Recent Posts

Dixiedog
on 12/16/15 5:52 pm
Topic: RE: Starting Over? Needing Advice.....

Thank you all so much! It's less daunting to know that there are others going through the same stuff you have and still are. You have inspired me to get going again and MAKE IT HAPPEN! There is really no other choice.  I'm off the week after Christmas.  I'm going to use that time to stockpile protein shakes and healthy stuff and get ready for 2016.

arg2689
on 12/16/15 4:55 pm - Olympia, WA
Topic: RE: Starting Over? Needing Advice.....

For certain you are not alone!! I had my band placed in 2009. I had huge siccess, got to my lowest weight ever BUT I did not lose my weight the healthy way. I would intentionally eat something I was not supposed to I could throw it up, but get the flavor of the food.

I started on the healthy track again and maintained a healthy weight until I got pregnant with my second child and regained all my weight.

Just this past summer I got my band refilled and have worked my way up to being fully filled. It's been a slow process, much slower than the first time around, but it's something worth fightingfor!

Est of luck to you and hang in there! =)

 

Ashleigh G.

    
Dejah H.
on 12/16/15 10:58 am - Central, TX
Topic: RE: Dry Mouth after lap band surgery

I wish I had some advice, but I have not experienced a dry mouth except for right after surgery. Have you asked your doctor to see if he or she has some insight?

Congrats on your weight loss!

Dejah

289 / 273 / 163.4 / 164   10cc AP Standard  my band! 

    

Dejah H.
on 12/16/15 10:16 am - Central, TX
Topic: RE: Thinking about the band

I love my band, but unfortunately you will not find many band lovers in this forum anymore. The loudest group are the people with a failed band for whatever reason. Please feel free to message me anytime with questions. I will be happy to help.

Best of luck to you!

Dejah

289 / 273 / 163.4 / 164   10cc AP Standard  my band! 

    

PowerSL
on 12/16/15 9:08 am
Topic: RE: Thinking about the band

I have the lap band and love it!!  I eat just small amounts of food and then don't even think about food again.  Something I never thought would happen to me.  I was always thinking about food - 24/7! Now my husband has to remind me that we need to eat dinner!  If you want to do the lap band just make sure you have a really good surgeon that supplies really good follow up care. I don't regret my decision for one minute. I'm feeling good about myself for the first time in years.

ladygodiva1228
on 12/16/15 7:06 am - Putnam, CT
Revision on 02/04/15
Topic: RE: Thinking about the band
On December 16, 2015 at 12:56 PM Pacific Time, amcz82 wrote:

Hey all, new to this forum!

Basically my story is that I was supposed to have surgery on Monday (12-14) to get the sleeve. As I was sitting in pre-op, I became very nervous and anxious. I know that is normal when having surgery, but this was different. After talking with my mom before my surgeon came in, I had basically decided not to have the surgery, I just don't think I was ready for a non-reversible option.

So now here I am, thinking about perhaps getting the lap band. I would love to hear from some of you about why you like or don't like your band, and what are some of the things that have made you successful in your weight loss!

Thanks!

The band is the only WLS I would NOT recommend anyone getting. 

I had the band for 11 years and even though the first several years were good I ended up with complications severe reflux, port pain, food getting stuck and the kicker was that I had NO fill.  My band was completely emptied and I still had 24/7 heartburn/reflux to the point of me eating tums like candy. 

For three years I suffered with my throat burning everyday and not being able to eat a piece of chicken without it coming up.  Heck I couldn't even eat a soft scrambled egg without it coming back up.  That sucked big time.

I had a revision in February of this year to the bypass and I am so happy I did.  Since the band came out I have not had one ounce of heartburn/reflux, no pain where the port was and have lost more weight with the bypass than I did with the band. 

The band is not easy to work with like others will make it out to be.  If you never get that sweet spot for fills then you going back and forth to the surgeon for fills and unfills.  Then you will get depressed for not losing enough weight.  Anyone who has a good amount of weight to lose should never even consider the band.  

Oh and you said you weren't ready for a non-reversible option, well the damage that the band can and has done to people make it where some can never get a revision down the road.   There are some on here that that has happened to.

Honestly you should have stuck with having the sleeve or look into the bypass or DS. 

Dr. Sanchez Lapband 9/12/2003
hw305/revision w280/cw197/gw150

Revision from Lap Band to Bypass on 2/4/2015 by Dr. Pohl

    

amcz82
on 12/16/15 4:56 am
VSG on 05/31/16
Topic: Thinking about the band

Hey all, new to this forum!

Basically my story is that I was supposed to have surgery on Monday (12-14) to get the sleeve. As I was sitting in pre-op, I became very nervous and anxious. I know that is normal when having surgery, but this was different. After talking with my mom before my surgeon came in, I had basically decided not to have the surgery, I just don't think I was ready for a non-reversible option.

So now here I am, thinking about perhaps getting the lap band. I would love to hear from some of you about why you like or don't like your band, and what are some of the things that have made you successful in your weight loss!

Thanks!

