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?

Pmkelly same thing happened with me went back on the wagon in December and have lost 26 lbs so far. This is a great place for support and to keep you motivates welcome!

Hi everyone! Hi lellow, I have followed your progress for a long time.... AMAZING!!!1

ME;

BANDED sept, 2008

LOST 50 lbs first yr and a 1/2

since then I have gone back n forth with the same 10 lbs for 2 yrs. a yr ago I had unfill because of reflux and after that I could eat ANYTHING. just had fill last wk and trying to start over. :-)

Hey all and welcome to the newcomers (but old-timers!). Heidib my friend, good to see you here!

Well I went for my post-op appt today, brought forward a week due to the fact that my belly seems to be quite swollen, and found out some interesting things today.

Turns out he didn't cut into me over the port site but instead went through my old body lift vertical scar - which is what I was hoping for - but that meant he had to do a fair amount of 'burrowing' to get to the old port. He also replaced the tubing, which he wasn't sure he would have to do. So overall there was significant trauma to the area to get it all fixed. Add that to the fact that I am quite thin now, and he expected the swelling to be significant, and it is.

The second thing I learnt was that the leak in my tubing seems to have been caused by a tattoo needle. The leaking area has green ink staining it, and he was completely confused by it at first, then realised that it was the same colour as my tattoo. He believes that the tubing was close to the skin and the tattoo needle nicked it, and what started as a small, nearly indiscernible leak just kept getting bigger. He has taken pictures of the tubing (he showed me) because he said he was thinking of writing a report or paper on it, because he's never seen anything like it. But then again, how many people get tattooed on their stomach over their port area?

So moral of the lesson: don't get tattooed anywhere near your port. It turned out it's likely I caused the leak myself. I'm a little peeved about it now. BUT the good news is he checked the liquid he put in at the op (4cc) and all of it was still there so it looks like the leak is fixed now. I've now got 5cc in there and am hopefully back on my way to health and to some restriction!

Well I know that tattoo's can be dangerous but this is the first time I have heard of lapband leakage as a risk! LOL.

I have never been a big fan of tatts and now I have another reason not to get one!

Glad that he was able to find the apparent cause of your leak and that it now seems to have been fixed.

So moral of the lesson: don't get tattooed anywhere near your port. It turned out it's likely I caused the leak myself. I'm a little peeved about it now. BUT the good news is he checked the liquid he put in at the op (4cc) and all of it was still there so it looks like the leak is fixed now. I've now got 5cc in there and am hopefully back on my way to health and to some restriction!

This is def good for me to know! I have a tummy tuck scar that is one ugly b***h so I want to cover it but my surgery a few weeks ago ( to answer ur question Lellow) was a scar revision feb 4 and then a port revision feb 18( my doc moved my port to an easier to hit location for Canadian doctors)

Now my port is right at my left hip. I wanted a tat to cover it so it wasnt so obvious, scrap that idea. Guess I am telling the world I got the band cuz there is no explanation for that bump (yes its low profile and still sticks out)

Anyways so I am walking behind the band wagon but not yet on it. My scar revision surgery from Feb4 th seems to be a waste because the incision has a hole that won't heal in it. Not only that but it has now ripped horizontal and vertically making it bigger. I will never get a scar revision again ( 99% of the scar revision was perfect this little bugger of a spot is the only problem so ok scar revision was ok for the most part).

Hopefully by April I can hop on the wagon. For now I am just trying to eat better but no gyming *tear* what a waste of 4 month membership when I only went 3 times before surgery and i leave the country in a month grrrr

Hope everything is healing good Lellow

AB, no tattoo over port. NOOOOOO.

Today I'm feeling 80% better. The Alien Baby Belly is started to disappear, hallelujah! There is still some swelling but nothing last the last 5 days. I was starting to get scared that I was gonna have to live with it forever!

I have another appt with Peter Nottle next Friday and I will probably ask for another fill. The 5cc is doing nothing.

Hope everyone's going great!

Lellow, glad u r feeling better, I would have never thought a tattoo would cause such an issue!

Bump in the road ! U r doing great and will continue to meet ur goals .

lellow, WOW thats CRAZY that a tattoo needle did that! I was thinking about cover my scar wit a tattoo as well. I didnt know the needle went that deep!

