Love/hate Relationship, 2.5 Years Post-Surgery

[CurvyCat 0]

I have such a ridiculous relationship with my band.

It hasn't done much for me as far as losing weight goes, but it has proven to be an excellent maintenance tool for me. I lost about 2/3 of my lost weight in the pre-surgery diet and then slowly the other 1/3 or so in the first 6 months after. Since then I've hovered within a 10-12 pound maintenance/plateau range. I was banded because I suck at keeping weight off long-term.

Getting stuck and bringing food back up is pretty much a daily occurrence for me, as it seems that "restriction" for me equals anything from "ugh-uncomfortable" to "holy-cr@p-pain". There's no rhyme or reason to it. I can get stuck on cottage cheese and smoothies, or on chicken or tuna. Steak and popcorn can go down fine.... or not. Frozen yogurt or ice cream sometimes come back to haunt me.... and stir fry might stay or it might go. It varies from meal to meal and bite to bite. No warnings, just instant discomfort from one bite to the next.

Sometimes I can ride it out and eventually things settle down, but at this point it's easier for me to usually just hasten the food's return trip. Never thought it would take WLS to make me bulimic, but that's kind of what it's come down to for me. At least it's just the food in my pouch, no acid to contend with.

My best girlfriend of 20 years was banded with me, and she lost her band to complications earlier this year.

Hers slipped and she was unable to keep ANYTHING down, lost too much too fast and ended up on a cardiac unit with emergency band removal. Since then, she's gained back some, but seems so much happier without the constant trips to the restroom after every (partial) meal.

Do I want mine out? No, not yet -- I doubt I could maintain on my own.

But do I miss being able to eat food and make good choices knowing that I'm going to be giving my body what it needs? Yeah, I do.

It's kind of depressing to work on making fabulous healthy meals, only to maybe bring it all back up. I still usually make good choices,but I'm less enthusiastic about it, and less likely to make the effort than I was before.

Just a rant, sort of. Wish I could say that this tool has proven as useful as I had hoped.

Now getting the rest of the weight off is more of a challenge than before (because lean Protein nearly always sticks/returns, no matter how much I chew).... But at least binging is well under control. Only 35# or so left to go.... but who knows if I'll ever get there.

[marfar7 1,533]

Sounds just like me! For 2 1/2 yrs, vomiting my meals was a normal occurance. I don't know how many times I've been asked "are you ok?" by a woman in the ladies room at restaurants. There was never foods that I felt were the culprits, sometimes it was yogurt or ice cream. What was the culprit tho was my eating so fast. I don't know why I would forget at the beginning of every meal to slow down.

Since my band slipped from frequent vomiting, however, I've learned to eat slower. And it actually works! Wow! What a concept! In the last 6 mths, I've vomited twice. Wish I'd never had to learn that lesson, however. I've gained a few lbs while working with my slipped band.

Just some advice for you: Watch the vomiting. My band hung in there for a long time before giving me problems. I thought it was invincible. It wasn't. Once you have a slip, your band is never the same as it was. At least mine isn't...

Marci

[2muchfun 8,928]

Getting stuck often is also one of my problems. Not nearly as much as you two but enough to piss me off.

I'm a lot like Marci though. I forget to eat slowly and take small bites. I know it's mostly my own fault but I think I'm making some progress. It's mostly the distractions that cause me to eat fast. Eating while watching TV can be a problem. I was trying to grab a bite at the airport Monday and grabbed a egg mcmuffin and ate it too fast when I heard them calling to board my plane. I spent the next 45 minutes sitting in coach feeling like crap. I don't usually have to PB but it does seem to relieve some of the pressure.

Curvy, you are close to your goal, about as close as me. Hoping we both get there soon.

tmf

[Angelizz10 76]

I have such a ridiculous relationship with my band.

It hasn't done much for me as far as losing weight goes' date=' but it has proven to be an excellent maintenance tool for me. I lost about 2/3 of my lost weight in the pre-surgery diet and then slowly the other 1/3 or so in the first 6 months after. Since then I've hovered within a 10-12 pound maintenance/plateau range. I was banded because I suck at keeping weight off long-term.

