writegirl

I've been banded for three years and have lost 120 pounds. I just turned 61. My hair is significantly thinning and I am wondering if anyone else is having this problem. My doctor says it is a combination of age and nutrition (or lack thereof). I have not been good about getting my Protein in and I am afraid I am paying the price now. If anyone has experienced hair loss, do you know if increasing protein intake will help new hair growth and reduce loss -- or am I going to be a bald old lady?!:smile2:

I saw a cosmetic surgeon to get an evaluation on a number of things I need done. Most concerning to me is my stomach and the insides of my thighs (around my knees), where large fat pads have settled. The doctor was reluctant to do the lower lift (stomach and mons) because he said I was still too heavy. I weigh 220, down from 335, and am not interested in being much smaller. I wear a 16, am off all meds and feel great. I was surprised by his reluctance. I have had a knee replacement and there was no concern about that surgery at this weight. Has anyone else run into this? Also, has anyone had a thigh lift? What was it like? The area is so dense that he said I would need liposuction to create some excess skin and only then could he do the lift. I did not have these mis-shapen legs before I lost weight, but clearly, the fat is there to stay!

Thanks so much for your reply and your support. I have been doing some reading about the medial thigh lift and it does scare me. My legs are bad--affect how I walk--so I still would like to have something done. But the fact is I don't have the money or the time required to recuperate, so it is not going to happen. But if I win the lottery, I will follow your advice and get at least a second opinion.

Well, I think it depends on each individual. I see that your goal is 155, which many people would say is too heavy. I don't know how tall you are, but there are those who would say 155 is still pretty heavy. It's all relative. I am at the goal that my bariatric surgeon and my primary doctor set for me. I am having my band tightened in a few weeks because I tried loosening it (reflux) and started to gain. So I may lose more weight, but I am very happy at my current weight -- feel great and am healthy. When I said the fat "is here to stay" I was referring to the fat on the inside of my legs and knees, which, no matter how much more weight I lose will not go away--it needs to be surgically removed.

I just bought some Inspire and the instructions say to mix with water. Has anyone mixed it with milk? Any suggestions for how to use it--I have the cinnamon cappuchino flavor. Thanks.

I had the same thing happen last night with giant pills for the sinus infection I have. I think there is some swelling, so I am eating mushies today. THere is some discomfort and lots of gurgling noises as the food moves through the band (although that is nothing new). I went to the drugstore and got a liquid version of the medicine. I'd say do a day or two of soft food and see how it goes. Good luck. It is scary I know-

I have. I've lost 110 pounds in 2 1/2 years. I have 15 more pounds to lose to reach the goal my surgeon and I agreed on, but I now need a knee replacement and think I will go beyond that to make my rehab easier. I will never be thin by insurance chart standards, but I am on one hypertension medication, down from four, and just had bloodwork done yesterday and passed with flying colors in all categories. I've dropped seven sizes and, with the exception of the bum knee, feel great. It is entirely possible to lose this much weight--and more.

I was banded two years ago and have lost 90 pounds. About six months ago I started having lots of loud stomach noises--gurgling and rumbling--and pressure in my upper stomach, right below the band. It is intermittent and there is no pattern to it. It doesn't seem to be related to what I eat, when I eat or how much I eat. I have tried numerous over-the-counter things (GasX, generic Prilosec, papaya enzymes) and some prescriptions and nothing works. I just saw a gastroenterologist who thinks "something is blocked or twisted" relative to the laparoscopic incisions and the small intestine and the noises and gas are hypermotility--my stomach working overtime to unblock or untwist whatever is going on. Has anyone ever experienced these symptoms or heard of this diagnosis?

How did your colonoscopy go? I saw my durgeon this morning and he thinks I may have a slippage, even though nothing has shown up on the tests. He says the band can be in place one minute and slip the next. I am going for another barium swallow on Monday. This is very distressing to me, for financial reasons, in particular, since my surgeon is not in my insurance network. But also time off from work, recover, etc. It's like doing it all over again!

