Baba Wawa

It isn't known what causes erosion, it can happen to anyone with a band, compliant or not. If you're unable to comply and overeat, purge, etc, yes, you are more likely to cause complications, but they do occur, even in compliant patients fairly frequently. At your BMI and age (you look fairly young) you need to determine which surgery would work best. If portion control is your problem (3 big meals a day), then restrictive surgery (band or VSG) will most likely work for you. If you are constantly eating throughout the day, you might benefit from a malabsorptive procedure (RNY or DS). If I were young, I would opt for the VSG or DS. The reason I say this is that it isn't a "lifetime" device...the manufacturer even states it. Generally it is thought that it will last about 10 years max. I know of one person who has one at 11 years out, 3 or four that are 7-8 years out and literally hundreds who have had theirs removed due to complications. Do your research, beware of doctors who push one type of surgery and bear in mind that Lapband requires not just a lifestyle change, but a tremendous amount of follow up care. It's a commitment for as long as you have your band. Join other WLS forums, vertical sleeve talk, etc. Read up on complications of all surgery types. PM me if you have questions or need help.

You should probably get at least a partial unfill with the problems you're having. Many women do gradual unfills, as needed during pregnancy, a gradual step down, refilling postpartum. Some are able to keep their fill throughout pregnancy, but it's unusual. With another 13 weeks, you need to be able to get nutrition and hydration, not just for you, but for your baby. Congrats & good luck!

It's tough refilling an emptied band, from what I've heard. I know many on our FB page that were never able to get back to where they were. Many with the older 4cc bands have had them removed and replaced with newer bands or revised to sleeve. Those who got new bands have had mixed results with about half ending up revising to sleeve/rny in the end, or even just removing it. If you'd like to join our FB group pm me for the link. I had my band unfilled 7 months ago, am still restricted, but I can eat bread. I rarely do though. I still am having reflux and motility issues, so may end up revising, though I really don't want to. Good luck to you!

Do you have a fever? It isn't impossible for it to be erosion, but unlikely. Could be you strained while exercising and pulled your port a bit? Call your doctor to be sure. If you have a fever, you could have an infection. Why are you drinking pineapple juice?

Crap food is cheap, well because it's CRAP. You will eat so little that you'll actually save money....you'll spend it on clothes, though, so it's a wash...except you'll be healthier! Look at the positive, look ahead, but don't even think about the ding dongs!

My daughter runs half marathons and has a 17 yr old and 3 fifteen yr old girls. She's only 5'2" tall, so you can imagine the excess skin she has from carrying 32 week triplets with polyhydramnios...she swears by compression running pants/shorts depending on the weather. They help with circulation while running too. Good luck!

I had this problem last June, had a complete unfill, after 3 weeks of babying my band I was able to eat, but I'm still pretty restricted. I have lost 17 lb since my unfill. Since you still cannot eat or drink easily, you probably need ALL your fill removed. I don't know how much you have in your band, but mine was almost completely closed with only 3.5cc in my 11cc band. This happened more than a year following my second fill of 2 of .5cc. It's better to have your band doc take it all out than risk messing up your band getting it unfilled in the ER.

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I don't do artificial sweeteners, they give me migraines. I do use sugar in my coffee in the morning and avoid processed foods, which likely contains refined carbs (sugar). I'm a believer in moderation, so if I want a little sweet treat, I count it in my daily intake, enjoy it and move on. Your items you have on hand should be ok immediately post op while on clear liquids. Once you're on full liquids, I would avoid them. Your nighttime ff chocolate milk might be ok, provided you check with your doctor. Generally, the consensus among bariatric professionals is that liquid calories shouldn't be part of our diet once we are on solid food. Best of luck to you!

There's no guarantee you'll have the surgery scheduled prior to your 90 probation ending, so why push? In any event, even a stepping stone job is important to a future employer. Employment gaps, unless you're a full time student are questioned. Since your company has an HR dept, it's likely large enough to come under federal laws governing medical leave and the process is pretty straightforward. Wait the additional 2 months of employment, prepare yourself properly for your surgery and new lifestyle...flexibility will be very important after your surgery, practicing it now will be a positive thing for you and your company.

