88KEYZ

You won't really lose weight if you don't eat enough food. You have to have the fine balance of what your body needs and don't under-eat nor over-eat. Plus, keep walking. I lost 47 pounds from April - Oct. after getting my band, now have maintained that for over a year and a half, only ready to get the next 20 pounds off. For me it now is up to exercise mostly. My band is only a tool, I still have to work hard at this just like before. hang in there!

Much luck and congratulations! This is truly a beginning of a whole new life and a whole new world! I am almost half way to my goal, but so much better, healthier, happier, feeling great, dressing better, life is wonderful now! Just think I had my surgery 4/19/08 and already I am better. You follow the rules, read - read - read and do just what you need to do, the weight loss will fall into place. Your health rely's on it! I have done well, but to share another hope - my Dad had his lap-band on 5/28/08 and as of today he has lost 75 pounds! His diabetes is so much better as he was on 70 units of insulin a day and now only taking 10 units a day!!!!!!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!!! Keep us posted on your progress.

I had lap band surgery in February this year (2008).

I am 5'10" and weighed 298 and am now down to 199.

Things were good for the first 5 months and I was able to eat most foods in moderation with very little problems. There wasn't much I couldn't eat but I ate smaller portions.

I have had 4 fills and think the last one may have made me too tight but I am afraid of getting an unfill or if there is another type of problem wrong with me.

I am drinking plenty of liquids and have never got dehydrated.

I hardly eat anymore because solid foods come back up and I get full after a few bites.

Breakfast consists of either yogurt, oatmeal or Cereal.< /span>

lunch consists of Soup, applesauce, Meal Replacement or crackers.

dinner consists of fish, hamburger, Beans, cheese, salad or string beans

I stay with soft liquidy type foods becacause just about any other type of food comes back up. I throw up once a day when I try and eat dinner. The food comes up in waves. I first throw up things that are hardly digested. Then I start salivating and throw up some more. Then the rest is saliva.

I hardly ever feel really hungry anymore and need very little to feel full.

I am not able to eat a big variety of foods and throw up once a day when I try and eat more solid foods. Afraid that throwing up every day will cause a problem.

I am eating under 1,000 calories a day but am drinking plenty of fluids, exercise often and don't feel hungry or tired.

Has anyone else experience this?

Should I be concerned?

Is my band too tight?

Could my band have slipped?

I just don't know what to do and am a little scared.

I have a good doctor but am afraid to talk to him about this and don't

know why.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Yes - I have experienced this in full. Believe it or not, but removing only .4 cc from the band has changed this issue for me and I can eat. I was throwing up everything and ended up my body was in starvation mode, not losing any weight for over a month, but by removing the .4cc I have lost 5 pounds in 5 weeks. My doctor said she only wants to see me lose 1 -2 pounds a week, so I am on course. Once in a while I still throw up, but it is my fault of not chewing enough or else being too tense or talking while eating. I found I need to eat alone with no stress to get things to go down right. Keep trying, don't be scared to remove saline as with the throwing up you won't lose another pound, you must be healthy!!

I hate to be a whiner here but I feel like I'm Going crazy. Cottage cheese. Beans. eggs. I wanna barf! I just wanted

To touch base

With anyone out there still on pureed stage so I can just get thru it with you together. I know I can't do anything bilut wait

And I WILL NOT cheat.

I just explain or understand this intense

Craving for bread! Why crave something that is so nutrionally void?

Maybe just learning about this scientifically will help keep my mind busy. Stupid arbus

Commercials!!! Grrrrr

When I was at the pureed stage after surgery, I took a normal meal such as roast beef, gravy, potatoes, carrots, veggies, and put all in the blender pureeing it until smooth and I ate it. The flavor was as if I was eating the real meal, just not having to chew, etc. I did this with every meal I cooked for the family, eating the right amount for my stomach, 1/4 - 1/2 cup and I was full. Be creative!!!!!

