Alexandra

I just read the thread in question and didn't see anything that I'd call flaming. People are totally entitled to their opinions, and as long as we're respectful of others they can be shared with impunity.

Dody, you've been here long enough to know that post-operatively, the amount and timing of hunger or restriction people feel is a function of the healing process. Once the swelling has gone down, most people feel like they can eat whatever they want, and are surprised at their hunger. IT'S NORMAL!! You won't feel restriction until the band is adjusted. Congratulations on your banding, and congratulations on your healing! Now try to stick to your doc's postop instructions, and don't let yourself get too hungry or you might overdo it.

Thanks, Mandy. I wasn't seriously thinking about cancelling the appointment unless something really changes between now and then. It's just so weird that even for people with no fill, who are WIDE open, the mere scheduling of a fill appointment creates restriction!

Bright, it is INDEED possible to go on pretending none of this has happened. Nothing actually did happen, after all! You're fine, your band is fine, and kink or not you can definitely keep it in as long as you're feeling good. As always, just be alert for any unusual symptoms. Some doctor's bias against banding shouldn't make you worry about something that's not there. Pretend you never had the conversation with him! A kinked tube would only make itself felt in that it would make fills difficult. If you aren't overly concerned about that right now, just move along! :biggrin1: And hugs right back atcha, cutie. I hope things continue to look up for you. :hug:

Wheetsin said absolutely everything I was thinking. You go, girlfriend!! :clap2:

Hi Bright! Nice to hear from you! First of all, there is no reason to think you have anything wrong with your band, right? You have no symptoms, reflux, vomiting, anything beyond the usual restriction? Even if you did have a kink or leak in the tubing, which is not a certainty at all, that is by no means an emergent situation. Don't panic!! My goodness, girl, what gave you the idea the band might have to come out just because there may be a kink in the tube? Relax. Wait and see how this fill worked for you. All may be just fine! It seems common that two and three years out people discover that they can eat more, more easily, and a few pounds might come back on even if there has been no change in fill level. I attribute that to the nerves adjusting over time and some resulting loss of sensation in the stomach/esophagus. In other words, it's nothing to worry about unless you're having symptoms that concern you. Just because this doctor has a bias doesn't mean anything has changed inside you. Wait and see how you feel. Good luck and please come back and let us know how you're doing!!

Hi tetesnch, and welcome to LBT! You've come to the right place if you're interested in real people's experience with banding. You sound like you're just considering it at this point, so poke around and read what other people have been saying about it. Ask questions! As Big Bird says, asking questions is a good way to find out things.

I guess a lot depends on one's own comfort level with the facility, 3loves. My Y has only one unlocked door to the outside and that's manned at all times, so it's highly unlikely any child could get out of the building unattended. This facility has excellent security precautions because in addition to lessons, they actually have a preschool on the premises with children in attendance all day (including mine) and kids are being ferried from place to place within the building all the time. My kids alone in that Y's locker room really wouldn't be a big concern for me. As for going in the deep end, I'd defer to the experts on that score. They use "bubbles" at our Y: floats that strap to the kids' backs and come in varying sizes. They are only intended as an assist; they don't actually keep the kids afloat. It sure was alarming to me the first time I saw Catie go in the deep end even with one of these things, but her teachers know more about her abilities than I do and I was amazed to see how far she'd progressed. The instructors certainly don't want any accidents, so I wouldn't be too worried about their pushing kids beyond their limits. FunnyDuddies, I just saw your comment about teachers asking parents to leave. Our Y lets parents watch lessons but only from the balcony. I can understand why, it's so distracting for young kids if they can see their parents. I know my daughters don't pay ANY attention to their instructors if they know I'm there within their voice distance!

I'm going to be a little bit of a devil's advocate here and say that kids IN THE Water are the ones the teacher should be more concerned about than those who are wandering around the deck or the locker rooms. There are other adults around there who would intercept an unaccompanied child and help her out, but if there are any kids in the water at all that's where the lifeguards' and teachers' attention should be. I say this as a veteran of this exact situation. My younger dd was about 3 when we couldn't find her after lessons, and while I was a little upset one thing I knew for sure was that she wasn't in the water. And that's the most important thing. After a few minutes of frantically looking around, I heard "Will Catie's Mommy please come to the pool deck?" over the paging system, and that panicked me. But when I got there I quickly realized she was in very good hands and had been wandering around looking for me. I trust the Y with my kids' lives on a regular basis. Kids are unpredictable for sure, but I know that the instructors at my Y have their priorities straight. Kids are NEVER unattended at the pool, and if keeping to that rule means they might wander into a locker room alone that is A-OK with me.

I had my engagement ring re-set after losing about 80 lbs, because I was going to lose it at the original setting was totally shot. It was completely re-made, and now it's too almost big again. :eek: My wedding band has not been resized, and it's gone from too tight to falling-off loose. The only reason I haven't lost it is because of the engagement ring. Good for now, but if I lose another 20-30 lbs I'll have to do something about it.

Reflux is the condition of material moving back up through the esophagus instead of down: "refluxing" upwards. In my experience, I have had that happen at times when my band has been too tight. It's not "acid" reflux, though, since there's no stomach acid involved. Is it bad? Well, it's not something you want to let continue. If it's happening, it requires treatment. In my case, loosening the band fixed it up immediately. In other cases it's caused by irritation, and a regimen of liquids for a time can help. In still other cases medication and/or behavioral modification are all that's needed.

