2muchfun

We see posts like yours occasionally. And it's disheartening to know that there are some doctors out there who don't understand how this is supposed to work and they're still performing surgeries. Change docs or make an appointment with your current doc and give him an ultimatum? Many people fear doctors, I know I once did. You may have to demand he do a barium swallow type fill so you get closer to the right restriction. You might have to be aggressive? If that's not you, find another doc who will give you fills. tmf

PB=Productive Burp: The act of regurgitating food backed up into our esophogus. Just short of a full blown vomit/throwing up attack. Much more gentle to the pouch but still not a recommended act to do often. tmf

DRaven: "Unfortunately same wasn't right. LOL" DOH! Good post!

You are not taking small bites, chewing enough and taking enough time between bites, imo. Once you have a stuck episode your band area can swell causing the opening to shrink and make it difficult to pass food through it. You might need to go to liquids or Soups for a few days to let the inflammation die down? Other ways your stoma(band opening) may be smaller is TOM, meds, too much sodium, stress and illness. This makes the opening smaller which makes it easier to get stuck. Do not make yourself throw up or you could cause your band to slip. And how many CCs in your band doesn't matter since each of us have different anatomies. tmf

Depends on what you do for a living and how active you are at home?

You're wasting time and energy worrying about something that probably won't happen unless you abuse your pouch with too much food most of the time. And you would feel a lot of discomfort for that to happen. Most of us experience the occasional stuck episode with blockage, sliming and discomfort. That doesn't mean we've stretched our pouches. If the episode is severe you can do as B-52 suggests and go on liquids for a few days so the pouch gets a rest. If your pouch were to be dilated you would be able to eat a larger amount of food without eating properly. As you lose weight, fat around your stomach can disappear giving your stoma a larger opening. Also, as we get a tighter fitting band, our pouches become more efficient at massaging food through the stoma. Your stomach/pouch are muscles and can become stronger as they are pressed to push food through your pouch. How much Fluid in your band is irrelevent to how efficient it should or can be. For some, it's 1 CC and others it's 14 CCs. It depends so much on your personal anatomy, band placement and environment. Stop worrying. It's just a waste of energy. tmf

Aint it great to not carry around those 40 lbs on a bike ride? We have cats and buy the 20 lb bags of litter. I pick one of those up and think to myself, I've lost(fat) the equivalent of 2.5 of these. You can relate if you have dogs and buy the 20 lb dog bags? Going to be 70 degrees here by Friday and I'm looking forward to more long bike rides.

Your port and pouch have very little to do with each other? Your port is probably stitched to the muscle on the outside of your rib cage and your pouch/stomach is inside your rib cage. tmf

I use polar H6 chest strap with my Iphone cyclemeter app. The app is maybe $4 and the strap is $60.

No, I didn't understand this comment? I think that you may be exercising and muscle may be replacing fat? You may never lose large amounts of weight due to the fact you're not that overweight to begin with. If you weighed 350 lbs you might lose 40 lbs the first month.

One more thing. Look at your band just like it's a ring on your finger? The same events I mentioned can cause just a little swelling in your hands, as well as your stomach lining. tmf

Many things can affect your stomach lining to cause a little inflammation. TOM, sodium, a stuck episode like you experienced, stress and medications? If you were right where you need to be, just a little nudge can make you too tight. Having said that, you may have been just a little too tight to begin with. Maybe fine for Soups and liquids but as you said, distraction may have caused you to eat too quickly causing a small stuck episode. Call your doctor in the morning and you might consider a very small unfill/adjustment? Good luck and no one is here to beat you up but you might want to use paragraphs, long posts like yours without a break are hard to read? tmf

I went for an hour ride on Thursday. It snowed 8 inches here yesterday so it'll be a few days before I can go again. Do you use any fitness apps with your chest monitor? I use cyclemeter with my Polar H6 heart rate monitor. I use the cyclemeter for bike rides but if I work out indoors I use the polar app. See below: Finished Cycle: Mar 7, 2013, 3:22:26 PM Route: New Route Ride Link: http://cyclemeter.com/bade1aaf5530924c/Cycle-20130307-1424?r=e Import Link: http://share.abvio.com/bade1aaf5530924c/Cyclemeter-Cycle-20130307-1424.kml Ride Time: 56:58 Stopped Time: 1:20 Distance: 8.86 miles Average: 9.34 mph Fastest Speed: 18.59 mph Ascent: 111 feet Descent: 73 feet Calories: 800

Can you eat Soup of any kind? Slider foods? If not, you could be too tight?

