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Does the band get tighter as you loose weight? I am thinking thats what my nurse tech said....

Well, its been over a month since I did a blog.. I have gotten behind.. Oops.. Well, a lot has occured in my life the last month.. I was given a clear bill of health from the neurologist.. Everything was normal.. However during this scare I did have to get an attitude with the Doctor's office for not communicating with me as a patients.. I was being left in the dark about everything.. I am glad thats over with.. Well, this month I had to learn that my husband cheated on me with some stank.. I found this out on Mother's day weekend not to mention that my in laws were there.. excuse the expression.. We have been married 11 years this month.. I am still uncertain what I need to do about this. I am still in the grief process. I think that the biggest problem about all of this I don't know if I will ever going to be able to trust him again.. All of the stuff I had to deal with this made me fail my first college class since being in college. I am pissed about that.. Now, I had to retake the class not to mention I have to pay for it again. Well, I have had some interesting issues occur during my last post. I can not eat roast, pork, and apple skins.. I know that this is still a learn experience but you would think that I would know things by now.. It gets really upsetting when have these episodes..

Prior to gaining all my wght, I too was a runner. I ran between 5-10K a day (in any weather-winter is my fav. time to run) I love the feeling of cold air in my lungs! I joined the Running Room (Canadian Running Club) and started off very simply with-Run 1 minute, Walk 1 minute-up to 20 minutes. Run every day (a must to get your body used to the activity)then the following week move up to run 2 minutes walk 1 minute and so on to the point where you are running 20 minutes and walking one minute. Then you can either continue with the one minute increases or start up- hill training. Find a hill and start over with 1 minute runs up to 20 minutes. Remember to be consistant. Even if you feel great and know you can run longer than the specific (wlk-run ratio) follow the guidelines to the T. If you go overboard, this is when people get injuries and the time needed to recover with throw you back to the beginning (not to mention you may loose your willpower-happened to me!) I used imagery to keep me going through the tough times. I'd imagine I was attached to a long rope hooked around the nearest street light-power pole and I'd pull the rope to help me get to the pole. Then I'd imagine I was hooked to the next-and so on. It really helped-seems silly but it worked. Also to ensure you are staying loose while running-put a Saltine in each hand and run with them for the first little while-the point is to remind yourself that your arms and hands are to be loose not clenched. Break a cracker...and you won't forget. At the end of the runs you'd have to throw your crackers in the garbage in front of the instructors. Beleive me, running with a handful of cracker crumbs sucks. Good luck. If you have any questions about proper shoes, clothing etc...email me. (Don't forget the H2o). Mookie

I've started thinking about this and am afraid of the excess skin factor. If need be and Tricare won't cover it for rubbing-sake, I think I'll spend my own money for tucks and lifts and all that. I used to love how long and lean my hands and feet looked when I was thin, am looking forward to them not being all pudged out anymore (plus being able to fit smaller rings again!!). No double chin. No multiple back rolls. Being able to see private zone below my breasts and stomach, where they stick out too far now (especially as I have piercings there that I currently can't take in and out by myself due to reaching issues). If my excess skin isn't too bad or I have a TT I can get a navel piercing again. So much will change. Good luck to you!!

@@sukik sure its normal silly head many people have periodic stalls throughout their journey the good new is that in 6 months - this is your first stall??? if that is the case - that is great you are doing great with your food plan eating, drinking, Protein all sound right take your measurements many times when people have temporarily stopped loosing weight their measurements numbers are going down?? clothing fitting any better??? "maybe" your calories are lower than necessary check with your doc/NUT you are eating so few calories that the weight has to come off sleeve or no sleeve "God Grant Me Patience, Just Hurry Up About It" don't worry too much that only causes wrinkles good luck kathy

