AlienBandit

Some people notice that after a few fills they start to need unfills because they are getting tighter. I don't know why it works that way but it can. However have you done anything recently that could have caused your band to get tighter? Maybe it is just a little swollen and you need a small unfill. You want to make sure you can get in the right amount of nutritious foods to help you lose weight. It sounds like you might need an unfill. If I was in your shoes I would def go for one. Next time your doc asks you if you can eat half a cup tell him no you cant eat half a cup but you can drink half a cup of things ie soups and that doesnt sound right to you.

I met with my doc once for the consult then saw him again for the pre-op. Honestly if I had more questions or wanted to chat with him again I could have but I didnt find it necessary. I know of someone meeting him, the same doc ( who also does plastics) 1-2 times a month for 5 months because she had so many questions, concerns, wanted to know more info etc just for a tummy tuck consult and it was fine. 1-2 visits sounds normal to me though

Your port is near your belly button that is why it might be sore. The area will be swollen because the surgery was near that area. I would say it is normal and you should be ok. When do you see your doctor?

I am the worst when it comes to my babies. So bad that I dont even like taking long vacations though I have the time and money because I hate being away from them. Even being away for a whole day drives me nuts sometimes. My band surgery was hard for me because my dogs were left alone at my house and my friends were just going to take them for a few walks. I worried so much and left as soon as I could the next day, not even the pain could stop me. There is really no way to get over leaving your babies alone. You just have to worry about your own self in recovery and trust that they will be fine. I swear my dogs love when I leave for a long time because that means they get more treats

How does a doctor add their name onto the surgeon list?

I kept my band a secret because I live half way across the world from my home, family and friends. When I had laser eyes surgery 2 years ago some of my family were afraid I would go blink or something they are such worry warts. Now that I am banded I still wouldn't tell them because I am doing plastics and that would worry them more. They are also very against things like that and would think i wasn't that big to get banded ( I left home skinny) and plastics isn't worth the risk of losing your life etc. I know eventually I will tell them but not while I am still in Korea. As for my friends in Korea, I kept my band a secret because there is a year turn over of friends because most people only stay here a year. Therefore you are friends just because you happen to be foreign and live in the same city etc. Some people you stay in contact with when they leave most dont. I have also found that though Koreans are very accepting of plastics and weight loss surgery ( they are very open about weight ie if your too over weight they will tell you etc) foreingers are very judgemental of those things. Once on a date I chewed a guy out because he was going on about fat people and then went on to dis weight loss surgery and he didnt know I was banded. Another time I had to bite my tongue as a close friend ( not close anymore) dissed weight loss surgery as it was a waste of time and money and you gain it all back in a few years etc ( as if she would know or understand she has never been over 120 lbs in her entire life). Slowly over time I have told some people some things ( friends who want to lose weight and are thinking of surgery, friends that I have supported in difficult times where they have confided in me etc) and everyone has been really positive, but I still prefer not many people know. It really isn't their business and I don't want them watching me and what I eat and commenting if I decide to eat something that isn't so good. It's my life, my decision, and my business

Whe you're on liquids, your social life might suffer, but the band is meant to give you a better life, not take it away. No one knows I'm banded so when I have to do liquids it sucks, but I am able to be normal most of the time. Don't worry it will get easier.

As someone said since the port is stitched to your muscles, it might hurt for a bit. I was able to sleep on my stomach a few days after surgery but my port did hurt for a while. I wondered if my port flipped because it used to be able to move a bit. It sat right at the top of my pants and so if my pants were too tight it would push the port around. However it was fine and any post op pain I had disappeared after a monthish.

My doctor says the first fill can be 4-6 weeks after surgery and then fills can be done 2 weeks apart any time after that depending on whether your hungry or not. When I first got banded I was hungry even after fills so if I saw my doc a week apart he would ask if I wanted a fill and I would say yes depending on the scale and how I felt. Everyone is different though so listen to your body.

Thats good you finally got some answers. However "after some research" and "doing some testing" should NOT be necessary! Your doctor should have your band code number that is on the band recorded on a sticker that is included in the box of stuff that all bands have. Therefore a quick check of your records, they should be able to see this info that would state the band type ie Lapband AP and the size S ( meaning 10cc) or L (meaning 14cc) with a code number. It is something that could have easily been checked out in a split second by the first doctor ( who sounds like an idiot). I would def ask to see your surgery notes from the day you had surgery as this information is important for you to have ie if you move and go to another doctor etc.

Where are you going for fills since you were banded outside of Canada?

I have never had a bad reaction to lido but you really don't need it. Fills dont hurt without it. I am so freaked out by pain and needles and so I used to get lido before a fill but my doc made me try once to avoid an extra needle and 10 minutes of freak out time and it was fine.

I think it depends on the doc and each personal case. For me I waited 7 weeks for my first fill. My doc wanted to give me a fill at 4 weeks but I was freaked out by the needle and didnt feel mentally ready so I waited and I was supposed to get a fill at 6 weeks but waited until 7 weeks for a fill. I was losing weight and therefore a fill wasnt really needed. However I have a friend who was banded by the same doc who got a fill at 2 weeks. She wasn't losing weight, was hungry and able to eat too much so the doctor asked if she wanted a fill and she said yes. If it is before the time for your first fill and you want one sooner, see if you can discuss this with your doctor.

