I'm new here - but have been banded four years

[I'llsucceed 1]

Mae- I know for a fact that Dr.Mark Pleatman does many revisions for patience who were once seen by other Doctors. He even recently posted here on this site. If you do a search for Dr.Pleatman some info will come up. It may be another option for you. I have been very happy with him. Its always good to hve options;0)

[Road Queen 0]

Mae,

Sorry about your band but glad to hear of your success. I was recently banded but haven't had a fill yet so I don't have any restriction. I waited for a fill because I spent the last two weeks in Liberia Africa. I may be looking at working in Mozambique later this year. I really want to get a couple of fills in before I go because I would be gone for up to 3 years.

Hope to hear more from you - let us know about your travels.

Celeste

[live2canoe 1]

I am sorry to hear your band slipped - and particularly about the lung abcess - sounds terrible!

But - thank you so much for telling your story. It's reinforcing to hear that it took you 6 months to lose any weight. I'm right there with ya! I feel like such a failure at times - 'why am I the only one not losing weight with the band' and 'I knew it wouldn't work' - thank you for reinforcing my commitment to the band.

Now, you have me thinking about slippage and being over-filled. I can eat a donut for Breakfast, no problem. I just recently started having reflux at night. My doctor doesn't use flouro to give a fill, either. I wonder......

In any event - welcome, and thanks again for sharing your inspiring story.

[Guest cas shu]

Hi, This is my first reply on LBT.. Thanks for someone who has had the problem I have had. I have been banded since Sept. 2004 and have only lost about 18 pounds. I never felt a lot of restriction until my 3rd fill last week. I was able to eat way to much and could not figure what was wrong with me. This fill has helped me, I just hope it will stay this way I seem to have more control but, not as much as I need.

Thanks CAS.

My before and after pictures are in the thread: http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?p=89392#post89392

Hi! I am new to the board so here is a little about me...

I was banded July 4, 2001 in Sweden by Dr Lundegardh. I weighed approx. 250 pounds and got to my goal weight of 125 pounds, a size four. I have a website at www.myagb.homestead.com that has been up since before I had my surgery.

The first six months after I was banded I didn't lose a pound. In fact, I gained back all 17 pounds I'd lost during the liquid and mush food phase. However, once I started getting the restriction I needed the pounds slowly started to fall off. In all it took nearly three years for me to get to my goal weight. The last 10 pounds coming off the slowest.

I honestly did not expect to do so well. I would have settled for a size 10. But I'm even happier being a size four!

People always ask me if I do a lot of exercise. I don't do any. I HATE exercising. However, I do make a point of moving around as much as possible. I do love to walk (but not if I'm forced to for weight loss!) so when its nice out I take advantage of the weather by walking my dogs. I don't use the closest parking spots at the grocery store and I try to use the steps versus the elevator. Those little things add up and I think they help a lot.

I also always substitute low fat foods when possible. I use "Light Done Right" ranch dressing, I always use fat free or 2% cheese and light mayo with 99% fat free ham. Unless I'm really stressed out I try to stay away from a lot of chocolate. I don't eat greasy fast food often but I do get healthier foods like chicken with no skin - I practically live on El Pollo Loco chicken. I drown myself in light healthy smoothies which taste like dessert and are good for me too! Jamba Juice's Enlightening smoothies (get the smallest size) are the best!

I was able to make those healthier food choices since the band made it so that I don't feel hungry or unsatisfied after every meal. I find it much easier to control what I put in my mouth. Its amazing the difference it made to have the "control" put back in my hands instead of my hunger controlling me. Its one of the best feelings in the world.

The reason I am back in the "cyber space" band circuit is because my band has slipped and I am getting a revision August 4th with Dr Ortiz in Mexico. Having a group of like minded individuals to communicate with is a nice when dealing with something like surgery. I've gained back a few pounds since they took out some of my fill. I'm not the least bit worried about it though because I know when I have the band put back in place I'll be fine - AND it'll get rid of the acid refulx I've been suffering from (yippee!).

My only concern is whether I'll have enough fill in my band before I take off for a long trip and with a six month stint in South Africa following it. I just don't think they have a lot of fill doctors in South Africa.

Last few details - I'm 26 years old and I'm 5'4"

Its nice meeting you all!

Mae

[tinalondon 0]

thanks so much, I'm being banded on Aug. 2 and so need to hear what you had to say.

South Africa? Are you going to school. I'm planning to vacation there next jan, with

my family. Looking forward to it, and looking forward to being able to move around!

thanks again,

Tina

[daisydoodle 0]

What an inspiration you are to me Mae! For sooo many reasons...

I'm one of those that seems to be on the slow road to restriction, so I'm losing slower than I expected to. Please tell me what it felt like when you started to feel proper restriction. Did you have a real full signal? What would you eat in a typical day?

