Shell

you may be suprised at how good you will feel after surgery. I went shopping in TJ the next day and was back to work the next day. I never even took pain meds..

Check out this link it may help to anser some of your questions it is all about fills http://lapbandtransformation.com/Adjustments.htm

Once you get a little more time under your belt with your band you may have a change of heart..food tasted so good to me after my band since I had to eat so slow and chew so well it was like I was savoring every single bite unlike before pre band when I used to inhale my food and not taste a thing....

You are going to be amazed at how good you feel right after surgery..I myself did not even take pain meds other then tylenol after surgery and the next day after surgery I was walking all over downtown TJ shopping. The key is to get up and walk the halls after surgery, get the gas moving..it helps alot to walk as much as possible right after surgery, the gas pains are more painful then the incision pain. Good Luck

Feelin full is something we will not experience like we did pre band ever again..many bandsters talk about a soft stop sign.. it is some kind of sign that tells you that you are full..it takes some time to figure it out but for some bandsters it is a hiccup..or a runny nose..or a pain in the shoulder, for me it was an ice cream headache. Pay close attention to any little sign you get while you are eating...it may be right under your nose but you just do not realize it yet... good luck

Many of us experience hair loss soon aftersurgery, for me it lasted about 3 months. It was a combination of the anasthesia and the lack of protei nand weight loss..it will subside. Hang in there. You are normal

Kristen, take a deep breath and relax.,..it is very normal for your weight to fluctuate during the first 6 weeks. The first 6 weeks is about healing and not weight loss, any weight lost during this time is a bonus, remember the band is designed to work best when it is filled and since you have no fill it is quite normal to gain a few lbs here and there. Once you start getting your fills and feel restriction you will begin to see what the band is all about. This is not a race but more of a journey, there wil lbe times you lose and times you dont, the key to all ofthis is patience patience patience....one piece of advice I can give you ...stay off the scale. I only weigh once a week. Do not let the numbers on the scale dictate your success or failures withyour band. When you are in the phase of not losing pounds, think of all of the NSV's ( non scale victories) you have achieved. such as havingg more energy, clothes fitting looser, no pian in back or joints,, the little things. Do not get doscouraged..it will happen. Good luck and hang in there

I follow a high protein low carb diet..even though I have no band any longer I still follow the bandster guidelines, protein first, then veggies, then fruits, then carbs,

Angie, thanks for your kind words.. They are appreciated. TO answer your question, Yes I did have to pay to have the band removed and Yes I will have to pay for it again if I want another one.

I waited 9 weeks, no one says you have to go at 6 weeks, if you are losing weight without a fill at 6 weeks then hold off. Here is a good site on fills http://lapbandtransformation.com/Adjustments.htm

If you are losing 1-3 lbs a week then I'd say no fill. DOnt rely on the band to do al lthe work, work your band..just becuase you can eat more does not mean you should. Here is a great link to help you when it comes to fills... http://lapbandtransformation.com/Adjustments.htm

There is also a small group with the most loving, supportive knowledgable people I know www.lapbandfriends.com

I'm happy to report that as of today 1 month ago I have not gained any weight. I made it through Christmas with al lthe alcohol, candy, cookies and good food with no weight gain. I am working like Iam still a bandster and following the bandster rules. Using my head alot. Just thought I would share all of this with you. I'm extremely happy. I feel as though I learned so much in the 19 months I had my band. I do not want to go back to where I was . Like the syaing goes...Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. That is my motto and it is what keeps me focused.

In the 19 months I had my band. I NEVER took Ibprofen or aspirin, I never drank carbonation. I was the PERFECTbandster and followed all of the rules. There is no exact reason for erosion, it is a matter of some ones body rejecting a foreign object over a period of time. It can happen to any one of us. I was just one of the unfortunate ones, but fortunately enough for mne I had great success with my band. I would of been devastated to lose my band to erosion had I not been so successful, if my weight loss was minimal. This is why I can not tell you all enough, work with your band, use your head, lose as much weight as you can because you never know if you will be one of those unlucky ones who erodes.