I share with someone or I order off the appetizer menu. Many restaurants will have pretty good protein options on their starter menu, like shrimp cocktail. I will order clam chowder or some other soup if the options aren't looking good.

Wow, that's one I haven't heard of! Have you been able to lose with the band unfilled? Mine was unfilled last June and you'd think I had my old fill amount in (3.5 cc).

For my allergies I take allertec (Costco version of Zyrtec) cause its small. For larger pills, I cut them in half. Most pills can be taken whole, unless they're huge!

Non-meat options: FF cottage cheese FF Greek yogurt (we mix in ranch dip mix, serve with raw carrots, yummy) Dannon FF light and fit (high protein, good dessert option) Farro Lentils Adzuki Beans Meats: boneless skinless chicken thighs True cod (I buy at costco, portion out and freeze) Rock Shrimp (tastes like lobster) Turkey meat balls ( I make them with 99% lean, add olive oil, ff Greek yogurt, onion, chopped mushrooms, egg, chopped zucchini, chopped red bell peppers garlic , italian seasoning and oats) can be made into mini meat loaf in a muffin pan, frozen. Just a few ideas...Good luck!

I'm going to try this!

Sleeve works much like the band, it's restrictive. Most Band to Sleeve peeps find that they need to be a little more diligent with it, since there is no soft stop signal. RNY, being malabsorptive + restrictive (as is DS) takes less dieting, but much more attention to Vitamins, nutrition, etc. Sleeve seems to have the best gastrointestinal quality of life long term over AGB and RNY. I just posted info on this on the complications board (Thinking of Revising to VSG?) AND since I'm dealing with many of the GI issues aggravated by my band, can understand this being an important factor.

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Go to the ER...they MUST treat you. Worry about the money later.

My first fill, 3 months post op, there was scar tissue, making it very difficult to access the port. My second fill, no problem. For my complete unfill, 2 years post op, easy peasy!

I read it yesterday am...I own Jeans book...she was one of my main reasons for choosing my band. I'm well acquainted with her common sense approach to WLS surgery, band myths...but there are several more myths...such as "if you follow all the rules, you'll avoid serious complications"; "keeping your band loose will avoid slips" etc.

I think that's good news! Eat your protein first, low glycemic veggies second and you will do great. "Restriction" affects all of us differently. I had this feeling too, early pre-op. Just go with it, but measure your food to ensure you're getting the nutrients you need. I think I was only getting in 500-700 calories in per day and splitting that into 4-5 small meals per day. That was doable. As I became used to the band, I gradually increased calories to 900-1200 per day. Now I eat 3 times per day and have an occasional high protein snack if dinner will be later. Just wait till you step on the scale!

Sorry to hear of your struggles! I think the recommendation that you see a nutritionist is a good one. Maybe once a month to start, then quarterly. PCOS is very reactive to carbs, so limiting refined carbs is a good first step, even before you see your doctor. It's amazing that you conceived with BC, since infertility is common with PCOS, but not unheard of. This is one of those conditions where your ob/gyn, bariatric surgeon and nutritionist need to work closely with you to achieve your goal of regaining your health. Think of it as you managing the condition, rather than the condition running your life, etc. Best of luck, keep us posted!

Looking good! Keep taking your pics in front of that door...great point of reference! Keep it up!

Thank you all! It's been a journey, for sure! I'm determined to lose the last 30+ lbs this year.

Your story sounds a lot like mine. Even with all 3.5 cc (11cc band) removed from my band I have problems eating pretty often. I've developed a motility disorder that my GI doc feels is band caused, or at the very least band aggravated. I have IBSc and am taking some Meds that help, but I still have reflux, pbs, and outright vomiting at times. I'm trying to resolve this without more surgery, but it's not looking favorable. Hope your removal gives you relief and you can maintain your weight loss. Post when it's out and let us know how it goes. Hugs!