Jean McMillan

Do I get discouraged? Of course I do. Losing weight and maintaining the weight loss is hard work, and it's going to last a lifetime. Do I regret my band? Never.

Large (over 1.5") hiatal hernias can be a contraindication for band surgery, but I know several bandsters who had huge hernias that were repaired during band placement and haven't caused any problems since then. When I had my band surgery, I already knew I had a hiatal hernia and was glad when my surgeon told me he'd repair it when placing my band. In my first post-op visit, I asked him about it and he said, "No, it was too small to fix." Huh? I have to wonder if he was in too much of a hurry to do it, and since he lost his medical license, I'll probably never know why. Anyway, I had a band slip at 21 months post-op and my current surgeon thinks my hernia might have contributed to it. So the moral of the story is: be assertive about getting your hernia repaired so it won't cause you problems later on.

I've heard several plastic surgeons speak on this subject. They all said that the key factors in how skin will respond to massive weight loss are genetics and age. Skin loses elasticity as we age. Once it's stretched out, it's there for good (or until plastic surgery to remove/tighten it). I was 54 when I had band surgery and although I have good skin genes (thanks, Mom), I still have excess skin, most noticeable on my arms and throat. IMO, fear of excess or loose skin is not a good excuse for avoiding weight loss, and unless my excess skin interfered with my ambulation, caused skin infections, or posed a safety hazard (for example: if I worked as a cook and my bat wings hung down and draped over hot saucepans), I'd rather have excess skin than excess weight any day.

I'm sorry about your weight re-gain, but most surgeons don't like to do revision surgery at the same time as band removal anyway, because they want the area to heal completely first. I'm sure someone will jump in and ask you why you haven't considered revising to the sleeve (which often isn't covered by health insurance), so I'll skip along and tell you that I personally know of 2 bandsters who revised to gastric bypass. One had some complications from the surgery but is now recovered and doing fine. The other had no complications and is also doing fine and happy about her revision. Both revised due to slow or disappointing weight loss with the band. Interestingly, they're both finding weight loss to be slow even with the bypass, which makes me wonder if something else is going on in their body to "fight" the bariatric procedure.

An infected port site would be red, swollen, and/or warm to touch, maybe with pain. In a new post-op, it would probably be caused by bacteria exposure during surgery and would be treated with antibiotics and careful wound care. In a later post-op, it's often a sign of band erosion - the bacteria travel from the band, along the tubing, to the port. The treatment for band erosion is removal of the band. Depending on the damage done to the stomach, the patient might eventually be able to revise to a different WLS procedure. Most surgeons want the stomach to heal completely before performing further surgery.

Me too. TTBTPS (time to blow this pop stand). Let's all take Alex's good advice, simmer down, and stop giving Maria/Fluffy the attention she thrives on.

As I've told you before, Maria, it takes one to know one. I have indeed suffered mental illness - depression and PTSD - but I do my best not to inflict that on others. And where are the unsold books, pray tell? Bandwagon's 1st edition has sold out several print runs, and the 2nd edition will be printed at the end of January. Maybe it's time you actually read one of my books instead of whining about them. You can read, can't you?

I agree with you, Elcee, but I've known Maria (aka Fluffy) for 3-4 years and never in that time has she managed to master her paranoid psychosis about the band. You might as well whisper into a hurricane.

I also want to mention that the idea that the band is reversible, while other procedures are not, is often misunderstood. The sleeve is not reversible because part of the stomach is removed forever (not necessarily a piece of stomach you really truly needed, but anyway, it's gone), but it can be revised to a different procedure like duodenal switch or even (gasp) the band. The band is reversible in theory in that the band and port can be removed and the patient, if need be, can revise to a different WLS procedure. But that doesn't mean that it's easy to remove the band without damaging the stomach or esophagus. The band is meant to be a lifetime deal. It isn't like dying your hair a different color, deciding you don't like it, and going back to your original color. There's going to be scar tissue left behind that can make other abdominal surgeries (like hernia repair, gall bladder removal, hysterectomy, etc.) more difficult.

Amen to that! A bariatric dietitian I know once said, "Band patients have to make lifestyle changes immediately. Bypass patients have to make the same changes sooner or later, usually starting at 12 months post-op." I guess it's a pay-me-now or pay-me-later deal...sooner or later, you gotta pay!

Any surgery that involves a surgeon cutting holes in an anesthetized patient and clamping a medical device around the stomach and a sticking in a port somewhere nearby is pretty danged invasive. According to a few sleeved pals of mine, typical recovery time for sleeve patients is the same as for the band (1-2 weeks), and RNY isn't all that much longer (2-3 weeks) provided no complications arise.

I love my band, so I'm pro-band, but want to point out that the band requires a lot more bariatric aftercare than the other WLS procedures. If your friend is self-pay or has limited insurance coverage, the sleeve might be the better choice because once it's done, it's done. The band requires fills and unfills that can add up fast in terms of time (travel time, time off from work) and money (fill fees, travel expense, lost wages).

I'm a type A person too, but as much as I understand your disappointment in yourself, I have to tell you to stop kicking yourself and move on. Kicking yourself isn't going to take you anywhere you really want to go. Going back to your surgeon is the best course of action. Your surgeon will probably be happy that you're not forever lost to aftercare and so what if you get a stern lecture? You know you deserve it, and it's not going to be any surprise to anyone at your surgeon's office that you're struggling with eating issues that they already knew you have. And maybe you'll also get the guidance and encouragement you need to get back on track. One more thing...if you can afford it, you might want to consider counseling to help you figure out why you've been sabotaging yourself and what you can do about it. Jean

My feet have gotten a lot smaller (size 8-8.5 shoe to size 7-7.5), and the plantar's fascitis that used to plague me is a distant memory.