Getting stuck and bringing food back up is pretty much a daily occurrence for me, as it seems that "restriction" for me equals anything from "ugh-uncomfortable" to "holy-cr@p-pain". There's no rhyme or reason to it. I can get stuck on cottage cheese and smoothies, or on chicken or tuna. Steak and popcorn can go down fine.... or not. Frozen yogurt or ice cream sometimes come back to haunt me.... and stir fry might stay or it might go. It varies from meal to meal and bite to bite. No warnings, just instant discomfort from one bite to the next.

Sometimes I can ride it out and eventually things settle down, but at this point it's easier for me to usually just hasten the food's return trip. Never thought it would take WLS to make me bulimic, but that's kind of what it's come down to for me. At least it's just the food in my pouch, no acid to contend with.

My best girlfriend of 20 years was banded with me, and she lost her band to complications earlier this year.

Hers slipped and she was unable to keep ANYTHING down, lost too much too fast and ended up on a cardiac unit with emergency band removal. Since then, she's gained back some, but seems so much happier without the constant trips to the restroom after every (partial) meal.

Do I want mine out? No, not yet -- I doubt I could maintain on my own.

But do I miss being able to eat food and make good choices knowing that I'm going to be giving my body what it needs? Yeah, I do.

It's kind of depressing to work on making fabulous healthy meals, only to maybe bring it all back up. I still usually make good choices,but I'm less enthusiastic about it, and less likely to make the effort than I was before.

Just a rant, sort of. Wish I could say that this tool has proven as useful as I had hoped.

Now getting the rest of the weight off is more of a challenge than before (because lean Protein nearly always sticks/returns, no matter how much I chew).... But at least binging is well under control. Only 35# or so left to go.... but who knows if I'll ever get there.[/quote']

You have truly had a bad time. I am curious if you have considered the "sleeve?" The band just isn't for everyone so don't blame yourself. For some it is God sent, for others it is the Devil's work ... Some call it Band Hell. Good luck to you.

[CurvyCat 0]

Thanks, y'all. I do take it slowly, I think I am just sensitive to the restriction sensation, which makes the band problematic for me. I've tried varying levels of fills. Back and forth, filled and unfilled. I'm at 6.5cc now, which might be a touch too much, but 6cc is like being completely unfilled -- nothing stopping me at all from eating as much as I want. So, I'm trying to hang in there at this fill level and figure out something that will work for me food-wise to take the rest of the weight off.Then I can tackle maintenance maybe at a different level without the stuck/upchuck issues. haha

I don't think a revision to sleeve would be covered by insurance as I haven't gained the weight back -- I've just been totally unable to lose any more.

Thus far, no slipping. The process of the food coming back up isn't particularly harsh or vomit-y -- just kind of like a PB, but I do get tired of waiting for it to decide whether or not it's going to do it and I help it along. Sometimes all I have to do is bend over the toilet and up it comes.

If I wait it out through the more uncomfortable episodes, it seems even MORE sensitive afterwards, whereas if I get rid of the offending food right away, it's not so much.

I do "help" with a swallow or two of Water if I know it's already going to come back up so it's not trying to push out something thick, so what comes back up is like Soup (sorry if TMI). Otherwise I do follow the "rules" and I do not drink with meals - only when I can feel that it is already stuck and going to make a return trip up.

Thanks so much for the feedback. I was blogging, but it was hard when it just became month after month of the same plateau and problems. A girl's gotta vent sometimes, though!

[jrae 38]

You think you are not getting acid in your pouch? Guess again- you are even tho you don't taste it when you pb! Your esophagus will eventually start dilating & you will get acid in your pouch. The first sign is tiny swirls of red when you pb & then it will progress to barfing coffee grounds. Trust me- been there done that. If you have a realize band it may be that .1 cc fills will have an effect! Not a typo- 1/10th of a cc! My band is 11ccs & I am in green with 3ccs. Anything over is too tight. Good luck.

