Merle

I just went thru the exact same thing recently. I didn't know what I was doing to my body, the damage. When the food or liquid enter your lungs they told me it is aspiration pneumonia. My band was so tight that no food or liquid would go thru so consequently I stretched my pouch and stretched the size of my esophagus. They took 4cc out figuring that should do it, and on my way..2 weeks later, same feelings of being uncomfortable after I eat and ending up vomiting to relief the very uncomfortable pressure in my stomach.I'm afraid that I waited too long to involve the doctors and they will need to remove the band because there is no relief. At one point she felt that the band had slipped. The doctor needs to know about any uncomfort immediately

Wow I thought I was just going thru some weird life change. I was banded Jan 2011 and played on a yoyo since this past January. Since January I've lost 50 pounds, I take 10,000 mg of biotin and even started using Rogain for women, and neither one has created growth, what I got was long strands of what I have left. I finally had to embrace what I have and had it cut into a pixie. But I read from all of you that the amount of protein is essential. OOOOOPS, I don't think I have eaten that much protein. I usually have a yogurt a day, and maybe fit a protein shake into it, but thats all I get down daily. I know I know I need to eat more, but ..... just another excuse. I'm at the point that I'm almost afraid to eat. I'm finally down to a size 12, I don't think I've seen this size since I was a teenager I just don't want to go back up. at one time I remember shopping for 24's and 26's, wearing a 3x. I just don't ever want to see that again.

Jess, Hi, lets me just start by telling you that you are not alone. You're in the right place for support. I had my surgery a year and half ago. Your letter sounds like my letter that I posted in January. I had the impression that the band was going to do this for me. I've suffered from 2 bloodclots in the past 5 years, so i'm on coumedin for the rest of my life. I'm 44, 5'4 and as of this week im at 199. But right after surgery, one of my incisions wasn't properly closed, and it opened during the night so when I woke up I was covered in blood. It looked like someone shot me lol. Thankfully it was a very small bleeder. So my scars will always be red and noticable. Having carried all this weight since I was in my 20's, having a child in my 30's and middle age, my stomach looks like a balloon thats been inflated and deflated a million times. My upper arms hang like a flying squirrel, and my upper thighs well we wont even talk about them. And yes, I can feel my port all the time. I have to take Ambien because of my sleep aptnea. At night after I took it, I would fight the ambien effects and go into the kitchen and eat so no one would see me. I'd finish a half gallon of ice cream, have a dozen oreos and milk, you name it and wouldn't even feel guilty about it until I woke up and remembered and sometimes not remember, and felt soooooooo guilty but it wouldn't change the next night. and talk about anger, sadness, happy, mad I would do the exact same thing, I'd go for food for comfort. So you're not alone, we're all here with the same issues. By this past January I had enough, I too had the band too tight that I couldn't even drink a protein shake without vomiting then it was too lose and I was eating like it was a pass. I went thru the anxiety that I thought I wouldn't never eat again too. But in Jan., I went back to basics and joined weight watchers. Sounds like its defeat. But I realize now it wasn't defeat, it was the best thing I've done for myself in a long tiime. I took control and I stopped letting my band take control. I just went shopping and bought a size 12. I havent been a size 12 since maybe 7th grade. So even with the scars, hanging skiin, stretch marks I don't regret having surgery. So what that its not as fast as other people or as fast as we thought it would take. But it could have been worse, I could still be shopping at plus size stores, I could be sweating all the tiime, I could be self conscious of what people thought of me when I eat. But I don't feel that anymore. I feel normal. Thin feels better than junk food tastes. And I keep remembering that. So don't give up, and dont be so hard on yourself. We all do this one day at a time. And we all have good days and bad days. But think of your life when you do reach that amazing goal. You're so young, and you WILL have an amazing life. THIN

That's awesome you lost that weight. There isn't much restriction after surgery. Because of the swelling your stomach initially goes through that hardly put any fluid in it. Then your next visit they will ask how you have been doing, you tell them everything goes down easily, and then they usually put 1cc of saline. This will go on every month until they and u are happy with the weight loss and the restriction.. Its a constant process, don't get discouraged, sometimes its too tight (and you'll know) so kudos that you're still eating slowly cause believe me, you'll pay dearly if you rush your meals.....Good luck, you're doing great

