stinaNYC

Hi...I am having the same exact problem. I have a slow leak in my port/tubing and am losing about 1 cc a week. I am also self pay, so I feel your pain on the cost issue. Unfortunately, without any proof of what caused the leak, it's hard to point a finger at someone and say "It's your fault!". The danger with self pay is that we have very little back up when something goes wrong. However, what my surgeon's office is going to do is talk to my health insurance company to see if they will cover at least part of the hospital's fees. I don't know what carrier you have, but Health Net (mine) doesn't usually require pre-certification and approval for outpatient proceedures, which is what the port replacement would be (unlike the first surgery, which was inpatient). If you have insurance, see if your doc's billing coordinator can act on your behalf with the insurance company. You may have to push the surgery date back, but it'll be worth it to save a few thousand bucks. If that doesn't work, there is always the option of going overseas or to Mexico, or to another hospital in the US that isn't as expensive. I think my hospital is probably one of the most expensive (they want $8K for a 20 min proceedure!), so if nothing can be arranged with my insurance, I'll be looking into those options. Good luck, and I'm sorry you're going through this. It's really frustrating that practically brand new bands are falling apart like this. Personally, I think there's a design flaw, and if that can ever be prooved, I think there are enough people out there experiencing the same problem to file a class action law suit and get Inamed to pay for part or all of the cost of replacement. But that's part wishful thinking, part waaaaay down the road.

I'll ignore the judgemental tone for now and address your concern. I was going to be travelling a lot the month of July, and the previous two months I had been having problems with PBing. Since I was travelling far away, I didn't want to have to deal with any problems that would make my trips unenjoyable. One of the legs of my trip involved hiking in the desert, and I didn't want to chance being both dehydrated and without enough calories to finish the hikes. That's why I asked to have a slight unfill. I didn't get unfilled completely...I can only go up to 2.5 cc before restriction is too tight, and he took me down to 2. No problem with that at all. If you can't live and enjoy life with this band, why have it at all? The band isn't meant to be some sort of surgical punishment for our gluttony. It's a tool, and sometimes that tool makes life difficult when you really don't want it to...like on vacation. ANd now here is where I get pissed off. First off? I don't live to make Lap Band studies look good. I live for myself and my family, and this notion that I should be chastized for effing up the data on Lap Bands is absurd. Second of all? Up until this post, you didn't know anything about why I had a slight unfill, so how do you know that I had a slight unfill "randomly" Well, if you didn't mean to sound harsh, I suggest you practice your "soft voice" a bit more, because really? I'm --->this close<--- to telling you where you can stick your tone right now. And for the record? I lost 4 poundsthat month. Also? My *surgeon* is the one who did the unfill for my vacation...he did it *happily* and then proceeded to give me a page full of restaurant suggestions in Las Vegas. My surgeon? George Fielding...perhaps you've heard of him? He's one of the top 5 Lap Band surgeons in the world. Anyway... DrewsLou: Yea, there's definitely a leak...they think maybe my tubing got twisted and a hole occured or something. My doc won't charge me a dime for replacement...it's the hospital that's the problem. They want $8K for the surgery! He's negotiating with them to see if they'd go down to $2-3K (I mean, it's a 20 min surgery! $8K?!?!). If they won't come down, we've discussed my going to Mexico to have it done by someone in Dr. Ortiz's practice. They are close colleagues...Dr. FIelding and Dr. Ren take overseas patients for follow ups and fills. I told him to keep trying, but that if nothing could get resolved by New Years, that I'd want to do the Mexico option. In the meantime, I go in every two weeks and get topped off at 2.5. Thanks for asking, and I'm glad your's got fixed!!

I started off as a size 24...I'm comfortably wearing an 18 now and would like to end at a size 14 (I'm tall and large framed, so I know that anything smaller is unrealistic for me).

