brandyII

Have you all had these done since you were banded?

My surgeons picked out our psych docs and we couldn't use the ones we already had. Mine probably wouldn't have let me have one, lol!

Thanks, I figured I couldn't be the only one out there and a lot of people were kind of afraid to talk about it as it was seen as a neg when we were just trying to fix ourselves. I see so many people get the fluoro every time they get a fill even and I've never needed that. By the way I love your avatar I'm assuming it's a Simpson's fishy! Good luck to all of us strugglers:smile:

If it had been 9 months+ your surgery and you've been as unsuccessful as I have been on the band (back to pre-op diet weight) would you request a fluoroscope if you've never been checked in this fashion except right after surgery? I've also had plenty of bouts prior to getting my unfill from 4ccs down to 2ccs of PBs and the 10 hour long pb of the century. Just curious if I'm not being proactive enough. The last time I saw my surgeon and this was brought up he said "oh you'd know if you had a slip" and it was pretty much dropped. Any advice:confused: thanks, I see the PA tomorrow and I'm a bit doooown!!!

When I was in a similar situation after an overfill the on-call surgeon met me at the office after midnight and told me that if you're vomiting liquids or your own saliva you shouldn't let it go on past 2 hours. I waited 10 hours before I called. brandyII

I'm happy for you, one less thing to check off the list! keep me posted, Nancy.

I don't know why but it seems to be the one we all worry about the most!! Congrats, I'm glad you're moving forward, brandyII.

I was telling my nurse practitioner just yesterday how I just don't have the energy level I used to have. I didn't say prior to the band it just seemed like it had been a long time, banded 8/07. Anyway I guess it could have something to do with what types of food I've been eating but switched to a different anti-depressant anyway because along with the drop in energy I feel more depressed too, could be hard to differentiate between the two. I haven't been taking vitamins which are so important for my daughter to take as she's is RNY now that I think I'll start too and see if that helps. I don't like feeling like this.

I'm a sweet craver, partially due to my medications (anti-depressants) and partially due to my diabetes II and basically "ME". I have had the band over nine months and due to gaining back most of the weight I lost on the pre-op liquid diet (25 big ones!) I decided to get a partial unfill to stop or help control the urge I have to "eat around the band" with sweets. It has not been an easy journey for me but I see my doctor tomorrow and may get a partial fill to tighten my band a bit again. I was afraid to get gastric bypass so changed at the last minute probably because I knew I was a sweet eater and was afraid I'd get dumping syndrome in a place it wasn't appropriate, meaning anywhere besides my own home. I guess either I was misinformed or not informed enough to know that most sweets (except donuts as they're doughy) will go right through the band because of the right amount of fat and sugar ease through. Also chips do too as one poster stated but not an issue for me. My daughter had gastric bypass because she researched and found it to be right for her even though she is not a sweet eater like her mom. She is only post-op one week + one day so I really can't speak to you about her success but has in the past 7 weeks taken off more than 40 pounds. I myself am still wavering and won't change my marker until I get weighed at the surgeon's office. Hopefully it will go down. that's not an angry face but a down emphasizer. Anyway it's probably one of the toughest decisions of your life, as there usually are many but I wish you luck with it. I'm still trying and don't know what will happen to me in the future if I'll live as I am or if I'll revise or what. It's all up in the air but I have recently changed my anti-depressants to see if this new one will affect me in a more positive way when it comes to sugar cravings. Good luck to you and learn as much as you can from the people here as they know more than most books will tell you and they're a great group of nice people!!!brandyII:smile:

See froggi, I knew you had "star" potential when I first chatted with you!!!! take care brandyII:thumbup:

Jachut et al, My surgeon did tell me that my lap band would last a lifetime. Whether that's true or not or whether I was dumb for believing him is another matter. Then after surgery I believe I started reading where people had to have them replaced every 10 years or so which I guess is similar to breast implants. I really don't want to think of the bad side effects right now with the gastric bypass as my daughter just had a week ago! But of course I'd worry no matter what procedure she had done. I think no matter what WLS we choose there is always the chance that we can gain the weight back, or not do well from the start, as I have or have a major complication. I've heard of people getting all sorts of revisions and from RNY to Lap band and Lap band to RNY, there are tons of combinationsout there. But I hope there is a lot more work done on all WLS in the future so we don't have to be "guinea pigs" for the next generation. God knows what there will be in 10 years, it could be a whole different ball game and this might look almost barbaric or crazy to people. I wish us all health, luck and happiness brandyII.

What religion were you prior to being a Christian if you don't mind me asking?

Gadget, I understand your need to push your agenda onto other people, it's your passion which goes hand in hand with the teachings of your religion but do you really think people are that glib about abortions. I don't think people take it as lightly as you presume they do. It's not an easy decision for any woman and it is a pang that she may have for the rest of her life. Why is it you feel the need to badger on and on about this. They are still legal in the United States and in some ways I'm glad because there are a lot of people out there who should not be parenting children. I'm sure you find this a horrible statement to make but I'd rather a fetus be aborted than brought into a household and not loved or wanted or violated in some way.