I feel the same exact way. Sometimes i get full really easily and other times I am not. But i try to stop myself by eating the max 6 oz even if I am not full. When you are not full by meals though i find it difficult to not snack in between. My doctor said that once your band gets tightened to the right point then you will be full all the time and should loose about a pound a week. I am getting frustrated because i wish the weight came off quicker. I feel like i am doing everything right i weight all my food on a scale and I am working out almost every day and i feel like it should be coming off quicker than it is. I am about 13-14 post surgery and still getting frustrated but hang in there!

menopause - sorry but I couldn't help but notice your age - this happened to me a couple years ago. I went in for my "yearly" and my doc says anything going on - I burst into tears and say I can't stop crying I don't know why I'm crying...sob sob ... he pats my leg and says we'll take care of that - he gave me Effexor - I used it for a few months went off and then when I needed it again I got on it again. Right now I'm not crying and feeling pretty good. But just to get you by you might want to talk to your doctor. Ok here's another one for some of you ladies in this age bracket - my sister had a tummy tuck and it threw her right in the middle of menopause. I guess our hormones are stored in our fat soooooo ... when we start loosing weight I would assume it would be like a PMS nightmare. Anyone else have this happen to them?

Hi, I was banded on Dec 16, 09 in Sydney. I was in hospital overnight and was home by 10 am next morning. I found the experience very easy other than experiencing some severe shoulder tip pain around 6 pm the night of surgery. They gave me some morphine and i had a great night sleep. I didn't have any other problems. The next morning I had a barium swallow before being discharged. The shoulder tip pain continued for about a week but each day got a little better. I used Nurofen Plus (crushed up) about twice a day. I didn't have any vomiting. I now can eat pretty much what I like but in smaller quantities. I have lost 8 kg so far but this is now slowing up as I find as time goes on I am able to eat a little more. My first fill isn't due until 10th Feb (due to doctors being on holidays). I am looking forward to getting the fill done. The first two weeks or so I found i didn't need to eat anything until around lunch time. Now I have a small size yoghurt for breakfast, maybe a small tin of tuna for lunch and some cooked fish for dinner. I like you was so looking forward to getting the procedure done and I was not nervous at all. I just looked upon it as a positive thing i was doing for myself (it was my Christmas present to myself). I am hoping in all to lose about 28 kg. My starting BMI was 34 but due to other health issues i was able to get it done. I have spent my whole life dieting and am sick of loosing weight, getting to almost my goal and then putting it all back on plus a little more. I am hoping even to loose 20 kg and maintain this I would be a happy person. I wish you all the luck with your op I am sure you will be happy with it. Lisa

