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I have only been banded for a week, so I have not had any fills yet but I hear the flouroscopy is better for finding the port. I am now praying it is bc you have me scared . I am not one for needles but if I was in your situation I would try the other way and if you can't you can always just say to yourself "it hurts to be beautiful". My mother used to tell me that when she was brushing my hair as a child. Now I totally see that with eyelash curlers and such tools she was right all along. :tt2: Good luck!!

I just got my secound fill after my band has been empty for almost a year. I have 3cc in it and i'm really tight. no hamburger meat, steak or any food with using roast or hotdogs. I can handle chicken cut up very small and bacon. For the past two days I've lived off lettuce cut up in very small shredds with bacon very small peices and fresh tomato diced added light miricle whip 3 table spoons. It gives it a juice effect and i get the blt taste which is great. I do the same with chicken. That is what I've had three times a day a cup at each meal. does anyone else have the problem with getting meats down?

No imagination at all...hee hee...I think I was on a holiday sugar high at the time and I can't be responsible for my actions. The two of you are a little newer here than I am, but I'm sure you're doing your research and should feel comfortable with your decision (I'm sure I'll be a ball of nerves right before my surgery too...everyone is). My opinion only...If you know the work that you're going to have to do to make this tool work for you, and what can potentially happen if you don't follow the rules, as well as possible complications, then you should know now whether it's a good choice for you. Personally, I think this 6 mo. diet I'm on is a little long, but I've been researching this for over 3 mo. and only now do I feel really comfortable with it. I can't imagine being one of those that has the surgery a few weeks after starting to look into this...I think those are the people who are surprised that the LB doesn't do it for you, how hard it is, problems they have. It's not the right choice for everyone. I can follow a diet and an exercise program and I don't mind that the weight will come off slowly, have done so before. I have a person close to me that cannot, but would be better suited for a different procedure. I'll be nervous at my surgery, but most of that will be nervous anticipation and excitement at getting the tool I need to make this work. Good luck with your upcoming new-you's! Keep me posted as to how you're doing!

So I feel fine in the morning then at night ifeel horrible, nauseated horrible, ever since I got banded I want out I feel horrible

Banded 11/07 March 2008: Lost about 25 pounds I started having port rejection problems that were just resolved in August 08. I had a new port put in. The surgeon said she filled my band all the way up to 4cc FULL. I had great restriction but now just a few weeks later I feel like I can eat again. Example, last night for dinner I had 1/2 a baked pork chop, mashed potatoes, and peas??? Can I loose the fill that quick?

I like to leave myself notes around the house, especially at my desk and on the refrigerator and other places near where I do work. Any suggestions for some encouragement? I am still lingering in "Insurance Purgatory" and I have been really sick for weeks. I could really use some uplifting. (comedy is always appreciated, also - I have a pretty quirky sense of humor! :biggrin:) Thanks! You are all awesome! Finding this place has really helped me over the last year of trying for surgery. I am just starting to wear down a bit.:cool2:

Wow! It's been a while since anyone posted! I was banded 10/07/11 and am down 71lbs. After my last fill on 07/03/11 I lost 8lbs in one week and have been stuck there ever since! I have had 5 fills and am at 7cc's in my 10cc band. I don't eat very much at all. I think it's what I am choosing to eat lately. A lot of personal life stuff going on makes it harder, but I am pushing on! How is everyone else doing??

I had my LAP-BAND® 3/09. I am down about 60 pounds. I am having a lot of difficulty with the surgery. Lots of chest pain and vomitting. Not able to get much down. Have not had a fill since June and have had saline taken out the last three times and will be going Wednesday to get more out. :scared2:Also my hair is now coming out in handfuls. :thumbdown:Anyone who has experienced this and can help me out please let me know.

Hi Mark, CONGRATULATIONS!!! LET THE COUNT DOWN BEGIN!!! How are you going after a week of Optifast? It was pretty ordinary, but I felt in pretty good health going into surgery because of it. I was banded last Thursday at The Valley by Mr Chris Hensman. Mr Richard Gilhome assisted. Dr John Zubevich was the anaethetist. It was a bit rough to start with, but now at a week out, and I am feeling much better. You will do fine - the hospital and everyone involved were terrific! Just a hint - I was very nauseous post op - I found out after I got home and reread the dietician notes that ice can upset your tummy - I had been chomping down the ice chips like a demon! After the first day post-op I recommend that you stick with the room-temp Water jug instead. Keep sipping as often as you can to keep you fluids up, as dehydration also makes you nauseous. Hope to meet you at Bandworks on the 31st at Mulgrave. All the best, check in and let us know how you are going. Cheers, Anna.