Niteall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leslie, No malice here, I see your point and maybe if I were in your shoes I'd feel the exact same way and probably would! Sounds like we're both passionate when it comes to our causes! When I told Froggie it could get "worse" I didn't mean this thread I meant others I've been too that go on and on and on and I think you know what I mean. Anyway people like you are the ones that we look at and wish we were doing well also. We haven't given up and those people that get the surgery and two weeks later want it ripped out have other issues to deal with and that's not what I'm about. I have thyroid, diabetes II, high blood pressure, and I'm perimenopausal and on antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds. I was able to lose 25 pounds on my 5 week liquid diet and then gained it all back after some fill issues and can't get back there. My thyroid is fine, was tested a few weeks ago but don't see my endocrinologist until July or August, not that many around here! Anyway I wish you continued health and success and I'll let this one die it's natural death, at least from my side, take care brandyII:smile:

Jachut, Maybe I'm sexist but I think all DH's are babies when it comes to anything, worse yet a "cold"! But surgery he's going to milk this one for quite a while. I hope you can get him a day/night nurse to take over shifts for you, you'll need one, good luck brandyII!

Pearlygirl, I'm sorry about the issue with your brother. Can kind of relate with my dad. He was in put in prison over night at the age of 79 for drunk driving and this was not his first offense but they let him go. I think the laws in FL may be a bit easy when it comes to the elderly and drunk driving. They should have taken away his license. Finally my brother and I took away his car because the state wouldn't do anything. It's a nightmare when you have to deal with an alcoholic family member. Not only are they responsible but then you're responsible for them too! I know we can't compare apples and oranges, it's a nightmare losing a family member to a drunk driver or any other nonsensical reason. Anyway I appreciate your honesty, it's not an easy thing to discuss. brandyII

Froggi, sometimes passion for something seems a bit scary but we're all "cool"!!

Froggi... we love you too!

You know what? A lot of people around here do not consider me to be all-negative and it depends on the thread that I'm on whether I'm agreeing with someone or disagreeing with someone. When it comes to Rants and Raves it's usually a more passionate tone that people take and that's understandable. I understand your passion for the lap band and how it's helped you albeit your thyroid condition, I myself have an under active thyroid and am being treated for that too so I can relate to that medical condition. Be that as it may there are people out there that still aren't losing weight on the lap band after paying a lot of money and going through all the pre-op testing and procedures and then finally surgery. Maybe you just have to have the right combinations of things for it not to work. Maybe it's age and antidepressants or PCOS and stress, who knows but there could be people that may have issues that others don't. So no need to be angry we're just trying to figure out what the hell to do in order to get it working like you have done and most others have. If you want to use a Christ analogy how about the lap band was to be our "savior", our last straw after many years of yo yo dieting and using every thing money could buy to lose weight and then find out there's a surgery out there that would solve that problem so you jump at the chance. Low and behold it doesn't work for everyone, sorry sad but true. Like I've said many times before if I could have lost it and kept it off before why would I pay $30,000+ to get the lap band done if I didn't think it was going to help! I'm sorry but just because there are some of us it hasn't helped doesn't mean it's not going to work for you. We're all happy for you and your success and hope that you remain successful for the rest of your life and are able to keep it off. If you were struggling like a lot of us are, and a lot of us who are afraid to say anything because people jump down our throats what would you do? Would you try to find support on the Lap Band Talk Forum and try to get some answers? Well that's what we're doing so don't try to silence us for trying figure this thing out. We want it to work just like you want yours to work. brandyII.

Froggy, This is nothing, it can get uglier trust me!

GG, To be honest with you I've found these people that you speak about to be a very rare occurrence and probably why I take it to be directed towards anyone who is not doing back flips. Look at Leslie's response to my post about Lizzy after four years on the band and still struggling to lose weight and I mention that she's fallen through the cracks and instead of acknowledging that as a real problem she says what about the people that are doing well and don't come on this site. Some how feeling the need to counter balance Lizzy's issue. So that does tend to make me think she's sensitive about people like us who are struggling. Can you understand my reasoning? brandyII

Oh Leslie...................................................

Lizzy now I'm wondering how many people have been banded that many years ago like you have and have fall through the cracks as they say. I think it says more of your strength and belief in yourself that has made you not give up and try to take charge once more of your life. I don't know if I could be that strong after that many years. Kudos to you Lizzy!!!

Georgiagirl, I've seen these posts before and feel that the people that are struggling sometimes get put into the "lap band haters club". So in essence I am trying to stick up for "my peeps" and let people know that even if we complain once in a while about the band that we are not haters, if there are specific posts in particular that are from haters I'd like to see them. So basically if we're diagnosed with antibanditis we're okay because we have a medical slip from our doctor saying that we have a preexisting medical condition whereas the lap band will not function correctly. Otherwise we're lazy people who don't exercise and eat twinkies and therefore deserve lap band failure. I really think anything that is not "I'm doing great on the lap band" or "I love you lap band, let me count the ways" is considered to be some crazy form of propaganda against the lap band and it's not. We all did our research and went through various pre-screening processes, paid a boatload of money and are still struggling to lose weight and it can be a bit disheartening to say the least. So if I take it personally I'm sorry I do, brandyII.