This is a place to tell your TLBC banding stories.

Share your experiences with:

* Consultations

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* Phsyc exams

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* What do you wish you had known?

* Etc...

I will be banded in 7 days & I will post my story here. :party:

Can anyone tell me what they did to reduce the look of the scars on their belly?

Do you mean the scars from the band or are you talking about stretch marks?

I have no idea how or why but I have no scars from my band surgery, when I get a fill I have to locate my port for Nancy because you can't see it so I'm extremly lucky.

For stretch marks I was told by a friend a who had twins and gained a lot of weight and then lost her weight that I should use a moisturizing lotion called Cetaphil (you can get it at Shoopers Drugmart....its a little pricey). So I did start to use is about 6 months ago and I don't have any stretch marks.....but also my trainer told me that exercise and working my core muscles is what eliminates the marks so I'm not sure which one is correct I just give them both credit! lol!

if anyone ha dr yaus emergency contact could you please message it to me, i cant find the card and fear a slip. thanks

Its taken me a little longer than I wanted to post this..dont know where the time has gone. In february I was delighted to know Slimband arranged a fill session only 2 1/2 hrs away from me and saved me a great deal of time and money so I wouldnt have to got to Toronto. Nancy was the fill nurse they flew in and she was great! My first fill at Slimband was extremely painful and took four needle insertions to find the port since mine has tilted. So needless to say I was terrified of the next fill.

I was So happy with Nancy..I didnt even feel the needle!!! Plus I met a few other ladies with lapbands as well and we had a great chat. I needed a de-fill before I left because my water was getting stuck and now I think i have hit my sweet spot. Only frustrating thing is I'm not seeing a huge difference on the scale but my clothes are really baggy and I know thats that most important thing. I cant wait for the snow to GO and I can get outside more and get moving around more. How is everyone else doing on there journey?? This forum has been so quiet lately and I need to talk to my lapband ladies!!

Its taken me a little longer than I wanted to post this..dont know where the time has gone. In february I was delighted to know Slimband arranged a fill session only 2 1/2 hrs away from me and saved me a great deal of time and money so I wouldnt have to got to Toronto. Nancy was the fill nurse they flew in and she was great! My first fill at Slimband was extremely painful and took four needle insertions to find the port since mine has tilted. So needless to say I was terrified of the next fill.

I was So happy with Nancy..I didnt even feel the needle!!! Plus I met a few other ladies with lapbands as well and we had a great chat. I needed a de-fill before I left because my water was getting stuck and now I think i have hit my sweet spot. Only frustrating thing is I'm not seeing a huge difference on the scale but my clothes are really baggy and I know thats that most important thing. I cant wait for the snow to GO and I can get outside more and get moving around more. How is everyone else doing on there journey?? This forum has been so quiet lately and I need to talk to my lapband ladies!!

Jorja,

The weight will come off too as long as the clothes are looser you are on the right track. And congrats on the progress.

We switched over to the slimband thread since this one was so long. So you might want to repost this over there.

Heather

Can anyone tell me what they did to reduce the look of the scars on their belly?

Simple! I take off my glasses when I look in the mirror, works great for making wrinkles disappear too. :laugh:

Donna you are so funny, but a great idea. As for me, I don't find the scars ugly. You get the same scars with gallbladder, etc. Because of loose skin from the weight loss (and a lot more to go) I find a full bathing suit adequate.

Good for you Doddie, I'm too chicken to wear any type of swimsuit. :laugh:

you are too funny!! The flick of a light switch might work for me.

I like that Doodie! I will have to remember that.

I have been told in the past that Vitamin E works to help fad them but not remove the scars. And I spoke to a lady at one of the bootcamps that told me she used her Microdermabrasion and I couldnt see scars or stretch marks. You might want to try that?

Let's see...I have old scars from my first weight loss surgery (VBG), gallbladder, old tummy tuck & breast lift, c section, and now lap-band. The only thing left is for me to just have a complete torso transplant to be rid of it all. :biggrin:

I like that Doodie! I will have to remember that.

I have been told in the past that Vitamin E works to help fad them but not remove the scars. And I spoke to a lady at one of the bootcamps that told me she used her Microdermabrasion and I couldnt see scars or stretch marks. You might want to try that?

As I was over 300 lbs when I started, I have excessive skin around the arms and abdomen. When I reach goal, I intend to have the excessive skin removed which I am sure leaves scars. I don't think I will ever be out of a full bathing suit but what the 'hay' I will be thin. Perhaps you should think of plastic surgery if you won't be needing a "torso transplant like Donna". :biggrin:

I was banded may 2007 and lost 40 pounds over the first year. I have now gained 12 pounds and have noticed that I can eat things I couldn't before ie bread, muffins etc. Has anyone else experienced this and if so could it be that my band has stretched? I am wondering if I need to have a fill which I havent done for over a year.

Hi Jojo, yeah I would say you should get a fill, I would say just do a half cc to just ease into it. I went about 6 months without a fill and found that I was starting to get down more then what I should and I was plateauing and not losing. I'm struggling right now with not being able to find the right restriction and I have lost a little then gained a little so I know what you are experiencing. So I would say yeah go for a fill.

Hi: I just returned from my visit with Dr. Woodhead (band specialist) and he told me that weight loss in the first few years can be attributable to the band and after that it is exercise and calorie restriction. He said it is everyones choice as to how tight the restriction is, but if you pack the pouch it will stretch and unlikely to return to the original small size it was in the first year. My thoughts were if you are too tight, and you don't weigh, you are more likely to stretch the pouch. I keep a loose fill and although I am loosing slowly, I feel I am not stretching the pouch.

Edited March 12, 200917 yr by Doddie63
typo

Hi Jojo, yeah I would say you should get a fill, I would say just do a half cc to just ease into it. I went about 6 months without a fill and found that I was starting to get down more then what I should and I was plateauing and not losing. I'm struggling right now with not being able to find the right restriction and I have lost a little then gained a little so I know what you are experiencing. So I would say yeah go for a fill.

Sandy,

It's funny that you say today you went 6 months without a fill yet in the other thread, you just posted on Friday that you weren't even banded yet and were going to Mexico after the Jill incident. Troll much???