cashley

OMG.... it's already like that now... the for profit insurance companies are awful, I'm sure the government will be too, but I don't get this idea that it will be worse - it already sucks! I see commercials saying "Do you want the government making decision on your health care???? No - I don't want the big wig executives at Whatever Ins Company doing it either, I'd prefer that my doctor & me make those decisions.

This exactly my problem also but it's been going on for years. I get filled and the liquid reflux comes immediately I can hold out for maybe two weeks / I get unfilled and 20 pounds comes back on. It's been a roller coaster. I'm self pay and the barium swallows cost a lot each time they do and they don't find anything wrong. I actually feel I'm going to drown in the night. (I doesn't help that I lost a friend who died in the night after vomiting and aspirating) It's so sad and upsetting because I spend $17,500 on this which like to break me and now I can't even give it a chance to work.

I wish the band worked for me without fill... that would be great! THis has been going on since last July... fill / unfill / fill / unfill... It's been an frustrating cycle. Any fill at all and I have the bad acid then unfill and I eat too much (and get lectured on why I'm not making better choices - duh that's why I got the band because I obviously didn't make good choices) This is the first time I still have bad acid with the unfill... so now i'm scared but the barium didn't find anything and he's not concerned.

I've just read another slip question thread and I have a few more comments... I do aspirate acid at night which wakes me up for hours but it's better now with previcid & complete unfill - If I skip the previcid then it's back. I am starving since the unfill and can eat anything... so unlike many other people here with a slip who can't keep even liquids down with a slip... These are just a few points I thought I'd point out as I didn't feel I'd given all the information.

My doctor has been "screwing" with me for 6 months... he's filled and unfilled me and I have the most severe acid reflux.... He's got my band empty for the last month and I'm on previcid. I had a barium and he said everything looked fine with the band... even though the x-ray tech said I showed "severe acid reflux" when they layed me back. (He said he'd look at the x-rays personally and get back with me on my next appointment) I've had the band for two years and I don't know what changed to cause the acid as I've never had it before in my life. Something is certainly different and I have it now even though the band is unfilled. (plus I have the added hunger issue & have gained about 20 pounds) My question is for you all that have had slips... did it take a long time to finally diagnosis or do you know of anything else that would cause this "sudden" new problem.. (I loved my band before the acid)

I've had the band since 2/8/06... I lost about 55 pounds but then something happened and I started getting horrible acid reflux.... so bad I have a hard time getting any sleep some nights. He removed the Fluid from my band and it's slightly better but still bad. I'm disappointed in the band as it's not working any longer for me and I was self paid @ $17,900 / which isn't chump change. The good thing is my doctor is turning all the "acid reflux" testing into insurance so I don't have to pay much extra for now. I had great restriction and loved the band for about 8 months - he said there isn't any slip or problems he can see on the x-ray but I still have the severe acid. I can't have any fluid in my band so I don't have any restriction thus gaining 20 pounds. It's scary and disappointing and I don't have any advice. I just wish my band was still working for me.

I've been stuck at the same weight for a year and half.... it's because I'm not willing to go down to 600-800 calories. I've discovered that I will only lose if I eat only 600-800 calories a day. If I eat "normal" I stay the same or even gain. I also ride the elliptical 30 - 45 minutes 5-6 X Week and it makes me sad and fustrated that I have to do this for the rest of my life just to maintain. I also get sad when I see people make fun of "overweight" people saying they aren't trying hard enough. I'd like to see some of them live on 600 calories a day. They would say we didn't have to go to that extreme but I know it's true. I think once you get overweight your body really changes and we do have to work hard, try harder and live on less then someone who has never had a weight problem or who hasn't yo-yo'ed all their lives. Sometimes I feel sorry for myself but I try to put the negative thoughts out of my head but I paid $17500 of my own money for this and still it's a daily struggle not to gain my weight back.

Yes, I have the exact same problem and I hate it. I've been filled and unfilled a dozen times. I'm not losing weight any longer and hate the band...<br /> <br /> When I'm unfilled I don't have the acid but I also don't have any restriction. When I have even a slight fill I'm miserable and still don't lose weight as I lean toward eating unhealthy mushy stuff.<br /> <br /> The acid reflux in the night is the worst thing.

Maintaining weight loss is almost as hard as losing it in the first place. This is a tool for life. I would only have it removed it it was medically necessary or they had a really cool upgrade.

I agree 100%.... To me the band is not as healthy as another surgery even when other surgeries have malabsorbtion. The reason I feel that is if you get in the position either from a bad PB or overfill then you have the Reflux, vomiting, heartburn and constipation and it seems so hard to get out of that cycle once your are in it. It's like I've resigned to a friggin liquid diet for life to heal and then that leads to high calories junk food like milk shakes. Right now chocolate milk is the only thing that doesn't hurt my stomach... so I drink suger free quick in low fat milk... and I'm trying hard to heal so I can eat real food again. I've already been unfilled but my insides are just irritated and ucky! Once I heal, and gain weight they'll fill me again and it will start all over.

Is bulimic the one that throws up? I'm asking because I could see someone that had a problem with that in the past letting it happen again. I find myself wanting a sandwich or something I shouldn't eat and eating it even though I know it will make me throw up. I foresee it could be a very bad habit.

Actually I'm quite wishy washy on the entire subject so that's why I deleted my post. I'm a liberal democrate that wants small goverment, flat % taxes for all, less red tape, and assistance for the poor but not incentives to stay there... My big thing with being a liberal is I'm liberal minded... live and let live, freedom of religion and freedom from relegion (if that's what some people want). The right wing consertatives scare the hell out me with the fire and brimstone BS and I'd rather be a hippy touting peace love & rock&roll...

Wow! I should read all of this before I post... it's more serious then I thought.