Ok, I don't know if there's already a thread like this but I know for one thing that I would like to band together (pun intended) with those of us who have had our bands for over 3 years and have gotten complacent.

I've always had it easy when it comes to maintaining, but now have a small slip and a leak, and very little restriction, so have decided to recommit to the bandster lifestyle to try to ensure that my weight is maintained.

Whatever your motivations for recommiting to the bandster lifestyle, you're welcomed to join me here.

So here's me:

• Banded Aug 2008
  
• Lost 85lbs
  
• now have a small slip and a leak, and no restriction, and found I could eat more
  
• As a result, I gained 5lbs in a month, pulled myself up, returned to eating well and exercising and have lost it.
  
• Looking to maintain and redevelop good eating and exercise habits.
  

I seem to be motivated best by being part of a support group, and I think it's fair, when I'm not trying to lose, but to maintain, to keep that separate from those who are trying to find the right mindset for the first time. I'm trying to reconnect with the mindset that helped me lose in the first place, so I think that's a different kettle of fish.

So, who's with me?

Good luck Heidi, you are braver than me doing it all by yourself. I have put on 2kg since Christmas and am hanging out for my next appointment. I was supposed to go on Wed but had to cancel due to work and now I can only get in on 3rd May. I so want some restriction back. Being able to eat like a normal person sucks.

Denise glad you are finally starting to win the war on the bug. I didn't realise that you had a procedure that started it all but that makes perfect sense. They nearly killed my father with MRSA when he went for his hip replacement years ago. They of course denied responsibility and said that he probably infected himself. Now whenever he has to have an op he washes everything with special antibacterial stuff before going into hospital. I think that if there is a risk you can infect yourself they should test you first to see if you are a carrier and if the answer is yes they should pretreat you and take additional precautions. Doesn't a stitch in time save 9?

Wow Heidi, I'm glad you're happy with your decision. Denise, I'm so sorry about how sick you've been.

I've had a bit of a bad run too. At my second to last appt, my dr put 8.5cc in my 10cc band, and then when I saw him a week later, I'd lost 1.5kgs so he didn't put anymore in, despite the fact that I felt like I was losing restriction. In the following three weeks, I gained 3kgs, could barely feel my band.

I saw him on Friday and he withdrew all the Fluid and it was still all there, but because I'd gained, he put another .5cc in, taking me to 9cc.

I drank a cup of Water fine, but on the way home, felt gas building so stupidly took a chewable Mylanta, and that's when the vomitting started.

And it didn't stop. I threw up everything, including my saliva for the next 20 hours. I eventually got my dr on the phone and he told me to get straight to the hospital. I got there, and they put me on an IV to rehydrate me as well as on anti-nausea meds (I was throwing up continuously). After an x-ray to ensure my band hadn't slipped, they unfilled me by 3.5cc.

I am feeling heaps better today but am completely off my food. I tried to have pumpkin Soup but it made me feel like puking, so my friend added water and blitzed it in her mixer until it didn't have any lumps in it.

I have to go back to see my dr in the next few days and I guess we'll decide what to do then. I never had this much difficulty the first time around and am feeling a little bummed.

Oh and since the overfill, I've lost 3kgs, but I suspect it was all fluid!

Not having restriction when you have had it for so long sucks. I am at the point where I am thinking about what diet I should go on and I haven't had to do that for almost 3 years.

I do know I still have a band as I ate a chicken mayo roll for lunch and I was in a hurry to fetch my son from work so I was eating fast. Felt a slight bit of discomfort so I stopped but that was after I had eaten almost the whole roll.That was the first time since my partial unfill that I have felt anything. After a while most of us think that the band is not doing much and that we are in control, it is not until you lose it that you realise how much the band really was helping.

I am back to eating quickly even when I try not to and I have started snacking more than I should.

Lets hope that we manage to sort our band issues out soon.

Lellow how did you cope with the anti nausea meds? They tried them when I was in hospital too and it was a big mistake. Because I couldn't even swallow my own spit I could taste them for hours afterwards.

I had it intravenously, elcee. I could not have anything by mouth coz I was holding nothing down. I got that, plus morphine (for the stomach cramps) and an IV of fluids.

I have 5.5cc left in my band but my stoma must have gone through the wringer coz I'm finding anything solid really difficult today. I'm supposed to see Prof Nottle again early this week, and am thinking maybe it's too soon for a refill just now.

I forgot you are in the city - out here in the country they got me to drink the meds even though I couldn't keep anything down.

I have decided I really need to do something as I jumped on the scales today and they are up almost another kilo! This is ridiculous. Still confused as to the best way to do it - I never have been any good at dieting. Decided to try low(ish) carb. Had a scrambled egg and a piece of cold beef for Breakfast. I am starving already and it is only 9.40am!

