COSkinnyGirl

I am having complications with my band and will likely need to have it removed. I will know more this week, but am about 90% sure that will be the end result. I have lost over 85lbs and I feel so good. I have been in therapy and still am to deal with some of my eating issues. There is a part of me that feels like I can keep it off myself, but the other part of me is absolutely scared to death. Is there anyone out there that has managed to keep the weight off after removal of their band? Thanks...

Update... It turns out that I did not have to have the band removed. It was simply too tight and my esophogus had dilated causing some pretty ugly issues. My port which I thought had flipped, actually had not, so my new doctor (Snyder-Denver), unfilled me completely and I was fine. I can start to refill in 4-6 weekish. I have been completely unfilled for about 3 weeks and am managing to keep my weight stable. I am pretty excited about that. I told Dr. Snyder that I wanted to try and keep it off myself and he encouraged that. I think I can do it. That said, the confidence is high because I know I can re-fill it if I begin to put weight back on. Anyway, I just wanted to let people know it can be done, at least so far. I know that doesn't help people who did end up having the band removed as there is nothing to fall back on. I will continue to update whether or not I do end up refilling.

Does anyone know a surgeon in the Denver area that will accept out of town patience? I was banded back in 5/2008 in Austin, TX and am now in Denver full time. I have called a couple, but none of them will take out of town patients. I don't even need a fill. I think my port has flipped and I also think that my band may have slipped so I definitely need a surgeon to look at it. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

I am 5'6"ish and I weigh about 162. I am in an 11/12 juniors as well. I just bought my first pair of size 11 juniors jeans. I am in a 10 regular. Although, I will say it depends on the cut of the clothes, sometimes I have to buy a 12 regular...

Agreed JMS... I actually think I am a a bit too tight and need to be unfilled a tiny bit.

My closet full of clothes - it is so empty now My fear that everyone in the gym is asking what in the world that girl is doing here. My need to compensate with humor so people would like me - I realize now how much I relied on that. My chins My fear of calf high boots (they all fit now... My fear of shopping My fear of tank tops

Follow your gut... If you are happy with the rate you are losing and the amount of restriction you have then I wouldn't have one. I only got filled every couple of months and it took me almost a year and a half to lose 70lbs, but that was ok with me. Do what feels right for you and don't let people pressure you into losing weight faster than you are comfortable with.

Girl... I will be 40 in March and I look better now than I did in my 20s as well... Doesn't it feel great?! You go get em girl! Congrats!

I can wear a size 10 CK jeans! I haven't been able to do that since high school. I can see my collar bone... I got my knee high boots zipped up all the way and there was even room left over! YEAH! I have had those boots for 5 years and was keeping them until I could get into them!

I break a lot of them too... Soda doesn't bother me, although I don't drink it much. I always drink with meals too... I can't help it. I can't drink a lot, but I do. Prior to surgery, I would seriously drink 3-4 glasses of water with meals easily and it's just a habit I haven't let go of completely...

I am also tight in the morning. If I go slow and chew really thoroughly, I can get food down, but I have more recently started doing protein shakes in the morning because of the tightness. I also have a problem with milk... I hadn't heard the cold thing before. I don't have a problem with ice water or anything like that, but I do with milk, it's 1% so it's not like it's whole milk, but it must be the thickness or something...

I'm 5'5" and currently 165. I don't remember all the way through but this should give you a rough idea 230 - 16/18 - 1X tops 195 - 14 - Large tops 165 - 10 (mostly) - Large tops

I'll just apologize in advance for being gross... OK... I was banded just over a year ago and my last fill was December. I am only down 60lbs (which I am so happy about) but am not ready to be filled again. I think my issues will get worse if I do... About March, I started having some acid reflux issues, I guess. I woke up one night nearly choking to death due to backup and then proceeded to cough so hard that I ended up getting sick. I do have to say that night I had eaten later than normal and gone to bed soon after. I realize you that's a no no and frankly that's really the first time I had done it and paid the price. However... now it seems to be happening pretty frequently even though I am not eating late and not going until bed 2-4 hours after I eat. I am waking up a couple nights a week nearly choking to death. As a result, my gag reflex has also gotten more sensitive. The acid reflux has not only gotten worse at night. It also happens much more frequently during the day as well. It doesn't happen all the time, but I have been unable to pinpoint a particular food that triggers it. Anyway, I just wondered if anyone else has had these issues and what you do about them? I am going to be forced to eat dinner at 5pm every night?

