My Life With Lapband

Banded: 2 February 2009
Starting Weight: 237 pounds
Current Weight: 184 pounds
Total Weight Loss: 53 pounds  (so far!)
Still To Go: 27 pounds

“Read Delia’s journey about life with Lapband!”

To start with I was so positive. I read all I could for five months before the surgery and thought I knew it all. Now to start my journey.  I had a French Mid Band inserted on 2 February 2009. The Mid Band is not usually stitched in place. I breezed through the operation. It took quite a number of fills [fluid added to fill up the Band] before I managed some restriction [smaller stomach capacity].
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All was going well until I got a blockage and could not vomit to get rid of it.  I ended up in the hospital and the Band had slipped. I had to start the fill process from the beginning and the same thing happened again, but this time the doctor realized what the problem was. I do not make adhesions [fibrous bands of scar tissue that form between internal organs and tissues as part of the healing process]. I knew the Band needed them to hold it in place. Usually they would start to form in the weeks after the operation.
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How unlucky could I be? I had not read about anyone not making them before this happened to me. So I am a bit different to most people and the doctor stitched the Band in place this time. So I had 5 operations in 18 months! I never thought I would have a single problem, let alone all of this.
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My last operation was in May 2010 and I still do not have restriction [smaller stomach capacity] 9 months later, but feel the last fill is starting to do something as I am not so hungry.  I had lost 53 pounds and was feeling really great. I have always been positive about the Band.  Then all of a sudden I became negative.  I feel it was just an after effect of the all the operations and disappointment at having to have so much surgery.
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The old habits started coming back faster than I could cope with.  I could eat anything and I did. I did still watch the portion sizes at meal times, but had heaps of junk when I was out with friends and at home I was grazing through the day. I put on 13 pounds and was devastated.  In the last few weeks I have turned this around and have lost 7 pounds so am well on the way to getting this off again.
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I am not really hungry, but my mind tells me I am. It is hard not to give in to these feelings and I just wish there was a Band for your brain!
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I know the Band is not the easy way out as a lot of people think.  I also know the Band is only a tool and you have to work with it.  I am just learning to work with it again now so the weight is moving.  I have not exercised until the last month and have to say that I am feeling so good and I have so much more energy.
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I have found that not eating bread and sugar are the best for me and a low carb plan is the way to go.
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They say when you are thinking of getting the Band that you will not feel hungry and only be able to eat a small amount. I found this not to be right. There are only a very small percentage of people that ever get to this stage. I don’t know why this it is.
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You have to still work hard at your diet/eating plan/lifestyle change plan.  They all mean basically the same:  DIET and EXERCISE.  It has not been an easy way with the Band for me and your mind has to be in the right place.  I am grateful that I have lost weight and know that it is a life changing plan for me.
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I still have to watch what I eat and hope that one day I will be able to have just one biscuit, a small amount of chocolate or one slice of cake without having to go back and eat more.
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It is all a learning curve, but I would not be without my Band for anything.
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Delia
Check out my blog:  http://deliahereiam.blogspot.com/