Tranquility

To those of you who have had the band removed: If I have my band removed, will I be back to normal or will there be always lingering effects of being banded? I've had my band for 8 weeks now and have called or seen the doctor and other doctors too many times to count. I've had many of the usual tests, five different drugs (with horrible side effects), and so many complications. I want to have the band removed so that I will feel like I did before. I have no fill now, but am scared of food and disappointed in the way of life for a bandster. I know we are all different, but I will just say that for me, life is not good. I am so thirstyl I want to take a nice long drink of cold water so badly. If I am going to diet, I want to eat fruit and vegetables- not mashed potatoes and gravy. I have to put sauces, creams, and gravies on just about everything I eat to get it to go down without so much discomfort. I want to eat like a normal person. I vastly misunderstood the band. I thought that I would be eating smaller meals and feel satisfied. I did not know that I would have to chew food to the consistency of vomit before I swallowed. I knew I would eat slowly and said that was fine with me because I am the slowest eater -ever. I didn't understand that slowly meant newborn baby bites and eventually eating cold food everytime I ate. I'm not really losing -I guess because I am not hydrated and not eating enough protein. can't help that, I am doing all that I can tolerate. I've decided that I will give the band 6 months and then make my final decision. The problem for me is that I will be letting my family down. I know that I will probably not ever be able to lose weight in my lifetime now. I had such high hopes, but now am depressed all the time. I am not myself, not happy -ever. I hate this thing inside me. I hate that I'm in a situation that I can't control. I hate life. So, I hope that those who are mean-spirited will not answer my post -I am looking for those who have taken the band out -not those who have pent up anger and hostility and use message boards' anonymity to purge their demons:) Thanks in advance.

I hate it when people tell me this...but you will have to ask your doctor. Mine has given me 4 prescription medications and the only one that worked made me jittery and agitated, so I had to discontinue it. good luck

Hi, Bashful. First of all, you must be an angel sent by God to help this family!! I’ve read the responses here, and think they are ALL wonderful suggestions. I’ve been racking my brain trying to decide if anything might have been left out. I’m a high school English language arts teacher/reading coach, and one thing I do know is that the family has a great influence upon the child, and as the mother is illiterate, his problem could stem from lack of expose to literature –as well as a possible learning/emotional disability. Didn’t you once mention that his mother was impulsive and has a disregard for the nutritional value of the foods she eats? (Hey! Just because I know not to eat Twinkies, doesn’t mean that I didn’t eat them!) Another idea is that sounding out words will not entirely help reading comprehension. It is what we call calling the words, but not making meaning of the sentences. This is what I’d do if he were my child: Consider all of the other posts- they are spot on! Take him to a pediatrician for a complete physical exam. Call the school and make arrangements with a certified diagnostician, not school counselor, for testing. If he attends a good school (meaning heavily funded), I would request remedial classes, but if the school is over-crowded, please know that there is just so much that teachers can do for a child this far behind, sorry. Like I said, if he were my child, I might consider taking him to a private tutor. However, if the family, like me, has a limited income, that will cost quite a lot. So, at this point, I would have him placed in the school’s reading recovery program and do as you are-work with him one-on-one every single day. Begin with basic reading and check his comprehension frequently. (You are going to be a great mom someday. J) oh yes -spelling- great idea, the repetition is a good thing for him. Also,you might try flash cards. One more idea is that he might be a kinesthetic learner, which means that motion is helpful. What I did when I taught the lower grades was put shaving cream on the students' desks and have them 'finger paint' trace the spelling words. They enjoy this activity. Another idea is to use colored sidewalk chalk -(outside on the sidewalk : ))<<<my double chin smile

