general_antiope

I just got rebanded after my initial surgery 8 years ago. My band hasn't slipped so much as constantly sprung a leak from every part possible. After two fixes I had a disconnect. Lost 100 lbs and then after pregnancy gained 50 back. So far so good. I'll let you know how I do this time next year

This scares me a little. I am happy that you feel great, though

This!

You can't heal from any other conditions or issues on 600-800 calories. That is starvation mode ... deliberate anorexia. Your body needs a lot more than that just to carry out basic daily functions, like at least 1500-2000. THat's why the starvation threshold is about 1000. You gotta keep the lights on, or the whole place blows.

Hi all, I'd like to have a few admins in here starting topics or helping members. I'm on maternity leave now but am going back to work in a few weeks and don't want to be "absent" Is anyone on here daily and interested in helping to oversee the group?

Yes Gas X works! Just banded on 2/4 and same thing, pain meds did nothing for the gas pain. Walking, Gas X, and shedding your embarrassment about farting and belching, lol. You won't care once a good one comes out and the pressure eases! I was moaning in happiness, lmao.

Awesome!! It's crazy how fast you bounce back, isn't it? People would say the pain was 90% gas and 10% incision, but right after surgery I was inclined to believe something went Horribly Wrong, I was so in pain, LMAO. And then walking and farting...well...now I feel amazing. It makes me laugh every time.

I did go through this the first time I was banded. I thought, holy crap, I had something foreign implanted in my body that has screwed me for life (or as long as I kept it in). But as I healed from surgery, and the band completely melted into the background (before my first fill) I started going back to my previous habits and did not lose weight. I then got angry because I thought it, like everything else I ever tried to do, had failed. But once I got the magic fill, the entire world changed. Literally. I lost 100 lbs effortlessly. And I could not love my band more, and I've had 8 years of leaks and disconnects!! I was just rebanded on Monday, finally...and no regrets this time. I know what's in store for me....a size 8 for the first time in my life!

Great advice already on this thread - the purpose of the band is to restrict your volume and speed on solid, healthy food. Liquids and mush are not the goal of band living. If, after 3+ years of being banded, you are in this place, it is not a good place. But I don't know your history (as you skipped it) and I wouldn't presume to diagnose you Definitely keep us posted, it's helpful to know what others are going through.

Why yes we are I agree, restriction number has no standard! It's different by person.

That wasn't what I meant - it's silly for someone to not know what is happening in their own body...OP said the doc doesn't tell her what he's filling. That's problem #1. If she's had multiple fills and months and months later still is feeling no restriction, she is perfectly empowered to ask for a bigger fill (if doc agrees with it). I'm saying this should not be a one way relationship, doctor to band. It should be a three way conversation.

MsMaui thank you for posting your story. I think its important for people to know what kind of experiences are out there. Some complications are because of the band, some are exacerbated by the band, and some have nothing to do with the band. It's not clear from your initial post where you were coming from with respect to the above three purposes for posting about complications. it may have been helpful if you included that. I noticed the same thing in your other thread about "Thinking Of Revising to VSG good info". The point of the post was vague and it is natural to think the worst when the poster doesn't clarify. It came across as misleading and possibly deliberate. As far as your problems, that's just awful and I'm sorry you've dealt with it this long. And I'm sorry you're losing your band but it doesn't sound like it is compatible long term with your existing conditions. I hope VSG or whatever you choose is a better solution and this stops being a negativ issue in your life. There's too much great stuff to experience without being hindered by pain or even Internet arguments. Best wishes.

Demand to know your cc's. refuse to leave the office until YOU are happy with the restriction. He may be filling you too slowly - if you felt the right restriction before, accept no substitute. Be your own advocate! You shouldn't be hungry.

Congrats!!

As I see it... Some people come here and want the easy answer and not have to look it up themselves, or call their doctor. And other people here want to force their experience as the experience everyone else should have. (Kind of like how you're saying you don't need guidance, because you're self sufficient, so this whole idea is ludicrous; but that isn't everyone else's personality. People have different needs). Yeah, it's infuriating and annoying sometimes to see the dynamic of clueless newbie and pushy "non veteran", yes. But that doesn't mean those two kinds of people should be left to fend for themselves when this entire forum is about education and information. There needs to be some structure to complement the freedom of speech. Alex, I think some of the biggest areas of content that might need a committee for answering questions are: 1. Lap Band General Info 2. Forum Help (navigating, tips and tricks, signatures, tickers etc) 3. Pre and Post Op Banding The other forums seem to be self-explanatory and may not need such moderating. The three subjects above seem to be where most of the contention occurs between what kind and quality of help people are getting.