I didn't think it did either. But I think coz of my skin colour, he was really working that needle to make sure the ink 'took'. Plus it appears the surgeon who did my body lift put my port and tubing very close to the skin because, I guess, i didn't really have much fat by then. So it was waiting to happen, I guess.

Well I am coming up on 3 years and Im lucky to maintain easily without any real effort. Even when we have party weekends that are all food and drinks and I feel like I snack all day my weight just never changes. BUT....

I know I need to rededicate myself to two things:

1. More Water

2. Less bad sweets etc

PS: Jacqui...what happened to your gorgeous bikini pic? and Lellow I am just breathing a sigh of relief for you!

hey Xavier,

good you decided to join us here! I love that some of you, who I've become familiar with through the rest of the forum, are finding a home here.

How is everyone going? Today, with my tummy down to almost normal, I actually experienced some restriction for the first time since my op. I hardly ate anything today - I was busy, I got out of the house for the first time since my op (that wasn't just going to see my dr) and I forgot to eat pretty much all day. And I wasn't actually hungry. Then I got to dinner, ate about 2 cups of risotto and felt full. Makes me wonder how much of my eating the last few days has been from boredom.

But I was healing so I'm disregarding my diet from the last few days. With my partner out of the country for work, my friends have been dropping me food off while I was recovering, or I'd make something quick, and mostly it wasn't a huge consideration for it to be low fat/cal/whatever. I also kinda grazed all day because there was so much food!

But after today, I'm going to start paying attention to my hunger signals again to make sure I'm not eating just because.

Having you guys around has been really motivating, so I'm so glad you're all here, btw.

Hey everyone just checking in I think I finally have restriction even though I had a fill almost two weeks ago so that's promising lol still keeping up with c25k. Lellow glad to hear all is well hope you have a speedy recovery! Everyone else have a great weekend!

Hi everyone! It seems this "new" restriction level is staying with me. I am listening to satisfied signals better and stopping eating. Even though it is about half what I was eating before. I have room to lose a few more pounds.

I am not getting stuck now, and that was my biggest concern. Solids Proteins are going down, and staying down. It is just so strange that it would happen 6 months after my last fill. I've heard of fills kicking in a few weeks later, but months? Strange!

Anyway, just wanted to pop in and say hi! I owe, I owe, so off to work I go!!

lellow- I'm glad everything is going better for you and your healing now. :-)

I am happy..since having my recent fill the scale is finally going down!!! yea baby!!!!!

I am sometimes still hungry in between though. I am tryijng to figure it out. I dont think ground turkey stays with me very long. maybe because its ..the real low fat kind???? not sure.. well I;m hanging in there. if i can stay away from the scale i think i:ll be good. if i weigh and dont see it going down i get upset and mad. then sometimes i will binge :-(. keeping scale out of house

Had to share tonight's experience, freaky but I am sure you will all have a laugh.

Decided to cook steak for dinner. I hardly ever cook it for hubby and I thought I'd be nice to him ( and my kids). Couldn't be bothered cooking something seperate for myself and as my band is fairly loose thought if I was careful it might be OK. Well it wasn't although it could have been the broccolli (soft) or corn ( teaspoon full) that caused the issue. No big deal, I am quite good at bringing things back these days.

But we have an issue at the moment with the ground being so wet that we have an excess of spanish millipedes in the house. They are an alien invader and they are a pain. They get everywhere and they leave dirty brown marks everywhere. As most of them are in my bathroom I chuck them down the toilet. It amazes me how long they seem to keep on wriggling under Water ( OK report me to the RSPCA). In fact the other night I jokingly said to my husband that I could write a horror story about some giant millipede coming out of the sewer, it would probably be on a par with attack of the killer tomatoes!

I am sure you can see where this is going.......... If you get grossed out easily then stop reading now.

Anyway - first attempt at bringing the steak back obviously didn't do a complete job so I am back in the bathroom for a second time. I had also had some red wine so things were looking a little murky( and red wine tastes terrible coming back) when I notice this black thing squirming around in the toilet bowl. Now having your head over the toilet, throwing up and staring at some squirmy thing is not a pleasant experience. Although logic tells me that it had to have been in there from earlier the mind plays strange tricks.

All I can say is it must be one hell of an underwater swimmer and maybe I had better get a toilet lid lock as they could be breeding down there!