Baba Wawa

Call your doctor today. Whether it is sleep apnea or reflux, it is dangerous. Keep us posted.

There is going to be a major rethinking of the concept of banding. In Germany, they're no longer doing bands and doing some extensive studies on those who have or have had bands to determine if its a viable option for WLS moving forward.

If our band isn't too tight, food can get "packed" in there by eating too fast, for sure. For about 15 months I was fine, only stuck once when we were on vacation and I tried to eat tuna w/o mayo. :-/ What I'm speaking of is the reported "self-tightening" or "fickle" band. Yes, you might get a sign that it's time to stop, or maybe not. My band would seem to be fine, no unpleasant feeling, meal seemed to go down fine. A half hour later, boom, up it would come. It was as if someone squeezed a bulb syringe. I found out it was spasms. My warning is really meant for those who start to have heartburn or reflux that had "resolved" with banding. It's a very early sign of damage to the LES and if dealt with ASAP, further damage can be avoided, It's important to note that my situation deteriorated after a complete unfill. Prior to that, the band had actually tightened (15 months after my last fill) to the point that barium would only drip thru the stoma. I have a feeling that when I have the band removed, there will be a lot of scar tissue under the band.

That looks like retained food. I've been doing this for a while and coughed up grey pieces of old food...nasty. Get your band checked out ASAP.

Yes, this site has a lot of people who like to dwell on the delivery style, rather than reading the actual information, lol. I've not encountered this elsewhere. I guess if you're not in the situation of needing to have your band removed, in constant distress (physical and emotional) it doesn't seem relevant. If you have the misfortune to be in need of the info, it makes a lot of sense. It's like the difference between empathy and sympathy. You can feel empathy for someone if you have experienced what is causing them distress or pain. If not, and you're a kind person, you can sympathize with them.

Please read this with an open mind. It might just save your band and damage later on. I've been trying to figure this out, since my Dx was confirmed last week. I kept my band loose, 3.5 cc in 11 cc Realize C band. I ate per my doctor's and nutritionist's directions. I didn't drink with meals, though drinking with meals might be better. I cut my food into 1/4 inch pieces, chewed 15-25 times. In fact, I was doing all this for 3 months prior to surgery. I ate 1/2 to 1 cup food, taking 20-30 min to finish. I stopped eating with the "soft stop" signs. I've come across some information that might explain what happened to me and why. So what's the problem? The problem is that our pouch can only hold 1-2 oz of food. A half cup is 4 oz. If you're a little bit too tight, food will be retained in the pouch, putting back pressure on the gastroesophageal junction. Eating a cup of food a year or more out, isn't unusual and this would be 4-8 times the capacity of the pouch. As we're told not to drink at all with our meals, the food stays in the pouch, longer, which can be a problem. Any random tightening, a fickle band, can have disastrous consequences to the esophageal function. An ounce is appx 29 cc, my manometry test involved just 45 cc of saline (about 1.5 oz). It doesnt take much to cause problems. The esophagus is not intended to hold food at all. Continued episodes of this causes nerve damage and will present initially as heartburn or GERD symptoms. This is misleading and potentially damaging. How many times have you seen a post where someone states their heartburn had returned and their doctor puts them back on a PPI? What is needed is an Esophogram to determine if they've become too tight (if its been some time since their last fill) or a small unfill if they've had a recent fill. If there is any chest or epigastric pain, further tests would be in order to rule out esophageal problems. Manometry can pick up small changes indicating damage that cannot be seen with EGD or UGI, avoiding further damage by unfilling the band or removing it all together. This sort of explains why the "rules" around eating and drinking with a band might result in fewer complications and that quicker pouch emptying might be a good thing. I've been drinking with meals again for a few months, but have noticed no difference in satiety. Let me emphasize something here. This post is intended to educate and share knowledge in order to spare someone else the problems so many of us have had. Most of the time achalasia secondary to AGB is reversible with emptying or removing the band, but it is a contraindication to VSG, eliminating that surgery as an option for revision. Getting a band might prevent a person from being able to revise to their surgery of choice, eliminating all but malabsorptive options (RNY and DS). http://www.ajronline.org/doi/full/10.2214/AJR.04.0655 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1381%2F09608920677522200 5?LI=true http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22411570 http://www.searchmedica.com/xml-resource.html?c=pc&ss=defLin k&p=Funnelback&rid=http%3A%2F%2Fubm-search01.squiz.co.uk%2Fs earch%2Fcache.cgi%3Fcollection%3Dpubmed%26doc%3D61%252F21683 804.xml%26off%3D0%26len%3D-1%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fubm- search01.squiz.co.uk%252Fpublic%252Fpubmed%252F21683804.xml& t=pubmed

Almost 3 years and my band is coming out due to complications.

