Baba Wawa

With the average EWL expected with gastric banding being in the 50-60% range, so many variables among WLS patients and doctors' pre and post op protocols, how do you measure your success? For me, it's pretty cut and dried: I followed my doctor's recommendations for diet (exercise, not so much), was cautious with fills and let my band do it's job. Weight Loss) year 1, 60 lbs, year 2, 10 lb (lots of problems), year 3, 20 lb so far. Clothing) starting size 26 4x now 16 bottom, L/XL top. Shoes 9.5 now 8.5/9. Bras 42DD now 38G(!) I don't need seat belt extenders on airplanes! I can walk a mile I walk by mirrors and wonder...who is that person? My knee and back hurt LESS... There are some areas where I haven't reached expected goals...I'm still on all my meds + 2 new ones :-/ My band and I may not be suited for a long term relationship...I go to the doctor tomorrow to determine next steps. I want to lose at least 30 lb additional and 50 would be ideal. I don't measure my success by anyone else's yardstick...how do you define success?

I'm not quite there...size 16 pants, large/xl shirts congrats!!!

My Surgery Was On January 11, 2013 I Started With 233 Pounds. As Today My Weight Is 200 Pounds, So I've Only Lost 33 Pounds. I Feel That Not Much Progras And Really I'm Following All The Rules. I Eat Evrey 5 To 6 Hour Small Portion .Drinks 8 Glass Of Water A Day I Have My First Fill In2/26/2013 4cc Feel No Difference And I Feel I Can Eat More Than 6 Ounces Per ,Meal ,But I Control Myself Not To Eat Much Or Over Eating. my Question Is You Think I'm Good Or I Do Not Have Much Progress? After The Fill And Only Loss 2 Pounds. I'm Very Confused And I Have Much Fear Of Failure In My Weight Loss Attempt , The Truth Is That I Feel No Restriction With 4cc And I Can Eat Anything Bread, Rice, eggs, Almost Everything That Everyone Says You Can Not Eat. Like Bread Or Rice I Dot Eat But Is Because I Do Not Want. So Please ,Please Need Opinion Of You And Let Me Know If Everything Normal Ho No Tank U I had to copy and paste + punctuate to read your post. It can take a few fills to make a real difference. Are you 1) measuring 1/2-1 cup food that includes 4 oz lean Protein and a small serving of fruit or veggies? If not, then you're really not eating a band friendly diet and you're not going to be satisfied. 2) after this meal, do you feel hunger, real hunger, not "head hunger" or cravings, for 4+ hours? If you can go 4 hours between meals, you're good. Just have to deal with head hunger, go for a walk and try not to think about food. 3)Are you eating white carbs at all? White carbs contribute to cravings, cravings cause head hunger. Keep some raw carrots on hand, make ranch dip out of ff Greek yogurt and ranch mix, dip your carrots in it...high protein, low fat and satisfying snack. Even if you're hungry, eat only band friendly foods. Even eating 6 oz protein and a salad with ff dressing, you can lose and meet your nutritional needs. Hang in there...

If he can't eat the foods he should and relies on sliders he won't lose. He'll lose more with less fill that allows him to eat a variety of nutritious foods and get his protein requirements in, I became too tight (not because of fills) and ate whatever I could to get by and didn't lose an ounce in 6 months. After getting my unfill (100%) I've lost 20 lb... Being too tight also brings the risk of a slip and erosion. Tattle.

It is frustrating...have you tried boneless, skinless chicken thighs? They're a lot more moist. Scrambled eggs are problematic for me and a lot of others. I poach eggs, 3.5 to 4 minutes and they go down much better. Pork tenderloin is a good alternative for pork chops. When eating, try to finish your Protein before having any of your veggies or toast (with eggs). Bread can be a difficult food too. I love soups...I eat the broth first, then the solids. You might be a bit tight...don't know how much fill you got, but just getting .25-.5 cc out can make a huge difference.

I emailed them an appointment request over the weekend. Fingers crossed they have a solution.

Cut and pasted from your profile: Age Age UnknownBirthday Birthday Unknown Height 5 feet, 2 inchesSurgery Status Pre Surgery Starting Weight 66 lbsFirst Dr. Visit n/a Current Weight 66 lbsSurgery Date n/a Goal Weight 50 lbsHospital Stay n/a Weight Lost 0 lbsSurgery Funding n/a Current BMI 12.1Insurance Outcome n/a Exactly what are you trying to accomplish here?

I was doing better...medication for IBSc is working, I was able to eat without issue and Friday night without warning I found myself having a hard time. My daughter made lasagna, I took a small piece, didn't eat the noodles, so probably had a half cup of sauce, cheese and lean chicken Italian sausage. I stopped eating because I realized I was uncomfortable. Not full, not stuck, just slightly uncomfortable and a bit nauseous. After about a half hour, up it all came. By then I was in real pain...a burning feeling and I started having pain at my port area. Since then, I've had continuous discomfort and I'm on a soft/liquid diet. I emailed my band doctor and requested an appointment to discuss my options for removal/revision. I feel defeated...I really thought I was going to get to keep my band.