Hello :tt2: I have some questions for people who have had the LAP-BAND®, I basically am not sure if I want to go through with it and I would like to hear some stories of people who also couldn't decide at first lol. I understand it is not a quick fix, and it is going to take time and effort and what not. I do have some questions though. I have been overweight my entire life. My mom loved food, therefore I love food. She rewarded me with food and we pretty much lived on fast food growing up, therefore I am quite morbidly obese. In Kindergarten, I was 100 pounds, most of the other kids were around 60. Last time I was weighed, probably close to 2 years ago, I was 427. Food is my comfort and I spend any money I get on food... My parents have never said you cannot have this or no we cannot order this in, if they can afford it, or I am willing to pay for it, we get it. That is that. They have tried to mention my weight and doing something about it, but they know it does not phase me and that I ignore it. I actually made effort when I was 16 to go to a nutrionist but after a bad experience, I completely refused to go back to ANY nutritionist. She basically told me fat peopel cannot be succesful, it felt like an interrogation, and that fat people cannot do anything. It was just so rude. Since I was 16, I am 18 now, my mom has been talking about the lap-band® and how I should consider getting it when I turn 18. Lately she has really been bothering me because the class you have to attend is in a few weeks, and I only have until I am 19 (less than a year) to get it done, which is when insurance stops covering me. I have social phobia/social anxiety though, due to being taken out of school 4 years and put into homeschooling with no real human interaction. I was put into homeschooling due to bullying, I have been clinically depressed since 3rd grade, that is when I was diangnosed. I have told my mom several times, i will not go to a class with other people in it, I cannot do it. If you do not know what social phobia/social anxiety disorder is, it is basically fearing human interaction, and you totally believe everyone is looking at you, judging you, saying things about you, point at you behind your back, making fun of you etc.. That is the only way I can explain it. I have only just started going and getting the mail in the past 2 months, and only if nobody is outside their house and I have a hoodie completely covering me, with a long skirt. I only leave my house if I absolutely have to, and at that, it is usually at night time, and I do not go inside anywhere. I always have to have a hoodie on that covers everything and a long skirt,so nobody can see me. I only go in the dentist when I am in terrible pain, I deal with moderate/mild pain otherwise, because I know I will be in a room with just the dentist and I. I have not even gotten my license yet, nor do I have any interest... I seriously start having a panic attack in social situations, I have not had any RL friends in 3 years. Lately I have been having so many pains due to being overweight, and I am sure in a year or 2 I am going to end up having a heart attack. The doctors said at anytime I can have a heart attack. I never mention these pains to anyone though because the social phobia/anxiety, and I will NOT go to the doctor. So, what I am asking is to hear from people or people who have had friends/family get the LAP-BAND® and if it is really something worth doing? The main questions I have are; 1. Is there pain after the surgery? And if so, what kind? How long did it last? 2. How long do you have to stay in the hospital after surgery? 3. Is there a specific diet before/after surgery? 4. Do I have to slim down to a certain weight before I can get it? 5. I know you eat less, a lot less, do you eat more smaller meals or just 3 really small meals? 6. If really small meals, is there enough food for your body to like have energy? :S 7. Should I worry about complications with my weight? 8. How many people die of complications every year? And how many people get the surgery every year? 9. What kinda of diet are you on currently? 10. I cannot stick to diets, will I be told to TRY dieting before the surgery? 11. What happens on the day of the surgery? 12. Side effects? 13. Problems you had? 14. Did you ever consider not getting it because of the extra skin? 15. How steady of a weight loss can one expect? 16. Did family members actions change after you got the surgery? 17. Your worries before you had the surgery? What about after? That is all I can think of but I appreciate any replies! Thanks, sorry for the long post lol.:thumbup:

You Go GIrl! :thumbup:Thank you for the post. It really helps to hear about the successes of other fellow slow losers. Even my husband and in-laws, who see how much less I am eating, are wondering why I am not loosing faster. My only consolation is that, now that I (finally) have good restriction, I have a tool in place to keep me from gaining it back.

