NaNa

I want to add another point... My analogy with the Band is like: Making a Deal with the Devil....the thought of getting the band filled to only allow sips of liquids and the weight will just pour off very quickly for MANY can be very exciting....you brag about the weight loss, getting into your bikini, wearing a size 0-4, and we can go on and on and on.... But in the end -- it's not pretty and that deal with the Devil has costs many their lap bands....this is why many hate the band after a few years and bash it strongly because if they use it in the incorrect way...it can break many hearts and dreams...like Cinderella returning from the ball after the stroke of midnight..finding she is back to her pumpkin and ragged clothes....

Parisshel, You mentioned: I just read a lapband blog where the blogger decided her weight loss wasn't "fast enough" so she was going to get a fill that would allow her to take in her calories by liquid only. I just shook my head and thought "that is not the goal here." That sentence right there is the NUMBER ONE reasons for Lap Band complications. MANY here are losing their weight just like this, and THEY THINK they are in the "Clear" now because their bands has not turned on them -- at the moment. They think it is NORMAL to not be able to eat solids, If I KNEW that I would not suffer consequences by tightening my band up to allow ONLY liquids -- I would do this too, but I am not stupid, I've BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT APPROACH and I've seen too many others harmed by this approach, many NEWBIES that are less than 5 years post op will argue -- WELL nothing has happen to me - YET.....sometimes it takes awhile before horrible damage sets in. My advice, the lap band does not discriminate, it will bite and it will bite in a nasty way if the band is tighten beyond the recommended level. Dr. O'Brien put that safety chart out, yellow, green and red zones, describing HOW THE BAND WORKS clearly and MANY still IGNORE IT...and think they can get away with keeping a too tight band and think, it only happens to others....and sadly some don't care, they will just misuse the band until the reflux and vomiting get so bad until it has to be removed in an urgent way and then they will just revise to something else.... And if they revise to another surgery type.....Sooner or later these people will have to "comply" with SOME weight loss surgery, whether it be Band, Sleeve, Bypass or DS...sooner or later they will have to comply and these other surgeries will cost them their life if they don't comply...

Essence, It's true MANY Bariatric surgeons have moved away from the Band, that trend started about 4 years ago. The ONLY reason I came back here to post after so many years was to WARN newbies and help them understand how the lap band should work. The Lap band has a VERY high complication rate with some clinical practices, and the band requires follow up, diligence, and really knowing how it works. When my hernia got inflamed last year and I was seeking a GOOD revision band surgeon, I had to go out of state to find a very experienced band surgeon to help me because just about ALL the Bariatric surgeons in the Washington, DC, Northern, VA and Maryland areas were moving towards the Sleeve and phasing out the band, and only just doing aftercare and fill adjustments. I've done my homework on the Bypass and the Sleeve, have friends and family members with both and I also have an older sister that had a "stomach stapling" surgeon 30 years ago when she was only 23 years old, and I've seen how she lives with that surgery and I will never get a surgery that staples the stomach, WHICH the Bypass and Sleeve does, so a revision to the Bypass or Sleeve were not an option for me. So for ME, the decision was to get my hiatal hernia repaired which required removing my old band and replacing it with a new AP band. The band works for some, but NOT for many so it can be a toss up, this is why I am very passionate about the band and how it works since I've seen SO many friends over the years having to have it removed. Honestly, if there were no risk of developing Hypoglycemia, severe reflux and the possibility of the Sleeve stretching back out, I would have jumped on that very quick and removed my band, but right now sadly there are no surgical options that appeal to me from a long term health standpoint, that's why I decided to get rebanded instead of revising to the Sleeve. I also think it is a GOOD THING that *some* surgeons are moving away from the band because the GOOD Lap band surgeons that offer very good aftercare ARE still doing bands. In order for the band to work properly you need a surgeon that is band friendly that offers very good aftercare and will install and fill your band properly and follow your journey. Can you find a very good band surgeon now? Yes you can go to the Lap Band site and www.Lapband.com and do a search lap band surgeons in your area and you will have to do your research to find a good band surgeon, I had to go out of state to find my surgeon last year after I met with about 6 Bariatric surgeons, it was a daunting task to find a GOOD band surgeon that would help me. The Sleeve works great for many and most look great after weight loss, but I just did not want to take the health risk with it long term when it's not reversible, once the stomach is gone there is no turning back to the band WAS and IS still my only viable option for weight loss surgery. If you still want a lap band you will have to do your homework and search for a good one, I am VERY happy that I found a good band surgeon to fix my hernia and give me a new band, and I've lost just about all the 30 pounds that I regained last year and SO FAR, knock on wood, I've had no problem with my new band..... I got the band because it's adjustable and can be removed it any complications happen, and I would not change to any other surgical type at this point. I have NO side effects and good restriction and I am wearing a size 10 @ 5'7 inches tall, and keeping my weight down going on 9 years with little to no effort -- I love my band . Good luck!

