Cocoabean

It is really a shame they cannot band our brains, eh? I am still drawn to junk, but I try hard to make better selections. When you choose solid Proteins over sliders that go down so easily, you'll consume fewer calories and be satisfied longer. When I am satisfied it helps me to not be drawn to the junk for grazing purposes. When I start to think I want food I ask myself if I would eat a can of green Beans. If the answer is no, I want chips....then I am most likely not hungry. That really helps me determine real hunger.

I sure hope this one works for you Heidi. My surgeon says the band is not your autopilot. Fingers crossed for you!

The food does not stay in the pouch for long. I had an Upper GI with food, and saw it 1st hand. When we eat properly, we chew well the food goes down, enters the pouch, sits for a second or two and goes down through the stoma into the bigger stomach. If we eat a LOT at once, it backs up into the pouch, and when that gets full, we get that horrid pain. Satiety is triggered by tickling nerves at the top of the stomach. The band brings those nerves into contact with food by belting it in. Otherwise a normal stomach has to be filled up to trigger those nerves.

Wow, I am oh so very sorry you have no answers. I am glad you are feeling a little bit better. Hopefully the fact that you are able to put solid food in your stomach will give the acid something to work on other than your stomach tissue, and the acid blockers will help, also. Keep us posted. Your situation is tough. I wish you all the best.

Have you been checked for an ulcer or hiatal hernia? I am so sorry you are going through all this.

Congratulations, well done!!

I don't know...seems like there was a bit of fraud. One of the first things my surgeon's office did was verify my coverage. Someone profitted from you having all those tests done when you didn't need them (or at least you would not have had them if you had not been prepping for surgery). You are out several co-pays. All the time off work you may have taken for the appts. Your insurance company is out for several office visits with the surgeon and specialists you saw. Quinnmc is right, though, the info is available to the insured as well as the surgeon. Before I did anything I checked my coverage. You might wander over to obesitylaw.com and see what they say.

I can't add much to what the others have offered. But 30 lbs in a year is a good weight loss, actually. I know I'd have had a hard time losing that amount on my own. It's also pretty close to the rate at which I averaged in my weight loss phase. We don't all lose rapidly. Lap Band literature says AVERAGE of 1-2 lbs per week. I lost an average of 0.75 per week. So I was less than average---the story of my life But by sticking to my Lap Band rules and habits, that 0.75 lb average turned into 71 lbs gone. And they have stayed gone for 2 years now. If you are eating nutritious foods in a quantity that has you satisfied, but you are not losing--you might need a fill. If you have adequate restriction but you are chosing low quality, high calorie foods, then adjust your diet. If you can ONLY eat soft, crummy foods due to your band's tightness, then you need an unfill so that you can eat more nutritionally dense foods (counter intuitive, yes, effective, yes).

I take it that the top paragraph is the update? I am wondering if it is tubing.

Wow, Salty1986, I'd have never thought a gain like that could be just due to an unfill. I hope the refill helps you out!

15 lbs is some 52 THOUSAND excess calories. If it were truly a fat gain. Something else is surely going on. Just letting fluid out of the band does not explain it. Plenty of us have had unfills. I had a slight unfill. Did the Lasix do anything?

Grits? Cream of Wheat? Refried beans, you can mash them a bit more. Cauliflower can be mashed up. Bananas. Applesauce? You could even bake apples and mush them up. Humus. Just about any beans can be mooshed up.

My surgeon didn't put me on a specific diet post-op, because he knew it would be very hard to control my appetite until we got my restriction level right. It's very difficult when you have the band, but it isn't helping! I finally got there at fill 3. A slip is more likely from a band that is too tight. Often it is caused from extensive vomiting, but not always. Sometimes they cannot find the cause. A slip is actually where the stomach comes up through the band. Symptoms of a slip are pain and vomiting, inability to keep food down. If your band is loose, then food is going right through and you are not feeling any satiety, thus getting no assistance from your band...THAT is Bandster Hell. We've all been there.