Hi very.rara I was banded in Perth by Dr Stephen Watson in December 2007. I have to say that it was, hands-down, the best thing that I have ever done for myself and I have not regretted it for an instant. I think I can safely count myself as one of the "success stories" , as I am now just 5 weeks post-op from having plastic surgery to repair all the damage that I did to my body by carrying so much excess weight for so long, and I feel FANTASTIC! With regard to your questions: What can I really expect from the surgery? If you've ever had surgery before, you can expect that this will be an easy one in comparison. If you've not had surgery, it is hard to know what you are up for and some people have been surprised by the fact that cutting through skin and muscle will actually hurt somewhat and take some time to heal. I've had a lot of surgeries over the years and the band was one of the easiest but it IS still surgery and you don't get over it completely overnight. how long were you in for? Hospitals are not my fav place in the world. I was the first patient in the theatre in the morning and consequently was allowed to go home that evening - if I had been scheduled for later in the day, I would have had to stay overnight. As like many I hate vomiting, so at all lengths I want to avoid it, what foods would you advice I stay away from? You should get an eating plan from your surgeon but here are some pointers in general: Immediately after surgery and for the next 4-6 weeks, you will be on a special "recovery" plan. The time periods differ from surgeon to surgeon but they all have the same basic pattern. Mine was: Days 1 to 4, Clear liquids (clear Soups, jelly, juice, teas such as peppermint or ginger ), Days 5-14 thick liquids (creamed soups, yogurts, milk/fruit smoothies, etc), Days 15-21 very soft foods, called "mushies" in this forum (scrambled eggs, chunky soups, really soft casseroles, tuna with mayo - fat free of course!, etc), Days 22+ gradually work back to normal solid foods, focussing on lean meats, vegetables and fruits and avoiding processed white carbohydrates such as white bread and Pasta. You'll find a lot of advice about food here but there does seem to be a real split between what our Australian doctors advise and what most of our US counterparts are told. The US seems to have an obsession with Protein and Protein drinks and with avoiding carbs at all costs. I don't subscribe to that opinion at all and truly believe that protein drinks are one of the worst choices you can make after you've finished with the healing process and not much of a choice during it - there are so many better tasting options out there!! You'll find that as you heal (probably about 2 weeks post-op), you'll start to feel hungry again and feel that you can eat anything, especially if you chew it enough. DON'T DO IT! You won't have "restriction" at this stage, so it might be easy but it can be damaging long term. The soft diet isn't because eating will be hard at this point, it is mostly to stop your stomach from having to churn to digest the food, which can prevent the stitches holding the band in place from healing properly and can lead to slippage much later down the track. The best advice I can give to avoid vomiting (after the healing phase) is to chew every single bite slowly and thoroughly and to stop and listen to your body in between each bite. It takes time to change the eating habits of a lifetime but it can be done. If your band isn't too tight, you should be able to eat just about anything you want if chewed slowly and thoroughly but you should find that you can only eat between a half and a whole cup of food at a time. Try to eat solids rather than "slider foods" like chocolates and icecreams, so that your band has something to work on. The whole point of the band is that it holds solid food up at the top of your stomach, triggering the Vegus nerve and fooling your body into thinking that you are full. If you drink your calories or eat foods with no fibre/substance to them, they will slide straight past the band and you won't get the "full" feeling. I think I've been pretty successful with the band - over 2 years now, down over 50 kg and feeling fabulous. If you want to ask any other questions, feel free to send me a private message or post the questions in this thread. Good luck!

Lapband recipes Hints – “BANDSTER SIZE PORTIONS” When I make most of the recipes I prepare them ahead of time and bake them in large muffin tins. Once the meal is cooked in the muffin tins (for example Shepherds Pie, meatloaf, steel cut oats, etc.)... I freeze them in the tins... then pop them out and put them in small zip lock baggies in individual portions. Make sure you spray the muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray. When I make things like Wendy’s Chili, Soups, or Pasta I freeze them in plastic single serving containers (perfect size band portion). Below is a message that I've posted several times before but I think it's worth reposting for new bandsters. I’m now entering my 8th year of being banded and have talked about this here several times but I think it’s worth repeating for new bandsters. Try and take it one day at a time. Don’t compare yourself to others. Don’t go into this journey saying “I’ll never be able to eat this or that ever again.” I can eat ANYTHING except rice and apple skins and no carbonated beverages. Follow the guidelines given to you by your doctor. Remember… take tiny bites (the size of your pinky fingernail) and remember to finish what you have in your mouth before you take your next bite. When I was losing weight I checked in every month with my family doctor to get weighed and measured. (I don’t own scales) I also attended three coffee groups for people that are banded. (I host them). These things really keep me motivated and on track. I still check in every month with my family doctor to get weighed-in and I host two coffee groups. For me support from fellow bandsters plays a big part in this journey. Back when I was banded my family doctor and I came up with something called the “Egg Timer Distraction”. It’s kind of difficult to explain here but I’d be happy to email you the .pdf document. It REALLY helped me with “head hunger”. I can’t tell you the number of people in my lapband coffee groups over the years that have said how helpful this “trick” has been in dealing with their head hunger. Also, I’m not really a “diet” book type person but I recommend you pick up two books. Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle – by Dr. Michelle May I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. May speak at a conference when she came to Toronto and her book and guidelines really work well with the lapband journey. The second book is: The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite – by David L. Kessler Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions and also if you would like a copy of the “Egg Timer Distraction Document”. --- tomander@bell.net Tom, Toronto Banded July 6 06 Wt. Loss: 160 lbs tomander@bell.net

