ElfiePoo

My surgeon also does both types of bands and bases it on the size of the person's stomach/BMI. Betsy, I also gained weight on WW. That was back when they used to applaud the losers and boo those who gained or remained the same that week. The head of the program who loved to brag about how "if I can do it, anyone can" actually told me I was a liar and cheat because nobody gains on WW. Then I also found out she only had 25 pounds to lose and that was her after baby weight. She'd never been overweight for more than a year in her entire life. What a dumbass. .

Depends on your doctor. My doctor doesn't torture his patients by making them go on a clear diet for 2 weeks to a month prior to surgery, as some do. I was limited to only Clear liquids (he suggested Isopure as it would give me the Protein I needed...I'm diabetic too) on the day prior to surgery and nothing at all after 10 p.m. After surgery, his patients are back on solid foods by the end of two weeks. .

So far the lap band has not worked for me. At almost a year postop I still have no restriction. At one point I was overfilled, so we dropped back on the fill and are now going up again in smaller increments, hoping I just passed that sweet spot. All I know at this point is that I went from no restriction to getting stuck on everything. No middle ground. I'm seriously considering getting the band taken out and having the sleeve done if I still have no restriction in 2 months. .

Every fat person has an eating disorder. If we didn't, we wouldn't be fat. A lot depends on what that eating disorder is. My surgeon was pretty up front that he will not band someone who is bulimic because of the compulsion to binge and then purge. He said the only patients he's had who had to have their band removed due to erosion were bulimics. Due to their constant purging, they stressed the stomach area around the band until they had to have surgery to remove the band and repair the damage. .

Hunnybee, I didn't realize Ireland was still in feudal serf mode where their 'employer' owned their bodies and could tell them what to do with them. I'd contact your Labor Relations board. .

Everything I've read suggests this is phrenic nerve pain and has to do with the band rubbing against the diaphragm. The pain in the shoulder is a referred pain. I had mine for 6 months after surgery and then it went away. In the past month it's come back with a vengeance. Mine bothers me if I'm only slightly reclining to a full horizontal position. Sometimes I can relieve it by pulling my arm above my head, while lying down, and stretching my torso. .

If I can't find my sweet spot in the next 2 months, making me 14 months post op, I'm going to seriously check into getting the sleeve. I went into my regular doc's office yesterday and saw her nurse (who had a sleeve the same week I had my band put in) and was shocked. This woman weighed 375 pounds on the date of her surgery and has been losing steadily because she didn't have to wait to get her 'tool' to work. While I've only lost 30 pounds and still have no restriction, she's lost 200 because she's had restriction from day one...and looks fantastic. I'm sure she feels it as well. .

My doc said I should be able to eat only 1 cup when I have restriction but when I went to the meeting with the nutritionist and she showed a plate of food with a typical meal, I almost laughed in her face because it was very obviously about 4 oz of protein, 1/2 cup of vegies and about 1 cup of mashed potatoes. She's apparently doing her own thing.

Only if you want to be. Their housekeeping problems are not your problem. I would simply write them a letter and send it certified stating that you were told this was a one day procedure and you did not spend a night due to medical complications, but a lack of organization on the hospital's part. Their problem, not yours. I would also send a copy to my insurance company. I think you'll find the insurance company will take a dim view of them trying to charge for their ineptness. The squeaky wheel and all that. .

Hang in there, Jen. You're only a week postop so you're bound to have discomfort. Most people are back to normal by 4-6 weeks (meaning they forget they even have a band in). .

No, I lost 72 pounds on my own prior to the surgery. Since surgery I've only lost 30...and even that was done pretty much without a fill. I have hope though. I go in for another fill tomorrow and am hoping it gives me at least some restriction. .

Just because this all needs repeating. We can research and research and do more research and still find the band was not the right choice. Cleosmom: Something to keep in mind with the sleeve is that you get whatever size pouch you get (and it may still allow you to overeat), whereas the band is adjustable. I guess we just need to keep working it until we get it to where it will work for us. .

I never feel obligated to respond to someone when I have a bite in my mouth. I just smile and hold up a finger to say 'just a moment' and continue chewing. Than again, I've done that all my life. Order something you know will go down easy. As Cocoa said, eating sliders for one meal won't kill you. .

As HB said, slider foods will vary with the person. cheese is not a slider food for me, but potatoes, rice and Pasta are (even when I had too much fill and was getting stuck on everything else)...and many people have problems with rice and pasta. .

