Nykee

I was banded in 05. That is 6 years. .. wow.

So I struggled the first year with getting the right fill...

Then I lost 100 pounds pretty fast. (I started at 420 pounds) My fill was nice and tight.

And now for like 4 years I been the same weight. Between 305 and 320.

In the 4 years I have lost many many inches and my body has changed alot. And people constantly tell me how good I am looking.

BUT THE FACT IS. I HAVE LOST NO WEIGHT.. NONE. !

I cant get another fill because mine is already really tight. Its very finiky too. It tightens up more during my period (swells up?) and during other times I cant figure out, but during those times I cant even take ONE SIP of Water. And sometimes I go two days without eating. SO IF I tighten my band, than during those swelling up times I would CHOKE on the SIP of water.. And then CHOKE for two days, and well I experienced that in year one, and although I feel like I can tolerate anything.. the body wont allow you to choke, it produces so much saliva that you cant just bear thru it. I had to have an emergency unfil in the ER cuz I let it go for two days and got dehydrated.. ANYWAY... I WOULD LOVE A FILL... BUT for that reason I CANT DO IT.

As for now. I bring up my food, almost daily. I take a bite, see if its 'OPEN".. if not, I have to bring the food up out of my esophagus.

ITs never PUKE because it never enters my stomach. THen I wait and try again later. Till I find the time where I can eat.

What I do is drink first. Then I eat. Cuz usually when I am not open, I am not open to anything, not even liquids.

ANd I DO CHEW.. completely.. and I DONT EVEN TRY to eat food that isnt soft. I gave all that up years ago. I HATE bringing food up and I HATE the stuck feeling. I TRY TO AVOID IT at all times. I never go out to eat. I cant eat in front of anyone.

So mostly if I am not stuck, i will chew food and spit it out. (I cant do this when not open, as you know even the juice will get stuck)

BUt If I am open, I will chew food like chicken and then feed it to my doggie. lol gross huh.

Anyway. When I am open I usually choose to just drink chocolate milk. As it is FILLING and SOOTHING and YUMMY.

The only real food that ever stays down in my stomach is refried Beans with melted cheese, tiny chopped onions, sour cream and tortilla chips, which I eat about 5 times a week. Im sick of trying to eat anything else. Just sick of it.

I also eat alot of chips and dip and Cookies when I am open. THIS IS WHY I AM STILL FAT.

So.. Obviously, in order for me to lose more weight. I need to STOP drinking the Chocolate milk. STOP eating the cookies and chips.

I know everything i can have instead. I know exactly what to do. JUST WONT DO IT. For 20 years I wouldn't do it, and still.. humm I WONT DO IT.

The 100 pounds i lost.. WAS ALL BAND.. It was the restriction. And it worked for exactly 100 pounds. I LOVE RESTRICTION. I DONT EVER force food down, I JUST accept it. Its the BEST THING ever. I LOVE IT>

BUT when I am not restricted, I eat what I want.

I WANT TO BE RESTRICTED. MORE. BUT That doesnt look at all possible.

Prednisone takes the swelling away, but thats a dangerous drug and I cant be on it daily. IF I COULD be, THAN I could get a fill.

Im just kinda upset.. that I have to have a finicky band, that isnt consistent.. cuz if it was. I would have it consistently tight and i would lose all the weight I need to lose.

In the beginning, I got a lot of flack for having a really tight band. But it works for me. My pouch is not stretched, It didnt slip or erode. That is cuz I dont force anything, I just accept it. IF I CANT EAT. I Cant eat.. I dont care.. YET, if I can, I do. And I cant stop myself.

I dunno what kind of advice I want... I have to lay off the junk food and the milk and juice.. PERIOD.

I KNOW I DO.

BUT WAH WAH BOO HOO>> I WANT THE BAND TO DO IT. !! (I have tried, I hope you know that is just a given, I have tried everything, know that!)

