health1st

Geezersue, if the band can causes this, is there anything we can co to avoid Esop. Mobility problems? Or does it just happen in some people who may have had problems before? It makes sense that the band can cause problems, it almost totally alters the digestive process so there are going to be issues. I see what seems to be a lot of problems associated with the band and the eshophagus, especially if there is a over-fill, or maybe eating too much or the wrong things. I am wondering if it just happens or it can be avoided? (Please, I am not pointing fingers here, just trying to avoid any problems if I can, I've already had a slipped band immediately after being banded so I understand that one can DO NOTHING and have complications!) I have this band now so I have to be responsible and learn as much as I can.

There is a lapband support group meeting the 4th Monday of every month at Rose, have you been to it? Banders from everywhere. It is interesting to hear all the stories.15-20 people each week. I agree with the slow fills, that is my plan. What was the amount of your 1st fill and what band do you have? I feel great now. I just need to figure out why they couldn't do a fill. My mind goes to the worst but it could be the port is just deep. I can't feel it and I have a lot of belly fat.

One more: It may be too late since you are on liquids but I practiced chewing a lot before I swallowed food pre-op. It really helped when it was time to do the real thing. My wisdom to you is after surgery follow the Docs orders, don't eat solid food until they tell you to, drink lots of Water, don't push it, take your time, let your stomach heal, its been thru a lot. Some say the sugery is a breeze. Mine was not, it was several weeks before I had normal energy. I could have worked but I took the time to take care of myself and get into a routine of eating 5 small meals a day. Hard to do when you are working.

Don't know about Meridian but why not just follow the Doc's recommendations. For a protien drink, I liked Isopure that you can get at GNC. I still use it in the morning now when I am tight or just want to give my stomach a rest. Or need a quick Protein and don't have time to fix something. It tastes OK, easy to get down and has lots of protien.

Robin, if you don't mind sharing, what complications did you have right after surgery?

YES! Not in patches, just a lot of hair in by brush. But it has finally slowed down. In may case I doubt it was the weight loss. I lost 100 pounds 15 years ago, faster than this and I NEVER had hair loss. I think it has to do with the truama of my surgery and not eating much for a few weeks and a totally change in diet. At least everyone says it grows back.

Yes, Dr. Snyder, Rose Medical center in Denver. You? My first band was also May 2.

Question: If they have to replace the tubing, is that major surgery or what? They attempted a fill (not under flouro) and they couldn't find my port. They hit metal once. I am sore and brused. So I cried "uncle" after about 15 minutes, 4 different needles and asked for a flouro. I wish I would have read this sooner, I would have just done the flouro in the first place.

Cathy, I'm glad you are getting it checked out. If you wait too long there can be damage to your stomach and you don't want that. The wonderful thing about our bodies is that they do recover. When they went in for the 2nd surgery I told them just to take the DARN thing out, I was in so much pain. But my Doc and my husband encouraged me to get it fixed. I am glad they did talk me into it. I feel so good today I can almost cry with relief and joy! So hang in there, you'll get thru this!! PLEASE keep us posted. I'll EM you my phone number incase you need to talk to someone while you are there or have some questions. I'm not an expert by anymeans but I do have some experiece with what your are going thru. (Oh, I'll be in Mexico too this week, Guadalajara for a vacation but will have my cell phone with me and can call you back.

Cathy, I am so sorry you are having trouble so soon. I know the feeling and the pain! I am no expert, so you'll have to take what I say with a grain of salt.. . . . .but yes, your symtoms are very similiar to what I had with a slipped band. You just can't eat or drink anythiing and I felt terrible. One of the possible reasons a band slips is vomiting, also coughing a lot. It is rare but I am living proof that "rare" can happen. Your Doc will probably do a flourscope to see what's up. That's the test where you swallow some awlful tasting stuff that shows up on an x-ray. Then they do a kind of live x-ray to see what the Fluid is doing. Is the fluid pooling above your band? Is some of it going thru the band into your lower stomach? Is the band placed in the correct place, etc. If the band has slipped they might have to repair it with a 2nd surgery. Sometimes they can do a complete unfill to fix a slipped band but you don't have a fill. The good news is I felt much better in relative terms after the 2nd surgery with a proper band that works. Excpet I was VERY tired for 8 weeks because of the complications and anethisia (and I'm 55) but I am much better now. You might want to investigate the VG band. There are some treads on this board. Keep us posted and sending you warm wishes that all is well. By the way: It is very important to keep your fluids up. If you get dehydrated it can make surgery to repair the band delayed until they get you hydrated. Just sip all the time.

