastic surgery.

Post TT, I maintained my weight for several months, and as I said before - should have been extatic with my results, but deep down, I wasn't.

Fast forward a few months, and imagine the worst stomach virus you can . . . YEP! I got it . . . because of the insane amount of vomiting, I had to have an un-fill. That was in April 2008, and I have never had another successful day.

Gaining weight at a pretty steady rate, I became ashamed to go back and let Dr. Spivak see me - I was so embarrassed. And when I finally decided, 'Okay!! This is insane . . . I have the tool, but am OBVIOUSLY not using it correctly, I called to make an appt to go in, face him, and deal with the mess I had made.

Never have I been more shocked than when the receptionist said, 'Dr. Spivak retired.' I hung up in absolute disbelief, and went immediately to his website, and sure enough, this doctor who I trusted so much, was no longer available to me. Tears and frustration, all directed at myself.

A few days later, I was able to get in with a bariatric surgeon, who had apparently worked out an agreement with Dr. Spivak to see his patients. VERY long story: in a nutshell, he told me that there is no such thing as a 'thicker' solution to fill the band with, as Dr. Spivak had always said he was using, is this guy calling Dr. Spivak a 'liar' ?? Pretty sure, that'd be a 'yes.'

Ummm, okay . . . so he inserts the needle into my port (I had forgotten how badly I hated THAT), withdrew all of the Fluid, made me drink that stuff, and decided I could have .1 more cc than I already had. So, he said he filled me to 1.9 with the regular saline soution, and said that should do the trick.

Now, 4 days later . . . I do not think I have any restriction at ALL. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! Going back and forth like I did with Dr. Spivak is not possible for two reasons: 1. No relationship with this doc, and he does not appear to want to be in the room longer than he has to. I have a feeling more than a couple of questions would irritate him. 2. This guy charges $150 every stinkin' time you see him. So, if I call tomorrow and say that: 'I have no restriction' . . . Oh, they'll see me alright, for $150.

All of that is just my background. I got back on this site tonight because I want to DO IT this time, but I know I can't do it alone. I would love to hear from any fellow bandsters, and could sure use some encouragement and advice about how to . . . for lack of a better way to say it, 'start over.'

Thanks in advance for all of your input and suggestions, I look forward to them.

Gosh, I am so sorry this ended up so long!! I just wanted to put it all out there the first time. Thanks if you took the time to read all of that!! :-)

Signed,

Mommi-Hammi in Houston

So I went to fill dr. and he was suprised that I had 3.2 in my band without being in the green zone. He was hesitant but filled me to 3.4. I"m afraid if I go back he won't put any more in. What do I do? What should I tell him.

I agree, I switched because he was SO MUCH closer than my other dr. and a whole lot less busy. Easier to get in when I needed too. Guess I will be switching back!

So I went to a new Dr. for a fill today and he pulled out what I had in my band and said that it was mostly full already. He said I had the old band and it can only hold 4cc's and right now i'm at 3.4. Then he tried to convince me to convert to the sleeve. Could it be possible that my band can only hold 4cc? I got it about 5 years ago.

I realize that food is WAY to important to me. Almost an obsession. My meals are what I look forward to most every day. Thinking about what sounds good and what i'm going to have as opposed to what is healthy. I know i'm not alone out there, how did you change your mindset to where food is not an event or the thing to look forward to most that day?