Completely agreed!! I still struggle with my emotional eating too but do have the luxury of not gaining when I do it... :blushing:

I was down about 45 lbs after 1 year, but I fought my band, I think, for a long time. I mean lost weight, but I didn't follow all the rules. I am just really getting to the point where I am actually doing that.

Ditto on pretty much the entire thread... The surgery doesn't change the way you think, it only changes you physically. If you can afford therapy and are really open to it, do it! It's a luxury and next to the surgery, the best thing I ever did for myself.

I have been banded for over a year and I have the hiccups pretty frequently, the tighter the band, I think the worse they get. It wasn't until I hit 6ccs that I started getting them. Burping is a problem too. I find if you follow the rules, both are not nearly as bad...

I agree with cgail in that it is not a magic bullet. It's funny because I heard that statement a million times before I had surgery and I said it outloud so many times, both to myself and to the handlful of people I told I was having the surgery. That being said, I still thought it was. Now don't misunderstand me... I am so glad I did it and I would do again in a NY minute, but I didn't follow the rules in the beginning. As a matter of fact, it's just over a year since my surgery and I am only now starting to follow the rules. But I also still lost weight. Maybe not as quickly as I would have had I followed the rules from day 1. However, I guess I really had to find it out for myself. A year later, my mind is finally starting to catch up with my stomach. The surgery doesn't change that part. Just because you can no longer physically eat a whole pizza doesn't mean you still don't want to and might even try to... Anyway, I am down almost 60lbs and thrilled so again, it's totally worth it in the end. Just be preparted for the fact that your mind likely won't change right away and it's hard to get used to that. In addition, I also had to filled multiple times before I had great restriction. I am 6ccs (10cc band) now and have been for a bit. I am not ready to be filled again. I think this might be my sweet spot. It's coming off slow, but it's coming off...

I got my surgery in Austin and am now back in CO full time and need to get a fill. I checked out the fill center near me in Thorton and they want a ridiculous amount of money... $349 for the first fill and $165 after that. I have been filled 3 times already and I hate to pay $349 for 1/2-1 cc!! Does anyone have any other options or good doctors that will take over care in the Denver area? ps... I haven't posted in months and with the format change here I can't figure out how to edit my signature...

I am self pay, so I was in and out in two months from seminar to surgery. The surgeon is generally the person you see right after the seminar. I had the seminar, appt with my surgeon so she could evaluate me herself and then all the 'other' docs. Then I saw her again before she scheduled surgery. My surgeon was also who did my first fill. It was almost exactly one month post op and it was in her office. It was not near the deal I thought it would be. My next fill is scheduled for 6/27. I have to say, I already feel like it was the smartest thing I have ever done. Even with just one fill, I already can eat so much less. And even better yet, I am losing the desire to overeat or binge. Who knew?! It's so great. I wish I had done it years ago. Good luck with it all.

I just had my first fill last week and have some restriction. I was just wondering how many calories you are eating daily? Today I have eaten less than 1000 calories today and while I am thrilled that I am not hungry, I am also worried that I am not eating enough. My trainer wants me eating 1200 calories/day and I am not even close.

Thanks everyone for the info. My doctor also says btw 1200 and 1500 if I can get it in. I also go back and forth with restriction. I went out to lunch today and ate well, but too much and I am still full 5 hours later. I probably won't even eat dinner. I am just not hungry. I honestly never thought that would happen! I am just going to try to keep making good choices and eat what I can and hopefully my body won't go into starvation mode!

I get my first fill on Friday as well and it will be one day short of 1 month post op. I got banded 4/24. I can pretty much eat anything too. I have managed to keep the weight off that I have already lost, but if I weren't having a fill on Friday, I might put some back on. I am fighting the head hunger as well. However, I am just starting to find that I am starting to lose the desire to eat badly. I never thought it would happen and honestly, it comes and goes. But I think I was so afraid I might not be able to eat 'normally' again that I when I found out for the most part I can, I started losing the need to eat crappy. I know it's weird, and hopefully that will continue as I get my fills.

I take the Bariatric Advantage as well. Also recommended by my nutritionist