DizzyLizzy

Be sure to have them check under xray if you have not already. I stretched my pouch which created a buldge that tilted my band and caused me to have bad reflux and some vomiting. They took all the Fluid out and I go back in a couple of weeks to see if my pouch and band are back in place and I can get small fills again. I attribute the stretch to my eating too much and too fast... thinking I could eat more, but was really just stuffing myself!!!

You can strectch your pouch if you eat too much, similar to stretching your stomach without the band...eating too much/stuffing yourself, how most of us got overweight in the first place. I had the same problem, the stretched pouch created a bulge which tilted my band, causing acid reflux and some vomiting. They took out all my Fluid as well, this was on May 7th. I felt like I was a bottomless pit the 1st week, then the 2nd week, I would get full quickly (I have a smaller band so I will have a little restriction without any fill at all) but I wouldn't stay full long. Now I'm staying fuller longer (still not long enough), so I think my pouch is going back in place. They will check me again in 2 weeks and if all looks ok, I can start to get fills again. I've already started back making sure I eat slowly and small amounts so I don't stretch again.

Go see your doctor and have them check it under xray! Could be a stretched pouch tilting your band. I had a similar problem. They took out my fluid 4 weeks ago in hopes that my pouch and band will go back to where they should be and then I can get fills again. I go back in 2 weeks to check. The longer you wait, if that is the problem, the longer it could take for you pouch and band to get back in place. Go see your doc asap!

Good luck, happy banding! Let us know how you're doing!

Similar situation, yes, go to your doc ASAP. I've been banded 2 1/2 years and have gained back 20 of the 70 pounds I lost. I didn't realize how much I gained back because I stopped weighing myself a few months ago and hadn't been to see my doctor in a year. What led me back was that I started having horrible acid reflux. I did a barium swallow and found my pouch was stretched which was tilting my band. They took out all the Fluid and will check in a few weeks to see if my pouch and band goes back in place, and if it has, they will give me little fills again. I haven't had any problems with reflux since they took my fluid out and I've gained some restriction again with the band alone, so I think it's working! Go to the doc ASAP and get checked! Waiting will only make it worse, because I found that the only thing that made my reflux feel better was more eating!!!

Have them check it under xray. You may have a slip or may have streteched your pouch which can tilt your band and cause problems. That's what happened to me, and it made me have really bad acid reflux and I was spitting up whenever I lie down, even Water that I would drink to take my night time medication would come up! They took all the Fluid out of my band to see if my pouch and band would go back into proper position. Seems to be working as I now have some restriction again just with the band and no fluid. They will check when I go back in a couple of weeks and if everything is where it should be, I can get fills again. Go see your doc ASAP!

I remember towards the end of my pre-op diet feeling very "loopy", almost like I was drunk! Keep it up, you guys can do it!!!

Yea, they told me just to not eat for a couple hours before. Liquids were fine. But maybe call them as soon as they open?

I had to during Christmas holiday party season... my surgery was on 12/22/09. It was rough!!! My office had a party at Dave & Buster's. I asked my nutritionist if I could go and have the chicken Soup and she said no. So I didn't go until after I knew they were done eating. But all the carry-ins during those two weeks, and then Christmas dinners and New Years after surgery (cause I was still on liquids for 2 weeks after), whew it was hard!!! So, I pretty much pouted my way through it, lol!

All I remembered from initial visit presentation was they said over and over "YOU COULD DIE" . So they were very informative of the risks with lapband surgery, as with any surgery. My knee surgery was also risky, removing my ovary, appendix, tonsils, and lead in my hand were risky. Even having my babies was risky. Could have died or had complications with any of those procedures. I'm on the highway 2 hours a day 5 days a week going to and from work, that's pretty darn risky! Heck, living is risky! Living overweight is more risky! But they help to reduce the risk of an enlarged liver with the pre-op diet to shrink it. My surgeon said he has stopped the procedure on sevaeral patients before because of enlarged livers.

It's something you are going to have to get used to and work through for the rest of your life. Even when you get off liquids, you will always have to eat differently then the rest of the people around you. I did well with that at first, I would fix something totally different that was good for me and my band than everyone else (because they weren't into healthy eating like I was forcing myself to be). As soon as I joined in while we were on vacation a little over a year ago and said, oh I can have this pizza, oh the brownies, ice cream, popcorn... a little became more and more and more. Put on 20lbs and stretched my pouch and tilted my band! So now I am completely unfilled for at least another 3 weeks and trying to not eat everything in sight! So, make the committment now that you're just going to have to do things and eat things differently than everyone else. It's a lifestyle change, not a diet! Once you get in a routine, you'll get pretty good at it, you'll just have to be more focused when you're out of routine like on vacation or even out to dinner, but just stay focused, and remember your goals. Keep at it and good luck!!!