I would definitely be interested in seeing the pic. I have the same problem: leaky port/tubing that will need to be replaced. I haven't had mine confirmed by flouroscope, but I am exhibiting the same symptoms/problems as two other patients of my surgeon's that have leaky ports/tubing. It's interesting, too, that both the other patients, as well as you, have all had our bands put in place in the same 3-4 months period, and we're all having problems. Makes me wonderif there was a design flaw with a particular set of Inamed bands. I was self pay, so the port replacement will cost me out of pocket. I'm wondering, if we can find enough people with the same problem, if there's a case to be made that Inamed's product was faulty and, thus, is responsible for the cost of replacement?

Hi...I bought one of those scales that does weight, baody fat and hydration and I found the body fat measure grossly inaccuate. I had a body fat analysis done professionally, and while my scale was telling me I was at 43-45% body fat, the one I had done (caliper and Water displacement) had me at 33% body fat. My trainer told me that, if I insisted on using the digital body fat scales, to understand that they are often 8-10 percentage points higher than what you actually are. Just a caveat before anyone decides to buy one.

Well, I thought I'd provide an update on my possible leakage issue. I went in and, to no one's suprise and everyone's dismay, I had lost 1.5 ccs out of a 2.0 fill from the week before. My surgeon came in extremely disappointed. He told me that, just yesterday, he did a revision on a patient who had the same problem I did...2-3 months with a loss of saline. They had filled him again to last until the surgery date...and when my surgeon went in, he found *all* of the saline still in the band! He wasn't saying that the leak "corrected" itself- he still corrected the leak- but he believes there's some sort of design flaw with the type of band/port system that Inamed has designed and that he used on me and this other guy. SOmetimes the saline goes through and sometimes some leaks out when you're getting filled. Either way, the band isn't working right. They filled me up to 2.5 cc, and I was good for about 5 days, but I can feel that the restriction has lessened significantly. I ate maki rolls today, so I'm pretty sure I have less than 2.5 in there. I'm supposed to check in with them next Thursday, at which point we'll make a decision about repair. I'm just dreading the pricetag on this. I cleaned out my retirement savings to have this done...I'm going to have to go into even more debt to pay for this now. :angry The PA at the office has the band as well, and she said to me that, as the band gets "older" as a method of WLS, they're discovering that there's a lot more maintenence that needs to be done than anyone had originally thought. This isn't the "until eternity" method that a lot of docs are selling at as. Caveat emptor and all that jazz.

Niche: I think that you and I have our fills done by the same person. I was banded by Dr. Fielding. Gasbar does my fills and told me the same thing you're telling me, too...that it could be that the saline went into my tissue rather than the port. I'm REALLY hoping that's what this is. Everyone: thanks for your stories and insight.! I go in day after tomorrow, so I'll be sure to let you know what happens.

I find I go down a size every 20 lbs...I was 290 and a size 24 pre-op, and now I'm 235 and moving into a comfortable 18 (I'm 5'8"). I'm excited to lose the weight, but a part of me is going to miss shopping at Lane Bryant. I love their clothes! I always feel beautiful whenever I go in there and try stuff on...they make being a large woman a little easier!

shaunaruder: If your doctor had you on a liquid pre-op diet in addition to the liquids/mushies stage post-op, the weight gain has a lot to do with you coming out of what is, for all intents and purposes, a starvation period. I know that I gained about 5-8 lbs once I went to solids, and that's totally okay. It's easy to get malnourished during the liquid stages...your body is probably just holding on to the food for dear life after the shock you gave it! I can't tell you when you'll get just the right restriction...for me, it took 3 fills before I really felt anything significant. But the fills *do* make a HUGE difference in the way we eat. Don't be discouraged...you're doing just fine!

I also weigh every day, mostly so I can track my water weight gain. I only take the weight I am on Saturdays as the "this is what I weigh" number. The other 6 days, I'm keeping an eye on the effects of salt on my water retention...that way, I can adjust my salt intake.

