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Pam P

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  1. You know, even though TRT's blanket statement "Don't Do It!", is silly in light of so many success stories, she or he does make a point. Anyone considering this surgery should investigate the procedure and read as much pro and con as possible before deciding. There are reasons that the surgery is more successful for some people than others. It sounds like TRT has an adequate restriction level, and if anything is overfilled. I don't think there is any reason to think that the surgery was done improperly. I have read, and I think this is an example of it, that the lapband is least effective for people who tend to graze rather than gorge - which a properly adjusted band prevents you from doing with most foods. The greatest enemy of the band is a sweet tooth, and I think TRT is telling us he/she is eating around the band because he/she finds it too unpleasant to do otherwise. We have all read over and over that the band is only a tool, but what does that tell us? Is it a sledge hammer or one of those little screwdrivers you use to fix your glasses. Therein lies the rub. For some people it's one and for others it's the other. The band is not for everyone. I think there are probably lots of lapband failures out there who are too ashamed to admit it. They feel it's all their fault. I don't think this is all together true. Myself? Even though I did a lot of research, I discounted some of it and focused on how great it is for some people. I did think the band would do more of the work, and I do think it does for some people. If portion control is a person's primary cause of weight gain, the properly adjusted band will help immensely. I was certainly guilty of "pigging out" sometimes. Since I finally got the right level of restriction with my last fill a month ago, I don't do that. Unfortunately I gained a lot of my weight by nibbling from dinner time to bedtime, and by eating the wrong things- many of which ironically pass the band more easily... gummie candy, ice cream. Since I have finally realized the limits of what the band can do for me, I've had to adjust my thinking. I have lost almost 25 pounds since I started on this venture but it's been very slow and has taken a good deal of effort. I have just started back on Weight Watchers and am finding it easier because portion control is so much easier. I'm hoping that if I can get down to an acceptible weight the band will help me keep the weight off. That would be great, that's always been the hardest part anyway. I remember reading a post on this forum where one bandster was reassuring another that once she got the right fill, the weight would melt away like chocolate in the sun. I still thrill thinking of it, but it just doesn't work quite that way for all of us. Some of us are melting the chocolate in our mouths before it gets a chance to melt in the sun. After making the investment, I am determined to do all possible to get make this work, and it is definately a help. For me it seems to be just a regular hammer, not the sledgehammer I wish it was, but thank God, not that little tiny screwdriver. So far as having the surgery in Mexico, I don't think you can beat the level of professionalism or concern that you find at OCC. In conclusion, my heart goes out to someone who gets their hopes up thinking that lapband surgery will effortlessly change their life. There is effort involved ... not too much for some lucky people but apparently way too much for others, and people thinking about the surgery should consider this.
  2. Hi, I had my second fill almost a month ago and have come to the conclusion that I'm going to have to go on a diet. I was hoping I wouldn't have to, but I think I must. This fill has given me enough restriction .... portion control is not a problem. I can only eat 3 or 4 bites of most foods, but unfortunately I was never a binger, much more a grazer .... and a grazer with a sweet tooth no less. I think I need the structure of a diet. I think the band will make dieting easier and help me keep the weight off. How I hate to have to start counting points again, but if I must.
  3. Sorry... meant to say: pain WASN'T from having gas, but rather....
  4. Hi, For what it's worth ... when I had the surgery, the shoulder pain was really bothering me so I called OCC to ask if it was okay to use GasX. I was told that the GasX wouldn't help because the pain from having gas, but rather pain from the muscle irritation caused by the gas used in the surgery and that some people were more sensitive to the gas than others and it could take up to two weeks to resolve. In the meanwhile, he suggested Tyenol or Advil.
  5. Dear No, What an interesting journey this band experience is. There's lots I still haven't decided about. There are a few conclusions at which I have arrived. 1. The lap band procedure, admitedly in it's infancy, is really primitive. It works so much better for some people than others. Gastric bypass is much more predictable, but for those of us who don't meet the insurance requirements or don't want our insides surgically rearranged, banding appears to be the only other choice. 2. I am not going to be one of the ones it's going to be so easy for. Lapband literature should be a little more forthcoming.about the difficulties some people experience. I, however, am still hopeful that I will ultimately find my way through the maze and find the band to be worthwhile. I hope you too a planning to give it more time.
  6. What? You said you had good restriction when you came back from the last fill!!!! It sure didn't last long. Wow! Bummer. You can't give up ... the article's not finished. Seems like the VG band takes a lot to get there.
