parisshel

Have you taken any medications that you didn't take before? Anything like an NSAID (ibuprophen) or Prednisone? Or, are you congested with any post-nasal drip, which could be reducing the size of the stoma? All these tighten my band.

If I were vomiting up anything black, I would not be typing at my computer. I would be in a car, driving myself to the ER. Seriously, if this were happening to one of your kids (hypothetically; I have no idea if you have children or not), would you wait to seek medical attention for that child? Please check back in here and let us know what the professionals said. Your situation is obviously very concerning.

@Bandzie08: Do you have an idea of when you can get refilled? I totally understand that feeling of not being able to control the food intake. Remember, a bandster with a band that is not at optimal fill level is just a dieter...trying to be in control with limited (and sometimes no) results. I had an emergency unfill and stayed unfilled for three months. It was just like being unbanded and it wasn't pretty. My goal was to maintain my 60 pound loss for the three month period and to do that, I had to diet. That said, at the end of the three months my willpower was diminishing and my old eating behaviors were gaining traction. I ended the three months with a five pound gain. Just got my fill level back to my sweet spot a week ago and it has made all the difference in the world. Instantly my cravings and urge to eat were eliminated. If you can find out how long your unfill is, that might be helpful. If it is "only" a few weeks, you can make it through that time just dieting. Pick one of the diets you were on before WLS and stick to that. (I did Weight Watchers, but without the white carbs.) If the unfill is scheduled to last longer, I might add more artillery to the diet alone--maybe group support, checking in here on the forum for support, up your exercise, chew gum, drink lots of Water...all the stuff we used to do when we were dieting without the band. I know first hand how hard it is to go from being banded and having success (you've lost a lot!) to having to go at this alone. I wish you all the best and hope you will be refilled soon.

A band so tight a glass of milk didn't go down? Sounds like this was your issue right there. I'm surprised you doctor didn't focus on that. Hopefully you can restart this. Get the unfill, and then start the refill very very slowly. Concentrate on dense Proteins which will keep you full. Milk won't fill you up, but I understand why you were reaching for it with a too-tight band. This is called soft-calorie syndrome and it is why you won't lose weight with a too-tight band. All the best for a restart to your weight loss.

All hail its power! Three months after having my band unfilled, this morning was the day! It could not get here fast enough. All my old behaviors around food were circling the wagon, just waiting for my willpower to break. Three months, while not long in the scheme of things, felt so very long for me. But what a reminder of how powerful the band is--three months without any restriction and my mindset was right back to that of a non-surgical weight loss patient: always thinking about food, counting hours between meals, ability to eat anything in any amount and trying desperately not too...and sometimes failing and feeling horrible at being so weak-willed. The radiologist told me before he filled me that there was no way I'd go back to my sweet spot---6 cc in a 10cc band--in one fill, as three months with an unfilled band means my stomach organ had a chance to relax and expand and I'd be too tight if he filled me back to my prior level. But when he got in there, and filled to 5 cc, I didn't have enough restriction when I drank the barium so he did top me up to 6 cc. This means that I didn't do too badly during my hiatus; had I eaten whatever I had wanted to eat, I surely would have stretched out my stomach to pre-band size. So hooray for the little self-restraint I did show! (I gained 5 pounds over the three months, but that easily could've been much, much more.) I cannot overempathize how WONDERFUL it feels to have restriction again. My appetite was instantly turned off! As I walked back home from the radiologist's office, all the gorgeous displays in the bakeries didn't call to me. (Unfilled, I had to avert my eyes...this stuff is so very triggering to me.) In a very perverse way, I have to say that this three-month period was a gift. It really drove home how powerful my band is. I will never be someone who will say "I did this all myself, with my good choices and discipline." Being unfilled turned me right back into a [failing] dieter. I am SO grateful that I made the decision to get a lapband, and not keep trying to find weight loss success on my own. It's crazy evident that making those good choices in foods/portions is only possible because the band turns way way down the part of my brain that drives me to eat compulsively. I truly am a different eater when banded, through the power of this little piece of plastic, So happy to be back in the game. It is so very freeing to go through the day without fighting my cravings. Sipping a coffee---very slowly and carefully, because I'm so tight that it backs up into my throat--and looking forward to the next drop in weight. Here we go!

Everything will change when you change. So get ready. Suddenly you are fierce! Also, do this young enough so you don't end up with the "I wish I had done this years ago" syndrome.