I went to Mexico for my band and then when I wanted a revision my doc is the only one I trusted for a revision since those surgeries are a lot more difficult to do and carry more risk. I'm completely sold on MX!

I did go back to MX for my aftercare with a band because I'm driving distance but with my sleeve I have no aftercare or maintenance so it's a non issue now. But I could have had my aftercare with a band done locally.

I would go back to Mexico tomorrow and do it all again! Go to World Med Assist dot com, call them and say Debbie Clanton referred you - they will help you set everything up or just simply check everything out! I love that they helped me, plus they check on me constantly now. They truly care! My doc was Dr. Corvala in Tijunana and he and his staff made things very easy for me. I highly recommend it all.

I have had my band for 5 wonderful months. I have lost 45 pounds at this time but only with one of my fills (in July) was too tight and I had a rough time with PBing. It is a situation that no matter what or how you eat, it comes up. I would chew - chew - chew - drink - drink - drink, even a smoothie, no matter - it came up! What happens, the food / drink is mixing with stomach acids and in myself a lot of drainage from my sinus', and that is the right mixture to not go through the hole of the band. You'll feel a tightness in the chest, sometimes no cough, sometimes no burp, it just comes up, I kept a small cup near me in case I could not get to a sink and could just spit it out in the cup. I finally had .4cc of the saline removed and now - no problem! I'm losing slower now, much much slower, but it is a process. The band is the best thing you will ever do, don't worry, relax and follow the rules - the new life we are getting is well worth it all. Best of luck to you and everyone else!!!

It is so funny how the scale may not move, but the clothes fall off, then the next day, the scale drops again! This is a wonderful new life!!! Read the ticker below!!!!

I can answer your question "does this work?" - YES! I don't know the other answer for you, but there are people on this forum that do. I am 5'1", weighed 230 and banded on 4/19/08, so far have lost 44 pounds. YES it works!!!

Congrats and welcome to a whole new world! This is the best thing you will or could ever do for yourself. Follow all rules by the book, it is important for your being and to stay healthy! Stay in tune to yourself and in touch with others like us on this forum. Good luck!

Absolutely, your letter, your doctors letter, the more the better. Emory gave sample letters out that help patients to achieve the goal. Ask your doctors office if they have any samples. If not research on the internet for one. My insurance would not pay, so I went to Tijunana. My father went through Emory.

liquid diet - presurgery - prepares you for the upcoming life-change, but does not change the outcome of the gassey build up you have from surgery. That is from the gas used to blow your stomach up so they can do the surgery itself. Walking is to be done 15 minutes every hour to pass the gas out fo the body and rid of that pain.

Cut / chop all medications - remember no capsules in med form.

Stock the fridge full of Jello, broths, anything liquid that you can grab quickly without much effort, once you start pureeing your food, keep that stocked, this will enable you to avoid confusion on "what can I have" while you get used to all the changes.

If you are flying somewhere for the surgery, get a doctors medical slip to carry Protein Water in bottles on the plane and security will clear you. They will allow small lunch coolers as well with that medical slip, and you can keep Jello with you plus drinks.

I had not lost a pound since August 5th - other than up one or two and back, but nothing more....so last Saturday I had .4cc removed from my band and now I once again feel hungry and full both, I am not PBing anymore and I am feeling better! I was basically on a starvation diet, throwing up everything, and my body living off of the fat in it. The doc says this will be a big boost for me. Well the first morning after the fill session, I had lost one pound! My body is acting as it should with every way of parting with the fat, fluids, Water, etc. Finally, I hope for some more progress!!! IF YOU ARE NOT LOSING, do a fill appointment and get things corrected!

Hello - Another April bandster here! I too have not checked in this group in a while - but have been down lately wondering why I have not been losing!! Basically we all are in the same neighborhood of loss, so I do feel better seeing the numbers. I am at 43 pounds loss but have been the same weight for about 4 weeks or so now and that is very discouraging. My last fill is too tight I think as I am PBing a whole lot. One day I can eat and the next I can't eat anything. So, I am making an appt. to get a change in that. Also, I have had sinus infection, tons of drainage and that causes the PBing as well. Nothing can settle. So, I am not giving up - but trying not to get discouraged. Lift me up please!!