Well I gained a pound after Turkey Day....eating leftovers. So this week I was pretty good lost that pound. Back on track with food and excercise this week. Hope to be 176 or 175 by next Friday. My goal was 170 by New Year's and I should make it. It's hard during the holidays to get that exercise in. Today and this weekend getting all the Christmas in house decorations up and the tree. Hope everyone had a good week.

For me, I can eat any amoumt of chips, biscuits, ice cream or even Cereal that I want to. I can go out and eat fattening meals too - not much of them, but I can eat Pasta and stuff. But I know I have good restriction when I eat well. When I eat healthy, Protein packed, vegie packed meals, I really struggle to get through 1500 calories in a day. I get my three meals in and that's it. when I eat that way, I lose even now, four years down the track. Good restriction to me does not mean not being able to eat bread or getting full on half a cup. Today I had a huge Protein shake with a banana blended in (took me a while), a chicken schnitzel sandwich (bread, small schnitzel oven baked, baby spinach, tomato) and a bread and butter plate sized dinner - meatloaf, a spoon of mashed potato and some creamed spinach. other days I can get through twice the calories with poor food choices - which doesnt mean I dont have restriction, it means I'm not using my band well.

My lap band surgeons office could not get me an appt for my first fill until more then 6 weeks after my surgery. At my first fill the automatically put 3 cc's in my 14 cc band. I was told at the time of my first appt to go ahead and schedule my next fill for 4 week later which I did. I went home and to my disappointment discovered that I still had almost NO restriction. I tried to move my appointment up, but they told me manufacturer recommends 4 weeks between fills. I am wondering if that is true or if they are just trying to get me past the 90 global period so I have to start paying for the fills. Anybody allowed to get the 2nd fill less then 4 weeks after the first? For those with a 14cc band, how many fills before you really had some restriction?

There is no secret. Unfortunately it will take changes on your part. At least that is what I have gotten from everything I have been to. It is only a tool that may help you achieve your goal of weight loss. I went to a behavior modification class all day last week and one of the things they did was bring in people at different stages in their weight loss. One man had lost 400 lbs but he worked out 7 hours a day!!! WTF who has that kinda time to work out?? Most of the women admitted to walking on treadmills for 30 minutes to an hour a day. One who had only lost about half her desired weight admitted she had not worked out in the two years but had recently bought a treadmill and had worked out every evening the previous week and had lost 5 lbs! I think you will lose weight with the pre surgery diet and post surgery diet which encourages people to eat better and really jump into it. I think it is the long term changes that are harder to make. Maintaining will be the bigger issue for most of us. I think support and knowledge will go a long way to helping you to achieve your goal. Don't be afraid to ask for help because you aren't alone in this.

I've also had problems sleeping I use to take ambien last summer and since the band my doctor has put me back on it. However last summer I would take it for like two or three nights and be back on a sleep schedule but so far that hasn't happened yet. I've already taken 10+ since I got the perscription in mid June and last summer I would have 10 for four months. As for dreams I've always has weird ones but I remember them more often than I use to. I hope this helps and I happy to know that I'm not the only one experiencing this.

No, sorry. Haven't heard of that. You may be a patient who needs adjustments under the guidelines. I'd get .25 cc. Go back in 4 weeks for .25cc more. Take it easy. Weightloss will come. Just don't hurt yourself in the process.

I'm down a pound this week (which is amazing, considering the booze and the chocolate). I'm at 185 lbs, which means I have crossed the halfway mark. (And I met my first goal!) My next goal is 19.5 lbs away -- it's when my BMI crosses from "obese" into "merely overweight".

Yay Lellow that is great!! I expected to gain or at least stay the same this week due to xmas eating habits but to my suprise I lost a little! I am down another 400grams (0.88pounds). I am SOOOOOOO close to onederland!! 0.65pound away!! Christmas was great...I couldn't overindulge like I used to I was happier about getting my photo taken and I had an absolute blast!

I've got a question for the vets, did you find it was tougher to stay on plan or lose weight in the winter? I'm thinking I'm fighting evolution. I was losing pretty steady and the only stall I've hit was at three weeks, none since so it might just be a stall. With poor weather I can't get out for walks as often and I'm not very dedicated to exercise. What do you think, I'd appreciate your thoughts.

i have had a slow process with my band, i finally got better restiction at 3.0 in my 4cc band. I am still able to eat, but pb and getting meat stuck happens not as much as 2 weeks after my fill to 3.0cc . i am due to go back and i believe i still need more fill but going the 0.1cc at a time i believe would be better. have u all ever felt u were right there but not quite. 6mos into this and not much wt. lost yet. i am still keeping hope alive. kim:wink2:

Hello! I have had my band for a year. I struggled with the gas a lot after surgery. It was painful for me, but I was also sick for about two weeks. A friend of mine had hers done and she was great. She recovered like someone from out-patient-surgery will no problems. Traveled the second day after surgery and did great. She struggles with reflux a little now though. The doctors said that they had to do surgery on the hernia before they could put the lap band on, but she is doing better. Glad to see you joined the family. I just found this web page and I am so thankful. You will do great.