WHOA. What a nutcase.

Vomiting up your food is not normal with a band. I'd call my bariatric practice and have them check for a band slip.

Congrats on your new lapband! Your hot flashes may be related to the anesthetic or other post-op medication (pain, or other). I know I had hot flashes related to my post op pain control medication--it wasn't an opiate (I can't take those) but it was something else that made me feel like I was back in menopause. It only lasted a couple of days, however.

I had severe complications with NSAIDs alone. Prednisone is a steroid so I imagine the same precautions should be taken, but please ask your lapband surgeon/practice before taking these. I totally understand the need to get the itching under control, but you also need to inform yourself of the possible side-effects of this medication. For me, I ended up with my stoma swelling shut completely closed, and had to get an emergency unfill. What I should have done was get the unfill prior to taking the NSAIDS, as my surgeon had advised. (For various reasons I couldn't do what he had advised, and decided to proceed with the meds, hoping that the side-effects would not affect me. Ha! I was wrong.) So call your practice and just ask if Prednisone is compatible with the lapband.

I'll tell you why I am open about my lapband surgery. Before I had lapband surgery, I would read "success" stories by bloggers who lost their weight by non-surgical methods. It made me feel so bad about myself, as I could never sustain any kind of substantial weight loss. (Never mind that every single one of those "high traffic" weight loss bloggers is now fat again. Every single one of them.) I'd just beat myself up and think to myself how weak I was that I could not stay the course. I do not EVER want anyone to look at my weight loss and think I did this by sheer willpower, and then have them feel badly that they can't do this on their own. Anyone who reads anything about obesity research knows the data. There are ::perhaps:: five individuals who have lost 100 pounds or more through traditional dieting and exercise and kept those pounds off for over five years. And those five individuals' work at this 100% each and every day. They seem like a rather joyless bunch, too, always gritting their teeth and scheduling their lives around what they can and cannot eat. (I'm not saying that us bandsters don't make an effort. But I know first hand the power of turning down one's appetite + reduced stomach capacity and how much easier it is to make good choices when one has had weight loss surgery.) So to not tell people how I lost weight would be misrepresenting how I did this. I think it is especially important to give an honest full response when the person asking is overweight him/herself. I totally understand their despair at their physical state, and I would not wish to add to their feeling of being a failure because they can't stick to a traditional (non-surgically enhanced) weight loss plan.

Thank you for being such a good role model. I hope your pain diminishes and you can really live in this normal, functioning, mobile body you've made for yourself. Rock on!

While this doesn't answer your question specifically, years ago I went to a therapist as I wanted to dig deep into the "whys" of my obesity. But she herself was around 300 lbs and I didn't want to "hurt" her feelings by talking about my own weight issues. (It was presumtuous of me to assume she had issues with her obesity, obviously.) So I left that therapist and sought someone who, at least visually, I felt to be a better match for what I was seeking in a therapist. That said, I would never be able to work with a therapist on weight issues who was overweight him/herself. For me, a therapist needs to be a role model (even if it is just a visual role model). This is probably the rationale behind Weight Watchers and why they only hire former WW members who are successful maintainer, and why in 12-step programs, sponsors need to have some successful track record to sponsor another member.

Interesting and I suspect spot-on. All calories are not equal to me. White carbs will always spark my appetite, whereas the same amount of calories eaten in the form of Protein will dim my appetite. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/opinion/sunday/always-hungry-heres-why.html?smid=fb-nytimes&WT.z_sma=OP_AHA_20140517&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1388552400000&bicmet=1420088400000&_r=3&referrer

When recovering from a steroid or non-steroid band complication, it is very prudent to take time before the band is refilled. I had a partial unfill in late March, due to my stoma swelling shut from anti-inflammatories, and I feel your pain. I have zero restriction currently, and being back in the Dieter's Mindset is a PITA. I am literally counting the days until I can get some fill put back in, which will happen in late June. (My surgeon's protocol says I have to wait 3 months for the stoma/swelling to clear...I guess anti-inflammatories really stay a long time in one's system.) So yeah, it's hard to be patient. But we are in this for the longterm, and will find our optimal fill levels once more. I'd contact your fill person and just try and get a ballpark figure on how long you need to wait to get a little more fill. If they are seeing that the barium doesn't go down when they do your fill with fluoro, you really "aren't fine." Yes, it's great to speed on down the scale, but if your band is so tight the barium doesn't move through the band at all, you are risking band erosion or slippage. You don't want to either of those.