Hi. I hope that my experiences can spare you some time in research and worry. What you are describing is very much like, well just like, what I’ve got going on. I have a hard squeezing feeling under my Adams apple. It is very uncomfortable –miserable I’d say, not painful, but ever constant. Torture. At first, I thought that my band was not in place, so I called and requested testing. My surgeon finally sent me to the hospital for x-rays and a barium swallow test- no, they are not routine as part of the surgery. (My doctor’s office prefers to guess about these things- I do not.) I'm being sour and cranky here and freely admit it – unrelenting discomfort and anxiety does this to me. They found that my esophagus was in spasms. In the barium swallow test, I could see the barium just sit in my throat for a long while until it decided to go down. When I went over for the test results my doctor said that all was fine and that this is typical for having a large hiatal hernia repaired. I told her that it was not fine with me and that all day long all I could think about was that I felt like someone was choking me. She said it would go away in two weeks and gave me two medications at my request. I took the medications and called within one week because the symptoms had not subsided. The doctor told me that she would not give me anything else for one more week because it would take time and that the next medication would make me sleepy. Now, three weeks later and 7 weeks of misery, I still have the problems. I go in to see her tomorrow. One note, I have no fill, they took out what they put in during surgery at week two. I can eat most anything that I want, but need to eat slowly and small amounts. And now, my second biggest worry is that I’ve gotten into the habit of eating too many sauces, creams and gravy in order to make food go down –at all. I still have the throat problem. It is dysphagia- esophageal spasms. I’m not happy, but I do hope very much that yours will go away very soon! Hope this helps, and let me know… ps. Stay away from cold foods as these can exacerbate the problem.

Oh gosh! let me know what the doc says....

I am so happy for you! Not only have you lost lots of weight, but to get rid of the 'stomach butt' is wonderful. I know when you are completey recovered from your surgery, you will be prancing around in a swim suit...good for you ! and good motivation for us! ps. telll us all about it...how much money ?? did insurance cover any? how long did you have to be at, or near your goal weight to qualify? Who was your doc? Did you hurt a lot??

Last night, I tossed and turned -my back is killing me and wakes me up. So, I tried sleeping on my left side. It hurt like heck, but I tried to not give up. The upper part of my stomach, where all of the incisions and port are felt like.. my guts were pushing the port. it hurt terribly. My back is hurting so badly from sleeping on my back for 5 weeks. Do you know if is possible to make the band or port come out of place from side sleeping? fyi... I am still hurting with a burning pain at all of my incision sites. I've taken a half dose of hydrocone, but still hurt. I would really like to hear from someone who has experience with this kind of problem -side sleeping -burning pain all day...

Jennifer, your friend must be out of her mind! Seriously, I agree with one of the other posters that the psych eval is sometimes a joke -I was sent to their 'preferred doc' and she practically guided me in making the 'correct' responses. I think she would be best off to immediatly begin psychological counseling, but I doubt if she would take that advice either and that is sad. I'm eating 'regular' foods now and am nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs everytime I eat a new food. I ate watermelon the other day and was so scared that it was too stringy that I gave up even though I've been craving whole fruits. And a shout out to Restless, who does not pat me on the head, but rather gives me a good NCIS thump :glare:when I go crazy and mess up. Advise your friend to go for therapy and then wash your hands of the whole matter.

I've had the same problem for 5 weeks now. I had a barium swallow test and discover that I'm having esophageal spasms. am taking medine for it, past two weeks, but still having them. Did you have a barium swallow test? Do you know whether or not you are also having esophageal spasms? hope you get better soon, it is miserable to always be aware of the band...

sorry to hear that you are having a hard time with the fill. how many cc's do you have in your band now?

UPDATE: I tried all the modifications for side sleeping and nothing works well for me. I definitely cannot sleep on my right side as that is where the port was placed. Last night, I tossed and turned -my back is killing me and wakes me up. So, I tried sleeping on my left side. It hurt like heck, but I tried to not give up. The upper part of my stomach, where all of the incisions and port are felt like.. my guts were pushing the port. it hurt terribly. My back is hurting so badly from sleeping on my back for 5 weeks. Do you know if is possible to make the band or port come out of place from side sleeping?

How long have you been banded? Can you eat pancakes with no problem? I'd love to have some!

It's funny how our perspective changes. At work, we had a potato bar lunch and the food that I wanted most was the salad with fresh tomatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, carrots, croutons, cheese, bacon bits, and ranch dressing. Before my band, I would have been insulted by the mere presence of cold, raw vegetables! :thumbup: of course, I'd die for one slice of pizza:blush:and the craziest thing is that I'd LOVE to chug two glasses of cold water.

Hey, that is almost exactly my question: How can I get that much protein when eating only 1/2 cup per meal 3 times a day...BUT without a proteing drink or powder? I can't bear the smell or taste.