I had my surgery 4-19-08; have lost 43 pounds; am struggling right now with keeping food down and same as you just seem to handle the chicken salad better than anything. eggs come right back up no matter how they are cooked or made. I have a sinus infection right now, tons of drainage and we think that is what is making everything come right back up - not being gross - but mucus looks to be the main thing coming up in huge bulk amounts. Sorry to be gross. Also, I am battling an issue of needing root canal and the pain is awful, so the pain meds are not helpful to eating right. I am just stuck and so down mentally. My weight loss has been on stand-still mode and now these issues don't help. I love my smoothies more than anything but was told to get more food down as my body is in starvation mode. Anyone else going through anything like this?

Yes - let's be specific -

Darlene Zebley, ARNP, MSN, FNP-C

These are her certifications as she does all the fills, aftercare but does not do surgery or lap-band surgery specifically.

ARNP: Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner

MSN: Master's of Science in Nursing

FNP-C: Family Nurse Practitioner - Certified

I was banded in Mexico and get my fills in Roswell, GA; My fill doctor also serves south Georgia via Moultrie, GA; You can reach her by contacting the following company. www.fillcentersusa.com - Dr. Darlene Zebley. Phone: 866-345-5872 Appointment Contact Name: Charlotte or Patty Distance; They are very good and available for phone contact anytime.

I would be happy to be here for you to bounce questions off of as needed. I was banded on 4/19/08 and as of today have lost 42 lbs. I have a goal of 100 total pounds to lose. I'm 5'1" and started at 230 lbs. Our only difference is age as I'm 47, and I have not had a problem telling others. It is not their business, but I am so proud to have had this change in my life!!!! Good luck to you and I'm here if you would like to visit!

My Doctor and my Dad's Doctor both told us not to immerge into a bath or pool for 4 - 6 weeks. We showered the very next day and onward, just no immersion. They don't want any Water to have a way to seep inside the incisions and cause infection in case of a tiny space hole or something of that nature. Rare but possible.

Take the bandages off, leaving the little tiny slivers of tape on until they fall off on their own. The scars need to breathe to heal. You can use a little neosporin if needed, but not too much as they need air. Cleanse with soap / Water. Dr. Corvala did a great job on me and his staff was so good too. Keep in touch!!

You are doing great! Keep it up and stay in touch with others that have been banded. It is very important to keep in tune with yourself and others so you stay focused!

Stairs did not bother me at all. I just went very slowly!

I think you are asking about a tracker - go to this website:

www.tickerfactory.com

You can build your ticker there and it is important to get the url when finished so you can keep it updated.

I have had to discover something about myself that might help you. I have an excessive amount of air and sinus drainage which is causing my food to give me a ton of heart-burn. I do have PBing a lot too. So now when I eat, I take a little of "Can't Believe Its Not Butter" with the first few bites, chew more than normal, drink a little Fluid as well. I then sit and wait for a huge burp to get the air bubbles up and then I can eat normal for my band size. Very strange, but it is working! Just go very slow with it. Good luck!

I would go into the categories for answers or search out people that have been banded for a while by looking through answers, etc.

PB: productive burp

SLIME: the mucus type Fluid that comes up in the PB

These are what happens if you eat too fast, don't chew enough or have a band that is too tight.

Always ask me anything, I'll try to answer! Befriend me on my site as well. Good luck!

Don't give up - I ended up being a "self-pay" and went to Tijunana. I was denied by BC/BS as well. I would absolutely go to Mexico and have this procedure done again if I had too. I am happy with it and was very happy with the hospital and doctor. Don't give up!!!!

Hang in there! I hurt very bad with my surgery as well. Everyone is different, be careful to not compare yourself to others too much.