lovegrapes

I was banded July 30 2008. I've honestly had nothing but problems. I've blamed it on my own body and non-compliance. I've had constant pain, nausea, vomiting, reoperation and the inability to ever have my band filled amoung other problems. The last six weeks have been horrible, I've developed acid reflux, which I've never had in my life, I have nearly constant mild to severe abdominal, flank and back pain. I throw up and PB multiple times daily. My band has become so tight despite not having any Fluid in it that I can physically feel it wrenching my stomach when I make certain sudden movements. I've now developed gastroparesis and have severe chronic gastritis. The most I have lost is 50lbs of the 130lb I need to lose, and that was when I was at the gym 10 hours or more a week. I've gained back 30lbs in this past year. Even with all these problems I've been in total denial that I need the band out. I think I've finally come to terms that this thing needs to come out! I have no idea why I've let myself suffer for so long. I have so much scar tissue and my stomach is so terribly battered right now I'm terrified for the surgery. I had a CT and an EGD this past week and they were both abnormal. I had a diagnostic lap 2 years ago with my bariatric surgeon and i had such terrible scar tissue everywhere and especially on my spleen. He told me if he ever went in again he was going to have to take out my spleen! I actually work with my baritric surgeon on the inpatient side and I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. While I know that he would take extra special care to do it right, I know what can go wrong and it scares me a lot. Well, I think i have a lot of discussing and thinking to do. I know in the end the answer is removal, but I just need to figure out the the logistics of it all and try to come to terms with it.

You guys are wimps! Twenty degrees is t-shirt and shorts weather here on the shores of Lake Superior. Okay, not quite but 20's aren't so bad! The wind chill is what really kills you up here, it's usually well below zero, not to mention the two plus feet of snow we got in the last week. The only time I've ever lost a good amount of weight on my own is when I keep track. I don't know how many times I need to learn the same lesson! So I've started tracking my food again on livestrong.com (daily plate). I'm a little insane when it comes to the format of my "food journal" and suprisingly this seems to be working for me. I finally made an appointment with my surgeon to address my pain issues. I hope I'm down a couple of pounds by my appointment. I've gained 15 lbs since May, I think I'll be down at least 5 lbs by my appointmenta and hopefully a little more.

Hey Charlene, I'd read a few of your recent posts and yes you sound a bit like me. I'm fairly certain I have fibro too, but I don't want the diagnosis because the medical community is very judgemental about the condition. I think the best thing I could do is to start exercising. I'm one of those people who does things all or nothing. I start out strong and work out hard, and I burn out very quickly and just stop exercising. We have a Wii fit, lots of work out videos and in spite of the bitter cold and tons of snow I can walk for free at the football dome in town. I hope for good luck for you in the coming year. I'm actually optimistic myself.

Hi Guys, I've been away for quite awhile. I'm pretty much living life like I don't have a band. I've just become complacent. It doesn't even bother me when I see other people doing well with their weight loss; I should really be jealous, but I just don't care! I am just having no luck with getting my band filled. I've just had tons of abdominal pain. I went from March to November with an empty band. I got a 3cc fill and a week later I got H1N1 and had to have it all taken out again. I've only a week of good restriction the whole time I've had the band and I've been totally unfilled forr 85% of the time I've had it. My abdominal pain is just getting worse. It is triggered by laying down, so by the time I get up in the morning it is just killing me! I feel like I have no medical home. I don't have a primary doctor and my surgeons office has too many patients so they have little to offer me. I suspect that my pain is coming from the adhesions located around my spleen. My surgeon told me that if my pain continued he'd want to take my spleen out. I've come to the realization that my surgeon should had said no when I asked for the band. I should have got a sleeve. I can have it converted, but I don't want any more surgery for awhile. I also think that I need some pain management. I'm living on ibuprofen; yes I know this is a no-no, but I am in so much pain I have to. I also know I need to start doing some of this on my own; if I can't have my band filled I need to work harder to keep the weight off an hopefully lose more. I guess we have a new health psychologist at the hospital here. I need to get in to see her. These problems are just too big to kick around in my head anymore. Nobody really understands what is happening with me. They see me still funcitoning and acting like a normal person, but they just don't get that I have messed up insides that just hurt so bad. So that's my story for now. I hope everyone else is doing well.

