starting a new thread for anyone who has or is considering surgery thru the Brigham/Falkner program.

~Mel

surgery 11/13/07 Dr Vernon

-35lbs

I will be there tonight!

Hey guys! Call the office to verify that it is tonight. For some reason, I remember Phyllis saying something about it being on the 15th this month. I don't know why I am flashing on this...but double check. CRAPPY night to get all the way down there if there is no meeting!

~holly

Just called. (Thanks, Holly!) Phyllis IS out of town.....according to the calendar there IS a meeting. However, after asking a few more questions, I was told that they will call me back. So, I guess the answer is----DON'T make plans to drive all the way over until I hear back from them!!!

Elizabeth from Dr. Vernon's office just returned my call. All 4 (who knew we had 4?!) dietitians are at a conference. None returned her e-mails or pages sent nearly an hour ago. She thinks it's a safe bet that the meeting WILL NOT BE TONIGHT!!! I originally called the receptionist at the Faulkner to find out and they put me through to her. Sorry, gang, but Holly, thank you so much for the heads up. Left a message for Phyllis on her voicemail, so if it's next week, I'll let you guys know!

Thanks for calling nota. Glad I didnt make the nasty commute in from the South Shore

Having a fill appt tomorrow...hope it goes okay and holds me for a long time.

oh....had to look back at an old calendar to figure out that the yr anniversary of surgery is this week! I had the 3year mark as when I should have hit goal. I didnt but Im really trying to get back on track after a few very stressful months.

Tiny, my 3 year "bandiversary" will be mid-Dec. While I'm still not where I "hoped" to be, maybe my problem is that I didn't PLAN to get to goal. Unfortunately, life got in the way. We've all had our struggles, but I'm still closer to goal than I ever imagined humanly possible for me. I never kept any of my clothes from my biggest weight---and I wish I did. It's a nice way to reflect on how far you've come! We watched a video last month at my brother's from probably 4 or 5 years ago....my nephews couldn't believe how large I was back then. Sometimes it helps to reflect on how far we've come, rather than wallowing in how much farther we have to go.....

Last weekend was the 3 year anniversary of KNOWING I would absolutely have the surgery. My grandmother was very ill and I knew she would soon die. I spent her last days struggling over finding something appropriate to wear to her memorial service and funeral. It was an absolutely horrible experience for me. While I'm still about 30 pounds over where I want to be, I will NEVER allow that to happen in my life again. You can't control what stressors come into your life and put the focus off of weight loss. Good luck tomorrow. Hope it's the fill you need.

I wish I had checked back here last week BEFORE making the trip all the way up to Faulkner from work (in Brockton). Yup, I was one of 3 people standing there waiting for group to happen. I wish there was a way to know ahead of time or that they would have posted a sign on the door. I don't have any of the contact info either for Faulkner- All my treatment is still up at Brighams. Anyhow, I hope group is on for next month. Since last group I got another fill, 0.5CCs. I believe I am up to 9.0 (or 8.5) now. It is wierd but I still don't feel like I am getting full quicker. Kind of getting worried it won't happen. Instead the selection of what I can eat is getting slimmer and incidents of it coming back up more frequent. UGH.... Dr. R wants me to see the nutritionist again, but I haven't left an appointment up there with the nutritionist yet with any info that I didn't already now... They just stick the plastic food infront of me to show me portion size..... I need recipe ideas. Well, I am trying to stay positive. Trying to drink more protein shakes.....

Sorry to hear of your trip Jennifer. That is a total bummer.

With regard to your fill level---something to keep in mind (and I sincerely hope not to sound condescending with this. Please accept my apology if I do. It's genuinely not intentional!) with regard to your band. The intention of the band isn't to make you feel "full" faster. It's to make you less hungry. "Normal" weight people eat until they're no longer hungry---whereas most of us have always eaten until we're full. The reason Dr. R asks if you're hungry between meals is to gauge your level of hunger, not "fullness". Your goal in eating needs to be to eat until you're no longer hungry and to reach a level of fill in your band that makes it so you're not hungry until the next meal time. So while I'm sure he means well by putting you off to see Phyllis or the other dietician, you need to remember the point of the band. If you're experiencing more and more intolerances, then it's time to really consider whether you're hungry when eating. As your fill increases, so too will your intolerances. Also consider the speed at which you eat. If you're eating too fast or slider foods, you will not feel as full. Dr. R's focus is on the mechanics of the band, whereas it's the job of the dietician to help you work out how to make it better work for you.

Hope that helps. Again, I apologize if it sounds b/tchy. It was a concept that I have to keep reminding myself, even 3 years into this journey.

