So it has been forever since I have been on here, and its very much my own fault, but I've also been very embarassed to post. I have barely lost anything and still fighting with the dreded 4 lbs. And I see people are having tummy tucks already, It's so discouraging (being honest here)

I started excercising more, I even bought some free weights and the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred, and that actually shifted 2 lbs.

I've had a couple of NSV's a major one being returning 2 pairs of pants because they were huge on me, and buying tops in a size medium (which are big on me). I go throught this inches vs lbs thing alot and it seems to happen more often then not.

I'm just trying to figure out what it is I'm doing wrong. I was off to a great start and it has come to a screeching hault.

In other good news, I NY hospital for Joint disease finally accepts my insurance, so I'm going to see a Hip specialist on friday (8/20) and maybe they can give me more insight on ways to be comfortably active, or maybe even just fix my hip once and for all.

I hope everyone is doing fantastic and keep up the awesome work!!!

Edited August 16, 201015 yr by sarahbellzz14-4

You're not alone. I have only lost about 15 lbs in the last 10 months. I also started off great, then slowed way down. Now I have just stopped. I am eating too much, and need a fill. Things keep coming up that take my PTO time. They want to see me for a Dr's appt. before I get a fill, so i need time off for both. I can't manage it just now. Wish I had more will power. I guess if I did, I wouldn't have needed the band in the first place. I'll just keep trying. I am really happy with what I have lost so far, I just want to lose more.

rguay..your almost there , go get your fill and finish the race.

Hey Sarah, funny you post today finally after much hassle with our surgeons office I'm finally getting banded today.

I've realized from their dealing with me that this is going to be all about me and I have to do this for myself. Their neglect and attitude has shown me that I have to work this band for myself.

Your too young to be going through this. Seems like you have a good start already. Recommit, get your fill if you need one and start over from day 1 if you have to.

I wish you the best.

Dee

Dee, I am soo happy to hear that!!!! Congrats! I was actually wondering about you the other day! Please keep me posted, and the BEST BROTH (which I lived on for my 2 weeks of clear is the chicken broth from Mill Basin Deli on Ave T)

RGuay, It's so frustrating, it's like we're so used to it now that we just live our lives like normal again. I too have to get back on track. I'm actually going to be trying the 5 day pouch test, Which is basically re-conditioning and shrinking the pouch. I haven't found my sweet spot yet, which is very frustrating for me. We're all in this together, and Dee, You have my Private e-mail, let me know how it goes!

Thanks for posting you guys. I really appreciate your support. Funny, I haven't looked at it like I am almost there. I guess if I was still at the beginning it would seem that way to me. Thanks for reminding me.

Good luck to you! The band is one of the best choices I have ever made in my life. I wish you great success.

I to have been thinking about the pouch test. Tomorrow is my Bday and then my husband's right after, so I thought I would wait until after that. Let me know how that works for you. I am really interested in knowing.

Hey, Sarah, great to see you on here! :thumbup: What did you find out about your hip? I hope they can do something for you!!

I had an upper GI last Friday to check my pouch and everything looks the same as when I got banded, which is good. I was actually beginning to wonder if it had stretched because it seems like I can eat so much sometimes (as long as it's not meat). And, I'm always worried about the band slipping every time I get something stuck and PB or vomit. Gawd, I just had that happen at a restaurant the other day -- had to hurry off to the bathroom b/c I knew it was coming back up. Awful feeling when you're sitting there with a friend!! :wub: Thankfully I know now that if my mouth starts to Water, I need to run!

I have been going up and down about 5 lbs since I reached my goal, and it is sooooo frustrating. I started working out a lot, and it's made me firmer but also hungrier. I'm also guilty of eating too many slider foods -- my latest is sugar-free ice cream. Once I discovered that, oh, boy... problem city. So, I feel your frustration.

Hang in there and keep posting. It helps all of us!!

xoxoxo

Howdy from another long-ago'er. I'm having this issue as well. I'd done *really* well for quite a while. Then I hit a period of overfilling where nothing went down, unfill, refill, rinse & repeat. Last time this happened, I got ibuprofen stuck and it irritated my esophagus (I was throwing up blood). Since then, nothing has been the same.

Now, I have a hard time getting anything in. I have to drink something hot with any meal. Drinking calories! UGH! Sometimes I can get food down, and sometimes nothing will work. I can't drink anything cold, ever, without it closing up on me and off I go to the porcelain god. I'm way under on my Water intake because I can't bring myself to drink hot water. Usually it's tea, occasionally coffee.

The problem is, I don't feel full. I actually *feel* hungry. It's really, really frustrating!

I'm actually going to be trying the 5 day pouch test, Which is basically re-conditioning and shrinking the pouch. I haven't found my sweet spot yet, which is very frustrating for me.

What is this? Someone also mentioned going back and starting over. Are we talking strictly liquids for a week/more? I feel like the fill may not be the issue, but don't really know.

I'm glad to know I'm not alone in this, it's a little better to know that someone understands!

What is the pouch test? Please explain.

GonnaRide, you just described almost exactly what I have been going through for two months since reaching my goal. And it all started with me getting a pill stuck, which irritated my esophagus (however, I wasn't throwing up blood -- you poor thing!). And since then, like you said, nothing has been the same. I also have to drink to get things down, though it doesn't always have to be hot. I have gone to see my surgeon twice, and the first time he told me to start taking Prevacid every day to help the esophagus heal. That has helped. (However, I have had other episodes of pills getting stuck and the same thing happening again.) Then last Friday he took out 0.4 cc's because I couldn't eat anything but slider foods -- no meat. He said that once my esophagus heals and I can eat regular, healthy food again (no ice cream :thumbup:) that perhaps I will lose the 5 lbs. I gained. He said that sometimes people will gain weight because their band is too tight (for whatever reason) and they start eating the wrong foods. (Guilty as charged. :cool:)

I hope this helps you in some way. I would suggest going back to your doc and asking for a slight unfill. I know it's so frustrating, especially if you've gone through, as you so perfectly described: "Then I hit a period of overfilling where nothing went down, unfill, refill, rinse & repeat." :smile2:

And ... just like you, I've been sooooo hungry!!!!!

I've gotta tell ya, it has been nice being able to eat some real food again. I even got chicken down last night, which I thought might have been crossed off my list forever. :cursing:

Please check back in and let us know how you're doing. :smile:

Howdy from another long-ago'er. I'm having this issue as well. I'd done *really* well for quite a while. Then I hit a period of overfilling where nothing went down, unfill, refill, rinse & repeat. Last time this happened, I got ibuprofen stuck and it irritated my esophagus (I was throwing up blood). Since then, nothing has been the same.

Now, I have a hard time getting anything in. I have to drink something hot with any meal. Drinking calories! UGH! Sometimes I can get food down, and sometimes nothing will work. I can't drink anything cold, ever, without it closing up on me and off I go to the porcelain god. I'm way under on my Water intake because I can't bring myself to drink hot water. Usually it's tea, occasionally coffee.

The problem is, I don't feel full. I actually *feel* hungry. It's really, really frustrating!

What is this? Someone also mentioned going back and starting over. Are we talking strictly liquids for a week/more? I feel like the fill may not be the issue, but don't really know.

I'm glad to know I'm not alone in this, it's a little better to know that someone understands!

Edited August 30, 201015 yr by SpideyMom

It's so great to see you still here SpideyMom!

I did call and have an appt for Friday morning. I think I'm going to do strictly liquids between now and then and see how that goes. I can't even get down an over-easy egg anymore! I can't recall the last time I had a piece of meat. My husband's been a grilling fool all summer, and I'd *so* love a piece of chicken, or pork! I found that I had to give up ground beef ages ago. What I'd do for a "big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat" as Jimmy Buffet says, lol!

