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Long-time bandster



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Love to hear long term success stories. They help us seasoned bandsters keep on. Congrats. It sometimes is not an easy journey. But worth it!!

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I'm new to this site and appreciate reading stories from other banded folks. I have had my band almost 10 1/2 years. I had really great success during the early years. I realized about 3 years in I had a very strong emotional component to my eating patterns so I regained a good bit of the weight I had lost. But no fault of the band. I still feel it is the best tool for weight-loss success. I originally lost 110 pounds after I had my surgery then regained probably 80 pounds. But I am back down 50 pounds and still a work in progress. **I went back and edited this post when I realized I can't add. I had my band placed May, 2003 so that would have been 10 years not 9!

I'd be interested to know more about your band. Is it the 4cc one? Did you ever need much Fluid? We don't see too many 10+ year veterans hanging out on the site! Glad to see you are doing well.

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so...poom bah/pooh BA

am so lost.......please tell me it is not related to fish

so...poom bah/pooh ba

am so lost.......please tell me it is not related to fish

only you princess, only you...

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I have my appointment with Bariatric Center for October 7th. May be having a fill. I had the saline removed early in 2012 before my cancer surgery for the removal of the left breast. That was done just next door to the Bariatric Center, so it's not far for consult. They announced I'm "cancer free" so now to get back to my banding tool. I ate a little too much during the cancer scare, or else I celebrated the freedom from that worry! So with that extra weight packed on, I'm now gearing my brain up to watch what goes in my mouth. The Lap Band Talk site is one I found in 2007 and have this past winter revisited. Low and behold, I was still listed as a member. I have been spending morning coffee time here since our long snowy winter here in west-central Minnesota. . . . . . . . . Just a thought: . . . . . I think my cancer surgery and the after therapy went so well because of the help & success I had from my banding tool. . . . . . . . . . Probably saved my life! :lol: :wub: :lol: :wub:

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Welcome, welcome, welcome! 10 1/2 years is excellent. I think the only person I know that has been nearly that long is my surgeon who went to Mexico for his surgery and then trained under Dr Ortiz, too!

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Someway or another I messed up the quote I was trying to use :unsure:

Well, I believe it is an Inamed brand 4 cc. band. I wish I could give you some exact information (actually coming to this site has made me think about getting my detailed medical information such as fills and un-fills). I'm thinking it has probably been 5 years since I have ever even been back to the surgeon's office. No complaints with my band but their interest in follow-up has sucked in my opinion. I had this idea they would really be interested in keeping up with their patients but that has not been my personal experience. I remember calling once and asking for an appointment to get my band checked and they were like "why"? I wasn't wanting an adjustment and I wasn't having problems.

And once I had asked for a complete un-fill because I had done so well without one and was told that was what was done. When I went back to get a fill I said something about my band being empty and was told, "your band is not empty" which rather shocked me since I had been told I was. I don't think I was ever filled more than 2.5 cc. at the most. Really don't know what is there now but I have restriction, still the occasional hang-up or get stuck. My family recognizes it and calls it "the deer in headlights look".

As far as coming to the site I have just been wanting to get back in contact with some banded folks and see what's going on. It seems in my area the popular surgery seems to be the gastric sleeve which I know nothing about and really not interested in finding out.

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I have my appointment with Bariatric Center for October 7th. May be having a fill. I had the saline removed early in 2012 before my cancer surgery for the removal of the left breast. That was done just next door to the Bariatric Center, so it's not far for consult. They announced I'm "cancer free" so now to get back to my banding tool. I ate a little too much during the cancer scare, or else I celebrated the freedom from that worry! So with that extra weight packed on, I'm now gearing my brain up to watch what goes in my mouth. The Lap Band Talk site is one I found in 2007 and have this past winter revisited. Low and behold, I was still listed as a member. I have been spending morning coffee time here since our long snowy winter here in west-central Minnesota. . . . . . . . . Just a thought: . . . . . I think my cancer surgery and the after therapy went so well because of the help & success I had from my banding tool. . . . . . . . . . Probably saved my life! :lol: :wub: :lol: :wub:

Congratulations on being cancer free!!!!

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

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      · 2 replies
      1. Selina333

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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