Yes, I do. I'm also a teacher and we returned to work this week. I'm not accustomed to sitting without getting up and stretching when I want to. Today I was in and out of inservice meetings and found it really difficult to 'look like' I was paying attention when all I could think about was that my back and shoulder were killing me! (It has been more the back for me.) My incisions were also hurting and I found myself hugging my belly without thinking. It was embarrassing when I looked at the person I was speaking to, and they were following my hand to my stomach with their eyes. By the end of the day, I was wishing for the hydrocodone! I have no advice though : ( sorry.:biggrin: Good Luck with the new school year! (I'm five weeks post op)

Thanks so much Emmylou, I don't see any relationship that triigers the spasms, they pretty much stay there always. I am glad for you that yours went away and am hoping that mine will too. Strange, but today I took a xanaX hoping that it might relax my e, and it did somewhat,,,don't want to take them much though... have ta work you know... ANyone else with the problem??

I had a h hernia repaired and since then I've had esophageal spasms. My doc gave me a medicine, but it does no good. I'd love to hear from you all to know if this is unusual or frequently the case.

I had a hernia repaired too. I believe this is why I've had such a difficult time healing. What about your esophagus? Do you have spasms?

I have BCBS of Texas. It took about 8 days for approval.

So glad to hear you are okay, I was worried about you! And, yes, get the junk food OUT of the house!...maybe if Dalena's son has to walk to the market to get his chips, he will think twice about what is on the table!!! I know it is hard to enforce a rule that you really deep down would like to not partipate in. Yikes! I want junk too :sad: Be firm! love ya

Yes, this week I can have shredded chicken or tuna. Next week, I go on to real food...and I am scared

Sorry this is long...but I do need your input... How do you know the difference between being "full" and the possibilty of eating the wrong food? I FINALLY got to eat Mexican today. It was wonderful...all the flavors and spices! Spicey foods never made me ill before, but I did have a hernia repaired. My surgery was 3 and 1/2 weeks ago. I ate the shredded chicken from a chicken enchilada, refried Beans, and tortilla Soup -minus the cheese and tortillas. I had some hot sauce, no seeds just the juice, and did eat a total of maybe two chips dipped in the salsa. I took newborn baby bites and waited a good while in between. But, after I ate, I didn't feel very good. I had to lie down and relax for a while, and for the next 3- hours I didn't feel well. I have either diaphram spams or esesophageal spasms, I don't know which, so I take a medicine to help with that, but it does not relieve my symptoms. SO. how do I know if I ate too much or ate the wrong food (spicey)? or, just the spasms?

yes, yes, yes All of the posts describe my relationship with food and especially Water. I can tell you what I did when I was having the most difficulty -the first 7 days... Everyone warned me that dehydration was a real possibility and some described visits to the emergeny room. SO, I called my doctor, of course they put me on with the nurse, and told them how I was doing...eating only teaspoons full of broth and drinking 1-5 ounzes of water. They told me to watch for dizziness and nausea and to come in the next week. I was glad that I called because then they had advance warning in case I had a severe reation. I didn't, but at least I knew that they would be ready for me. Later, I went in and found out that they had put 2.5 cc's of a fill in without telling me and that my hernia repair was extensive! Needless to say, they took out the fill. BUT, 3 weeks later, and I STILL cannot drink much! After tests, barium swallow... I learned that my diaphram was in spasms and that the liquid was sticking in my esophougus until...it got good and ready to go down. SO, jsut to let you know the many possibilities...AND to encourage you to keep in constant contact with the doctor's office! good luck....I am so thirsty :thumbup:

Oh, I'm sorry, I know this is a scary time! BUT, Don't worry just yet, there are a few things you can do. Call your doctor and see if there are any of his previous patients who might volunteer to be your 'angel'. Sometimes there are others who've gone through the same operation and would love to step in to be there for you. Another option you might have is to contact the hospital and ask for a 'patient advocate'. They should have someone on staff who can be there to at least ask questions and take notes, if you are unable, so that you have everything for when you return. I know I would be there for you if you weren't so far away-I just had my surgery on the 22nd of July, so I realize just how much you need someone at a time like this. Don't give up! Keep asking until you find someone.....Good LUCK!!!! : ) ps. where are you?

Yay for Erin!