I don't have any answer for the no money issue, but it almost sounds as if you have a slip. Push come to shove, go to the ER.

Not likely, it actually takes a long time damage your pouch. Most likely you haven't reached proper restriction yet. When were you banded? What is your fill level like?

Nikki, seriously, look into Smartwool! They have different weights, it is WONDERFUL! Expensive, but so worth it! For the first time in about 3 years, I have been warm. It's made from Merino Wool, so incredibly soft, not at all itchy against the skin. I bought the leggings from REI, you can get 10% rebate if you buy a membership. I got shirts on ebay. I sleep in them even.

In California they have 30 (I think business) days to respond. Mine was submitted right before Thanksgiving and I heard in mid-January that I was approved. I have BCBS California Access H M O.

I was always cold until my thyroid whacked out. Then I was hot, then I got it treated, and FINALLY I was comfortable. Then I was banded, and lost the blubber. Now I am back to freezing!!! That article was interesting. My weight has been stable for two years now, and I still freeze, but I am not the best at exercising. I have found Smartwool leggings to be fantastic under my pants. The midweight is just perfect! Except if it is 85 degrees outside. But at my desk? Oh yeah! I also have leg warmers that come up to my thighs that I'll pull on if the leggings aren't enough or if they are in the laundry. But I plan on getting more Smartwool. It isn't cheap, but oh, so worth it! They also have short and long sleeved shirts. Sheesh, I live in San Diego, not sure what I'd do if I lived where there is an actual winter!

Being banded, as a rule, should NOT be painful. When we do something that causes us to get stuck, yes, then it is painful. But you SHOULD be able to eat most things without pain. The only food I don't even attempt is chicken breast. Other foods are hit and miss. Most foods I can eat without problem. If you cannot eat solid foods without pain, call your surgeon.

Thank you! I've been fortunate. My band works as advertised. Mainly you need to watch what you eat (sucks, yes) until you see if you can find the green zone. If my band started giving me problems, I'd be looking at revision.

Is it with really dense foods, like white meat chicken or bagels? Or anything? Sometimes a fill will kick in after a few weeks. Very glad you called your doctor. If you were sick, that can definitely affect things. When I feel pain around my sternum, it is the first sign of a stuck about to occur. If I stop eating and wait, often the food will go down. Pain in my upper left quadrant is usually air. Keep in close contact with your doctor about it.

Night cough is generally a sign of a band that is too tight and causing reflux. Worries for a too tight band are a slip, erosion, or dilated esophagus. It sounds for you that the green zone is a very fine line. I had an Upper GI and esophogram done recently to check motility and for dilation. An endoscopy can look for erosion and damage from the reflux. I am sorry you are having trouble, I hope you get it resolved soon!

My comment about suppressants was in relation to someone saying their doc was against HCG because he or she could not make money on it. Just providing food for thought in the discussion. We each have to find what works for us. I have and have had plenty of chemicals in my body that are not naturally occurring, including radiation to kill my thyroid. IMO their benefits outweigh their risks. It is a decision we all must make. As I said, I don't know enough about HCG to have an opinion either way. I am at goal. If I weren't, my thoughts might be different. I'd be doing some research into it, for certain.

Have you tried different medications? Also, when was the last time you had any tests done to check your band?

Are you following your band rules? Concentrate on solid Protein and complex carbs, don't snack, lots of Water, small bites, chew well, no liquids with meals, no liquids with calories, and beware of slider foods? How is your restriction level? You say "only 25 lbs down" but you know, 1/2 a pound a week average is nothing to sneeze at. I could not have done that without a band, could you? You say you've gotten off track the last three months, ok. Have you gained or maintained? Are you listening to your body or eating anyway? If you are listening to your body, and eating when hungry--if you are still not losing, then you are most likely due for a fill. I say good for you for reaching out!! Well done!