I had no pain in recovery and just mild discomfort for a few days, so never took any pain meds other than liquid Tylenol after surgery. I was back to work (desk job) the day after surgery, although I did go home after a couple hours. Slept the rest of the day and then went back to work the following day with no problem. I have been banded for almost a year and have only lost 30 pounds. I've had little to no restriction as far as how much I can eat except when I was overfilled. Perhaps that was my fault getting filled too fast so now I'm taking it a bit more slowly in getting refilled. I have yet to see the advantage to getting this band, but I'm still hoping it will do what I was promised it will do. .

We are all unique and our bodies will all respond differently. Try it and see if it works for you. Even when I was doing shakes all day, I made sure to drink enough to get in around 1200 calories because when I drop lower, my weight loss stalls. An aunt of mine lost weight doing Slim Fast for Breakfast and lunch and a regular meal for dinner (5-6 oz Protein, a cup of steamed vegies, 1/2 cup of starch). .

I try to stay around 1200 because studies, and my own experience, show that most women who eat 1200 calories a day lose weight faster and more consistently than those who eat less. .

Gypsy, I think we need to redefine what 'full' is. For most overweight people, 'full' is when we push back from the table and feel the need to undo the top button of our pants. At some point on my way to overfill, I think I passed my sweet spot (and am currently looking for it again). I remember there being a point where I just knew that I had enough...and if I was dumb enough to take that next bite, it would be too much (and was if I was dumb enough). .

Cleo... The band has not worked for me in the way I expected either. I did tons of research, asked questions, researched more, asked more questions. I did not go into this uninformed. At almost 1 year postop, I am still only down 30 pounds since surgery. Some people are emotional eaters or sweet eaters. Some graze all day. My weight problems are because I love the taste of food and could put away enough food at a meal for 3 people. I got the band because, after all my research and questions, I came away with the belief that the band would stop me from eating excessively by making me feel 'content' after eating. To a certain extent it has for limited periods because I was able to take off 30 pounds and have kept it off but then that temporary feeling is gone. As it stands right now, despite eating a 1200 calorie low carb diet and logging everything that goes into my mouth at Fitday.com and doing a brisk one hour walk every day, over the last month I've lost 7 pounds, gained back 10 and lost 4...making me 5 pounds heavier than when I started. The temporary feeling of contentment that I had a week ago has vanished. But I'm not giving up. I keep hoping that I can find that place between not enough and too full because I know this is my last chance. I'm 54 years old and have tried it all and I will never get a gastric bypass. In my opinion there are worse things than being fat...and that's one of them. I'm sorry for all the trouble you've had with your band, but don't give up. See if you can find another, experienced, bariatric center where you can get fills and, since your band is so small, get your fills in very small increments and then wait at least a month before the next fill. It sometimes takes me weeks to get a reaction after a fill. .

Kab, The sweet spot will not help you lose weight except in how it controls your intake. So if you're already dieting (controlling your intake) and exercising, you should have lost something over the last 2 months. I would suggest logging everything you eat into something like Fitday.com to make sure there are no hidden calories that are boosting you above the 1200 mark. .

Morning bandster buddies... What a roller coaster ride over the last couple of weeks. Went off for vacation two weeks ago at 223#. Came back a week later and had gained 5 pounds. Then over the next few days gained another 4 pounds, weighing in at 232 on Wednesday. Not a happy camper since I had been more careful and logging what I was eating and doing a brisk walk for an hour each day. This morning, the scale tells me I'm down 4 pounds so I'm once again at 228#...the point I was at before I started carefully watching my food intake and exercise. Bah Humbug. I have an appointment with the bariatric clinic on Tuesday and I'm taking in my food journal and exercise log. I'm back to wondering whether the band was the right tool for me since I never feel hungry. I just need something that will stop me from taking that next bite. The band did that for me when I was overfilled but I was also getting stuck on a regular basis to the point where I would get hungry because I couldn't eat enough nutritional food. Perhaps there's a middle ground that I missed before so I'm not giving up yet. Have a good one y'all...I'm headed out for my morning walk. Melody

Stacie, Your tattoo is beautiful! Melody

Oh and I'd do a search online for your doctor. Many times you can find sites that have them listed and the ability to leave comments. That's how I chose mine. I read all the comments for various doctors and he had the highest number of 'excellent' comments regarding surgery and after care. .

Fills should be done based on what *you* are feeling, not what the fluoro shows or whether the PA *thinks* you have enough fill. I'd call and tell them you want to make an appointment with the doctor. If they refuse, I'd send a certified letter to the doctor that only he can sign for because he may not have a clue what his gatekeepers are doing. If that is ignored, I'd find another doctor. .

Just in the mornings or all the time? What type of solids...all or just certain ones? Take tiny bites, chew thoroughly. If you're still getting stuck at 2 weeks post fill, you might have them take out a tiny bit. .