Hi JennyBean, You are correct MOST people have to go very low in order to lose weight, I do, too. When you get low in calories of around 500-800 calories a day you do need to supplement more and some people take B12 supplements to keep their strength up from being weak. Everyone that I've known to have the Bypass or Sleeve, usually go very low in calories, more so than Lap banders, since they lose very quickly. Some say that going low will take you into starvation mode, for ME, starvation mode does not exist, I can't lose consistently at 1500 calories, I think when you are very young and have a very strong metabolism that may work for young active people, but if you are over 40 like me, that does not work. Well hopefully if we use our band wisely, we will have our bands to stop that regain .. Yes that is the dangers of going low it can ruin your metabolism, this is why I try to walk daily or get on the treadmill daily for about 20 minutes to keep my metabolism strong. Well I feel stuffed too, here is the thing, I eat very dense food, this way I don't have to keep my band too tight, for example, I think my band is now at the right spot. I feel tight in the mornings, but I can still eat all solid food, if I eat yogurt, I don't get that signal that stimulates my vagus nerve, the key to eating with the band is eating DENSE food, that will keep hungry at bay for hours. Really learning how the band works takes a course ...lol... For example, if I eat a boil egg or scrambled egg it will keep my fuller longer than eating yogurt or cottage cheese or a Protein drink, remember food has to be dense to send that signal to your brain, and dense food also give you that stuffed feeling, that is how MY band works. And if I eat a few slices of an apple -- that's IT, I plugs me up and I can't eat dinner, so I have to carefully watch my diet to eat more because the more dense foods I eat the LESS I can eat, this is something newbies don't understand well, this is why newbies make a mistake and get too tight, when in fact being too tight will create the opposite. Believe it or not, those who's bands are too tight end up eating MORE calories than those who are in the green zone at their sweet spot, because when the band is too tight, will be fighting heartburn and a feeling of misery, More acid creates a false sense of hunger, and the vagus nerve is not stimulated because nothing dense is hitting the stomach, and those who are too tight will get sick and tired of sipping protein drinks, and yogurt and panic and eat chips, candy, Cookies, soft carbs, etc and many don't' lose weight and many end up with slipped bands with no weight loss. If you are feeling stuffed don't worry about it, that is a good thing, I guess you need to focus more on making sure that you are not eating over 4oz per meal. For ME, when I eat an egg and drink some crystal lite, I am stuff and can't eat any more, the band is not about restriction but feeling satisfied, but for me, I get full. In fact when I eat two solid meals, I can't eat anything else, for example, if I eat breakfast and lunch, I will not be hungry for dinner, and if I eat dinner when I wake up I am not hungry for breakfast until around 10am or 11am.....so it's difficult for me to eat 3 solid meals per day...but if I was eating soft food, and protein drinks I would be more hungrier. The key to the band is getting the adjustment "just right" where you can eat solids and dense foods to plug up the stomach to keep your hunger at bay for hours, and my band is now doing that. If the band is too tight you will not be able to enjoy or get down healthy dense food that will stimulate the vagus nerve to keep you satiated for hours, like an egg, or apple. Hope this helps.

Sorry this happened to you, Your surgeon is correct, if the band stays too tight for long periods of time you lose that feeling of satiety, and if the band is too tight you can't eat healthy foods, and if you are only eating sliders, and liquids calories, chips and junk food, you will never ever feel satisfied or full with the band...you will only feel misery and suffer complications. Wishing you good luck with your revision surgery.

Hey Mony, Welcome! Good to see old timers from the other forum, I remember you over 8 years ago. Good to hear you are still doing well after all these years.

I've had so many fills over the years I can no longer count, and I've experienced everything from bruising, little blood running out to pain. (But that was with my first surgeon), I have not had any of those issues with my new surgeon, so it does matter who is filling your band. But overall with most of my fills there is just a slight pinch when he stick the needle in. Some people have very hard stomachs, and it may hurt larger banded people since they have a larger stomach, but usually MOST fills should not hurt, just a little sting and it usually takes about 1 minute if the fill giver knows what they are doing. My surgeon fills my band, thank god, and I have a low profile port, a very small port that you can't see, and he finds my port in a second and my fill is over before I know it, he is really good. He sterilize the area and wipe down my stomach, and fills my band, some surgeons will remove all the saline to check how much is in there, but my surgeon, only add more saline, since we already know what I have, and then he puts a bandaid and I drink my Water and go .

