badmadmama

I had a hiatal hernia, which became much worse after the lap band surgery. The endoscopy showed that my entire stomach had migrated to my chest, and was pressing on my esophagus. The surgeon wanted to fix the hernia and relocate the band, but said that the scar tissue was so extensive that he couldn't get the band around it. I am bummed out, because I lost 70 pounds with the band, and have gained 20 back.

Thanks, I'll ask him when I see him. The weird thing is, I'm losing weight. When I had the lap band and the hernia, I was still hungry, even though I couldn't swallow any more. So I was hitting the ice cream, etc.. Now, I eat a decent sized meal, and it sticks with me. We'll see how it goes.

Actually, he WAS the second opinion. The first surgeon, Dr. Myers at Rush, said that any further surgery on the hiatal hernia (he did a fundaplication when he put the band in) would lead to band failure. I then contacted Dr. Alverdy at University of Chicago, who has published many scientific studies and has been named as one of the top surgeons in Chicago. (He saved my husband's life in 2000 when he had acute pancreatitis and another hospital had told me to make funeral arrangements.) Dr. Alverdy was confident that he could repair the hiatal hernia permanently and replace the band. But apparently, when they got in, there was a lot of band erosion (it had basically grown into the stomach wall) and scar tissue. He tried several different bands in different places, but none were large enough to go around the scarring - when he put them on, they just slipped to the end of the esophagus, so I would have been right back where I had been. After trying to manipulate the stomach several different ways, it started to tear, so he decided that my health was more important than the band at that point. So we can't talk about any other options until I heal. I have a huge hematoma - my entire stomach is purple - and am too swollen to get any of my pants on. My abdomen is sore, but I don't have the awful chest pain that I was having prior to the surgery.

It was very weird, he said it so matter-of-factly. You expect to hear, "now you'll need to really watch what you eat and exercise, so you don't gain the weight back." I suppose if you devote yourself to obesity surgery, you have to think that some people just can't control their weight any other way. I honestly think that was the best thing for him to say to me - if he started talking about diet and exercise, I would have gotten so angry. So now it's up to me to show him that I CAN maintain my weight without the band. I still want to lose the 20 pounds that I gained - I feel that going out and buying new clothes is acknowledging defeat. Thanks, Eileen

Is anyone still around on this thread? I had to have the band removed last week. There was so much scarring from reflux and the hiatal hernia that they were unable to but another band on, so there I am. Dr. Alverdy said that I could still have gastric bypass, but I would have to gain the weight back to qualify. Just swell. I gained back 20 pounds before the surgery - I need it OFF. Not eating much, but it's impossible to see where my weight is now, because I'm so swollen with fluid from the surgery.

My girlfriend's sister went to Mexico for her lap band surgery. The facilities there are ultra-luxurious, and they do everything to make it easy for people to come there from the US. If I was self-pay, I would definitely check it out. A lot of the surgeons there DID come here to teach lap band methods.

Dr. Myers, at Rush, was actually trained by Dr. Santiago Horgan, who went to school in Argentina and was one of the first doctors to bring lap band surgery to the US. Dr. Myers did my lap band surgery.

I eat a bowl of regular (not instant) oatmeal every day, barely microwaved (less than a minute) and fruit galore, and I'm still constipated. So my doctor prescribed Amitiza - works like a charm.

You don't have to have the band removed - all they have to do is take the Fluid out. Takes two seconds!

I've lost 60 pounds since being banded a year ago, and only had about ten pounds to go. I got into a bad habit of snacking after work, and realized that my pants were getting tight! Sure enough, I had GAINED over 10 pounds! So this is what I did. I bought six four-pound bags of sugar, and sat them next to the sofa where I watch tv. You wouldn't BELIEVE how heavy four-pound bags of sugar are! I would have to say that I'm about 90% better with my snacking now. Ten pounds just doesn't seem like a lot when you've been so overweight - I was absolutely horrified to realize how heavy they were! Eileen

I'm a SUGAR ADDICT. Portion Control is no problem. Choosing the right foods to eat (fish, etc) is no problem. I can have just a few bites at a meal and I'm satisfied. But put a bag of candy or some Desserts in front of me, and I eat them until they are GONE, no matter how much is there. Ice cream? Whole carton. Candy? Whole bag. God forbid they bring a birthday cake into work - I'm fighting for the corner, and sneaking everyone else's leftover frosting that they thought was "too sweet" to eat. Eileen One year out - 240 to 180, but creeping back up!!!

I totally understand. I have torn the house apart like a crazy person looking for chocolate. I worked in a building that didn't have a vending machine, and I would get the shakes. I had a party this weekend and ate everything in sight that was left, which, of course, was all the desserts! I can't even eat certain hard candy, because I won't stop until it's gone. And I am a stress eater, big time - the more stress, the more sugar. Do you know that scientists did a study and offered rats sugar in one place and cocaine in the other, and the rats chose the SUGAR??? Anyway, I have one recipe that helps. In the morning, I make a very thick oatmeal with cocoa powder, Splenda and a spoonful of crunchy Peanut Butter. It is almost like a cookie, or a candy bar, and the oatmeal provides some bulk and also stays with you. I also make my own iced coffees with flavored coffee, skim milk, and Splenda. Why give Starbucks $4? I also got the very worst Halloween candy that I could find - sour something. But I am SO bad. I can't make any desserts that have more than one serving, because I eat them all. Even with the sugar-free fudgsicles, I can't stop until I've had about three. There is NOTHING like the buzz that I get from sugar - I don't even know if it's the taste anymore... Eileen

Actually, I was having awful sugar cravings until I increased my carbs. I was trying just to eat lean protein and veggies - once I added a little bread, it made a big difference (I eat the crust and throw away the soft middle). Eileen