AlienBandit

I have everything in small child or baby size. I use small utensils, bowls, plates etc. My co worker who knows I am banded laughed at first when she saw me using all this tiny stuff, but now she is used to it. Using normal sized things is weird now for me

My BMI was 33 when I was banded. I did not want to wait until it got higher before I did something about it. I am so glad I dealt with it when I did and wish I got banded sooner.

Wearing a two piece is something I dream about all the time. That is all I want to do this summer ( got a few more months). I am so close to goal but now with all this tummy tuck surgery scar hating battle I have going on in my head i am not sure if I will wear a bikini. I think wear what makes you comfortable. Who wants to go out wearing something you will just hate the entire time it is on? Go out, enjoy the weather and your new body

If you are afraid of feeling your port you can have a small revision surgery and have it moved. When I got close to my goal I had a surgery and my doc moved my port under my muscle. Before I could feel it and see it stick out of my stomach, however now when I go for a fill we must use the ultrasound machine to double check where it is because my doc pokes because it is hard to find. Also there are different size ports so you can ask your doctor before surgery to put in a low profile port.

stitches dont hurt but like someone said it might feel weird with them being pulled out. Staples hurt a little more to get out depending on whether you have feeling in the area. I had staples once around my belly button and I had to have the skin frozen before I had the staples removed. However after my recent panni/tt whatev you want to call it my doctor removed some staples and I didn't even feel it because I have very feeling in my stomach right now. Some of my current stitches are actually just one long stitch, through my incision instead of a few stitches close together. That will feel really weird to be removed but I don't think painful. If you're afraid of the pain, ask your doctor if he has something to numb the area before taking them out.

Having the band won't stop you from living life and having many things we consider yummy. Honestly you might be able to find many places here where we complain that we can eat bad foods like cake etc too easily. For me I have been banded more than a year and no one knows I am banded. I am able to go out and eat,drink etc with my friends without setting up any red flags ( unless I am overfilled etc).

I didn't lose too much weight ( highest weight 220 lowest 150) but I still wanted a tuck. Actually it was a panni because my muscles were left alone. Anyways I wanted one done because my belly button was wrecked after 3 surgeries ( band in, out and in again) and I had some extra skin. As for a boob lift that is something I am debating about because my boobs changed size but don't look too, too bad but I am young so of course want to be perfect. I won't get implants because one foreign thing in my body is enough for me.

What band size do you have? What was the amount of your fill? Usually you won't feel much different after your first few fills. With my first 2 fills with my first band I felt no change. With my second band my doc filled me during surgery and I didn't know and thought i was empty because I could eat a horse 3 times a day. You just havent reached good restriction yet. Don't worry you'll get there

I love the pouch test! I did it 2ce in the past ( check out ym blog and search for the test for my experience) It helped me get back on track, got rid of cravings and helped me see whether I needed a fill or not

A few years ago when I lost weight I made it to 150 ( 2 times) and then always gained it back. After that I was determined for my weight to be 135ish as my goal. When I got to 160 even 150 seemed impossible so I changed my goal to 140 and now at 150 with a few tummy tucks and lipo I am almost happy with myself so I might change my goal to 145. I am already within a healthy bmi range so we'll see how things go.

sometimes it is good to shock your system and change things up. I went backpacking for 2 weeks in Asia last year and ate different things good and bad and lost 3 kg in 2 weeks. I couldn't believe it!

The topic of flying with the band and fills comes up a lot. I have flown tons of times with my band. Sometimes the flight is 1 hour and sometimes ( my longest time so far) the flight is 14 hours. The funny thing for me is I never have a problem eating on the plane even when I am filled well. Actually my last flight ( 3 flights, 24 hours total on the planes, longest flight 14 hours) I was over filled and though my shoulder hurt while taking off I was able to eat food more easily in the air then I could on the ground. My band got tighter but somehow food was still able to go down. Everyone is different. Also some people fly just days after being banded ( ie if they went to Mexico) so again I don't think it is anything for you to worry about.

Wow, what a difference in responses here. For me personally I am not a big wine drinker but had a few sips 7 days post op my band. I am still here, alive and successful in my weight loss. My doc did say it was ok so thats all that mattered to me.

