Scott F

I was pretty much without hunger during the four months after banding. However, recently my hunger has returned. My nurse says hunger between meals is a sign of needing another fill, and that if I can go a month without PBing she'll give me that fill.

I got down to 165 # on phen/fen eight years ago and would love to get back to that weight. But I'd be pretty happy at 180-190 also.

Since reaching restriction three months ago I've not been hungry. Anyone know how/why this works? You long-time banders - how long does this last?

I've previously thought of myself as a quick learner, but not so with the band. I've been restricted for about ten weeks and still, once or twice a week I: Eat fast, then PB Eat rice, fries or bread, then PB Eat something, then drink, then PB Eat in the morning, then PB Drink something cold, then eat, then PB The band is a great teacher. I need to be a better learner.

On the day following surgery I was able to work half-day, and worked full days after that. I have an office job.

I agree 100% with Iulizbug. Forget about losing weight - just heal. When you get your 1st, 2nd or 3rd fill you will be restricted and the weight will start coming off again. I lost 15 pounds right after surgery, then nothing until my first fill. Now the weight is coming off steadily. Of course more exercise will probably be really good for you, but for me exercise doesn't lead directly to weight loss.

I have a little less to lose, but can certainly identify with how you're feeling. I wonder if you are still recovering from the disc and burn problems? It is amazing how long it takes to fully recover from serious injuries. I broke a femur 18 months ago and a tib/fib 30 months ago. I gained a lot of weight because of these. It is only in the last month that I have felt 100% recovered, and these injuries were much less severe than yours. Between the weight you will lose with LapBand and a few more months recovery you are going to be much improved. On the other hand, have you been tested for sleep apnea? Sleep apnea makes one feel tired all the time, and it is easily remedied.

Another reason not to drink following meals... When I am properly restricted my little pouch fills with food, then I drink, then I PB. There is no time to turn anything to slurry.

Saturday I bought a big, heavy tool chest at HomeDepot and was carrying it to my van. My pants began to slip over my hips, but I was pretty close, so I kept going. Pants were down to my knees by the time I got to the van.

I'll add myself to the group having frequent PBing. I seem to have the proper restriction. I just haven't learned to eat tiny bites, eat slowly, avoid certain foods. The PBing is a good teacher, though.

I look for a PCP who has at least as many health problems as I have.

Derbygirl, I'm a big believer in getting the fill right. I had my second fill three weeks ago and it seems just about right. My surgery package includes the fills for the first year. I expected to see a correlation between the number of fills a person gets and the amount of weight lost, but this did not show up with the people who responded to this survey. Maybe the people who just get a couple of fills during the first year do not get more because they are just right after two?

Scott F, Dr. Hansen, Sandy, UT -22 total, -0 pre-op, Feb 20, fills 4/5 1.5cc, 5/5 1.6cc

My sister had stomach bypass surgery 20 years ago. No doubt it saved her life. But recently she was diagnosed with a severe Iron deficiency and was told she has been having a series of mini-strokes that are somehow related to a vitamin/mineral deficiency. She says she was never told of potential problems from the malabsorbtion, but it occurs to me that as an RN she should have stayed better informed herself. This reminds me that over the next 20-40 years I need to keep up on what my lapband may be doing to me. Also, I have a venacava (spelling?) tulip filter that has not been tested long term and could cause problems. Perhaps a couple of Google searches every few years would be in order?

This seems to vary greatly. I was fortunate to be able to work a half day the day after surgery and full days after that. However, I work in an office.

I had to get banded without my wife's support, even had to get my business partner to give me a ride home from the surgery center. But this passed quickly and now is a non-issue. Most likely your husband will soon recognize that his fears were unfounded.

I should have done a search before posting. But in the search I just conducted I found the following posts on this subject. #1 Part of the reason doc's are using contrast in the fills, is that contrast does not cause osmosis. Having just saline in the bands could, it used to for the midband anyway. Before contrast medium was added, the Midband would cause Fluid to come into the band via osmosis, causing super restriction, so they reformulated the band, making it less permeable, and added contrast for filling to prevent osmosis. Maybe in the swedish band saline somehow seeps out? Saline is a salt Water. One very basic example of osmosis is the body's use for fluid balance, including balance in it's salt levels. If an area of the body is "hyper" or 'high' salt, your body draws fluid in to dilute it, or create balance, which is why eating a lot of salt causes high blood pressure, or "hypertension". The salt draws extra fluid into the venous system to dilute the salt, causing the veins to expand to accomodate the extra fluid, thus making the heart work harder to keep up. It's like pushing fluid coming in to the heart from a garden hose back out through a straw. The straw end is getting a pretty high pressure flow. Sometimes high enough to knock loose a piece of plaque build up which could then be pushed into ever smaller arteries, until it blocks one, and causes a stroke. Your body also holds on to any extra fluids to keep from increasing the salt level by letting fluid out, so if the body is too salty, you get swelling, legs and feet, hands, etc... #2 I believe I read recently that the port's membrane is semi-permeable... so a bit is lost over time. Not a lot, mind you... but some. I think you need to accept the possibility that at least once per year, you may need some sort of adjustment... be it adding or removing.

Today at my second fill the nurse noted that while I had last been filled to 1.5 ml I was now below that. She said that saline solution passes through the band/tube/port materials and that this is particularly common after the first fill. She said that body fluids also pass into the band and that generally the in and out flows are about net even. She is saying the band/tube/port materials are Fluid permeable, not suggesting leakage at connection points or damage to the band. I haven't heard this before. Can anyone confirm it?

For me, the perception of size/weight is relative. On fen/phen I got down to 160# (I'm 5'11"), but I could see that I still had a bit of belly, and thought that if I could get to 145# I'd be just right. I remember that people who were just a little overweight (far thinner than I had been a few months earlier) looked "pudgy" when I was at 160#. I suppose the same is true for beauty, money, etc.

I had my first fill yesterday. The nurse asked how much I could eat, and I replied that a six inch sub was not a problem. She asked how far away I lived (nearby). So, I got a 1.5ml fill (in a 4ml band). Nurse gave me four shots with the anesthesia. The anesthesia needle was tiny and I could hardly feel it. Of course I didn't feel the fill needle at all. Today I feel somewhat restricted for the first time since week one. I'm sure I'll need more fill, but for now it is pretty good.

I saw a post by Dr. Pleatman indicating that infection in the port area can be an indicator of band erosion - sometimes the bacteria that causes band erosion travels down the line to the port. I suppose likewise an infection starting at the port could travel up the line to the band and cause erosion.

Erosion - I have wondered about doing my own fills, seems easy enough, but I don't think I actually would. In fact, I'm going in for my first fill tomorrow and I scheduled with the nurse who's done hundreds of fills, rather than the newbie nurse who has done only dozens. Slippage - My surgeon warned me about not eating solid food too early, said this could cause slippage. However, he also said putting in more sutures will lessen slipping, and I have seen reference to improper placement of the band as a cause of slippage. There is also the issue of band selection. Isn't there a band used in Europe with performations that are supposed to lessen slipping?

I have found phentermine quite effective, but Meridia more effective. Currently I alternate these two.

$12,700 in Utah, includes one year of fills and other post-op care. Extra $3,000 or so if you have it done in a hospital.

My surgeon does not require a special diet prior to surgery. He says that with two of his 250 patients it would have been nice to have shrunk the liver before the op, but its not worth putting the other 248 patients through the trouble.