I have had increasingly troublesome stomach issues for the last year (I've been banded for almost 2 1/2 years), and now have reflux which troubles me night and day. I know about which foods to avoid (tomatoes, caffeine, cirtic acid) not eating after 6 p.m. and sleeping with my head and torso propped up. Those are the only anti-reflux tips I have to share. But I'd sure like to hear some others. This sucks.

I had my gall bladder removed when I had the band put in, so it's not my gall bladder. The colonoscopy I had showed nothing; the endoscopy showed gastritis. My gastroenterologist thinks food is not moving through my stomach fast enough, possibly due to vagus nerve The nerve that controls the stomach) damage related to the band. I have tried a course of a reflux drug and a drug to increase motility (move the food through faster). No results. Now I am doing nothing for two weeks (sort of a clean slate approach), then we'll see. But in the meantime, even before I finished taking the prescribed drugs, I have developed reflux--a new condition for me. Now I sleep propped up and experience it even during the day--a sensation of liquid coming up my esophagus. Delightful. I am thinking of talking with my bariatric surgeon to see what he thinks, but all the tests--barium X-ray and endoscopy -- show the band as being well-positioned with no mechanical problems, hence the vagus nerve theory. Giving up the band is not an option for me, at least not now. I cannot imagine going back to life the way it was. I just hope I can get all these stomach issues under control. Maybe some of this information will help you. Good luck to you.

I am in the process of being diagnosed with what may be gastroparesis. I have been banded for two years and have lost 90 pounds. I do not have diabetes. But my doctor thinks it is a vagas nerve problem. It is not intolerable and I would never choose to have the band removed for this level of discomfort.

Good luck! I am still being diagnosed--now it looks like something called gastroparesis, where food stays in your stomach too long. Am having an endoscopy and colonoscopy in two weeks, but based on stomach X-rays, the doctor thinks food is not moving through "normally." Are you concerned about life without the band?

I've lost 55 pounds in six months, but have hit a three-week plateau. I had a fill a week ago, which I needed (I was far too interested in what was for dinner!) and now I am very restricted in the morning (which has always been the case), but sometimes that carries over through lunch. By evening I can eat fairly easily, but I'm starving, so I overeat. Has anyone else experienced this?

I have been banded for two years and have lost 80 pounds (wht 30 more to go). For the last few months I have had gas, pressure and amazingly loud stomach sounds that finally made me see my surgeon. Other things I was telling him made him suspect a slippage, but I had an upper GI and everything was OK--in fact, it showed that I needed a fill. Meanwhile, my primary physician has been treating the stomach problems, first trying Zantac, then lactaid, then digestive enzymes and now a proton pump inhibitor (presecription), none of which helps for very long. An endoscopy is next. Has anyone had a similar problem? It doesn't seem to be connected to what I eat or when I eat. Before this I never had a single stomach problem, but my primary says that my stomach, although not surgically altered, is not functioning the same as it was before. I know stomach irritation can be a side-effect of the band. Anyone?

I need to see a gastroenterologist and am looking for one in the Milwaukee area who has other patients who are banded. Can anyone recommend someone? Thanks.

Humana covered my surgery two years ago. I had to do six months of medically supervised diet and exercise, as well as all the standard stuff(doctor's letter of necessity, co-morbidities). I called Humana a few months ago because I thought I might be facing a slippage and they gave me a number for their bariatric department -- 866-486-5295, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time.

Thanks for your help. I am trying to find a gastroenterologist who is familiar with the band so I can get the opinion of a specialist.

Thanks so much for replying. I am now looking for a gastroenterologist who is familiar with the band. Not sure how easy that may be. I will post any useful information I get.

Your posting caught my eye because my name is Karen G., too! But when I started to read it, I realized that following your progress will be a good way for me to find out what the lower body lift is all about, since that is what I am thinking for myself when I reach goal. Good luck to you. You must be excited to be entering into the second half of your "transformation." I'm envious! Karen G.

Thank you so much for the five day web site. This is great. Have you done it?

What is the five-day pouch test?

I bruise after each fill (I've had two) and have stayed sore for as long as two weeks. My doc says as I lose more weight finding the port will become easier.