Cathy, The Doc said it was hard to tell why my band slipped right out of surgery but .... . . . . . .he thought I had a lot of adhesions around my stomach to my diaphram and maybe in recovery where they have you cough so much I just pulled my stomach thru. (He got rid of many adhesions in the 2nd surgery.) I did NOT vomit in recovery. He wasn't sure why There is a possibility he just goofed up but I don't think so. He is very well respected and has done the most bands of any Doc in Colorado. I felt he was very honest with me during the whole ordeal. He was consulting with the most well-known band docs in the US, they all told him just to wait, it would settle down. After 4 days, he said "you should be getting better, let's take a look", and sure enough a prolasped/slipped band. I was a self pay and he did work with the hospital to keep my bill way down. And finally, maybe it is just one of those rare occurances, sh_t happens. I do think it should have showed up on the TWO flouroscopes they did post op but I haven't requested the films. Anyway, long story and short story, I'll never know for sure. BUT I am very careful about what I eat!!! And am scared of a bad fill where a slipped band might recur again. It is very painful!

Curley, one more thing, the Inamed VG band has only been out about 8 months I think, so it is newer. Could be good or maybe not? You've got to figure they are trying to make the bands better? Better materials, better design? One would hope!

Curley, this is my very non-medical understanding of the VG band, 10cc. The Inamed Vanguard band is larger in circumfrence and the area inside the band that holds the saline solution is like little pillows. It is suppose to let the food pass easier because it gives a little more. I looked at all the bands my Doc had and it was the most flexible, softer material. I've heard the downside of the VG is that getting the "sweet" spot restiction is harder. I've never PB'd or had any food get stuck. I can eat anything. Maybe not always so good. There are some threads on different sizes of bands and the VG band.

Hello May Bandsters, is it too late to join? Hello to all of you fellow May Bandsters! My catch up experience with the band: I was banded first on May 2, 2006 and re=banded May 5 due to slipped band (maybe I should start my own club called "twice sliced??!" :nervous ). I was in the hospital 5 days in severe pain. Doc didn''t know why, he never suspected a slipped band. Finally they went back in and found the slipped band. Very rare I'm told. I had a very slow recovery but finally feel very good. It took about 8 weeks to feel somewhat normal because of the 2 surgeries I guess. I did lose quite a bit of weight at first because of the trauma my stomach went thru. Guess there is an upside to everything. I was really out of it. It took me a long time before I was OK with my decision to be banded. THEN I went in for my first fill this week and they couldn't find my port. After 15 minutes of poking around with 4 different needles, longer each time, I cried "uncle" and they scheduled a floro fill in 2 weeks. I now call my port the "stealth port". I have some restriction but I have to find a lot of will power not to over eat. The good news is I"ve never PB'd or had any food get stuck and I can eat anything, eggs, bread, whatever. I ended up with the Vangard band and I'm glad. I went into the surgery a little naive. I was sure none of the possible complications would happen to me. Now I am afraid that I'll have more complications so generally I am pretty careful about what I eat and really want to avoid a bad fill. I am riding my bike and swimming and have a lot more energy. The first time I rode my bike thru a field with the beautiful Colorado Rockies as a backdrop, I cried with joy. It's been a long time and I NEVER appreciated being active like I do now! It is glorious! I am a grateful bandster now but still a little gun shy of possible problems I read about. I'll do just about anything to avoid more complications, it keepes me honest. Sorry this is so long but now you have my updated bandster story. I'd like to join the September Challenge. I'd like to be under 200 pounds by mid-September. That's 10 pounds in 6 weeks. Do-able excecpt that I am going on vacation and don't have a first fill for 2 weeks. Oh those are jsut lame excuses, I can do it! I am very grateful for this board and this thread and most of the time, my band! Barbara

PB'ing is a productive burp! And slimming is when you have some food stuck and you salivate a lot! If you've ever vomited, you know how you get a lot of saliva just before, well it is like that, I think, only it lasts a long time. Sometimes a PB is more than a burp, some food may come back up. I've not PB'd but I understand that it isn't too bad as the food that comes back up usually doesn not contain stomach acid. Do a search, there are lots of posts on it, and it is common. I congratulate you on asking the questions pre-banding!!! Do your research!