Yes, your band could have slipped from the bad cough, but just being sick (especially with head and chest congestion) can cause similar symptoms. My band slipped (probably due to my untreated hiatal hernia) and the symptoms were constant chest pain (so bad I thought it was a heart attack), inability to even drink Clear Liquids, reflux and a sore throat from the reflux. A complete unfill and 6-week rest period fixed it. I know of other bandsters with band slips whose slippage symptoms were intermittent rather than continuous like mine. You might want to call your surgeon's office and tell them what's been going on, just for your peace of mind. If necessary, your surgeon can do an upper GI study to make sure everything's in the right place. Good luck! Jean

If you're uncomfortable even when drinking liquids, you may be a bit too tight, but just the fill itself and the changed fit of your band against your stomach can cause irritation that will eventually subside. Eating and drinking with the band should never be painful. If I were you, I'd call your surgeon's office, tell them what's going on, and maybe consider a slight unfill. Even a tiny unfill can make a big difference in your quality of life without diminishing your restriction. Good luck! Jean

It's hard to judge the effect of a fill when you're doing a liquid or puree diet. Satiety is triggered by solid food, not sliders like pudding. Also, it can take up to 2 weeks for a fill to "kick in" (no doctor has ever been able to explain the why of that to me, but they all agree that it's true). Finally, it can take more than one fill for you to achieve optimal restriction. So hang in there, and if you haven't already scheduled another fill, do so now, so you have something to look forward to!

Osmoprep was taken off the market because of serious side effects. I've had 2 colonoscopies since being banded. The first time I tried to the Osmoprep pills - as you know, they're huge, and you have to swallow a lot of them, so it was hard to get them down. I didn't have much fill in my band at the time. When I had a colonscopy last year, I was given the option of 2 preps: 1) Drink a huge vat of GoLytely (which I'd tried in the past and it made me puke) 2) Take dulcolax the night before, then before the procedure, have a colonic irrigation (they put a hose up your butt and flush you out). I chose the colonic irrigation. It didn't hurt, but it cost me $60 (not covered by insurance)and it didn't clean me out well enough, so I was sent home with 2 bottles of magnesium citrate to swallow and told to come back in late afternoon for another try. I gagged getting the mag citrate down but it worked well enough so that the doc could do the scope when I went back. I've heard other patients say that the irrigation worked fine and some say they had the same experience as me. So, I would ask your gastroenterologist what your prep options are and make it clear that whatever you do must not endanger your band.

Oh, I do lots of arts and crafts, and I also enjoy shopping for the materials I use. I've sold some of my artwork but not enough to put a dent in the huge inventory of supplies I've acquired!

I know exactly what you mean, and this new obsession of mine is aggravated by the fact that I work in a department store where I get a generous associate discount on all my purchases! I'm trying to cut back by eliminating recreational shopping. I let myself shop when I actually need something, but if I'm just shopping to distract or comfort or entertain myself, I have the items I want put on hold for 24 hours instead of actually purchasing them. Often when I go back to buy them, they don't appeal to me or fix whatever feeling or problem I had when I picked them out the day before.

As you lose weight, the fat surrounding your stomach shrinks, so your band feels "looser" (it's not actually looser), and you need more fill for the band to keep doing its job. One of the frustrating things about the band is that once you arrive in the green zone, you don't necessarily stay there forever!

I'm way past menstruating, but when I did, I retained a lot of Fluid during my period, so I suspect that's what's causing your plateau. You'll probably find that when you're period's over, you'll go back to losing weight. But I have to point out that losing a pound about every 2 days is unusually quick weight loss, so please don't start kicking yourself if your weight loss slows down. As long as the number keeps ging down, you're doing fine. I don't think anybody enjoys the liquid or puree diet phases, but you're doing them for a very good reason. One of the most common causes of band slips during the early post-op period is not following the liquid and/or puree diet. Your band is still in the process of healing from surgery and "seating" itself in place against your stomach. When you eat "real" food, even soft food, your stomach muscles expand and contract to aid digestion, and that can disturb your sutures and interfere with healing. So bottom line...don't cheat unless your surgeon or nutritionist says it's OK!

I know what you mean. Even 3 yrs after reaching my weight goal, my inner fat girl sometimes takes over my brain. It's like my heart/mind/soul are having a hard time catching up to my new body. I was obese for 30 years and lost 90 lbs in only one year - no wonder I'm in shock! Jean

"Problem" foods are so unique to the person, and their degree of restriction, I wouldn't get freaked out by the responses to this post. I can eat shrimp (which I love) without problems if I cut it into small pieces. My problem foods are: any bread, bagels, English muffins, you name it (even toasted doesn't work) rice or Pasta sausage dark meat poultry most cuts of pork most cuts of beef (but I can do rare rib eye steak without problems) brussels sprouts (all the time) broccoli (sometimes) prunes The only way to find out what your problem foods are is to experiment - one bite at a time. Jean

Some (maybe not all, but I don't care to over-think this) reasons for my obesity: a traumatic childhood (sexual & physical abuse) - I used food for comfort and numbing (but I can't go on blaming my past for my overeating - I have to take responsibility for it NOW) adult depression & anxiety - I used food for comfort, numbing, and stress relief a family history of obesity (a big factor, I think) I love food and I'm a great cook (modest, too) no exercise bad eating habits and laziness (I know, we hate to be called lazy, but what else do you call it when planning a healthy meal in advance is too much trouble when you can zip through the McDonald's drive-thru?) That's my take on it, anyway. Jean