  7. Dear Justina, Sounds like this surgery could give you a whole new lease on life. Don't worry too much abount not being able to "walk the gas pains away", I was told by one of the doctors, as I've mentioned in one of my posts, that the gas pains are not actual gas (the gas from the surgery disapates within a day), but rather irritation of the muscles from the gas used in the surgery. Walking is good no doubt, but from what I was told, the pain - usually felt in the shoulder - goes away when the irritation subsides. Yes, there is so much we have to discover on our own or from pieceing things together from these posts. We could all benefit from more available information. I'm thinking about a way we could put our heads together and do that. Good luck on your procedure. Keep us informed. Pam
  8. Hi, Go out for a walk immediately. Break the cycle. You are entering "Bandster Hell" ( the period of time between surgery and hitting the "sweet spot") Patience ... it's a process. It's going to take some time.
  9. Dear Proy, For one more response to your question, read my post in response to "Considering the Lap Band".
  10. Hi Brenda, In answer to your direct question, yes, I think you will find all doctors ask you to lose some weight before the surgery. I'm not sure I have my all my medical facts straight & I can't locate my book (the one by Dr. Ortiz advertised on the site ... a must have for your research), but I believe it's that is shrinks your liver some, gets rid of some of the fat in it. Whatever exactly it is, it facilates the surgery. You will be told how long you have to be on the preop diet according to you health questionaire. Regarding my own experience with the band, it changes every day. I've been banded for almost 7 months. The surgery is the easiest part. OCC care is excellent and so much cheaper than the U.S. For most people the real "weight loss" function of the band doesn't start until after the 1st fill which is usually 6 to 8 weeks after the surgery. For many (I was one of those) it's the second fill before you reach a really useful level of restriction. For some it takes 3, and if you read these post long enough, there are some who don't find the "right" fill and eventually give up. Between my 1st fill and my 2nd, I made a trip to Europe. I knew shortly after the 1st fill it wasn't enough, but didn't think it was wise to have a fill and run off to Paris (just in case) so I just got my 2nd one 2 weeks ago. I think this 2nd fill is enough, at least for now. Volumn eating is severly curtailed. That's good. I went to a wedding reception last night. There was lots of fabulous food. I did not overeat. I couldn't. That's nice. There are a couple of things I read when I was researching this procedure that I didn't REALLY listen to. 1. The band is only a tool... a good tool, but only a tool all the same. 2. The band (properly filled) will control how much you eat, not what you eat. The band is probably of more help to those who tend to eat too much as opposed to those who don't eat so much, but tend to eat the wrong things. I still fight my sweet tooth at night. I try to stick to something like a little Weight Watcher cake because I have restriction on bready things. Ice cream & chocolate glide right though the band. I don't think my cravings are as strong though and that helps. Hunger seems somewhat lessened, but not gone. For some people the band is a dream come true, or so it seems from their posts. They eat whatever they want, but just not much, and the weight falls off. For some it's a miserable failure. I think most of us are somewhere in the middle; after struggling to hit the right fill finding that eating one too many bites feels like a golfball in your chest, trying to avoid "eating around the band", and not losing weight as quickly as we would like (I've lost around 25 pounds). Finally we HEAR ... the band is just a tool. Most of us aren't sorry we did it because it can really help, and it seems to be the best thing we have for now. Good luck on your journey.
  11. Dear Judy, It's the devil's work that ice cream, chocolate, and gummie candy all desolve in your mouth and slip so easily through the stoma without feeling like a golf ball stuck in your chest. That's "Eating Around the Band" ... as I understand it! You have never PB'd? You haven't lived. I can currently eat only a few bites of many things without without feeling I will experience what you haven't. That's called the "Sweet Spot?" But I working on learning how to manage it all and, quess what, I'm pretty darn happy because ... I'm losing weight. It's the best thing we have at the moment.
  12. Hi FurEllie, Excuse my ignorance, is TOM "time of the month"? If so, what in the heck do you suppose that would have to do with it? Band tightness does vary, doesn't it? Trying to work with this band thing is always an adventure.