We have to stick together, share our ups and downs, it will get us thru this. The past week I"ve been drinking the GNC Protein drink in the AM and sometimes even lunch. It seems to give my stomach a rest because then in the afternoon food seems to settle better. I am still losing weigh so I'm going to hold off on a fill but wonder if I need to do some kind of test to see if I have a port problem? (They couldn't do a fill, couldn't find my stealth port! Wonder where it is?)

upps, the GB (gastric bypass) was never an option. At least if you have band complications you can get it out.

leatha & curley, I feel for both of you. Pre-banding, we are all between a rock and a very hard place. You are even in a tigher spot. By back against the rock, being obese, I was doomed for poor health at some point. I was pretty sure I'd be in wheel chair by the time I was 65. (55 now) And the hard spot of possible complications of gastric weight loss surgery. So far I'd still choose the hard spot however there have been days...........the BP was never an option. At least if you have band complications you can get it out. You probably know this but there are new bands available since you had your band that seem to be kinder to the stomch. I have the Vangard band and I've never PB'd and so far no problem with any food, even bread and eggs. Keep us posted and all my best wishes to you. (**A thought: You may already tried this but for the past few weeks most mornings I just drink the GNC protien drink and sometimes even for lunch. It seems to give my pouch a break and I'm not usually very hungry in the AM. Then later in the day when I eat food it seems to settle better. I have the VG band with no fill. (it seems I have a "stealth" port and they couldn't do a fill. Another challenge for me, so I am avoiding a fill. I don't even want to know that it is flipped or ??)

GeezerSue, thanks for the "example", it works for me. Overeating is a term that is pretty meaningless to most people. Inamed said to only eat 2 oz at a sitting. I know I eat more than that most of the time. So is that overeating? Probalby in lapband definitions. I don't think my Doc said too much about this as a complication. It seems there needs to be more detailed information about the possible complications of the band. Like what it means in terms of pain, trouble, more doc apts, $$$, losing the band, etc. I accept that the band is relatively new but I wonder if anyone is keeping stats on the onoging complications. Inamed?

My band=buddy has been banded 4 years and no problems. Just one time some food got stuck and she PB'd. She's kept her weight off and is careful about what she eats, follows the rules. She looks fantatic. I on the other had had complications but there is no way I could have lost the weight on my own so I would do it again. I hope my complication days are over. When I rode a bike for the first time in 8 years, I cried it was so joyful!

Randi, I agree, everyone has some problems, it is only a matter of time. I had complications with my surgery right out of the gate (slipped band) and was in intense pain and remained in the hospital for 4 days and the Doc couldn't figure out what was wrong. It was horrible. I know what restriction is from a slipped band and I am so scared to get a fill. Yesterday I went for my 1st fill and they couldn't find the port, poked around for 15 minutes and I am really sore today. I have to go back in 2 weeks and do the fill with a floro and I am so scared it will be too tight and then I'll have all the problems that go with it. I may chicken out. I really am NOT a softie, rather tough in fact. I figured I'd fly thru this surgery because I had no co=morbity problems. Not so lucky. I know I"ll have to do a fill eventully because I am having to do more will power these days than being able to use the tool properly with restriction. I read about the problems with too tight of a fill and think I'd rather avoid it and just try to eat the right way. I do have some restriction. I also have the VG band which I understand is easier on some foods. I just don't know. A little scared of the possible problems with a bad fill.

I don't want to join! You've got me scared and I'll do anything not to be a canidate for the PB club. I am so sorry you all had to go thru it!! Right now I can eat anything and have tried everything the past 2 weeks. Bread, eggs, pizza, sushi, all of it, sometimes in quantity. No problem. BUT I know it is only a matter of time and the PB's will get me! If not PB"s then I'll stretch the pouch by eathing too much and that can bring so many complications. Why do I test the limits?!!!?? SO I'm back on the wagon, I don't want to temp fate and mess around. I did that pre-banding and look where that got me. It really helps to read these things!! We've got to stick together! I read the possible complications pre-banding but to hear the actual experience is much more meaningful and hits home. I really mean it, sorry you had to go thru it but I really do appreciate this board and you sharing your experience. I am humbled!

Thanks for the info. I did wait too long for a fill, I was scared. I had complications when they placed the band, I just didn't want to have more! Then yesterday I went in for my first fill (not under floro) and they stabbed me 15 minutes and couldn't find the port. I'm pretty sore today. So now I wait 2 weeks for one under floro with my Doctor doing it. I agree with you about getting it under floro, that way I can be sure it goes OK AND they can take look to be sure all is OK. More $$ but I saved that much on food this month, easy! I really don't want to lose this band. Losing weight is mostly will power now and being terrified of band or pouch complications. Funny, pre-banding the fear of diabetes etc didn't keep me from over eating, but the pain of a slipped band AND now feeling so good and being so active, I don't want to go back to being 250+. NEVER! I'll so whatever it takes!

One more thing on eating too much in my post above.....I had no restriction, I haven't had a fill yet. I tried to get a fill yesterday (not under floro) and they couldn't find my port so in 2 weeks I am back in for a fill under floro. I just hope there are no compliations with my port. Until then I'll be real careful (will power now) so I don't stretch my pouch.

I spent 2 weeks overeating, not like pre-band but way too much with NO problem, no PB, no pain. I'm back to being very careful. I am not sure but I think the thead listed in Title above is a vertical sleeve. It is in Life after Lap Band Removal area.