Hi JennyBean, That's how my restriction used to be before I found my sweet spot, it would fluctuate, some days I would feel some restriction and some days I could eat a normal meal! Before I reached my sweet spot with this new band, I LOST nothing! Now my weight loss is like clock work, I got on the scale this morning and I was down another pound I agree with you should proceed cautiously in your next subsequent fills. I was in fact too tight before I found my sweet spot, I was really hungry between meals and could pretty much eat a full meal before I got to my sweet spot and my surgeon added 1cc, by the time I got home after my fill I could not swallow my spit, I had to turn around and go right back and have him remove half of that, and that took me to my sweet spot, so sometimes once you get near the green zone you have to do small tweaks and it my require a small unfill to get you where you need to be. I am at my sweet spot in the green zone, in the mornings when I wake up my band feels very tight, I usually drink some crystal lite or a Protein drink when I get up, but sometimes I will wait until around 10:am when my band is a little looser and cook 1 egg w/sauteed spring opinions and a little butter and sprinkled cheese -- which has less than 100 calories, and I may add a slice of bacon, which does not have but about 42 calories. With my sweet spot, I have to carefully eat my egg and bacon for breakfast, then I will drink crystal lite. By lunch time, I am no longer hungry, -- the band is doing its job, I can either skip lunch or have something very light, sometimes I will eat a piece of fruit, KEEP IN MIND, ideally with sweet spot, most people CAN EAT MOST FOODS, I can't eat thick bread, it will clog me up and I will slime, and I avoid all white products, like bread, rice, flour, etc. If I eat for example half of a small apple cut up without the peel, (I don't eat those very hard apples, they will be hard for me to get down, I eat those juicy kinda soft red apples, gives me daily Fiber too) this will actually plug me up more, and about 3-4 hours later for dinner I can't eat hardly nothing, but maybe a few teaspoons of something mushy like re-fried Beans or soft baked fish, only about 1 to maybe 2 oz is all I can eat. I know they say we are not supposed to fell stuffed, but I do, with my sweet spot I can't eat another bite after dinner, I have no desire to snack between meals and my raging hunger is gone. Also FOR ME, I tested out drinking crystal lite a few minutes after I'd eaten my eggs and I will tell you, it does not make any difference for me, I stay full the same as if I don't drink, also I find that if I don't drink something the food will feel like it's still stuck in my esophagus, so for ME, I do sip on a little crystal lite to push my food through and it works for ME. So you don't have to be too tight to reduce your food to liquids, in fact, I've been too tight before and there is really no advantage to it, and most people end up eating more calories when they are too tight because they can't get down but liquids, or soft stuff like yogurt, Protein drinks, chips, candy, etc....and this stuff WILL not keep you satiated for long periods of time and plus you can damage your band if its stays too tight too long with reflux issues... So my calories for a typically day now are Breakfast - 1 egg/cheese, 1 slice of bacon - 150-200 calories Lunch - 1/2 apple, or baked fish - 60- 100 calories Dinner - Refried beans/ salsa cheese light sour cream - 200 calories Zero calorie crystal lite As you can see I am barely eating 500-600 calories per day and it feels like I am eating full course meals of over 2000 calories. Sometimes I will add some mashed soft broccoli w/butter and garlic powder which hardly have no calories. Also if you already feel some restriction now, I will add maybe a little more until you sneak up on your sweet spot. Good luck

Your band is in the middle of your chest, so if you got a fill today, it's probably swelling....cold tea will further tighten the band too. Things to look for after a recent fill is reflux and extreme heartburn or burping are signals that you are too tight or something is wrong, and obviously vomiting. If you were able to get down cold tea, you are probably good to go, I would take it easy and make sure my sips of liquids are very teeny and not gulping. And again, if you continue to have uncomfortable sensations call your surgeons office. If it were me, I would not drink cold liquids along with pills, I made that mistake a few years ago and the cold Water tighten my band and the pill got stuck and I ended up in the ER from work, I will never do that again as long as I have a band.

