thesuse2000

Do you need a fill? I would think if you had a good fill you wouldn't be able to take big bites, etc and the band would give you that slap on the back you're looking for. Good luck!

I wonder if you could be eating to little? I've heard people say that if they eat less than about 1000-1200 calories a day the weight loss stops. I'd say try to add up your calories to make sure you're eating enough - and of course not too much either. Make sure you get enough Protein and Water. Hang in there - you'll find the right things to eat to help you succeed!

You need a fill!! I wonder why you haven't had one yet. Your experience sounds perfectly normal for those who haven't had their first fill yet. In fact often times it takes 2-3 fills before you really feel like you have a band again (depending on size of band and fills). Of course you need to address the emotional eating issues as well and try to think before you eat. But if you have a good fill it will really make it easier not to overeat. Good luck! Susan

Wow - that sounds scary! I'm glad you're generally okay and you got it dealt with before anything more serious resulted. I hope you're feeling better soon!

I agree with restless monkey - in all likelihood you would just gain the weight back if you have the band removed. You could certainly try getting an unfill once you hit your goal and keep the band as unfilled as you can handle without regaining. Also - why would you want to go through another surgery unless it was absolutely necessary? Regarding how to get banded for less - I was banded by Dr. Ortiz at the OCC in Tijuana Mexico. I did it with my sister and we got a great rate of $7,000 each. I think it's normally $7,500-$8,000. And they can help you arrange for financing if needed as well. Good luck! Susan

If you got a 3 CC fill for your first, I'm guessing you have a larger band that holds around 10CC total. From what I hear it can take a bit longer to feel restriction with that band. See if you can schedule another fill for soon! Once you have restriction you'll really feel the effects of the band. Good luck!

I don't have anything terribly helpful to say - I think that there are quite a few types of bands from different manufacturers - Realize and Allergan/Inamed and maybe more. The bands come in different sizes - I believe your doctor will decide once s/he sees the size/shape of your stomach which size is appropriate for you. Just curious - why are you trying to understand this? I would think you just need to find a surgeon - and the type of band is something that they figure out.

I'm sorry you're having to go through this scary period - but it's true that, if anything is wrong, you have a chance to catch it before something serious happens. I hope it is a false alarm and you're able to get your band soon. Or it is easily fixable and you can get your band soon enough. I wish you all the best! Susan

I was banded on a Tuesday and didn't go back to work until the following Monday - almost a full week off. I think I could have gone back earlier if it wasn't for the bad diarrhea I had from around day 4 through 8. That was a little rough the first couple days back at work and then it got better. Also - I was just tired and also kind of preoccupied with the band and obsessively reading about it online - so I had a hard time really focusing at work for at least another week. It's not crazy to think you could go back that soon, but you might want to have the option to stay home for another couple days if possible.

Not sure if you're in the city, or nearby, but Dr. Ren at NYU is supposed to be great. I got banded in Mexico, and went back there for my first fill, but I'm planning to have my next fill with Dr. Ren. Hang in there - the band will change your life!

I booked my surgery date about a week after first learning that I could do it affordably in Mexico (Dr. Ortiz) and booked it for just 3 weeks later! It was all very fast and now, 2 months after surgery, I still have moments of "OMG I can't believe I actually did this"! But it's all good - never have I had a moment of regret. What you and everyone else has said is true - there are always reasons to eat - and you'll always be able to eat! Just not quite as much. It hasn't even occured to me that I won't be able to eat as much for Christmas. In a way I just need to think about the usual things - be careful not to eat too much candy (goes right through the band) and other sweets that are around at that time. I say go for it - do it while you're feeling ready for it. Good luck!

Oh - that is awesome - and beautiful. I'm going to be beautiful today too - thanks! :tt2:

No worries!

Hmmm... I just double checked and indeed Kaopectate and pepto Bismal have the exact same active ingredient: Bismuth subsalicylate: Bismuth subsalicylate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Imodium is the one that is completely different from the other two. I believe it may be the safest option, and is thus preferred by physicians, especially for long-term diarrhea caused by chronic illness. But it didn't work as well for me.

