I haven't posted here in quite a while.

It's been a struggle to say the least since I had the Realize band implanted in me back in December of 2007.

Surgery date weight was 282, lowest I got to was 248, I now sit close to 290.

I have had so many fills and unfills they are too numerous to count.

The basic problem is that, with this band, I cannot stand the sensation of food being in my throat, or pouch.

I CRAVE the sensation again of having that FULL feeling in my stomach. I haven't had that in years, except when I have Soup.

I have vomited, numerous times on a daily basis, for almost FIVE years now.

Don't tell me I need to chew, chew, chew, or take smaller bites, or not eat certain foods, I have DONE IT ALL, and the fact is, this surgery made me bulimic.

I can't even eat what I want to, like a salad. I had one yesterday and wretched for a half hour getting it all out.

I am a 280+ lbs bulimic. Unbelievable.

Now it's gotten to the point that I have pain when I eat. I can feel the pain of the food moving down my throat, and it hurts like hell when it passes through the band.

The _ONLY_ time I lost weight with this band is when I basically ate a liquid diet of shakes. Can't live like that for long, who wants to eat shakes all the time?

I see my doctor in a week for an unfill. Have to drive two hours to see him. The original doctor who I saw in Surrey was a horrible, horrible surgeon who would scold me and chastise me for not losing weight. I'm done with him.

I don't know who I can see to get this thing taken out, there aren't many doctors in the metro Vancouver BC area that do this surgery.

I wish I had initially taken responsibility for my obesity and started eating healthier. Instead I took the easy way out. $14,000 later, what a huge mistake.

I'm not writing for sympathy, rather a warning to others who think this is a great idea - the long-term data is starting to come out on this procedure and it isn't too rosy.

Watch out for forums like this one as you'll see a lot of success stories - some of them are real, I believe a lot of them are made up by posters hired by surgeons offices, and a lot of them are in the initial 'wonderful' phase of their band, and haven't maintained their loss over the years.

Pixie, I know what you're going through. I thought I was the only one. Ive never thrown up so much in my life as I do now. And yes, it is just food, no stomach acid. And agreed, ZERO mental or emotional issues. Just food getting stuck and having to throw up....constantly.

Pixie, I know what you're going through. I thought I was the only one. Ive never thrown up so much in my life as I do now. And yes, it is just food, no stomach acid. And agreed, ZERO mental or emotional issues. Just food getting stuck and having to throw up....constantly.

Pixie, I know what you're going through. I thought I was the only one. Ive never thrown up so much in my life as I do now. And yes, it is just food, no stomach acid. And agreed, ZERO mental or emotional issues. Just food getting stuck and having to throw up....constantly.

Hallejuah! THank you for supporting me in this... it just sucks when some bandsters don't understand what some of us are going thru, ya know? Thanks sooo much for responding to my post.

I'm just so glad not to be throwing up anymore!!!! I did not want to be considered a bulimic at all at work, and I was worried that people at work would think I was one!

No doubt. I get very self conscious about eating in public now as sometimes I have to get up a few times during a meal to throw up. I worry about what people are thinking.

Watch out for forums like this one as you'll see a lot of success stories - some of them are real, I believe a lot of them are made up by posters hired by surgeons offices, and a lot of them are in the initial 'wonderful' phase of their band, and haven't maintained their loss over the years.

Bert99, based on your own unfortunate experience I can see where you might take a jaundiced view of the whole Lapband thing, but jumping on poor Hummingbird who offered understanding, concern, and a logical suggestion was a bit harsh. And as for lap band surgery being the easy way out- well, I reckon you've discovered it isn't easy at all. We still have to take responsibility for what we eat and how we eat it.

On the chance my own experience will help, I'll share it. If it doesn't help, ignore it. I am not paid by a surgeon to write nice things about the band and I am not in the "wonderful" phase of the band. It has taken me two years and three months to lose 84 pounds. I've had ups and downs and looong plateaus. It has not been easy. I don't expect it to be much easier in the future, but I have learned some things that help me through the rough Patches.

My band invariably feels tight during the early part of the day. I struggle with this, some times more than others. This week has been a particular challenge because I long for the emotional comfort of freely eating whatever I want. Of course, eating for emotional comfort eventually packed a hundred extra pounds on me.

If I insist on eating early in the day when my band is tight, the food will come right back up. If I eat too much, up comes the food. If I don't chew well enough, same thing. If I wait until I am relaxed, actually hungry (and not just wanting to eat), and then eat a controlled portion of easily chewable food- well, life is golden. Most of all I have to guard against overeating, which means something quite different back in the days before the band. Overeating now can mean two bites. I know that feeling of too much food in the pouch- it is miserable until it is gone, one way or the other.

It is a pain to have to pass up invitations to lunch because I know I am not going to be able to eat, but I've discovered my friends and family are quite understanding about my dietary limitations. We go for walks instead or get together to sew or garden or ride the horses. It is a continuing pain in the neck to not chew well enough, overeat, eat when I'm not hungry and end up having to walk around to let the food settle or actually go get rid of it in worst case scenarios. Sometimes I am better off just going back on liquids for a day or two and letting my stomach relax. Easy way out? Not on your life. But I can live with it because it is working for me.

If the band is too much of a problem for you, by all means have it removed. But the weight gain you report is not a side effect of the band; it is the result of too many calories. That's not going to change once the band is gone. Overeating is an eating disorder, just like bulemia and anorexia. Hummingbird's suggestion to find a counselor to help you deal with that particular eating disorder is a good one. Please don't discount it.

Good luck to you.

If you don't think stomach acid comes up through the stoma and hit your teeth every time you throw up your fooling yourself. The damage might not show up right away. It may take awhile to erode through the enamel.