  13. Dear No Worry, I have been thinking about you. This was just your first fill, right? You're allowing yourself to get discouraged too easily. I too am in shock that the whole fill business is so unscientific. I didn't realize that it was so totally trial and error... altough if I had really been paying attention and read between the lines a little, I might have surmised as much from these posts. Fact is, the money for the surgery has been spent so it only makes sense to try everything to make it work. I don't think it's a scam, because it's successful for too many people. I think it's all about the right fill, and unfortunately finding that can mean a number of trips. It seems to me that the VG bands in particular (I have the 4cc one, but from what I've read on these boards) usually requires more fills. It's been a week since my second fill and I still have the same restriction, and am starting to get used to what it means to have it on almost all foods. I'm having to be very clever to work it so I can get enough food ... without it being melt in the mouth stuff. Frankly, it's great and I'm keeping my fingers crossed it lasts this way. I'm a very cautious person & don't like being disappointed, so I'm taking a wait and see attitude. As I mentioned in my post, I stayed over night at the Lucerna so I could see how the fill was. It helped to take my time seeing the tightness before I decided it was just a speck too much. If you're not used to what "restriction" feels like (I had months of restriction on just a few foods to get used to it), it's easy to misjudge how much it is. I think as long as you can drink water and eat 1/4 to 1/3 cup of food it's not too tight, but I'm not sure about the how much food part. That's about all I can eat at a time. Anyway, you go in a couple of days. Good luck! Be sure to post as soon as you get back. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you.
  14. Dear Lisa, The hard thing is there seems to be no real "Fill Science". What's true for one of us is different for the other in so many cases. From my experience, a little more fill might be just what you need. I had restriction on chicken ... couldn't eat much of it no matter how much I chewed ... and on a few other foods. Sometimes, especially in restraunts where my eating pace was influenced by my table mates, I would have a little pb-ing problem. I wasn't losing weight though, because there were way too many foods I had no restriction on. Since my recent fill, I have restriction on almost all foods. I can't eat much. I think that's the idea. If it stays like this (it's been a week) I think I will lose weight. I say think" because there are still a few foods that do slip through, and that I must stay away from. The only fill tight enough to give restriction on ice cream would kill you. My current fill ended up to be just .3 1/2 cc, but what a difference it makes. If you can stay overnight when you do go, it's a very good idea .... I think, because it's really all trial and error. I waited almost 24 hours, but I was having trouble keeping water down so I went back and he took out .2 cc. It seems about right now. I hope so. We'll see.
  15. Continuing to My Second Fill The trip to Paris was great! It was 3 weeks long. I went with some girlfriends and food was a big part of the trip. It was hard enough to eat in restraunts with restriction on the few foods I did have. It was hard to take the time I needed to get chicken down eating in a restraunt with people who could eat it in the normal manner. I got to know the water closets of several Paris restraunts more intimately than I would have liked. The fries, pasteries, etc went down just fine though. Fortunately, with all the walking we did the weight gain was slight. Back in L.A., I called OCC to arrange for my long delayed fill. I bribed my 20 year old daughter to accompany me with promises of a night at the Lucerna and lots of shopping. Last Friday we hopped in my PT Cruiser convertible and headed South on our adventure. I decided this time to park at the border and tackle TJ on foot. We parked at the big lot right off the freeway and took the bus that left from their lot. This turned out to be a mistake. The bus took us to the middle of town and then we had to take a taxi back to the clinic. We should have walked across the border and then taken a taxi, or just walked. After my fill we walked to the hotel, which was fine with me. I love to walk, although crossing those crazy streets is pretty dicey too. But I'm getting ahead of myself. THE FILL: I saw Dr. Romero again. I like him. He was very patient as I explained all my concerns and answered some of my questions. A lot of the info we get going into this surgery can become confusing as time goes by. For instance: "Don't drink water from 30 minutes before to 30 minutes after a meal." First of all you hear varying times from 20 minutes before & after to one hour before and after. I'm like, "Is it 20 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour... which is it?" Worse still..."Why is it you shouldn't drink the water?" I asked. My secretary, who had gastric bypass, said, "They don't want you to fill up on water and not eat." That was lame, it didn't make sense. My neice, the nurse, who has the band said, "The water will wash the food down, and defeat the purpose of the band." That made more sense. I had read this on the boards too. Then finally, by accident, I discovered the best reason not to have water with food when banded. If it's food you have restriction on, it doesn't wash it down. As a matter of fact, it sits right on top of the food and usually will send you slimming to the nearest bathroom. The amount of time before or after