This is in no means a plug, but I love Nuxe body oil. You can use it for hair, nails, skin...it smells delicious and really is an all-in-one product. it's from France but I know it is now marketed in the USA. Here it's called Huile Prodigieuse. You can even buy it with little gold flakes in it which makes you look all sparkly.

Maybe the poster means "eroded" and not "corroded"? (Can you imagine a band that corrodes? Lordy!) Erosion would mean surgical removal, as the band would have become embedded into the stomach.

If you are worried about the effects of flying on your band, my experience has been that flying has no effect on me. I fly longhaul (13 hour) flights frequently, and never have an issue with the band tightening up in flight or afterwards, myself. I bring my own band-friendly food for the airport and the flight so there's no risk of getting stuck or (worse!) going hungry because there is only sandwichs or Pasta available. What about getting the fill when you fly back in from your vacation? If I'm understanding your post correctly, your fill doctor is in the same city as your airport. Could you schedule a fill for the day you return? It's completely understandable that you would not want to make a four-hour drive to get a fill. BTW, 7 pounds in a month is AMAZING! I'd take that! But yes, if it was 7 pounds down while struggling, that isn't ideal.

I'm not understanding your post. It says you had lapband surgery in 2009. Are you thinking about a revision surgery?

I love looking slimmer and love how society views me now. (I guess I'm quite vain, because I have none of the anxiety I read others experiencing as their bodies change.) Recently I completely changed my hair from a style I've worn FOREVER to a radically different look. I love all the compliments and second-takes. Same with my clothes...as soon as I've moved out from a size, I put the dress/pants/ whatever in a box to sell off. I don't walk around in too-big clothes because I just want to show off my weight loss. I spent years only looking in mirrors which showed my face. Years trying to be invisible. Years never speaking up. And now all that has changed. I'm seriously loving this time in my life. I'm truly enjoying the little daily interactions with people who didn't know me 60 pounds ago and who talk to me thinking I'm just this normal person. I must be an outlier, I dunno. Is there a way you can work with a counselor who can reframe all this for you so that you, too, can get great joy out of people's positive reaction to what you've done? It's such a shame not to enjoy this stuff...

The answer is quite simple. An unfilled band, or a band which is not filled to optimal level? It's just like dieting. And we are all here because we realized that dieting does not work in the longterm. Willpower when dieting eventually runs out. Everybody on this board knows this truth. Read some blogs of people who haven't gone through WLS. Remember your own life before you had WLS. Willpower is not a renewable resource. I have to say that the one advantage of being unfilled is the proof positive of the power of the band. I lost my weight not thru willpower...but through bandpower. It's much much easier to practice good habits when one's hunger is dimmed and one's stomach capacity is reduced. You forget that when your band is working properly, and may get a big head thinking that it is your personal strength getting you to goal.

Wow. I have no advice for you since I've not been in your situation, but I wanted to say I'm sorry you have have this complication and have to lose your band. But it sounds like you'd had a real a-ha moment and that you have a plan in place to keep you weight off. Wishing you the best for your removal, and after.

Gosh, I hope that isn't always the case. I had a partial unfill a couple of months ago and have to wait until late June to get refilled. I'm currently at 3cc in a 10cc band and it is as if I have no band at all. I feel very unbanded..not in my eating habits (I've tried very hard to maintain my loss but I have regained 5 lbs since my unfill, which is a miracle considering how hungry I am) but in my Dieter's Mindset. I absolutely hate being back in the Dieter's Mindset...always thinking about food, planning my next meal, seeking the most filling foods for the least possible calories and STILL being hungry. If I find upon refill that my normal 6 ccs doesn't put me back in the green zone, where I was, I'll be very sad. Anything above 6ccs gives me esophagal spasms so I can't go above that amount of saline. Gosh...now I have a new thing to worry about. Well, I'll let you know in a month how the refill goes and hopefully my band retains its elasticity...I've only had it for 14 months and maybe that makes a difference?

These symptoms sound consistent with a band slip. Please let us know what they find at the xray...and I hope a complete unfill will let the band reposition itself correctly, if it is indeed a slip.

He does a good visual for explaning how the band works. Yikes! A real stomach! Thanks for this link.