I'm so sorry to hear about your rough year. And it was terrible, but the most important outcome, is that you are alive, young and ENGAGED congrats. I understand what you are feeling and going through. I just recently went through the exact same episode that I didn't want fluid taken out because I could eat what I wanted, then I would end up in the bathroom. I was dehydrated as well. But we're doing SO much damage to our bodies. It's not worth it to be sick, burning our throats, and not to mention what it does to our teeth. I too needed the support here, to get me back on track. I actually joined weight watchers just to get back into eating healthy. My problem is closet eating. But someone on here told me, remember why we did all this. We went through the pain of the surgery, to be healthy. to be healthy, not to hurt ourselves, dehydrate ourselves, and end up back on the table to have the band removed. We didn't put our weight on overnight, its not coming off that way. One day, one meal at a time. sure we're gonna fall off the wagon, I fell off for 6 months. But the band is our tool to help us succeed. Not to do it for us, we still have to work on it. Take a breath, and be good to yourself. You have a wedding to plan. Go to the doctor, get fluid out, and be healthy.

Thanks everyone for your feedback, and as hard as it is to believe or hear I need it. I did go see my doctor today and discussed the ambien and other mid life issues, he's sending me for bloodwork, and some of what I'm experiencing could be related to thyroid. But I have committed to going to sleep earlier and staying in bed. Its short term, but its worked so far, I havent attacked the refridgerator yet this week. One day at a time, one meal at a time. I've accepted I'm a food addict, so just like any other addiction I'm going to have my good days and bad, but I can't give into this anymore. I've done everything I can, I have all the tools I need to succeed. I have to believe in myself that I can do this for me, I'm worth it.

I hear everything all of you have said. and you're right. I have lost focus that the band is a tool to help me succeed. I lost track, and sat back and was waiting for the band to make me thin. It wasnt bad in right after surgery, but the past 4 months, I have acted as tho I have been on a non stop vacation. I was eating 1/2 gallon of ice cream at a sitting, a dozen oreos (or more) it was out of control. Granted I didn't lose weight, but I really didn't gain much, especially during the episodes of vomiting non stop and then not being able to eat ANYTHING not even water. But when they took out fluid 3 cc,, it was a black hole. Being on ambien I believe doesnt help, it doesn't seem I have any control. And you mention candy, there are days that that is all I eat. Preferrably peanut butter cups. or I'll eat PB ice cream and heat peanut butter to pour over the top. AGAIN after ambien. I don't eat like that at all during the day. Almost a competition at night,, and Im afraid to leave anything. Worse part, I usually don't remember eating. While I'm pigging out, there is no remorse

I was on again off again for over a year to have bariatric surgery. I initially wanted to have by-pass. So I joined Weight watchers to get a start of managing my eating habit. I started at 310 pounds, I got down dieting alone to 260, so I cancelled my consultation appointment figuring I could do this on my own. wrong. So after gaining half of that weight back I scheduled another appointment, I did very well pre-op losing weight. I was down 47 pounds b4 surgery. It's been 1 year since I had lap band (the doctor felt I had the self control that I didn't need to have such a drastic surgery). I was so excited to have the surgery. My days of being fat are over. Well here I am exactly 1 year later and I'm back at Weight Watchers. Absolutely I lost weight, down another 30 pounds, but with band adjustments tighter and looser, it's been a brutal roller coaster. I get it tightened, and its good for a while, then food starts getting stuck and I start vomiting ALOT!!! Then I get fluid out, and they take so much out that I gaIn double the weight back because I have no self control. I haven't been able to control my cravings for a year. Almost panicking that the band was going to prevent me from ever eating again. So that's why I joined WW again. To get back to basics of how to eat properly. I feel like a failure. How and when did it go so wrong. I was doing so well before surgery, and I can honestly say, since surgery I don't think I have gone a full week eating well. Candy has been my downfall, only because it doesnt get stuck. I'm frusterated.