NOW.. I WANT A GASTRIC BYPASS... but, no one will do it cuz my band is intact... and its considered a success.

I cant self pay.

I KNOW it would work for me.. CUZ just like now, when i cant eat, I DONT EAT... And if my stomach was too small and it caused discomfort, I would NOT EAT.. just like I dont now, when my band is too tight. .. I would NOT FORCE IT, as I NEVER do now.. I WOULD NOT stretch the stomach as I HAVE NOT my pouch.

Something about being restricted physically works for my brain.. HOW DO I CONVINCE the Doctors of this, when I am BEGGING for a GASTRIC BYPASS!!!?!?

THANKS FOR ANY HELP !!

xoxo

I am like you patty, I hate this thing, I hate that one day I am driving and puking into a plastic cup that I have to carry with me due to barfing all the time, I hate knowing that I cant go out to eat with friends because I may get "stuck" and "slim"......when I asked my DR before this thing, I was told.."you won't get sick often as long as you follow my instructions".....WRONG!!!!! I chew, I follow it to a T, and I get sick.... I have been banded since Jan and I am thinking of taking it out, I can do this with out a band, I have done it before and I can conqure this...... I should not have to go through this and feel like i am a bulimic....

You just described my life exactly.. but I have tolerated it for 4 years now,. in fear of gaining it all back.

I AM so very very very very sick of my band. I too get stuck daily.. even on Water. I have for 4 years now. Its just my way of life that I cant change or Ill be over 400 pounds again. and I still hold out hope for the next 100 pounds to be lost.

I hope the best for you!!

I am still here. Banded in 05. I lost 100 pounds the first year and no real weight at all since then. I have another 100 or more to lose. My band is tight. Real tight. I choke almost daily just to maintain my weight. I drink too many liquids and junk food. Dont know what to do since I cant get a fill, lest choke on Water. .. just stuck.. unless of course I diet and exercise.

I would be thrilled just to reach and stay in ONEDERLAND>

Starting to seem impossible tho. I know it isnt

I would be thrilled just to reach and stay in ONEDERLAND>

Starting to seem impossible tho. I know it isnt

I have been really tight for many years.. and a few times a year my band has suddenly allowed me to eat and eat and every time I was worried it had slipped. But it never has... so I dont know.. Of course you should have it checked out if its been this open for what did you say was it a couple months? But you simply might need a fill.. If money is tight, I would focus on finding the money for a fill and go from there.

I dont think it was a slip. And if it is, you didnt cause it to happen.

I been 'relieving the pressure' every day for 4 years and my band is intact.

Sounds like you were stuck and got unstuck and now you can just relax and see what happens next.

All My scars are gone. Completely.

So you know they do go away.

Its been 5 years.

I HAVE.

I have,

Im pretty sure I posted to this many years ago.

BUt.. WHY AM I STILL Fat?

I eat Cookies and junk all day.. I drink chocolate and strawberry Milk every day.

I get no exercise.

Thats why.

BUT WHY WHY WHY wONT I STOP doing that?? I HAVE NO IDEA>

Really starting to Piss me off tho.

Im changing..

Yes that does sound exactly like what my banded life is like..

It is refreshing to hear that someone else has the same issues.. I felt so alone for so long, like no one understood what I was talking about..

I dont think it would do the same thing if I got an unfill, but I went like almost a year with NO restriction and the band NOT working for me to LOSE WEIGHT.. so I just cant bring my self to getting an unfill.. I may have just messed it up so much that an unfill wont even bring me relief, I am not sure.

I do know that I am not loosing more weight thought because of the amount of liquid sugar and candy and chips and such, that I am able to eat at times..

WEll I hope it all works out for all of us..

thanks for sharing..

xo

I will join

Start weight... 420

Weight now.... 325

Goal by June 1, 08....299

Overall goal.. 199

that is 26 pounds to lose in 3 and 1/2 months.. TOTALLY DO able..

THank you

And here are my new pics incase people read THIS THREAD but dont look at the pic update thread:

and my old pic.