I'm like Mommycat, I lost 12 lbs the first two weeks and then nothing for the next 3.5 months. I didn't start losing till my 4th fill. Most of the people who lose 30-40 lbs the first 6 weeks are overweight by 150-200 lbs and may only be 5' 4" tall. And most of the weight they lose is stored fluids. I too was starving so I ate a lot of healthy food so I didn't feel deprived. You will have to have a few fills before you get out of bandster hell. It's a difficult time but try to maintain as much as you can. Stay away from sugars, fat and processed flours. What you are going through is normal for someone your height and weight. tmf

Bandster Hell is the time between your surgery and the fill that gives you enough restriction that you don't feel like you're starving between meals. This period can seem very intense and has been a time of frustration and is discouraging since we all want to get started on our journey. It can also be a time where we lose no weight or very little weight before the fill that launches satiety. Green Zone is where your band is helping you to feel satisfied with a cup of food and aren't hungry for 4-5 hours. The band doesn't prevent cravings. "When a craving doesn't come from hunger, eating will never satisfy it"...Dr. Michelle May The first month can and will be different for everyone. I attended a support group and it did nothing for me. 1 year 3 months and I've lost 50 lbs and I'm very happy I did this. tmf

Hazmat...no reason...for alarm...put phasers back....to stun...Kirk...out...Sulu....set course...for....planet..alergan. Ohuru...meet me...behind the transporters...Kirk out.

Yes, it's been a topic before. The pad shrinks around your pubis making your johnson look bigger and allows more length.

Hog Wild!

Some people cannot let go of their addiction and even WLS can't change them. Only the patient can change their eating habits. Although it is true that WLS of any kind can fail the patient, it's my belief that the vast majority of failures are exactly what you described. Good post! tmf

Too bad there's no forum for the obese who didn't have WLS and are now room temperature? If only they could talk? The horror stories they could tell?

I can relate. I've been at a standstill since Aug-Sept 2012. Not following the rules completely even though I know what I need to do. I haven't really gained any weight back just because I'm still eating healthy. My wife is on this paleo/health food kick so that's helped me to maintain. I think it's important to stay away from buying and consuming foods that cheat the band's effect. Slider foods! It may have been a while since you visited with a nutritionist but I think you should consider a visit? Usually insurance will cover this and if not it's just $50 or so? Start eating healthy to begin with, add some exercise and make a commitment and short term goals. Good luck. tmf

"25% of bands need to be removed per Allergan" Since you have a history of relying on anecdotal stats I'd like to see where this quote comes from? Please don't use the silly study from bands placed nearly 20 years ago? Dr. O'Brien's own study refutes your claim: "less than 7 percent of study participants who underwent surgery in 2006 or later needed a revision" http://www.lifeshape.net/blog/2013/02/study-demonstrates-the-long-term-benefit-of-laparoscopic-adjustable-gastric-banding/ http://journals.lww.com/annalsofsurgery/Abstract/2008/07000/Comparing_Outcomes_of_Laparoscopic_Versus_Open.3.aspx What happens to the msmaui who posts valuable advice 95% of the time? This msmaui seems to lose touch with reality when she goes on her vendetta against the band? This msmaui relies on false assertions, negataive anecdotal information and unreliable studies to further her anti band agenda? What happens to the supportive and rational msmaui? tmf

" Literally hundreds of posts are made by people monthly who are having band troubles and needing to revise" Literally hundreds of post made by a handful of people. You're playing fast and loose with the stats Maui. "Shouldn't these 75% have just had the sleeve to start with and avoided the risk, pain, scar tissue, aftercare and expense of a second surgery?" Of course they should have went with the sleeve but that would require some knowledge of forecasting the future and for most of us, that is not possible. And 75% of a handful of people doesn't even equate to literally thousands of people who went with the band and did not have a revision. You say 75% revise to the sleeve and are very pleased? What about the other 25%??? By your own admission there are 25% dissatisfied WLS patients who have no other options now that they have a sleeve? nearly 100% of band patients still have options. I.E. revisions to other WLS techniques or nothing at all. This is why so many choose the band. tmf

That really sucks but great attitude! I often wonder the same thing? But I know the band helps me feel satisfied so much sooner than before. The head hunger always won out before being banded. Good luck. Have you thought about other options like sleeve, bypass? tmf