Not sure how long my low carb efforts will last. Hopefully longer than on previous attempts.

.

My nutritionist has an easy meal plan: a slice of toast with a slice of cheese or a bowl of cereal for breakfast, fruits an yogurt for dinner. And lunch is Grilled protein and salad or pasta with light tomato sauce or sushi, open quantities. I lose more when I stick to 4 days of grilled protein and salad, but if I do only two days I don't gain. You can snack on air popped popcorn or fruits or canned tuna or yogurt.

It works!

thanks everyone. I'm feeling ok...I dont really have much of an appetite yet. i seem to get full quick...very bloated feeling. i'm sure everything is swollen ect. I feel ok seeing how I have had no restriction for so long and have maintained my weight. Once I am feeling better I would like to start exercising again. :-)

Hopefully that will be soon for you Heidi, and you're right, you've been doing it all on your own up to now, so you can only get better at this.

elcee, I get where you're coming from, where you're gaining but have been reluctant to get a fill. I called the Prof's office today and they want me to come in this afternoon. I'm scared as all hell to get any sort of fill right now after what happened on the weekend. Plus the interns at Emergency were brutal with me because they had a lot of trouble finding my port so I'm still sore there too. I am hoping he'll leave me for a bit and see how I go in a week...

Cocoa, OMG...thats awful! glad your feeling better! :-)

I am home from having my band removed . Glad its over! I am very sore and my throat hurts from tube they put down there. No revision here. I'm done with the band. The reason I got the band was because it could eventually be removed. :-)

Can I ask why you removed the band ? Wasn't it safe to keep it just in case ?

Can I ask why you removed the band ? Wasn't it safe to keep it just in case ?

Can I ask why you removed the band ? Wasn't it safe to keep it just in case ?

I wanted it removed eventually. then I started having GERD issues so the time was right. I have maintained my weighloss for 3 yrs atleast.

Hi Everyone! Elcee, if we were good at dieting, we'd not have needed bands...hang in there!

I have started eating again somewhat after my infection (not band related). Very much listening to my signals. It is easy to do when you aren't hungry to begin with.

So, y'all remember back when my band tightened up so strangely about 4 months after my last fill? Well it was that way for about 6 weeks, I called my surgeon for an appointment, and of course, it loosened up. When I saw my primary care doc for the infection, he asked when they are going to "scope my belly" for my surgeon. So I am assuming they want to do an endoscopy and are getting approval for that. As my band loosened up, I haven't been calling to find out what is going on. I expect to hear once things are approved.

Even thought my band is back to normal, I will go ahead with the scope to be sure all is OK.

After the infection I was down a total of 10 lbs for a very short time, I am back up a couple as expected. I'd like to be able to keep off some of it though. At least have a little bit of good come out of being so darned sick.

Hey all,

It's been a while since I've been on LBT. I needed to not be here while I tried to figure out what was going on with my band, and my weight started to come back on. I won't lie, it was depressing seeing people having their (working) bands and not working it while I didn't have one, and struggled not to put weight on.

Not that I succeeded. I had revision for a leak in April and my band just never worked after that. In total I've added two dress sizes since my initial leak was detected in January and while I'm stable now I work pretty hard at not gaining.

On Friday my Dr FINALLY admitted that my revised band is also leaking. I lost 2cc in under 3 weeks.

I have another revision op in a couple of weeks now and I have to admit after everything I am skeptical about it working.

Anyway that's where I am. I got my port replaced by what looks to be yet another leaky port. Surely it can't happen again, right?

Hey all,

It's been a while since I've been on LBT. I needed to not be here while I tried to figure out what was going on with my band, and my weight started to come back on. I won't lie, it was depressing seeing people having their (working) bands and not working it while I didn't have one, and struggled not to put weight on.

Not that I succeeded. I had revision for a leak in April and my band just never worked after that. In total I've added two dress sizes since my initial leak was detected in January and while I'm stable now I work pretty hard at not gaining.

On Friday my Dr FINALLY admitted that my revised band is also leaking. I lost 2cc in under 3 weeks.

I have another revision op in a couple of weeks now and I have to admit after everything I am skeptical about it working.

Anyway that's where I am. I got my port replaced by what looks to be yet another leaky port. Surely it can't happen again, right?

Have you thought about having another permanent type of bariactric surgery instead, say the sleeve. Since this is a permanent surgery you would not have to worry in the future of having any issues that we do/may have with the lapband. As a longtimer, I know I would seriously consider an alternative if I had issues with my band and it had to be removed.