Jill, bring stretchy clothes a size too big, an easy pullover T shirt or a zip up/button front. The key here is comfort - you will be very bloated with air. I bought a thin cotton stretchy bra too. Because of where the incisions are, sometimes bras irritate them. I also brought slippers. THere was no way in heck I was leaning over to tie on sneakers

I went to mushies yesterday because 1) I got crazy dizzy again at the supermarket, and 2) I cannot stand another minute of Protein Shakes or broth. I have been taking Aleve for my lingering pain and have had no restriction issues (I'm empty, but it means I'm not swollen). My hunger's been through the roof too, and my calories are starvation-y. I had 1 scrambled egg with a tiny bit of cheddar on it at breakfast, a Protein Shake for lunch, and 1/2 cup of pureed chicken salad for dinner. I felt much better. I'm not advocating anyone else doing this...Just sharing my experience. I track all calories and Protein, I was under 1100 yesterday.

Glad to hear you're doing well!

From my heaviest at previous banding to today's loss, 48. (up to 13 lbs lost so far with this new banding!)

Agree with this 100%! Yes, any system can be abused, either controlled or chaotic. The key is enforcement. Alex sounds like he's fully aware of this and plans to police the site himself. Alex, for other ideas on committees, I'm just spitballing here - what about a committee for each category or forum? It's an easy way to split up duties. The larger categories might need a couple groups.

Oh yeah, I've seen this dynamic in action here. I wonder how it'll be addressed. IMHO there should be a single policy that all adhere to for stuff like this to work. It could either be a guideline that requires constant monitoring/correction or a hard-and-fast rule that has no exceptions, but having warring camps both be deputized can be a nightmare. Good point.

Alex, I need to be be able to Like when someone Likes a post, lol. It takes talent to see opportunity in change!

I started out 8 years ago telling people about the band. I was excited, I had researched the hell out of it and answered/resolved a lot of my fears, and was adjusted (pun intended) to the idea. For the most part, I got positive or no comments, but very few negative comments about my decision. Once I was banded, and losing weight, it started to become less novel and more of an everyday tool. Nothing exciting about that. It's like that sparkly pink ink pen that you coveted as a kid lost its magic once you started to write with it...and write...and write...! The same thing happened with the band. I loved it, it worked, but it was a harsh master and would ruin events if I didn't follow the rules. It would make me decide whether I wanted to go out on a given night. It became so big and familiar to my friends that it practically needed its own chair at the table. My friends would ask if a restaurant was okay, what could I eat, and basically make a fuss with the best intentions that became, frankly, tiresome. But the band got boring around food, too. The novelty of eating tiny amounts like I had one of those enviable "bird like appetites" in public waned. There I was, talking, nibbling at my meal, eating healthy for the band (but under-eating to the rest of the world) and the waitress would come over and ALWAYS ask me if everything was okay. It got embarrassing after a while. I would start out by joking that I was a slow eater and a fast talker, then moved to asking for a doggie bag at the beginning of the meal and pretending I wasn't hungry, and finally started "sort of" lying and saying I had an issue with my esophagus and had to eat small meals and quantities. Explaining the band to complete strangers was just too exhausting and time consuming...and I became embarrassed again explaining myself to waiters in front of the same coworkers and friends. It's like the band was this huge elephant in the room. (lol) For me, though, the sparkly pink pen had lost its luster and it was just a writing implement. There were more interesting things to say and learn and do rather than discuss my digestion and caloric intake. I think this turning point of my relationship with the band had it good and bad parts. The band becoming every day and boring was great because it was working in the background, and I respected it, and we both were happy. But it was so unbelievably easy to start forgetting that yeah I might need calories but it DID NOT need to be a chocolate chip cookie. That's when you start learning how to eat around the band, because the sheen of respect has worn off. I want to remember this going into my rebanding.

I'd be interested to hear from you what went wrong on those sites. I've seen lack of organized leadership turn an otherwise healthy board into an "us vs them" war. Veterans vs newbies was the most common fight It was like high school where the seniors only wanted to hang out with other seniors. Or torture the freshmen. Having a welcoming committee (or patient and interested people) pointing newbies to information, or answering the same question a million times took the pressure off veterans who wanted to kick back and relax, and cherry pick the conversations they got into. Just my experience!