PowerSL
on 12/15/15 1:50 pm
Topic: Dry Mouth after lap band surgery

HI,

 

I had lap band surgery October 19th.  So far I love it!  Down 40 pounds.  I am suffering though from extreme extreme dry mouth.  I was just wondering if anyone else had had an issue like this?  Could it have anything to do with the vagus nerve?  No amount of water or dry mouth products help.

Hislady
on 12/14/15 9:46 pm - Vancouver, WA
Topic: RE: Starting Over? Needing Advice.....

I had my band removed Feb of 2013 (no revision) and I kept it far too long because of money also, I didn't want to have to burden us with a loan to pay for removal. However it got to the point that I could no longer move with out pain under my rib cage, I could barely eat from the heartburn, I was in horrible pain from that also felt like my throat was on fire. There was pain from my throat all they way down thru my stomach and intestines just constant dull pain with sharp pains under my right rib cage!! I could barely swallow any solid food and was eating pureed soups for a couple of years. Oh and my band had been totally empty for over a year because of the tightness. I finally realized that was no way to live. What happens but doesn't always show up on tests is the band causes scar tissue to build up between the band and stomach which causes that tight feeling and why you must get some saline out of your band DO NOT get another fill! This is why you are unable to eat solid food. If I were you I would get half of the fill you have now taken out. We got our bands near the same time and mine was empty when I still had the same problems so yours must be super tight. Even tho it isn't full it could be making it feel full because of the scar tissue.

I was finally in so much pain and my husband was so worried about me that he said just get it out, my life was worth more than the stupid band. It turned out I thought I was having a heart attack one morning and turns out that I was having an irregular heartbeat which may have been brought on by the band. It rubs against the vegus nerve which controls the heart and nerves and many other things in our bodies. So I was admitted to the hospital and my hubby went to my surgeons office and told him to get the band out asap. So a week later once I was stabilized they removed the band. Ahhhhh what a relief, the pain under my rib cage was gone and never came back. My heartburn was some better and I could swallow better, I didn't even realize before that I was having trouble swallowing. Before it was removed they said I had gastoparesis or slow stomach emptying. Which meant everything was digested slowly and caused food to back up.

Sadly I still have that and have to eat very carefully and can only eat certain foods still. At least I can eat more healthy foods now but I will always have this for the rest of my life. I also still have horrid heartburn that can't be fixed because I have bad lungs and am on oxygen so I have to live with that too as no meds have helped it either. I also know of people who have lost most of their swallowing ability now because of the damage done by their bands. It is a horrendous surgery and causes so much damage. If you want to revise now is the time to do it before you end up with permanent damage! I know very few people who still have their bands that were banded when I was. We get so used to eating oddly that we don't realize the damage that is already done with the band, we are surgical bulimics and don't realize it until it is too late and the damage is already done.The band is never going to work the way we were told because the manufacturers lied about how it works. It just causes damage and rarely any weight loss.

I realize this is long but I hope it will help others besides you. Never be afraid to see your doc or tell him the band is being a problem. He got paid good money to take care of you and your band and he owes it to you to do just that. Tell him you want part of your saline removed so you can stop gagging and get real food down. You have to take charge of your life and insist that you are worth being happy and able to eat. I've been on a diet since about the same age, I was skinny for a minute when I was in my 20's but got pregnant and poof the fat cells filled right up again. It was when I learned to love myself no matter what the size that I started being able to put myself and my health first. We tend to worry about everyone except ourselves and we need to love us first.

Most of the time we have some pretty serious psychological things to deal with even before we get weight loss surgery. You might try Overeater's Anonymous they are even one line for support or they have regular meetings in many cities. Then find a councilor who deals with weight issues maybe ask your surgeon if he knows of someone. Once we can get our brains in the right frame of mind it makes the whole challenge a little easier and yes indeed start that savings account and get the band out as soon as possible before it does more damage to you. Remember you are the boss and you control your body and your life, go get some saline removed from your band so you can swallow and eat the way we have told you here and try to find some good psychological help and that will get you well on your way to a new and better life! We have to address the mental, physical and spiritual sides of life to be a well balanced, whole person!

Dejah H.
on 12/14/15 11:37 am - Central, TX
Topic: RE: Starting Over? Needing Advice.....

LapBand rules:

https://www.regionalhealth.com/documents/Bariatrics/Bariatri cs-June-2009.pdf

Some of the most important ones are:

  1. Protein first. You should make sure to get a minimum of 70 grams of protein everyday. You should be able to eat solid protein with chewing well and eating slowly. If you cannot eat solid protein, you are too tight. When I have a good fill, I cannot eat pizza, bread, pasta, rice, etc. as they all expand after you swallow and will become stuck.
  2. Drink water. AT least 64oz of water each day, but wait 30 after meals and do not drink with your meals. Do not drink calories (except for a protein shake). 
  3. Exercise. Try to get 30 mins. of exercise each day. Walking is great.

Make sure to stop eating as soon as you are full to avoid becoming stuck. I still count my calories and track my food intake with MyFitnessPal to make sure I am getting enough protein and monitoring my calories. Maybe that would help you as well.

Good luck!

289 / 273 / 163.4 / 164   10cc AP Standard  my band! 

    

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