I am starting to get a little paranoid here lately. I have a couple of questions:

Do you ladies loose restriction during your TOM?

I've been banded almost a year and I have random abdominal pain as well as shoulder pain. Before I was banded I thought that I might have had IBS?!? Not really for sure.

I have been abusing my band and I have made a stand to starting looking at my band as a friend NOT an enemy!!!!!

I just hope it's not too late!

:sick

Hi Birdee -

I sent you an email.

As far as losing restriction during that TOM, I think most people gain restriction.

Is this the first time you've lost restriction at this TOM?

I know everyone is skittish since my erosion, but if you are having unusual pains and are concerned I think a trip to your doc is in order for your peace of mind.

The good news is that the odds are it is nothing... But best to know for sure.

***hugs***

I wish I lost restriction.

I gain restriction during TOM. I can only do liquids during that time for the first 3 days , but I lose weight instead of how I used to gain during that time since I used to eat like a horse pre band during TOM

Thanks Donali....you are heaven sent. I just got off the phone with my PA and I told her about it being the pain being in my abdomen and sometimes accompanied by some shoulder pain. After telling her my symptoms she thinks it's just gas....so now I wonder. She asked me if I had been vomiting and I said no. Which is more or less true. We all have the PBing thing going on which for me is about every week and a half. I get amnesia and forget I am banded! She also told me that if it continues to be bothersome that we could have a swallow study, but since I was not throwing up, she was not concerned. I know when I push on my tummy it hurts a little but right now as I am typing this I feel the rumble in my stomach. But gas??!!!??? I am almost a year out!!!!! Should I pursue this or just wait and see what happens. You are right Donali. I am so afraid now. I would be okay of I knew that I was doing everything by the book..... Sometimes I feel that I am not bandworthy!!!!!

I just don't know what to do!

Birdee

Birdee, I totally know what you mean. I just went through this with my chest muscles hurting, thinking it was band-related even though I knew that it was something I'd done that made those particular muscles hurt.

Try to think about the pain as though you don't have a band. Try to remember back pre-banding and what you would have thought if you had this exact pain. What would be causing it? A rumble in your stomach? Are you hungry, perhaps? Is it intestinal? If that's it, you may be coming down with something (or if you're like me, that could also be period-related).

It was a good idea to call your PA and sound her out about it, but it really probably is nothing at all. Just be alert to the symptoms and what/when/where they happen, and obviously if they get worse pay close attention and get help if necessary.

And I guess I'll be the odd woman out and say that I don't notice any change in restriction related to my period. I do tend to be at my lowest weight a day or so after it ends (back when I was losing weight, that is), which surely is related to Water retention. But that hasn't seemed to regularly affect restriction, as far as I can tell.

Let me just say that the term TOM was something I have never heard and it doesn't surprise me since I haven't had a TOM since 1987. I had a complete hysterectomy after my last child was born. I had fibroid tumors the size of grapefruits and would burst then hemorrhage. I passed out at work one day and they rushed me to the ER. THey are prepping me for emergency surgery but I told them to take me to my primary GYN in the opposite direction about 2 hours away. They did not want to because they did not think I would make it. I told them if they get me there I would give them all a cheap thrill. They took me there and I flashed all of them. I was delirious at the time. This story was told to me by my mom and sis that was at my side the whole time. The doc told me that if I had waited another couple of hours he would have not been able to do anything. I kissed him after the surgery and THANKED him for removing all that stuff out of me.

Long story short I am a much happier woman and not on any hormone replacement therapy since being banded. No hot flashes, no night sweats, nothing.

Sorry, got off track some here.

Birdee -

There is no true "book" to go by - we all have to find how to use the band to help us where we need it.

We are all bandworthy - we all deserve to have a tool help us to become healthier people.

I have heard that some bandsters acquire a lactose intolerance after being banded, when they had no problems before, so perhaps that's where your gas is coming from?

Again, if you really are concerned (and I do believe in gut intuition) there is no harm in getting tested out.