Bamagal

I can not think of to many ways to kink the tube,one being if your port flipped and one being they did it at surgery.I could be wrong here but I would say it is not your fault but the surgeons and they should fix it for free.

Mary is right,don't think you never gonna have real food again because that is not the case at all.You will be able to have most anything as far as food goes you just have to earn it.What I mean by that is if you want a small piece of cake or scoop of ice cream or a few chocolates you can,you just have to cut a few calories and walk another mile that day.Just don't buy a cake and take it home just have a slice at the restaurant or where you can just get a slice.

I am having the same problem,I had more restriction after the surgery before the fills.I just had fill 3 now I have 3.5cc's in a 10cc band and little restriction ,the only problem I have is bread.I think the difference after the surgery we had swelling and this made us feel more restricted now all that is gone,so we have to try and get back there.

, Clear liquids do not mean protein drinks with milk,for two days you can have water,vitamin water,Gatorade,clear broth not cream soups,and make Jello if permitted.For protein drinks I like Muscle Milk,EAS and GNC brands.Vanilla and cookies and creme are my fav.GNC strawberry is nasty so is Choc-caramel.With vanilla you can add instant coffee,fruit ect.

Sorry to say Beer is carbonated,and my doc says no soda,beer or champagne.

for me it was an easy chose,I was not willing to reroute my plumbing and the risk involved with that as well, noway not me.

Why am I fat,well I was a fat child and all my family on my moms side is fat as well,so I guess that started it all.Then I made it worse by staving myself all day when I could just stay busy,but at night I ate a big dinner followed by not sleeping at night cause my mind races so then I would get up and eat thinking if I were full it would make me tired.I often wake up two and three times a night so I more than made up for what I didn't eat in the day.And I am slightly glucose intolerant not enough for meds but enough to make losing weight a struggle and I crave sugar sweets ,so I guess that about sums it up for me.

My port was tilted at first fill and even under x-ray it still took 3 jabs to get it and my tummy hurt like hell too.Second fill no issue found it first time now I have to have all my fills under flouro to the tune of $230.00.Going for third fill on Wednesday .

Go to the homepage for Lap Band and enter your zip code.They will show you which doctors will take out of town patients Lapband.com - Find a Surgeon

Here is a link to some info on all the bands that I think you all will find useful. The LAP-BAND AP? System: The Platform Advances | Bariatric Times

I really think you must have restriction in order to stretch your pouch.Have you been filled yet?The pain may well be that you are still healing as we don't all heal the same. Stretched pouch would allow you to eat more than you should even with restriction, so I really do not think that is it at all.

Guys I think the most common mistake we all make is to think if we cut back on more calories we will lose more weight.So not true if you cut out to many calories your body will think you are starving and to protect you from famine will store all the fat,so make sure you get between 850-1200 calories drink plenty of fluids and get your protein.

A lot of people are tight first thing in the morning,something hot like coffee,tea or hot choc protein helps loosen the band,then see if that helps you with eating.

you can make and eat real jello as it will melt

Ok I went to Inamed/Allergen Lap Band and found 2 clinics in China endorsed by Lap Band.I would call them and see how they feel about filling other doctors patients because that is always a problem. (quote)CENTRE FOR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT Susan Lim Surgery 6 Napier Road #02-17/18/19 Gleneagles Medical Centre Singapore 258499 Tel: 65 6475 7133 Fax: 65 6475 7233 Email: enquiries@susanlimsurgery.com Website: .::susan lim surgery::.Singapore Raffles Weight Management Programme Raffles Weight Management Clinic Raffles Hospital 585 North Bridge Road Level 12 Singapore 188770 Tel: (65) 6311 2340 Raffles Weight Management Clinic provides specialist treatments for weight problems covering the full spectrum of body mass index (BMI). Whether your BMI is <18.5 (underweight) or >32 (severely obese), our specialists can help you achieve your healthy weight. Our team of specialists including endocrinologists, bariatric surgeons, plastic surgeons, dermatologists, dietitians, physiotherapists, and acupuncturists offer a range of weight management services: Medical approach Managing weight through medication, exercise and healthy eating. Surgical approach * The use of intragastric balloon * Bariatric surgery or lap banding(/quote)