Yes, the band tightens up for many people under stress, sorry about your loss. Sending Blessings your way

It feels good to eat 1 scrambled egg for Breakfast w/cheese 1 slice of bacon, half an apple for lunch and a few spoons of re-fried Beans w/cheese and salsa for dinner. And seeing the scale move again....consistently.... This would not have been a big deal at 5 years post op...but I am going on 9 years and still have the restriction of a newbie...I love my band....

Most people will feel some discomfort from just the trauma of surgery, your surgeon sutured the band to your stomach so most people including myself had back and some shoulder pain. If it gets extreme you may want to call your surgeon, walking helped me, heat pad and Gas-X.

I don't want to burst your bubble...but YOUR only options are to go Bypass or Sleeve, YOU CANNOT get a lap band over what's left of your stomach.... Now a few surgeons are putting another type of band on Sleeves...because IT WILL stretch...Band to Sleeve revisions have a VERY LOW success rate... http://www.bariatricnews.net/?q=feature/11395/banding-sleeve-gastrectomy-%E2%80%9Cjust-makes-sense%E2%80%9D

I had respect for you Missy, you've lost it.... You are extremely two faced....when ALL of us Lap banders were CONCERNED about the others coming here you said...You have NO desire to learn about other surgeries because you were ONLY interested in the lap band.. Now you are saying you may have options to CONVERT to other options...just to stay "friendly with others that are attacking me...you are pathetic...and yes I said it... But NOW since others are attacking me, you want to JUMP on the attack NANA...bandwagon...

You are acting rude to me ....I am just responding to their snarky posts and if you don't like it you can use the IGNORE button too. I will make it easy for you...I will put you on my block list that way you don't have to read my posts....

Again...if someone have a problem with this post...just stay out of it and it will eventually die out...if you keep stirring $hit ...it will keep brewing.... I don't bite my tongue about no comments I made...if anyone don't like it...I gave directions on how USE THE IGNORE BUTTON..apparently they are more interested in keeping the attacks going....which is fruitless...and stupid I am on NOT going anywhere...so if you can't the heat stay out of the kitchen... And by the way I am being EXTREMELY nice with my replies...

Hello... No thank you, I don't care to go the Sleeve route, if I develop another hernia in 7 years, my surgeon can just unbuckle this band and fix it. The older 4cc band that I had could not unbuckle...so I had to get my band replaced.... As long as my band keep my weight down, without horrible complications I will keep it or replace it.... Regarding the Sleeve what are YOUR plans when it stretches back out in the next 1-3 years? Do you have a PLAN B? So.....you can redirect that Band revision link to someone else that's interested....Okay?

And oh..you can click on my profile and click on Gallery to check my pics to see if I got to my goal weight or not.... Remember once you get to goal, does not mean you will stay there with no small weight gain...

I was at My goal weight within 18 months post op.......Remember I am going on 9 years.....you know the time MOST Bypass and other surgical types have gained it all back...LOL I kept my weight down for 7 solid years with hardly NO gain....I am not cranky...just spunky... I gained 30 pounds back last year when I developed a hiatal hernia...and had to saline reduced....there is no shame in my game.... I've lost 20 of that....I am VERY HAPPY where I am right now...so I will any additional weight loss I can get.... Don't brag too much...because what I hear the Sleeve can/and do stretch back out double its capacity in a few years....you are not that far out yet...so don't go bragging....

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Jean, Interesting and very articulate point.... You made some GOOD points by saying that PB's usually COMES from the Upper Pouch, that little section that the band creates...In all the literature that I've read we do not technically have a pouch, but FOOD is stored in the upper pouch created by the lap band, the area just below the esophagus....HENCE when we PB it's NOT REAL vomit, without the acid, it's just 'undigested" food which is called Bolus that comes right back up.... I guess this is an argument that US surgeons and surgeons in Australia need to argue...but you can't argue with O'Brien s green zone charts and his findings on drinking with food is not advantageous..

And that's ok please use your right to the Ignore button....all you have to do is go to your profile and over to the left there is an IGNORE section, and just type in my user name NANA....and Poof...I will be gone... :ph34r:

Butter Bean....FYI...I currently live in a small town with my hubby, but not as small as yours ( I moved to his town when we got married)...but we have concrete... but I sure don't like small town living...we hope to move out to Northern California in the next year... and FYI...and you both have the same skin color...LOL...so there ya go...and you learn something new every day...

Well...one GOOD thing I have to say positive that I've gotten out of this entire silly argument...I am down 4 pounds since Sunday..... ...and the only reason I had *time* to answer posts was I glued to my computer working on a short deadline to my clients.... So next week, I will not have the time to deal with this type of nonsense....