I had mega problems with my port. Even with a low profile port it stuck out. It wasn't so bad when I first got banded but when I had the band removed and then the band put in the scar tissue in the port area plus the port made it stick out even when I was 40ish lbs from goal. My doc wanted to do a mini tummy tuck ( that we then extended) to get rid of the port bump and move the port but even once it was gone from a certain area there was still evidence of where it once was. Here are a few links to photos Here is my stomach before lipo, band removal and when my port wasnt a problem http://alienbanditinkorea.wordpress.com/2010/02/22/home-from-the-hospital-and-photos/ Here you can see a little even without the port in place anymore that my stomach sticks out a bit http://alienbanditinkorea.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/does-this-food-make-me-look-fat/ Once I got rebanded my port really stuck out http://alienbanditinkorea.wordpress.com/2010/07/20/10-days-post-op-photos/ Even a mini tt didnt do much for my port and it was moved. This is from scar tissue left over I am told http://alienbanditinkorea.wordpress.com/2010/10/28/almost-3-weeks-post-op-tummy-tuck/ A month later the damn problem is still there http://alienbanditinkorea.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/6-weeks-post-op-tummy-tuck-photos/ Finally after a few months my doc went in mega pulled my skin, removed scar tissue and voila http://alienbanditinkorea.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/a-whole-new-alien-with-a-whole-lotta-photos/ I would def talk to your doctor about your concerns and what he can do to prevent your port from being so noticeable. I seem to be his only patient whos port loved to show off.

Hey Jen! Dont worry about the band. You won't be able to feel it really. The band gives you a better life not takes it away. I am so used to my eating habits and have good restriction sometimes I forget I even have the band ( then I get stuck and remember oh yea!). It doesnt control my life. I know what foods work and dont and my diet is simply changed to accommodate that. I have kept my band a secret from my friends. At first I avoided meals with them until I was able to eat normally. Now we go out and I am able to get foods that I either share ( luckily in Korea everyone is about sharing so it is easy to get awa with not eating a lot) or take left overs home. At first they questioned why I ate differently but when I just said I was on a diet and then started to lose weight they stopped asking. Now they are just used to my eating habits.

Maybe your Iron is low. Mine is really low right now and a flight of stairs nearly kill me. That shouldnt be ok since I am only 10 lbs from goal and 150 lbs at 5'6. Make sure to take a multi Vitamin and maybe an iron pill for now while your body adjusts to your change in eating habits. Good luck

My doctor doesn't have a problem with bandsters drinking caffine, he actually has a coffee machine on the recovery floor As for the headaches, I would try to slowly reduce your caffine amount and maybe try to take more Vitamins etc. I say this because I started getting headaches at the hospital after surgeries when I didnt have a coffee in the morning ( it is a habit to have benefiber and at least 2 coffees in the morning). One of the other patients suggested I continue to drink a coffee in the morning even at the hospital and that helped with my headaches but then it turned out that it was actually low Iron that was causing the headaches. Now I take an iron pill in the morning, and I haven't had a coffee in over a week!

Hey Winning, you have already contacted me through my blog but just wanted to post on here to say hello too in case you want to send me a msg here. As the person above stated the sleeve can be a good option for a weight loss surgery with less post op care but in South Korea you are required to have a family member in Korea who lives here to be able to have the surgery done ( or so I have been told). I researched the sleeve once because I thought of getting it here and a person I spoke to that got it had to fight for her surgery even though she lived here ( but was foreign) for many years and her fiance was a Korean living here. Where are you from originally and how much time are you planning on staying here? Have you checked out our yahoo korean bandster group?

unless you get a fill that is almost the amount of your band I think you will be fine. The first fill is never usually much. I would go for the fill and let the doc know you are going on vacation soon. Maybe book a just-in-case unfill appointment for a few days before you leave just in case. My first fill was nothing at all and I got 4cc put in my then 11cc band

I have never heard you cant have homemade shakes before! I think that is retarded! I live in a country where we cant get premade shakes like atkins etc. I use high Protein low carb shake mix like this http://alienbanditinkorea.wordpress.com/2010/12/11/presents-presents-presents-bikini-photo/ I mix it with milk or Water some ice cubes and sometimes some fruit and I am good to go

I enjoy a few drinks here and there and it hasn't killed me. Yes it is empty calories but if you up your gyming or lower your calories or eat super well I am sure it won't hurt you. Just don't over do it because you will be a lightweight. Also be careful of wines. For some bandsters it makes you tighter.

Like everyone says things will get better and in time you will learn what you can and can not eat. Since I live in a foreign country, i didn't get the chance to see someone to talk about good foods, bad foods etc. I had to depend on my own research and talking with my doc. I have learned so much since then and now help my docs patients with eating, foods etc. Getting the band is not the end of your life. I have been able to keep my band a secret from everyone. I can go out eating, drinking with friends etc and no one suspects a thing. You just need to learn how to juggle everything in your life. You can do it!

I never woke up in any of my surgeries ( all plastics except the band) except I did wake up earlier then anyone expected after my band. I remember waking up still strapped down, naked and they were suctioning my mouth. When I moved a bit I startled everyone in the room and then they were surprised that I was very calm about it. I dont think you have to worry they are very good usually about putting people under unless you go to a very bad place.