Yea, I get it. I think I was having a bad day. But always a good reminder. Thanks!

That stinks Jen. If I had been there I would have just going on like Phyllis was there and would have made it worth your while. Fingers crossed I can make the December meeting.

Nota you hit the nail on the head…it isn’t about being full even though you hear that posted on these boards. Not hungry is the key and yes like you three years later I STILL have to work on this. I spent my whole life filling myself up, now I need to reprogram my brain to stop when I am not hungry.

Edited November 17, 201015 yr by tinywishes123
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Hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving. I've solved the mystery that surrounds a "slipped band" and how you'd know if you have one!! Mine may have slipped a few months ago, when I was in the ER for dehydration....but I had a trip to the ER on Friday and finally came home yesterday. I had to be stabilized before they could fix my band. I was so dehydrated that my IV's wouldn't stay in place..the veins kept collapsing. Dr. Lautz (not my surgeon) was on-call over the holiday weekend and had to come in to do the unfill on Saturday. The resident who tried to do it failed--not once, not twice, but jabbed me at least 5 times before I told him to call a surgeon or I'd do it myself. (I know my port is slightly tilted and difficult to hit, but even the PA's are able to do it!) Thankful I was able to call Tiny before meeting Lautz as he told me to consider revising to GB---she warned me he might. When I asked why, and explained that I'm less than 40 pounds from goal, he couldn't really give me a good answer. Incidentally, I made the choice to have a Lap Band because I wanted the least invasive procedure. I'm not now, nor have I ever been, looking for the quick fix or surgical alteration of my stomach. So everyone asks at one point or another HOW you know if your band has slipped----Tiny, I remember you saying this way back when---when you eat something that sits in your stomach and it comes back at you without feeling stuck, a few hours or even a day later.

I had a ton of pain in my lower abdomen and swore it wasn't my band! Apparently it's that "referred pain" my surgeon has mentioned before. So my band is still in place, but it's been "unclipped". I was told I can return in 4-6 to have it re-clipped. I will probably wait a little longer, but we'll see....I was tremendously impressed by all of the nursing staff at the Faulkner. They were amazing! If I had to be stuck somewhere without food or drink for 4 days, this was the place to be! Hope I'll see you guys at the support group meeting. Is it next week or the week after?

Nota I was so worried about you and I am glad that your surgery went well and you still have your band. How you doing now?

We were never sure when my slip happened but I was living with it for a long time, I was unfilled and still had major pb issues on solid food. I wasn't an emergency like you were as I waited 3 weeks for my revision and new band. BTW I had the old 4cc band that they no longer make...interesting isnt it?

When I'm having a hard time losing I sometimes think that getting by-pass would be so easy but like you I chose this surgery for a reason. I'd rather not have all of the major complications that come with the other types of surgeries. If the band somehow fails me again I may consider it but for now I am healthy. Oh and it helps that the person that I knew who had bypass that made me second guess myself... has gained back weight.

Not sure if I can go to the next meeting

Sorry you had to go through all that - I hope you heal well and are able to get back on track, you have been a great inspiration to me.

Every time I feel a little uncomfortable or have slight pain I get nervous that something is happening to my band. Since my full unfill in Feb I have been trying to get on track again. I gained too much weight!!! I now have 7cc and finally have restriction again!! I am trying to be very careful since I dont want to get severe reflux and enlarge my esophagus again.

Feel better - I am looking forward to seeing you at the meeting on Monday

Tova

Hey, all---been a month. I'm struggling. I have an appointment with Dr. R on the 24th. If I've gained weight, he will not "re-clamp" my band.....are ya kidding me?! I've had this hardware for 3+ years and you won't allow me to have it again if I can't maintain without it?! So....working hard with journaling my intake, focusing on eating well and doing all of those things I thought I had internalized 3 years ago.....evidently I did not. Who is in for the next meeting? Happy New Year!

Hey, all---been a month. I'm struggling. I have an appointment with Dr. R on the 24th. If I've gained weight, he will not "re-clamp" my band.....are ya kidding me?! I've had this hardware for 3+ years and you won't allow me to have it again if I can't maintain without it?! So....working hard with journaling my intake, focusing on eating well and doing all of those things I thought I had internalized 3 years ago.....evidently I did not. Who is in for the next meeting? Happy New Year!

[/quote

Notateechanow -

That's nuts "If I've gained weight he will not reclamp my band". Just show him by going in with a good weigh in.

I've had all Fluid out since 11/5 and happy to say I've gained only 1 pound. Hope to get rid of that pound soon.

I'm sure it's not mathematically correct, but I think anything less than 5 pounds gain is not a gain at all!

Take care.

Sue