Yes, your esophagus SHOULD be pushing food down and through, just like it's supposed to do in everyone. The small stomach pouch, above the band but below the esophagus, is where the food is supposed to sit and keep us feeling full. There's a valve at the base of the esophagus that is supposed to keep food from rising back up, and that valve may be made dysfunctional over time if this process continues. If your band is too high, the pouch may be too small or absent altogether, which means your eslphagus is being used as a pouch no matter how careful you are being.

reading this again..

I am almost certain this is what has happened to me..

sounds PERFECT for my case..

BUT.. ONLY a BAND expert could REALLY tell if its so much higher than its suppose to be.. and I dont have access to that right now.

and I dont really mind it... I am used to it, and it IS THE ONE AND ONLY THING THAT KEEPS ME AT THIS WEIGHT>>

I DONT MIND SUFFERING.. if it is FORCED on me.. and there is nothing I can do about it.. that is how this is.. it may BE horrible in a way, BUT I REALLY dont care, its the ONLY thing that has helped me.,. soooooooooo be it.,

I really appreciate you alex.. I always will remember you.

Updating some more..

its been ONE year since I posted this....

I still bring food up daily..

and my band is still fine.. so far.

I have lost 100 pounds... and I have lost nothing real in like a year..

BUt the inches are melting off and I am getting more attention for my efforts NOW more than I ever did a year ago, when the weight loss was so blobby and such.

I still need to lose another 100 pounds.. but that is ALL ON me, time for the band to be a tool like it is meant to.. and I have let a year slip by..

I love that I dont gain anything back.. BUT I hate that I wont lose any more weight.. I absolutely CAN NOT get a fill... as I am already tooo tight.

When ever I diet, I lose 10 to 20 pounds.. but it only last one or two months and then I go back on it and gain it all back... I HAVE TO DIET.. and as it ALWAYS has been and still is.. JUST something I dont seem to be able to stick with.

I want a mini gastric bypass. . but because I am considered a success and nothing is wrong with my band, and I am broke.. this isnt gonna happen any time soon.

THanks for listening.

THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!

love love love

Me At 420 pounds.

Me Right before surgery

ME after I lost 100 pounds.. JUly 07

Me NOW, firming up and loosing inches like crazy. (but not weight)

This pic shows my body the best, but I sure look haggard in the face, so its hard to show.. but OH WELL!!

ME ME ME ME ME

I have lost 100 pounds...

some people notice a lot (I notice its those who really love me a lot)

Some people hardly notice at all..

BOTH get on my nerves because,

I DONT NOTICE and I think they arent being authentic (they are)

and

Its like I lost 100 friggin pounds how come you dont notice.. lol

A thread is dead in a week... that sucks..

Is this area new.. ??

I like it.

OH OH OH

LET ME DO MY BEFORE AND AFTER>..

I actually have one now.

Its not my body... I dont have any good comparisons yet..

Hi People... maybe you remember me, maybe not..

I have not come to this site for a while.. I got a little reminder in my email. lol

I just wanted to tell about how I have been..

I have lost a bit over 100 pounds... its still off..

Recently I lost 15 pounds in two months, but that was a month ago..

I gave up on candy, that ONE thing, just candy, THAT was how the 15 pounds came off, obviously, as I had not been loosing any weight in a long time..

The band keeps me maintained... I KNOW if I got an unfill (I gag or 'puke' daily)....... I would gain it all back.... But its done with loss... ITS ON ME NOW, and we will see if I take this 15 pound loss and do more with it...

My band is fine.. I had an endoscopy... its been 2 and 1/2 years.

I am still 300 pounds.. so I DO wish I could have a mini gastric bypass..

BUT, I appreciate my band and all it has done so far... MY NON scale VICTORIES are OMG AMAZING..

I was in a wheele chair two years ago... NOW I walk... Thats the big one..

Anyway... thanks for all your support, this is a really nice site.