Wendell Edwards

Nicely, thank you.

Some theorize that the Lap-Band is affected by the amount of dehydration of the patient's body. A person who is dehydrated may have a looser Lap-Band due to "Flatter" cells that are not fully hydrated. Conversely, a patient who is fully hydrated may experience a tighter lap-Band due to "Plumper" hydrated tissues. This is another reason to drink more fluid that you did before.

It will not. Tell the tech you have a Lap-Band though.

In my opinion, diets do not and never have worked. The Lap-Band works IF the patient is willing to modify their lifestyle.

Stretching is pressure over a long period of time. A one-time binge won't do that. Lap-Band is all about learning a new way that works, and every pitfall teaches us.

Hello Lainee! :clap2:

I think the regain percentage is in the high 90th percentile. I do not plan on EVER having mine removed.

If it's too much your body will let you know. It's very important to stay hydrated.

My personal opinion is that I would NOT trust my life to someone on a learning curve.

Until RNY surgery pays the same as Lap-Band, I suspect that many doctors will continue to recommend the surgery that they make the most money on, RNY.

It gets stitched.

I recommend you take before pictures. Here's why: Most people who are morbidly obese do not like having their picture taken. They avoid the camera because the photographs don't lie. That fact can be put to good use before and during your weight loss. Simply put, the best way to document weight loss is not a scale graph of pounds lost, or a size chart of inches lost. The best way to document weight loss is to take photographs before and during the process. I advise people setting out on this journey to take three initial pictures. The recommendations that I give are these: 1. Take three views, front, side and back (That means you need a automatic timer camera or a friend to help you) 2. Take the pictures in the same place every time. A doorway is a great choice, because it helps put a known quantity into the picture. Other good places are in front of a fireplace or another known point of reference. 3. Take the pictures while wearing form-fitting clothes. A swimsuit is IDEAL. 4. Take the pictures with the same camera, and make sure you are standing the same distance from the camera every time. That's why a doorway helps. You can line yourself up in the doorway and use a measuring tape to find the distance to the camera. 5. Take that same set of pictures every month. Front, back and side views. Wear the same clothes and make sure the distance to the camera is the same. 6. Have the "Before" pictures printed out, and tape them to your refrigerator. 7. Have the latest set of pictures printed out, and tape those next to the "Before" pictures. In doing this, you mind has irrefutable PROOF that what you are doing IS WORKING. People frequently do NOT "See" their weight loss, and they become frustrated, perhaps by a scale weight that is not moving, even though their body size is reducing at an amazing rate. This is a great way to "See" your weight loss. The best way to document weight loss is to take photographs before and during the process.

Hi, Inamed told me on the telephone that the overwhelming majority of slips were caused by REPEATED, SEVERE vomiting. They said that the symptoms of a slip are either a sudden, UNEXPLAINABLE loss of restriction, or a sudden, UNEXPLAINABLE severe obstruction. Slipped bands are verified by a fluoroscopic examination or an X-Ray.

I was approved by my doctor to swallow pills on the second day after surgery.

One thing I learned was the more protein and fewer carbs I ate, the less hungry I was.

Congratulations! Take some BEFORE pictures!

I act the same way I did when I was larger. How you act is up to you. I do agree that I am now invisible, as opposed to being the fat guy everyone stared at.

Hi Audrey! Life with a band is wonderful!

Hi Debbie! I recommend you take some before pictures!

Hi Lauren! :clap2: Way to go on the loss!

This may help you in understanding the restrictive mechanism of a Lap-Band. The INAMED protocol for Lap-Band fills calls for a six-week delay after surgery, prior to any fills. The purpose for the six-week delay is for the patient’s stomach to heal from the surgery, as well as allowing time for the Lap-Band to “Seat” or “Nestle” into the fat pad between the stomach wall and the interior wall of the Lap-Band. Prior to receiving an EFFECTIVE fill, it is VERY uncommon to have any restriction from a Lap-Band. Some patients will NOT lose weight, or may even GAIN weight until they have received an effective fill in their Lap-Band. Normal weight loss with a properly restricted Lap-Band is between 1 and 2 pounds per week. The normal cycle of fills, restriction and weight loss is as follows: 1. The patient's Lap-Band constricts when the patient receives a fill. Swelling for a few days after receiving a fill is very common. Many doctors require a patient to go on a liquid diet for a day or two after receiving a fill. A fill may have a “Delayed Action” of up to two weeks. A “Delayed-Action” means that the fill may not become effective for up to two weeks after the fill. That is why the INAMED protocol states that fills should not be performed on patients who will not have access to medical care for at least two weeks after a fill. 2. The patient's stomach capacity is lessened as a result of the restriction caused by the Lap-Band. 3. The patient loses weight because they cannot eat as much food. 4. The residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the outside of the patient's stomach reduces in size because of the overall weight loss in the patient. 5. The reduction of the residual fat-pad causes the Lap-Band to become loose again. 6. At that point, the patient needs another fill, because the Lap-Band is loose, and the patient has a loss of restriction, which allows the patient to eat larger amounts of food. 7. The patient receives another fill and the process starts all over again. Most Lap-Band patients receive several fills to adjust the Lap-Band as their weight loss progresses, and there is less and less residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the exterior of the stomach wall. Once a patient has lost all of their residual fat-pad, fills become less common. As the Lap-Band patient progresses in their weight loss, the effect of very tiny fills (Less than .2ccs) becomes greater and greater. It is not uncommon for a late-stage Lap-Band patient to experience a significant difference in restriction with as little as .05cc of fill.

Geede... if you still feel bad about your body shape at your current weight...... Well, let's just say Angela and I BOTH think you look GREAT! :clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:

:DI have been trying for those before pictures for a while now. I don't think she has any!

Like everything in Lap-Band, it depends on your unique situation. IF the band is a tight fit around your stomach WITHOUT a fill, YES, you will be restricted.... but if it's NOT a tight fitting band without a fill, the band is almost unnoticable for most people. My phrase for it is: "An unfilled Lap-Band is a VERY expensive PAPERWEIGHT!"

Lap-Band + overeating = pain and puking You won't do that many times before your band re-trains your brain.