Best of luck to you on your revision.....I'm sure you will do fine. Looking forward to your reply.

[angiebell 0]

Hi Mae, I was glad to read your story and I want to say I am sorry about your band slippage. I have had one fill and have gotten some restriction. Mostly in the mornings. I have been stuck at 20 lbs for several weeks. I want to get another fill but I am waiting for my new insurance to kick in on August 1st. You give me hope...seeing that your first 6 months were tough for your weightloss, but that you finally achieved success. I hope my next fill will speed up or jump start my weight loss. I would also be interested to know what you eat in a typical day when you felt good restriction.

[daisydoodle 0]

Bumping because I reallllllly want to know more about your story!

[MuffinBirdie 11]

hi, Mae, I am a new bandster and thrilled at your amazing story too! I would like to know what do you usually eat after you got the restriction?

Everything except fluffly breads, most pastas and any steaks except filet mignon. Oh, and McD's french fries - can't eat those for the life of me. Must be the polyester coating they put on them.

[MuffinBirdie 11]

Hi there - my band also slipped. What kind of band do you have? I had a French Midband; I now have a 9.75cm Lap-band.

Did you PB with your band ... or did your slippage happen absent any PB-ing? I PB'd more often than I should have w/my French band; I think that is what caused my slippage but I'm not sure. I have not PB'd yet with my lap-band, but I only just got restriction a couple of days ago. I'm trying very, very hard to avoid PBing this time around.

-Yvonne

I have the Austrian band. Mine slipped from excess vomitting caused by an abcess. So ya, a lot of PB'ing will do it too. I did some PB'ing when I was over restricted (which was because the band had slipped) but I learned what I could and couldn't eat and at what times. The band, for me, is very time sensitive.

[MuffinBirdie 11]

Do you think if you would have exercised you would have lost wieght better and may be not had all of that sagging skin. I have friends who have been very big; but don't have a lot of sagging skin; I'm amazed they don't, but they do exercise a lot?

Actually, despite not much exercise I have decent muscle tone. My skin is what hangs loose. When I get a Tummy Tuck, they won't have to even touch the stomach muscles. My skin is incredibly white and very dry and that has a huge effect on it. For the most part the darker and oilier the skin, the better it tightens up.

[MuffinBirdie 11]

Now, you have me thinking about slippage and being over-filled. I can eat a donut for Breakfast, no problem. I just recently started having reflux at night. My doctor doesn't use flouro to give a fill, either. I wonder......

Have you always been able to eat a donut for breakfast since you were banded? I went from not being able to eat much at all for breakfast to being able to eat donuts. That backwards trend was the problem. If you have not had many fills that may easily be the reason you can eat a donut.

[MuffinBirdie 11]

thanks so much, I'm being banded on Aug. 2 and so need to hear what you had to say. South Africa? Are you going to school. I'm planning to vacation there next jan, with my family. Looking forward to it, and looking forward to being able to move around! thanks again,

Tina

I am going first to the Philippines and then to South Africa. I am working on a film project. The filiming is done in the Philippines but the cutting with be done in South Africa.

[MuffinBirdie 11]

I would also be interested to know what you eat in a typical day when you felt good restriction.

On a typical day I would have some chocolate milk for breakfast (or hot chocolate when it was cold). Something soft or soupy for lunch, like potato Soup and cottage cheese or yogurt. I'd have something crunchy for an inbetween meal - usually a handful of crackers and a few M&Ms. For dinner it would frequently be chicken (ground chicken is delicious and EASY to eat!) and potatos (I'm a potato nut). And then some fat free chips for an after dinner snack and some cottage cheese or something.

The biggest thing is I took FOREVER to eat. Basically when I was finally done sipping breakfast I'd start on lunch and when that was done I'd start on my snack and when that was done I'd start on dinner. I've gained back some weight since they removed the Fluid from band to get rid of the acid reflux, but at my thinnest weight of 123 pounds I was literally eating all day. I honestly think that is one of the reasons I did so well. I felt satisfied all the time but since I ate sooooo slowly I actually consumed very few calories.

The band allowed me to eat constantly without having to eat much to feel satisfied. And since I was always knawing on something my metabolism never slowed down. And again, I also took short cuts and ate low calorie foods along with eating less food altogether.

But the eating all day and maintaining a low weight didn't happen until I was quite a ways down the road. It took nearly 2 years to get to that point.

[angiebell 0]

That's so interesting. I felt that way when I had good restriction. I made an appoint to get a fill on August 16th. I know that will help me get back on track with the weight loss. I am still losing but only about a lb a week. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. It is good to talk to someone who has been banded for so long. I hope everything works out with your reflux.