Dody

I read all your posts. You are a true inspiration to everyone. Just thought I'd let you know that. You seem to have a great attitude. I wish it was contagious instead of being the worry wart I am. I'm not banded but I keep thinking you guys sound like you are choking. That would be a horrible feeling. You would either want to get it down or get it up it seems. Scary a little bit. Again, thanks for the great posts.

I may get a membership at the sports center in my area because they have water aerobics and things like that. I have had water therapy for my arthritis, and I imagine I could do that and perhaps get some excercise. Thanks for a great idea. I'm not thrilled about being in a bathing suit, but hey I figure you gotta do what you gotta do. I'm 5'9" and weigh 259, but it seems to have settled in my stomach for some reason. I don't have a stomach that hangs down a lot, just this darn pouch thing from both C-section and abdominal surgeries, but you are right. I want this band to help me help myself, so I need all the positive help I can get. Thanks again for the wake up call

I've read so many posts about erosions and slippages (and a few flipped ports) that I'm wondering just how long some of you have had your bands. Can you keep them indefinitely? Does anyone have a clue what causes erosion? Could it possibly be something done in the first surgery when it is placed, or is it stomach acid or something. That would do me in. I already have an ulcer to clear up, and couldn't stand having another one. Will the band work if you can't exercise. I have arthritis and a plate and screws in my left leg from a bad break. It always hurts, but I do believe it hurts more the more weight I gain. I have an important question. I have a pouch (I think they come with C-sections and I don't think they can be gotten rid of completely) but I have pain in the lower left side when I walk. Could it be from the weight which is all in my stomach it seems. I had a CT scan 2 weeks ago for a small aortic aneurysm to check the size of it, and it should have showed up if there was a cyst on my dried up ovaries. Does anyone else have pain on walking in their lower stomach. It doesn't hurt when I sit or lay down. I'd sure appreciate someone chiming in. I could really use some encouragement and some good info on whether the band can help me without exercise. Maybe if I can lose some my feet won't hurt so terribly bad. Did anyone else have problems like any of these? Thanks for the input.

I've lost so much weight in my life on diets only to gain the weight back and more, that I've given up on that. I too was on Phentermine for years off and on, only to lose the weight and gain it back. I hope the band will not only help me lose the weight but help me keep it off. I'm anxious to know how long people have had their bands and if it has exceeded or met their expectations.

My weight isn't so much from what I eat as the fact I have severe rheumatoid arthritis and can't excercise. I can't even take the dogs for walks. Good thing cats don't need walked. I would love to get out and do more and I'm afraid the surgery won't work for me either. I'm hoping it will help with some of the pain of the arthritis by losing weight, but I have no guarantees. I flying blind on this one too, but I've made up my mind to do it and I'm one of the older ones to be getting banded. That fact scares me too, but I have to do something just like you, so I'm putting my faith in the band that it will help me. Good luck to you.

You know your own body better than anyone else for sure, but here's hoping that this isn't what you think, or if it is it will go back into place. You certainly are an inspiration. I was going to start a thread because I was curious the longest that people have had the band. It seems like some run into trouble after a year. 4 Years is awesome and inspirational to me. I haven't yet met anyone that has been banded that long with or without problems. I hope when you see your dr. he will know exactly what course to take. I read someone's post on here that had a slipped band and it went back into place apparently. My prayers are with you. Please keep us posted. Wow, have you reached your goal weight? If so maybe you can keep it off and just continue to eat like a bandster. I'm not an expert but it seems like there would be enough tissue that has formed to almost be like a permanent band on your stomach.

ANYTHING implanted in your body is a foreign substance. If you have a splinter in your finger, it will get infected because it is a foreign body. Plates, screws, iud's.......anything the body didn't produce on it's own is considered a foreign substance. Plates and screws don't wear out, but the bands are made of a plastic/rubber substance and my dr. tells me it could erode in a yr. or possibly never erode. It is simply the bodies resistance to a foreign object, and the band is easier to erode then most implantable things.

The band IS a foreign object because the port is connected...that is the foreign object. That my dr. has told me definitely. I have an under active thyroid also, but I don't think that causes erosion. My dr. has already told me that because of the lap banding I will need antibiotics before any dental work also. That makes it a pretty foreign object I would say.

I'll be darned. I thought they were dimples. It sounds much better don't you think?

Prednisone does cause you to gain weight, but worse of all it changed my disposition. I was absolutely hateful on that medication. I wish you the best of luck. I'm sure everyone isn't affected in the same way. If you have to take it you have to take it.

I've had the best of luck with Scar Zone and plain old Vitamin E oil (although it's a little sticky). I can't even see my gall bladder scars anymore. Good luck to you.

Congrats on getting those pounds off on that liquid diet. I wish you loads of luck with your surgery. I'm sure the dr. will be happy with what you have lost. They mostly want to know you are dedicated to losing, so you have done great. I'll be thinking about you and send a prayer out for you. Let us know how you are doing. I don't get banded till Spring, but love to hear how people do with the surgery and the band.