I had gas pains for 3 weeks after my surgery...

I had mine for almost 20 months and had great success..I lost 104 lbs with my band but I eroded and had it removed.

Just wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving Be safe and do not eat too much

Well it is official..I had an endo yesterday and my band has eroded. I eroded between July 17th when I had my last fill and Nov 21 yesterday when I had my endo. Having my band removed Monday Nov 28th. Listen up my friends..I do not want sympathy. I have come to terms with this. I am at peace. I cried when I got home but after a good cry I realized how lucky I have been..I am so grateful for the 104 lbs I have lost with my band. I lost more then 60% of my weight with the band unlike the statistics claim . I used my head an did not rely on my band for all of it. I had only 1.5 cc's in my band I did alot of it on my own. My band did it's job, now it is time for me to walk the rest of this journey alone without my band but still with all of you. I met my original weight loss goal by losing 104 lbs so if I never lose another lb ..I'm happy. Dont get me wrong this will be tough and I'm scared to be without my band but my OCD will get me through ..I know I will channel my OCD into not gaining this weght back. I will not gain this weight back!!! A word of advice for those of you struggling..get your head out of your ass and use this tool the best you can. Get a grip on those mental demons.dont let head hunger get the best of you ..I am so fortunate to have had the success I had but other who are as far out post op as Iam may not have had such great success so I tell you from the bottom of my heart, lose as much weight as you can while you still have your band...dont mess around with this..Erosion can happen to any of you regardless if you follow the rules and are a perfect bandster at any time .I truly believe it is higher then 1-3%, just my opinion. To let you all know I had zero symptoms other then a gassy trummy which is from my gastritis. I have great restriction. I lost 10 lbs in October . As far as getting a new band in 5-6 months, I can not answer that at this time Thanks to all of you for all of the support you have given me..I'm still going to be around here and help others the best I can and offer support to any of you who need it

I can guarantee you that Dr. Ortiz and his staff will not make you feel like a faliure, he and his entire staff are wonderful...Call him and speak with him, he will take all the time you need to talk to him.

I'm having one in TJ on Nov 21st, Iam 19 months post op..it is 250.00 I will let you know how it goes afterwards.

I keep my caloric intake between 1200 -1500 per day.

My band and weight loss has definately helped imporve my marriage. My husband has benefited from this 100% I am more outgoing, happier, I feel sexy for the first time in years. It has done wonders for my self esteem which trickles down i nevery aspect of my life. My husband is like your wife, eats anything he wants and does not gain an ounce. He has been so supportive through all of this, he has been there for me every step of the way. I'm a very lucky woman but like you my marriage was stale, no social life, NOW it's a whole new world for both of us and we are enjoying it as best we can. Not to mention my 3 boys have gotten their mother back and the are reaping the benefits as well.

A trick I have learned is to take a bite of turkey or chicken or beef with a bite of vegetable together..OR take a bite of meat dipped in some kind of sauce..both work great. It is when I do not do the above mentioned I get stuck

Bellah, great news, glad ot hear this fill is workingfor you. A reasonable weight loss for us bansters is 1-3 lbs a week...3-5 lbs a week is a little high, dont want to discourage you but if you set your goals lower and you lose more then great..if not you may get discouraged, remember this is not a race...but a journey. Best of luck to you

Bellah, dont get discouraged sometimes all it takes is a small tweak in your fill as little as .2 ccs to feel a difference. I hope this last fil lworked for you and you are on your way to losing! If not then if it were me I would be concerend with a possible leak in my tubing..have you asked Dr. Martinez the probability of this. I'm so suprised to hear he did not pull out all of the previous fill also..he always does for me. Next fill ask him to so you can see for yourself if there is 3 cc's in there.