Did someone say I was being paid to post? I missed it if they did. oh well, if so, nothing could be farther from the truth. I am a dental hygienist .... teeth are what I know. I have seen the damage bulimia can cause and it's a bad situation when the damage shows up.

Had it completely unfilled Friday.

Have not vomited ONCE since the unfill.

Happily eating low-carb, lots of salads, nuts, fish, things I couldn't eat before.

Dr. said that I have Esophagitis and Dysphagia (sp?), I've been put on Nexium and will be following up with a scope.

I won't comment to the negative posts, pointing fingers at me for 'failing' at this - that somehow it is my fault, a weakness on my part; all I can say is that you are all so bloody self-righteous when you succeed at weight loss and others don't..... take a moment to remember that you are still a compulsive over-eater, it's just that you have a band around your stomach preventing you from acting like the fat person you still are, deep down inside.

That's it for me on these forums, done like dinner.

(And I get **** on for posting in a forum for those who suffer COMPLICATIONS?!??? What gives you the right to crap all over my post? A little compassion goes a long way.)

Had it completely unfilled Friday.

Have not vomited ONCE since the unfill.

Happily eating low-carb, lots of salads, nuts, fish, things I couldn't eat before.

Dr. said that I have Esophagitis and Dysphagia (sp?), I've been put on Nexium and will be following up with a scope.

I won't comment to the negative posts, pointing fingers at me for 'failing' at this - that somehow it is my fault, a weakness on my part; all I can say is that you are all so bloody self-righteous when you succeed at weight loss and others don't..... take a moment to remember that you are still a compulsive over-eater, it's just that you have a band around your stomach preventing you from acting like the fat person you still are, deep down inside.

That's it for me on these forums, done like dinner.

(And I get **** on for posting in a forum for those who suffer COMPLICATIONS?!??? What gives you the right to crap all over my post? A little compassion goes a long way.)

Right on!! I'm glad you are doing better now, not vomiting ... I revised to bypass. Are you planning on revising?

Wow. Glad you got the band off your stomach and the vitriolic feelings off your chest. Good luck.

Wow. What a gem. Sometimes you get what you give, ya know?

Right on!! I'm glad you are doing better now, not vomiting ... I revised to bypass. Are you planning on revising?

I just found out today that my band has slipped and I soon will have to make a decision what to do. You say you revised to bypass, did your insurance cover this? Can you provide me some details?

I honestly want this thing out of me. I never expected this journey to be easy, but I am tired of vomitting daily and my teeth and body aching. My son told me today he wants it out too because he is tired of seeing sick all the time. Ugh, decisions...

I just found out today that my band has slipped and I soon will have to make a decision what to do. You say you revised to bypass, did your insurance cover this? Can you provide me some details?

I honestly want this thing out of me. I never expected this journey to be easy, but I am tired of vomitting daily and my teeth and body aching. My son told me today he wants it out too because he is tired of seeing sick all the time. Ugh, decisions...

HI there

Yep I revised to bypass. Yep my insurance covered this, after appealing. I'm very happy I revised and have the crapband out of me. My teeth never ached. My teeth are fine, whew. but I"m mad at some people that are "successful" and looks down on us that are experiencing band failures. We did NOT fail the band. The band just doesn't work for everyone like my surgeon said.

Well said Shoshanna. And I feel compelled to add (and I fully expect to be blasted for this comment by some)....if someone eats enough to throw up 5x a day for several years, and not only not loose but gain weight, you have to wonder how much that person is eating, and what they are eating.

I was banded last August, have good days and bad days, have learned to listen to my body and have changed my eating habits as a result. If I want to loose weight I have to limit my intake to 1000 calories or under per day. The reality of the band is you can't eat certain things, may have difficulty eating at certain times such as early mornings and if you ignore these things you will have problems. For that reason, because some people maybe can't read their body too well or don't understand the effort and commitment it will take to use the band effectively, the band is not for everyone.

To say that postings on success are false or are perhaps submitted by greedy surgeons is just nonsense, and is insulting to those of us who work hard making good choices to be successful!

I wish all fellow bandies, and all who take another path success in their weightloss journey.

I am blasting you for this, it has nothing to do with how much we eat....... after a few bites of dense Protein, I threw up.... but with junk food i can keep them down fine...

it doesn't matter to me anymore now as my crapband is out now and I do not throw up anymore on dense protein!!!!!

Well said Shoshanna. And I feel compelled to add (and I fully expect to be blasted for this comment by some)....if someone eats enough to throw up 5x a day for several years, and not only not loose but gain weight, you have to wonder how much that person is eating, and what they are eating.

I was banded last August, have good days and bad days, have learned to listen to my body and have changed my eating habits as a result. If I want to loose weight I have to limit my intake to 1000 calories or under per day. The reality of the band is you can't eat certain things, may have difficulty eating at certain times such as early mornings and if you ignore these things you will have problems. For that reason, because some people maybe can't read their body too well or don't understand the effort and commitment it will take to use the band effectively, the band is not for everyone.

To say that postings on success are false or are perhaps submitted by greedy surgeons is just nonsense, and is insulting to those of us who work hard making good choices to be successful!

I wish all fellow bandies, and all who take another path success in their weightloss journey.

I am blasting you for this, it has nothing to do with how much we eat....... after a few bites of dense Protein, I threw up.... but with junk food i can keep them down fine...

it doesn't matter to me anymore now as my crapband is out now and I do not throw up anymore on dense protein!!!!!

Then why are you still posting here? This is supposed to be a supportive forum, if you have gotten rid of your band and just want to cause problems you should go to your sleeve forum.

First of all, I support and answer questions, share my knowledge of complications and experience with complications of band. For the record, I did not go sleeve, I had the bypass.

Lastly, you do not own the board, this is a public board.