Tis the season finally for decent produce, nice fresh salads, fruit and veggies. Well last week I had a salad w/ a protein of course almost everyday. Well lets just say it looked better the 1st time in the salad bowl then it didn the 2nd time in the toilet bowl. Mind you no vomitting was involved. So I cut back thinking ok a little too much ruffage and went to every other day.. well it's not just salad .. zucchini, a little red pepper, even the skin from a cherry tomato. . I always new corn was an issue so I just stayed away from it but it seems I'm just not digesting things well and things .. hmm.. I guess are not lets say staying together as well since I went to fresh veggies which I tend to not do much of in the winter. I feel fine and have had a complete work up several years back to which they found nothing. Just want to enjoy my salads and veggies and firm things up a little.

The big difference between a food addiction and the other addictions is that it is possible to live without ever touching the other addictions again but in order to live we can't completely avoid food. I've always said that was the biggest problem between an over eater and an alcoholic. We all need to put our mind set to eat healthy for the rest of our lives. Although I'm only 6 weeks out I'm really trying to eat healthy and am trying to make it a lifetime habit. I know you can get back in the groove and start loosing again.

Similar to another's post, people at my work know that I've been loosing weight and eating right (I don't like to call it a "diet"). I've told people I'm having thyroid surgery. I have thyroid issues as it is which has also contributed to weight issues so it felt simple to lump these aspects and coincidences of weight loss together.

Hmm ok My surgeon has done 22 sleeves and over 1000 lap bands. He has a 100% success rate so far with sleeves. Where it's considered the newer surgery, I actually found bariatric surgeons not having extensive experience. TRUST ME , I've been worried - but I'm far more concerned about my weight/health. He's had high success with the other bariatric surgeries. He's the head of the Surgical Weight Loss Specialist of Mass. Do your research and talk with some of his sleeve patients. Today was my pre op and he offered to connect me with some of his first patients. I almost considered going to mass for my skin removal surgery I heard the surgeons do it at a discount. Plus one of the top hospitals.

Over time I've learned to eat Protein when I want something sweet. But I'm still as large as ever. I gained all my weight in pregnancies and despite long term bfing, never lost all of it and kept adding to it w each baby. I eat a mostly organic, low carb diet rich in grass fed or pastured meat products, eggs, veggies, some fruits and Water. My down fall is if I happen to pick up or bake something like Cookies, so I just try not to. I developed a thyroid problem in my last pregnancy and it's been difficult to loose any weight even on medication for my thyroid. I can eat low calorie, I've done it before many times over, it just is not sustainable for a life time in our society or at least I fall prey to the larger portions and higher carb foods and then have to wean myself off again. But what I'm reading is that the band is temporary and when it's out, weight loss becomes a struggle again. So, I have to wonder why the Lap Band is becoming so popular over something like a Deonuel Switch or vertical gastoetomy both of which are not super popular but seem to have some very good qualities about them long term and fewer malnutrition risk compared to standard Gastric Bypass.

I am 7 weeks out and I have the eating issues, same as you. I don't weight myself but every 2 weeks, so I don't know if the weight is fluctuating. I make sure I drink the Protein shakes when I am not doing solids. I am losing slowly, but the inches are really coming off. I went from a 3X blouse to a XL. I don't even know my pants size; I hang out in yoga pants and they are getting loose.

I had my surgery on the 20th of July.....lost 17 lbs. in 6 weeks. Lost all restriction.....had a small fill in Dr.'s office on Thursday....felt no restriction.....now today....I think I have some restriction...but what is weird....I ate...and then about 45 minutes later I felt like something was stuck for the very first time.....I don't have the feeling of being full until about 30-40 minutes after I have eaten....shouldn't it only be 20 minutes....maybe my brain is a little slow. Was going to go for more fill next week. The Dr. said next time he would do under a fluoro. I'm confused...I know I am eating too much...I stopped loosing weight...I really liked it after surgery when I could only eat 1/2 cup at a time of anything I wanted....will I ever get that back...it sure worked for me....if takes 45 minutes for me to know I am full I'm in trouble....any comments please.