I think Tricia is right--there's no such thing as a stretched stoma. The stoma is the opening through the band, the narrow part in the hourglass. It's what's adjusted when the band is filled and unfilled. My band is currently unfilled, so if you're being told that's needed I'm here to tell you it's NOT the end of the world. I really am only a little bit hungrier than I was with a tight band, and I have to admit it's nice to be able to eat a bit more bulk. I have gained a few pounds, but I certainly haven't experienced the out-of-control feeling some people seem to be afraid of. It's been more than four months since my un-fill and I'm only now starting to think it's time for another fill. If you have a suspected slip, loosening the band is the first thing to try. I've seen people have things settle back into place once the band is a little looser. Is that what's going on?

Our policy is that advertising is not allowed, period. We only can delete or lock spam if someone reports it, though, so please do so whenever you see any. We "soft" delete it, which I think still shows who started it.

Hi Carol, The only definitive way to diagnose a band slip is through medical testing. The symptoms may include significant difficulty eating or even drinking; the slip creates a larger pouch where food may sit and not go down, which can cause reflux or heartburn or vomiting. Slips can happen slowly over time (possibly due to chronic pouch-packing) or quickly (possibly due to violent vomiting or coughing). But there are many other things that could cause symptoms that people think are indicative of slips that turn out not to be. So the important thing is to talk with your doctor if you think something is going on that shouldn't be.

That is a cool calculator, Rachele, thanks! But clearly, this is a subjective thing that no online calculator can do for us. It can't know, for example, MY ratio of lean body mass to fat, even though it gives some numbers on that score. I thought it was interesting that the lower we go with our current weight, the lower it goes with our "ideal" weight. It's a no-win situation!

Congratulations, Shelly!! Why did I think you were getting married in August? Welcome to married life, and best wishes to both of you!! Now I'm scurryijng off to see the pictures. Thanks for sharing!!

Hi Littlebird, My DH does the cooking for our family as well. The only real adjustment he's had to make was in the quantity of what he cooks. For a while we had a lot of leftovers until he learned that I no longer eat enough for three. He's moderated his intake as a result of seeing mine go down, as well. Our grocery budget has gone a lot farther than it used to! But I won't lie--it's hard to sit at the table and watch everyone else eating when I'm completely done so quickly. For a while I just got up and left the table. Now I can stay, but it is still hard not to nibble. Moving my plate completely away and putting a newspaper or magazine in front of me helps a lot, even if I don't read it. You'll develop your own tricks when you identify your challenges. But your family will not suffer at all because of your new eating habits.

Wow, Diane, you have been through a train wreck! One thing often leads to the discovery of another, it seems, but it all is in the service of better health. Good luck for a quick, peaceful, and uneventful COMPLETE recovery!! We're all pulling for you.

I can't imagine what the pain was from, or whether it has anything to do with the motility. The good news is that you're OK for now, and the doctors haven't said anything needs to be done right away. But I think you're on the cutting edge that long-termers reach between too tight and just right. It can really take only a very tiny bit of fill to make a big difference at this stage. Taking it really slowly would be wise at this point, of course, and I really hope you don't experience any more pain! "Coming back up" is reflux, which is caused by the esophagus not doing its job effectively. Please let me know how you're doing! I'm very interested in your experience because I'll be in exactly the same boat if I get a fill next month. I was told back in April exactly what you were told yesterday, and I'm a bit nervous as to what they'll see at my next fluoro exam.

Hi Klynn, I was exactly where you are before being banded, and you are doing GREAT. You've lost close to 50 lbs in half a year and that is EXCELLENT progress!! I lost 70 lbs in my whole first year, and continued losing another 50 in my second year. This is the way it's supposed to work, slow and steady and PERMANENT. Don't worry, you are doing terrifically well. Patience and persistence is how we win this fight!!

Seppi, a motility test is to see if your esophagus is working correctly--if it's moving food and Fluid down into the pouch the way it should. Evidently compromised esophageal motility is a risk with long-term bandsters. I'm not clear why it's such a big deal, though it's true that band removal is what doctors say is the only fix. But even if you have such a problem, I don't see what that has to do with pain when you are tight. Was the pain there even before you drank barium?

I've been unfilled since March, too. For a couple of months I didn't even notice a difference, but now I'm aware of hunger kicking in between meals and an ability to eat more. I'm hoping to get a tiny fill in August if my insurance works out, but even in the meantime I'm aware that I have to work on eating more slowly. That's my biggest demon. But I hear you about enjoying the greater bulk! I've been loving the summer fruits I can eat with abandon. Nothing beats a ripe, juicy peach!!

Oh, Penni, my heart goes out to you. But as NewSho says, you're really in great shape! Your options are wide open, you have a great and supportive doctor, and you're smart and well-prepared. Whatever you decide, it's sure you'll know it's the right thing before you do it. Best of luck with your research and don't forget about keeping us posted! :hug:

It's absurd to label a procedure "experimental" that's been in place for five years. My bet is that you can have it reversed on appeal. There is no legitimate justification for calling it experimental at this late date.

Chelleanne, it's very common for fills to take some time to make themselves felt. Give it a week or three and you may be surprised with restriction when you least expect it. My theory about why this happens is that the soft tissues of the stomach wall "thin out" in reaction to the increased pressure. Then with time they return to the pre-fill thickness, which results in a smaller stoma than before the fill. People's reaction times are different, of course, but for me I know it took about three weeks each time for my fills to become evident. So don't panic yet. :biggrin1: