NoMoBand

I'm going through this right now. I posted on another forum and have copied and edited it a bit below and hope I can help anyone in preventing this. As far as your question, yes you can get the pouch back to normal but you and you only can make that happen. It's difficult, but, it can be done. If the pouch is really stretched badly they will un-fill you and place you on liquids for a period of time. My doctor told me 6 weeks of liquids. Holy smokes!!! Here is my post from another thread: Under floroscopy my doctor told me that my pouch was bigger than it should be. She told me that I would get a warning this time, but if next checkup showed the same, she will un-fill me and I will go on liquids for 6 weeks. For now I have been instructed to measure my portions. I did get a slight fill, so, I'm thinking that I'm not that bad yet. I keep a loose band because my allergies and drainage cause the dreaded lapband cement on the pouch that is only dissolved by drinking lots of hot liquids and is very unpleasant, thus I have to be a bit more careful with my portions. I have decent restriction and my portions have been at least 1 cup of food and sometimes 1.5 cups, however, I got into the habit of not chewing well and eating too fast. I rarely got stuck because of my loose band. In my opinion, not chewing well and eating too fast is what caused the dialation. I was also doing way too much exercise and was feeling more hunger and I would eat way to fast and not chew well with the hunger I felt at times. Someone asked about symptoms. First of all my weight loss stopped for months. My weight would go up and down by 6 lbs. and went on like this for at least 8 months. I tried increasing calories, longer work outs etc. etc. and nothing! My biggest symptom was more hunger in between meals and was getting hungry every 2-3 hours. The most obvious symptom that I should have never ignored was feeling satisfied (full) and would get that uncomfortable feeling of "no more" at meal time then all of sudden I would feel a thump in my pouch, due to food going thru quickly, then I could eat another meal if I chose to and honestly sometimes I would. I thought this was because I needed a fill, however, this was not the case and Doc said that a enlarged pouch of course holds more food and will push everything down quickly. Since being warned I have gone on liquids 2 times consisting of 4 days of Protein drinks and 1 can of Soup a day. In addition, I have modified my drinking and wait 1/2 hour before a meal and 1/2 hour after a meal. I now feel a huge amount of restriction and can only handle the 1/2 cup of food at mealtime. So, yes you can reverse the stretched pouch. I will continue to do the liquid thing at least every other week for a while just to be on the safe side. Since doing this I have lost 10 lbs. Lesson learned? If something doesn't feel right get it checked. I knew something was wrong, but, I was embarrassed to see the doctor because I had not reached goal. I think the biggest disappointment is first myself and second, being banded is high maintenance, but, we are the culprit to our own complications in most cases. I still love my band though! Hope this helps anyone who may be experiencing some of my symptoms and have ignored them. jake

Don't give up! This is only a short stop at a rest area on your journey. Once we get this dialation back to normal we'll figure out a way to make this work. I'm sure there are methods to get your metabolism working better. Once you get over this hump you can see a nutritionist to get advice. I will have to be more careful with my meals and more cautious with how I eat them. As far as battling the weight we must remind ourselves how long it took us to get big and all the bad eating habits that we've acquired. It will take us awhile to re-learn good eating habits and the band is there to help. This is a big investment that we have to make work. I know I have to be reminded every so often that the band is a slow weight loss system and I want results today and the final outcome tomorrow. We've got to be patient. For now, we've been given some lemons and I choose to make lemonade. We can do this!!! Hang in there! jake

I'm in the same boat. Under floroscopy doctor told me that my pouch was bigger than it should be. She told me that I would get a warning this time, but if next checkup showed the same, she will unfill me and I will go on liquids for 6 weeks. For now I have been instructed to measure my portions. I did get a slight fill, so, I'm thinking that I'm not that bad yet. I keep a loose band because my allergies and drainage cause the dreaded lapband cement that is only dissolved by drinking lots of hot liquids and is very unpleasant, thus I have to be really careful with my portions. I had decent restriction and my portions have never been over 1 cup of food, however, I got into the habit of not chewing well and eating too fast. This is what I think caused the dialation. Someone asked about symptoms. For me the biggest symptom was more hunger in between meals and no weight loss. The most obvious symptom that I should have never ignored was feeling full at meal time then all of sudden I would feel a thump in my pouch, due to food going thru quickly, then I could eat another meal if I chose to. I thought this was because I needed a fill, however, this was not the case and Doc said that a enlarged pouch of course holds more food and will push everything down quickly. Lesson learned? If something doesn't feel right get it checked. I think the biggest disappointment is first myself and second being banded is high maintenance. I still love my band though! Hope this helps anyone who may be experiencing some of my symptoms and have ignored them. jake

Really good to hear from a male that is willing to share with such a good attitude about paying it forward. I feel that same as you do about helping others and in addition I will never deny anyone of help regardless of their questions or grammer or spelling or.........on these forums. Thank you! I do have a question for you. I'm still at a halt on weight loss (plateau) for months. I have 20 more lbs. to go to meet my first goal of changing my BMI from Obese to overweight. I exercise daily and have tried decreasing and increasing my caloric intake and still find myself at the same weight. Recently I injured my foot and had to stop exercising for a few weeks and put on 8 lbs. I have decent restriction and have an appointment soon for a possible fill, however,I probably won't need one is my guess. My question to you is, along your journey did you experience any plateaus lasting longer than a couple of months and is there any advice on how to break the darn thing. Jake

Did you mean 1 lb. a week maybe? Anyhow, this happens to me occasionally and I have a difficult time getting things down at the start up of a meal. I have to stop otherwise I will get sick. After I wait a few minutes I can continue with my meal, then will usually feel like I can't have another bite, I stop, then the strangest thing occurs when I actually feel the food go through my band (stoma) with the feeling of a thump, then, I can eat a larger amount of food if I choose to. I can't explain it, however, this only happens occasionally to me. If this is happening often you should see your doctor about it. I have an appointment coming up in 2 weeks and will be asking my doc why this happens. Hope everything turns out good for you.

Here's a strange one, but, works for me. After a stuck episode I will go on 2-3 day liquids and because I am lactose intolerant and also so tired of the sweet proteins, I will take 1/2 cup to a cup of pinto beans, add the juice and a little beef bouillon and puree in the blender. I find it very filling, but, can only handle it once in a while. Probably not the best in nutritional value, but, just a change from the sweet stuff.

It could be the swelling of you stomach caused by the surgery and should get better within the next few days. What do you mean by "tightness"? Are you still on liquids or mushie stage? Next question do you suffer from allergies?

Awesome!! Thanks for sharing. I also love gizzards and have not had any since being banded. I shall get some soon and chew them like heck. lol

Great post! The only meter I use for a fill is if I'm feeling hunger in between meals (4-6 hours).

I can testify that alcohol will put on lbs. on you quickly!!! I had not had any alcohol in 1.5 years after being banded. I recently attended a graduation party and had several mixed drinks (about 5), plus, a few high caloric foods that weekend. I gained 10 lbs. in 2 days.

You do eat much less due to restriction caused by the band. The band does not keep you feeling fuller longer, but, keeps you from getting hungry 4-6 hours in between meals. There are receptors in the stomach area that send a signal to the brain letting you know that your hunger is satisfied. Amoung other symptoms, you know you need a fill when you are getting hungry 2-4 hours in between meals.

I remember when I had my surgery and how difficult it was. I had the should pain and the pain meds only worked 1/2 hour at a time. Prior to surgery I would read posts where people reported very little pain and the incisions were the only reminder that they had surgery. Well, we are the unfortunate ones that hurt like hell!!! You did not make a mistake - trust me. It will get better and it seems to happen overnight. You may feel like heck today and tomorrow it's manageable. Hang in there.

I have 2cc's in a 10cc band and am in the green zone.

I walk at lunch with the temperature running in the high 90's and will have my lunch shortly after and have difficulty getting it down (tight band). I recently called my band doctor asking about hot weather and the band. Her response was that hot weather itself will not affect the band making it tighter, however, this was the answer and solution for me. I now have at least 8 oz. of Water after or during my walk and has eliminated the tightness, thus, it is caused by dehydration. Cold weather, on the other hand, most definitely affects my band.

I've increased my calories by 300 a day and so far so good, I've lost 3 lbs, however, I feel guilty as heck. I've increase the caloric intake with snacks in between meals. I'm trying to stick to healthy snacks like fruits, almonds and string cheese. I know the string cheese is probably not a good idea, but, I try to limit myself. Thanks for the advice and suggestion. I will let you know how this works out.

Wow, there may be something to this after all. Let me explain. I've been at a plateau for over 6 months. I talked to a nutritioniist who had me keep a food journal for 2 weeks. After she analyized everything she told me that my caloric intake was to low for me. I was taking in about 900 calories a day and she told me I should be at 1200 - 1400 calories a day. My protein intake was about 60-80 grams a day. She told me exactly what Pandora stated - "your body is going into a lets hold onto things because it feels you are not giving it enough!" state. Well, out of guilt in increasing my calories, I decided to just increase my work-out time. The scale is still not budging! I am going to try this out, by, increasing my calories via more protein and see what happens. This is the 3rd time I have heard this and am still stubborn, but, now hearing it a fourth time, there really may be something to this. jake

Marci, I will keep you in prayer. Prayer is a powerful tool!