varies. You get so you can tell when the passage has cleared. Before that forget liquids. Dr. Romeo confirmed this was the big reason not to drink while eating. It makes you sick to drink water while something is trying to get through the band. Couldn't someone have told us that to start with? Maybe they did and I just didn't hear. There are lots of things like that, but that's another post. Maybe we should develop a FAQ and make sure we have the real answers. BACK TO THE FILL: Dr. Romeo drew out 1.8ccs of saline and replaced it with 2.3 (this later turned out to be 2.3 1/2.) I told him I was staying over that night. He said, "Great, eat and see how it feels. Come back today or tomorrow, if you need more or less." What a nice guy, so willing to help even if it makes more work for him. As I mentioned earlier, we walked to the hotel and, since we could not check-in until 3, we ate to kill time. Plus we were hungry. Now before, after the first fill to now, I could drink water before I ate anything .... just not after I ate chicken, salad, bread or stickey rice.... now I found drinking a little water just before I tried to eat, made eating impossible. Off to the bathroom. Thirty or forty minutes later, I was okay. I certainly lost my appetite. Later in the afternoon I was able to eat some pastachio nuts. Yeah! Dinner that night was a waste. One bite of coconut shrimp, and I was done. In the night I woke up and realized I had had very little to drink. Fluids are essential, especially in this hot climate for an overweight, middle aged woman. I had some of that nice bottled water in the rooms at the Lucerna ... which was seductively tropical during late July, I might add. I could barely keep the water down. That kind of frightened me. While I laid, proped up in bed, waiting for the water to go down, I devised a plan. I didn't want to go back to the clinic. Why, I'm not sure. I guess I didn't want to bother them or myself unless I was sure. I decided I would try to have coffee, wait, and then have something simple to eat. The coffee went down okay, though I felt each swallow. I had a small granola bar. and a little yogurt. They went down okay, but on the last bite I felt, "Oh, oh." I walked to the clinic, slimming all the way. By the time I got there, I was okay. I went in and explained to the sweet girl at the desk - what is her name? - who said, "No problem." We chatted, and I had one of those comiserating "crossing the border" conversations with some fellow "fills". After they went in a really nice, and very good- looking, hospital guy stopped and started a conversation. He wanted to know how I was doing with my band, what my concerns were, what questions I might have. I wish I had taken notes, lots of good info. I was concerned about taking out saline because for the first time I could see how powerful the band could be. There was the potential that it could give restriction on a lot more ... almost all foods ... and THAT is what I had imagined it to do. He said that Dr. Romero would look at the floroscope with the barium and would be able to tell if I need an unfill. The barium went down, but I could feel the water I drank next sitting there, puddled in my stomach ... the little stomach. He said, "We need to take out a little." He drew everything out and asked, "Do you want to drink some water now?" I chugged a few shalloww. What freedom! Then he put back 2.1 1/2cc. He suggested I ..."go eat something".... I said, "I have to go back. What if it's not enugh?" He replied,"Give it a couple of weeks." Had I not listened? How did I not realized how "trial and error" this is? How unscientific this is? Was it like falling in love? Did I only hear what I wanted to hear? Whatever. I was starting to realize what this was about. Hey I've spent $8,500+, I'm going to make this work if possible. We walked back across the border, from the hotel to our car across the border! It was a real adventure, weaving through moving cars at one point, and crossing a bridge with half it's wall gone, peering into the sheer drop to a road below. I felt, to some degree, the thrill of "making it across." Remember, my last border crossing was to Paris. TJ is no Paris. So I'm back almost a week, and boy what a difference 3 & 1/2 cc can make. Could this be the "sweet spot"? A nice spot in the most major of ways, but "sweet"? Another of my pet peeves is "You should be eating about 1/3 of what you were eating before." This seems to make sense to a lot of people on the boards, so maybe it's me. On the other hand, I bet I'm not the only one. How do I measure that? Come on. I'm an accountant. Now, after this fill, I can say before it I was eating more than 1/3 of what I was eating before surgery. I can say that I am DEFINATELY eating less than a third of what I was eating after this fill. I can't eat much. I have "restriction" on almost everything now. I definately should start losing weight. I'm trying to consider nutriction first and formost since I'm eating pretty little. It's a real adjustment. Restriction is effective, but not pleasant. Is it possible to learn to stop eating at the exactly right time to avoid the feeling you have a golf ball in you chest all the time? That is the challenge. On the other hand, there are those who experience this only to have it slip away. Why is this? I didn't get it completely, but the nice man in the lobby, who turned out to be Dr. Martinez - the doctor who does a large part of the actual surgery at OCC - said sometimes the stomach can kind of pucker when the band is filled and then it adjusts and thins out, leaving the band less tight. Well that's it so far. We'll just have to see. I'll be back.
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