When I first got banded I kept my mouth shut. I told my co teacher in case of an emergency and that was it. I didn't have any support except from my doctor and some of his nurses. I live far from my family and didn't want to stress them out. I knew my friends here wouldn't understand so I decided to do all this alone. Since I was self pay I didnt even see a shrink or anyone to talk to about the foods to eat etc. My doctor helped a lot with any of my questions but it was still sometimes a challenge. He encouraged me to talk with other patients and then I began my blog ( to help myself and anyone else interested in being banded in Korea) and people started asking me things about my doc and having surgery in Korea etc. Since then my blog has blown up and I have no problem talking to patients of my doc's or banded people but I still havent told anyone else really about my band. Finally 8 months after being banded I cracked and told my best friend back home who supported me. Now that I am doing so much plastics I told my pet sitters so they would understand why I was asking them to watch my pets so often. Other then that I keep my mouth shut. People I find here in Korea are so judgmental about the band (if they are a foreigner). I have told some Koreans and have always gotten lots of encouragement from them. However I havent had the guts to tell my friends or family yet. I will eventually but for now I choose to walk this road alone. It's not that I am ashamed at all but I know people will think I am nuts for getting the surgery and I don't want anyone to worry about me while I am still losing weight, having plastics etc. It will be easier to tell them once everything is done and I can say "Look I am happy, healthy and alive"

With my first band I never hiccuped or burped. With my second band things were ok will I was slightly overfilled. Then I would get hiccups if I ate too fast or when my stomach was full and I had to stop eating. Now I am a little unfilled and I only get hiccups when I eat too fast. It is a good excuse for me when I am out eating because that gives me a reason to stop eating for a while.

I am dying to wear a bikini like you wouldn't believe. After a year of tons of lipo and now 3 tummy tucks, that is all I want to wear. I am still healing but thats all I can think about.

bandster turned plastics addict here

You might need to really push through. I had to pick at the bottom hole a bit because there was stuff closing it over. Don't lose hope you can do this. Again if it doesnt work try a thinner piercing to break through and then go back to your bigger one.

thank god for those garments. They really help when trying to move around without any pain. i am wrapped so tight in two of them it didnt even hurt when one of my student head butted me 4 days post op my recent tuck. I wish I could take mine off at night, that would really help me sleep more but with no drains since day 2 post op my doc demands i keep wrapped up 24/7

When I had my new band put in I had the lower port put in because I was so close to my goal weight. Even with the low profile port you could still see it stick out. I had it moved after my first tummy tuck and the empty space of where it used to be was still there. Now after a second tummy tuck the empty space i still visible but my port was moved under my muscles in another area. Sometimes things dont always go as planned with surgeries because your body lying down looks different when standing up

I have been completely quiet about my band. My family doesn't know, my friends here don't know and only 9 months after being banded did I tell my best friend. Other then that the only other people who know I am banded are the people at my doctors office and his patients I help ( for support for them and myself). I didnt tell anyone because i didnt want to hear allthe negative things people would say. Also my BMI was low and I live half way across the world from my family. I have also had some plastics done that again no one knows about. I will eventually tell people some things ( only closest people) but only what they will be able to figure out ( not lipo but tt scar is hard to hide)

I had problems with how my belly button looked after surgery too. Then i had to have surgery through my belly button 2 more times. Now I have tried to have it corrected 2 more times with no luck. Your belly button is a tricky thing to fix because when u lie down your belly button looks a lot different then when you are standing. Give it time to heal and if you dont like it maybe talk to your doctor about what you want to do with it.

I have lost weight, gained it back, lost it again, gained it back etc many times. WHen I was skinny I would find some of the best clothes and I always refused to throw them away. Even when I got to my low weight when I could wear those clothes and they still didn't fit I kept them. Now I am at a lower weight then when the clothes used to fit me and now they are too big. It makes me feel great to look at myself in those clothes and remember all the frustration I used to feel towards them because now I love them so much more because they are now too big. I would keep the those clothes and have them as motivation. Then when you are too small for the clothes you can have a good laugh at all the anger you had towards them

I accidentally found out that I had erosion but only 3mm ion size 4 months post op. We are not sure how it happened. Maybe your band unclipped itself or wasnt properly placed in your stomach? It is kind of weird to have that bad of erosion so soon

Here is a great website to compare different surgeries http://www.lapband.com/en/learn_about_lapband/compare_lapband/