So I got some really distressing news last Thursday from my GYN. I had taken a blood test to measure my hormone levels before I started on birth control pills. Her office calls me up to tell me that my insulin and C Peptide levels are high (my glucose levels are normal) and that I should go see an endocrinologist to have a more thorough assessment done for diabetes. It's so frustrating...I got banded *precisely because* I wanted to turn the tide against possible onset of diabetes. I exercise 5 days a week for 30-45 minutes! 50 pounds later, and I'm getting *this* news? Bah! Sometimes, life has a really freaking sick sense of humor. :cry

Thanks everyone...I'm still seriously bummed, but you all make a great point: this may be an issue that would have existed even without my excess weight. I have some family history of Type 2 diabetes (my maternal and paternal great grandmothers had it). I'm wondering if my previous attempts at very low-carb diets, then going off of them, contributed anything to my possible insulin resistence? I was on Atkins for about 8 months, then abandoned it abruptly, then started and stopped again for 2 years after. South Beach *is* a great diet, but to be honest? I got this band so I wouldn't have to go on another diet again. I think what I'll do is follow the general guidelines around lower-carb eating: high Protein, good fats, veggies and slow-burning starchy carbs. I still have to find an endocrinologist, tho, just to make sure I know what I'm dealing with exactly. My insurance company isn't making it easy for me...they don't distinguish b/w diabetes related endocrinology and other types, like thyroid. Thanks, everyone! I'll keep you posted on what happens!

I hope you're feeling better since you got stuck! In the future do the downward-facing dog yoga pose to help gravity pull the stuck food out...works every time for me without retching or stressing the band: http://www.yogabasics.com/asana/postures/downdog.html

So glad to hear that you're doing so well...can' timagine what a shock that was for you. Please continue to get better! I do want to point out that your advice to women over 30 to get off birth control pills is erroneous...women over 35 *who smoke* are at increased risk for stroke, but it's incorrect to say that all women over 30 should get off the pill. Be well!

I guess maybe I'm confused. If you all don't have fills, then how is the band even working? The purpose of the band is to have restriction that limits your food intake by force. If you're losing weight without that restriction you're just losing weight the old fashioned way...limiting portions. Or am I missing some crucial piece of info? I just don't understand how the band is serving as a tool if you don't *activate* the tool.

Hi everyone! ANother Feb bandster here...so far have lost 47.5 lbs and currently have 2.2 cc in a 10 cc band. I had to get unfilled at 3.0 ccs...couldn't get anything down, and I think 2.2 is my sweet spot! Glad to see people doing so well! We should give ourselves collective pats on the back!

debi717: The most accurate way to measure body fat % and lean body mass is, unfortunately, the hardest to obtain. It's called Hydrostatic weighing (underwater weighing), and it uses the Archimedes Principle to come to a percentage. Your examiner first calculates your body density by measuring the amount of Water you displace when you immerse yourself in water. Then a formula is used to calculate body fat based on your body density. The problem is finding a facility (University, major gym or fitness center) which has a hydrostatic weighing tank. If you cannot find one, the second best method is a caliper test. It's cheap, and your doctor may be able to do it for you. Some people use scales that send an electromagnetic wave through your feet to measure body fat, but these are HIGHLY inaccurate. I bought one (unfortunately), and it told me that I was about 10% *over* what my fitness trainer measured me at with the caliper test. I would suggest asking your doctor if he/she knows where you could get the hydrostatic (underwater) test done. If they don't know, ask them if they know how to do the caliper test and if they could do it for you. Or, if you go to a gym, you could ask if their professional fitness staff can do it.

I am always so scared of screwing up my band by coughing/retching, but sometimes you just need to bring that food back up and starts again. I posted this in another thread, but what helps to bring the food up for me is doing the "downward-facing-dog" yoga position...let gravity do the work and you don't have to retch or cough to bring it up. Jackknifing yourself does the work for you! I've actually never had a PB so long after I eat...it usually happens in the first few bites, with more discomfort than actual pain. It's weird, but after I PB...the food I eat afterward always goes down easier. Ahhhhhh...life with the Lap Band...always an adventure.