We all have to keep an open mind about "medical breakthroughs". Most fizzle, don't work out and do damage in the process. I sort of feel like a lab rat right now. As long as this device is available, it will sell. It SEEMS like a less invasive option, but after all the problems and tests, I feel pretty invaded right now. I've had worse tests, but not many, and I've had a lot. The manometry was like swallowing a zipper :-p

Frederic, you have quite a way with words . I don't care if someone reads my posts and disagrees or thinks they're negative re bands, that's fine. It's the atmosphere of hostility on this site that is appalling to me. We're adults. We should be able to read posts that we may not agree with (read the entire post, links, etc) and not lose our minds about it, not become rude or hostile or tell the OP they should have worded it differently or clarified which forum they posted. I've been polite. I've tried to share knowledge and experience. I've been attacked, vilified and stalked. I've remained polite. I'm only posting negative band experience on the complications forum and truly being supportive of those who have bands, have chosen to get bands and will only advise against it when the OP is asking openly for help deciding between band and sleeve. So what's the problem? The way I see it, it's that minds have been poisoned against me and there's not much I can do about it. I've tried. I've been Dx with a terrible disorder that my band has caused. For those who think banding wont involve re-routing of the digestive system, think again. I could lose my entire esophagus.

So sorry you're having this! it should be a happy time for you, retiring, looking forward to your new home. Your story is way too familiar to mine. Unfortunately, my reflux didn't come on suddenly, but with just chest and epigastric pain during the night, coming on suddenly and radiating up to the left shoulder, arm, neck and jaw. It only lasted for a minute or so and subsided with a sip of water and changing position. The severe reflux showed up after emptying the band, so keep alert if the symptoms don't subside, post unfill. Sometimes our kids troubles are harder to bear than our own...hang in there. I hope your unfill gives you relief!

This doesn't look to be surgery related hair loss, which occurs pretty evenly throughout the scalp area. You might consider talking to your dermatologist about it. Hair loss that starts at the crown like that is usually pattern baldness and occurs in females as well as males.

I wouldn't count calories, per se. Follow your band food plan, let the calories take care if themselves. 1/2 cup meal, including 3-4 oz dense, lean protein, the rest low carb veggies. You can snack on string cheese, NF Greek yogurt ranch and raw veggies. I would count protein grams (60-80 per day) and avoid white carbs and processed food. You will lose doing this. Hang in there...I've lost with my band 100% empty for 10 months.

Carolina Girl, don't worry about what your granddaughte remembers...you need to keep doing this for YOU. Role models aren't about how we look, but more about how we behave, in which case, you are 5*****

I'll never forget my 21 yr old granddaughter at age two, telling me, Nini gotta big ASS, lol. She doesn't remember...innocence.

I would do it, but expect to revise at some point. The bigger problem is that I most likely cannot revise due to damage from my band. Given the same options at the same time, yes. Today, no. I would choose VSG.

Congrats Missy! You look amazing!