Glad you found Blair OK. I love that store and have never ordered anything I wasn't happy with. You have a wonderful Holiday season.

I was born and raised in Syracuse. It is a big, big city and they should have lots of dr's. that do fills. Have you looked in the phone book for surgeons who do lap banding or heard any TV commercials?

How are you Sue? You are the one that had the DS revision aren't you? You have esophageal problems something like I'm having treated right now. I hope to clear it up and get the band. I have an erosion right now in the esophagus, but hoping to get it cleared up with Nexium. I too am wondering what in the heck is a "nutcracker esophagus". I hope you are doing well.

I've had my gallbladder removed and was surprised at the quick recovery time. I don't have the band yet, but I would hate to go through two surgeries. I guess you have to take your dr's. advice. Whatever the decision I wish you luck. I don't know about the band surgery, but with my gallbladder I was up and around pretty fast. Wishing you luck.

Thanks for all your help. I think I'm stressing even more worring about not gettting my band, but the dr. seems to think we can heal this up. Thanks for the support.

You have time if you express it to order from www.Blair.com. They have great clothes and coats in all sizes. Happy Holidays to you. You could also try a Lane Bryant Store if you have one.

HarleyNana, how old is your mom. I'm certainly not going to be a young bandster and I haven't met anyone on here that is older, although I've sure met some great people. I'm so sorry she is having trouble. As a retired nurse I have to wonder if an upper GI is going to show any erosion. It seems to me she would need endoscopy to see if the band is slipped or eroded. How come this are going the route of an upper GI? Hope I'm not being too nosy, but I'm really curious about this.

I was up all night with pain and with feelings of things backing up in my throat. I'm sleeping on an incline just like you. No, forget that I said that, I'm not sleeping at all. I was in pain all night from pain from an ulcer and esophagitis, and I don't even have the experience of having the band yet. Now everything is on hold until I heal. I'm no spring chicken so I hope this healing takes place alright. I'm so sorry to hear you are suffering with this experience. I feel your pain even though mine isn't caused from banding.

Thanks for responding. It is now the middle of the day and my tummy has settled down. I think it is just my fear of not healing and being able to get the band that has me scared now. Everything seems to look better in the daytime. Anyway, thanks for your kind words. I've been researching the band for so long and deciding on the dr., and everything is in hand except me. He has now put me on anti-depressants in hopes they will help, but so far all I am is sleepy. I can't wait till I fit in better here and am banded. Then I will feel like one of you, but I'm looking at a few mo. out yet. Again thanks for being so kind. Sometimes people don't bother much with people that aren't banded yet, so thanks again for taking the time for me.

Not banded yet and being treated for a peptic ulcer and small erosion of the esophagus. Dr. says don't worry, the band will come after these things are cleared up, but won't this PB'ing that you girls talk about happen to me too and cause more problems with erosion of the esophagus. Will I be able to take my medication which is capsule and time released. I'm really concerned now that I will clear these things up and they will reoccur. Any help is appreciated. Is this PB'ing a real common thing and is there any way in the world to avoid having it happen...at least to the point of vomiting? It sounds like that would be dangerous if it continued. I need encouragement big time. I really, really want the band and have done lots so far to make it happen.

It's the middle of the night and my stomach is killing me, and I'm not even banded. I have a peptic ulcer that is being treated (they found it on my endoscopy) and a small erosion in my esophagus. The dr. said not to worry that it will be cleared up in a couple mo., but I am worried. It seems that esophageal problems are very real with the band, and I'm worried I may be prone to them. I hope I'm worrying needlessly. Ever since I found out for sure I have the ulcer and have to postpost the surgery for a couple mo. I'm bummed out, but I know the dr. is doing the right thing. Has anyone ever had problems before banding with an ulcer or any irritation of the stomach lining and do you think it will be a major problem afterward. Will I be able to take my medication which comes in a capsule form without too much trouble. I hear you have to break up pills and this is timed releast and it says to take it the way it is. Dr. also said not to empty it and take it. Anyone had any similar problems. I'm sure I'm making this ulcer worse staying up and worrying so much about it.

Maybe we will get to meet at Applebee's for the 6-week get-to-gether the office has. I think it will be spring before I get banded too.

Don't be so positive you don't have co-morbitity factors. I didn't think I did either till I had a sleep study test and found out I had sleep apnea. Have you tried every avenue you can think of. Did you have a sleep study test? Cholesterol testing? BP only controlled with medication? I didn't think that I had them all covered but I do, and most overweight people do....so think again what you might have left out of your testing. My BMI wasn't high enough either, but the other things justified it. At 5'9" and 257 lbs. I was just below the required BMI because of my height. Don't give up till you have tried everything.