drew05

Welcome!! This is a great resource and support group. We are here to help you :ohmy:

I'm going to be having my surgery with Dr. Carcamo. I can't wait!

I wanna be able to go to Six Flags and Sea World as well as Schlitterbahn and ride ALL the rides! It's gonna be an exhausting year next year :thumbs_up:

My personal opinion is go for another band. If it slips again (which I'll bet dollars to dimes it won't) it can always be replaced. If your sleeve stretches, the only option you have is an RNY, which I think most of us are avoiding :thumbup: But it comes down to your call. Only you can make it. From a medical student, I like the band. Least invasive and safest option.

Welcome! This is a great place to get information and support. Enjoy your stay!

That is so cool!

I wouldn't think it would be a huge deal as flying isn't, but I could be wrong. Good question. I'm curious as well!

It's less drastic than GBP because there's no cutting of the intestines, just of the stomach. But if you, like me, really dislike having parts of you taken out, then the LAP Band is still your best option NOTE: If I didn't have that weird phobia, Gastric Sleeve would be something I would look into. Great procedure and much better than GBP.

Well, as a guy around everyone's age, we do exist. We're nice and like you for you. But we are few and far in between. For every 20 or 30 assholes you date, you'll be lucky to even KNOW 1 or 2 nice guys. We're a dying breed because we never get rewarded for our sacrifices. But I digress. If you keep your chin up and exude confidence, then guys will flock to you. Trust me, I am a guy and the number one thing I look for in a girl (besides eyes. Sue me I'm a sucker for breathtaking eyes) is her sense of self worth. If a girl can't love herself how is she ever going to love me? That's how most guys look at it.

What is a slipped Band, and what causes it? There are two types of slippage; anterior and posterior. This refers to whether the front or back side of the stomach slips. There is something else called concentric pouch dilation, but this is not the same as slippage. Slippage or prolapse is when the stomach slides up through the Band, making the pouch bigger. If this happens the Band usually becomes too tight, and patients experience symptoms of reflux (heartburn) as well as nausea and vomiting. This is because the amount of stomach being “squeezed” by the Band is increased, thereby obstructing the Band. There are several causes. Posterior slippage was more common when the Band was placed by the “perigastric” technique. With this technique the back side of the stomach was free to slide up through the Band. These days most surgeons use the “pars flaccida” technique, which was developed to prevent posterior slippage, and has more or less eliminated the incidence of this problem. Anterior slippage is when the front of the stomach slips up through the Band. We try to prevent this by suturing the stomach below the Band to the stomach above the Band, “locking” the Band in place in the right spot. In spite of this, slippage still occurs. It can happen because we haven't placed enough stitches, or they haven't been placed in the right place. Slippage can also occur if patients eat too much and vomit frequently. What is a Band erosion? This is when the Band actually erodes into the stomach. It is a more serious problem, and generally requires removal of the Band. Band erosion is thought to be related to placing too many sutures (or too tight sutures) at the time of Band implantation. Surprisingly, Band erosion is often unnoticed. Occasionally the port will become infected if bacteria track along the catheter out to the port. Other times patients will stop losing weight. Diagnosis often requires an endoscopy. Now, I found that on a website I visited for a school project (Laparoscopy.com). As far as if you are done with the band, no you are not. Plenty of people get the band replaced or repositioned and just resume their diets or adjust them as necessary.

First off, welcome! Now to answer the questions you have. I'll answer all I can. someone else I'm sure will be along with the other answers. That's why I love this place! K. Not a lot of people vomit. If you vomit, it might be a sign of a complication. Now if you do eat to big of a bite of something you can PB. What that means is that it gets stuck in the passage to the stomach and just comes back up. it's not vomit. But if you follow your diet and eat tiny bites and chew thoroughly, you'll be fine. Being put under is a lot easier than you think. It's like taking a super strong Nyquil. You get tired really quick and just fall asleep. Before you know it, you're awake in the recovery room! No weird dreams or anything like that. Hope I helped!

Also fran, I forgot to ask you something. Was there a period you had to wait to get your new band placed? Any time to allow the stomach to heal? Thanks for any info!

The erosion she is talking about is the band eroding into the stomach (which can happen with any prosthetic put around organs) not the actual band eroding. Judging from what I've read in some medical books and what a lot of my professors have told me, silicone can last in the human body for quite a while. It's not really something to worry about. Our abdominal cavity is not filled with anything that is going to wear away at the band.

I really can't imagine the band having to be replaced. I've never seen any sort of prosthetic device that had to be replaced after a set amount of time. I could be wrong as almost all of my information is based on orthopedic prosthetics. That's my thoughts, but if I'm wrong then someone correct me because I wanna know for sure.

hahaha very good point Allison. We are all so far apart.

This is my new favorite thread! These are great guys. Keep 'em coming!

I want to walk around in just swim trunks or shorts. Like down in South Padre (not too far from me). From store to store with no shirt on. Don't ask me why. Haha

I personally typed out my own signature except for the ticker. I got that at tickerfactory.com. It works great for me and looks pretty spiffy too. They have lots of options for you to customize your own ticker. Enjoy!

Yes ma'am 80's in March. Normal down here. People freaked last summer because it didn't hit 100 at all! Believe it or not I've never seen snow ever in my life. Went to the pool today and I remembered why so many people are so eager to jump in. It's great exercise and almost impossible to sweat doing it!

Thanks to everyone for the support. It means so much to me.

More often than not a doctor will not do a surgery on someone your age. The reasons for this are many, ranging from personal objections to legitimate medical concerns. Although I have to say I wish I could have had this procedure done earlier in my life. From the sound of it you're a big guy. I assume guy (the name), but have you ever considered getting into football or anything like that in school? Even if you get the surgery done, getting into football or even into a weight training program at school is a great way to get yourself ready mentally and physically for the changes you'll have to make. And this is coming from a guy your same height and probably your same weight. My football training and muscles I built while in football and after football are going to come in handy (they already are) as the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn. Just an idea. But welcome to the board! Make yourself at home EDIT: Just read over my post and I didn't want to come across as saying it wasn't a good idea to get the surgery. It might just be perfect for you. Just look around and find a doctor you're comfortable with and take it from there. And there are not a lot of legitimate medical concerns for teenagers getting the Lap Band as it doesn't restrict your body's absorption of Vitamins and other nutrients like GBP does. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I know that it can be easier to talk to another guy. And once again, welcome!

HAHAHA! This made me laugh. Good job!! These are too funny. Keep 'em coming!

Haha Allison. High 80's eh? haven't seen those since late March. That's why I'm glad my surgery isn't going to be until the fall. I won't have the temptation to jump in the pool!

The big thing is the recognition that it is not a quick fix. Once you decide to do the banding, you have all the time to psych yourself up for the mental changes. It's extremely hard to change the habits I've had since I was born, but I know that with enough willpower and motivation it can be done. The important thing is that you realize it won't be easy and that there will be obstacles, but keep your goal in mind and it'll be fine. Remember that we're gonna have a new lease on life when this is done. For you you'll be able to run around with your daughter when she grows up, and for me I'll be able to keep up with all the other students at school and not look like the odd fat kid in medical school. We all have our reasons for doing this, and this place is a great tool to help you keep your eyes on the prize!

Good job! Yeah I still need to schedule with the nutritionalist. I have my psych evaluation and my lab work tomorrow. Good luck on your appointment!