I was banded July '08. I lost 50lbs in the first 6 months. I gained back 15 of that since May of this year. Due to mutiple complications I've had no Fluid in my band for 85% of the time I've had it. I got to the sweet spot at one point and ended up getting totally unfilled 10 days later due to severe abdominal pain. My stomach is painful everyday. Not an ache, not a burn, but pain. I feel like its nearly swollen shut when I wake up and it's wide open by dinner time. I've had two endoscopies, a few upper GI's and there is nothing apparently wrong with my band. I had to have a diagnostic lap in May and had many, many, many adhesions taken down. In the back of my mind I always knew banding was probably not a good idea for me, but I refused the notion of a RNY or a sleeve. I've been in total denial that this probably wasn't the right thing for me. I think deep down I know that the band should should go and I should get a sleeve, but I just don't want to give up. I just don't know what to do or where to go from here. I am in so much pain, I do break down and take ibuprofen because I just can't stand it and nothing else works short of vicodin and I don't want to be branded a drug-seeker. Any thoughts or suggestions? I just don't know what to do.

When I had my last lap in May my intestines were adhered to my diaphram. He also said I had a ton of adhesions on my spleen and that he would have to take the spleen out if he went in again. I felt a lot better after the surgery. I suspect the adhesions may have some back. Unfortunetely I know way too much. I acutally work on the inpatient floor where bariatric patients go. Revison patients that have had a lot of complications typically end up with a G-tube for a month for drainage. That means no work for a month which is terrifying!

Good luck. I think I'm headed in the direction of converting from band to sleeve. Just waiting to save up some more time offf from work.

Whatever my fill level eggs seem to cause problems for me, especially scrambled. I'm able to eat pizza no matter what my fill level too, but very, very, very, slowly and lots of chewing. Now I have half a piece, not half a pizza!

Hey gals, It's been awhile. Im still stuck at a 50lb loss. Im slightly disappointed, but on the other hand I haven't been this size since I was 14 years old. It has seemed to be one thing after another this year. I ended up having exploratory surgery in May to find the source of my abdominal pain and it turned out I had severe adhesions from the band surgery. My intestines were adhered to my diaphram and my spleen was plastered with adhesions. I feel so much better since my surgery! This Friday I was in a hurry, hadn't eaten anything, so I took a few bites of dry tuna and ran off shopping with my friend. I didn't feel quit right. Things got worse and I couldnt even swallow water and it was terrribly painful to lay down. I went to the ER in the morning and the tuna was lodged in my band. I had to have an endoscopy and have the tuna taken out. It was terribly embarassing since I happen to know the Gastroenterologist that was on call. He was totally professional about it, but I still felt kinda dumb. I was supposed to get my first fill since having my band totally deflated in March, but after this incident Im certain my surgeon will not let me. Oh well, just one more little set back. Anyways, I hope you are all doing well and not having as much excitement as me. I'm hoping I can get my health and eating on a better track soon.

Kimaly, I understand sooo much where your at. I celebrated yesterday when I had only gained 2 lbs at my appointment today. I have nothing in my band and no will power. I'm pretty much eating what I want. It's so frustrating because I was at what I thought was my sweet spot around 6-7cc before all the fluid had to be removed from my band. I am certainly rejoicing I haven't gained 10 lbs and only 2. Please don't get down on yourself. There are so many variables invovled like water weight and maybe being a bit constipated. Please don't freak out, it will come off.

Well, my surgery was cancelled. One of my surgeons got sick; there are so many stomach and respiratory bugs going around here. I understand, but I'm really frustrated.

So no more waiting for me. I will be having surgery today to look for adhesions. I had a very terrible day of pain last Monday which convinced me that I have to do it. I went for an appointment on Thursday and they decided to do it right away. They told me that this would be much "easier" then my banding. I do hope this is the case, but I will believe it when I see it. I just hate all this anxiety.

Orea, Sorry to hear of your ordeal. Hope your doing even better soon.