How long have you felt the no restriction? For me the band is fickle and I can have good restriction today and not so much tomorrow, but, this only lasts a day or so. 2muchfun has a good point, you may be in bandster hell where the fills are gradual and good restriction comes later on after several fills. I seriously doubt that you have a slipped band. Don't worry so much.

I just saw a post a few minutes after posting mine It is under Introductions titled Newbie Intro. I know of another person who did this blindly without any idea of what he was getting himself into. All I'm saying is educate yourself as much as you can without just jumping quickly into this. There's a lot to learn. The outcome of the person worked out ok, but, he had one heck of a bumpy road at first.

Not sure how they handle self pay, but, I would advise that you do all the nutrition consults. These consults will educate you as to what and how to eat. The change in how you eat is the toughest thing to learn and they will educate/prepare you. Insurance will require that you can prove that you've tried to lose weight on your own, but, without permanent results, so, that part is omitted with self pay and probably take the longest. The psychological evaluation looks for issues with serious dependency with food. Think of it this like an alcoholic and dependency with liquor. If you have a serious issue with food, counseling may be a requirement before the band. I would advise to find out how much fills are and how many are included with the their asking price of the surgery. Ask if they do them under floro or blind fills. Find out what kind of band they use (lapband or realize band). Find out how aggressive they are with fills (how many cc's they put in at a time) and also at what frequency (usually every 6 weeks). Find out if fills are done by the doctor or PA (makes no difference, but good to know). Ask the doc how many bands she/he has done. Is the bariatric program certified a "center of excellence" or how close they are to getting their certification. My best guess is a month or so, but, I'm just guessing. Good luck to you. This is a big step and I can assure you will help with disc issues. Jake

No, you won't ruin your band, but, avoid throwing up because you can make the band area a little swollen and may become too tight. Try something that may coat your stomach hopefully making it feel better. First thing that comes to mind is Pepto Bismol.

PB's (throwing up), getting stuck is a bandster's worst enemy and has to be taken seriously. Throwing up can cause the band to slip and other problems as well. One episode will not do this and has to be a re-occurring issue. If you eat slow, take small bites, chew well, and still have these episodes then your band may be too tight and must be adjusted (unfilled a bit). This is why fills after surgery are in small increments until you reach that so called green zone.

PB stands for productive burp. In other words, when you burp something comes up with it, namely food. Others call it throwing up, spitting up. Something get's stuck and it either must pass the stoma, or come back up. This happens when you don't chew well enough. This is why the lapband is a life changing surgery. You will ALWAYS have to eat slow, take small bites and chew well, otherwise there are consequences. You do learn really quickly, trust me.

My wife has been extremely supportive and for me this has made all the difference in the world. If your wife is on board with you, you are one blessed man. As I posted earlier 2 of my 3 sons were completely against me getting this done. They have joined forces with my wife and are now all very supportive. When we have get together's they make sure they bring pop crystal lite in lieu of diet sodas. I'm so proud of my sons! One big change that exists with my sons is that we have to mark our blue jeans on the jean labels because I wear their pant size and sometimes we don't know who's jeans are who's. I think it's awesome, they on the other hand probably not so much. lol

I also cancelled my surgery not once but twice. I had 2 sons that were really against me doing the surgery, but, I finally made up my mind that I would do this for myself. Yo yo weight loss was a big problem all my life. I'd lose, gain it back, lose gain back........ At one point I lost over 120 lbs. on my own, but, gained it all back plus 100 lbs more. As yourself I also was active. I exercised regularly via swimming, biking and daily walking, except for a period of time right before the band when I let myself go and tipped the scale at 325. I couldn't work out anymore due to such stress on the joints and the pain was terrible. I keep a loose band and like it because I know that I'm doing most of the work. The weight is coming off much slower now, but, the band keeps me from over eating. Using the band as a tool really works and you learn fast. You can cheat the band and I'm still stumped why people do this. For me, the band does about 60% of the job and i do the other 40%. I follow the rules and eat as healthy as I can. The mind over food mentality is what I'm striving to overcome and the band sure does help by keeping me in line. I actually jog now which helps not only with the weight but stress in life. As far as long term affects, I'll cross that bridge when and if I have to cross it. I have zero regrets at this point and I've had several complications that were fixable. I leave tomorrow in God's hands and love life today. Jake