I'm sick, I feel like crap, my stomach is bothering me, I can't explain it, my belly gurgles different, I didn't eat much today, not due to restriction, but due to it feeling "creepy" and weird, I'm concerned about my friends who were unbanded today, I just want to be normal, I've flipped my lid, I "have a feeling" I'm eroded, I hate the suspense, I can't think straight, Penni can't think straight, all I want for Christmas is an At-Home-Erosion-Detector-Kit.

Anyone else got anything to say about potential erosion?

No problem! Felt good huh? :banana

Kathy,,

Thanks for saying what I have been thinking. You can't worry about something that hasn't happened yet. Thanks for the chill pill. You may have averted a stampede.

You may have averted a stampede.

hehe, I'm still chomping at the bit to take off and run...breathe in...breathe out....LOL!

Here's what I'm doing differntly now.

Prilosec twice a day.

Aloe Vera juice, 4 ounces, twice a day.

4-6 ounces of distilled Water at bedtime, before the Aloe Vera juice.

Softer foods for now, no canned stuff, no junk, no gross food.

Drink and eat first thing in the morning.

Ezekiel Bread, toasted with butter, for Breakfast.

All for good digestive system health and a healthy band. Now, for weight loss, I have entertained the thought of taking a 1/2 diet pill every other day to pep start the ole sluggish metabolism and lose some more weight before I lose my band. haha.

Does that sound better than panicking?

I was worring about the same thing about 2 weeks ago. I am filled to 4 cc's in my 4 cc band so if that doesn't make you feel like you are erodred....... But anyway, I did have an endoscopy and everything is fine. I just have some gastritis which the doc gave me medicine for. So please try not to make yourself crazy thinking something has happened because chances are it hasn't. Everyone should calm down. I am still thinking about the people here on LBT that had their surgeries today and hope they are all doing fine in body and mind.

Chris, what are the symptoms for gastritis? If you don't mind...

Kathy,

I had my first endoscopy a little over a year ago and back then the doc told me the same thing and just told me to take some Pepcid Complete chewables. I had no symptoms the first time I had the endo. This time I did have some heartburn and very minor reflux so I was really believing something was wrong. So I was very happy to hear I have no erosion just the gastritis. This time the doc gave me a prescription for Prevacid solutabs and I felt better within a few days.

Well Kathy, sounds like a plan. The one thing that I have found that helps me deal with feeling sluggish is instead of drinking plain water, I drink Propel and take a Viactiv Multi-vitamin chew every morning. I was never one to take vitamins and now I don't miss a day! Plus it's like getting that chocolate that you crave with no guilt! So I am getting a dose of B vitamins all day. Maybe that has helped my metabolism, who knows. Plus, green tea is great for your digestive tract, from what I have heard, so that doesn't hurt either. Every little bit helps. I don't know about taking a diet pill though. Which kind are you wanting to take? If you don't mind me asking.

Well Kathy, sounds like a plan. The one thing that I have found that helps me deal with feeling sluggish is instead of drinking plain Water, I drink Propel and take a Viactiv Multi-vitamin chew every morning. I was never one to take Vitamins and now I don't miss a day! Plus it's like getting that chocolate that you crave with no guilt! So I am getting a dose of B vitamins all day. Maybe that has helped my metabolism, who knows. Plus, green tea is great for your digestive tract, from what I have heard, so that doesn't hurt either. Every little bit helps. I don't know about taking a diet pill though. Which kind are you wanting to take? If you don't mind me asking.

Add Viactive to the list...already doing that. Propel in the morning is a great idea. I got the distilled water to wash out my band at bedtime. Oh yeah, green tea...good idea.

I have an old prescription for phentermine. A whole pill gives me the willies...cold feeling in my stomach, yuck. But a 1/2 one works well. I notice I use the bathroom more when I take one so I know it's speeding me up. It might be the jump start I need for weight loss. Now, I haven't taken the diet pill since banding but as long as it goes through the band, I'm not worried. I also don't LIKE taking them so I may end up taking one, then another in 2 days, then none for a while. I don't particularly like the way they make me feel-edgy-but I think one or two doses will help.