Hi Everyone! I am excited to find this site. I was banded March 31, 2006 in Hurst with Dr. Robert Snow. I started at 246 and am down to 212. My goal weight is 140. I am excited about finally having the chance to get healthy. I have read many of the posts in the different areas. I am having a little problem with mucous but not too bad. I have found there are certain foods I cannot tolerate and I have thrown a few things up but no nausea. I had my first fill on 5/11/06 with 1 cc. I have a medium band and was told it holds 5-6 cc. So far so good but I do notice that I felt restricted for the first few days after my fill and since then I have been hungrier sooner. I have lost 4# since the fill so I guess things are going well. I am working hard to maintaiin low carb high protein intake & if I want something sweet I eat it but the nice thing is now I have 1 cookie instead of the whole package because physically the band will not let me handle more. Cut to the reason why I had the band! I do treat myself occasionally to a Jamba Juice Mango-A-GoGo fruit smoothie but it has a lot of carbs so I only do a small one and only very occasionally. I do feel better since the weight loss and I find that I have a bit more energy. My cloths are starting to get very loose! I love that! Well, enough rambling. I am just taking things one day at a time and with the love and grace from our Lord, I will be successful. By the way, how do you get one of those graphs to post (the one that shows your weight loss and goal etc...)?

If Betadyne is on the skin then alcohol will take it right off. If it is on clothes then hydrogen preoxide will take it out and not leave a stain. After using the alcohol on the skin put some lotion on to soften the skin.

Hi.... I am having difficulty and I wanted to see if any of you are expereincing the same thing.....I am 11 days post-op so still have 19 more days of mushies food! I am bored!!! It seems that everything revolves around food. My family says "Do you want to go to the movies?" Nope...popcorn! "Dave and Busters to play games?" Nope....drinks (which I miss tons). "Sports bar to watch the Cowboys....(loose...waaaaaa)?" Nope....too many temptations there. "Out to lunch or dinner?" You get my drift! I feel like I am stuck at home. I am not sure I can stand it for 19 more days....I am going CRAZY!!!!! Any suggestions??

Hello, the consultant at the clinic that I went to is about 5'4" and started at 346, she is now 140. She let me touch the port on her abdomen to see how it felt. If she hadn't shown me where it was I wouldn't have known except for the scar that is there from the incision. I believe she had a tummy tuck but i didn't ask. When I was much thinner 20 years ago and had a baby I was left with sagging skin that will always be there unless I have it fixed. My highest weight at 5"3" was about 190. Hope this helps. Lena

