LollyMoe

Don't give up! Re-think all the reasons for having the band and start again. Journaling is a great tool too.

My advisors say 1-2 lbs per week. So far, I'm on schedule. However, from previous experiences, I know I will probably reach a plateau sooner or later. Just hang in there and eventually you'll lose again.

I am not diabetic but as a nurse, I would advise you to see your PCP at once. It is very dangerous to let your sugar get too low as it is for it to get too high. You don't want any comas. Please see your doctor soon.

As a patient, you have the right to refuse any services from the fellow in the future. It's in the Bill of Patient's Rights. Ask your doctor for it. I'm sorry you had a bad experience with the fellow. Some people are so full of themselves, they can't admit to a mistake. Consider the source and go on from here. Good luck on all your endeavors.

Nazzy: You can contact the makers of the band and they will answer your questions.

EffiePoo: Unforunately, there are posters that think just because they got the band, it will magically make them lose weight w/o all the hard work that is required. It just isn't so. You have to use a tool of any kind in the right way for it to work properly.

I am so sorry to hear about the MS. Please contact your doctor and get his advise. He is the better choice for you right now. Good luck.

Drink lots of water. It helps.

My surgeon is very experienced but he still made me feel bad at my first follow-up visit. Even tho I had lost 17 pounds in one week, I got a lecture from him on the importance of what & how much I put in my mouth. He made me feel that I was going to fail. I left there so mad at him. I came home and thought it over a lot. I decided that I wasn't going to let him make me feel like a failure and he could go jump in a lake! If I'm doing what I'm suppose to do, eventually I'll get to goal. Thankfully, I don't see him when I get fills. His nurse praticetioner (sp?) does the fills and she is very nice.

I was a diet Dr Pepper addict. I drank a two-liter everyday. When I was told that I couldn't have them at all, I went cold turkey off of it and haven't wanted it even once. There is a lady that I know who thought she could beat the system and drink the cola IF she let it go flat. Well, she almost lost her band completely. The pouch swelled up and then drooped down around the band. Why would you want to pay so much for surgery, go thru everything post-op and then take the chance of complications all over a cola? There are reasons WHY the doctor says no cola. Ask him the whys/whynots. If you can't follow the rules up front, how do you expect to be successful? Please re-think the cola...for your own sake.

Cream of chicken soup is the only slider food I've eaten.

I weigh every Wednesday morning and am keeping a record of it. I don't even think about it until Wed. I just feel that I do need to know how I'm doing at least once a week.

The band is NOT a magic wand! It is a weight loss tool only. You will still have to work hard to lose the weight but it can be done. After the swelling goes down, you may experience hunger. It may be head hunger or it could be real hunger. It's different for each person. Once you get your fills and reach the sweet spot, it will be much better for you. I haven't gotten to my sweet spot yet but I believe what the others have said and am looking forward to it. I refuse to give up. I want to be healthier and off all these meds I have to take. Do what your doctor says and work hard to eat less with the right kinds of foods. You'll be okay.

Are you exercising? You have to burn up more calories than you take in. No one really wants to exercise in the beginning but after awhile, it becomes second nature to you. The body will revert to a starvation mode if it thinks you are trying to with hold food. Add some more exercise and watch what you eat. Writing it all down in a journal is very helpful. Each night, take a look-see at it and you'll be surprised at what you have done all day. Good luck and keep us posted.

I suggest you call your doctor at once! Don't fool around with this.

I didn't have true hunger until recently. It's almost time for another fill and right now I could eat the dog if I had one. I hope my second fill will be more successful. I am more than ready to get this weight off me and on to a healthier life. Perhaps some of your hunger is "head hunger" too. Find something to get you busy during those times. You can always drink a Protein shake between meals. Hang in there.

I am to aim for 60 gms of Protein a day, no more than 5gms of fat per serving. No more than 15 gms of carbs per serving. My book doesn't have a total for carbs in one day. Only the Protein count. It does have a liquid amount...6-8 cups per day.

The band is not a magic answer to weight loss. It is a tool for you to use in connection with your own self control. Most people do lose weight! When you read the "horror" stories, remember that there many many people that are successful and happy to have the band. Right now, you are in a very difficult time frame....some call it Bandster's Hell. It's mostly up to you right now. Once you get your fills and reach your sweet spot, the weight will come off. I'm not sure about gaining it back. Some of my friends are very successful with the band and they are out more than three years. Please don't give up. Learn all you can, take some of it with a grain of salt, and continue to remember that most people are going to post the bad things and forget to come back to post good news. You can do it. Work hard and let your band help you.

Yippee! You go girl! Doesn't it feel good to wear something smaller....even if it's your hubby's sleep pants? I have a stack of size 22 waiting for me that my SIL passed on to me. It will be awhile but I'll get there. You just watch & see. Congrats again.

I am so sorry to hear of your problems. I think you should talk with the surgeon that placed your band and ASK why he used such a small band in the first place. If you have been having problems from Day 1, he should have done something about it before now and it should have been done for free! Casually mention a malpratice action and see what kind of reaction you get. I do hope you get all of this worked out soon. I wouldn't do the sleeve as it is in the early stages and there are no long term studies on it.

I wish I had known about this site pre-op. The people here are so helpful and there is loads of information. Read as many posts as you can between now & your seminar. Jot down any questions you have and when you go to seminar, make sure you ask them.

Just remember that the bypass is NOT reversible, you have to take B-12 injections forever, and most people gained their weight back within 3-5 years. Also, you lose so fast that your skin cannot keep up and it becomes very saggy and dry. The wrinkles are incredable. You also need to ask about receiving cancer treatments (chemo) if you should develop cancer (God forbid). My friend was unable to get chemo b/c of bypass. Don't know if it was her doctor in New Orleans or her condition. It never hurts to ask first. It's best to think long & hard about a most complex step. This surgery is going to re-arrange your body parts inside, recovery is longer for some people. Please please think and pray before you do anything. You may have only lost 25 pounds but you didn't gain that much or more. Maybe your exercise & food intake are too even. You have to burn up more than you take in to lose weight no matter what.

Good luck on writing your book.

I am so jealous but excited for you too. I was banded on 8/11 and have lost a little over 30 lbs. My doctor didn't require a long pre-op. Only two days. I'll take what I've lost and be happy that I am continuing to lose. Good luck to you. Wonderful news.

Nope, not pissed off but am disappointed that I have come across several things that would have been better if I was informed. For instance, I wasn't even told about this website until after I had the surgery! I saw a nut just a few days prior to the surgery and didn't have time to absorb the info. Wasn't told about the gas pain either. That's just naming what I can remember off hand.