What is plication???

Anywhere but my boobs or butt! I like my round butt and my boobs have pretty much disappeared already!!! I was hoping for an hourglass figure, now I'm a pear with big flabby arms! :-( BUT, at least I'm not a big circle anymore, lol! {trying to look at the positive!}

Don't beat yourself up! I am in a similar situation. I was banded Dec 2009 and so far I've only lost about 50lbs since surgery. I had been down 70, but gained 20lbs over the last year! It started like you, stress! I took my kids on spring break and gained a measly 5lbs eating junk and out of embarassment wouldn't go to my doctor until I lost it... which never happened!!! Then divorce, having to move, having to file bankruptcy, being downsized, no insurance for a while, then got crappy insurance, stopped logging my calories, just one thing after another! Even though I still exercised 3 -4 a week I still kept putting on a pound here and there. So I said, I'm not even going to weigh myself anymore. Then i started having problems with acid reflux and the onlything that would make me feel better is eating, not thinking that it would make the reflux worse later. So the reflux is what drove me back to my surgeon. I went 2 weeks ago. Come to find out, I had gaied another 10bls just since I stopped weighing myself a few months ago, and I stretched my pouch which tilted my band causing the reflux. They took all the Fluid out, and man did my stomach immediately feel like a bottomless pit!!! I was STARVING and could eat like a horse! And once I ate, I did not stay full at all. BUT, the good thing is, sometime last week, I started getting full more quickly and staying full longer. So, I think my pouch has shrunk bad and my band is band is back in it's proper place and I'm getting a little restriction from the band alone. It's not great, but it's better. I'm on myfitnesspal as well and have gone back to logging my calories. I'm not where I want to be at 1200 - 1400, but at least with the 1500 - 2000 and shaving off about 3500 cals a week with exercise, I at least shouldn't gain. I think I've actually lost a couple pounds, but I don't trust my scale vs. the doctors, so I'm not getting too excited just yet lol. But they will check my band when I go back next month and if it is back in proper position start me over with little fills. So, THERE IS HOPE!!! Go back to your doctor. And as far as money, it may not be as bad as you think. I was worried I'd have to pay hundreds for each visit because my insurance has an exclusion for anything weight loss related, but my doctor is billing as just routine checkup, so I only have to pay my $35 co-pay! DON'T GIVE UP!!!

I don't think weight loss should change "who" you are. I'm a good person now at 270, I was a good person at 390. But I was not as healthy and active at 390 as I am now. And being healthy and active is what's made me a happier person. That's the only thing that has changed. I never made a big deal about being fat or overweight. Maybe because I alway have been and always will be. But my weight, my size, doesn't define me. Never have, never will. I think more people should look at it that way. I have a cousin who lost a lot of weight with lapband and she always looks at her old pictures, and "eeeeewwww" "yuck" "gross". She's gained the same mindset of the people who hurt her when she was heavier, can't see past the fat, and that's just not right, in my opinion. I look back at my heavier photos and think wow, I feel so much better now and wish I had taken my health more seriously sooner. And that's about it!

Exactly, I personally know 4 people who have had gastric bypass... 3 women and 1 man. Only 1 of the women lost a significant amount of weight and has kept it off the 4 years since she had surgery. The rest are bigger than before they had surgery, so none of them are fail proof! The one thing that stuck out for me, is the guy not long after his surgery said "My doctor wants me to go to a support group, I don't need no dang support group!!!". Now I know, yes WE do!!!

First off, the band is not magic. You will have to do some work. I just "re-discovered" this. I was banded December 2009 and did great my first year, lost almost 70lbs following the band rules and counting calories. Then I went on vacation and ate every sugary thing in site, which of course all slid down just fine, and drank shakes, slushies, all that bad stuff! Out of shame I refused to go back to my doctor thinking I could be back on track myself. A year later, and and extra 20lbs, I obviously did not! As they say EPIC FAIL!!! I was sooo hurt and disappointed in myself. But I told my family because I wanted to hold myself accoutable, and saying, YES, I MESSED UP, is helping me to cope! I had also stopped counting calories faithfully too. I didn't realize it at the time, but that bowl of sherbert, oh yea a serving is 120 calories, but that's half a cup, not a whole bowl, which, it's sherbert, turns into liquid as soon as it hits your mouth, goes down fine, oh so tasty, so it's easy to put down a bowl... every other night! It was a slippery slope to eating this and that. Sure I stayed away from potato chips because they would always get stuck, but not the pizza, and other greasy fattening stuff. So it takes willpower, you have to work with your band, you still have to diet and be conscious of what you put in your mouth. And you have to exercise. And I also managed to stretch my pouch and tilt my band, discovered that after a week of constant acid reflux finally drove me back to my band doctor! And now all my Fluid has been taken out for at least the next 5 weeks. So I really have to have some willpower now!!! Work with your doctor, you may have a slip or tilt. Or you may just be too tight makeing you result to liquids and softs which are easy to go over on your calories without you even realizing it because they don't keep you full. Good luck!