[Nicole Sikes 1]

Thanks, y'all. I do take it slowly, I think I am just sensitive to the restriction sensation, which makes the band problematic for me. I've tried varying levels of fills. Back and forth, filled and unfilled. I'm at 6.5cc now, which might be a touch too much, but 6cc is like being completely unfilled -- nothing stopping me at all from eating as much as I want. So, I'm trying to hang in there at this fill level and figure out something that will work for me food-wise to take the rest of the weight off.Then I can tackle maintenance maybe at a different level without the stuck/upchuck issues. haha

I don't think a revision to sleeve would be covered by insurance as I haven't gained the weight back -- I've just been totally unable to lose any more.

Thus far, no slipping. The process of the food coming back up isn't particularly harsh or vomit-y -- just kind of like a PB, but I do get tired of waiting for it to decide whether or not it's going to do it and I help it along. Sometimes all I have to do is bend over the toilet and up it comes.

If I wait it out through the more uncomfortable episodes, it seems even MORE sensitive afterwards, whereas if I get rid of the offending food right away, it's not so much.

I do "help" with a swallow or two of Water if I know it's already going to come back up so it's not trying to push out something thick, so what comes back up is like Soup (sorry if TMI). Otherwise I do follow the "rules" and I do not drink with meals - only when I can feel that it is already stuck and going to make a return trip up.

Thanks so much for the feedback. I was blogging, but it was hard when it just became month after month of the same plateau and problems. A girl's gotta vent sometimes, though!

This has been my life since I was banded April, 2011. I finally went to my surgeon and said I'm done! We had a long meeting and I discovered what I thought was food getting stuck in the band was not actually making it to the band at all. My esophagus does not like the restriction of the band so when I try to eat it spasms and closes off and I have to throw my food back up. Basically he said the band is not compatible with my body so I am having the revision to the sleeve. This will give me a smooth transition from esophagus to stomach which will calm the spasms. I was unfilled on Weds and I have been able to eat and drink without a hitch! I feel like that might be what's going on with you because you say you get two or three bites down and then you have to vomit or one day something will go down and the next few times you try it, it won't. That was the hardest part for me because I was always scared of not being able to eat when I would sit down to. And more times than not I couldn't. I hope you get yours figured out and find a solution! Good Luck!

[CurvyCat 0]

Thanks!

I think jrae is right, I am getting some small amounts of acid, but not much I can do aside from getting totally unfilled, for now. I'll go in after the first of the year and have an in-depth discussion with my surgeon about the whole situation. I did get a prescription for omaprazole to reduce any acid for the time being, and I've switched from taking a regular Calcium chew supplement to TUMS before bed as a bit of a prophylactic against possible acid issues at night.

I don't know that I could get a revision to sleeve at my current weight. Insurance would probably only cover it if I backslid back to a high enough BMI. Here's hoping I don't have to deal with all that again --- this is my third time to lose this much weight and the idea of gaining it all back AGAIN is really depressing. heh

[Angelizz10 76]

Sounds just like me! For 2 1/2 yrs' date=' vomiting my meals was a normal occurance. I don't know how many times I've been asked "are you ok?" by a woman in the ladies room at restaurants. There was never foods that I felt were the culprits, sometimes it was yogurt or ice cream. What was the culprit tho was my eating so fast. I don't know why I would forget at the beginning of every meal to slow down.

Since my band slipped from frequent vomiting, however, I've learned to eat slower. And it actually works! Wow! What a concept! In the last 6 mths, I've vomited twice. Wish I'd never had to learn that lesson, however. I've gained a few lbs while working with my slipped band.

Just some advice for you: Watch the vomiting. My band hung in there for a long time before giving me problems. I thought it was invincible. It wasn't. Once you have a slip, your band is never the same as it was. At least mine isn't...

Marci[/quote']

You have had a hard time and hope you are in sync. Have you looked at drsimpson.net site? It is very, very informative. I read about his site here in Lapband Talk and it literally changed my Life With the Band. He actually has a FREE download of his book (one of them...). It is now on my iPad and answered all questions I ever had about this lifestyle change. The Band is a tool to help you lose weight, but for it to work, you have to work at changing the way you eat and how much. You have discovered you can not bolt food down. He covers this problem and more. Truly, it is an eye opener and everyone who is planning getting a band or has one, should read it. Good Luck!