I had bad diarrhea that started a few days after surgery. I tried Imodium for a couple days before calling my doc. He told me to drink 2 cups of gatorade after each time I went to the bathroom (I didn't drink THAT much but I did drink at least a quart a day). And he also told me to take kaopectate (I think it's the same as pepto, but I did take kaopectate). It helped SO much more than the Imodium and the gatorade really made me feel better. Good luck! Hope it passes soon.

That's great news! I'm so glad you got the attention you needed from your doc and are feeling better. Yay! And if you end up feeling like you don't have enough restriction you should be able to get a .5 CC fill - and maybe that will be just right. You've done amazingly well - I'm inspired by your achievements. Good luck with the rest of your journey!

Check out lapbandforum.com - it's the forum on the OCC site. Their main site is at Lap Band Surgery in Mexico - Dr. Ariel Ortiz at the Obesity Control Center I did a fair amount of research and found that Dr. Ortiz had the best qualifications in Mexico - although there are a few other good options as well. It's a big decision so it's good that you're being cautious. There are complications that can happen, but the worst of them involve having to get the band taken out (and that's pretty rare). But there are very very few problems with just getting the surgery - it's relatively safe - and much safer than gastric bypass. And I know that I am reducing my chances of getting diabetes (runs in my family) and will likely live longer than I would have. I'm certainly very happy I did it. Best of luck to you!

Yep - I went to Dr. Ortiz at the OCC in Tijuana. had a great experience overall. Just went back for my first fill last week - they're the best. And since my insurance wouldn't cover me it was an awesome affordable option. Good luck!

it sounds to me like you're too tight, and while hopefully you haven't done any damage to your band yet, all that throwing up and/or PBing could cause your band to slip. I just met a woman last week when I was getting a fill who had lost about 180 pounds and then got a fill that was too tight and was throwing up constantly and didn't address it quickly enough. After 3 months she went to the doc and her band had slipped and she had to have it removed. She was so upset and I felt so badly for her. I will definitely remember her and make sure that never happens to me. And I don't want it to happen to you either! I'm glad you plan to call your doctor again and insist on attention, and I would think, a bit of an unfill. jmegirl - PBing means "productive burping". When food won't go through the band you feel it in the back of your throat and have to sort of burp it back up. Usually that event is associated with pain in the chest (around the band) and what's called sliming - which is pretty nasty, your body produces a huge amount of saliva in an effort to deal with the plug at the band. Fun stuff. You can avoid it by not being too tight, chewing your food really really well and avoiding foods that are a problem for you - for many people bread and chicken are the most common culprits. Good luck both!

You won't be hungry after surgery for a few days, and then as mentioned already you should start on liquids and then possibly mushies (my doc has us go directly from liquids to solids). It's incredibly important to follow your doctor's post-op guidelines to make sure you don't do any damage to your band as it heals in place. But you should be able to get in enough calories for you to feel satisfied, but still lose, by drinking Protein shakes, Soups, juices, etc. Good luck! The first few weeks are the hardest but it goes by fast - you can make it through. Many people say that the focus just after surgery is on healing properly, not necessarily losing.

You probably ovulated later than usual before your last period due to your restricted diet in the month prior. We stop ovulating when we don't eat enough (many models never get their periods because they don't eat enough to ovulate). I'm sure it was just a one time thing and that you'll get back to your normal cycle moving forward.

I was banded just a few days before you - best of luck to you in your journey!

Thanks for the tip! My hair issues are not band-related, but this line sounds like just what my dry damaged over-treated hair needs. Just ordered some online.

I had that too - it was not pleasant! I was going to the bathroom at least once every hour. Pepto bismol helped me a lot. But definitely once I got onto full liquids (creamy Soups, etc) it started to improve. Good luck! It will pass.

I don't think it's a bad idea, but I'd say talk to your doctor about it. He/She can explain all your options. FYI - the period we get on the pill is not a real period - you only get a real period after you ovulate. The pill suppresses ovulation so you won't get pregnant, so the bleeding you get is just mimicking a real period. So there is no problem with only getting this fake period every four months instead of every month. That said, some people do experience bleeding between periods on Seasonique - especially in the first 3-month cycle - but it improves in the 2nd cycle and gets better with each cycle after that. Good luck!!