Of all the pills to possibly get stuck, apparently ibuprofen is the worst. I'd just had a fill on July 2nd (Friday), and woke up Sunday morning with a splitting headache. I'd been able to get them down no-problem before, and without thinking I just went for the drugs. My head was killing me and I was in one of those "just woke up and hurt like heck" fogs and took it without thinking. I ended up having to meet my doc at the office at 11pm the night of the 4th. I sat in the car with a bag, puking, while the hub and kids enjoyed the fireworks and ice cream.

I'm really very sensitive to fills apparently as well. Sometimes even just 1/4 cc will send me to puking while I'm still in the office. More than once, I've left the office thinking I was okay, and within half an hour half to turn around and go back to have some taken back out. My doc is overly cautious with fills to not put in too much, especially with me, but it seems even the slightest change really can do me in.

I sort of feel like I need to just take it back to liquids, do an unfill Friday and start over again. I'd even managed to lose 10 lbs over the Christmas holidays, and that was with us going to my parent's on vacation! Now I feel like I'm playing with these same 5 lbs back and forth.

I still have 50-60 to go, so I'm about halfway to where I want to be. I'm thrilled with that, but this hang up the last 4 months is really bumming me out.

As a total aside, I seriously miss broccoli. *sigh*

Wow, GR, you really are sensitive to fills! I have had my good share of fills and unfills, but nothing like that! You poor thing. I'm glad you got an appointment for Friday.

Another thing that has been really bothering me for the last two months is all the burping and gurgling I'm doing! The gurgles come out of my throat all the time, and when I'm talking to someone and it happens, it's sooo embarrassing! :cursing:

I gave up scrambled eggs and ground beef a long time ago... and broccoli! Isn't it sorta ironic, though, that we are griping about not being able to eat these healthy foods, when usually when I'm on a diet, I'm griping about not being able to eat sweets and other junk. LOL :thumbup:

Hang in there -- and check back and let us know how the doctor's appointment goes.

Good luck!

I really feel for you guys. I have only had one episode where something came back up. Since May, I have had things stuck, and go down slow with the mouth watering. That was even a new experience for me. I can eat anything and everything. Before every fill my doc has an exray done to check band and port placement. Then uses fluoroscopy. He can watch fluid go down in real-time, which determines fill amount. Maybe this is why I have never had a problem. Thank God. If your insurance company does not usually pay for this, maybe they will with your complications. I hate to think of you guys suffering. My only problem now is I need a fill and I am eating too many calories because I am hungry. It will be several weeks before I have PTO to get the fill. I need to work harder for awhile.

Well, due to Hurricane Earl, my appt has been canceled for tomorrow. They've rescheduled me for Tuesday afternoon. *sigh*

Hang in there, and good luck!

Thanks for still being out there May Banditos. I am working my way to getting back on track and I am excited about it all again. However, all of your stories are so familiar. Having an uncooperative band can be so frustrating and sometimes I wish it weren't there, but I know that I still need it.

Thanks for still being out there May Banditos. I am working my way to getting back on track and I am excited about it all again. However, all of your stories are so familiar. Having an uncooperative band can be so frustrating and sometimes I wish it weren't there, but I know that I still need it.

A few months ago, after six months of liquids only and insurance complications, I had an unfill. I haven't been back. I really feel like my body needed time to recover, get some nutrition and relax a little. I was doing well until I was in a car accident with my two youngest children, 5 and 8. Someone else hit us. Both cars totaled. We got a lawyer, who then died at age 55 of a massive coronary. I started stress eating, having to grab a lot of very poor fast food choices (who knew McD's fries weren't even close to as good as I remember them being) and I've put on way more than I should have. I'm in PT three days a week now.

But omg. Chicken! I can eat chicken again! Broccoli is still iffy somedays. I really need to find motivation again. I'm nearly where I was pre-op. Between the back and forth filling unfilling and now this, I feel like I've wasted two years, gone through a horrible surgery for nothing and generally failed at this.

I hope the rest of you are fairing better!