Chris, thanks for the gastritis info. I just started taking Prilosec so I'm on board. Good to know.

Let's all have healthy bands!!!!

I know how you feel about the jitters! I took them a while back and ended up having to have my heart checked out. Around 5-6 years ago. That is a scary feeling, no doubt. Just be careful with it and listen to your body when you take them.

So what if I'm a stress wreck? The question is, "Would I do it again?"

The answer is, "Probably."

LBT has always been the one board where the God's honest truth comes out. If anyone is looking for sugar-coating, go to another board. Had I known SO MANY personal friends before getting banded that had erosion, I would never have gotten the band. So if all these erosions help even one person decide not to take the gamble, then they might be saving their own lives.

Read what you want to, people. If it's too deep or too REAL for you to handle, then politely jump to the next thread. Anyone that knows me knows I speak from my heart, and if something needs to be said, I'm going to say it.

Diane Beck ALMOST DIED FROM LAPBAND REMOVAL SURGERY DUE TO EROSION. If anyone thinks I've caused a stampede or have lost control of my senses, read that line again. The band is "potentially" deadly and comes with a variety of risks, erosion is just one of them.

I'm sorry if anyone was hyped about getting the band but this thread scared them. But all I've done is open everyone's eyes. Be responsible for your band and have it checked - often! Michelle eroded in just a matter of months, so if you don't have an endoscopy scheduled, or at least regular Upper GI's, let this be a wake up call.

Chances are that most of us worry warts are fine. But if a certain percentage erode, then someone in this very thread may be eroded right now, and we all need to get checked out on a regular basis.

No need for me to say anything cause Kathy473 read my mind it appears...

I've been thinking about this thread and wanted to point out that stress can induce symptoms, all by itself. So that chill pill is important in more ways than one.

Lisa, you're right that we don't shy away from the truth here. But it's also important to recognize the proportions here are very skewed. This is a self-selected population of people who are by definition more likely to be talking about issues they are aware of or have encountered. Considering the numbers, there are precious few purely content long-term bandsters hanging around on support boards.

And didn't Diane Beck's problem occur because of surgical error? Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to me that it could just as easily have been some other type of surgery.

This whole thread went awry. It's just a "venting thread" about anxiety. A place to support our friends that are being unbanded and give a much-needed scream about our own individual worries. If someone doesn't have the need to vent, then there's no reason to join in.

I agree that there are many happy bandsters, and I agree that stress can cause a lot of symptoms and really screw with our heads. And I agree that some of us might be jumping to early conclusions. But I've been lurking the boards and there are so many different threads where people are "freaking out" that I decided to open up a thread for those of us with similar anxieties.

Alex, most of what we heard here at LBT about Diane Beck was B.S. I talked to her personally, and she couldn't believe the gossip and untruths being said about her experience.

The fact is, a bunch of us are worried about our bands, then a few of us start eroding. I felt the need to vent, and apparently others did as well. So vent we shall.

I'm venting! I'm venting! But I also appreciate the encouragement and reality checks. This thread is just what I needed! Thanks DeLarla and all the voices of good reason, as well. I'm venting!!

And then on Crystal's positive thinking thread someone says "put your hand on your tummy and thank your band for being there and send it good positive white light vibes" which vibes and lights and stuff is not my thing so I'm thanking GOD for my band and start crying. ARGGH.

Yeah...that was me. Perhaps I should clarify. The "vibes and lights" come from God. White light is a god light. But that's cool, we all gotta use what brings us comfort.

How 'bout you ask God and the angels to help you to feel comfort about this situation. Ask God to help you release all problems to Him. Your worrying so hard isn't good for your mental OR your physical health. Ask God to bring you peace because you sound incredibly stressed out (for very good reasons).