When the content of dietary carbohydrate is elevated above thelevel typically consumed (>55% of energy), blood concentrationsof triglycerides rise. This phenomenon, known as carbohydrate-induced hypertriglyceridemia,is paradoxical because the increase in dietary carbohydrateusually comes at the expense of dietary fat. Thus, when thecontent of the carbohydrate in the diet is increased, fat inthe diet is reduced, but the content of fat (triglycerides)in the blood rises. The present article will review studiesof carbohydrate-induced hypertriglyceridemia, highlighting data obtainedin fasted subjects habituated to high carbohydrate diets, data obtainedfrom subjects in the fed state, and metabolic studies investigatingfatty acid and triglyceride synthesis in subjects consumingdiets of different carbohydrate content. The available data havebeen recently expanded by new methodologies, such as the useof stable isotopes, to investigate the metabolism of sugarsin humans in vivo. Given the significant increase in body weightobserved in the American population over the past decade andthe changing availability of carbohydrate in the food supply,future studies of carbohydrate-induced hypertriglyceridemiapromise to provide important information of how the macronutrientcomposition of the diet can influence health.

My doctor said do not eat diet food or anything that says diet.Lap band is not a diet but a way of life.Example to not use low fat margarine,skim milk or low fat cottage cheese ect.because if you are eating the right portions as in a cup the difference in the calories is not enough to make a difference and you enjoy your food more.He said portion control not calorie counting is the key.Also do not eat around the band,such as foods that are easy to swallow like mushies.Solid foods stay with you longer and the band can easily restict the amount you eat.But if you eat lot of soft food you can graze all day long with no restriction.

My gosh people,I have been on this board long enough to know people have problems with doctors is every country yes even the good ole USA.I had my surgery in Tj,Mexico and was treated better than I have ever been treated here.Was picked up at the airport by a nice young man and a driver.Took me for my blood work then the cardio.From there I went right to the hospital got hooked up to the IV and then attending Physician came in took my vitals,ask me some questions about my health.Then the surgen came in ask me the same questions again,let me ask question and we just chatted.Then the anthesiologist came in ask me more question ask me if I was nervous,gave me something to help me relax and I woke up and it was all over LOL.Through all this my escourt never left my side he was a fine companion and a great young man.Then he took me to the Mariott where I spent the night and he picket me back up in the morning took me back to the hospital for a checkup.Then he took me shopping and back to the Motel.Next day he took me back to the airport and I flew home. Thruth is Mexico ha been doing this surgery longer than USA,they even came here and taught us how.

Very doable I was banded May7,2008 to date I have lost 41 pounds and mind you that is with 3 weeks of losing nothing and losing 2 pounds twice before my second fill.So I say go for it.My start weight was 295 and I want to be at 235 by Christmas.That is what I weight 3 years ago before Chemo and my thyroid went haywire.Current weight 254 so less that 20 pounds to go.

Band size is decided by body mass,and size of your stomach and how much fat you carry in the midsection,BMI 45 or more typically get the big band.But some people have less BMI but carry most of their weight in the midsection. Now as to the fills,on an average they say 3 to 4 a year,I think that is kinda low balling myself.Some doctors tend to give .25cc and .50cc so now I say depends on how aggressive your doctor is and how you lose and feel restriction.I think most people it is about 6 to 8 a year.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/Delores/menu.jpg Maybe this will help,I found this and saved it

My port was tilted too at first fill,so now my doc says I have to do them all under flouro,the first time took three stabs and man did it hurt.But just went for second fill and he hit it the first time was painless nothing to numb it either.He let me see the screen when he filled me closed completely ,then as he took some out so I had a proper fill .I was so happy the second time was so easy.

I agree you need protein,but drinks are not the answer.You should be getting protein from solid foods that keep you full.Also do not drop your food intake so low your body thinks you are starving,it will only cause your body to slow down and store more fat.Try this just for a few weeks eat solid food,watch your carb intake and get at least 2000 calories a day,no liquid calories not even protein use bars and real food.I know many will not agree but it is a fact if you drop your calories to low it will cause your body to hold on to the fat .Your body is not designed to count liquid calories so no eating around the band.You tried everything else so what do you have to lose but the pounds.If you can try to break it up in 6 small meals.

when went for my first fill port was tilted as well,took three times under flouro to hit the dang thing and it hurt like hell,but here is the good news when I went back for my second fill he hit it first time I know he hit it as he showed me on the screen when he closed me completely off with 5 cc and then let off 1/2 cc still nothing so he took out 1/2 cc more leaving me with 4 cc ,only thing was all my first fill was gone if he actually hit it as I felt no thing different from first fill .So hopefully your doc can still access it under x-ray with flouro.Let us know how it goes