O.K. Well to make it short as I could go on and on about what happened to me.............Ditto to what Natalie said. I did well after receiving the band until about Feb of this year (had lost 85 lbs). I had always had pain in the abdomen around where the port site was every time I did anything requiring use of the abdominal muscles. I had always had pressure type pain in the esophageal area, even after having had nothing to eat or drink for several hours. In short, I was never able to forget that I had a foreign object in my body making me miserable every day. The feeling of something not being quite right has been with me basically 24/7 since the original surgery. I was willing to accept this as I felt that I was loosing weight and getting "healthier". In Febuary of this year, I developed severe chest pain one night and it was all down hill from there. Just prior to having this, I was having so much acid reflux for a couple of weeks that the skin around my lips felt like it was on fire 24/7. My teeth were rotting out due to the acid breaking down the enamel (I can't imagine what it was doing to my esophagus). Anyway, went to my original surgeon who took me to surgery for lysis of adhesions around the band. Since then, I have been unable to get a fill to reach restriction. I do not even have the amount of fill in my band that I did before the second surgery (only 4.5 ml in a 10 ml band). Every time I try to get a fill to get the magical "sweet spot" that I heard everyone talking about, I develop severe pain with the first swallow of any thing, including Water. I have this problem even when there is no Fluid in the band. Have had multiple different x ray exams, etc. Had a slight slip which corrected after an unfill. Have been diagnosed as having esophageal spasms after all the x rays. The spasms happen as soon as the first swallow of water or what ever I try to swallow rounds the bend from my mouth into my throat. These spasms feel like someone is shoving a knife down my throat. Then it feels like someone slugs me in the epigastric area with their fist. This happens simultaneously as the food rounds the bend. The original surgeons had placed me on Prevacid in the AM and Pepcid in the PM, with Maalox/Mylanta between times for the reflux. I would take the Maalox/Mylanta 4-5 times a day. Much to my dismay, several months after the second surgery, I developed nausea with vomiting and diarrhea pretty much after attempting to eat anything. Went to my original surgeons office and their response was "you should be happy that you have lost 85 lbs" while demanding that I put my purse down and get up on the table so they could do an unfill. The nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea went on for about 5 weeks. The only way I could make it through the day was getting I.V. fluids pretty much every couple of days (I am a nurse at a surgery center so every couple of days when I was looking like I was about to die one of the surgeons would write me a prescription for IV fluid therapy and my co workers would hang an IV on me). Believe me, I did everything by the book to make this thing work. I would chew any food I was able to get down into liquid form, obeyed the no drinking rules, no eating for 3 hours before bed rules, etc, etc, etc, etc blah, blah, blah........... (That is why i got so pissed when I read on another post in the lap band talk that a "nurse" said that most people have problems with the band because they are not doing what they were supposed to do-bull shit..........). I had posted several times on the lapband site and Wasa came to my rescue. She literally saved my life. I will be forever grateful to her and so very much miss her contributions to the site. Anyway, through her I met Dr. Aceves. She also told me about band intolerance. I went to Dr. Aceves. He took me off all the antacids. Stated that I had basically probably wiped out all the normal acid in the stomach and that the food was basically rotting in my stomach before being digested as the acid was not there to help in the digesting of it. This pretty much cured the vomiting and diarrhea issue. I am at least able to eat now but still have the severe pain with any thing as soon as it "rounds the bend". I still am unable to go out to eat with anyone and need to set close to a bathroom as I never know when with the first swallow I will spew (yes, this is even after I have chew, chew, chewed-I swear to god if I hear this one more time-I do chew, chew, chew. Do people think I enjoy the severe pain with swallowing every day? How can I chew water? Jesus). These are only a very few issues that I have had with the band. If I listed every one of them it would take all day. These are just the "highlights" so to speak. I am so looking forward to the day when I get my sleeve. I can not live the rest of my life like this. I want to lead a normal life again. I am not afraid of the sleeve like some people are as I know that they have been doing partial gastrectomies for years. Believe me, I am not just counting the days but also the hours. I want to thank everyone who posts here daily (VegasAngel, Oregon Daisey, Mac, Ruthi, etc). Just reading your posts and tips gives me hope.

Hi all I am totally freaking out! My surgery is one week away and i am so tempted to cancel. I am really scared and nervous. I am not new to WLS, i had the band for 6 years, had complications and had it removed 12 months ago, so i have been through this process before and have an idea of what to expect kind of. I keep asking myself the following... - Cant i just continue Optifast to loose weight. - what will happen 20 years down the track. - is it necessary since i am not that big and i hold my weight well - why go through this and get loose skin when my body is not that flabby now. - will this cause me to have no social life as eating is a form of social and cultural get togethers. - my hair is already falling out.... will i be bald. And so much more. Ive researched for months and still can't imagine how much I will be able to eat n drink. Please help... i am seriously tempted to cancel my surgery as i am petrified that ill end up with complications that I had with my band 6 years out. Did anyone else go through this so close to surgery?