I'm 5'4" and my original personal goal was 180, but my surgeon was shooting for 230. But after a set back of gaining 20lbs over the past year and back up to 270, I will be happy to get close to 200. I wear a size 20/22 now and I think my appearance of being smaller is due to my working out a lot. I never in my life wanted to be skinny, I like being curvy. And I don't want to loose too much weight because the people I have seen that have gone from over 300lbs like I was to 150 or less look very aged, probably because of all the sagging skin, not just on the body, but in their face. I'd rather be a little more plump and still look youthful. Plus I have a big head and don't want to look like a lollipop, lol. A size 12, 14, or even 16 would make me happy, but most importantly, I just want to be healthy & active!

Yes, I am another who has had to learn the hard way! Not only is the band the boss, but I need the help and support of my doctors and their team! I had surgery in December 2009 and was doing fairly well, until I went on vacation and didn't listen to my band nor follow bandster rules. I gained a few pounds and out of shame wouldn't go back to my doctor until I lost it. Well I never did! Actually gained 20lbs over the past 15 months! And I ended up with bad acid reflux which finally made me decide I really need to go back to the doctor. Turns out I stretched my pouch which has tilted my band! So I had to have all my fluid removed and will have to suffer trying not to eat everything in sight on my own now for at least 5 weeksn when I go back to have my pouch and band checked! Lesson learned! I will bow down to the mighty band!!!

I had my surgery in Illinois but I don't want to continue to drive up there for follow up visits. I am a self pay my insurance won't cover anything weight loss related. Can any of you recommend a doctor in Indy for fills and such that will take self pay and aren't crazy expensive or able to bill as just office visits so insurance will cover? Thanks!

Is it PB ing even when it's liquids? Like I was just trying to drink some hot tea and as it went down, I'm getting the weird noises. My son tells me there's a frog in my throat, lol. Hope everyone has a good day.

Hi all! It's been a while since I've been on here. I haven't lost much over the past 6 months or so, maybe 15 lbs! But I got a fill last Friday and have lost about 6lbs over the week. But I have been extra tired, because I haven't been able to eat really and I'm wondering if I'm too tight! I did better eating yesterday and today. I actually ate a whole piece of pizza! But it was sitting at the top of my throat and I had to stand up and move around a bit because sitting was uncomfortable. Before my fill on Friday, I could down a foot long sub no problem, and now, I'm usually full off a stick of cheese! And I didn't get a huge fill either. I also wonder if this is a problem: every time I eat I can feel and hear the food go down, it takes like an hour, and it's this repetition of little "burping" sounds. I'm not actually burping, but you can hear it, mouth closed and all, sounds like it's coming from my neck. Anybody else have that problem. Is that a sign of being too tight? Hope you all are doing well.

10lbs per month...my bad...lol!

Thank you! Yes, we gotta do what we gotta do to get it done! The workouts will get easier and more enjoyable as you go. I actually like working out now and kinda get a little "high" off it!

It's funny how your mind can play tricks on you like that. Mine does it quite often...a little of this, a little of that, I'm not losing much anyway so oh what the hell, screw it, I'm eating this, stuff like that. Like anything, it doesn't really matter if you fall, what really matters is if you pick yourself back up. Pick yourself back up, dust yourself off, and start over again with determination and care to not fall again. It's gonna happen, but as you see you and the band working together working for you, you'll be motivated to keep working at it, and the falls will happen less and less. One thing that helps me is food journaling - counting calories. I also use MyFitnessPal and it helps me to see what foods I need to stay away from. It's not fail proof, I still have my moments when I give in to temptation...for some reason flaming hot cheetos have been my devil here lately, but I am very conscious now of how many calories are in foods and it reallys helps to tell myself my homemade eggbeaters tortilla is just as filling and satisfying as that egg mcmuffin and about 200 calories less! And when the boss offers to buy everyone a milkshake, I pass because I know it's a 350 calorie waste! Good luck....keep striving...everyday is a new day to make it better!