You also have to understand that the 65% figure is an AVERAGE, not an across-the-board figure. Which means that there are plenty of people who lose more than that on the band. On a side note: I've been reading this board for a while, and I've noticed a strong tendency for people to pick weight numbers that insurance and BMI charts tell them are "appropriate" for their height and age. Those numbers don't really mean anything in our real lives, because they don't take into account how much of your weight is lean body mass vs fat. debi717, you mentioned that 65% of your excess weight would put you at 200lbs, and that that's "unacceptable". How would you know if that's unacceptable if you don't know your lean body mass %? If you're at 200lbs, but you have 160 lbs of lean body mass, you're in the 20-25% body fat range. For a woman, that's *excellent*. I am 5'8", and after a body composition analysis last month, I discovered that about 165 lbs of my current body weight is lean mass (muscle, bone,. Unless I want to *lose* muscle mass (which would be nuts), I have to work *from* that number. My current goal weight of 190lbs would put me at 18% body fat. Even if all your doctor can do is a caliper test, it's well worth doing a body comp test so that our goal weights are realistic and achievable.

Sherri: This may sound weird, but sometimes your fill needs more time to "take"...like, it doesn't kick in for a few days. This happened to me with my second fill. I was at 2 ccs...7 days out, nothing was happening weight wise or restriction wise. Then, all of a sudden...Day 8 came, and I was tighter! 3 weeks at this fill helped me lose about 8lbs. I would suggest waiting until you've sat with this fill for a week or so...then make a decision. The band is a fickle, fickle bitch sometimes.

LOL...you sound just like me at 1 week post-op! Don't worry...the constipation is normal. I did a one-two punch to help with this: I combined prune juice (down the hatch) with glycerine suppositories (up the shoot). It worked miracles. Plus, as you start eating regular foods, things will losen up a lot more. If you're still on painkillers, that might also be stopping things up...I was on Vicodin for a week and it just wrings you dry.

Welcome to Life With a Lap Band!!! I don't want to generalize, since the band is so different for everyone, but if you don't have any restriction in your band, it may be that you've just lost all your weight by eating sensibly in fear of "ruining" or "hurting" your band. As someone above mentioned, without restriction, the band isn't very useful. It's designed to be inflated. Don't be scared about that...you paid a lot of money to use that thing! Fills, in my experience, don't hurt. Sure, things get funky for the first few days, but they work out, and you really won't miss the excess food you had been eating that you won't want after a fill. BTW...it took me about 4 fills to find my "sweet spot", so be patient if your first fill doesn't feel like much or result in quicker weight loss. Also, my doctor suggests that you go in once every 4-6 weeks for an adjustment. Not sure what your doc recommended, but those were my guidelines. Good luck!

Hey Jodi...just saw your posts and wanted to chime in. I'm not sure if someone else recommended this already, but you know what's a great source of low to no impact aerobic exercise? DANCING! If you can, lock yourself in your room, turn your radio or CD player on, and just dance like a dancing fool for 20-30 min a day. It's fun, it gets your heart rate up, and it doesn't cost anything! Move everything you can, especially your arms and hips. Heck, you don't even need to move your feet much if you don't want...just as long as you get your hips and arms moving, you'll see benefit! Plus, dancing helps to make you happy...have you ever seen a frowning dancing person? I'm sorry you've been so frustrated, but you sound like you're on your way and determined to achieve your goal. Good luck, and stick with it! Your success so far is fantastic...you're doing great!

Hey Marie...I just saw you say you were going to try an egg (above). Having made that mistake 10 days out myself, I *highly* advise against it unless it's really runny and practically raw. Scrambled/fried eggs, at least for me, got stuck big time. Not fun. GNC doe shave a chocolate whey Protein shake mix as well that I used...20 g of protein per scoop. I would put it in shakes, yogurt and milk...helped me a lot.

Yoda: See, at first? I was like "Maybe I should do a handstand!" Then I remembered that I'm *245 lbs* and that wouldn't work so much. Then the yoga popped into myhead and...well...the rest is history! Paulax: LOL! I feel like TMI warnings are so unnecessary at this point. I mean, we all have bands around our stomachs! How do we avoid the gross stuff?