One of the issues with WLS in general is there are unscrupulous surgeons out there willing to take our money, rush people thru the paperwork and not fully disclose the risks. This seems to be especially true of Lapband due to the $$$ to be made with aftercare. I think Jackie's intent was to inform those who might be taken advantage of by these types of surgery mills...

Call your doctor. In the meantime stop "bringing up" your food...eat less. Every time that happens you could be damaging your band or your stomach/esophagus.

Sorry, I didn't mean to put words in your mouth. Just having a rough day

Terry, that stat is currently on the Lapband website. Not made up.

When I got my band in 2010, these were listed as rare occurrences...now Lapband admits to 25% removal stat. Imagine what the true stats are!

Click on your account, profile. When it loads, Edit Profile is on the upper right.

Since being diagnosed with a GI motility disorder in January, I've been eating very differently than I was taught with the band. Little or no Fiber (veggies and fruits are out, rice, potatoes, Pasta are in) Avoid red meat Eat half as much at each meal, but eat more often Drink Water with meals to speed gastric emptying I'm still supposed to chew 15-25 times per bite and take tiny bites. I'm still not hungry up to 5 hours after eating, with an empty band.

I can feel food passing thru the band and I get palpitations. My band is empty. I never felt food pass thru when I had fill in my band, but I had palpitations all the time.

The removal rate for Lapband per their own website is only 25%. http://www.lapband.com/hcp/en/risk_information/ Patients can experience complications after surgery. Most complications are not serious but some may require hospitalization and/or re-operation. In the United States clinical study, with 3-year follow-up reported, 88% of the 299 patients had one or more adverse events, ranging from mild, moderate, to severe. Nausea and vomiting (51%), gastroesophageal reflux (regurgitation) (34%), band slippage/pouch dilatation (24%) and stoma obstruction (stomach-band outlet blockage) (14%) were the most common post-operative complications. In the study, 25% of the patients had their band systems removed, two-thirds of which were following adverse events. Esophageal dilatation or dysmotility (poor esophageal function) occurred in 11% of patients, the long-term effects of which are currently unknown. Constipation, diarrhea and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) occurred in 9% of the patients. In 9% of the patients, a second surgery was needed to fix a problem with the band or initial surgery. In 9% of the patients, there was an additional procedure to fix a leaking or twisted access port. The access port design has been improved. Four out of 299 patients (1.3%) had their bands erode into their stomachs. These bands needed to be removed in a second operation. Surgical techniques have evolved to reduce slippage. Surgeons with more laparoscopic experience and more experience with these procedures report fewer complications.

Sounds like a good thing your fluid was removed. A few weeks without it will give your stomach a chance to recover. I had my fill removed 9 months ago and have continued to lose, so don't panic. The problem with a stomach virus is that you never know if or when it's going to hit you and once it does, going in for an unfill is really not considerate of the medical personnel and other people you might infect along the way, not to mention trying to even get there in that condition. I've had three episodes of stomach flu in the last 18 months with violent puking and diarrhea, one with fill and two with no fill. My band is in place despite this. Many people get anti nausea medication to keep on hand for this and take it at the first sign of trouble. I hope the unfill does the trick and you can get refilled ASAP.

Where are the bruises? If you've recently had a fill and they're around the port, that's a common thing. If you're just finding bruises randomly, I would check with your doctor, you could be anemic.

I know of several people who've had their band replaced and ended up having it removed and revising to another WLS (usually sleeve, since its the other restrictive only surgery). IMHO, why not just revise and be done? Your second band surgery is likely to be longer than the first. The old band has to be removed (remember, scar tissue is holding it in place), scar tissue and adhesions removed and the new band installed. Other than the removal/clean up, second band surgeries come with all the post op aches and pains, but most likely a bit worse, from the longer surgery. If you have a lot of damage from the first band, you may not be able to get a new one. I would consult with a revision WL surgeon, before proceeding any further.

You're a strong man TP and saving a bunch O'$

For a full blown episode at least 24 hours, ideally 48 hours of liquids, progressing thru the stages of soft to solids after.

I have a few favorites, most DVR'd for late night viewing: dexter, bones, fashion police, anything forensic, law and order, the following (used to record 24, Fringe, etc).

So...you don't have TV or cable? Please post a link to confirm this assumption.

So all of these real people's experiences are discredited because they've posted them on Facebook? As far as the two stage VSG/DS point. It was that way early on and still is for super MO folks in some situations. What they found doing the 2 stage DS is that many people lost successfully on the first surgery, VSG, and there was no need to do the second, malabsorptive procedure to revise to DS. Also, partial gastrectomy has been done since the late 1800's to treat cancer, ulcers etc and those people have lived normal lives with just part of their stomach. Bear in mind, I'm not "anti-band", I have one and have lost 90 lbs. BUT, as a person with a pre-existing inflammatory GI disease aggravated by the band and facing removal/revision, I would not make the decision to get one today. I love that my band has helped me to lose and maintain the loss, restored my mobility and improved my overall quality of life, but my GI tract is truly not functioning as it should and this makes life pretty miserable a lot of the time.