Hey girls. Still no good news yet. It's hard to admit, but I'm having pain pretty much every day. I just don't want to lose my band. It's so frustrating because I can be feeling great for many hours and just feel sick in a blink of an eye. Next step is to get an upper endoscopy to check for gastritis, ulcers and erosion. I pretty much gained 6lbs over a couple of days which is pretty disappointing. Without any saline in my band I'm going to have to start planning meals and journaling intake. I do have good news though. I have a job interview on Tuesday. I like where I work now, but this would be a huge opportunity financially and professionally. Even better,I never realized how much I've changed clothing sizes as I wear scrubs to work. I actually had to buy new suit because all my old career wardrobe is way too big. This is the smallest size I've worn in nearly 15 years.

Thank you girls your so sweet. I'm just frustrated that I cant control this. I have my next appointment on Thursday so I'll see where I go from there.

I have pain in my upper left abdomen and around my belly button. My surgeon is convinced its scar tissue/adhesions and I think he's probably right. I've battled abdominal pain for many years due to endometriosis. I had to have my gall bladder and half of my pancreas removed due to endometrial tumors. I had so many adhesions from the previous surgery my banding took over 3 hours. The frustrating thing is that my surgeon took such great care to free up these adhesions when I had my banding. It was the first time in years that I didn't have pain. Now its back again and it's just not getting better.

Thank you. Hope the workout goes well.

Hey Gals, If I had, had, had to part with the band, the sleeve would be the only thing I would consider. When talking about this with someone at work they asked me why I wouldn't do the RNY. Quite simply, it doesn't fit my lifestyle. You know how it is said do you live to eat or eat to live? Well I have lived to eat for such a long time. I feel the band has given me an inbetween. I can still live to eat, but be eating to live; if that makes any sense. I feel the band gives me control and it doesn't control me. I honestly have such a rotten stomach to begin with. I take a doublee dose of Prilosec twice a day. I just fear any permenant resection of my stomach. The band is reversible; although I wish to never be without it. It is also adjustable and when things aren't going so hot I can have the fluid taken out. It's just some tough stuff to deal with in my own head. I just don't feel like I have anyone close to me that can understand what I'm going through. I've thought about going to the employee assistance counselor at work. The counselor I saw before had good feedback for me although I was seeing her about a problem with a manager who was bullying me. Only problem it takes forever to get an appointment. All I can do now is just hope things just resolve on their own.

I continue to have pain issues which may be realted to the band. I had an appointment with my surgeon yesterday and he removed all the fluid. He said if the problems continue he wants to do an exploratory laparoscopy. I really, really dont want to do this. He mentioned that he may want to convert to a gastric bypass if this persists. There is no way that I will consent to this. I fear that if he even goes in to do the laparoscopy that I will come out of surgery without a band.

Charlene, I like the turtle in the weeds too.

I too haven't mastered what to eat, when to eat and how to eat it. I know what I need to do, but I have been resistant to change my behavior. I do much better when I'm eating around other people. I converse between bites and take more care to chew to avoid problems. When I'm alone or with my bf I tend to eat fast and sometimes too much. I think the key thought in this all is that this is purely behavioral! If you can't change your behavior on your own and you feel that it is a hurdle you can't jump, outside help is needed. That is what dieticians, nutritionists and counselors are for. If you don't know how to change your oil do you just run your car until your engine burns up? No, you go to a professional and get it taken care of.

Hey gals, hope you're all doing well. I had a bad week with my band last week. I had a lot of very unusual abdominal pain. My surgeon thinks that the tubing from the band to the port may have been flopping around in my abdominal cavity causing scarring/adhesions. He thinks the tubing may be caught in the adhesions. I felt much better over the weekend, but I still can feel little "tweaks" when I bend or lay down. If things aren't better in 2-4 weeks he wants to do a lap to take a look. I really really hope that this was a fluke thing and that I dont have to have surgery. I finally made it to the Y today. I joined 2 weeks ago and haven't gone yet. I swam for over an hour! I didn't go very fast, but I did keep my heart rate up. My shoulders are a bit sore, but it felt good.

Hey folks. I got a fill on Thursday. I lost 10lbs in the course of about 3 months. My appointment had been canceled twice. What I have learned from all of this is that if you aren't losing and can eat inordinate amouts of food get a fill! I almost feel a bit foolish that I didn't just get one. I'm not beating myself up about it, but I certainly had an a-ha moment. It's just funny how common sense flies out the window sometimes.

What a great accomplishment. Congratulations.