Hi LJ - I think we did chat. Yes, my port site hurts more now than it did last week. I go back to my doc on THursday. I worked today and was really wiped out when I got home this evening. At one point when I got up, I thought I was going to faint. Now feel better after a shower. Does your shoulder still hurt?

I have had my band now for a little over a year. I have experienced my band tightening weeks after a fill. It tightens so badly that the pain is awful and I can't even get water down without it hurting...I then need to go in and get some removed. Twice I have gone to the ER due to the pain. Has this happened to anyone else????

Paula- I had lap band surgery Dec 15th and went thru the same thoughts you are having. I ultimately went with lb becuase if I had any other type of medical problem in life the band could be unfilled and I could receive treatments. The sleeve or RNY both have restrictions I just couldn't handle. I'm probably overly concerned as various cancers run in my family and I just want to be able to 'battle' any disease w/o worrying about a surgery decision I made years ago. My thought is the band can be unfilled or removed if need be and once well, it can be filled or I can have surgery to reinstall one. The vomiting - I am a BIG freaky gagger - I mean freaky as in I can easily start to gag and lord help me if I have to vomit - I totally freak. Here I am 6 weeks post op and I had one episode where I ate to fast, I knew it the moment it happened I stayed calm, had a strange feeling and up the bite came like a big burp. Now that, that happened I am so cautious, the word didn't come to an end but at the time it did hurt - but I did it to my self. as far as food restrictions - what is it you think you'll miss? I have eaten many things and not had issues. I do heed the advice of no soft breads but I haven't missed them. Are they foods that got you here? Now something you didn't address is the amount of work each one involves on your part. The band - it doesn't do it for you- you have to follow the 'rules'- exercise, get 70 - 90 grams of Protein in and 64oz of fluids a day with less than 1k calories. So you have to work at it change your habits. Protein/Produce then starches So its a tool but you have to use, not abuse it and you will be successful. the sleeve- a perm change, an alteration to your body - but you can be lazy - it only restricts your food for you so if you put in poor food choices you can still ramp up the calories (just like the band) and still fail (just like the band) but now you are missing 85% of your stomach. In my research I found that at 5 years out the band and rny have similiar weight loss and maintanence. My reading on the sleeve said altho slightly comparable to band it is equal to RNY. In the end it comes down to what is best for you, be very honest with your medical team especially your surgeon and pysch. They should be able to guide you. My surgeon would not say 'yes do this one, not that one' - he gave me every ounce of info I could get my hands on and answered a lot of questions (I called 2 or 3 times a week for 4 or 5 weeks) Also you may want to post this on the board for gastric sleeve - as I'm pretty sure since most folks on here have the band - they may be slightly biased :smile2: Good luck in your decision. tina

Hi All, Well another crappy week and another week with no loss. You would think the fill would have worked, but only 1 lb in 3 weeks. My MD won't see me until April! I may need to call after 1 month and tell them I have not seen any loss and hope they can get me in. I know when I spoke with the MD for this fill he said that he is surprised that I needed another fill. He said that most patients are fine with just 1-2 fills and I am now looking for 3! Oh well. I did get in 4 workouts last week, but the sweets in the office and the wine at parties were my downfall. I stopped the wine on Monday, but the sweets are still getting to me. I have thrown everything out and put a note on my door NO SWEETS ALLOWED! Let's hope this works! Here are the latest results. I don't see everyone's number, so let me know. Name Start/ Finish/ Loss to date (1/29/09) Gilta 174/ 162/ 3 Accountess 231/ 218/ MistyD65 249.4/ 237.4/ 3.6 krtork 205/ 195/ 7 Charlietuna XXX/ -10/ di1138 XXX/ -15/ innotu XXX / -10/ 3 Brad 202/ 187/ 7 legdxdlr XXX/ -15/ nic XXX/ -17/ amaltha 166/ 157/ lanakila 268/ 258/ 1 Shelleyelise XXX/ ??/ Ninner 341/ 299/ heartfire 191.2/ 181.2/ 2.5 Gary B XXX/ -10/ charlie4171 208.6/ 199/ .3 k4str 213/ 200/ Mommie2 XXX/ -20/ Brendaanise XXX/ 155/ 166.8 lellow 169.8/ 159/ 8.1 maleliz777 257/ 247/ edel 195/ 185/ Kaytatree XXX/ -8/ 4.0

Down again this week. I'm not going to make my goal but I think I'm okay with that. Start: 191.2 Goal: 181.2 Today: 188.1 Total: -3.1 To Gaol: 6.9