Procrastination is the fear of success. People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the 'someday I'll' philosophy.” Denis Waitley I've often asked myself "What is it you're afraid of?" This is a scary question, because once asked, there is an implied responsibility to change something in our lives. Identifying what scares us can be difficult. One tool my counselor gave me was that after every response, I was to ask myself "Why" until I got to the point I had identified the root cause. In business we called this "drilling down" and it can truly be gut wrenching and painful. An example of a root cause analysis might go like this: *Why can't I lose weight? I eat more calories than I expend. Why? I'm always hungry. Why? I don't even think about how I feel. Why? I feel uncomfortable and want to eat when I think about how I feel. Why? I don't know how to change. Why? I haven't learned how to change the way I eat. Why? I'm afraid I will fail. Root cause: fear of learning how to eat properly and take personal responsibility for success or failure. This "personal responsibilty" issue is a big one. Many of us have been victims of abuse, neglect, crimes, etc. When we continue to live in the "victim suit", we give our abuser our power. We do this because we haven't faced the reality that someone we trusted and loved hurt us. Facing that reality can be more painful than living as a victim, or so we think. When we face the facts and hold our abuser responsible, there is a big shift in power and responsibility. We take ownership of our actions, feelings and well being and we give the guilt and responsibility for the abuse back where it belongs, with the person who hurt us. Sitting in a chair and telling a therapist that your mother didn't protect you from a predatory male in your family can be one of the most painful truths to acknowledge. The person who was responsible for nurturing, protecting, putting you ahead of herself, did not. I know, I've done it, it hurt like hell. Once we acknowledge our truth, whatever it is, we take back the power to change our lives. We first work on the thoughts, the negative self-talk. Practice telling yourself that you are worth it, you are powerful, you will change one thing at a time. Maybe, this week, you give up one carb loaded treat you think you enjoy (I say think, because often we don't really enjoy them...it's a habit, not a pleasure). Next is the action step: Just do it! Throw it away if you have it in the house, then buy something healthy to eat as a substitute. Maybe you're the type of person who does it cold turkey...rid the house of ALL processed foods and beverages. Think of the power you take in doing this! Imagine yourself eating healthy nutritious foods and taking control of your own life. Action steps are the key in this process. WE CANNOT CHANGE ANYTHING WITHOUT A VERB. I think I can turns into I will when we add the action step. My band journey, though not as long-lived as I would have liked, has been this type of process. I WANTED to lose weight, but I took no ACTION that would result in me losing weight. When I went on Medicare Disability, the opportunity to make this change became available and I jumped on it. I started calling different hospitals and WLS clinics to see if they accepted Medicare...that was a tough one. Finally, a really kind person at the University Hospital directed me to another local hospital who she knew took medicare for lapband or RNY. When I called to make an appointment, they got me in within a week. I took action. I took the power. I took personal responsibilty for my success. I wouldn't say my weight loss journey was easy...it's had it challenges. My band was the perfect tool for me, keeping me free of hunger for 4-6 hours after a very small meal. Even empty, I'm rarely hungry. Losing my band and not being able to revise is extremely scary...I need to ask myself WHY. Here we go again....

It's difficult to tell what your problem is without more information. Are you measuring 1/2-1 cup of food that includes 3 oz dense lean protein and low carb veggies? Is your food cut into m&m sized pieces? Do you eat slowly, taking 20-30 min to finish your meal, chewing 15-25 times per bite? Do you stop eating when you get a soft stop sign (hiccup, sigh, runny nose, twinge in your shoulder) even if there is food remaining? If not, you are setting yourself up for complications.

The sleeve is great if you don't have achalasia (esophageal) damage. Jean has achalasia, which is most likely why she's had a difficult time with her revision. I know of several who have revised to sleeve despite having it with varying results from a quality of life perspective. I want to revise, but I also have end stage achalasia, damage from my band, so probably no revision for me. Be sure to consult with a revision surgeon...better outcome and fewer complications. Best of luck to you!

Sorry Missy, but I'm not responsible for making you feel like doing anything. If you fail to check which forum you're on, that's not my bad. I'm only responsible for my own actions and I stand by them. BTW...the person that was called my alt ID is no one I know and is not me. This rings a bit true to Nana Price's post where the first response to her thread was someone in an ape suit calling her ignorant. She hasn't been back, no wonder. I'm proud of who I am and have no need to hide behind a facade ID.

Dr Keshishian is a bariatric surgeon who currently specializes in DS and VSG, but who formerly did all types of bariatric surgery. For those needing advice regarding revision options (those with major damage to stomach, esophagus, etc) he is the expert, patients and other surgeons rely upon for advice. In my original post, there were two links, relevant to those considering revision. It's really too bad that so many of you who responded in such a judgemental way, can't handle reading about serious complications without losing your collective mind! S**t happens, people need resources, I'm trying to help THEM. You don't need help? Fine...but don't stand in the way of those who do. It amazes me how the gang mentality rears its ugly head when there is mention that a Lapband might not be all its cracked up to be or, heaven forbid, actually CAUSE harm. I got a horrific Dx yesterday. My esophagus showed NO activity at all on the manometry. Last month I was Dx with gastroparesis. I didn't have this problem 3 years ago. It's f'ing scary being me right now.

I've had my band almost 3 years now and did great the first 15-18 months, lost 90 lb. I now have achalasia, gastroparesis and other GI tract issues. I know many others who have had similar issues...motility problems are becoming the primary late term complication. Pay attention to the long term complications. Short term complications are lower with the band, but unfortunately many of us vets are experiencing life altering complications requiring further surgeries, tests, etc .2-5 years out. The band also may not be for you if you're looking to lose 100% EW. The average is 50-60% EWL. Whatever you decide, best of luck to you!

As usual, tactfully put. Not surprising.

I made cod for dinner tonight

I hope your surgery goes very well. Sorry if my comments seemed inappropriate, I was trying to help. You've done great with your band!